Dawn of Mana remake. I'm making one. And I need ideas.

[bastian]

I agree that the last one is too barren to well-represent an ARPG. So that one is right out. However, I still think the first one is too cluttered. I'm leaning toward the second or third one. I understand that you like that Ritzia looks more active in the first one . . . but I really like the symbolism of her becoming the goddess and how well her form and the Tree match.

Eh, can't make up my mind!

I've spent all day today trying to recolor Randi's sprites into something that looks like Keldy . . . now trying to layer on his silly Mana Beast feather. It looks ridiculous and I want to remove it, but I also want to be as faithful as I can. I wish I had actual spriting talent. Oh well. :/

[manaman]

I actually like the first screen the best as well--though I'm still not digging the font pixelation and shading. It just doesn't seem right to me. But, that being said, definitely the first screen! Idea for main character spriting: enlist Sheexy's opinion and talent. Especially for Keldy since we'll be seeing a lot of him. I'm not saying you can't do it, I'm saying that having a second opinion/collaborator would only be a plus.

[bastian]

Well . . . I JUST finished my Keldy spites. But they're awful. If I could convince Sheexy to take a stab at Keldy, that would be awesome! Here's my Keldy for everyone to giggle at:

[Kimiko]

Hey, that doesn't look too bad actually.

[kirby]

I do not think it looks too bad either Bastion, although it looks really similar to the hero in SoM just in different colors, but it is still not as bad as you say it is.

[bastian]

, although it looks really similar to the hero in SoM just in different colors,

Haha, that's because I simply used the only sprite sheet for Randi (boy from SoM) I could find and recolored it to match the basic colors of Keldy (blond hair, blue weird mid-rift shirt thing, yellow skirtish thing, red shorts) and then added the white/blue feather to his hair.

The problem is that the sprite sheet didn't have the boy's weapons attack sprites . . . so I've had to fake it with his walking/running sprites and the closest thing I could find to look like the . . . "unfinished Mana Sword."

If you didn't think the walking/running one was bad, this sword one will surely elicit a giggle. But it was the best I could do:

Now I'm going to make the "branch" weapon sprites and maybe start in on the mapping of that first bit of woods where he meets Ritzia and chases her chasing the Rabite.

[LunarWisp]

Heh...What, oh, no, I'm not giggling. I swear.
Really though, the sprites do look better than you think they are, even if it's a basic recolor.

...His hair kind of reminds me of that hero from Secret of Evermore.

[manaman]

Yeah,

Not bad. I think the one thing you should do is change the legs on all of them. He should have more of a kilt-like garment and slender legs. The poofy legs of the boy in SoM just don't cut it.

Peace,

manaman

[bastian]

Manaman, I totally agree . . . however, I am no spriter. My "skills" end at recoloring. It does annoy me that those poofy red pants are so dominant when really they should just be shorts beneath the yellow kilt . . . but there's no way I could effectively redraw those. :(

Anyway, I'm done with these sprite sheets now:
- walking
- sword attack
- tree branch attack
- getting hit
- spell casting
- item using (sort of, I don't like how it got set up, so I might change it . . . it makes the character face forward when using an item, but I can just copy and paste the other directions and that should work)
- and then some silly sheet that the engine wants for "waiting animation" (standing still but sort of bobbing up and down like he's breathing) which doesn't happen in SoM and so didn't look right for that sprite, so I changed it so that he just stands still when standing still like in SoM. But . . . I might change it back now that I remember that the characters do this in SD3.

What I need to do next is "charging" a special attack and then at least one of the special attacks.
And then figure out a sprite for Ritzia.

Any suggestions on any SD3 or SoM sprites that I could recolor to look like Ritzia?

[LunarWisp]

This is the Secret of Mana sprite I found that looks the most like Ritzia. I think mixing the sprite styles of Secret of Mana and Seiken Densetsu 3 might look kind of tacky.

[manaman]

http://i45.tinypic.com/f10bdi.gif

This is the Secret of Mana sprite I found that looks the most like Ritzia. I think mixing the sprite styles of Secret of Mana and Seiken Densetsu 3 might look kind of tacky.

Seconded!

[bastian]

Unfortunately I don't really have much of a choice to mix sprites and tiles since there's not enough in SoM to adapt to DoM. But I've been planning on using primarily SoM stuff since it's closest to my heart. I just wish I had spriting skills and could make it all up myself from scratch. For instance, I have NO idea what to do about the tiles for inside the Mana Tree. There's certainly nothing like that in any of the other games. Except CoM. Really, if I had my way, I'd use only CoM tiles/sprites . . . but no one has ripped them. Well, not much of them.

Unless I can recruit someone with spriting skills, I'm pretty sure it WILL end up looking "tacky" but that's not something I can help. :(

As for the proposed Ritzia sprite, that's awesome! Where did you find it? I need to find a complete sprite sheet for that or at least all the walking sprites.

[LunarWisp]

Here are all the sprites of that little lady, and here is a sprite sheet of every character in the game if you ever need it.

[bastian]

THM, you rock! Thanks!

Okay, I just finished the sprites for the first sword special skill attack. I think I'm ready to start in on setting up the Rabites and Mushbooms now.

I can't wait until I finally get to the actual mapping and eventing stage. Ugh.

3.1.10 UPDATE:
Yesterday was Mushboom Day (getting my Mushboom enemies doing what they should be doing with the right sprites in the right places and such) and today was Rabite Day. I also set up the various generic items (Round Drop/Pakkun Chocolate/Honey Drink/Stardust Herb/etc.)

Tonight I might start in on Ritzia or Chobin Hoods. I haven't decided which yet. After both of those are done I may start mapping the woods that the beginning of DoM takes place in.

3.3.10 UPDATE:
(I guess I'm going to use this like a journal of what I've accomplished.)
Yesterday was Chobin Hood day. Which was super difficult because no where on the world wide web was there a full sprite sheet for any Chobin Hoods from any of the games. By full I mean that I need at least three different frames of animation for walking to the left, walking to the right, walking down, walking up. AND THEN three attacking up, attacking down, attacking left, attacking right. AND a "getting injured" image. I had to do a bit of "frankenpriting" on the Mushbooms, but it was even worse with the Chobin Hoods. But I finally got them looking decent . . . better than decent, they look the best out of everything I've done so far. They're noticeably better than the Mushbooms. And Keldy. I think I need to redo Keldy.

Today was "River" tileset day. I had to cut and paste the tiles from SoM's river areas into a "tileset" that RPG Maker XP can make sense of. I just got it set up and did a little practice screen. it's not that good, since I was just fiddling around trying to get used to where the tiles are and such. Here it is for your giggling:

[Zergrinch]

When you eventually go into Seiken Densetsu 3 sprites...

http://fireleml.slightlydark.com/gallery.htm