Here's a screenshot of the game I'm quesitoning: Sim Golf. I'm sure that the terrain, static objects, etc, are just 2d sprites (correct me if I'm wrong), but what about the character models? Sorry that the screenshot barely shows the character models, but they're up in the top right corner, so you might need to be familiar with the game to answer. Are they low-poly models or just animated sprites? Each character model has about a dozen or so (at the least) unique animations (and if I remember correctly, they might be able to walk in 360 degrees of direction, which might lean me toward thinking they're 3d models). I guess what I'm really getting at is, if one were to create a game with a similar look, as far as buildings/terrain/etc and character models, which would be the most optimal/efficient/prettiest/easiest method? edit: on closer inspection of that image, check out the shadow that the blimp is casting. must be 3d?

Quote: Original post by ferr
I'm sure that the terrain, static objects, etc, are just 2d sprites (correct me if I'm wrong), but what about the character models?

2D sprites, though they may have been rendered from 3D models. (Faster than drawing them all by hand.)

Quote: I guess what I'm really getting at is, if one were to create a game with a similar look, as far as buildings/terrain/etc and character models, which would be the most optimal/efficient/prettiest/easiest method?

Character models: Model, skin, rig, pose in 3D, render to 2D sprites.
Terrain: 3D isometric projection. It's more flexible.

Quote: edit: on closer inspection of that image, check out the shadow that the blimp is casting. must be 3d?

No. You can take all the non-transparent (or non-background) pixels in an image and generate a shadow map (a transluscent filter).