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Project Annie...In Motion!

For some reason, I'm not really liking how current Annie idles have her hold her sword in the hand that's farther away from her opponent.
  • It makes her look more like Strider Hiryu than the grizzled badasses she takes inspiration from
  • It would likely take more effort to bring the already unwieldy sword to a blocking position or to swing it (I assume a swordmaster would go for minimum effort/commitment and maximum potential damage)
  • Most of her planned attacks simply don't work well in such a stance (she'd have to either switch hands or face away from the camera to do those attacks, and it's probably really hard to make attacking while looking away from the camera look awesome)
 
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CapnWTF said:
Also:
MOTHER
FUCKING
PYRON
pyron-busta.gif
I have no idea who that is, but it seems like the least-Annie kind of character possible. You want her to play like a huge, muscle-bound fire demon?

Help me understand.

shoryusatsu999 said:
For some reason, I'm not really liking how current Annie idles have her hold her sword in the hand that's farther away from her opponent.
  • It makes her look more like Strider Hiryu than the grizzled badasses she takes inspiration from
  • It would likely take more effort to bring the already unwieldy sword to a blocking position or to swing it (I assume a swordmaster would go for minimum effort/commitment and maximum potential damage)
  • Most of her planned attacks simply don't work well in such a stance (she'd have to either switch hands or face away from the camera to do those attacks, and it's probably really hard to make attacking while looking away from the camera look awesome)
We already had this talk. It came down to, "it looks cool." We're past it.

But...

Your final point is very valid, though, and worth considering.
 
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Night Phyre said:
I have no idea who that is, but it seems like the least-Annie kind of character possible. You want her to play like a huge, muscle-bound fire demon?

Help me understand.
He's an alien from Darkstalkers
 
Oh. Pyron is a Darkstalkers character who(is actually a super-evolved alien, not a fire demon, but I can see why you said that) and utilizes a combination of boxing moves and turning into various cosmic/flame related things, like pillars of flame, exploding stars, an orb of...energy(?) when he teleports. Things like that. But he also has a lot of mechanics that would work well for Annie. which is why I mentioned him.
you can kinda see it there, but not really.
I'll keep looking for a better example.
 
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Pyron's like a living star. All that needs to be said about him in this context, really.
 
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shoryusatsu999 said:
It makes her look more like Strider Hiryu than the grizzled badasses she takes inspiration from
ARE YOU IMPLYING THAT STRIDER HIRYU IS NOT A BADASS?
 
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He is the kind of badass we deserve, but not the one we need right now.
 
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Denizen said:
ARE YOU IMPLYING THAT STRIDER HIRYU IS NOT A BADASS?
ARE YOU IMPLYING THAT STRIDER HIRYU IS GRIZZLED?
 
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CaioLugon said:
ARE YOU IMPLYING THAT STRIDER HIRYU IS GRIZZLED?
HIS SOUL IS GRIZZLED FROM HUNDREDS OF YEARS OF COMBAT, SO YES!

Actually that's very much like Annie...
 
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I also came up with a level 5 idea... THE GAMBLE OF THE STARS. (because if I hadn't said how much I like Street Fighter EX games before)
Essentially, you do the normal input, annie rushes forward to hit the opponent, after the first hit lands.
(All of the attacks in the gamble are over the top brutal, like she's fighting to kill you and showing off a little bit at the same time)
The gamble begins: after the first hit, both players do one of two inputs (I.E. Down forward kick or down forward punch) if the inputs match, the gamble stops, and you did almost no damage to the opponent and wasted 5 bars) If they don't stop you however, she does a powerful "final episode" attack, and gains a piece of her "season 2 armor". One gamble per armor piece (legs arms torso, and finally head).
Once the armor is assembled, she steps away from the opponent, and snaps her fingers, causing an explosion like a dying sun, to finish off the opponent.
Like the Gamble of Darun, but less wrestling move--wait why the fuck didn't I write a Beowulf version of this...gaaah.
 
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As long as Annie gets something relating to a meteor shower, I'm fine.
Special projectile(s?) that comes from top cornerish screen?
 
Yeah, like that.
But maybe larger and more horizontally stretched? But probably one or two at a time.
 
i was thinking more like the Chie's meateors from Persona 4 Arena, myself
 
shoryusatsu999 said:
For some reason, I'm not really liking how current Annie idles have her hold her sword in the hand that's farther away from her opponent.
  • It makes her look more like Strider Hiryu than the grizzled badasses she takes inspiration from
  • It would likely take more effort to bring the already unwieldy sword to a blocking position or to swing it (I assume a swordmaster would go for minimum effort/commitment and maximum potential damage)
  • Most of her planned attacks simply don't work well in such a stance (she'd have to either switch hands or face away from the camera to do those attacks, and it's probably really hard to make attacking while looking away from the camera look awesome)

I understand, but like @Night Phyre said we've had this discussion before. In fact, the majority of this thread consists of exactly that discussion. You bring up good points, but the current idle animation is the end result of that already dead conversation.

-Everyone seems to think she should look one way or another. I tried several of them, then went in the direction that I thought best.
-I was thinking that when she's on the ground she could grab Sagan and use his face to block attacks. When she's in the air she could reach around and block with her sword.
-I carefully studied the original illustrated page of planned attacks and there's not a SINGLE ONE that couldn't be done from the current idle stance. Half of them don't use her sword, and the majority of the other half are TWO HANDED. There are only two attacks in that list that aren't two handed; one of them already requires her to turn her body away from the screen to prepare her swing, while the other is a reverse grip dragon punch.

