Ok so im wondering how one would go about implementing exaggerated animations. For example I could have a 32x32 character that just walks around, and then that same character would have a big ass spear that stretches halfway across the screen in a smooth animation. Would I need to have all my sprites the same size as that long spear one? What would be the best way to accomplish animations of all sizes for the same object.
You could have 2 sprites, render one on top of the other.
Well take a look at this http://www.gamasutra.com/view/news/176663/5_tips_for_making_great_animations_for_2D_games.php
Scrolling down youll see a scottpilgrim vs the world gif. This is what I want to achieve. Total fluidity and exaggeration in my animations. I just dont know how I would achieve this itself. Would I have just the sprite be really large so that I can add on to it?
What would you full the empty space with? You don’t need to have the sprite any larger than the bounds of the image. You’re still going to have to know where to place the image in relation to the characters position, so just make sure that’s squared away and you’ll be fine