Erin

@cellhead

she/her

(Help, idk how to use this site and I'm too scared to ask)

Erin @cellhead9/20/2023, 5:58 PM

Piumike @piumike

Albatross @albatrosssoup9/20/2023, 1:44 AM

So, one of the main mechanics in this game is team attacks, which lets every unit attack the same target at once as long as they're all adjacent to one another. This is how I'm portraying it right now, which each of them doing an attack animation in sequence until the main attacker does the attack.

I'm wondering if there's anything extra/different I can do to convey what's happening? Maybe some kind of sprite that travels through each attacker? The tiles they're standing on lighting up in sequence when they attack? I really like having the camera follow every unit in sequence so I don't think I want to have them all play their animations at the same time.

If anyone has any cool ideas I'm open to hearing them!

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in reply to @albatrosssoup's post:

Piumike @piumike9/20/2023, 1:59 AM

disgaea had some fire effect that would play behind each character participating in an team attack :p ( https://youtu.be/Axtb4hBtYnc?list=PL567F96A00EDD3FC7&t=1066 )
maybe an effect like that? or just a little window showing a cut sprite of the character's face all together with team attack written or something of the like :p or maybe at the final attack they all jump together at the enemy while playing the attack animation(again)?
also your project is looking really cool :o!!

Brianna Townsend @britown9/20/2023, 4:22 AM

Also immediately thought of the disgaea effect!!! Doing some graphic highlight of the tiles beneath the team could go a long way!

Albatross @albatrosssoup9/20/2023, 6:00 PM

Yeah I like this a lot and it's super helpful to see a visual of a similar thing! I'm thinking of doing some kind of confetti-like particles popping up like the fire does, with the tile below the unit highlighting a color! Showing face portraits is an intriguing thing too, it definitely works in Disgaea. Will have to experiment with that!

Also thank you!! :3

GFD @GFD9/20/2023, 2:01 AM

querying my brain for what expects this to look like produces this elaborate visual: darken the whole play field, then light up the attacking unit tiles immediately adjacent the target unit with a quick fade in, followed quickly by the attacking units adjacent to those units and so on. when they’re all lit up, they do a “cool pose” animation (could be lifted from a victory animation for instance). then the target’s tile lights up in a different colour, and the attackers all do their attack animation towards the target. the target’s health bar appears and camera pulls in to the target while the attacker tiles fade out in reverse order from before, and then the target has a more dramatic hit VFX, after which the camera pulls back out and the lighting fades back to normal. this has the hit VFX play on more of a delay than a normal attack where i assume the feedback is instant; i am not sure if this would come off as more dramatic as my brain thinks, or if it would just feel weird.

Kyle Labriola @kylelabriola9/20/2023, 5:00 AM

I was also thinking about the enemy's dmg/hit being delayed for dramatic effect haha. Worth a shot I think.

Albatross @albatrosssoup9/20/2023, 6:15 PM

Lots of great notes here, thanks. I'm definitely in favor of everyone playing more of a victory animation kind of thing as the camera pans over them and highlights them/their tile, and THEN attacking. Also big in favor of an extra delay before the hit impact (which is played bigger than a regular attack). Stuff involving lighting might be too much for me to take on right now but I like the idea of that and will look into it.

Kyle Labriola @kylelabriola9/20/2023, 4:53 AM

I think their tiles glowing a special color, and a particle of that special color jumping between them could help a lot.

Also might land better if the camera is faster, and stays on the final character the longest.

Like...

boom-boom-BOOM...second of suspense...BLAM!

Kyle Labriola @kylelabriola9/20/2023, 4:56 AM

Ah you said you didnt want the attacks happening at the same time. So thered be no blam.

But maybe a faster boom-boom-BOOM!

Maybe even each characters hold their attack pose mid-swing until its over? Like its a dramatic freeze frame

Albatross @albatrosssoup9/20/2023, 6:36 PM

Oh holding the pose mid-swing is very smart, I like that a lot! Camera pan, start swing, hold, particles emerge, then all attacks happen at once at the end. Totally agree that final attacker should hold the longest and have a delayed strong attack.

Kinda Nerdy Housewife @kindanerdyhousewife9/20/2023, 1:27 PM

My answer is sparkles. But now that I think about it, my answer to most questions is sparkles. 🤔

Albatross @albatrosssoup9/20/2023, 6:38 PM

Sparkles are ALWAYS a good answer! And honestly one I'm really into for this, I was thinking of confetti-like particles shooting from the ground underneath each unit!