KANTO_RUKI'S PROFILE

That is a very good height! I would love the character at that height :3

Sorry I couldnt respond sooner, my webrowser got virused I think... Stupid viruses...

The character looks to be still tall like an adult, but the base is starting to come along nicely :3

Thank you so much for your time and effort <3

So I have thought up a few controls for my game I'm making. As soon as I got to the end of the Keyboard mapping I only thought "Surgeon Simulator: Keyboard Controls" so I looked up to see if I can map to a Controller and opted to map to a Xbox 360 controller by default. So is there a way to make the Keyboard less messy looking? Here is the mapping I made, hope you can read:

Keyboard Mapping:
-Keyboard Controls (Keep)
Press {W} || {↑} to move upwards
Press {S} || {↓} to move downwards
Press {D} || {→} to move rightwards
Press {A} || {←} to move leftwards
Press {B} to turn off the light source
Press {F} to turn on the light source, press again to cycle through available light sources, if only one available pressing again turns light source off
Press {tab} || {esc} to pause game/access menu/cancel choices
Press {R} to rotate/cycle through party members
Press {(Space)} to interact
Hold {shift ↑(left)} to sprint
Hold {V} to bring up vision obj (ie Camera)
-Keyboard Controls (Edit)
Press {U} to cycle between vision objs
Press {J} to attack
Press {H} for special
Press {N} to switch between specials
Press {M} for map (if present)
Press {P} || {;} || {[} for powered mode
Press {} to pick up/hold/throw objects

Controller Mapping:
Press (Start) to pause game/access menu/cancel choices
Press (Back) for map (if present)
Press (A) to interact/confirm
Press (B) to attack/cancel
Press (X) for powered mode
Press (Y) for special
Press (Left bumper) to pick up/hold/grab objects
Hold (Left trigger) to sprint
Press (Right bumper) to turn on/off the light source
Hold (Right trigger) to bring up a vision obj (ie Camera)
Use (D-pad) to move
Use (Left stick ↕) to cycle between objects of column
Use (Left stick ↔) to cycle between objects you wish to change (Light Source/Visual Obj/Key Item/Weapon)
Press (Left stick) ???
Use (Right stick ↕) to switch between specials
Use (Right stick ↔) to rotate/cycle through party members
Use (Right stick) to rotate object (if your holding one)
Press (Right stick) to chat with party

NOTE: I cleaned up controller so you can read it better, the Keyboard... not so much...

2nd NOTE: I did not test these yet, it's a "planning phase" but I wish to clean up the Keyboard Mapping before I try implementing it (cuz it seems like Tartarus to try implementing that mess out). However, I LOVE how I mapped the Controller (or is the controller messy also?).

3rd NOTE: I add additional keys to either help a player choose what keys to use or to help the player at a critical moment (hence why I have a target area for the "Powered" key). I'm always bad at trying to innovate the keyboard like my game "Meava Shinnon" where I always try to opt for the best interest of the player but end up making it clunky and bad.

4th NOTE: Was going to ask what I could do for left trigger but then changed left bumper to left trigger and made left bumper a p/u object key. No key exists for the keyboard for this function as it needs to be cleaned up a little first...

QUESTION: How do I keep from making the keyboard controls "clunky"? && How do I fix the mapping that I have already created?

GAME: The game is a horror that traverses through different, large areas. Like an open world horror type game. Combat is an overworld (combat in horror?) even though most mobs will not be combative (meaning RUN!). I have my reasons for adding certain things in, even though it looks like I'm doing WAY too much (which I will agree to) but...I can not remember where I was going with this... (DMV is not a very fun part of your day) So something blah something... the game is spoopy if you're wondering what the point was (or A point).

Too tired to think of what else to say... except Thank You for reading this and helping me fix it.

EDIT: Had to change "" to "{}" as it was causing problems in the article...

EXTRA EDIT: The {B} key for turning a light source off is a reference to Markiplier's let's play of Dungeon Nightmares. I wish to keep the light source usage mechanics please :3

UPDATE:
I would like to give my players options, perhaps I should look for a script that allows you to change key bindings for Keyboard (Then options to change controller mapping)

The reason for why {V} is mapped where it is is to create slight discomfort to the player when they need to use a visual obj to see a monster nearby, but not inhibiting them the ability to hit {space}. So {V} is ment to be held by the left thumb and not one of the other fingers. {B} also works in this fashion if you understand how its mapped relative to the keyboard.

The reason why I want an additional button for pause is because I had to many experiences in Minecraft for this. There have been countless times, not as much as it used to been, that for no apparent reason the {esc} key would suddonly stop working (luckily I found a method to get out of the game thanks to hitting a button that my computer has multiple that took me outside of the game) so I'm adding another button to both help me (in case the {esc} breaks again as it could happen in another game) and anyone who may not have the {esc} still on their keyboard.

So to ask, can you tell that the smallest character here (top right):

http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_Vk1cXQ9uKd8/S3WD_kSWO0I/AAAAAAAAAKQ/W1gjQmqnSds/s320/RPG_Maker_VX_Sprites_IMP__by_NWinmore.png

Looks at all close to these characters right here:

http://fav.me/d8mt6cn

I still need to edit the tail, and couldn't find a good alternate to the eyes...

Just as a general question, I don't mean to cause any uproar of any kind about thievery, but I was wondering:

How much over editing is needed to make a sprite original?

