Animation
From Neverend
Every action has multiple animations, of usually 15-60 frames. Animations use several variables that make them more dynamic than traditional MMORPGs.
[edit] Dynamic animations
Variable 1: Area positioning
Animations with position based dynamic elements allow models to adjust their positions while performing the animation.
Example:
- A minotaur swinging at a hero or a bandit swinging at a hero, with the hero blocking by using a shield. The blocking animation is the same, but it uses dynamic elements due to the height of the opponent. The shield will be positioned upward and at an angle for the minotaur, and more straight forward for the bandit.
- A fighter uses a horizontal slash, a vertical slash, and a stab attack. The opponent parries all three attacks, and the opponent's weapons moves position to meet the relative position of the attacks. Thus each blow appears to connect with a parry.
Position based animations use an area range for each limb involved, usually an invisible disc or square surrounding a short distance from the limb. If the dynamic element goes beyond this range, the animation simply goes at the farthest point allowed by the area or defaults to the standard position. This prevents awkward animations by simply ignoring what is beyond physical limits.
Note that the results of the attack are followed by the animations, not the other way around. Due to lag, an animation might not connect correctly, but it will still due damage.
Variable 2: Connection points
Models use connection points along with area ranges. Connection points are invisible and occupy places along the model, including the area range. Connection points allow an animation to have a more realistic look to combat, where an attack can be placed at a specific point. Example:
- A sword attack is parried by an opponent. The connection point of the sword meets the connection point of the opponent's sword. While the area range of the player's limb determines the position of the limb, the connection points allow specific connections of two models.
- A triple attack will target three random body parts. It goes for an opponents chest, shoulder, and thigh. The sword moves to all three points on the opponent's body in rapid succession.
- A player uses a backstab attack that must connect with a back connection point. If the player is facing the opponent, then the backstab cannot be performed.
Note that connection points, just like area ranges, will resort to the default animation if the animation cannot be performed due to distance. If a character blocks a sword attack with his shield when the two are too far away, then the default animation takes place.
Variable 3: Movement attacks. When a player moves, his chance of being interrupted is greater, but attacks can still go off. To prevent the look of stiffness, attacks during character movement will occupy positions that look natural for movement. A running character will have his sword at a downward angle or close and horizontal, with his back slightly arched and head forward. The attacks and animations are the same, but the dynamic variables are preset towards certain locations during running so that they appear natural.
Again, computations are followed by animations. A character can switch between running and standing still superfluosly.
Variable 4: Stat based equipment animation effects
Animations will have slight variations based on statistics. These can include armor, magical effects, damamge ratio, and others. Players will physically notice the difference between a weak attack and a strong attack, a magical weapon or armor and a normal one, or a normal hit and an ineffective or glancing blow.
Banced on calculations, damage will take one of the following forms:
- Ineffective damage
- Light damage
- Normal damage
- Hard damage
- Dramatic damage
Example:
- A player is wearing a helmet with high defense. He is attacked by an orc with a stick, whose connection point is the player's head. The stick does very little damage, and the "head being hit" animation appears normally. Next, a Wyvern swipes at the player's head and hits for great damage. The player demonstrates taking more damage by reeling to the side harshly.
- A player wears heavy armor, and is attacked by several small animals. Most do ineffective damage, and the animals appear to glance off the armor rather than hit it. Some do manage to cause minor damage, and the player appears to get hit a few times in a minor fashion.
- A player is getting hit by a massive ogre with a huge club. The player's defense is no match for the Ogre, and the player is sent reeling back, knocked sideways, backward, tumbling, rolling, or sent flying midair for a short distance.
Naturally, highly defensive armor is better at absorbing damage, and will prevent most dramatic damage effects unless the attack is severe. Low defense armor is more prone to hard and dramatic damage.
Variable 5: Skill and stat based player animations.
As players have multiple skills, their skills will be represented through animation. Some skills may cause preset animation positions. For example, a warrior with a low evasion stat will normally stand straight. A warrior with a high evasion stat will appear prepared by having both arms raised slightly and a slightly arched back. Characters with low defense will look less ready for combat than a heavily armored knight.
Stats and skills will affect the appearance of characters before and during combat, determining variables for body positioning and attacks. A melee attack will appear as a stronger swing from a character with high strength, and appear as a weaker swing from a character with low strength. A character with high intelligence will have a profound charging and casting animation, while a character with low intelligence will appear to be experimenting or trying out a spell rather.
The same applies to a ranger with a low bow skill vs a high bow skill, a knight with a low polearm skill vs a high polearm skill, and a mage with a low staff skill or a high staff skill. "Experience" is visually evident through stat based animations.
When interacting with other animations through contact points, reaction animations work the same way. A player with high sword skill will attack fiercely. If blocked by someone with low staff skill, the staff wielder will appear to block in fear or intimidation. If blocked by a player with high staff skill, the staff will be held confidently.
