some things I'd like to see
I know this isn't true to the game but I would like to see a few things that I think would add to the game without detracting from the game. For instance, I would like to see the Ettin have both heads alert while standing guard, one looking this way and the other looking another, in a random fashion. Also, when a monster takes damage, a head turn might add to the realism. I know that the sprites didn't do this but we have much better equiptment than we had way back then. Also, the ettins walk is rather stiff, I would like to see it more fluid. I don't know the limits of Deng so I don't know if any of this is possible, but it would sure make for a better experience.
Comments
The idle animation, used with the world timing flag, could be used to make a complex animation where the heads look around. It would still end up being fixed, though, but if it was long enough, it wouldn't really matter.
The head turn thing you can't really do right now... If you had separate eyeball models, you could have them track the player's position during a hitframe, but even then I think it would be during all hits, whether by you or by another monster.
The stiff walk is due to the animation, unless you mean the fact that it turns at 45 degree angles, in which case that's the original game logic, in which case all of the creatures do it. I don't think it is, since you just mentioned the centaurs. In that case, I've noticed it myself. It kind of looks like he's trying not to wake grandma! The model pack is a few years old, so it's to be expected.
I think maybe a little flex at the knees, elbows or neck would make it look less robotic. As it is, it kind of walks like a wind up toy. But like you said, the original game logic could only do so many moves. The fluid motion that you put on your Garg wings is perfect and I thought "what if that could be carried over to other motion?"
Well see, that's exactly it! The trick is remembering that the origin point for the monster will always be the same, being that it walks on a completely flat surface. So, instead of just keeping the center of gravity steady in the model, compensate by having it bob with each stride! This way it appears as though he's putting the weight on his legs, but in reality, it was just a good animation. If I was to do a walking creature (particularly the ettin), I would want to make sure that the back hunched and hung a little forward with each stride, making him look beastlier and heavier.