Race Portraits.

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ralleE
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Post by ralleE » Fri, 9. May 08, 13:43

Hell, they're looking awesome. I'm speechless. :shock:

Are they just done for stills, or will they be animate able, too ? I'm in the same trouble. I'll need to model some for my Project, a little comic . I hope i can use your pics as a guideline?? :?

Greetings....

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Axeface
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Post by Axeface » Sun, 20. Jul 08, 06:12

Update!

PARANID UPDATE

Worked some more on the paranid. He's almost finished. Going to add some clothes etc.

Admiral. Cheers, yeh i'm thinking that now :)

Thanks for all the other info guys, will come in handy!

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Post by Paranoid66 » Sun, 20. Jul 08, 09:13

Not sure about that feature on the top of his head. It looks very additional. Both in the heavy coloration and the geometry, and the fact that it contains those lumps but they don't extend outside the markings even in a smaller way looks contrived rather than natural.

Also maybe I'm being a bit purist but I still think being a Paranid it needs at least the hint of a forward brow ridge and a cavity below. I can appreciate you don't want to go all Wallace and Gromit lol, but the eyes fully protrude they don't nestle out from inside a space a complete reversal of the Paranid description.

I don't want to be critical but if you are trying to illustrate the races as described, and not making up new ones it is something to think about. A bit odd if you show them one way in the game but textual descriptions state they are otherwise.

Sorry it all sounds negative I like the overall colour, and most of the head shape flesh looks suitably wormy already. Mouth shape might be a little more fishy (again from description) lips look too human shaped to me especially the upper lip. I would be inclined to raise it out a bit, and lose the philtrum.

How do you try things out, do you do any rough sketches? If you are just working on the computer you might be accidentally restricting (fixing options in a bit early).

Good luck, and I hope you don’t take my thoughts too personal we all have our own ideas, and images in our own heads.
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Axeface
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Post by Axeface » Sun, 20. Jul 08, 18:11

No no problem! All crit is good crit.
This model is totally based on the ego concept (Which already goes against most of the written descriptions), I took that and tried to make it look more fierce. I'm really just finishing up this model (Portfolio work), and i've been playing around with an alternate one more designed to the written descriptions.
Im working on blending the bone crests, and I agree about the mouth. I've been having problems with it, and it does need to be changed a lot.

Could you post all the info you know? Seems you know a lot about how they should look! Could you even scribble down a quick sketch? Especially the brow and cavity you mentioned. If not no problem hehe.

The lack of info is quite frustrating!

I will post an image in a few mins of the other model, excuse the crudeness. Its only a sketch model that I did because of most of the problems you mentioned. They are all annoying me too :) I want to make something that IS a Paranid.


EDIT:

Here you go Paranoid66. I hope you agree that this sketch model is more like a true Paranid. I did it a while back, about 30 mins work. If you have any problems with this one please say. At this early stage its easy to change it :)
This model is more a mix of written descriptions and the concept. Trying to get that fine line.
Thank you for the honest feedback!


http://img253.imageshack.us/img253/3406/paranidng4.jpg
http://img390.imageshack.us/img390/9921/paranid2hj5.jpg

Paranoid66
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Post by Paranoid66 » Sun, 20. Jul 08, 21:05

I really don't have much more information than others have mentioned already. I think the best description I have seen is in the argonopedia which others have posted. It is worth looking at the old models even though they are very muppet like they still delineate the main design concepts. Once again all this is just my opinion, but I know how much it can help to get an external view.

To me it is just a question of thinking hard about what characteristics really stand out as distinctly Paranid. The three bony ridges seems to be one, the prominent brow, with the cavity below holding the eyes, fish like mouth with the two protruding fangs, wormy skin, and so on.

I like your sketch it does seem closer to me to the original, and a solid base to build on, I much prefer the top of the head. Again it seems the mouth lower face needs some work - as it just fails to say fishy mouth to me, but I appreciate it is a work in progress.

