Gameplay

This is a turn-based strategy game that takes place on a grid shown in isometric view.  Picture on the right is rough and doesn't yet show the characters properly but it will hopefully convey the idea.

Ultimate Goal

8 x 8 spritesheet for each character activity.  Each sprite is 256 x 256 pixels.
A given character has 3 to 4 activities, and thus 3 to 4 sheets like this.

Lighting and Shadows

Lighting in the game uses the model shown on the right.  Light comes down from the SW direction (i.e. facing NE) and acts as if it is a single point source (i.e. like the sun with no clouds).  Shadows are projected (see the pole in the middle of the image on the right) but sometimes need to be made smaller to fit them inside their sprite boundary (notice the light blue tree on the left side of the image - its shadow is below it more than it really should be due to this effect).

Camera and Projection

We are using a form of isometric projection that is common in many tile based games that results in tiles that are exactly twice as wide as they are high and have no perspective in them (i.e. things don't get smaller the farther away they are).  Strictly speaking it is called "Dimetric projection" but everyone in the industry usually calls it Isometric.  The renderer needs to be using an Orthographic camera lens instead of a perspective one and the camera angles need to be such that a perfect square ends up as a squished square turned 90 degrees and has a width exactly twice the height.

In the image on the left, note how our tiles are slightly different from a "true" isometric projection.

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Turnarounds

Each character has a turnaround that shows it stationary from several angles

Motion Studies

There are also motion studies for the various activity each character performs