WHAT DO YOU THINK OF 'GIRLY RUNS' AND OTHER SUCH MOTIONS?

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it's historical only when I personally want it to be!
@Terozu: That running animation might not be realistic but it can be enjoyed purely for its aesthetic peculiarity. Art appreciation is very subjective and it's often pointless to discuss likes and dislikes.

My advice to you is to simply draw what you want.

That being said, your thread might have been more suitable as a single post in the Screenshot Survival thread, where anyone can ask for feedback on their art or screenshots.

I wasnt asking for thoughts on my art, I was asking people's opinions on Girly Run as it appears in games.
Indra
YOU ARE BEING TOO AGGRO
11514
Go ahead and use it as you want. Just be aware people may, like me, if we see that in a game, immediately think the dev is an idiot, a weeb or a sexist ass. No offense but thats the image it gives off.
That motion is usually set for fanservice, either moe or rhe boing boing kind. It automatically sets your character with that expectation, and what i dont like in anime, which definitely has enough sexist issues as it is, wont endear itself to me in a game.
The only reason i would respect that motion in a character is if hat was n act she put on to set a specific mood or to pass as an idiot, and she actually ran normally otherwise.
Even the picture of a black and white actress you put on was not that dunb, you can see her hands are much more loosely held, with elbows not pointing streight down but to the sides.
I suggest you actually try running like that, see if u can hold it. Or even walk with hands clasped behind your back for walking, as you said. Pretty sure you got that wrong btw, clasping behind your back is more old man, the demure standing variant is clasped in front of you. And even thatotion is way, way less offensive than the run.
Cheers man. Do as you like, but accept people will find plenty of fault with it. If the question is what we think babout this, i say it sucks, i hate it, and automatically think way less of the game.
Cap_H
DIGITAL IDENTITY CRISIS
6625
I usually don't judge someone else's running style and even less so in video games.

But talking about movement, it's something very own to everyone's personality and the way person channels their energy through is an important factor in finding them attractive, charismatic or boring.
Both your tropes for female protagonists are rooted in latent pedophilia of Japanese popular media. The other moves you described together with flouncing are moves of a shy little girl. Tomboys are a more complicated phenomena, but in pre-teen age It's always kinda adorable, when a girl refuses femininity and sticks with bois and their games.
It's never the best direction to start building your characters off of archetypes and this proves it. Naturally, If you were creating your own sets of characteristics for both characters, one of them probably would end up more feminine, but there would be a proper reason for that. For example a character seeking revenge is more likely hiding themselves in a trope, only to find out that's but an anger-fueled shell later on (I hope this is proper English).

On a lighter note, I love this comment:
author=StormCrow
Flouncing. (probably) most accurate the verb for what she's doing is flouncing.

Having a female character able to move ONLY BY FLOUNCING says something about that character, namely that she's VERY FEMININE. since you've described her as "princessy" and "a girly girl" that's fine cause you know what you're doing.

@Sooz, While it is common in JRPGs the stereotype exists all across the globe and women were trained to run like that in some societies.


okay sure, I'll bite, what societies? because I'm trying to picture a group of female athletes being trained to do...THAT...and I just keep cracking up.


I'm falling off my chair.
@StormCrow

Specifically, European societies. Depictions of women and ladies running like this can be found in old art. It was just something girls were expected to do.

Perhaps training wasn't the best word? It's more they were encouraged? Society held that women were meant to be soft spoken and graceful. There were schools which held lessons on how to walk and run properly and this is one of the things women were taught at those kinds of schools.

@Indra in my experience with media clasping your hands in front indicates servitude, having your hands bound, and is commonly used for maids and butlers, and has a domestic feel.
One hand behind back indicates elders and age.
Both hands behind back indicates discipline or properness.
Also, while spriting this and deciding which type of girly run I wanted, I actually did hold this pose while running around. It was embarrassing af. This one felt the most practical to both keep forward momentum and the feel of the run.
Cap_H
DIGITAL IDENTITY CRISIS
6625
I think women (and clergymen) holding their long skirts was a more common picture before 30s.

Btw, I use this style of running sometimes when catching a railcar or bus and fast walk might not be enough to signal that I want to ride on that mean of transport.
Actually, a lot of the princessly/noble type movement tended to be holding up their dresses as they calmly and demurely walked everywhere. They certainly didn't run waving their arms all about like the wacky inflateable waving man because they'd trip on their dresses and break their fool necks. They also were trained not to run because it was manly to move past anything but a swift clatter.

The example you showed is a more girly childish type of movement, meant to be used when skipping, and less running (again, a manly thing to do! How very dare!) And again, skipping is very childish.

That kind of flambouyance was dropped during your teen years because it was a childish foolery that was allowed because, well, children are allowed to act a fool but a grown woman of 14 was expected to be more careful of her image lest the local 50 year old lord didn't want her as a waifu due to her uncomeliness and terrible upbringing.

As for Marilyn - yes, sometimes she deliberately used childish movements to provoke an image of naivete and used it to her advantage. If that's what your character is trying to do - act a child so people won't take her seriously before she does shit and gets it done - then cool. Otherwise you might want to see how else Marilyn walked around because I can guarantee you that she didn't do that flailing arm running.

In fact, she's often most described as moving elegantly or sexily. That image is of a wide-bodied half-sprint in a tight skirt, high heels and bodice. She needed the extra balance that wider arm movements give to keep herself from falling on her face.
I’m sort of in the camp where if I saw someone run around like that in-game, regardless of whether it’s a young woman or not, it wouldn’t really bother me that much as long as fits the character and the setting that they’re in. I’ve seen a few characters in film and games before run around like that in the past, but, like what Liberty said, it’s not typically something that you would see most women do nowadays, especially on high heels. Come to think of it…the last time that I ever saw a girl run around like that in real life (that I know of) was probably when I was back in Kindergarten, it’s been so long...

