The Running Animations

[wwharton]

actually it does happen in 2k4. that's not the animation people are talking about but what you described is still there.

[marcuscoleman]

I'd say a running animation with players striding out more at high speeds is needed, as it is they take short, choppy steps and become more upright as they accelerate but don't seem to reach a full sprint. It looks a bit like they are pulling a sled. It's a little galling to hear the commentators talk about the "fluidity of the running motion". Hope to see the running revamped, so that they juke for large changes of direction with a sacrifice of speed and perhaps make lesser direction changes from the outside foot striking the ground only. I don't think adding a little depth to gameplay should be seen as taking some of the fun out, not that I'd expect to encounter much of that sentiment on this forum. If it is challenging, but intuitive it's more rewarding.

[**DONOTDELETE**]

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marcuscoleman said:
I'd say a running animation with players striding out more at high speeds is needed, as it is they take short, choppy steps and become more upright as they accelerate but don't seem to reach a full sprint. It looks a bit like they are pulling a sled. It's a little galling to hear the commentators talk about the "fluidity of the running motion". Hope to see the running revamped, so that they juke for large changes of direction with a sacrifice of speed and perhaps make lesser direction changes from the outside foot striking the ground only. I don't think adding a little depth to gameplay should be seen as taking some of the fun out, not that I'd expect to encounter much of that sentiment on this forum. If it is challenging, but intuitive it's more rewarding.

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Good post. And welcome.

[Boilerbuzz]

To be honest, I don't think there is a problem with the main running animation. We're watching the video game from a view that you RARELY EVER see on the TV or at a game unless you are high in the endzone. It reminds me of that Charlie Garner TD last year where they replayed it from behind. He looked like he had a stick up his but. Then you have the James Stewart and Mike Alstott gifs that everyone was drooling over. Well, those are the same animations in the game. From what I hear, those animations are mo cap of a REAL NFL running back. So whether you like the run style or not, it IS a realistic running animation because a REAL NFL player ran it. Funny thing is, it could have been Charlie Garner.

Then on the other side you have Madden's run cycle. Those animations are hand created. No doubt in my mind. Eveyone loves them. Does that mean we want VC to make a running animation from scratch. Maybe.

When it comes down to it, I don't care. It's cosmetic. As long as the players think like the real thing, I'm happy.

[Kanobi]

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Boilerbuzz said:
To be honest, I don't think there is a problem with the main running animation. We're watching the video game from a view that you RARELY EVER see on the TV or at a game unless you are high in the endzone. It reminds me of that Charlie Garner TD last year where they replayed it from behind. He looked like he had a stick up his but. Then you have the James Stewart and Mike Alstott gifs that everyone was drooling over. Well, those are the same animations in the game. From what I hear, those animations are mo cap of a REAL NFL running back. So whether you like the run style or not, it IS a realistic running animation because a REAL NFL player ran it. Funny thing is, it could have been Charlie Garner.

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It couldn't have been garner because his arm swing is that of a sprinter when he runs ...thats the case in this game.

The James Stewart and Alstott gifs were in slo-mo...thats why everybody was drooling. I saw those vids at fool speed and still felt the motion was jerky.

The problem with the motion is that the players don't really open up a full stride...a sprint. The players look like they're taking a casual, recreational jog but its being fast fowarded. The Arm swing needs to be wider...fuller stride...it needs to give the illusion of effort...explosiveness. Thats not the case with the running motion as it is right now.

It might stay the same or they may have upgraded it. Who knows? My main gripe is the lack of transitional anims when turning. That may be the bigger issue.

[Boilerbuzz]

I can give you each of your points except one: The gifs being in slow motion. I don't think the Stewart gif was in slow motion. Also, like I said, people liked them. So there was SOMETHING right about them at some level.

For me, they can just leave the run alone and put in turns and I'll be happy. Those would not only look cool, but also fix some gameplay issues I have with the game.

[**DONOTDELETE**]

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Boilerbuzz said:
I can give you each of your points except one: The gifs being in slow motion. I don't think the Stewart gif was in slow motion. Also, like I said, people liked them. So there was SOMETHING right about them at some level.

For me, they can just leave the run alone and put in turns and I'll be happy. Those would not only look cool, but also fix some gameplay issues I have with the game.

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Hey, Buzz,

I'm almost positive that the Stewart .gif was in slo-mo too.

But anyway, you earlier posted about whether we want "hand-drawn" or "from scratch" animation? Well to that I say....Yes.

Or at the very least, a mixture of mo-cap and hand drawn. If that's what they already have, then they need to add MORE to the hand-drawn.

I know a little somethin' shumthin' about traditional animation, and in order to "sell" the movement of a character, you need to exaggerate natural movement in order to make it feel dynamic. Just a few key frames added here and there can work wonders for ESPN.

[Kanobi]

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Boilerbuzz said:
I can give you each of your points except one: The gifs being in slow motion. I don't think the Stewart gif was in slow motion.

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It was definitely in slow motion. As I said before, I saw the entire vid at full-speed at gamespot and you could see the jerkyness.