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I wonder [how did Raven create enemy sprites]

Posted: Thu Sep 13, 2018 5:21 am
by gad
Hi,
I've been wondering - how did the guys at Raven create the enemies sprites?
Like the Gargoyle:
https://goo.gl/images/PLeSfg
And the Golem:
https://goo.gl/images/otQA5w

Do you think these are pre-rendered models? Or maybe these are clay-modeled like in Doom?
Thanks

Re: I wonder

Posted: Thu Sep 13, 2018 6:06 am
by Nash
A lot of the Raven monsters (and even Corvus himself) looks like they were pixeled by hand to me...

Re: I wonder

Posted: Thu Sep 13, 2018 6:10 am
by gad
Every angle seems to me too accurate to be drawn by hand. Regarding the inventory stuff - I also believe they are pre-rendered (like the rotating spells book animation)

Re: I wonder [how did Raven create enemy sprites]

Posted: Thu Sep 13, 2018 10:58 am
by Cherno
Hard to say. I would consider it possible that the Heretic monsters all all hand-drawn. Raven Software had very good artists as seen in Black Crypt so they would be capable of such a feat, after all the Pinky Demon rom Doom was also drawn from scratch. I am pretty sure that the monsters in Hexen are rendered.

Re: I wonder [how did Raven create enemy sprites]

Posted: Thu Sep 13, 2018 11:49 am
by Enjay
Cherno wrote:after all the Pinky Demon rom Doom was also drawn from scratch.
Of course, that might explain why the pinkie, love him though we do, simply isn't really a viable creature at all; massive head, tiny limbs, centre of gravity nowhere near anywhere stable... ;)

Re: I wonder [how did Raven create enemy sprites]

Posted: Fri Sep 14, 2018 2:28 am
by Kinsie
Cherno wrote:after all the Pinky Demon rom Doom was also drawn from scratch
Image The Pinky didn't have a model sculpted to be photographed, but they did photograph a Jurassic Park dinosaur toy and trace the legs over the top of that.

Image

Re: I wonder [how did Raven create enemy sprites]

Posted: Fri Sep 14, 2018 5:19 am
by Nash
What fascinates me more is that JP was released in June '93, while Doom was released in December '93... so basically they still weren't done making game assets 6 months before release? :O

Re: I wonder [how did Raven create enemy sprites]

Posted: Fri Sep 14, 2018 5:31 am
by Gez
I believe some were rendered in primitive 3D, then drawn over by hand.

Re: I wonder [how did Raven create enemy sprites]

Posted: Fri Sep 14, 2018 5:45 am
by Cherno
Nash wrote:What fascinates me more is that JP was released in June '93, while Doom was released in December '93... so basically they still weren't done making game assets 6 months before release? :O
After all, Doom only had slightly over a year of development time altogether :)

Re: I wonder [how did Raven create enemy sprites]

Posted: Fri Sep 14, 2018 5:47 am
by Graf Zahl
Nash wrote:What fascinates me more is that JP was released in June '93, while Doom was released in December '93... so basically they still weren't done making game assets 6 months before release? :O

That's pretty normal for game development. Even the assets get worked over time and time again until the game is ready.

Re: I wonder [how did Raven create enemy sprites]

Posted: Fri Sep 14, 2018 7:41 am
by Zan
Don't know why but until recently I've always assumed that sprite-based games had this army of artists/slaves drawing them from scratch.

Re: I wonder [how did Raven create enemy sprites]

Posted: Fri Sep 14, 2018 9:03 am
by ramon.dexter
Zan wrote:Don't know why but until recently I've always assumed that sprite-based games had this army of artists/slaves drawing them from scratch.
Me too. Or, at least some highly skilled artists powered by galons of cofee, that draw everything :D