Feedback on the character's movement animation

Artharion

In today's gameplay video, I came across this comment about the character's animation.



https://youtu.be/lB5euffRa-g?si=wfKf1PRJq3SJDsxV
Do you agree? Has it been confirmed that they have someone specialized in that position working on the animations? I know we’re in an alpha, but it’s true that I don’t see why they shouldn’t start working on these things now rather than leaving it for the end. Could any dev from the game shed some light on this?

Caeryl

Animations in general are still very rough and unnatural looking. Cape physics are find and dandy, but player movement in its current state is very abrupt and lacks any sense of inertia or weight. The dragon showcase had especially stiff wing animations that reminded of an action figure more than a living breathing creature.

It's so noticeable I'd almost put it a priority above the issue of light not illuminating dark spaces. (Not quite, but we'll definitely be seeing janky, jerky animations more than we'll be fighting in lightless rooms)

hleV

Yea they definitely need to look at games that have done it properly, right now the standing, starting to move, moving and stopping animations are so bad that they're almost annoying. Why does the character turn sideways a bit when you stop? Should stand straight.

Artharion

hleV wrote: »

Yea they definitely need to look at games that have done it properly, right now the standing, starting to move, moving and stopping animations are so bad that they're almost annoying. Why does the character turn sideways a bit when you stop? Should stand straight.

It’s important to understand that Ashes of Creation (AoC) uses a non-root motion system for its animations, meaning that the character's movement is more controlled by player input than by the animations themselves. This has a direct consequence: animations in AoC will never look as spectacular as in Asian games that use root motion, where animations control movement and appear more cinematic and fluid.

That being said, AoC does not aim for static combat, and its non-root motion system prioritizes a more agile and dynamic combat style, similar to games like World of Warcraft. This allows for greater control over the character, which is crucial for many Western players, but it also means that animations won’t be as visually stunning.

However, even though the non-root motion system has its limitations, it's obvious that the development team must continue working on improving the animations. Clear differences have already been seen depending on the weapon the character is using. For example, the sword and bow (fighter and ranger) animations look pretty good in streams, while wand and other weapon animations still need more work.

iccer

I thought the game keeps looking more and more like an actual game.

But the first thing that really stuck out to me was also the movement animations.

More specifically, when you change directions, or you start/stop moving.

It feels like it came straight out of mid 2000s, and it really does look bad.

Caeryl wrote: »

player movement in its current state is very abrupt and lacks any sense of inertia or weight.

And this is exactly what I though as well.
I get that they want to make a fluid type of combat, where you can easily move, change directions, etc. - but some work on animations and that feeling of inertia/weight could go a long way. There is a balance, where it can feel and look better, without taking away from that fluidity.


I'm aware that this is something that will probably be worked on, and something that will improve, but I just wanted to give my feedback on it anyways.

Artharion

iccer wrote: »

I thought the game keeps looking more and more like an actual game.

But the first thing that really stuck out to me was also the movement animations.

More specifically, when you change directions, or you start/stop moving.

It feels like it came straight out of mid 2000s, and it really does look bad.

Caeryl wrote: »

player movement in its current state is very abrupt and lacks any sense of inertia or weight.

And this is exactly what I though as well.
I get that they want to make a fluid type of combat, where you can easily move, change directions, etc. - but some work on animations and that feeling of inertia/weight could go a long way. There is a balance, where it can feel and look better, without taking away from that fluidity.


I'm aware that this is something that will probably be worked on, and something that will improve, but I just wanted to give my feedback on it anyways.

But you have to understand that you can't have a game with completely free movement and, at the same time, expect real-life inertia. In real life, you can't change directions in such a short amount of time.

That being said, they do need to work on it.

Anyway, the comment in the OP is complete nonsense. He's acting like there's no way to change the animations. People often overreact and get overly dramatic about the issues they encounter.

iccer

Artharion wrote: »

iccer wrote: »

I thought the game keeps looking more and more like an actual game.

But the first thing that really stuck out to me was also the movement animations.

More specifically, when you change directions, or you start/stop moving.

It feels like it came straight out of mid 2000s, and it really does look bad.

Caeryl wrote: »

player movement in its current state is very abrupt and lacks any sense of inertia or weight.

And this is exactly what I though as well.
I get that they want to make a fluid type of combat, where you can easily move, change directions, etc. - but some work on animations and that feeling of inertia/weight could go a long way. There is a balance, where it can feel and look better, without taking away from that fluidity.


I'm aware that this is something that will probably be worked on, and something that will improve, but I just wanted to give my feedback on it anyways.

But you have to understand that you can't have a game with completely free movement and, at the same time, expect real-life inertia. In real life, you can't change directions in such a short amount of time.

That being said, they do need to work on it.

Anyway, the comment in the OP is complete nonsense. He's acting like there's no way to change the animations. People often overreact and get overly dramatic about the issues they encounter

I never asked for real-life movement though, and we don't need that anyways.

Just better animations, and slightly more feeling of inertia and weight, because right now there's none.

Artharion

iccer wrote: »

Artharion wrote: »

iccer wrote: »

I thought the game keeps looking more and more like an actual game.

But the first thing that really stuck out to me was also the movement animations.

More specifically, when you change directions, or you start/stop moving.

It feels like it came straight out of mid 2000s, and it really does look bad.

Caeryl wrote: »

player movement in its current state is very abrupt and lacks any sense of inertia or weight.

And this is exactly what I though as well.
I get that they want to make a fluid type of combat, where you can easily move, change directions, etc. - but some work on animations and that feeling of inertia/weight could go a long way. There is a balance, where it can feel and look better, without taking away from that fluidity.


I'm aware that this is something that will probably be worked on, and something that will improve, but I just wanted to give my feedback on it anyways.

But you have to understand that you can't have a game with completely free movement and, at the same time, expect real-life inertia. In real life, you can't change directions in such a short amount of time.

That being said, they do need to work on it.

Anyway, the comment in the OP is complete nonsense. He's acting like there's no way to change the animations. People often overreact and get overly dramatic about the issues they encounter

I never asked for real-life movement though, and we don't need that anyways.

Just better animations, and slightly more feeling of inertia and weight, because right now there's none.

how can you get a feeling of inertia and at the same time have a totally free WASD movement?

Also, what's your opinion on Orc Fighter animations?

https://youtu.be/OAUJRQM8INY?si=Hq3all2HSsiOuCAr

On the other hand, you probably know that UE5.4 introduces some impressive animation technology:

https://youtu.be/u9Z8CK561_Y?si=tcmE9GjqFT2nIpD7

Since they haven't updated to 5.4 yet, but they will at some point in Alpha-2, it might not be the best idea to start working on that until they can fully take advantage of it. They also have mocap technology, so they'll eventually incorporate that as well. Right now, I believe their main focus is on getting a functional product, and features like the one you're mentioning will come later. Unlike most games, open development works different since they need to offer a working product in early stages so the backers can play it.

Briggs

They need to fix the Running animations, I hope they focus on that in the future.

TheDarkSorcerer

I agree. The running animations are not great and uses very incorrect running form. Reminds me of when Jack Sparrow runs in Pirates of The Caribbean. .


Correct Running Form:
A natural run leads with your chest with a slight lean forward. Your elbows and arms tight against body.



Incorrect Running Form:
In Ashes of Creation the character runs as if the character is leaning backwards and leading with their legs. The legs are also running as if the character is bowlegged.


I am hoping this is addressed with UE 5.4.