Just using a sprite as a base of reference, can you keep small qualities of that sprite as long as you edit it so much that it would be hard to see if they are related?

If not, how can you make a sprite without infringing on someone else's work?

NOTE: I am a little tired as it is in the early morning so sorry if the question is not being asked properly.

UPDATE (3/24/2015-2:13AM)
Now the reason why am asking this question is because sprite creation seems to be similar to the Ship of Theseus Paradox (but altered). Logically if you make a sprite from scratch, no matter how infinite the number is, there is always a chance that you will create a sprite that someone else did or close to. So the question is if that number does occur, would the sprite that you made from scratch be considered plagiarism or your own? What/Where are the exact rules for when something is considered plagiarism or not?

I know this thought may not be completely relevant to the case, but it's something standing in my way of knowing how this originality works.

However here is another question: Does telling you that I used a sprite for a base or drawing inspiration from that sprite base impact on how you consider the sprite as a whole to be original or not?

Another thing, if drawing inspiration from something makes it not completely original, then nothing really would be original then, would it? If not, then what are the levels and fine lines of how original a specific thing can be? Is there a rating system to originality?

I maybe asking a lot of questions (even though its early in the morning again) but I want to know/see what the answers are to these questions.

Also, is there a system for telling how much a sprite is similar to another sprite? (The tiredness came back again... Odd questionings now...)

Just a last NOTE: I am perfectly fine with saying that I drew inspiration from the original sprite. I will try to contact the original creator for other related discussions.

UPDATE (3/24/2015-9:15PM)
►(This symbol will be used to highlight the paragraphs that are slightly important and may be referred to to be answered or to make an important read/clarification)
Sprite used for base (Top-Right) "Sprite #1":
http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_Vk1cXQ9uKd8/S3WD_kSWO0I/AAAAAAAAAKQ/W1gjQmqnSds/s320/RPG_Maker_VX_Sprites_IMP__by_NWinmore.png

End result sprite "Sprite #2":
http://fav.me/d8mt6cn

►I should clarify a lil what I mean on using Sprite #1 as a base for Sprite #2. I'll also tell what I exactly did to get what I have. When I refer to Sprite #1 as a base, I mean using its outline except for a couple features (Eyes, pixel for a nose, ). So more of an outline, after I got the outline I edited the outline a bit (Widen legs and feet, compressed the torso, raised the height, made the ears pronounced as being further back). Then I edited the eyes a little, moved the eyes and nose around, then added color. The only color palette I kept was the white, black, and green. The brown was my color palette and I shaded it myself (I has shading skills :3). I have noticed aspects of Sprite #1 are not original since eyes and feet style are from other RTP sprites. The tail is the only thing left that I did not edit (besides the pupils, irises, pixel for nose, and ears shape ).

►Sprite #2 is NOT a fox! (Fox like maybe but still not a fox) Here're references of what Sprite #2 is suppose to be with a quick synopsis of what it is:

A gallery to see what they actually look like
http://tmc-on-devart.deviantart.com/gallery/34948925/Total-Meava

The best reference I have
http://fav.me/d3bt6nl

►Sprite #2 is a Meava (Me-va), they are a race that stand at about 2'0" (2'4.5" if including antennas ). The part that are perceived as the ears are actually the antennas, which are used to receive and send signals to their own kind. To an extension, the antennas are ears but not enough to be called ears as their ear canals are located at the base of the antennas. There is a variety of breeds depending mainly on their environment.

►When I was asking the comparison of Sprite #1 to Sprite #2 I was asking could you tell if I did not say anything, and you decided one day to be random and just compare sprites to one another, that the two sprites were related in any way. (Besides having a slight RTP feeling to them?)

►The Main Question/Thought for why topic exists:
Let's say you start with a basic sprite base. You then start editing the sprite heavily, until you are happy with what you created. Looking back at the original sprite you used to start with, it looks little to nothing like the sprite you resulted with, except for some small details that only you yourself can call out. The question becomes, was the sprite you made original, inspiration, or plagiarism to the sprite that you used?
{This is a slight alteration to "The Ship of Theseus" paradox}

I know originality is "from scratch" (and that inspiration is an influence on the piece) does the level of "inspiration" influence the originality of something? (Actually going to answer this myself since I see a recursion among the answers as "Yes") However hearing how something was made, especially the answers that have been given so far, influence its originality. Speaking vs Hushing seems to play a lot in if something can be evaluated as originality.

I could just as easily have lied and said "I made the sprite from scratch with influence from " or even just cut the source out and it may seem (in theory) no one would be the wiser. However, because of how honest I am I admit that I did not make the sprite completely from scratch, and now its "authenticity of originality" is in question. This brings me to the thought of Brain Games' episode "Paranormal" Game #5, where people suddenly have a change of thought when they are told something. Then when they were told the truth, their thoughts change.

►Last NOTE: I have had lil to no luck in finding a means of contacting the original maker of the artwork. Either I am dumb or this site is bananars, but could any of you try deciphering the site owner or maker starting with the site link here:
http://2120.cl/rpg-maker-vx-95b44-sprite-c6ae6
(as this is the only known link to the sprite that I have found)

PS: Sprite #1 is originally for RPG Maker VX as Sprite #2 is intended for RPG Maker VX Ace. Also that I am working with RPGM VXA if you are wondering.