All Things Art: Animation Edition

What's up, everybody? The All Things Art thread exists for just one purpose: to help the Art Team identify the stuff you'd like us to create for you next! So far, the thread's been enormously helpful in this regard, and all sorts of things are in the pipeline now because of it.

In this offshoot of the All Things Art thread, I wanted to talk specifically and in-depth about the animation in City of Heroes: powers, emotes, enemy behaviors, FX, etc. What rocks your socks off? What's missing, and what can't you do that you'd like to? There're a few requests over in the main thread, but I thought this would be a better place to focus our discussion.

Quick refresher on the ground rules, and then we'll get started.

This is a direct line of communication between you and the COH Art Team. I want to hear directly from the players what they think about the art in our game, but to keep things running smoothly, please observe the following:

1. Gotta keep it real: Ongoing development is of course my top priority, so my ability to respond to posts and PMs will be limited. If you don't get a direct reply, don't worry--rest assured that I'm reading everything that appears on this thread.

2. Patience, young Jedi: Posting on this thread won't necessarily expedite that special request you've wanted forever, but it'll at least keep it on the radar. We're always striving to give you guys what you want, but that comes in two flavors: variations on existing stuff, and brand-new stuff that expands the game into exciting new territory. Though we try to honor older requests (see: animated tails), it has to happen as a part of overall, ongoing development.

3. This is why we can't have nice things: If something's logistically prohibitive, technically unfeasible, or aesthetically miss-matched with the game, I'll always try to level with you. Certain things just aren't on the agenda, and why dwell on those when we could be talking about all the awesome stuff that you get instead?!

4. Rein it in there, cowboy: Let's try to keep the dialogue succinct, measured and constructive. It's helpful to know what you like and don't like, but play it cool, y'know?


So yeah, what's on your mind?

Can we have sliders/on/off buttons for wings so we can control how fast they flap? Or make it so they simply extend out and stay there. Personally they flap to fast for me but I also would like wings that don't move when flying as well.






AAhhh! My First post after a Red name ever! I IZ FAMOUS!

I would like more alternate animations available, especially for blast powersets that don't use weapons.

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Originally Posted by Dispari I don't know why Dink thinks she's not as sexy as Jay was. In 5 posts she's already upstaged his entire career.

Hmm...

I might as well beat Golden Girl to the punch here. Ghost Widow has animated hair, I believe based largely on the trench-coat rigging or the wedding pack's tail-coat rigging.

It would be... nice... if that rigging was exposed to the players as a costume option.

I think it would be... acceptable... if taking animated hair was like taking a trenchcoat, tail-coat, wings, or capes: taking it disqualifies you from having other rigging effects.

*****

Also in animation... something I'd like to see... are more tails. Again, common request, and probably done to death in the art thread.

*****

On the NPC side of things, maybe it's time to go back and give the Rularuu a good once over. I mean, they are supposed to be the game's ultimate npc creature, at least until the Battalion shows up. However, their animations are still largely... early-game ish. For something that's supposed to be the worst sort of enemy you can run into, they don't really animate all that threatening. Rather, they are sort of stiffly animated.

It would be nice if the Wisps would perhaps borrow some of the new movements from the Mental Manipulation set or Kinetic Melee to launch their powers.

It would be nice if the Storm Elementals got some color in their attacks. As my memory serves, they pretty much have the same coloring as a Storm Summoning "Lightning Storm" power.

It would be nice if the Brutes didn't animate like, say, the Lost. However, there's only so many ways to deliver punches, so modernizing the brutes might not be much of an option.


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Dances: We've been asking for new dance emotes for a while... and I'd like to propose a breakdance. Specifically... this one: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dotjkFEaVd0

To touch on what's already been said:

Wings: I would also love a slider to control how large they are... Even just a small medium and large option would be a big plus.

Power animations: It would totally rock if there were 3 or 4 different animations to choose for most powers... I would love for my witch to be able to have more spell castingy looks when using he blaster powers...

But the main thing that gets my goat in this regard is the Aid Other power pool animation where you pull out the little tech looking thing... She's a witch! She needs a little spell casting animation - she doesn't use tech! :P


Bestial Run animation - Hopefully this is in works for mutant booster or such but this is in HUGE demand...

Fly poses - Not sure if this is correct thread for it but you should be able to set a default one for each char in the options menu or something...

Off the top of my head...

*Alternate animations for Broadsword: Some of the animations are okish, but others, like Headsplitter, look laughably bad with a sword (let alone some of the smaller options). BS already has slower animations, so there's "space" for some flashier moves. Also, Dual Blade's Taunt/Confront animation would look awesome for Broadsword. Probably Katana too, for that matter,

*Fiery Assault: Can we get the option to use fire swords for some of the powers?

*Assault rifle animations: Can we get some "fire from the shoulder" alternatives, similar to Sniper Rifle? Conversely, for those who prefer the hip, what about a "fire from the hip" alternate for Sniper Rifle?

