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Other than the new look if the Tsi-hu, all frame talk has been talked a lot in the past. Literally every aspect you all are bringing up. Terricon you should remember those threads. Those talks are why the enclosed pilot option was put into effect. So the team is listening, folks.
On the note of the hands and feet. Another big talk a year ago was about fantasy sci-fi vs realism sci-fi. This is fantasy sci-fi so no need to get too critical of balance and traction etc...
I love version 1 of the redesign. Although the words of "intelligence, mystery and culture" strike home with me too. Trying not to come across with the foot soldier warrior unit and captain or leader unit, but there should be a hierarchy to the Tsi-hu race. Maybe tone down a little on the edginess of this model and roll with Nanotech on his image. But seriously, sexy concept art. I'd dread hearing one of those in the dark. Until I locked and loaded that is!
On the note of the hands and feet. Another big talk a year ago was about fantasy sci-fi vs realism sci-fi. This is fantasy sci-fi so no need to get too critical of balance and traction etc...
I love version 1 of the redesign. Although the words of "intelligence, mystery and culture" strike home with me too. Trying not to come across with the foot soldier warrior unit and captain or leader unit, but there should be a hierarchy to the Tsi-hu race. Maybe tone down a little on the edginess of this model and roll with Nanotech on his image. But seriously, sexy concept art. I'd dread hearing one of those in the dark. Until I locked and loaded that is!
The shape and proportion of the skull, jaw, and such are also fairly good indicators of intelligence. And brains tend to be more taxing of an organ requiring a decent bit of regular energy regardless of physical activity, so a larger midsection for digestion and storage of food is also important to help them get through periods of non ideal hunting/gathering/etc...
And while entirely true that something alien from another world doesn't have to look human at all to be intelligent or follow the general trends or rules of our own planets creatures, it's also true that we as humans playing this game will mentally see and define things with those trends our brains are built to identify and that we've learned culturally while growing up. This is why I said I feel it was lacking with the vibe of an intelligent mysterious creature. It's not that I don't like it's new form looking more aggressive, or that I have a problem with it looking a bit less human, my problems are specifically that it's new form does not convey the same feeling of a thinking enemy in the way the other one did when viewed. This is a games art, so how it reads and feels is often more important than what is realistic and can/can't be done. And I feel this does not convey that certain vibe that I liked that the other one had as well, and the skinny midsection tall guy with reverse jointed legs part is also a tad to familiar from other games and media making it no longer feel as unique either when I look at it, resulting in more associations to other characters enemies that further dilutes the impact and impression of it.
And while entirely true that something alien from another world doesn't have to look human at all to be intelligent or follow the general trends or rules of our own planets creatures, it's also true that we as humans playing this game will mentally see and define things with those trends our brains are built to identify and that we've learned culturally while growing up. This is why I said I feel it was lacking with the vibe of an intelligent mysterious creature. It's not that I don't like it's new form looking more aggressive, or that I have a problem with it looking a bit less human, my problems are specifically that it's new form does not convey the same feeling of a thinking enemy in the way the other one did when viewed. This is a games art, so how it reads and feels is often more important than what is realistic and can/can't be done. And I feel this does not convey that certain vibe that I liked that the other one had as well, and the skinny midsection tall guy with reverse jointed legs part is also a tad to familiar from other games and media making it no longer feel as unique either when I look at it, resulting in more associations to other characters enemies that further dilutes the impact and impression of it.
Love the pics!
Perhaps use the shady/cloaked Tsi-Hu for another task...infiltration? Not needed for the Kickstarter demo but I think it would still be a cool addition and since it's out there already get it into the game at some point.
Perhaps use the shady/cloaked Tsi-Hu for another task...infiltration? Not needed for the Kickstarter demo but I think it would still be a cool addition and since it's out there already get it into the game at some point.
Likes:
Aphaz, Faeryl and Mahdi
Okay, took another pass at the Tsi-Hu head to make it more humanoid:
For the eyes, maybe half way between the two, to let them keep the feeling of avian/peripheral vision and a more angled streamlined look while still having the sense of frontal depth perception. It's nice if you can lock eyes with them from the front, but it's also good if they read like a predator or something staring at you as if you might be its prey.
