57 replies to this topic

[Henree]

It seems to me that the quality of the mech animations is not as good as it used to be.

Take for instance the Dragon, it really looks like a heavy machine, bouncing and struggling with it's weight, ankles, heel and toes moving or the raven. When I look at the newer mechs I cannot help to think a lot less attention has been paid to their animation or maybe they have been done by someone with less experience.

[DaZur]

Henri Schoots, on 23 July 2014 - 03:15 AM, said:

It seems to me that the quality of the mech animations is not as good as it used to be.

Take for instance the Dragon, it really looks like a heavy machine, bouncing and struggling with it's weight, ankles, heel and toes moving or the raven. When I look at the newer mechs I cannot help to think a lot less attention has been paid to their animation or maybe they have been done by someone with less experience.

I concur... Even in light of it's age the Microsoft series of MW had what I consider some of the best walking / striding / running animation to date and MekTek refined that even to a higher degree with their ancillary work.

As you mentioned, the early mech animations do clearly have a more fluid and "active" series of animations. The more recent mechs like the Clans do definitely lack that sort of finnish in their animations... My best description would be "stiff and lifeless".

Which is kind of sad... Like buying what you believe to be top-shelf Wine and finding it has a screw top.

[Spawnsalot]

The one animation that really gets me every time I see it is the Direwolf walk - its legs are moving too fast for its speed so the feet keep sliding under it like its walking on ice.

It'd be nice if most of the heavier mech legs were slowed down a bit, currently they remind me of the Boston Dynamics Bigdog robot and then I start imagining Highlanders moving like it and I can't stop laughing.

Edit: Nothing wrong with screw-tops on wines especially not for the younger quaffing wines

Edited by Spawnsalot, 23 July 2014 - 03:51 AM.

[Kiiyor]

DaZur, on 23 July 2014 - 03:25 AM, said:

I concur... Even in light of it's age the Microsoft series of MW had what I consider some of the best walking / striding / running animation to date and MekTek refined that even to a higher degree with their ancillary work.

As you mentioned, the early mech animations do clearly have a more fluid and "active" series of animations. The more recent mechs like the Clans do definitely lack that sort of finnish in their animations... My best description would be "stiff and lifeless".

Which is kind of sad... Like buying what you believe to be top-shelf Wine and finding it has a screw top.

This is true, though there are flashes of brilliance. The MadCat's toes when it lifts it's foot, for instance. In contrast, the StormCrow walks like it's wearing snow shoes strapped to a pair of flippers.

I'd like to see an animation pass at some stage. Right after CW. And the King Crab. And a redesign of the Awesome.

[Rhaythe]

Spawnsalot, on 23 July 2014 - 03:49 AM, said:

The one animation that really gets me every time I see it is the Direwolf walk - its legs are moving too fast for its speed so the feet keep sliding under it like its walking on ice.

</p>
Yes. Exactly.

[Impyrium]

The older 'Mechs obviously have had much, much more effort and detail put into them. Their animations, cockpits, quality, geometry, even the startup animation, are becoming increasingly rushed. I guess it's just because the focus has switched from quality to getting 'Mechs out as quick as possible.

I still wince every time I see a reused cockpit start up animation. The Kit Fox one doesn't even match up with logical buttons.

And don't even get me started with the Clan walking animations. The talons on the bird 'Mechs don't even bend...

Edited by AUSwarrior24, 23 July 2014 - 04:01 AM.

[Andross Deverow]

Spawnsalot, on 23 July 2014 - 03:49 AM, said:

The one animation that really gets me every time I see it is the Direwolf walk - its legs are moving too fast for its speed so the feet keep sliding under it like its walking on ice.

It'd be nice if most of the heavier mech legs were slowed down a bit, currently they remind me of the Boston Dynamics Bigdog robot and then I start imagining Highlanders moving like it and I can't stop laughing.

Edit: Nothing wrong with screw-tops on wines especially not for the younger quaffing wines

I cant remember when they did that change but yes it is a very bad animation sequence. The Stalker really shows it.

