Just need some creating advice.

[SideburnGuru]

This seems like the nicer forum for Mugen, and not filled of elite creators who bash anyone at first. So, I'm going to hope I can ask here. I also plan on staying here, since I'm majorly getting back into Mugen.

My question is this. How do people actually have the patience to create a brand new character? I've been looking through sheets, looking for the right material, looking through everything possible. I see the process, it's just how do you start? How do you have the right mind to start spriting the characters?

First off, I don't have Photoshop. My trial ran out, have no idea how to get a new trial, I know those quizes aren't safe, and I'm not giving any credit information on them, so I'm stuck with MS Paint.

I'm not program literate with those type of things. I know above average with computers, and that's about it. I mean, I just can't work off a sprite that I would like to start on, and I have no idea how people get these done so quickly. It's all just annoying to me. I spent most of this day just trying to find some easy way to start on a character, and apparently there is none.

I'm just looking for any advice. How to get in the right mind to even start working on it, just a bunch of things. Alternates to Photoshop that are free, and easy to understand. I'd love to put the time into it, but I have no idea where to start. As I said, I've checked the major "tutorials" and none of it seems to help me. 

[.Batzarro.]

Coding, I have no idea. Can't do that myself and have the very minimal of knowledge on it. Spriting, on the other hand, I've done for years now. When it comes to full blown character WIPs, you've gotta have a love for the character, imo. Have to find a workable base(s), also, or it's gonna be a huge hassle. Either way, chances are the first character you sprite isn't going to look the best and is going to be more about experience than anything else. That's how it was with me and many other great creators I've seen. I'd honestly practice by making single edits first, to get use to everything.

Btw, I know some of the best spriters use MSPaint for their work.

[SideburnGuru]

Coding, I have no idea. Can't do that myself and have the very minimal of knowledge on it. Spriting, on the other hand, I've done for years now. When it comes to full blown character WIPs, you've gotta have a love for the character, imo. Have to find a workable base(s), also, or it's gonna be a huge hassle. Either way, chances are the first character you sprite isn't going to look the best and is going to be more about experience than anything else. That's how it was with me and many other great creators I've seen. I'd honestly practice by making single edits first, to get use to everything.

Btw, I know some of the best spriters use MSPaint for their work.

Thanks for the reply. I appreciate it. So, my best bet is to keep working it? Well, my first project was absurd to begin with.

I wanted to make Krypto. I don't have any idea what would be a good base, or any idea where to go at it. So, recently I was like "Well, might as well try to make me.".

Maybe my best bet would try to go for an existing character, maybe something like Guy Gardner. Who already has some options avabile to him, and I can go at reworking the attacks later. I just have no idea how to go at the projects I'm looking at.

I mean, I think I'm reaching my limit with of them. Krypto being the first may have been pushing it. I was going to attempt Afro Samurai at some point. I don't know what to do. I really want to take my part in adding into the Mugen community, because the game is great. I just have no kind of idea what to do with this stuff.

[Darkflare]

This seems like the nicer forum for Mugen, and not filled of elite creators who bash anyone at first. So, I'm going to hope I can ask here. I also plan on staying here, since I'm majorly getting back into Mugen.

 
We're in 2013, that elitism has died down a lot in recent years.

My question is this. How do people actually have the patience to create a brand new character? I've been looking through sheets, looking for the right material, looking through everything possible. I see the process, it's just how do you start? How do you have the right mind to start spriting the characters?

Reading the Mugen documents helps. Looking through KFM's coding helps too and he's a good base to start with.

Oh spriting? That's something else entirely. Most just use existing sprites from official games.
For those that do original sprites, they take their sweet time making sure that the sprites look good and they fluid well together.

First off, I don't have Photoshop. My trial ran out, have no idea how to get a new trial, I know those quizes aren't safe, and I'm not giving any credit information on them, so I'm stuck with MS Paint.

