Do variations of a CG count as one CG itself or just "CG#b"?

[N0UGHTS]

Does the title make sense? Well, this is what I'm trying to ask: Let's say there are two separate pictures. One is of a girl smiling, the other is of the same girl, same camera angle, same whatever, frowning. Are they both counted separately in a CG count as two CGs, "82" and "83," and the game advertised as having 83 CGs? Or are they counted as one CG, like, "82a" and "82b," and the game is advertised as having only 82 CGs?

[Dusty]

Both? Either?

I would say they'd be labeled 82a and 82b and the game has 82 CGs.

[AlphaProspector]

This is a tricky one... And you made me think if I should actually consider this. Guess the number of CGs is an important marketing tool, especially if the developing company counts with an amazing artist. One would love to promote he/she made as much as possible.

Personally, yes, for me they count as they represent different states of the same character. A wise way of bypassing a possible sensation of repetition (so it doesn't feel cheap) is to add 'flavour' to the expressions (I cannot explain it properly but you know, sweat drops, the ">_<" eyes, the "^^" ones, etc., etc.) and while it might be the same camera angle, the character could be rising an arm, showing a sword, touching his/her hair or lowering a bit the gaze and turning red. That could do it for me.

It might not take as long as creating a full new background but making expressions is still some fine-tailoring task, especially if someone wants to make them believable/nice and such.

Thus, guess it all depends on the situation? If the characters have very very little variations between expressions then, yes, labelling a,b,c,d (or according to each expression) is fine. But, you know how sometimes a character has 'special' expressions too so, like the Ouroboros, this leads us back to the head of the snake: depends on the situation.

[DaFool]

I can either count by the total number of image graphics, but usually just count them as 1 CG + variations.

Not only can you change expressions and poses (slightly), but you can change clothes and backgrounds too (thereby producing a more complicated "sprite".) Sometimes the differences are major enough to count as a different graphic. Other times it's just the presence or absence of an additional photoshop filter (i.e. haze, dark, glow, etc.)

I now count graphics as the number of PSDs delivered. If several variations can be produced from a single PSD file, then it counts as one general template.

When it comes time to sort out the image gallery, it's common practice to group similar variations together so when you click on the thumbnail it cycles through all the variations. So when you see a professional game with 30+ CGs in the gallery, it's safe to assume that the total graphics count including variations are 100+ already.

[monele]

I think most games and other commercial endeavours would say "X CGs" even if they're only slight variations. Personally, I think that's cheating >.>... Not that the variations don't take time to make but... it's like... having a picture of a chair in white, then making 10 color variations and saying you've provided "10 chairs" (I'm thinking of things like model packs here).

I might consider more important variations as separate CGs, like... having a completely different background and a new view angle. This could give a very different feel and be enough. Eh, it's very subjective in the end ^^;

[delta]

I wouldn't advertise with the exact number of CGs to begin with. But I guess you just want to say you have a lot of CGs, so just say "over 80" or something like that. Nobody's going to say "this game has 82 CGs and this one only has 81. The former is obviously better".

[honoreixix]

i think you should only count them as one CG if the background changes...