Maybe the way to go would be to do a bit of quick research, look at some pictures of various fish mouths, and what makes them distinctive or interesting especially predators with teeth (maybe deep water species some real horrors there). The two protruding fangs are a strange one they are huge in the old in game models, but those seem - cartoon like exaggerations - so maybe you could get away with reducing those a fair bit.

What I noticed before on your other design was the very human lips, which didn't seem quite right: notably the pronounced philtrum that divides up the top lip. I would be inclined to lose that as it seems too human. Perhaps if you had the groove from the nose terminate earlier into a crossing skin fold taking away that bifurcation by the time it reaches the protruding mouth. I also prefer the heavier jaw in the sketch I think the widened jaw, and chin could help with the mouths overall shape. Staring at the goldfish here protruding upside down semi open U with an all around lip heavier at the top might be one way to go.

On the worm skin front - I like that light colour you used - some hint of skin translucency would be great as well. I was thinking the wormy idea might be enhanced by adding the idea of light subtle segmentation via shallow skin folds aka the common night crawler sort of thing. Perhaps around the lower face if that protruded out a little more. I wish my scanner was working here, but maybe words are better as they won’t cramp your style I certainly don’t want to come across as a back seat artist.

I like some of the folds already around underneath the eyes in the sketch I assume the finished product would be a little less rounded, pneumatic looking though.

I agree about the lack of info ES leave almost too much up to our imaginations. As such it leaves lots of room for disagreement. In a way you might have a real opportunity here to help fix our image of the races a little bit more.

Will you be adding those odd tusk like things that are mentioned as arcing round at the side of the face at eye and mouth level if I recall right. Though they could be added later. I think you can see hints of those in the old in game models too.

EDIT - just saw your second image nice one I certainly think you are getting there. Interesting how your skin folding is mostly vertical.

Once again good luck.
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Tenlar Scarflame
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Post by Tenlar Scarflame » Mon, 21. Jul 08, 06:32

Hey, that's a pretty sweet Paranid you have going there! :D

In my most humble and rather limited opinion, I always viewed the Paranid as being... mmm... BEEFIER than all the other races. At least, that's the impression I get from the comm screens, their voices, and the written descriptions. They're supposed to be able to, as a general rule, pwn even a Split in hand to hand combat, simply on the basis of being gigantic and beefy.

In the interest of that, I could see a... hmm... somewhat thicker, more leathery sort of experience below the head. Also, they're supposedly evolved from the desert beetles on Paranid Prime, which would lead me to suspect they'd have at least a limited exoskeleton- which would provide a good opportunity to introduce those tusk-crests that are in the existing models.

Overall, much, much better stuff than I could ever do. Very nice :D :D

EDIT... any chance of getting a Split on the scene? :P I'm a big fan of the war-heads... also, as they're the most human-looking in the menagerie, they'd probably be a lot simpler to design than, say, the Boron. O.O
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Post by Paranoid66 » Mon, 21. Jul 08, 09:25

Some more of my own thoughts, and speculations: Pretty sure the description says they are tall, but I don't think they are bulky in a traditional sense. I would guess their deep voices come from their elongated bodies. Their strength isn't in big showy muscles, but I am guessing lies in other mechanisms they are said to have multi jointed, but thin insect like limbs that are often used for squeezing crushing foes to death. Their skin may be very tough not easily cut or punctured when they are so willing to embrace their foes but that doesn't mean it needs to be rigid.

I liked to imagine they are one of those species that are surprisingly flexible with cartilage like plates beneath the skin capable of flexing and moving, and although big they might be able to squeeze themselves into tight spots like insects or worms. Or possibly to be squeezed within reason without being crushed. Although I am guessing only within certain limits, which explains why, they are into display, and status big time.

Description seems a mass of contradictions beetle like ancestor, but no carapace instead wormy skin. If they dropped the external carapace their had to be a reason to me (the ability to flex more?) they live in caves so that makes sense for getting into through gaps. Fishy mouthparts maybe for browsing rasping food off rocks or something like that note their staple is a plant not an animal. Interestingly they farm snails these must also have lived in cooler underground damp areas.

