Maybe we could try to organize some team collabs. For what I have seen, that forum have been more a "see what I did" than a "let's improve together".
We could try to create a easy start course to begin in the Sprite art world, with some exercices and all, and then orzanize some collabs or something.
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That kind of strategy is pretty funcional in other forums where I've been, (pivot and flash stickman animation), and the results are amazing (check the flash animation collabs of the guys of Stickpage) Ejample:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fSfKusgaEDU.
Animation give the comunity way more flexivility for this things... but maybe we can think our way out.