The Weird Animations

[Spaghetti Betty]

We can all agree that this game does a really bang-up job of making you feel powerful and cool whenever your powers are going off. Same goes for a lot of big-name villains as well.

 

But we all know there's some animation cycles that made you go, "pff, what was that?" the first time you saw them.

 

I remember way back in the day when patrolling NPCs in missions started doing that weird crouch-walk thing in missions. Threw me for a loop the first time I saw a Family member hunched over, leading the pack while everyone behind him walks like a normal person.

 

Or how about War Wolves just hammering away at nothing? What's up with that?

 

Whoever came up with the 'getting hit' animation for Innocuous Strikes must've had a lot of fun.

 

Let's talk about those animations. Oh, and this is by no means a jab at anyone that may have worked on particular animations and may be reading this. 😁

[EmmySky]

Not even getting to the animations which are weird, I am stumped by office floor maps and really, who came up with those bondage boy outfits, is that appropriate? Lol

 

 

[GastlyGibus]

Ah, that crouch/walk thing enemies do. I call that "The CoH Shuffle." It's the latest dance craze in Pocket D!

In all seriousness, the two biggest things that bothered me way back in the day were the animations for "Punch" and "Haymaker" from Super Strength. I don't know what world you're living in where a Haymaker looks like that, because it doesn't look like any fighting move I've ever seen. Punch isn't even a punch. It looks like someone angrily slamming the counter because the bartender got their drink wrong. The new animations are better, but still wonky and weird, and it's the only reason I've avoided Super Strength as a set to this day.

 

[FoulVileTerror]

I've also heard of it called "The Duck Walk."

 

And yes, @EmmySky.  They are appropriate.

Deep down, one of the key members of the art staff for at least the periods between Issue 0 and Issue 7 was encouragingly kinky.

I am deeply thankful for their contributions.

[Spaghetti Betty]

10 minutes ago, GastlyGibus said:

Ah, that crouch/walk thing enemies do. I call that "The CoH Shuffle." It's the latest dance craze in Pocket D!

In all seriousness, the two biggest things that bothered me way back in the day were the animations for "Punch" and "Haymaker" from Super Strength. I don't know what world you're living in where a Haymaker looks like that, because it doesn't look like any fighting move I've ever seen. Punch isn't even a punch. It looks like someone angrily slamming the counter because the bartender got their drink wrong. The new animations are better, but still wonky and weird, and it's the only reason I've avoided Super Strength as a set to this day.

 

I thought Punch looked weird, too. What fixed it in my head was my foray into fighting games. The "downward hammer strike" is a super popular animation for big, heavy characters. Nowadays, if anything, I feel like Haymaker should get that animation - maybe make it a little faster or intense to give it more authority - and give Punch the standard Brawl animation. The newer animations definitely look kinda floppy for sure.

Edited September 26, 2020 by Leetdeth
fixed typo

[Luminara]

27 minutes ago, Leetdeth said:

Whoever came up with the 'getting hit' animation for Innocuous Strikes must've had a lot of fun.

 

Eye of the Storm followed by Innocuous Strikes looks like a choreographed dance routine.  I spent most of the late 20s to mid-40s wondering if I was playing Co* or Breakin' - The Video Game.

 

Characters perform whichever animation belongs to the last toggle that was turned on whenever they change zones.  Weave being last in Legionette's toggle-up sequence means every time I zone in, she stands there panting.  I can even run... well, slide, because her legs don't move, at least 25' before the panting stops.  I know she's small and somewhat runty, but come on, she can't be so frail that opening a mission door leaves her exhausted.

[Vanden]

Ever looked at the Scrapyarders that wield two pickaxes at once? They use Red Cap animations for their attacks and combat stance. Looks real weird to me!

[Sovera]

As someone who did karate a couple decades back all the alternate punch animations in Martial Arts are a riot. But there are a great many attack animations that come out pretty ridiculous since the devs ran out of things to fill 2-3 seconds with (Devastating Blow, anyone?)

[Coyotedancer]

Ah ha! I am Mighty Martial Artist! 

 

*does big kick attack*

 

Smell my foot, evil-doer!

[Eva Destruction]

The original Crippling Axe Kick animation is so hideous that I refused to take it on my Scrapper until we got the alternate animations, even though it was a sub-optimal choice to do so.  It looks like the character's leg is bending in a way that human legs are not meant to bend.  Sometimes a Council dude uses it on me and I almost feel sorry for him, because that's gotta hurt, but then I don't because he's a fascist so I beat the crap out of him to distract him from his dislocated kneecap.

 

The way the panicky civilians run will never not be hilarious.

 

 

[Spaghetti Betty]

10 hours ago, Sovera said:

As someone who did karate a couple decades back all the alternate punch animations in Martial Arts are a riot. But there are a great many attack animations that come out pretty ridiculous since the devs ran out of things to fill 2-3 seconds with (Devastating Blow, anyone?)

