Animation Showcase: Repairs and Cleaning!
Happy Friday everyone, Alice here! ☀️
Now that spring has sprung, we thought you would enjoy viewing our most recent cleaning and repair animations! To showcase them, I made a short video that you can watch at the top of this Patreon Post. ⬆🎥
The Animations in the Video
Cleaning surfaces
Cleaning vertical surfaces
Cleaning vertical surfaces while crouching
Cleaning floors using a mop
Plumbing repairs
Plumbing repairs while crouching
Electronics repairs
In case you missed it, you can find our previous animation showcase in this Patreon post. In addition, the lovely music in today's video is one of Andrei's compositions called Inner Child that we shared in this previous post!✨
I thought it would be nice to explain why we did these animations like that, what were the challenges, what upgrades we could have later, etc.
Details About our Current Animations
As you know, for most of our interactions and because of our restricted resources as an indie team, we try to find generic movements that could work with as many situations as possible. With the Plumbing Repairs animation for example, we already have a few baths in-game but they all have their plumbing on different parts of the tub: sometimes on the left, sometimes in the middle and sometimes on the right. We might even have other variations later! We won’t have the time to create variations for each case before Early Access, so we needed an animation that could work for all. Even if this is not the most realistic, we can still understand what the Paras are doing and that is the main goal for now. :)
If you’re wondering, the Electronics Repairs animation will work with any electronic item that could be broken. That includes televisions, microwaves, computers and so on!
Kids will gladly (or not) help your grown up Parafolks with household chores! They will be able to help when it comes to cleaning, but not so much with repairs. It might be dangerous and they’re just kids!!! Anna coded a cool feature that allows us to choose when we want an item, for instance, a mop, to be scaled according to the Parafolk’s height. This way, we don't need to create another animation variation and it will be useful for a lot of cases, like guitar playing!
Ideas for the Future
When it comes to cleaning horizontal surfaces, it could be great to be able to clean other things than counters, like tables or desks! For this and Paras with different heights, we will need to dynamically adapt the animations using code a.k.a. using our procedural animation systems. It might come later on during early access.
Here’s another idea: the animations made for cleaning vertical surfaces could be used later for other cases than the showers’ interior and exterior. For example, your Para could decide to clean visible handprints on windows or mirrors, or even walls if your kids decided to draw on them. 🙄
Finally, I'd personally love to be able to have animations and special effects on items when they are being interacted with. Like having the fridge’ interior lights flickering while it is being repaired, or having some leaks appearing in the shower and the Para reacting to it while doing some plumbing maintenance!
This is all for today! I really hope you’ve enjoyed seeing some new things and are excited to clean (or make your Paras clean instead) in Paralives. Please feel free to share your feedback and ask any questions you may have in the comment section, I'm always happy to discuss ideas and hear your opinions. ❤
Have a great weekend and good luck with your own spring cleaning!
Alice (◔◡◔)/
Edit - July 4th, 2024: This post is now public, feel free to share it!
Comments (98)
The animations look good, but the fridge one is not very convincing, maybe it would look better if the Para opened the (turned off) fridge and repaired it from the inside, I think that way it will make more sense 🤔
I think you got confused, the fridge wasn’t being repaired, the phone was
Hey, why don't you guys share a demo available on steam of just building? Or at least a demo for patrons? Abolutely looking forward to the release of the game!
Hi there! That would be great but our priority is to publish the game in Early Access. Therefore we focus on this objective to offer a complete experience to players upon release rather than just a piece of the game. :)
Just missing the dirt and grime! It looks like she is cleaning an already clean surface.
Hi Derek, yes, we have some of the textures for some of the build mode items (like the toilets) but not all of them are ready yet. It will come soon! :)
Small detail, but I love that there's going to be branded appliances! I'm 100% on board with the FRIDG brand :)
Same, I love it!!
Loving the animations, can use them for various situations! With the electronic repair one, you could also make it into a Para creating their own electronics, like making a robot or building their own PC. I understand the limitations and animations look quite hard to make, so honestly good job on making them so effective!
Hi Ilona, thank you so much! ❤ Ooo yes that's a great idea, I'd love to see Parafolks working on their own electronic projects as well. 😃
Will the Para move along the surface repeating the animation (i.e. will it seem that they clean all the surface or just that one spot where you click?). This is not really a request, the animation is already fine as it is and I understand if it would be too difficult/long to implement, it's just a question.
Yes, for now it is a general movement for the whole surface. Because of our restricted ressources as an indie team we're trying to add as many animations for as many cases as possible, before adding variations to each case, if this makes sense. :)
C’est super bien animé et très réaliste, j’aime beaucoup trop !!
