Murm's Dominance War Thread

[Heart_Murmur]

Because I'm impatient, hopped up on caffeine, and heading off tomorrow, figured I'd post what I'm making tonight so far. Nothing really thoroughly concepted, more or so to get everyone's gears going on this thing. Here is what I have so far. Just off the top of my head to get warmed up. Oh and I recommend people make silhouettes that are interesting and not what I'm doing(at first). Which I will be doing soon, I promise!

I need to design a cool artifact.





Edit: MOAR. I Dun did silhouettes.



Off to GDC later fella's! I'll be concepting all week, I'll post when I get back.

[Heart_Murmur]

 Kinda tired so I'll make this short. Not the final concept, I'm still working on a form of blade he is going to be using. I'm going with an Ice Stalker. I'd like to make it human because I've done a lot of "furries" lately. Perhaps maybe altering some features to make him daemonic, not quite sure yet. I still need to flesh out his armor and make him more Ice thematic.

[JWest]

sounds like a fun idea for a character, your concepts are lookin cool so far can't wait to see more.

[Decker]

I like the first one the most, but it's too much like spawn. Honestly, I'm not really feeling the others, but you have never done something that I didn't love in the end so I can't wait to see more.

[JustinM]

Is he wearing chaps? I like that weapon on the left of your last concept page. I think you should consider some cooler silhouette possibilities, I'd hate to see a sweet 3D model of a meh designed character. You know we're expecting nothing less than awesomeness from your final piece.

[Butterguts]

I'd say make the gauntlets and the shoulder pads bigger to make the silhouette pop a little more. But I like the chaps, as well as the happy face belt buckle. 

[Heart_Murmur]

Fudging around, and those are chaps! Bigger gloves and shoulder pads. I'm trying to keep this as stalker'ish as possible, so he needs to be somewhat sleek, but I agree about the silhouette.





Edit: Just so everyone knows those weapons he is holding is inspired by Phantasy Star online's daggers series. I'm going to be messing around a new way to put a twist on them. I just saw some hard core plagarism on the polycount forums, didn't want to be accused.

[talon84]

Aren't you forgetting Chronicles of Riddick?

[jackelbeaver]

Gawd I loved PSO.


Bitchin sketches.

[Heart_Murmur]

Moar. Messing around with asymmetry.

[JWest]

Hey nate, lookin pretty cool so far, I think you might be able to push the asymmetry thing a little more though. Really liking the chest so far, looks like an animal face or something.

[airrunkle]

i like that shoulder thing.  Your concepts are coming along nicely, good to see this process

[Decker]

Yeah, I'm definitely liking these ones more.

[The Banderlog]

I think these all look sweet as hell - my only concern is that with more asymmetry and armor, he becomes progressively less sleek (i.e. less stalker-esque.)  The description of the class calls for stealthiness and such - I would tone down the armor a little - (kinda like the difference between Light and Heavy armor in Mass Effect is what I'm getting at.) You can have full protection without thick plates and pauldrons.  Just my opinion though - these concepts are beautiful.

[Heart_Murmur]

I totally agree on the sleekness, and it one thing that has plagued the assassin genre in both Dominance wars for me. I love Assassin-esque characters, but when you make them everyone complains of silhouette because they lack all the bulking armor that make warlords. So it is a toss up for sleekness over silhouette, or just finding a common ground. Right now I'm contrasting my guy against the big warlords everyone is making, and right now I would say he falls into the category of being a fighter/assassin. Just remember this guy has to "destroy all rival enemy forces sent by other planets, crush the awakening machines, and bring back the secret of technology in order to dominate all opposing forces". I'm not saying a little scrawny guy couldn't do that, it just doesn't seem likely in my mind. I guess brains over brawns could work, but this is a visual contest. Strictly my opinion also.

I'd like to hear more people's take on the matter tho.

Oh and thanks for the compliments! 

[The Banderlog]

Don't count sleek scrawnies out!  Some of the most iconic characters in games, film, and print have sans-armor silhouettes (some of which  are pretty boring.)

Solid Snake
Spider-Man (his silhouette is really, really boring.)
Sam Fischer
Darth Maul

I think Polycount's dedication to silhouetting is probably a good idea, but they seem a little overly-fixated on it in my opinion.     

[Heart_Murmur]

I agree on polycounts obsessive nature with silhouttes, I'll make some renditions of a toned down figure and see what you guys think.

[Heart_Murmur]

My new entry. And yes that is a chainsaw coming off his arm. And he rocks out to the violin with his fingers.

[Aldo]

Um...you should just post this and I think every other person will just give up cause you can't really compete against your concept.

[JWest]

wow, you just took this competition to the next level!

[JustinM]

I love his expression. It's like he's trying to play his violin in peace but he has to compete with that noisy chainsaw. It's priceless.


....chainsaws are mechanical, so this concept isn't gonna work.  :'( that Cintiq was practically in the bag too.