For the jaw, the more aggressive angle of the mouth from the previous frontal/side sketches was nice, though also kind of small as far as a mouth goes and didn't make it feel like something that would be eating other creatures or tearing off pieces of flesh to survive. Even modern humans look to have better jaws to that one by a notable margin, for biting into and tearing off strips of meat or chewing stuff, that angle is mostly good for the attack or pulling off strips of stuff but not chewing. And mastificaiton is a great way to get more out of the food you eat (especially with plants or other harder to digest foods). Maybe keep the angle of the first one and its sharpness towards the front, but keep the idea of it being a bit bigger from the second one so as to make it still feel aggressive, but to also feel like something they could regularly eat with rather than just attack. For the armor covering it, not sure if it was not covered in the first one but if kept covered like in this newer piece them perhaps leave a seam or indent for the mouth so they could open their mouth more easily even with some armor plates or such on the face (that's part of what gives this one the protoss vibe imo, not having a visible mouth). It'd make them look more agressive while having a slightly broader and tougher looking face/jaw.
Man, now I want to get out my tablet and start doing some sketches but for now I've got to get some other stuff done, so maybe later. Thanks for taking the time to read and respond to some of the feedback that's been posted by me and some of the others btw!
EDIT:
If I recall the Tsi-Hu armor is biomechanical in nature and grown and grafted onto the users, though still capable of being removed as needed so not permanently fixed together. So the bony armor bits could be genetic modifications to the Tsi-Hu, or armor plates/clothing that they put on and it connects to them, effectively turning into a symbiotic organism.
Armor plating would most likely be organic, boney, or such in nature given their culture. Solid metal plates could be worn as clearly separate clothing items not grafted onto them and so more identifiable as clothing to us, and while it does convey culture/tools/and certain other parts an armored shell, suit, or simply hanging some shoulder plates or other such things over them won't add to the mystery or concealed feeling quite like some cloth or cloaks would. That mystery vibe that you get from a concealing piece of fabric was part of what I liked about the first concept. Metal armor plates tends to feel more bold, like its being put out their to show directly to those present that you are expecting to take them head on, and doesn't give that mysterious feel. When you see a metal plate you tend to read it as armor covering part of the body, but a cloak or fabric covering something loosely tends to make a person think more about what its hiding, since we think about whats its there for and unlike metal that we think of mostly as being for protection or armor the cloth wont suit that as well and would lead a person to think more about its uses for concealment.
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Likes:
Degiance
Looking at the two head, I'm not sure I'm in love with the more generic humanoid face. I'm not worried about expressiveness because it all comes down to eye shape and movement....and you'll never get that close in game to tell anyhow.
Legs...I keep bouncing back and forth. I'm going to sit on this for 24 hours then decide.
Legs...I keep bouncing back and forth. I'm going to sit on this for 24 hours then decide.
Ya, sharpness of the first ortho concepts head (in this thread), but with a bit of the size/bulk from the second. The updated changes here don't really succeed in getting what I was talking about originally, and also lost the agressive character part (as I put in the rather long winded explanation of sorts in my previous post).
As for legs, bigger ones look overall better, more like it can jump around and has some strength to them (imo).
As for legs, bigger ones look overall better, more like it can jump around and has some strength to them (imo).
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Oh My God, I love all of this. I am so sorry it's been a while since I said anything about this.
My water pump for the video card loop went out and I have been using my laptop. And of course I didn't sync my laptop and my main system. My main has been down since the beginning of July.
Anyway they are in sync now and all it was, was a loose connection on the power for the pump.
So anyway I am glad to be back and you guys are doing an awesome job. I can't wait to play.
My water pump for the video card loop went out and I have been using my laptop. And of course I didn't sync my laptop and my main system. My main has been down since the beginning of July.
Anyway they are in sync now and all it was, was a loose connection on the power for the pump.
So anyway I am glad to be back and you guys are doing an awesome job. I can't wait to play.
The smaller diameter can always be explained away ("non carbon-based lifeform or a special "bone" material that allows their limbs to be less cumbersome").
But for the main adversary, the design should hold up to scrutiny, up close more than ever.
the lower legs seem to fall out of the spectrum. like something tacked on. (even when accounting for the biotech-merge)
Not bad, but not really fitting. Making them more sturdy (looking) helps alot, but the way they are pushed so far behind the center of mass (not counting the chain-wheel) looks weird.
Are they supposed to have a rather hunched stance?
this all could be me being up for over 20 hours again so ill take your advise Grummz and look into it again after some rest
But for the main adversary, the design should hold up to scrutiny, up close more than ever.
the lower legs seem to fall out of the spectrum. like something tacked on. (even when accounting for the biotech-merge)
Not bad, but not really fitting. Making them more sturdy (looking) helps alot, but the way they are pushed so far behind the center of mass (not counting the chain-wheel) looks weird.
Are they supposed to have a rather hunched stance?
this all could be me being up for over 20 hours again so ill take your advise Grummz and look into it again after some rest
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