Twitter Mech Design General Feedback 5.11.2020

Thorp

Omni Ace
Jul 27, 2016
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#1
:::Additional images received after this posted was created have been added at the bottom::: Thanks @Maven
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Twitter Post 1: Twitter Post 2:
Grummz is asking the community what their thoughts are for mech art direction in Em8er. He provides some photos to stimulate replies.
Photo 1


Photo 2


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My Opinion on the two designs:

I like the color and shapes for both of the mechs but I also have my gripes for both. Ultimately I don't like obviously "oversized for seemingly no reason" things. I can understand adding flare pieces to armor but at some point they pull attention to themselves rather than keeping the whole mech as a centerpiece. The first photo of the grey mech #29 with horns, has giant shoulder panels that do what? Are they shields to defend the arms? Are they snag resistant? The thighs in comparison to the abdomen are huge which makes the weakest point obviously the spot that is the most important, the pilot. The pilot themselves does not have any armor or structural support around the abdomen to wear the suite.

The second mech with the anime girl is better since the armor looks more natural and workable in a combat scenario. Again though, the pilot is totally exposed at the abdomen. I anticipate the reason to expose the abdomen is to grant the user more range of motion however bio mechanically and in armor historically the abdomen should not bend ever unless you want spinal repair surgery.

And as a side note I hope Em8er doesn't go down the anime girl knocked knees, bowed legs, feeble ankles, ect, route. In brief, I simply dislike such portrayals of characters. I can't imagine taking anything they say or do seriously.

::: Additional Images :::
 
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PartTimeJedi

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#2
Both are beautiful images but not my cup of tea. They are a bit to "busy" for my tastes. I love a cleaner style more like Gundam Thunderbolt, or like the Em8er Default style at the moment. Dont get me wrong I like skins, but the style we have at the moment is what drew me in to Em8er. Its unlike anything out there at the moment.
 

Thorp

Omni Ace
Jul 27, 2016
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519
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California, CA
#3
Both are beautiful images but not my cup of tea. They are a bit to "busy" for my tastes. Dont get me wrong I like skins, but the style we have at the moment is what drew me in to Em8er.
If I had to refine and condense all my thoughts into a short blurb this would be it. I prefer clean, non-busy skins like the default skin.
 
Aug 14, 2016
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#4
I like the second one better than first because the armor looks more natural and usable in a fight. Because I like to use melee a lot, having armor that doesn't limit my range of movement is key or if it does limit my movement it is only because I can use it protect key parts of myself and/or use it to attack enemies with. As I'm more of a practical person by nature when when it comes to the things I wear both in real life and in games. And this includes the different types of armor and personal protection gear I might need to wear before a go to work or get into a fight.

The first one looks ok. But it just kind of screams long range fighter to me. As the wings and stuff on it seem to like they would get in the way of a melee fight unless you could use your wings as a shield. Although I do like the color theme it got going. I'm not saying it is a bad design, it is not one that a close range fighter like myself would use.
 

Kassatsu

Omni Ace
Ark Liege
Omni Ace
Jun 13, 2017
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#5
Given how the designs handle in-game and how mobile they are, a more 'realistic' bulky-looking version may not be the best idea.
I prefer the more streamlined, thinner, more gundam-style designs over bulkier, 'realistic' battletech ones (though battletech has some designs that would work in both a slower-paced simulation style and a faster-paced action game), but I'm also a giant weeb so what do I know. Maybe the heavy and/or thmpr skins can be thicc. Of what I see here, I'd prefer #2.
 

Pandagnome

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#7
I really like these 3 the most

1589373110092.jpeg
This one with the horns gives it a samurai helmet style and even though its bulky i like the way that its bulky it is like one of my old transformers could see styles like this for sure, but not everyone is happy with this but to me i like it alot imagining the way the mid area opens up then all the parts lock especially in its hard driver mode!!!

1589373124442.jpeg
This one is great too it seems well suited to a heavy with decorative flair!

1589373143746.jpeg
This one with the glowy parts is very cool too :cool:

However saying this i also like sleek and clean styles too, we should have both because just like cars
there are cars that are sleek and cars that are rugged and even with armor, nice bodykits and modifications etc!
 

Thorp

Omni Ace
Jul 27, 2016
193
519
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California, CA
#8
Additional mech images up for discussion: (thanks again @Maven for passing these my way)




I do like these designs as they are easy to perceive and are not visually pushing some sort of gimmic except for the red double side shield mech. I still don't understand the fixed shoulder shield panels on the mechs; a hand held shield would provide more protection specifically frontal attacks which I expect is the primary source of damage from both bullets and melee attacks.
 

