Mana Games

[anrox335]

@manutoo
I think a lot of missing animations can be added by the modders if we can have that option, while you keep the base game as it is. In that way, most of the work will be done by the modders.

For ex, the forehand slice and drop can have different animations assuming we have the same preparation. Similarly, we can have separate shots for top spin, forehand, lob.
We discussed a bit regarding this on https://www.managames.com/Forum/viewtopic.php?f=15&t=37577&p=300420&hilit=different+animation
You said that we may even have separate animation for the unprepared shot assuming the same preparation

It would be great if this is the next feature whenever you restart the development. Lots of animations can be easily created using DeepMotion with a little bit of work these days, which will allow modders to imrove the game themselves. I myself have created unprepared forehand, mini slide, top spin for RF, drop shot for RF, and so on using that.

[matservant]

Absolutely agree with that

[anrox335]

It would be great if other modders can also reply in this thread, or if there is a poll.

[Scott123]

Hi,

Just adding my comment here so that it gets Manus attention, can you really mod animations in a few days anrox?

Scott

[anrox335]

I created a few animations for BH, return BH, squash BH within a few days using DeepMotion:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BznxsFx_Bek

[matservant]

I created a few animations for BH, return BH, squash BH within a few days using DeepMotion:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BznxsFx_Bek

Looks very very promising !!! Keep it up

[anrox335]

These animations do not have the same preparation, but that can be handled. The point is how easy it is for any modder to create good anims now, which should help in improving the game.

[Robertoleal25_]

These animations do not have the same preparation, but that can be handled. The point is how easy it is for any modder to create good anims now, which should help in improving the game.

Can I see the animations you did for RF? And do you intend to share them one day?

[manutoo]

anrox335,
I may add that at some point, but I'll likely wait for some Modders to create the required anims 1st.
That said, I'm not sure it's a great idea : the simple implementation would require having 1 topspin & lob anims for each forehand & backhand, and now there are hundreds of them in the Mods, so in the end it'd benefit very few setups except if some Modders spend a long time...
The dropshot would be more doable, as there are only a few slice FH anims and not too many BH anims (I guess).

[anrox335]

That said, I'm not sure it's a great idea : the simple implementation would require having 1 topspin & lob anims for each forehand & backhand, and now there are hundreds of them in the Mods, so in the end it'd benefit very few setups except if some Modders spend a long time...

I mean most of the players can use the same one as default FH/BH for top spin and lob. Only the top recognized players will have people dedicated to make theirs unique. I don't know how much work it takes from your end, but it will certainly benefit the animations of the top 20 or so players, which will be great for the game as a whole.

The dropshot would be more doable, as there are only a few slice FH anims and not too many BH anims (I guess).

Yes, it would be the most benefitted. If this task is easy for you, you can even add smash to the list as most players have unique smashes, with many of female pros using two handed smashes.

Also, for the weak FH/BH(the shot in which the user prepares late/pressed the shot button later), a generic animation can be used for all the players. For ex:
https://youtu.be/hpmWe83tDZI?si=0oKhmDr0H09PWrj9&t=1002
https://youtu.be/hpmWe83tDZI?si=kDtBYZ462eOo_9Up&t=952
https://youtu.be/hpmWe83tDZI?si=sMfjq5vxDlkZCtrJ&t=1259

As you can see here, the player does not hit an outstretched shot but an uncomfortable one due to pace of the incoming shot/lack of preparation

[Jirafalox]

IMO it could be a mixed system. As anrox said, there are some very dedicated modders who would for sure create a lot of top players 3 versions animations, probably starting from their existent assets and changing the swing path and finish of the shots in the frame lenght of their existing modded animations so it probably wouldn't be so bad. As you said, you could wait for modders to create the animation first but I think if they saw the implementation done in the game menus they would actually start to do them and not the other way around. (also contacting the modders who make animations is kinda tricky, I don't have Nard's or Sillytone contact for example and I don't know if they would ever read this post from you) but I know they would do it, they are very passionate about realism and the game in general.

The mixed system could be adding the topspin, dropshot and lob variants for animations in the menu for modders to start to create (no need to do them all at the same time also, you could start with drop shot and see if there's any actual interest in modders), and then if anrox or any other modder could create some animations for the under prepared shot or like a short swing version (so it could also be used on return of serve for example) for the forehand, 2 handed forehand, 1hbh and 2hbh you could just add that into the game since most players short preparation shots are very similarly irl, specially the 2 handed backhands are always like a semi swing very compact and short in open stance for example, and if they create like 2-3 versions for each one it could be a random pool of short swing animations that could be used randomly for example, if you give some parameters beforehand so they can work on them knowing how many frames of lenght the animation should have, for sure they would create some nice stuff.


That's what I think it would maximize your efforts as the dev and the efforts of the modders, using team work in what each can do best.

Just food for thought.

[Raigs]

Crazy good idea, also the idea Jira suggest is I guess the most optimal way to introduce these animations. Kinda like a button to activate or deactivate a different topspin animation, similar to the option to use a different animation for acceleration that is already in the game.

[manutoo]

It's not possible to do the weak FH/BH animation, because we don't know when the player won't be pressing the button till the last instant and the normal strike animation preparation is much longer so it has to start early, before it's possible to decide to play a shorter weak animation.

Everything is like this, so I really, really don't want to get headaches about all this anymore.

If I do new things for TE4, it'll be fun things that motivate me ; I'm not going to force myself to do things that I know won't work well from the very start.

[anrox335]

We can skip the weak FH/BH, but the idea was to have a separate animation if the player hits the shot button later than a threshold as discussed in the other thread. Since we have the same preparation animation, I don't think it would matter that much.
viewtopic.php?f=15&t=37577&p=300420&hilit=different+animation

[Jirafalox]

It's not possible to do the weak FH/BH animation, because we don't know when the player won't be pressing the button till the last instant and the normal strike animation preparation is much longer so it has to start early, before it's possible to decide to play a shorter weak animation.

Everything is like this, so I really, really don't want to get headaches about all this anymore.

If I do new things for TE4, it'll be fun things that motivate me ; I'm not going to force myself to do things that I know won't work well from the very start.

If that's the case then yeah I agree is not worth to do the unprepared variants of shots, if you ever consider it, all the community would love just to be able to add the different eligible animations for like the drop shot, topspin strike and lob, since accels already can have different animations.

But if that's included in the "Everything is like this" then yeah it's a bit unfortunate and it's better to just leave it as it is