An Update on the Creatures 1 Grendel
Written onI am pleased to announce that the updated Creatures 1 Grendel is almost complete! All female sprites and body data files have been updated, save for the actual head. This is the reason why the female on the left looks a tad bit disjointed! My goal today was to run a fairly long test run to ensure that there were no serious issues remaining. Ultimately, I hope to convert this updated version to Creatures 2 and Creatures 3/Docking Station: The fewer issues, the better! Making changes on the way adds a lot of extra time, yet I know it will be worth it.
The baby male Grendel is easily one of the most adorable creatures in the game. This one could have been cuddled, had it been possible! The one issue that seems to be hard-coded into Creatures 1 is the fact that the head sprite always appears in the front: Notice how this little guy’s arm is attached in the correct spot, but his fingers emerge from behind his head. It’s just one of those silly little things that adds to the charm of the game! The males have been completed for some time, and I’m very happy with how they turned out. It was simple compared to the in-depth projects, yet I learned a lot!
Some little sprite issues were left untouched to keep up with the appearance of the classic C1 Grendel. I never imagined them as having a perfect, streamlined appearance. However, any major gait problems should have been corrected. Additionally, head position was one of the other larger improvements: When a Grendel wants to look up, his or her head actually does so! Honestly, how in the world have they been seeing anything properly?
As I move into the final phase of creating the female Grendel head, I would love to hear feedback on what would be the most appealing appearance. Have a specific eye color in mind? Or perhaps a certain type of hairstyle would be a nice addition? All suggestions and ideas are welcome! I would like to create something brand new, although the original concept can certainly still be used. Or, perhaps the exact original is the best option. Offer up your opinion!
Note the random floating pixels in front of the female Grendel’s face above. This also occurs with some of the other breeds, particularly the Forest Norn. I plan on releasing a lot of updates for the Creatures 1 Norns, and I’m almost positive I know how to fix this. Those floating pixels drive me crazy! It’s a combination of body data coordinates and individual sprite image sizes. I have a huge list of things to update: Additionally, mixed breeds should flow together a tad bit better once I’m done. Keep an eye out for that release later in the year!
Yay! Can’t wait for these little guys to be finalised. Or should I say little gals? It really is such a simple thing, but I’ve been massively enjoying the time I’ve spent with my Grendel since the last update.
Very much looking forward to the Norn updates too. Now I know they’ll eventually be fixed I’m noticing the faults more and more.
I’m glad you’re enjoying the fixes, ArchDragon! The females are looking so much better, although I should mention that my recoloring is a tad bit brighter than usual. I really wanted the females to stand out and look a little more cheery compared with the males. The above preview images aren’t my favorite because the heads are unchanged, and kind of make the whole look incomplete. They’ll be finished, though!
I might ask for Norn sprite issues to be added to a list. I know I’ve noticed a ton, but I’d rather get them all done at once, rather than being reminded later on that I missed something obvious. The Grendel is still my top priority, yet the Norn fixes should go by a lot more quickly. It’s not like they need a completely new set of sprites!
I would really like to see the female grendel have red/ginger hair. In Creatures 1 there are creatures with blond, brown, white, grey and even lavender hair but there are no natural red heads at all so it would be lovely to see a little more variety in the world. :)
I’ve recently bought The Albian Years from GOG so I will definitely be looking forward to these updates!
The Wood Norns are ginger :)
http://www.creaturesvillage.com/frimlin/woodnorns.php
Personally I would like the female Grendel to remain unchanged in its overall appearance. Maybe change the hair to be more like the C3 female Grendels.
I’m planning on keeping the female Grendel somewhat similar in appearance to how it’s been represented in the series. The hair might be slightly different in color and style… The pigtails have never been my favorite, although I also know that I’m not going to get too crazy!