Ah, disregard my last comment! I tested it and making the tail colour a Back part doesn't work anyway. Just doesn't layer right unless I make it Bottoms, in which case I can't have any Bottom parts be compatible with it. Unless I made them all Skins, which would be implausible as it'd be like 20 of them...
Can I just ask for your personal advice on what you think would be more useful as an asset? A snake tail with multiple colours, or a snake tail that can wear skirts?
74 days ago (+1)
AH YEAH. You are right, it went completely over my head, apologies for that. Yes, the way the files are for charsets you will hit this bump since it makes no such differentiation as it happens on the facesets.
Here is a thought: have the base scaly body - without tail - as a skin. This first part will cover both the faceset and the charset.
Then add the tails as bottoms, but make multiple tails with not only differents colours, as well as tails with different acessories - skirts with the tail going through it, clothes wrapped around the tail - this way non-snake characters can also have snake tails, adding variety and, at the same time, letting one build a full snake character if they so wish.
It is not an optimal way of doing it, that is true, I have to find a better way to break those apart.
EDIT: In the end you would have something like this on your bottom . Let us assume that you are using c## as a way to differentiate colour between parts
- tail_cc00.png
- tail_cc01.png
- tail_cc02.png
- tail_with_skirt_cc00.png
- tail_with_skirt_cc01.png
- tail_with_skirt_cc02.png
- tail_with_armour_cc00.png
- tail_with_armour_cc01.png
- tail_with_armour_cc02.png
Having the pieces like this will also let people make further changes. let us assume that the person likes the armour colour for cc00, but doesn’t like the tail colour itself, they prefer the one on cc01. They can open your png files, copy and past the pieces and have it their way! :) Don’t stress too much about making it super-duper flexible, there is a limit to what can be done without requiring the user to edit some stuff themselves. I want to take to opportunity to also thank you for all your hardwork on getting those skins and bottoms done! :)
72 days ago(+1)
Thank you bud, that's a great solution! Yeah I think I was getting too hung up on having it keep ALL the existing skirts. It'd totally work great to make just one skirt specialized for tails, one armor, etc. I'd already made two variations for a scaly and unscaly tail (in case people want to do slugs or caterpillars) and lizardlike head or keeping the human one. So it might work better to make all of that modular 'outfit' parts to mix and match!
You're also totally correct that I can't possibly make every colour everyone would want, and they can totally edit it if they need to. Perhaps I'll just include a bonus image with some suggested palettes for other scales, and people can eyedrop them if they want.
Thanks for all your great advice, I'll keep on working hard! I hope you enjoy the sprites when they're done :)
72 days ago(+1)
You reminded me that I completely forgot to add my palette to the files, so people have a reference x_x
Yeah, don’t overstress to much, there is just so much we can do. We should also trust that people are fully able to go further into their own edits as long as we provide the base files for them. Mix and matching is interesting because people will come up with combinations that we didn’t think about at first.
You are always welcome, my friend, I really appreciate all your hard work and I am sure I will like them, with all the clear as crystal passion you are pouring on it! :)
OH YEAH, THE PALETTE
69 days ago (+1)
Oh how do I do that? I don't think I've ever noticed itchio had a ratings button omg I'm so unobservant. I'd be happy to help if I can!
EDIT: ah it turns out the button just straight up isn't there on mobile. I'd been using that for replies, oops. Ok I'll go find it on desktop!