But, hey, if you put something like that in your game and you think it makes sense for the character and the setting - then I ain’t gonna complain about it that much! Besides, it’s just one sprite animation. I’d rather take one improper sprite animation over an incredibly buggy mess with shallow gameplay and story any day of the week. Don’t worry so much about it if you have your heart set on your character running around like that. It may sour some of these guys up (I mean...holy Jesus, some of you guys and your comments, lol), but, for your average joe like myself, there are far more pressing matters to deal with than just one sprite animation (unless everyone else is running around like that, lol).

author=Indra
Go ahead and use it as you want. Just be aware people may, like me, if we see that in a game, immediately think the dev is an idiot, a weeb or a sexist ass. No offense but thats the image it gives off.




J-J-Jesus, Indra - YOU SAVAGE...!

I'd hate to meet you in real life and put something like that in my game and show it to you face to face, all proud and stuff, thinking that nothing bad will happen, only to get punched in the nose and figure out what the hell I did wrong, Lol.
Indra
YOU ARE BEING TOO AGGRO
11514
author=Addit
J-J-Jesus, Indra - YOU SAVAGE...!

I'd hate to meet you in real life and put something like that in my game and show it to you face to face, all proud and stuff, thinking that nothing bad will happen, only to get punched in the nose and figure out what the hell I did wrong, Lol.

Worry not, you would not have to wonder, i would tell you XD
In this context, he specifically asked, so i answered. In a game, i would automatically asume the dev has a sexist view of women and that i dislike the character, or similar. It doesnt make or break a whole game, but it sure can color it.
Also i straight up despise the helpless useless cute princess stereotype characters so...
Sooz
They told me I was mad when I said I was going to create a spidertable. Who’s laughing now!!!
5354
author=Addit
J-J-Jesus, Indra - YOU SAVAGE...!

Is this your first time seeing Indra express her opinion? XD

EDIT:
I'm also pretty amused every time I see someone ask for people's thoughts and then immediately go "Nuh-UH! You're wrong!!!" in response to every single thought they don't agree with.

Like, if you don't want to engage with criticism, don't ask for it. That's what I do! :V
J-J-Jesus, Indra - YOU SAVAGE...!


Sometimes the world needs savage... Especially the game dev world. Artists often need wake up calls more than criticism when it comes to the big stuff.

The whole thread reads as if it was intended to start a fight. Do whatever you want- people will judge you accordingly in feedback and maybe you'll learn. Maybe not. Your creative thoughts don't need to be monitored live as they happen.
author=Sooz
Is this your first time seeing Indra express her opinion? XD

I-I…guess so! I didn’t know that she was that opinionated, but I like it!

author=Indra
Also i straight up despise the helpless useless cute princess stereotype characters so...





author=Roden
Sometimes the world needs savage... Especially the game dev world. Artists often need wake up calls more than criticism when it comes to the big stuff.

Yeah, you’re right; sometimes hearing about the truth can awfully hurt a lot when you first hear it up front from someone, but, in the long run, it’s not necessarily attended to hurt that person’s feelings but to help them improve and make them a better developer down the road.

Sure, you can ignore some criticisms here or there and pretend that everything’s all smooth sailing. But, if multiple people are criticising the same aspect over and over again on something, then maybe it’s good idea to probably have a listen.
Sooz
They told me I was mad when I said I was going to create a spidertable. Who’s laughing now!!!
5354
I like Indra but I am glad that most people are not quite as passionate in their criticism! ;)
Im disappointed so many people on here seem to hate it as a trope.

I guess it kinda makes sense when you think about how hated characters like Vanille are in the west.
I liked Vanille well enough. She doesn't run like that. Her hands are kept out and to the sides, swinging back and forth, not lifted in the air. Also, she does this for balance keeping - heels in a rocky and messed up environment make for hard moving in heels.

And again, it's meant to represent how childish she is in nature. You really don't want to give this up, do you?

Honestly, if you're character is under, like, 12 years old, go for it. If they're meant to be very very childish in nature and naive and underestimated then go for it. Damsel in distress who needs a bit stronk man to keep her safe and fight her battles for her? Go for it. Victim-to-be who cries over broken nails and doesn't understand how the big bad world works? Go for it.

Just don't expect people (especially women) to enjoy that kind of character. We've seen too many fainting daisies and helpless heroines to enjoy that kind of thing in modern games (no matter their setting) and I think I speak for a good majority when I say that childish, defenseless women in games is a trope we'd like to see finally laid to rest. In a coffin. No funeral necessary.
https://zippy.gfycat.com/UntidyWickedBushbaby.webm
My animation was partially based on Vanille, It's fairly similar with a little less childish bounce and stiffer arms that are raised more.

When I tried to the runs for myself higher arms felt more convenient.
Sooz
They told me I was mad when I said I was going to create a spidertable. Who’s laughing now!!!
5354
Bro why are you still fighting this battle

Just chalk it up to "their ways are not my ways" and mak the gam you want to mak, and just don't ask for further input. It's really obvious you are not interested in listening to others' opinions, so why bother?

Edit: I'm being serious here- quit wasting your time arguing about a run cycle if you're convinced it's awesome. Fuck the haters. This is time and energy you could devote to your game, or to baking cookies, or petting a dog, all of which are better things than dying on the hill of girly arm waggle runs.
im not arguing about the run cycle. This thread was about the trope of Girly Run, I just used my sprite as an example, i wasnt asking for input on it and the only change i plan on making at all is adding more frames to the animation. Hell I'm barely even arguing and conceded most points.
Indra
YOU ARE BEING TOO AGGRO
11514
Then: FUCK THE GIRLY RUN
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