Regards

AUSwarrior24, on 23 July 2014 - 04:00 AM, said:

The older 'Mechs obviously have had much, much more effort and detail put into them. Their animations, cockpits, quality, geometry, even the startup animation, are becoming increasingly rushed. I guess it's just because the focus has switched from quality to getting 'Mechs out as quick as possible.

I still wince every time I see a reused cockpit start up animation. The Kit Fox one doesn't even match up with logical buttons.

And don't even get me started with the Clan walking animations. The talons on the bird 'Mechs don't even bend...

Yes to this. The kit fox walking animation is a joke...

Regards

[xengk]

Rhaythe, on 23 July 2014 - 03:58 AM, said:

</p>
Yes. Exactly.

All dem Assault mechs sure know how to shake it.

[MeiSooHaityu]

The quality put into the models and animation has been substandard for a while for the IS mechs (at least substandard to the bar they set early on).

The clan mechs do have some nice models, so you can tell they put some good design effort into them, but I do agree that some animations are off. The modelers probably didn't have the time they needed before the clan launch.

[CyborgDragon]

Is it just me or does the Adder have wobbling legs when it runs? like its struggling with the weight or something

[BillyM]

Agreed 100%, movement animation quality down considerably.

--billyM

[Sable]

I'd have to say the Warhawk as well. Both the Direwolf and Warhawk's steps are too quick for their size, OH and the stalker. They need to take a longer stride with each step. It would give them a slower "feel" while the speed would go unchanged.

[CeeKay Boques]

I'm not sure if I love or hate how picky you guys are. I think love.

[CMDR Sunset Shimmer]

We really need an animation overhaul.... there's a LOT of little things I notice that have been bugging me with animation.

Shoulder joints that move out of time with the movement of the mech [making the arms seem "Detatched" from the mech]
Sliding leg movement over the ground [it doesn't quite look like a mech plants their foot properly before moving.]
Leg limping. This is one that I've noticed more prominately on some mechs than others. I really feel they need to exaggerate the "limping" animation on mechs, sometimes you barely notice it, other times it's quite noticeable.

There's also some other FX I'd like to see added to the game.
There needs to be more sparking and smoke in wounds. loose an arm or torso, there needs to be more sparks. I'd love to see the chance for an arm that's been shot off to actually stay hanging onto a mech, limp at it's side.
We need the grey-green coolant "Bursts" for when we crit heatsinks, it would be a fun little visual "hey you crit something" indicator.
More sparks and the like when you blow out a weapon.
Ammo cookoff needs to be more pronounced.

There's a lot of niggling little things that are still not in that really should be. I know there are better places for MWO to spend it's focus *coughmapscough* but an animation pass would be nice.

[Felbombling]

What gets me is that someone actually signs off on some of this work. The Dire Wolf in particular looks like an assignment from a first year student who should know more about the weight involved. There is next to zero feeling of weight impact and distribution involved with that animation sequence.

[IIIuminaughty]

@Paul Inounye

[Alistair Winter]

Anyone who says the older mechs in this game had better animations should take a good, long and hard look at the Commando and the Awesome and then get back to me.

The AWS-9M with an XL340 engine looks like the ballerina hippos from Fantasia, moving its feet waaaay too quickly for something that size. And the Commando looks remarkably like Pinnochio, with its broad, static hips, moving its wooden legs as if dancing across the battlefield.

I guess the PGI animators are huge Disney fans.

[Vassago Rain]

They don't make them like they used to.

[MeiSooHaityu]

Vassago Rain, on 23 July 2014 - 07:59 AM, said:

They don't make them like they used to.

Fine looking ride right there.

If there was one mech MWO really improved upon over the original BT design, it was the Catapult IMO.

I think they did a close second with the Raven, but it tends to be a love it or hate it design because some feel it is too boxy and wedge like.

[levitas]

Nothing is as pleasing to me as the jagermech animation from inside the cockpit. The bobbing of the pilot and guns with each step is incredibly satisfying.