Adventurer Animation set - Help :)

Arturow

Hello friends, 
It's time to update my games reel since I want to do another round of applications and the work I did on some games are not worth watching haha and to do it I will make kind of an animation set for the Adventurer rig from Kiel Figgins.

It would be amazing to have feedback no matter how short, long, hard critique I get, everything helps I will be posting the SyncSketch for new animations and my plan is to work in a new one while I fix the one who gets feedback.

For this I plan to stick to various games styles:
Walk Finished : vimeo.com/229500320
Run Finished : vimeo.com/230024839
Pick Hero Finished : vimeo.com/230817054
Highlight Intro Finished: vimeo.com/233684363
Ultimate Attack ( MOBA Perspective ) Finished :
Emote
Sit Emote
Single Attack ( more cartoony )
Combo Attack ( Cartoon Snappy )
Critical Art ( Street Fighter V and KIng of Fighters XIV )

Thanks so much for your time and let the adventure begins!

I will be updating this post through all the animations so I don't spam the forum with new post
The first one is a Walk Cycle since I just got the rig and wanted to know about the controllers ( it's something I usually do with new rigs just to know how it behave and if they have weapon what is the best constraint setup)

AGoodFella

Looking good. 

I'm not a huge fan of the toes slamming down at f82. I know people like top do it but if you are, I would give it a frame more.

Might be nice to see some more tilt in the staff.

I would try to lift the elbows a little more so they're not facing down all the time.

I like the head look around but it feels disconnected from the chest. i know its probably just an anim layer on top but the chest doesn't react at all to the look around. If he looked to the left, then the I imagine the chest would go with and it would still rotate counter the hips but it would favour the side the head is looking at and the rotations would be relative tot that side. 

Good work!

AnthonyAnimation

I think you have a good plan. By no means is there anything wrong having a reel composed of animations you listed, but it speaks volumes that the word "generic" is a descriptor you used.

Think of how many reels have the same things you listed. If you continue with this list make sure you're adding some personality. It's better to animate something you're passionate about rather than what you think recruiters want to see, it usually shows in the quality of the animation.

This is my personal opinion. It's a good idea to take a look at reels of industry professionals to see what you'll be competing with. Good luck!

Hito

is that rig game friendly?

The overall weight seems to be carried little far forward, feels like the upper body masses could be pulled back a little bit. Could use a little more bounce in each step, little too smooth at the moment; that gives more opportunity for bouncy bits and bobs like the hands hanging on the staff, man-purse, etc. What's he looking at, where is he walking? Busy market? magical cave? evil forest? he's got pretty expressive face setup IIRC? pursed lips like he's whistling a tune would add a lot of character.

KielFiggins

Nice list @Arturow, off to a good start.  @Hito currently no, that rig isn't game ready but will be in the near future once I get the rest of the rigs online

Arturow

Thank you guys!!! I will make the changes to improve it !!

@AGoodFella I agree with you I will add/delay that foot slam on the floor with the help of the foot roll by 1 frame ,Also I will try to see how it looks with a more titled staff and for the elbows I think that for the position they have behind the bar they are almost not moving buuuut I will try to see the movement of each swing if I can make them face a little bit to the back. And you are right it's only the neck and head on a layer haha , I was worried about that thing too. I will add a little bit of torso rotation thanks a lot!!

@AnthonyAnimation Yeah I used the word generic wrong I will develop a personality to the character and be reflected on the animations this walk might not have it and for the passion, I just love those animations in those games since I play them a lot hahaha. It's going to be just like reference but I will enjoy the process . Thanks a lot!!

@Hito Yeah I am overlapping the body but I will see how it looks if I bring the chest a little back while maintaining that overlap in it for the look I just placed it there hahah but I love that idea of you about whistling I might steal it hahah or something else to add that charisma, Thanks a lot!

@KielFiggins Thanks Kiel!!

