First of all, thank you.
I've been working on way different level of pixelart apart from what's here at itch.io: That's because those sets don't get done 2-3 month before release. They are often made over a year or 2-3 back (except the addons).
The amount and time, yes. For me it's exactly the other way around. I started working on my game around 8 years ago. Meanwhile the concept is completely finished. The graphics are the easy part no matter the resolution. What takes a lot of time is: Animation. but the overall graphics are always easy for me since I really enjoy doing it. Programming holds me back, I can do it and I know quite a few languages but I don't enjoy it as much. For that, It looks like a little bit the other way around.
I started some collabs over the past years but 2 times the dev went away with my actually game.. and 3 time the other person just stopped working together because of other sideprojects. It's really hard to find someone you can trust and who is reliable putting all the time and efford into a game.
It also comes down to your demands on yourself in terms of quality. A lot of people tell to start small, to finish a game. But I don't see a point in that. I worked in quiete a few titele, that also were released. I don't need to push my own little game, I just want to finish the one that feels right and if it takes years, it takes years. Since working fulltime on it isn't possible with the loan of an artist.
All in all, I don't think graphics would take sooo long. But I'm coming from the artistic side, not the programming one. So it could be exactly the opposite for you. What takes long for me, could be easy for you.
Viewing post in Rogue Noir 2.0 Feedback needed
Finally someone who understands...
That advice of "start small and just finish something" has followed me around since I started planning Grass Elemental back in fall 2021. I've always ignored it. GE is essentially my dream game, and I've always wanted to release it as soon as possible. Not knowing anything about coding at all, I dove in and started learning from Day 1 - Developing the game with no experience.
Was it frustrating? At times. Did I care? Hell no.
Looking back, I have learned so much about Gamemaker's language (GML), and I have an excellent base for if I want to learn other languages. I went from getting a square moving on a black screen to a several minute long RPG with two turn-based battle systems so far, semi-unconventional mechanics, multiple choices to alter those battle systems, etc. And I've had a blast making it.
Now I wouldn't say "start small" is bad advice... It's just good advice for people who don't know what they're doing. For those who don't mind waiting years and years to start developing their "dream game", or just their ultimate goal as an artist. It's really hard to find reliable people, to fully play and review a multi-hour long video game (I'll need people like that someday T-T), and to help provide strengths where we have weaknesses.