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OJP V1.2 stance modifications


Tanqexe

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This here file will give you a few modifications to the stances currently in v1.2. This isn't really an official OJP change of stances, just a mix of my personal preference of stances.

 

I'm in the process of learning Dragon so that I can make some additional frames to better simulate breathing. In the meantime, these are some of the stances that I've come up with using the existent humanoid.gla - apparently the .gla size has been doubled because identical frames have been replicated and tacked on to the original (didn't realize the extent until I waded through half of the frames :/ ).

 

Download stance mod here

 

Current list of affected stances:

  • Shii-cho
  • Makashi
  • Juyo

 

Shii-cho:

 

This is a "breathing" Shii-cho stance, a relaxed hasso no kamae, simple and effective position to launch attack and defense from, as is in the spirit of what Shii-cho is intended for. It's similar to the old Shii-cho, except the saber's pointed forward a tiny bit in a slightly threatening posture. The stance is also a bit similar to the default KotOR lightsaber stance. If possible I'd make a Shii-cho variation that resembles chuudan no kamae for a side by side comparison.

 

Shii-cho: front left 3/4

Shii-cho: rear

Shii-cho: right

 

Makashi:

 

OK, not a lot of choices for Makashi right now, but this one's a lot more relaxed than the previous incarnations that we have used. Nothing's more deceptively arrogant than assuming a relaxed, almost lackadaisical off-center low guard that other people think they can take advantage of. However, the grip is still a classical fencer's grip, slightly angled for maximum dexterity of the wrist. A forward grip like this preserves the range, precision, and fine manipulation incredibly lacking in a reverse grip. The older version of this stance looked way too uncomfortable - imagine having to raise your arm up like that all the time, it gets tiring after a very short while - or the reverse grip, where you're probably feeling like you're going to develop arthritis someday from having to hold that saber in that particular way.

 

Added bonus is that if you use a curved hilt (as shown in the pictures below), if you look down slightly below horizontal, your saber drags a little bit on the floor, adding to the relaxed yet menacing posture of the stance.

 

Makashi: right side

Makashi: front right 3/4 #1

Makashi: front right 3/4 #2 (saber dragging)

Makashi: front view

Makashi: front left 3/4

Makashi: rear left 3/4

Makashi: rear view

Makashi: rear right 3/4

 

Juyo:

 

A stance suitable to the spirit of Juyo and looks a bit like kasumi no kamae. This stance is assumed for situations where, as an example, the other guy is threatening you with a jodan and you aim your sword right between his eyes. It's meant to be a deceptive stance where it's hard to predict whether you'll move up for a parry or simply cut the other guy's head in one swift movement. In addition, because of the threatening nature of kasumi, you subtly hinder the choice of movement from your opponent. You're also leaving yourself open intentionally to bait the other guy to attack in a manner that overextends themselves from center line, leaving you with an opportunity to spill their guts open. Swift attack and defense can be launched from this position at unconventional angles.

 

Juyo: right side

Juyo: front right 3/4 #1

Juyo: front right 3/4 #2

Juyo: front #1

Juyo: front #2

Juyo: left 3/4

Juyo: left side

Juyo: rear left 3/4

 

It's similar to the stance Revan assumed on his flagship, but on the right side instead. Using a right side-oriented stance flowed better with the attack swings and fakes existent for Juyo. I was intending to do a 2-frame animation loop to simulate breathing, but the following frame pointed the saber too far off-center; if I can figure out how to use Dragon maybe that can be done.

 

Future work:

 

  • I'm looking into another defensive stance for Soresu that doesn't obstruct the view so much in TrueView but still flows well with the animations.
  • Djem So might be retooled a bit into a very aggressive migi hasso variation (compared to the current one).

 

Suggestions welcome :)

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The thing that makes me think though.

If you only change the stances, the lower you put makashi, the more ''sub-sonic'' speeds are achieved when slashing and parrying lol.

 

Whilst I do like the stances (The makashi one reminds me of the one handed stance from Samurai Showdown (Videogame)), I dunno if I'll download this soon.

 

They seem a bit too ''samurai'' like, compared to the actual slashes that they do.

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Um yeah, guess what the saber fighting from the movies were derived from. Sword stances were developed because they have a strategic value, and it doesn't matter if it's a baseball bat, a broomstick, a one/two-edged sword, or an infinite-edged lightsaber, the stances are still practical. Most of the poses you see in the movies are classic kenjutsu or fencing stances, so I really don't see the validity of objections to using them, considering that the highest level of canon has shown that they're very much a part of lightsaber fighting. What works, works, and it's the reason why both the new and old stunt coordinators of the movies used some of them as a basis for lightsaber fighting. There is no unfounded bias here, and these stances weren't picked by some random noob who doesn't know wtf they're talking about.

 

I also did mention that the stances were selected to flow as well as possible with the different directional swings of each style, so I don't really see the validity of the criticism of flow.

 

Regarding Makashi, as I said the options here are limited until a completely new set of frames is added into the .gla. Ideally I would place the right leg as the lead, with the saber out 60 degrees from center line, ~45 degrees down towards the ground from horizontal. That's a very, very relaxed and arrogant low guard. No kenjutsu or fencing practitioner would be caught dead using that stance, don't trust video games as your source of sword knowledge. Most people don't have the reflexes to guard from that position, though hypothetically a Jedi/Sith can. Anyway at that point it's not so much the speed of the initial guard or attack but the anticipation of the strike - the supreme confidence in one's skill and in knowing that you can parry from an inferior position or strike at a zone that the enemy, no matter how fast they can respond to an attack, would be hard pressed to defend anyway.

