more direction for dead animation

[Lagi]

I try OpenXcom some time ago (when was hype "wow this view port"). UI put me off back then, all those clicking to make one shoot. Recently I discover OpenXcom - enchanter + plus. shoot by "E/2" , press number to target enemy, keysetting is excellent (F inventory,TAB~) - now we talking. I play few mission and two thing jarring me.

1. Dead animation.
every time i kill Sectoid, he turn around to 6 o'clock, and then collapse. Its a big immersive issue, because the killing indicator for me is not the actual collapsing, like in every game, like it should be. I subconsciously waiting for the turning! I look at the gray guy & tell to my self "dance freak!"

i check there is 3 sprites of dead animation. 8 direction = need 4 sets * 3 = 12 sprites. PLUS there are already many puzzle pieces to adjust in graphic program to needed pose.

question is:
if I start making those for Sectoids is there any chance "someone" will be able to put them into game (as mod/option) ?

2. Waiting for soldiers to move to place.
when my soldiers leaving transport at mission-start, or when i'm looking for the last alien on map - there is quite tedious process to move all guys outside. One guys move to mark position, then next, and all -teen Xcoms.

2a.
Can we make it, to allow give next order, while the walking animation is still in the process? If player give command quick enough. Multiple squad-members would walk in the same times - simultaneously. If there is some alien spot, or hidden shot, then the game will stop as normal.

I adjust the animation time to be fastest. But 1. due to my impatient I lose the tension of slower movement during fights, 2. is still not enough

2b.
or can we make key shortcut say: shift + mouse click. to put immediately soldier on the click position without animation, without second click confirmation? Kind of placing the figures in starting position in chess. player in single second; click -teen times and 1st turn is done.
 

[bulletdesigner]

About the second question, if the unit is not on screen it moves instantly ,so the trick to deploy like a boss, is give orders with camera turned away. At least that´s my trick

[Yankes]

With some work 1) is possible in OXCE, unit will still turn around and die but animation can be altered to displaying one facing correct direction.

[Lagi]

bulletdesigner: thanks for the trick! I admire my guys walking on slowest speed. However adjusting camera each time to not see your guys distort the game 

Yankes:
1) then can it be added behavior for each target (besides tanks ) to turn around also if it's not lethally hit?
it would be nice indicator, that your shooting is effective + the dead animation will have purpose.

edit: for xcom's hit, but not kill; could kneel. It make issues ("ohh i dont want my guy to lose TU"!), but would be cool.

[Yankes]

Yankes:
1) then can it be added behavior for each target (besides tanks ) to turn around also if it's not lethally hit?
it would be nice indicator, that your shooting is effective + the dead animation will have purpose.

Yes, probably only limitation is how many new frames you can create.

[Lagi]

Quote from: Lagi on February 10, 2018, 02:17:57 pm

    Yankes:
    1) then can it be added behavior for each target (besides tanks ) to turn around also if it's not lethally hit?
    it would be nice indicator, that your shooting is effective + the dead animation will have purpose.

Yes, probably only limitation is how many new frames you can create.

sorry but, sprites for the turning animation already exist. [turning in case of non-lethal hits]

or do you talking about collapsing die animation? other issue with this idea, there is still 1x corpse floor object.

[Yankes]

sorry but, sprites for the turning animation already exist. [turning in case of non-lethal hits]

or do you talking about collapsing die animation? other issue with this idea, there is still 1x corpse floor object.

3 collapsing frames and floor object frame, you can made as many variations as you want ("direction", "death by ...", "overkill").
And for rotation before collapse, you can made for sprites to "rotate" in opposite direction that will case unit will look its not turning.
But I forget about one importation thing when I suggest this previously, I can made stripes to "rotate" but draw order will stay same.
This will cause some glitches but it could be acceptable.
There some my old tests of this:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=q0-RwIvLUxw
All units are spinning around even if they do not move at all from game perspective, I suggest doing opposite.

[Lagi]

i do this one, right facing
I can not adjust the pallet for the one acceptable by PCKview. Somebody can tell me / link how to do make sprites in Xcom?
i spend more time fighting with colors in paint.net and PCKview than drawing this sectoids.
edit:

i figure it out - install GIMP  [ i open 1x exported from PCK sprite in gimp, add empty layer, paste my picture, export to bmp]
it work in game (check 1 sprite, hope rest work as well), its correctly dispaly in PCKview

sectoid all direction done