[jackelbeaver]

...gawd fuck you nathan and your insane....talent at awesomeness.  :'(

[Aldo]

Chainsaws actually can be done...because it's done by fossil fuels...or something like that...you just can't do like...really advanced mechanical stuff...you could do like pistols and such though.

[Screw-on Hed]

yeah nate, im with leamon. im sick of silhouettes. i think they are good for aliens, monsters, and cartoon characters. regular human characters need more than just an outline. trophies, scars, colors cant be seen in a silhouette but DEFINITELY make a character. the difference between superman and bizarro? the backwards "S" on his chest. not spikes that come out of his ass.

off the soap box now, your concepts are awesome. not carmen electra awesome, but carmen electra with four boobs awesome. keep it up son!

[Jmendoza]

Hey Nate, I hate to disagree but I think silhouettes are a huge part of a characters personality.

Yeah I understand that Spiderman and Superman are huge superheros and they need pretty much no silhouette( They were created at a time when there was no other competition, superman in 1932). Bizarro was a character that was created much later than superman and exploits superman's fame.

The silhouette is only the beginning of the concept, who says you cant add scars trophies and colors after the silhouette is planned out...

[duoxan]

Just remember this guy has to "destroy all rival enemy forces sent by other planets, crush the awakening machines, and bring back the secret of technology in order to dominate all opposing forces". I'm not saying a little scrawny guy couldn't do that, it just doesn't seem likely in my mind.

tell me he couldnt do that, and he is in no way "big"

[Heart_Murmur]

Going back to a more slender form, and starting to incorporate an ice theme.


I just realized polycount gives about zero feedback to the peasants in thier forums(during dominance war). So thanks for the feedback.

[Aldo]

I just realized polycount gives about zero feedback to the peasants in thier forums(during dominance war). So thanks for the feedback.

Do you give feedback to other peasants? I'm really not implying anything, but I think alot of times, it's just a matter of a cycle..like...you don't give feedback, so no one gives feedback to you....and vice versa.

[Maximus]

This guy's coming along really nicely i think Nate, the ice is definitly a nice touch. Did you just take the weapons out for this concept, or are you scraping the daggers?

[Heart_Murmur]

Do you give feedback to other peasants? I'm really not implying anything, but I think alot of times, it's just a matter of a cycle..like...you don't give feedback, so no one gives feedback to you....and vice versa.

I agree I was just thinking about this while I was getting some cereal. 

Go on their forums though and look how many people are giving high-fives to the professionals. Their threads get bumped while others getting shoved to the next page.

Did you just take the weapons out for this concept, or are you scraping the daggers?

I think I may still toy around with the dagger, look into other possibilities also, but yeah I did get rid of them just for this concept.

[The Banderlog]

I like the more streamlined version a lot better!  Waaay more stealthy looking.  Good Jorb.

[Heart_Murmur]

Not doing so good on the asymmetry, I think I'll make his right hand covered in full black leather or something.

[Maximus]

Very nice... i dig the armor. The daggers on his legs are a nice touch too. Keep it up!

[JustinM]

The three daggers on each thigh reminds me of Ryu from Ninja Gaiden. Just saying. I'm not really a fan of the logo on the belt, since it's a pretty generic spot to put the logo, but other than that it's looking really cool.

[Butterguts]

and you don't have to make the belt green, try matching your color scheme, remember use color scheme and/or logo. I say fuck his right arm up, disfigure it a little, ever seen what frost bite looks like, leave it naked, maybe inoperable, in a sling or something. but giving it frost bite would be awesome... maybe even an amputee, you don't see that to often, COD 4?

[Augie272]

Sorry man, but I just can't help get the image of assasins creed out of my head, with a little ninja gaiden dropped in. It looks great so far. What are the abilities/artifacts he will have, is there any back drop story behind his head being covered...


oh yea, and is that monster who's playing the violin his steed?......

All in all pretty nice work man....can't wait for the 3d.

[Heart_Murmur]

Started working on the basemesh with the little time I've had over the past few days.

@Clint: Thanks!

@Justin: I'm going to change up the logo, I'm not sure where, but its going somewhere else.

@vern: I'll change up the colors, as for the arm I think I'm going to go with frostbite/Ice covered. I figure I will make his artifact a bracer, that endows him with some sort of frost power.

@Taryn: I really wanted to go for the assassins creed look. I want to go with a really generic looking character for a portofolio piece, to show I can do humans. As for the monster, I didn't go with him because it would pretty much be too awesome and thats really not that fair. 

[airrunkle]

triangle free the way to be?  hows that workin out for ya? looks good so far

[Aldo]

to show I can do humans

There are easier ways to do that...wink wink

triangle free the way to be?  hows that workin out for ya? looks good so far

Huh? Are you talking about on this model? cause there are 2 giant triangles right on the forehead...if you're talking about is 'statistics' counter thing....then....Oh?


Good to see you finally started modeling and stopped wasting your time on concepting. hah.

[JustinM]

cause there are 2 giant triangles right on the forehead.

Umm, those aren't triangles.