If an enemy has multiple forms, do we want to use an animated gif to express them over static sprites? Examples:
File:RubicanteAdvanceAnimated.gif File:Octomamm-ffiv.gif Also note, strictly speaking, this could be done for all enemies in the 3D games with their idle animations. But I really doubt anyone would take the time to do so, so this is limited to a fair handful of sprite-based games. | |||
Catuse says at 06:08, December 5, 2012 (UTC) "Somewhere a zealous god threads these strings between the clouds and the earth, preparing for a symphony it fears impossible to play. And so it threads on, and on, delaying the raise of the conductor's baton." | |||
As long as they don't have to be resized and their stats don't change (which would make it pointless). GIFs don't work when resized. | |||
In both your examples that is not how they animate in the game. IIRC there's some flickering during transition. And if we aren't matching the animation then I don't see why using an animated image is beneficial.
And your comment about 3D games... Well then what do we do with enemies in 3D games that change forms? 1.7+ MB images?.
I would have said yes in the past, but I think it is better with separate sprites.
That being said, I don't mind doing VII and IX animated images... except IX will be extremely difficult for many enemies due to there not being an 100% compatible viewer. 79.69.205.102 15:50, December 5, 2012 (UTC)
Oh, and it's probably worth mentioning that if an enemy has two forms they will usually have different stats and use different attacks in said forms. In these situations they would be best using more than one tab. And therefore a non-animated image would be better.
There are exceptions though. Octomammoth and BGH512 just have visual changes after certain levels of HP have been decreased I believe. 79.69.205.102 16:09, December 5, 2012 (UTC)
So...support, oppose?
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Hmm...support. --Shockstorm (talk) 20:01, December 5, 2012 (UTC)
YES. - Henryacores^ 20:27, December 5, 2012 (UTC)
Deadlyslashsword - +It takes disaster to learn a lesson, but you're going to make it through the darkest nights+ TALK - 20:33, December 5, 2012 (UTC) - Some people betray and cause treason...we're gonna make everything alright. | |||
Oppose unless the animation is exactly the same animation used in the game. Otherwise it's kinda pointless, and really unusable in tables when different forms have different stats. Really I think this idea would best be implemented with all enemy models from VII onward, not just those who change. | |||
Well, I personally think that in the case of games before VII, animated sprites are a good idea, but alongside sprites of each form, not necessarily in place of them. I would have one or the others in the gallery, depending on the page(Or elsewhere on the page, depending on the image; if the animated image's animation doesn't get along with a gallery then it should be posted outside of one), and the other(s) in the infobox, to deal with, like DSS said, tables where different forms have different stats. In cases like that, though, there's really no point to the animation unless it's the actual transition that takes place in game, sooo... As for post-sprite era animated images, it seems sort of unnecessary and excessive to me to have all 3D images animated unless they're needed to be that way for whatever reason. It strikes me as an unnecessarily high standard to hold images (and image uploaders) to. So maybe as an optional thing, if anything? I dunno. I'm kind of divided on that issue. | |||
Hexedmagica - Rathalos: World Tour/All Ass Sword TALK - My companions' feelings have been etched upon this body. I'll change this eternal darkness into light! Heaven and Earth! One who matches the gods! CHOUGINGA GURREN-LAGANN! 01:34, December 6, 2012 (UTC) | |||
Yes for sprites, no real opinion on animated models, as is just far too much effort and too high a standard to hold it too. | |||
Deadlyslashsword - +It takes disaster to learn a lesson, but you're going to make it through the darkest nights+ TALK - 01:39, December 6, 2012 (UTC) - Some people betray and cause treason...we're gonna make everything alright. | |||
Oh, by no means do we have to have them, static images illustrate just the same, but since JBed linked that example of the boss from VII whose name escapes me, and if he is able and willing to do it, I think it would be a neat thing to have. Of course it would be outrageous to implement it for every enemy in the 3D era across their infoboxes. | |||
Just to make my opinion clear, it's oppose. As I stated: Most enemy's that have multiple sprites usually have different stats and AI scripts in those forms and thus should be using multiple tabs anyway. And the relevant sprite (and only that sprite) will go under the relevant tab.
I don't see documenting sprite transitions as important, and since that's not what is being done with the images anyway I don't really see the point at all. It's easier with separate images.
GIFs cannot be resized on wiki. This means that if I do make ones for VII and IX I would have to tailor them to the infobox and there's no choice of using them elsewhere, except for the first frame. And I would like to remind people that when choosing frames of animations for the 3D models we specifically choose stances and frames that are not overly wide. Unfortunately, enemies with wide wing spans will stretch out those images massively, meaning the image will be forced to be less visible and we won't have a bigger version to show for it since we can't resize gifs.
GIFs are also a horrible image format, since they can't handle semi-transparency. Which means the edges are awful. And even if users did want to resize the GIFs and accept only using the first frame, sizing down GIFs deletes pixels due to the way GIFs resize.
Not that I want to suggest using animated PNGs. Animated PNGs are awful.
I am also averse to animated objects in general. 79.69.195.167 18:50, December 6, 2012 (UTC)
On further investigation, it seems that FF4 is the only sprite based game (of the main series at least, not sure about spin-offs aside from Mystic Quest) where enemies use alternate sprites and forms without strictly changing stats, which I think does not need separate tabs, when the enemy stays exactly the same and just changes sprite.
That said, I can see the problem with gifs, and it isn't a big hassle for like, Rubicante or Barbarriccia, to just display both their sprites in an enemy template and cut out the gifs. 3D games, I really never thought it was a great idea, I was just noting it would be possible for people to comment on. I think, however, Octomammoth is the exception - we can have a static sprite of the base form for the infobox and wherever else it is needed, an animated gif for display purposes of its other forms and for walkthroughs and such. Two sprites is one thing, but Octomammoth has, I believe, six or seven, times SNES, GBA and PSP - a gif showing them is a lot better, I think, than each individual sprite. | |||
BlueHighwind Q? 20:47, December 6, 2012 (UTC) TALK - So if you care to find me, look to the Western Sky!ツ: | |||
In basically all the 3D games the enemies have little cycles of movement while still standing still. Shouldn't we have gifs for that sort of thing too? It would look coolz. | |||