Two characters... a day. Wow, you have my sincere respect. You seem to get allot of mileage out of using just one or two still images, I do things a bit differently then this, which is probably why my characters take so long to finish. Agreed, having the characters in an animation like style is why the fluidity works.
Ive tried multiple different programs too, many of which had their own strengths and weaknesses. Most of them were small, specialized and freeware, but generally missing a feature or two that I'd wanted or wasn't 100% useable somehow, at least to me. Some are very good or excellent, just not as desirable as Spriter. You have to admit, the advent of software such as this gives people allot of freedom to do things much easier.
Good luck finishing the game Bwwd, I'm sure it'll have your usual flare.