Merci beaucoup, c'est trop gentil ! 🥹
I am obsessed with how the animations flow beautifully! Especially when crouched, seeing the whole body move and adapt to the active movement of the arm is amazing!! You don't cease to amaze me with the game updates. Also, I really like the ideas for early access :)) It would be adorable to have the paras cleaning off walls because of their child's art inventions...(but I think I wouldn't have the courage to do that!). Talking about wall art, it would be so nice if Paras could measure a child's height on a wall and mark it! Either way, I loved today's post and I'm thrilled to see what's next to come!! Congrats, team :))
Hi, thank you so much! ❤ Yes we talked about that idea of being able to measure your child's height and we would love to be able to add it eventually. On a quick side note, we have one in the studio as well, with all of our heights hahaha.
Nice. Will there be cleaning tools (brooms, detergents...), even as only "decorative" objects, in build mode so we can have a little closet in our house?
Hi Chiara, yes! We already have some, like a broom or a sponge. And more will likely be added in the game before or during Early Access. ⭐
Whenever you talk about the animations you always make them seem so simple, then I watch the video and I'm completely impressed. I love the detail of a Para focusing on one little spot with the sponge, and how they get in the tub to repair it. Amazing work as always.
Aw thank you so much Samantha❤❤
Really glad to have cleaning back
Yayyy!
WOW! This is pretty awesome
Thank you Francis! I am glad you like them. 😃
The animations are top tier. Incredible work on them honestly.
Thank you so much Christophe❤
i love this so muchhh im excited yall are doing a fantastic job love yall
Hi! Thank you so much for these sweet words❤
I love these so much!! I especially adore how the paras crouch sometimes, even for showers.
Thank you so much! ❤
I really loved the video, while watching it I was thinking "the Paras pay so much attention to detail !", and then I realized, it's a sign of how much Paradevs are paying attention to detail :) Like Mey scratching a specific part of the counter that seems to be harder to clean, or Jason looking up at the fridge at regular intervals to see if there's a change after he's done something... These are small things that make the animation look so much more realistic, and it's really my jam ! I feel like the Para has an inner life when doing things like that. "Anna coded a cool feature that allows us to choose when we want an item, for instance, a mop, to be scaled according to the Parafolk’s height." This is SO COOL, Anna ! I really love everything about the work you guys are doing related to sizes. Quick question however. What happens if you're telling a child (or an adult, for that matter) to clean something they're too short for ? Say, a kid who's small of her age, and can't quite reach the top of the counter ?
Hi! Thank you so much for taking the time to give your opinion, I am very happy that you like our animations. ❤ Good question, at first they might not be able to do it. Later on we could come up with solutions like using a stepstool for example (it could be handy for other cases too, like washing their hands in the sink!)
It's good that the mop will change with height, but I wound love if the kids mops would still be oversized after early access. It would add an extra charm to the kids animations
This will probably come later anyways, but it would also feel a lot more natural that the inside of the tub is cleaned. Just keep it as is for now tho, they all look good enough for early access!
If you're cleaning, it must mean you are nearing the completed game.🤞. Well done Alice for the flowing animation. It's a pleasure to watch so can't wait for the pleasure of playing. 😊
Thank you so much❤ We still have a lot to do before Early Access but we can't wait for everyone to play!!
It’s amazing to me that you guys as an indie team have been able to craft such natural, smooth animations that far surpass those of the major game studio working on that other upcoming life sim 👀 They look great and I’m so excited for Paralives!!
Thank you so much Zach, I'm doing my best and it's always rewarding and motivating to see that you like it! 🥹
So cool! I think my favorite thing was the little scratch while cleaning the counters! Very realistic!! So excited for this one!!
Hi, thank you so much! I really like that part too, it was fun to do. ❤
The animations are very fluid, as always. But I missed some cleaning spray on the cleaning vertical surfaces animation.
Ahh yes, that could be super cute!
It just keeps getting better and better ❤️ the small details in the animation is always fun to see, and it adds so much ☺️ well done
Thank you!! ❤
I love the additional detail of going back and scrubbing hard at one little spot! The animations in the game are always so natural and lifelike--great job, Alice! Also, really excited for the future idea of scrubbing drawings off of walls. Hope it'll eventually be implemented! :D
Hi Sarah, thank you so much! I like this part too haha. Yes, me too! ❤
Even if they’re not as detailed as possible, you guys did a really great job of applying the generic animations in a way that already looks pretty natural for the different situations. Alice, you’re a wizard!
Aw thank you Jordan! (I wish haha)❤
Seeing them mop the floors together feels so cozy! I love how natural their movements are. Personally it doesn't bother me at all that the wrench isn't aligned exactly with the tub. It feels close enough to be immersive. I also love that idea you mentioned about kids being able to draw on the walls and the paras could clean it off with the sponge. Small details like that are always fun, and would love to see something like that in game! (love your idea to make the fridge flicker and shower leak as well!)
