Here is some of the latest art from our game. The robots pictured are both computer-controlled AI enemies. I do have a question, looking for your opinions: How important are idle animations in a game to you (as a player)? [edited by - jdinger2 on September 1, 2002 8:14:24 PM]

Nice robots.

If the idle animations fit the character, then you''re probably good. If the enemy robots actually look threatingly at me and make me want to run, the idle is probably fine.

Seriously though, it usually doesn''t matter too much because you rarely see enemy characters idle. They tend to attack you when you get that close. However, I found out (yeah, the hard way), that it looks really dumb if the idle isn''t obvious. I couldn''t even tell that my characters were breathing.

If you have some random stuff thrown in (like the robot ''resting'' his gun, or arms, or floating around for a second, looking around, or ''stretching'') it can make the idle characters a lot more interesting than if they just breathe. Of course, I guess robots don''t breathe much, do they? So, more interesting than if they just stand there and twitch.

Just play around with it, but don''t spend too long - just until it is obvious, fits the profile, and looks decent enough to watch for a few times around, and go on to something more important, like when the robot starts attacking you.

-geo-

I agree that having idel animations just adds that little extra icing on the cake. Not having, I may not notice. I tend to make idel animations fairly relevant to the game plot, environment, objective etc... For instance, if the player is well into a goal and gets side tracked, his idel animation will remind him of what it is he''s suppose to be doing ( as long as this fits in with the story.

-Sage13

Liquid Moon Team

Project X2

Idle animations, for enemies or your character?

If it''s your character, they''re always a fun perk. Super Mario 64, for example. He''d actually lie down and go to sleep! That was hilarious!

For enemies, it depends on the game. If you have any sort of stealthiness where you can actually get a chance to watch an enemy without being noticed, then yes idle animations are very good. But if the player never gets to see them, what''s the point?

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Depends on the speed of the game. If the game is fast and frantic, there will not be much time to watch idle animations.

If the game is slower paced, or has places for the player stop and just watch, then idle animations are a good.

The other thing to consider is time. How much time will it take to add all the extra artwork vs time spent elsewhere or putting out the product faster.