*NPC faction versus faction "combat" emotes: These are often out of sync and just look bad anyway. The biggest offender is the pair where one NPC does the "gut punch" and then follows with a "knockout blow" while his opponent stands drunk like, limply throws an arm, and reacts to being punched. I've seen these two off by as much as a second. It's silly. Not so much an art solution, but it'd be best to make these groups actually hostile, like 5th vs Council, Longbow vs. Arachnos, Rikti vs. the world, etc. Seeing Hellions and Skulls fighting each other in Perez, Trolls and Outcasts in the Hollows, Warriors and Freaks in Talos, and so on would be pretty cool and MUCH better than the out of sync combat emoting.

*Presto-chango teleportation option (whenever that comes), just like the costume change emote!

*Of course, HEAT/VEAT power customization! I want golden blasts for my Peacebringer!

I would like animated hair, please.

Bug fix: The Peacebringer costume change emote causes the eye auras to stop working, until a power is detoggled. Toggling on a new power doesn't fix it but detoggling a running one does. Reported this ages ago and never fixed.

Suppress Close FX does not suppress the yellow Willpower aura effects.

For powers that use the Tarzan emote to activate... well, anything other than the Tarzan emote, please. And yeah, I'd take pretty much anything.

Wings: For my own take, I would like to see wings beat double-time when climbing and hold when in a dive, just as they do when falling.

Flight in general: Banking turns and/or the ability to roll. And an easy way to either perma-set a flypose or launch it in conjunction with a flight power. Binding powexectoggleon Fly$$em flyposeX does not work, unless you hit the bind twice.

Please find some way to put Power Slide back into circulation, preferably not as some god-awfully late Vet Reward. I know it was promised to the DVD edition crowd as an exclusive, but it's been over 5.5 years now. I think they'll get over the betrayal.

Adding a "blast-off" element to rocket boots would be fun, like a small burst of smoke and flame. Similar effects for the other specialized footwear.

That's all off the top of my head...

Alternate Animations; Specifically for toggles, as many re-animate every time one zones. I have long since lost love for the 'tarzan yell' that seems to dominate this quirk for those with Tough, or worse, Integration(the worst animation fit I have ever seen).

Being able to swap in different animations would be a tremulously awesome ability. One just need to scan toggles for examples:

Focused Fighting/Weave/Acrobatics

Tough/Integration/Unstoppable the accused Tarzan Yell...

Invincibility/Power Shield

Rage (As far as I know unique animation)

I'd go on for some length, but it's late and I can't remember them all...

Another vote for alternative animations for powers. A lot of the time, you shouldn't need to come up with anything new: for example there's a fair few animations for ranged powers, let us pick which one's we want to used for each power. There would obviously need to be some tweaks and limitations based on animation length.

Also on the subject of alternative animations (with some model art too): two handed battle axes and war maces. The Stone Melee set and the Ghost Slaying Axe show how cool it looks, and would be a start for complete sets worth.

Something I just recently noticed:

Alternate animations for Assault Rifle. I want the popout guns that the PPD hard-suits use sometimes. The guns that pop out of their arms and back. Those things are awesome. If we could have something similar, heck, for all kinds of powers (but Assault Rifle could use something special to spice it up), we wouldn't need a special Power Armor powerset.

Posted for completeness - David was kind enough to promise to look into this in a PM...but I am interested to see how people respond.

How about if ALL auras optionally become combat auras. I think it would be a lot of fun to select as a combat aura: fiery eyes, or tendril hands, or full-body smolder or whatever as combat-activated.

"I BURST INTO FLAME when attacked!"

Knowing nothing about how it is programmed, it seems like it would be an easy change - add a flag onto auras and they show up in the list and are activated as combat auras, since the tech is already there. Of course, I could be dead wrong!

Still, I think it would be fun to see your whole team "light up" in their various ways as you enter combat!!!

My brain is still reeling from being rudely woken by...well, itself at 8:30 in the morning, so I only have one at the forefront right now;

New female sit emotes.
FIVE of them are exactly the god damned same! It's really, really annoying.

Oh, heres another one for the 'alternate animations'; two handed animations for swords, axes and maces. Along with right handed and single handed options for Katana. Katana has always bugged me in that its the ONLY set in the game which is left handed. For no good reason. Its really wierd.

Thats all for now. Brain-dump will resume when I dont have to syphon power into 'willtolive.exe'

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Originally Posted by Zwillinger GG, I would tell you that "I am killing you with my mind", but I couldn't find an emoticon to properly express my sentiment.

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Originally Posted by Captain_Photon NOTE: The Incarnate System is basically farming for IOs on a larger scale, and with more obtrusive lore.

David, remember, you asked for it Time to make a list ordered in what I assume is increasing difficulty:

1.Alternate animations for Blast sets, even if they have to be taken from other sets. Blast powers differentiate between each other based on blast effect, not so much based on animation, anyway.

2. Alternate EFFECTS for Blast sets. Say, Fireball changes from one singular fireball to multiple converging fireballs on the target ala Macross Missile Massacre, then exploding and Torrent becomes something similar to the Kheldian cone that hits all targets with an individual directed blast.