They really had a lot of potential with the MA punches. So much material they could've pulled from, and in the end chose Mortal Kombat. Shame. Oddly enough, they totally could've given Devastating Blow that alternate Assassin's Strike they gave MA Stalkers so it wasn't just green Energy Transfer.

9 hours ago, Eva Destruction said:

The original Crippling Axe Kick animation is so hideous that I refused to take it on my Scrapper until we got the alternate animations, even though it was a sub-optimal choice to do so.  It looks like the character's leg is bending in a way that human legs are not meant to bend.  Sometimes a Council dude uses it on me and I almost feel sorry for him, because that's gotta hurt, but then I don't because he's a fascist so I beat the crap out of him to distract him from his dislocated kneecap.

I actually thought the Axe Kick animation looked sick for 2004, but that was 2004. Looks whacky compared to newer sets.

 

I will say however that to this day Dragon's Tail looks incredible.

[Spaghetti Betty]

I gotta say, Savage Melee should've just been named Slap Melee. I can't see it as anything else. In other news, the Sumo character is coming along great.

[Sovera]

Savage Melee has exquisite animations though. The T3 is jarring though, it does not flow into the other animations.

[Biff Pow]

I like when I catch Vahzilok minions dropping to the ground, like actors getting in position.

[Parabola]

The male run animation. All this time and it still looks stupid. The huge run animation is better but not by much. My roster consists of 1 male, 3 huge and 45 or so females, almost entirely because of run animations!

[Solarverse]

15 hours ago, FoulVileTerror said:

I've also heard of it called "The Duck Walk."

As long as they aren't doing "The Duck Lips" while walking "The Duck Walk" I am perfectly okay with it, lol.

[Eva Destruction]

2 hours ago, parabola said:

The male run animation. All this time and it still looks stupid. The huge run animation is better but not by much. My roster consists of 1 male, 3 huge and 45 or so females, almost entirely because of run animations!

But then as soon as your female character pulls out a weapon she starts running like a dude.  That's always bugged me.

[MTeague]

Uncomfortable animations. 

 

Knocking down a male enemy with Eye of the Storm (staff fighting)

and then using Innocuous Strikes, jabbing him....well... someplace you don't want to be jabbed... with a BLADED spear.

 

Astonishingly, he got up after that and kept fighting! 

THAT's some serious hardcore training for the D.U.S.T. Soldiers.

Edited September 27, 2020 by MTeague

[MTeague]

7 hours ago, Leetdeth said:

I gotta say, Savage Melee should've just been named Slap Melee. I can't see it as anything else. In other news, the Sumo character is coming along great.

If you have a character that is a shapeshifter (concept wise, of course...)

Use Assymetrical Gloves

Then use the Cosmic Corsair Hook for both right AND left hands.

Then use Savage Melee.  It looks significantly more brutal.

[FoulVileTerror]

Or Cosmic Corsair -without- the hooks for something more hilariously awkward.

[Luminara]

3 hours ago, Eva Destruction said:

But then as soon as your female character pulls out a weapon she starts running like a dude.  That's always bugged me.

 

I HATE THAT SO MUCH!  A woman who's 5' if she stands on her tippy toes and weighs 95 lbs after a heavy meal DOES NOT LUMBER.  It's just wrong.  WRONG.

[FoulVileTerror]

I mean . . . she might?

I still think walk cycles should be ungendered and optional.   If I want to lumber as a petit femme, I should be able to.   If I want to have a sultry swaggering hip-swaying saunter as a HUGE, likewise:  I should be able to.

[Luminara]

47 minutes ago, FoulVileTerror said:

I mean . . . she might?

I still think walk cycles should be ungendered and optional.   If I want to lumber as a petit femme, I should be able to.   If I want to have a sultry swaggering hip-swaying saunter as a HUGE, likewise:  I should be able to.

 

Alternative animations would be fine.  Enforced lumbering on small-framed bodies, which are anatomically unsuited to lumbering (which is the result of weight distribution, mass, and hip structure), comes across as exaggerated and comedic.

[Brutal Justice]

I avoid left handed weapons due to the run animation.  Why do I have to run like that just because I’m holding something in my left hand?   Kept me from playing a shield toon for a very long time even though I really wanted to.

 

i make all lefties ninja run or beast run even if it doesn’t fit the character.  I also wish I could ninja run with my weapon perma out.  

[Judasace]

On 9/26/2020 at 4:10 PM, Leetdeth said:

I remember way back in the day when patrolling NPCs in missions started doing that weird crouch-walk thing in missions. Threw me for a loop the first time I saw a Family member hunched over, leading the pack while everyone behind him walks like a normal person.

 

Walk this way....