Continuing on from my previous post about sprites, here are some further images I've put together to be used for particles, effects or just to adorn the walls in places.
Dust Cloud
These three variants are intended to be used as particles that pop up on impacts or other similar events. In theory they should be stackable to create convincing particle effects.
While very simple, when combined in different ways they should give a more complex overall impression when viewed in game. I also created some versions with slight gaps in them to allow more layering. Even though only 2D, this shouldn't be painfully obvious in game when applied to a particle system that follows the player's view.
Spider Webs
For certain walls and doorways, we wanted to include webs to give a sense of age and disuse, as well as adding an immediately recognisable image of discomfort and creepiness. I looked at some references of different types of webs from different spiders, as well as watching a time lapse of an Orb Weaver to give me a better sense of the overall construction, and then set to work drawing my own.
I wanted a range of different types to add to the level in order to give a nice variety and ability, once again, to combine them in different ways. I'm pretty happy with most of these; two of them are more successful than the others in my opinion, especially the orb web (second down). These aren't too unconvincing as webs and have a nice quality to them. Hopefully they'll look pretty good when inserted into the game at different points.
Fireballs
One of our main character's abilities is throwing fireballs. For this we needed a circular flame sprite rather than the pointed one I created before. I made these three images.
While perhaps not the most convincing fireballs, they should work well when fired from the character in one particle effect. They do have the appearance more of glass marbles than flame, but I don't think this will be too noticeable in-game. There is also the fact that they are not meant to be orange, but the colour can be easily adjusted in the game project after these are imported, and it made it easier for me to draw these using the colours of fire. The same is true of the explosion sprite sheet I created below.
Explosions
While orange probably isn't the colour these will end up as in the game, it helped me to paint them in this standard sort of shade. Looking at other examples of sheets like this, it seemed to make sense to begin with a small bright circle and then to expand it into an ever darker and more saturated cloud that began to break up and shrink again over time, eventually disappearing into a small puff of smoke.
I'm pretty pleased with how this one came together. I haven't seen it in game yet, but I'm hoping the number of sprites and gradual change in form makes it flow pretty well as a particle system. I think I've got the change from bright white to a glowing orange and then black smoke working quite well here, although perhaps the orange could have lasted a few sprites longer, but it should be fine. The only thing that could throw this all off is the shape of the cloud, as it might end up looking a little unrealistic if it doesn't translate well to moving particles, but in theory this should work okay.
Torch Smoke
Another smoke-type sprite. This one was designed to work with the torch flame sprite I made previously.
Slightly unfortunately, I found out after making these that it actually works a lot better to have a single small puff, like the first on the left, that gradually moves upwards along the sprite sheet, like an animation, rather than having it build into a static full column as I have here. Luckily for me, it seems to just about work in game (with some good work by the team member making the particle system) and so I have gotten away with it for now.
Scorch Marks
Relating back to the earlier fireballs, upon impact these projectiles need to leave a small dark mark on the wall to indicate contact. As these need only be very small, and probably fairly transparent when sat over the wall texture, I put them together pretty quickly. Here I've drawn two versions, and then combined them to make a third (centre image below).
These are probably the very simplest sprites I've done so far, and they're all quite simple to begin with, but this isn't really an issue here as these will only be small and very temporary. When fireballs collide with the walls of the dungeon, these little marks will pop up for a second and then fade just as fast, and hopefully it should actually look quite effective while in the middle of gameplay.
I've had to produce all of these quite quickly given the limited time we have left, but I think overall they should look in-keeping with the style of the game, and provide some nice extra details to the experience as a whole.
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