Those three eyes I'm guessing P.prime had some nasty predators, but life throws up some pretty funky designs even on earth especially in the insect world. The fact they live under high gravity, and extreme heat would mean they would have to be very robust thus weapons that used heat would probably not be so effective they would be flame retardant while their sheer toughness, and flexibility would help negate kinetic impact damage making them the seriously nasty hand to hand fighters described.

Due to the high gravity I can imagine them once scuttling along on all limbs or even squirming through tight spaces. Perhaps the whole standing up thing evolved out of scanning for predators but also again display, and intimidation. They are still into this with their ludicrous OTT clothing like their crazy hats and their boastful speech. Display makes sense with the sort of strength described in their limbs fighting each other must result in the threat of major injury no doubt if squeezed in just the right spots.

In my own story I made a lot of the fact that their reproduction is very much a mystery. That allowed me to suggest that they might have been genetically altered, but that is just my own flight of fantasy with little to back it up beyond their obsessive secrecy that hints at truths they want to keep hidden. That they use semi organic hulls also suggest an interest in bio engineering however.
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Tenlar Scarflame
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Post by Tenlar Scarflame » Mon, 21. Jul 08, 18:32

Hmmm... okay, I'll agree with most of that. :D I suppose evolving from a beetle doesn't necessitate an exoskeleton. Could be underdeveloped and mostly useless, i.e. through neoteny, due to the need for increased flexibility evolving further. Also, being as big as they are, having a big bulky exoskeleton would not be favorable to a sentient race- an intelligent enough being with enough dexterity and flexibility would just make its own armor. :)

The neck, though... still seems very human to me. It might just be the Adam's Apple...
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Post by Paranoid66 » Mon, 21. Jul 08, 20:49

Tenlar Scarflame wrote:The neck, though... still seems very human to me. It might just be the Adam's Apple...
Good point I was so busy looking at the face I kind of blanked the neck. I agree Adam's Apple is too human looking. I'm still thinking subtle worm like segmentations here - I know its becoming a mild obsession.
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Post by KRM398 » Thu, 7. Aug 08, 13:08

Very nice attempts, the paranid, I always thought in game looked like they eveolved from hippo's on earth...lol. But all the charcters you've made so far look pretty good, it even makes the Boron look a little less, well, squidlike, I always thought thats what the Ego pics were going for. :roll:

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KennethX3Freak
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Post by KennethX3Freak » Fri, 15. Aug 08, 08:48

heres whta i suggest

boron : more eyes, particularly above the head, shorter snout, and give them a more fish looking mouth, they ARE aquatic afterall... gills anyone?

Paranid: are insectoid species, give them some chitinous skin like a beetles backside

Teladi: look for Argonian models from the game Oblivion, maybe a more protruded snout and maybe some fins or scales

you need split entirely, but i recommend starting with a potatoe head, then giving it thousands of scars, then see where your at.
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Axeface
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Post by Axeface » Wed, 15. Oct 08, 02:37

If anyone is interested I'm still working on these slowly. Take them all as wip because none of them are final.
The boron and paranid have had about 5 fresh starts since the images i've posted, in an attempt to get some progress on the design. Nothing worth posting yet though.

__________________________________________

Thanks for the reply KennethX3Freak.

Boron. They are HARD, I want to make them look as close to the 'new' concept art from ego, but its hard. I will keep working on it. Btw, they are more squid like than fish, however! Check its neck, its got gills ;p
My lack of knowledge of advanced modeling is holding me back here, after all I'm self taught. I need to learn some advanced shader techniques to get translucent skin etc.
My weakest area is rendering, materials and lighting, which will play the biggest part in making a believable boron. I need more time on this one.

Paranid. Again I want to go more towards the newer art, while still keeping the main descriptions of old, again its difficult. I agree about the skin, and again it's my lack of knowledge holding me back. It will just take some tweaking. I think the basic shape of the new Paranid is solid, but the mouth needs to be redesigned.