PartTimeJedi

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#9
Additional mech images up for discussion: (thanks again @Maven for passing these my way)




I do like these designs as they are easy to perceive and are not visually pushing some sort of gimmic except for the red double side shield mech. I still don't understand the fixed shoulder shield panels on the mechs; a hand held shield would provide more protection specifically frontal attacks which I expect is the primary source of damage from both bullets and melee attacks.
My thoughts exactly
 

Mahdi

Firstclaimer
Jul 26, 2016
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#10
People are covering some great stuff. Armored Core is still my primary direction for what I would love to see in Em-8ER but I did go to another of my favorite series in gaming. Here's some images from Xenogears and Xenosaga. They vary quite a bit based on people's comments here. I even tossed in a junker looking mech from posts made on styles in the build thread.

https://i.redd.it/m7uhggr7oye41.jpg

https://external-preview.redd.it/uq...bp&s=e0f57213cdf9624eb54a1386cda49ed018074388

https://vignette.wikia.nocookie.net...est/scale-to-width-down/340?cb=20150528072621

https://cdn-prod.scalefast.com/public/assets/user/123622/image/56083c307a3b298e643e3dc5437ae16b.jpg

https://i.pinimg.com/originals/47/40/d6/4740d656760d022dc68d903756b5ce01.jpg
 

Pandagnome

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#11
The first image looks superb but was not keen on the feet.
The second image like the feet but its quite big.
The 3rd image if the shield had option how to use originally a big shield to protect the front alternatively could split into 2 to form dual lance shield but in the process protecting its side and not the front.

1st link like the rocket on the back something like the rocketeer and then imagine the holographic wings appearing.

2nd link is very cool though i am not sure the front part between the legs looks like a nose end of a fighter plane maybe is a transformer can turn into a plane hmm

3rd link the other arm can imagine firing like a grappler arm

4th link like a terminator with the red eye and the shield claw/blade is nice

5th link looks like a fast one with laser antenna's to do fast laser shots and a bracer blade and the other arm blaster
 
Aug 14, 2016
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#15
Personally I like the Armored Core mecha and Gundam mecha because they tend to fall user real robot as to super robot.

For the people who don't know the difference between real robot and super robot in media.

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I'm not sure if those are shields. I've seen many other mecha like that before when you can't see any other arms on them those shield looking things are both the arms and weapons. Most commonly those types of armor are some kind of energy gun that can be used alone but use together make a super energy beam. That is a feel I get from looking at this mecha. The girl in the image just helps drive home this idea for me, as she is clearly someone who likes power and precision over that of rapid fore weapons. So odds are this mecha is more of long fighting as a sniper and/or artillery unit.

Also the hands on arms like this tend to lay flat near the tip of weapon are retractable inside the weapon when not in use. Think something like cat claws to get an idea of how the fingers pop into and out of the arms when they want to grab something.
 

Pandagnome

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#18
I like all 3 because
image 1 the red robo has big shoulder guards and dual swords the other 2 are different and have things on their back maybe it is wings or some big cannon.

Image 2 is great as a heavy big sword , big shield and support arm to control big sword.

Image 3 looks very cool like a doctor octopus light robo with fast pewpewpew and piercing strikes
 
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Aug 14, 2016
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#19
I think one thing that is good to note is that idea of the mecha have more than 2 arms and 2 legs. To some people this seems odd and unrealistic. But in truth when it comes to biofeedback systems it only takes about a week before a person's mind and brain to get use to controlling and using extra body parts and sense they was not born with. It is greatly linked to people's proprioception and kinesthesia as well as the neural plasticity of the person's brain. Humans so this all the time without really thinking about. For example when riding a bike or driving a car as some point the line between the two becomes blurred and you start to control it as if it was just an extension of your body. Research into things like prosthetic limbs and cybernetic implants show that there is no real limit to how many extra limbs or sense a human can control at once outside of their own ability to focus on a task. So to have mecha with multiple extra limbs really does make sense when you are using a biofeedback system.

So I wouldn't mind having a mecha with something like 4 arms.

P.S.
For the people who want to know what proprioception and kinesthesia is.
This also the things people use to doing the like hit a target without the need to look down the sights and why some people can hit targets they can't see that might be off to the side of or behind them.
 
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PartTimeJedi

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#20
Out of these new ones posted by Grummz I think I like the last 2 best. For Em-8ER being a fantasy game with a slight real world MECH flavor, I tend to lean toward the REAL MECH side of things in my Mecha tastes..
 
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