game-editor.com

Are these graphics playable? I'm not exactly the best 3D modeler yet lol
http://youtu.be/u-OTDBd4GPI

Yes, the graphics look fine to me. They appear more like 2D animations rather than 3D, though (not sure if they were supposed to be 3D or if I misunderstood your post).

For a simple game interface (like the one in your video), 2D animations would be the best way to go. 3D animations are only helpful if you need to view the game objects from several angles. I wouldn't recommend it as there is a lot of effort and a very steep learning curve involved (modeling, texturing, lighting, rendering, etc.). I use a freeware tool called "GIMP" to design 2D animations for my game it's MUCH easier than using 3D would ever be. You can even write code to automate repetitive 2D animation tasks in GIMP if you want to be more productive.

The key to making 2D animations look more realistic is to add more detail to the animation (it's easier to do this in 2D than it is to do so in 3D) and draw a semi-transparent shadow over a part of the 2D objects. Just make sure that the angle of the shadow corresponds to the assumed position of the light source so it appears realistic. If you use an image editing tool that supports layers, I would recommend using a separate layer for shadows so you can reuse the original image with different layers for shadows at different angles.

Let me know if you need help in familiarizing yourself with GIMP.

I've actually been using Gimp for years

Hblade wrote:I've actually been using Gimp for years

Awesome! Did you ever create your own script-fu codes? I made a few to assist in speeding up sprite rotation if you need them. It saves the effort of rotating each frame of each sprite into 16 positions (I wish GE could rotate images in-game).

That would be an amazing script! =)

I've posted the scripts as well as their description in a new thread here. I thought it may be useful to maintain them in the game resources section so that the community can easily find and use them if they'd like to do so..