Teladi. Indeed, I'm a huge fan of oblivion (In fact I released one of the first armour mods for the game) and the Argonians are indeed almost exactly like Teladi. I do want to stay away from copying them though, however they stand as a great basis for a design. Do you not like the newest teladi I came up with? The mouth needs work, but I felt it was the strongest of my models.

Split. For the split I'm going totally with the new concepts, sorry if this annoys anyone but I've always found the split in the original vids to be the weakest looking race. The new concepts are excellent.

Argon/Terran Gonna be the easiest of them all really. I don't think they will be a problem, gonna implement some funky looking tattoo's etc.

As I've said before, help from Egosoft on this will be greatly appreciated. All of these will probably go through many many more editions and fresh starts, help from the dev's will just speed up the process. (They are very high poly sketch models, the end results will have to be low poly for animation).

Is there an art department I can contact?

And again, I'm self taught (aiming to work in the industry once I become good at this) and I have a long road ahead of me to get these done and to be in a position where myself, x fans and egosoft are happy with the result!
My love of the x-universe and the awesome races egosoft have created will keep me going on this project for a long time :)

TC IN A COUPLE OF DAYS! I'm so excited. And I'm sure the game will give me many months/years/decades of inspiration ;p

I also heard a rumour of a moddable UI in TC? May make the final process of getting these into the game easier!

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Post by Zoed Vega » Sun, 19. Oct 08, 09:50

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Post by ishmaeltheforsaken » Tue, 28. Oct 08, 04:10

Wow. These are really nice. I've always been a little 'meh' about the cartoonish portraits in the game currently... I'm also glad to see you're going with the new more humanoid Split from the concept art... I agree with you that the concept looks much better than the in-game Split. I really hope you can get this done! Keep up the good work! :thumb_up: :thumb_up: :thumb_up:

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Post by Axeface » Tue, 1. Jun 10, 09:49

Well I did say I'de be working on these for years :D
With the Superbox coming up I decided to take some time today to update my Teladi. Not sure if I'm happy with her but calling her done, learnt a lot today too!
New Paranid model that I hadn't posted either.

Now, back to XTC :D

Hope ya'll like em.

TELADI

PARANID

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enenra
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Post by enenra » Tue, 1. Jun 10, 14:23

Paranid looks really cool but IMO the Teladi needs some more hard edges. Looks too fluffy and comic-ish atm. :P

Plus, the teladi are supposed to be covered in scales ;)

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Captain CAVEMAN!!!
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Post by Captain CAVEMAN!!! » Tue, 1. Jun 10, 14:58

These are some excellent pictures! :thumb_up: :D :thumb_up:

I love the attention to detail and some of the excellent use of shading and i especially like the paranid.

However paranid all stand at over 6feet and are quite insectoid, this does not seem to show that very well. however i am in no position to critisise so all i will say is

Keep up the good work :wink:

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Post by RyuKazuha » Tue, 1. Jun 10, 15:11

The Teladi really is a bit to... squishy. I'd prefer a more "dry" appearance.

As for the boron picture on page one it's the opposite. They are creatures of the see, but yours appears more like an odd desert-alien.

But nevertheless it's awesome work.

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Post by Axeface » Tue, 1. Jun 10, 20:08

Cheers for comments chaps.
It's true the Teladi isnt true to the lore, but it's pretty true to the in-game vids (Which arnt true to the written lore either :D ). Lots of room for interpretation. The bump map was much harder (Deep scales all over) but I toned it down because it looked a bit... well, crap :lol: (fault of my model not lore ;p )
As for the 'wet' appearance I just figured they are amphibians so I upped the spec map.
As for paranid as I've said before he's based 100% on the 2006 concept, but i tried to make him more fierce XD

I will still be working on these till I'm old and grey though so eventually they'll be totally lore friendly, eventually :D
Just wanted to get some 'finished' images for my portfolio.

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Captain CAVEMAN!!!
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Post by Captain CAVEMAN!!! » Tue, 1. Jun 10, 22:13

You are right that paranid does look fierce. however he also looks quite regal 8)

Again keep up the good work :)

Captain.C

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