Arturow

Hello! I finished the walk cycle and updated the first post ( I will keep just 1 video in the first post and the rest ones will be URLs).
For the walk I:
- Delayed his foot 1 frame, tilted more the staff and put some elbows movement when it swings. Also added torso rotation when he looks.
- Bringed back a little bit the torso in rotation and added a "happy" face

This is the next one, the run. I kind of went for a similar animation I made a long time when I made a test for a Japanese studio, it seems that the Asian style is more to have that translation in Z wich TERA has: https://syncsketch.com/sketch/175308#220047  

Thanks again!

AGoodFella

Cool run.

f6 - I would introduce some footroll here for the foot that is on the ground.

f8 - I would push the spacing a little more here for the same foot.

f8-9 - knee stays locked for the back foot.

f17-18 - same as above.

For the weapon grab, I would have it a little snappier. Right now, the weapon comes down and then he grabs it. What if the weapon comes down fast and the hand grabs it to almost catch it a little? I don't know, something to think about.

The overall pose for the weapon run feels nice too. It feels a little off with the chest completely facing the left side and the hips more or less facing in front even though your'e favouring one side with the rotation. I would try to have some of the lower spine face the left side as well; just to spread the rotations more throughout the spine.

Minor notes, run feels and looks great, nice work!

LiamReynolds

I personally feel the run is sat in the middle of a jog and sprint. It feels nice but to me, wrong. Hes very bent legged, doesnt seem to really feel he pushes like Tera runs. Those animations you feel a drive forward. I also would like to see a pose change to deal with the staff. at the moment his arm just comes down, doesnt really do anything for me.

Arturow

@AGoodFella I agree that foot is being broken haha ,and for the knee I wanted to be like locked but if you noticed then I will change it :P I will place his foot a little back to have that tiny translation on the knee. For the grab so I place the other hands first to slam it with the weapon? :O , I think I will go with your idea it makes more sense hahaha. And yeah I have it a little bit in that side for the body but I will increase the rotation then   Thanks a lot for your time!!

@LiamReynolds I FAILED YOU!! the Tera is just a reference and not taking it 100% for the pose I will follow AGoodFella tips thanks!!!

LiamReynolds

Upto you how you want to improve it ofc im just listing what i think could be done to make it more like the reference you was using. The key element you say you like about the runs is lacking in yours thats all.

It is nice like i said. Just to me, sits somewhere in the middle.

Arturow

Awesome ! I will try to improve those notes in my next run cycle thanks Liam!

Arturow

For the run I basically followed AGoodFella directions and I updated the first post

Here is the Pick Hero animation (totally overwatch inspired) :  https://syncsketch.com/sketch/176531#222860

Thanks again for your time !

LiamReynolds

Thats cool. If you was going for something similar to theirs , maybe a good composition or camera angle? Overwatch ones tend to be really dynamic and the characters interact with it quite alot. Maybe a simple solution is the camera comes upto him and he reacts by turning around like he is doing now?

Animation wise, could add some polish to his hands and fingers, they are quite static once they rest on the staff and the grip one doesnt do much, maybe he readjusts once its on his shoulders just to add that little bit of character (which these types of animations are about) Also a pass on his hair.

he could lift his staff from his side in a cool way instead of it already on his shoulder and shifting it across if your really trying to add personality. I cant fault the animation apart from nitty gritty polish, but as its a character type animation thats inspired from overwatch pushing that area more would be cool.

LeeMeredith

Great work so far @Arturow looking forward to the attacks!

Arturow

@LiamReynolds I am currently in another animation but when I finish it I will revisit this one ,you are right with the fingers I will try to keep it alive a little more. The hair it also has animation but I will try to put higher values to it to make it more noticeable and for the camera I will do another animation more of like their Highlights Intros but this was meant to be more like the selection menu in this video, the next animation will be more flashy like you said in your comments https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2zXOCWK5XsA   , Thank you Liam!!

