2D Sprite Enemies

[KDStudios]

Is this even remotely possible?

I'd like to make a retro inspired land. I've figured out how to do 2d sprite statics which is pretty awesome.

But cannot for the life of me figure out how to make 2d sprite NPC/enemy.

I think it would be pretty awesome as most could just use the same template. From small enemies to large.

Unsure how animations would play out either. As the sprite must always be facing the player, because as I have no idea how this would be implemented, I'd have no clue how to have it face away from the player (like showing their back to the player for example). So constantly facing the player would be easiest.

But would be nice to be able to assign a standing/walking animation, then perhaps an attack animation to show they're attacking. A hurt animation and then a corpse image.

 

Any input would be greatly appreciated though.

Many thanks!

[montky]

yes, yes it is,

2D-3D is entirely possible within Creation Engine,

and may I say Hallelujah that folks are looking into the awesomeness there-in.

I've also gotta say, while my own FO4 Mod Fu isn't great,

I think if we explore 2D-3D, it will open up a whole new avenue to encourage modders

to get in and try it and give it a go.

 

it will likely not be a 'true-sprite' so much as, an animation decal group etc...

mapped to transparent solids. the animations can then be keyed via onEvents etc which happen to the transparent solid.

ie a 'forcefield' which need only be an animation decal between two pillars, which toggles collision from a button etc...

that's not to say you can't find a way to use true sprites, if you can make it a relative frame of ref etc.

and, the conceit of it only being 'dead-on perpendicular' could also be used as a great framing device - you can only see the 'ghost' in certain areas and head-on etc...

 

 

 

true sprites are a tricky thing, and are excellent for overlays, terminals, and for conditional status based stuff

(like artifacting when your power armor is damaged, being 'hacked', rad-visual effects etc)

and of course, for mini-games/sidegames at the arcade!

 

the trick is to map the decal/animation nurbs-face-group to a transparent solid,

you can then layer-change, partial opacity mix from 2 or more animations, and toggle collision based on associated data with each layer (only 1 layer of active collision at the moment... which makes proper 2D-3D collisions and physics a little tricky)

or, if they're a particle based effect etc,

mapping that to a group mapped to a transparent solid (such as for ye-olde "will-o-wisp" rad-ghost)

 

tangent of a tangent

 

 

it's fine for enemy spawns etc,

though a nightmare to synchronize an embedded visual stream WITH/WHILE

also doing an embedded aural node livestream... and, to have the game not meltdown hehe.

though, prototypes from OEIS for audio with ~240p visual streams are going alright.

there's a cap as to how many at-any-time locales you can do that,

so for most folks it'll be at starlight city etc.

you could in-theory put machinima as the visual stream, and have that play back in-game...

(almost to the point of near-real-time performances).

 

 

 

 

blah-blah-dee-blah-blah, tilarta, shavkacagarikia etc,

they're just some folks that're looking into that,

a chinese FO4 modder "Liu Wuxei" is also making sprite holograms and such

I have no idea how they've been able to make such awesome stuff,

all I know is - it doesn't take terribly much space and looks great.

----

blahblah'dee'blahblah (hereafter referred to as B²-D-B² )

made a very awesome "2D stick-figure land" prototype newland, which is very awesome replete with 'stickfigure nightmares' hehe.

that'd be a great community-ref New Lands project at some point -

exegetically, it'd show folks a lot of the how-to behind new lands.

 

----

 

the title credits to FO4Who are also achieved via sprites etc.

so, that is literally a fractal zoom being run in a couple of the title sequences hehe.

it is a pre-render though all from in-game that's then been cut and edited.

so, in the 'misadventure in 8bit realm" expansion, the game throws to a side-scroller loosely based on a prior true 8bit Who game.

It's very 'stanley parable'.

 

That is a digression all its own.

I was so impressed by the TARDIS, how they managed to show the interior cell from the exterior,

via animations and pre-combining/pre-batching as much as possible,

keying the doorportal animation to match the interior console,

and being careful to hide the buildable area away from LoS of the front door, _nX^! reasons and all.

I've never seen a mod for any game quite like it -

it's amazing the level of dedication that Who fans have.

 

 

 

 

I hope this is of some use for you,

and thoroughly encourage the exploring of using 2D-3D methodologies

(think KH, etc) into Creation Engine.