Hi! Thank you so much for your kind words❤
I love this! I hope to see in the future for vertical electronic repairs the Para are closer to them (ie. Open fridge with the Para repairing the inside or the bottom) The game just has a nostalgic vibes of past life sim games (iykyk)
Thank you Gloria! Yes, this is still a work in progress ❤❤
I love this so much... The animations look so real! This got me thinking, though... Will cleaning supplies and such be automatic or will paras need to buy them? (Or is that kind of thing even decided, yet?) :)
Thank you Kittle❤ Yes they will be automatic, at least for now. I don't think we want this level of micro management in the game. :)
These animations look great and I'm glad Anna's coded the feature to allow to scale objects so that kids can also clean! The bath repair looks a bit off since there's nothing showing anything to use the wrench on but I understand the reasoning - generic repair animations to allow more flexibility with a smaller workload for the devs. Also, is it just me or are Mey and Jason using the wrong side of the sponge to clean the non-glass surfaces? Or are Canadian yellow-green sponges different and they don't have smooth (yellow) and rough (green) sides?
Yes! With the variety of our items we can't afford (at least not just yet) to create as many variations animations sadly. So we try to find a movement that would fit as many cases as possible! ;) No, sponges work like that in Canada too haha. I just mainly use the yellow part, and the green only for tough patches. Maybe I've been doing it wrong all this time :o
I love the detail that they actually had to get in the shower/tub to repair it. Very realistic! So excited for 2025!!!
Thank you Cookie, we are too! ❤
I love the ideas for the special effects while cleaning/repairing, would be fun also to put like some bubbles or maybe like a trail of foam on the sponge while the para is scrubbing!
Yes! I'm pretty sure we'll have scribbly-2D effects for sparkles, bubbles etc later. I can't wait!
I love how realistic and not over-the-top the animations feel! Something I didn't really think about before, but seeing it done this way in Paralives just looks so nice. It makes the game feel even cozier for some reason! Also love the idea of having some special visual effects while cleaning and repairing things!
On another note, those tree stumps in the bathroom are so cute!
Simple, yet sublime 👌
Aw thank you Pascal❤
I just love this. You guys are so talented
Thank you Sarah ❤❤
One thing I always love is how simple, yet realistic the animations are. And I love the crouching animations and how animations are modified for paras at different heights. You guys never fail to amaze me!
Thank you so much, I'm so happy you like them! :')
The animations look so good! I keep getting more and more excited the more updates I see. I can't wait to finally be able to play!
I’m going to have to plan some vacation time off work because my productivity will plummet when I get my mitts on this game!
As always, your animations look lovely and natural. :-)
Thank you so much Fran! ❤
very cool animations! I hope that with time we'll see more detailed interactions with objects, for example for plumbing repairs with the wrench
Thank you! Yes, it would be nice to have more detailed animations depending of the items after Early Access. :)
first off, someone needs to tell those paras that it's already clean. Second its really coming along! I like the animations and I'm excited for 2025
It's because they did such a great job haha. No worries though, we already have a few versions of dirty items (like toilets) and it's... gross. D:
How smooth! They seems to really know what they’re doing haha
Thank you Andie! I hope they do hahaha.
These animations are absolutely stunning—subtle yet incredibly realistic! Oh, and btw, well hellooo Jason 🌝
Hi Mario, thank you so much, I'm glad you like them! (and Jason haha) ❤
I love the items scaling to height. This is the first game I’ve paid real attention to in the building phase and I am loving learning y’all’s thought processes! Keep on keeping on, we’re rooting for y’all ✌️
Yes, this will be so useful! This is one idea we thought about recently and it will definetely be a game changer!
Great job! Eli with a little mop is simply adorable :]
Right?!
You guys can do no wrong.... omg this is so 😍
Thank you Tyra! ❤
These animations look awesome. I love the different heights when cleaning the shower.
Thank youuuuuuu!
Paralives is such a vibe. I love it so much.
Thank you so much :3
I thought that the hair moves with animation
Yes, it eventually will in Live Mode too! For now hair physics are only on in the Paramaker, this is not a high priority for us right now but it will be addressed later on. :)
Ugh! 2025 is so far away! I need this game IMMEDIATELY😩😩
I knowwwwwwwwwwwwwww ❤
So happy for this update, I've been refreshing the page non stop for the past hour haha :D happy weekend Paralives team! :)
Hi! I'm glad you like it!! ❤
Amazing ! Est ce que le paras enfants pourront nettoyer les toilettes aussi ?
Bonjour Rachelle ! Oui le but serait que les enfants puissent aider dans un maximum de tâches ménagères. :)