The Character Factory

I recently decided to follow through with an old but not so original idea I had long ago. I was thinking of designing a program that would generate SRB2 based sprite sheets from preselected selected sprite parts. So the user would choose which parts they want for their character, from the build to the facial expression. I originally based the idea form the Charas Project Engine, so I'm notclaiming total originality. But working with sprites, I can see this as somthing totally feasible. This still requires much work to accomplish, but I think it would pay off in the end.

From what I understand, an engine as complex as the Charas Project system is hard to program, so I took a mre basic approach, which would actually require a bit of work (not neccesarily any skill) from those who wish to use it.

SAMPLE:

The sheets would basically come like standard sprite sheet. All of the neccesary sprites required for a character wad would be in the sheets. It doesn't require any moving, or even editing. Just a simple copy and paste system. I havn't exactly set things up yet, so I'll use sprites I've already made as an example. (There will be more aspects to the real version. But for this, let's just say it's only head and body.)

(Step 1) Select a body




(Step 2) Select a head




(Step 3) Open body in you want in paint.

(Step 4) Copy selected head to selected body. (There's no need to move anything at all. If you don't zoom in or scroll, everything will line up perfectly when you paste it.)


Eventually when we start the process, you'll end up with a butt load of customization options.

Species: (Hedgehog, Fox, Echidna, Cat, Human, Bird, Bat, Rabbit, Robot, Chao). Arms: (Gloves, gauntlets, shields, muscle arms, gun arm(s)) Clothes: (this one will vary, but it'll be a costume, or nude) Tail(s): (Self-explanitory)

Before I continue, I wanted a little feedback. Maybe even suggestions and/or help. We' love to know what people think.

~Zeshiro!

This would be way easier to create characters.We would most likey have an add-on section for that character maker.
Your right it is like the Charas Project engine.

No thanks, I'd rather see people make shitty looking recolours then see a lot of them.

Ok, so I'm all for recolours, but I have my standards too.

.....what to say?.... I was making the same thing.... selecting a head etc.

But i was about to use photoshop, its better drawing the body with the head.... for me.

This would be awsome!

I'll Begin said:

No thanks, I'd rather see people make **** looking recolours then see a lot of them.

Click to expand...

Well, I damn well wouldn't.

This would be great, continue. It's cool sounding .

Maybe adding a function to put in your own head/body/limb sprites could make it even better.

nitro_the_hedghog said:

Maybe adding a function to put in your own head/body/limb sprites could make it even better.

Click to expand...

Sounds like a nice option to me.

The only problem with that is that you'll still have to sprite everything, but you could make a none shaded version of the body you're using for easy edits.

I actually like this sprite based idea. Looks fun to do.

Edit: Heh, I just realized, I premade a sprite. I might as well show it.
http://img442.imageshack.us/img442/3340/flameteencl2.png (Ref-Pic)
http://img443.imageshack.us/img443/7403/lolflamebodyeh9.png
(image tags removed because of size)

I'm probably going to be sued for this. :P

I don't think you needed to do all that. Once this is finished all you need to do is pick the first body and change the arms. By the way, there isn't a choice with no clothes on the body. And you should have a choice to pick the image on the body (EX. circle for that skin on sonic, Crest like knuckles, fur like tails and shadow. Half circle at the top for nitro, etc.)

Lets pray this won't end up as the newgrounds Sonic character maker. But if it doesn't, it would be a nice project.

What's so bad about the Newgrounds one?It was cool.

o.o (can't think of much to say to make this not a 1 word post, but this () is making not 1 word. :D)

[offtopic] In the background of your avatar is that eggman with a mo-jo-jo-jo hat from PPG? [/offtopic]

Just what we need, a way of making lame uncreative crap even faster. >_>

{Offtopic: No Nitro, it's Chuck Norris in a tutu >_>}

Super mystic sonic said:

Lets pray this won't end up as the newgrounds Sonic character maker. But if it doesn't, it would be a nice project.

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I hope it doesn't turn out like that. Has anyone tried making official characters with that? It was a good idea, but the person who made it can't draw Sonic characters very well.

nitro_the_hedghog said:

I don't think you needed to do all that. Once this is finished all you need to do is pick the first body and change the arms. By the way, there isn't a choice with no clothes on the body. And you should have a choice to pick the image on the body (EX. circle for that skin on sonic, Crest like knuckles, fur like tails and shadow. Half circle at the top for nitro, etc.)

Click to expand...

There will be different body types to choose from, not to worry. And I do have choices with no cllothes. I also don't plan to have all the bodies be edits of my original, that wa a bad example.. There will be different body types to fit different characters. You should be able to make male/female/transgender/mechanical characters without their bodies being clones of a character that falls into a totally different catagory.

And I planned to leave out parts of official characters. (Just things like Sonic's shoes, Tails' tails, Knuckles' hands, etc.) I believe in making a character's most notable features unique to them.

DanteEX said:

What's so bad about the Newgrounds one?It was cool.

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Making a recolor all by yourself is already not really creative. Having a recolor being made for you, though, thats just totally wrong.

Newgrounds based recolors - Horrible. Don't do this, people.
recolors - bad in most cases. Few cases it would work, such as a mid-boss. (Dark-link for example)
remade characters - Something like Sonic, but then drawn by yourself. It can give nice results.
creatures made from a scratch - Nice! Even if things look bad, you'll at least get credits for originality.

But then....there's 1 level below the horrid newsgrounds recolor rank thing. S_SKIN recolors. Plain changing the prefcolor to something else, maybe with new abilities. It should never happen.

Zeshiro said:

And I planned to leave out parts of official characters. (Just things like Sonic's shoes, Tails' tails, Knuckles' hands, etc.) I believe in making a character's most notable features unique to them.

Click to expand...

Not really what I ment. This is what I mean-- (Yes, I did take a sonic screensaver image and changed the shading IN PAINT) The circle on his stomach, the fur on tails's stomach, the crest on knuckles, etc. (those are just examples.)