Hello everyone, I know this is a little late but I'm creating a topic was answers to questions and clarification on the process of submitting sprites. I would everyone who plans to submit sprites and maybe even those who already have to read these points. Thank you!

SPRITE SUBMISSIONS ARE CLOSED
We do not need any more sprite artists. Please see latest comment for details.

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How can I sign up for a making a sprite?

First and foremost, check for the appropriate thread in this forum with the game that robot is from. Check to make sure no one else has claimed it. If it is free, you can post a comment in the thread requesting the sprite. If you have made sprites before, I will automatically update the thread and "give" you the sprite. If you have not made any sprites for the game before, I would require some example of your work before I grant the request. Most help will be accepted, but some may not. I apologize ahead of time for any hurt feelings, but in the end I need to do what is best for the game and be fair to everyone involved. Please understand.


Once I have been assigned a sprite, how long do I have to complete it?

I make it a habit of doing time-sensitive characters myself, like the heroes, main bosses, and ability animations. All other characters in the game (especially future expansions) may take weeks or even months to be assembled and integrated into the actual game. As a result I'm very, very relaxed about timelines and if life gets in the way and you can't do the sprite for several weeks or months I totally understand. We all have lots of work to do on this project and I don't want to burn anyone out. That being said, if it's been several months and I need the sprite but you're too busy to finish it I might take on the job myself. No hard feelings. :)


What size should the sprites be?

All robot master sprites have a base size of 40px by 40px per frame. This means that the entire sprite has to fit into the 40x40 space without any pixels sticking out. I understand that some robots are extra large and it would be impossible to fit them into a 40x40 grid, so there is also an 80px by 80px size you can use. The 80x80 sprites are larger in filesize and slightly more difficult to work with, so if the robot is small enough that you CAN make the sprite in 40x40 please do.


Do I have to use the official colours?

I will like the character to remain as faithful to their official counterparts as possible but I am willing to make exceptions. We should all try to use the official colours as a base, and only make tweaks if they in-game sprites really don't do the character justice. Changing the base colours should be something to avoid, but if you do have please keep these rules in mind:


A - Only use official NES colours or ones that you can find in this game already. I like to use the eyedropper on the Mega Man 1 - 2 robots over and over to make sure I stick to the same pallet in future designs, and you should to.

B - Many of the old sprites use white in place of other colours for memory reasons but we don't have to. Bubble Man, for example, has several colours in his official art but only green in his official sprite even though those parts of his body were visible. In this case it felt right giving him more colour.

C - Try not to do any excess shading. Some robots already have little highlights in the official sprites and those are fine, but do not add too much of you own - filtered are applied right before putting them in the game that adds bevel-like shading so it's not necessary for you to do it.


What frames or poses should I make?

Each robot should have a total of eleven (11) frames plus the mugshot sprite. In the image below you can see the mugshots on the far left and only 10 sprites to the right - this is because at the time of creating the image an 11th pose wasn't thought of but it is now a requirement in submissions. Let's look at the image: Please focus your attention to the first row starting from the left. I only require that you make one sprite sheet per character - you do not have to create multiple directions and sizes. That being said, if a robot would not look right simply mirrored and their left and right sprites should be different, I'm okay with you submitting two directions. An example of this is Wood Man, who's helmet is asymmetrical with a twig sticking out of only one side.

You only create what is in the first row with all poses facing left. Note that there are no special effects on these sprites - they are 8bit and stay true to the NES colour pallet, without any JPG fuzziness or drop shadows or other fluff. Let me describe each frame here and tell you about the 11th one (I will update this reference at some point with the 11th pose):


00. Mugshot
Official mugshot from the games if available, otherwise custom but same sizing. Should be the same size as all the other mugshots in the game. Small horns, spikes, or other helmet adornments can poke out of the top, right, and left, but not the bottom and only if they're small.

01. Base
This is the main standing sprite for the robot that will be used whenever the robot isn't attacking. The robot will always go back to this sprite in animations, so make sure it's as neutral as possible.

02. Taunt
This sprite is used when the robot randomly taunts the target and when they earn certain items. Make it funny, aggressive, cool, or anything you want. Just make sure it fits the robot's personality.

03. Victory
This is show when the robot claims victory in battle and sometimes for certain items. Some robots look back at the user, breaking the fourth wall - while others simple strike a pose or cheer. It's up to you, but if the robot has a "signature" pose from the games, this might be a good place to use it.

04. Defeat
This sprite shows the robot in a disabled state, unable to continue battling (do not darken the sprite, as that is done with a filter later on!). You may choose to show them partially damaged or in a surrendering pose, but their "eyes" should be closed or at least squinting.

05. Shoot
This sprite should show the robot using a generic buster that theoretically any type of projectile could come out of. If the robot already has a buster in their sprite then use that, otherwise try to mimic Mega Man's or think of something suitable to that robot.

06. Throw
This sprite will be used whenever the robot uses a throwing attack at the target. Pretty self explanatory.

07. Summon
This is the robot's catch-all "hands-free" attack sprite, whether their summoning an attack, using a recovery ability, or being granted some kind of bonus, these sprites are used to represent that moment and should generally show the robot's arm or arms raised in some way - as if using remote control power on something.

08. Slide
This sprite is called the "slide" but is can be either a slide or a dash, depending on what is appropriate for the robot. Theoretically, every robot may eventually learn an ability that requires sliding, dashing, or otherwise quick movement so we have to make a sprite for it. I'm flexible on this one so have fun.

09. Defend
This sprite should show the robot blocking or defending in some way. If they have shields they should raise them and if not maybe take a defensive stance and block with their arms. If the robot has innate shielding abilities maybe create a barrier. Just remember that this frame is used randomly in idle animations and whenever a robot is targeted by the opponent so don't make it too crazy.

10. Damage
The damage sprite is used any time the robot is damaged by an opponent and should generally show them in a staggered position slightly raised off the ground. The only times a robot's feet should stay planted on the ground during damage is if they are particularly heavy. I generally give robots a hurt expression, but it's up to you and might be fun to play with different faces.

11. Base2
This sprite is not yet used in the game but will eventually be use in the game's idle animations. Whenever a robot is not randomly taunting or defending on the field, they will alternate between the Base and Base2 sprites over and over again. This will allow me add 2-frame idle animations to game which will make it a lot more fun to look at.


What format should I submit the sprites?

I would like all sprite submissions to be in GIF or PNG format with absolutely no JPGs or BMPs, preferably transparent or on a background that's easy to remove without any artifacts or fuzziness. You should have the sprites in the same order as described above and in their respective 40x40 or 80x80 containers. You are free to add notes to or with the sheet, or give me multiple options to choose from in the same column but it is up to you. Sprites should be emailed directly to me at adrian.marceau@gmail.com as attachments, as uploading them to other hosting services often degrades their quality.


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Thank you to everyone involved for all the work you've done so far and I look forward to all the awesome new stuff you're going to work on in the future. Thank you thank you thank you! :D