I think Seanaltly mentioned that he does his spriting on MSpaint.
Spriting by itself can be done on MSpaint and it can turn out pretty good.

I'm not program literate with those type of things. I know above average with computers, and that's about it. I mean, I just can't work off a sprite that I would like to start on, and I have no idea how people get these done so quickly. It's all just annoying to me. I spent most of this day just trying to find some easy way to start on a character, and apparently there is none.

I'm just looking for any advice. How to get in the right mind to even start working on it, just a bunch of things. Alternates to Photoshop that are free, and easy to understand. I'd love to put the time into it, but I have no idea where to start. As I said, I've checked the major "tutorials" and none of it seems to help me.

Keep in mind that the people "that get it done quickly" probably have had plenty of time to practice their work to the point that its become second nature to them. That said, the only real advice that I can give you is to simply practice it over and over until it becomes second nature as well...


or you realize you can't sprite for crap. Not everyone has the artistic talent to sprite, after all.

[SideburnGuru]

We're in 2013, that elitism has died down a lot in recent years.

Reading the Mugen documents helps. Looking through KFM's coding helps too and he's a good base to start with.

Oh spriting? That's something else entirely. Most just use existing sprites from official games.
For those that do original sprites, they take their sweet time making sure that the sprites look good and they fluid well together.

I think Seanaltly mentioned that he does his spriting on MSpaint.
Spriting by itself can be done on MSpaint and it can turn out pretty good.

Keep in mind that the people "that get it done quickly" probably have had plenty of time to practice their work to the point that its become second nature to them. That said, the only real advice that I can give you is to simply practice it over and over until it becomes second nature as well...


or you realize you can't sprite for crap. Not everyone has the artistic talent to sprite, after all.

You'd be quite surprised about that elitism. I think it calmed down a bit, but I also thought it sparked right back up. Who knows, could be wrong.

I mean, I was looking at KFM. Honestly, it may be a good starting point and continue from there.  As for them using sprites from other games, do they just combine the sprites? I'm not insulting it, but I'm just wondering if that's what they do. Like, take a head off one, combine it with teh other.  As for giving it time, I might. My spriting skills are horrible right now, but maybe under some time I can learn to get better.

[Darkflare]

The elitism is definitely much lower than before.
I'm still not banned from here and I consider that an accomplishment.

You're talking about frankenspriting which is more or less what you described. I meant that people just use existing sprites to do their characters since they don't have to worry about doing the spriting job themselves and they can focus on the character's gameplay coding.

Though even if you know how to sprite, using existing sprites as bases is not a bad idea. It should be easier to sprite stances and certain poses if you have a base of it to work with.

[SideburnGuru]

The elitism is definitely much lower than before.
I'm still not banned from here and I consider that an accomplishment.

You're talking about frankenspriting which is more or less what you described. I meant that people just use existing sprites to do their characters since they don't have to worry about doing the spriting job themselves and they can focus on the character's gameplay coding.

Though even if you know how to sprite, using existing sprites as bases is not a bad idea. It should be easier to sprite stances and certain poses if you have a base of it to work with.

Ohhh, so that makes sense then. So, is Frankenspriting looked down upon? 

I can agree with that too. Unless you're doing something completely out there like Krypto. 

Edit: Did find a Krypto sprite sheet, but it hasn't been touched for awhile now. Don't want to necrobump the thread either.

 http://www.infinitymugenteam.com/Forum_345/index.php?topic=39937.15

[Darkflare]

Eh, not really. But you have to make the frankensprite look good, you know?

Samurai Shodown's Poppy or Blazblue's Valkenhayn in Wolf form could be good bases to look at for the superdog.

[SideburnGuru]

Eh, not really. But you have to make the frankensprite look good, you know?

Samurai Shodown's Poppy or Blazblue's Valkenhayn in Wolf form could be good bases to look at for the superdog.

I appreciate the advice, thanks for that.