@LeeMeredith Thank you Lee!!!

Karimelhann

Loved it great work 

Arturow

Thank you @Karimelhann !!

Arturow

Hello guys I switched the Jump for a hightlight intro in overwatch style: https://syncsketch.com/sketch/179820#229635
Before I go further I wanted to know your opinions since I will be moving vertices to achieve some smears and still no clothes animation or props

Thanks for the help!

LiamReynolds

Its a nice start. I like the curves on the limbs for arcs. the thing that looks awkward to me is the spin before he goes into the air. his foot work and pose does not read well. He feels off balance considering its not a large spear to 'pull him' its quite light weight and the bend in his body going around makes his head (as thats what im looking at) travel in an odd arc, its very wide. it looks like alot has been hidden in that spin and you can see it through feel and its not working for me. I think its to do with how hes forcing himself to spin and the foot work, and flowing into his down crouch, feels strange aswell. the poseing needs to be stronger and more realistic in that section.

Theres too many broken poses, i know your trying for something quick so you hide it but your reading the broken pose as its visually showing longer than 1 or 2 frames i think?

i dno, its good though just what i can feel/see after watching it and framing it. Also how did you bend the staff. - did you make your own rig version

AGoodFella

Cool!

Yeah, the spin feels a little weird, not quite sure what it is. Maybe it's because at f63, I read it as if he's going to go towards screen left but then he goes towards screen right.

Action throughout f56 feels like it's a really heavy spear that's pulling him. I think that spear would be much lighter so the character would be more in control and a little more finessed.

Really like the stretching limbs. Just take a frame out for the stretched leg at f63. I see it for one frame.

Nice work!

Arturow

Thanks guys!! and yeah that spin is looking weird , I will try to do it in another way maybe not dragging his soul behind it haha and that will change a little bit the crouch I think. Thanks again for your time and feedback !!! I will change it to achieve a better animation !

And @LiamReynolds yeah it's a different rig I did ,I know you have the adventurer too, If you want I can give you the spear rig too :O I just modified a little bit the geometry to achieve the bending , I still need to work the last parts of the staff to bend separately from the entire connection. And because it's a different rig, the snap Kiel built for both hands is not going to work, just parenting it the old way is the way it works

LiamReynolds

@Arturow ahhh sneaky. That would be cool i made one but i didnt re-use the same geo... probably should have haha. I got mine seperated. so maybe i can exchange mine so you can see how i've got seperate bends. I'm not the best at explaining technical setups through text.

Arturow

Hello guys, still on this list! here is the Ultimate Attack from a MOBA perspective

https://syncsketch.com/sketch/194056#258959

It would be cool to get feedback before I get to do the fingers, face, clothes and some adjustments to curve the limbs
Thanks in advance!

LiamReynolds

It could be snappier/faster if i think its the style your hoping for with the stretches. he does feel quite light, at the moment he feels floppy. Its just taste, but i would have had him try twist in the air/mid jump than having that bizarre off-balance jump pose at the start.

I like how he maneuvers to each pose through his movements. Did you use ref for it all or just kinda felt your through way?

Arturow

Thanks Liam! I will try to take off some frames to see how it looks with a snappier look I did it without reference, I only knew I wanted that pose in the strike and the 360° rotation. thanks for your time!

_adamturnbull

Hey @Arturow, its looking good so far but I agree with Liam about how it could be faster / snappier. I'm not sure what kind of style you're going for with the stretching on the weapon and it seems weird that it is always in a curved shape on the attack. On the actually hit I feel it would work better if it straightens out to give that snap, then bends a little as he brings it back. Will try to add more feedback on syncsketch when I get more time

Arturow

awesome! I will apply the feedback you guys gave me thank you for your time    ( the sync will help alot hahaha :P)

Edit: applid the feedback you guys gave me cutting the animation in the up and down by 8 frames I believe and changed the weapon to look straight after the hit