Sprite Recycling

[sake-bento]

You just gave me a brilliant idea. People often say that the characters by Aoi Nishimata and Tony Taka looked like they just had their faces copy-pasted and their hair colors changed. Why not just literally copy-paste faces and a few different body styles, then the only thing different will be the costumes. I think the character artist for Curse of Slate Rock Manor and The Stolen Diamond Ring was using that technique.

Those ones are actually a set of changeable sprites by a doujin group called Blue Forest. (Site is potentially NSFW.) I was actually already going to mention that, since it seems appropriate for the topic. I think the sheer variety of options for those sprites means that people don't feel it's too repetitive, even after seeing them in different games. Now, if everyone used them, we'd probably have problems.

As for being all meta with the story, I'd like to see it woven into the main plot more if you're going to reuse the "actors" in such a way. Maybe you could break the fourth wall more often, or have a director interject in parts. Or it could be like Haruhi 0 where you see Itsuki in the background doubling as crew for a bit. In other words, I think it's a clever idea, but I want to feel like you're really building on the idea of actors more than the idea of reusing sprites for convenience (even if you are).

[sheetcakeghost]

I honestly think something neat could be done with the actor concept. I'd really like to see it in a game series sometime. Hell, I'd even help write it if that means it gets made. d:

[Weakjounin]

I honestly think something neat could be done with the actor concept. I'd really like to see it in a game series sometime. Hell, I'd even help write it if that means it gets made. d:

This would be a great community project. Just saying.

[sheetcakeghost]

Nothing stopping us from getting on it! We'd need two plots. One that's for the game itself (and it can be anything at all) and one that can carry on via several games as the plot with the actors. Sort of like directors who make entire fake movies inside of a series of their own large movies.

Easiest way to take this would probably make our cast of community actors and develop them, then give them plays to be in that are actually the plots to the game themselves. When the actors are designed their "deleted scene" and "blooper" content will be much easier to write up.

It could be really cool to give the games themselves a cheap community play feeling to them. Fake props and sets, poorly made wigs, sometimes costumes that don't fit exactly right. sake-bento's idea of having some of the actors who aren't in the scene doing stuff in the background as stage hands would be just great.

If we're doing this then you already have a writer on staff. d: It's always good to have more than one of those though. Especially when the only one (me) is working on other projects (RockRobin) and if they're alone scripting will take a LOT longer to get done. I'm no where near an artist or coder though. So I can only wear the one hat.

OOOH! Another cute idea, what if we did a slight self insert with the behind the scenes stuff. Like the writer being the writer of the play, the artist doing the costumes and set pieces, and the coder being the play's director? META

[applegirl]

I think sprite recycling is a great idea. I saw a series with "new" sprites and the sprites didn't even resemble the old ones! Talk about ruining the continuity of the series.... With a few new outfits, you can easily make the old sprites seem new. I don't understand why people change sprites when they could instead focus on new CGs (those take forever and are greatly, greatly appreciated).

[Weakjounin]

Nothing stopping us from getting on it! We'd need two plots. One that's for the game itself (and it can be anything at all) and one that can carry on via several games as the plot with the actors. Sort of like directors who make entire fake movies inside of a series of their own large movies.

Easiest way to take this would probably make our cast of community actors and develop them, then give them plays to be in that are actually the plots to the game themselves. When the actors are designed their "deleted scene" and "blooper" content will be much easier to write up.

It could be really cool to give the games themselves a cheap community play feeling to them. Fake props and sets, poorly made wigs, sometimes costumes that don't fit exactly right. sake-bento's idea of having some of the actors who aren't in the scene doing stuff in the background as stage hands would be just great.

If we're doing this then you already have a writer on staff. d: It's always good to have more than one of those though. Especially when the only one (me) is working on other projects (RockRobin) and if they're alone scripting will take a LOT longer to get done. I'm no where near an artist or coder though. So I can only wear the one hat.

OOOH! Another cute idea, what if we did a slight self insert with the behind the scenes stuff. Like the writer being the writer of the play, the artist doing the costumes and set pieces, and the coder being the play's director? META

I wanna help out with the art You're onto something here. Graphically, what would think about props and stuff having a thick white outlinebackground (not in a box shape, but like around the object) to make them look like they were cut out of cardboard.
and also I think we're deviating from the main topic, maybe make a new thread?

[sheetcakeghost]

Ha, we are a bit. Let's pitch it in recruitment so we can get a good team going. I'll mention it to the Happy Backwards ladies if I remember. d: PM me with it wherever you decide to set us up.

[JustAnotherMe]

I- I wanna help out too!!! Maybe with coloring?? (I'm thinking that we can make the creator show themselves behind the stage~ like Deji-chan, or sake-bento~, or youuuuu~ XDDD)
OhmyGod, it could be a parody of LSF forum???? Gather everyone uppp~ silly me

[planktheory]

I'm glad that this inspired some people! I think I've also picked my path with the input I've seen here. Thank you guys for your responses.

I plan on turning it into an episodic sort of thing, with 'actors' as opposed to sprites. Thank you for mentioning the Osamu Tezuka's Star System, that's exactly what I had had in mind. It also helps that the community I'd be doing it within is very 'reoccurring character' oriented.

Thanks again for the opinions and ideas!