I've spent a long time considering how her normal and special attacks might work if her sword is reverse grip and behind her. There are plenty of options. Some ideas involve a change in stance and positioning in the middle of a chain, while others involve heavier use of punches, jabs, and Sagan for her normals. I'm not trying to shoot down your comment or anything, it's just that we've had this discussion before.

But feel free to disagree. If you still think that most of her planned moves wouldn't work form this idle I'd like to hear your reasoning.
 
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Ruin said:
i was thinking more like the Chie's meateors from Persona 4 Arena, myself
Yeah, that looks closer to what I was thinking. Though I can't get the thought out of my head of projectiles like that being a regular special. Maybe for her super it should be the "go big or go home" meteor, instead of a meteor shower. Like an attack from a certain One Piece character I know...
Though having the battleground look like this after is probably not a good thing:
One%20Piece%20Manga%20-%20Large%20713%20-%2001.jpg
 
I don't think Annie cowering on the ground would be a good finisher.
 
Night Phyre said:
My 2 year old had some input on possible finishing moves.
A bloodthirsty warrior in the making.
 
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this should be in the OP so people who want to animate have playstyles to reference
DLC_Annie.png


As popular figures in nationwide folktales, a children's television adaptation of Annie and Sagan's adventures was inevitable. The show's success lies in its pair of live action hosts, who are as convincing as their cartoon counterparts. Though what the public learns about the real Annie might surprise them.


Playstyle Speculation
Fiercer than she looks, braver than anyone, it’s ANNIE OF THE STARS! Now where’s my paycheck?

Annie is a seasoned fighter who has been around for a long time, acquiring many skills and powers along the way. Her sword is forged from a meteorite and can channel the power of the stars in its sweeping cleaves. Her right eye bonds her to her Remote Parasite and partner, Sagan, who grants her powers of a galactic motif. While some of her abilities carry more of a sparkly magical girl motif, Annie tries to execute them with the same sternness.

Gameplay Inspiration
Mito (The Rumble Fish 2), Nayuki (Eternal Fighter Zero), Kidd Thunder (Mortal Kombat), Platinum the Trinity(BlazBlue), Nebula (Captain Simian and the Space Monkeys), Warachia (Melty Blood), Utsuho (Touhou), Pretty Cure, Nanoha, Guts (Berserk), Sol Badguy (Guilty Gear series)
 
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Good idea Tank, I'll add that to the OP in a little while :P
 
I'd also say to add the Annie attacks concept as well, just so people know what her attacks will be looking like
 
Saturn Slash Frame 1 of 10:

tumblr_n31dbotSfC1s9i7yno1_1280.jpg

Sorry, I gotta post these like a progress report otherwise there's no way I'm gonna be motivated to finish cleaning up the entire animation.^^;

Just one of these frames takes like 3-4 times the amount of time and energy I spend on a fully-colored digital painting lol.^^;
 
Last edited:
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southpawper said:
Saturn Slash Frame 1 of 10:

tumblr_n31dbotSfC1s9i7yno1_1280.jpg

Sorry, I gotta post these like a progress report otherwise there's no way I'm gonna be motivated to finish cleaning up the entire animation.^^;

Just one of these frames takes like 3-4 times the amount of time and energy I spend on a fully-colored digital painting lol.^^;

Lookin' good! And I hear ya man, these frames take for-fucking-ever to finish ;_;
 
southpawper said:
Saturn Slash Frame 1 of 10:

tumblr_n31dbotSfC1s9i7yno1_1280.jpg

Sorry, I gotta post these like a progress report otherwise there's no way I'm gonna be motivated to finish cleaning up the entire animation.^^;

Just one of these frames takes like 3-4 times the amount of time and energy I spend on a fully-colored digital painting lol.^^;
I like it!

But... where's Sagan?
 
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I figured that Sagan stays inside her little pouch when not in use
 
Sanoblaze said:
eh, Sagan doesnt have to be present all the time for every frame. he can be like Bella's bigass sword.
Sano, I'm sorry, but this makes no sense. I can't think of a single compelling reason to hide Sagan that much. That would be like Filia wearing a hat, or Leviathan staying inside of Squigly's head.

Immaevilspacewhale said:
I figured that Sagan stays inside her little pouch when not in use
I mean, sure, I could see that, but then why does Alex's concept art have her holding him during some of her non sagan-based special moves (e.g. destruction pillar)? Granted, Alex's sketch of Saturn Strike doesn't have Sagan in it, but I figured that was just due to the nature of it being a rough sketch. It seems like way more of a stretch to say the opposite (that he's supposed to be in her pouch, but Alex just randomly drew Sagan in destruction pillar for funsies).
 
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Sagan should either always be with her, or only be with her when he's needed. There are probably only a few exceptions in which he could appear/disappear without reason.
 
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Skullmageddon said:
Sagan should either always be with her, or only be with her when he's needed. There are probably only a few exceptions in which he could appear/disappear without reason.
Exactly. 100% of the other natural parasite users in the current cast have their parasites out all the time during combat.

Why would Sagan be ok with being stuffed into a satchel during a fight?
 
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I'd just like to remind everyone that Sagan is a Remote Parasite.
 
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Denizen said:
I'd just like to remind everyone that Sagan is a Remote Parasite.
And if the theory that she can still see out of her other eye is true, there's be even less reason to put Sagan in a satchel. Beyond that, Sagan is sentient, and as I said before, I don't really believe he's cool with being stuffed into a satchel like just another weapon.
 
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I know, for once I'm agreeing with you Night Phyre. Sagan is Remote Parasite, therefore not only should he be visible at all times while Annie fights, he should also be able to fight autonomously. Everyone should really consider that.
 
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