2.1. My long-standing desire has always been for Sniper Blast to get a decent effect that looked big and felt powerful, instead of the "beam-bullet" it has now. Ideally, I'd take either a pure instant-hit beam similar to what Hercules/Zeus Titans have, or a kind of big huge energy fireball like the Kamehamehadoken. Just something that makes me go "Holy hell! This is awesome!" whenever I see it.

3. More awesome versions of everything. I mentioned Sniper Blast, but that's not the only thing that could use souping up. Just about every Nuke ever made could do with a makeover, because by and large they all look anemic. Where is Inferno's gigantic, towering fireball of hellfire? Where is Nuclear Blast's towering radioactive mushroom that stays behind long after you've left? Even something as simple as Sonic Blast can use the little extra touches like shockwaves on the ground as you scream. Just alter the powers to be AWESOME. Right now, most powers are kind of low-key and unimpressive, more utility than coolness.

4. The ability to customize our sounds would be great. Either that, or just change up power sounds to be more awesome. I'll repost last time's winners for AR sound improvements, the Hispano 20mm for Full Auto and the Various .50 cal snipers for Sniper Rifle.

5. Give weapon powers animation customization. Specifically for Axe, Mace and Broadsword, which could really use it. Even more specifically, could you give each of those the ability to be used with both hands in a two-handed fashion, somehow? I would honestly rather use the Broadsword like that if I don't have a shield. Assault Rifle and Archery could use some tweaks, as well. Speaking of which, the Archery animations, especially Rain of Arrows, are still bugged to have the arrows on the wrong side of the bow.

6. Give us the ability to select our base animations for running, jumping, standing and flying, along with the sounds we hear when doing these things. Giving women a running animation more like men would be nice, and I guess giving men the female run animation can't hurt. Giving us access to the Ninja Run animation for our base movement (but NOT the power) would be a good idea, as would giving us a clone of the Ember Demon "crawl." Best of all, I would suggest a movement animation alternative that would be just like the Hover animation, but will still be ground movement, as in it will follow the terrain and "jump" as normal (like Rikti Drones hit with -fly do), but it will still look like we're flying.

7. The showstopper: Give us the ability to use non-weapon powers through weapons. Instead of shooting fireballs from our hands, let us customize this to shoot fire from a rifle, or from a headband... Or from our eyes. I can live with this being done as a whole powerset swap, just so long as the option to use a gun to project non-gun powers.

P.S. I'll see if I can't find some videos on YouTube to express what I mean.

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Originally Posted by Arcanaville Samuel_Tow is the only poster that makes me want to punch him in the head more often when I'm agreeing with him than when I'm disagreeing with him.

I'm gonna go with an obvious one then.

More dance emotes!!

I know that there are new ones coming, but we could do with several more! When we're DJing, we often have several people stood dancing with us, indeed, the other week Mrs ? had a LOT of people stodd under Atlas for her first set, all dancing and it looked great, but there's far too few dance emotes! Add more!

Styles I'd suggest.

Air Guitar (the most obvious )
Headbanger (think Beavis and Butthead, one had in the air, headback and forth in time to the music)
Moonwalk
Thriller
Hammer Time
Elvis style
Slow Dance (2 people huging each other, slowly shuffling around each other a la school disco for the slow songs )
Disco (think Saturday Night Fever)

I'm sure others will come up with a far better list, but that's a start, especially the first 2!! (not that I'm biased as a Rock DJ, you understand )

The same would probably apply with emotes, more the better, adds a lot more immersion and fun to the game, especially if the interface is easy to use

OK, I found a few cool ones.

For a big Fire Blast power but probablynot Inferno, how's about Final Fantasy 7's Bahamut Zero attack?

For a big Energy Blast attack, probably Nova, why not every Kamehameha ever done?

I for what I had in mind as a snipe attack, I wanted to go with Ryu's Shinkuu Hadouken, but I couldn't find decent footage, so enjoy Iron Man's Proton Cannon.

And for an overall cool and badass attack, here's Barret's Satellite Beam, the final attack I'd like to see when and if we get a Pulse Rifle set.

That's about all I can think of at the moment.

*edit*

Oh, and for Super Strength, please, please, PLEASE try to institute something akin to Tifa Lockheart's Final Heaven.

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Originally Posted by Arcanaville Samuel_Tow is the only poster that makes me want to punch him in the head more often when I'm agreeing with him than when I'm disagreeing with him.

More alternate animations, god yes. Especially for the blast sets that pretty much use nothing but 'thrust hand forward'.

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Alternate animations for Assault Rifle. I want the popout guns that the PPD hard-suits use sometimes. The guns that pop out of their arms and back. Those things are awesome. If we could have something similar, heck, for all kinds of powers (but Assault Rifle could use something special to spice it up), we wouldn't need a special Power Armor powerset.

This would win forever.

Quote:

Oh, heres another one for the 'alternate animations'; two handed animations for swords, axes and maces. Along with right handed and single handed options for Katana. Katana has always bugged me in that its the ONLY set in the game which is left handed. For no good reason. Its really wierd.

As would this.

And somebody mentioned having NPCs that fight each other ACTUALLY FIGHT EACH OTHER. That would be great too.

Don't really care about animated hair.