 

Thus the arrogance of the Makashi stance, because such a stance relies on one's level of skill and tactics to attack an enemy's weak spots without having to rely on the inherent offensive/defensive capability of the stance. The Makashi stance is meant to be as much a psychological tool as the jodan no kamae/high guard that Viper was suggesting for Juyo in the other thread. It literally screams "I don't need to be really ready for you to kill you," which was what Dooku's attitude exuded during the initial parts of the four fights we saw him participate in.

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Hm that doesn't happen for me.

 

I've just built a new Makashi breathing stance from Dragon, and I'll probably do the same for Juyo instead of recycling stock anims. Maybe that'll fix things.

 

Edit:

 

New idea for Makashi stance courtesy of Dragon

 

Figuring out how to maintain upper torso while in walk anim at the moment. Gonna tweak the angle of the low guard and the offhand some more until animation flows smoothly.

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OK, I've mostly figured out how to make Dragon work to my wishes. That means I can retool saber, gun, even punching animation. If people have suggestions w/ reference pictures, please post them and I'll see what I can do.

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Longswords with even half decent construction are wielded lightning fast in the right hands. Not epee/rapier fast, but pretty damn fast, and good for most ranges, suitable for various situations (armored, unarmored).

 

But that's beside the point. Suggestions for stances, please.

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Makashi opening stance.

The opening stance for Makashi was a single-handed low guard, with the blade angled downward at the practitioner's side

http://starwars.wikia.com/wiki/Image:Dooku_wosw.jpg

 

Opening stance for ataru

The opening stance for Ataru was a balanced two-handed guard: holding the lightsaber vertically with both palms, either on the right or left side of the body.

http://starwars.wikia.com/wiki/Image:Ewan.jpg

 

opening stance for Niman

http://starwars.wikia.com/wiki/Image:Coleman.jpg

 

opening stance for Juyo (revan)

http://starwars.wikia.com/wiki/Image:Revanconfronted.jpg

 

shii-Cho opening stance.

The hilt would be held at hip height, the dominant foot was back with the tip of the blade pointing over the opponents head

 

Shien opening stance

Shien was a high guard position, with the hilt held in a two-handed grip above the user's head, and the blade angled upwards and behind the user. The dominant leg would be back, enabling powerful step-through strikes to be utilized. Shien does not use the backwards grip, there is another unorthodox style that does so, though its users are often Shien stylists as well.

 

Soresu opening stance

Back hunched, a good defensive posture, is ready for any occurrence but is also non-threatening. light saber at a position that easily can parry most attacks, Obi-wan uses it for most blocks.

http://starwars.wikia.com/wiki/Image:Fast.jpg

 

if you want to know more then read here ... it tells us all the different stances, neutral, aggressive and defensive.

http://starwars.wikia.com/wiki/Talk:Lightsaber_combat#Interesting_info_-_is_it_official.2C_what.27s_the_source.2C_and.2C_if_official.2C_how_can_we_improve_it.3F

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considering that you can already get the dooku opening stance, that coleman and obi-wan both show the same stance for two different styles and that the juyo stance can be found in the pack already, i dont see any of these as adding the game. Also, and max, DD, or anyone correct me if im wrong but, we cannot seperate the dual stance from ataru and niman from staff.

 

 

heres an idea that would add the game(dont know if its at all possible tho), each style should have X amount of stances to choose from. each player can choose their preferred stance when they buy the style. i dont think its possible tho do each player having their own animation cfg with commented and uncommented stances.

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All I see is specific jedi's personal stance preferences...

 

based on the mentality and guidelines a form, there is always one or two stances that a form is effective with, but one particular stance focuses on the advantages of the particular form.

 

For example, Djem so is an aggressive form, thus it uses a stance that is ready to do a swing.

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No, there is not. Because the style is the personal flavour fighting style of the wielder, of which the mentality is based upon the form. There is no standard opening stance for the forms, and saying that there is one for the styles is saying that there's a standard way to draw a line.

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sure there is. take a group of Djem so practioners, and i bet you 75% of them will use the same opening stance. Simply cause theres always a certain stance that suits a style the best... saying there isn't one for the styles is like saying there isn't a perfect apple from the tree.

 

trust me when i say one apple will always be juicer then the rest. :D

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Yeah, melee stance is being changed. I'm looking into it.

 

Some new breathing stances, one for the aforementioned Makashi, as well as one for Viper, just to test how well a jodan stance for Djem So will look good.

 

Makashi

 

Makashi - right side view

Makashi - front right 3/4

Makashi - front view 1

Makashi - front view 2

Makashi - front view 3

Makashi - front left 3/4

Makashi - left side view

Makashi - left rear 3/4

Makashi - rear view

 

Djem So

 

Djem So - left side view

Djem So - rear left 3/4

Djem So - rear view

Djem So - rear right 3/4 1

Djem So - rear right 3/4 2

Djem So - right side view 1

Djem So - right side view 2

Djem So - front right 3/4 1

Djem So - front right 3/4 2

Djem So - front right 3/4 3

Djem So - front view

Djem So - front left 3/4

 

Retooling Juyo. Was working on it first, but then Dragon crashed due to my screen saver activating.

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