[animated] Chibi Mecha Inspired by Metal Slug! [Finished!]

j_swan

This is an idea I've wanted to make for a long time, I have an idea for a game that would incorporate this mecha in a team-based game where one person controls the mecha and other teammates help gather parts to build and modify it.

This is the block-in, I'll move onto finer details next! I plan to fully rig this guy and put him in a game engine for testing.

Critique is welcome!

j_swan

j_swan

I'm having way too much with this guy!
I think I've about locked down the external details, time to generate a low poly mesh and start the texturing next!!!
As always, critique is welcomed!

JHS

Looks cute. Like that style for that kind of games. Should it also be a sidescroller?

lotet

really cool, great style!
the feet look a bit non-existing and underwhelming though.

j_swan

JHS said:

Looks cute. Like that style for that kind of games. Should it also be a sidescroller?

Thanks! That was my original idea, a sidescroller tower defense that would be on PC. However I'm also considering a mobile game that would be overhead view like an RTS.

lotet said:

really cool, great style!
the feet look a bit non-existing and underwhelming though.

Thanks for the compliment and critique! My idea was to make the feet cute, so it looks like 'oh look at that those tiny feet'. However you're the 2nd person to mention it, so I'll have to reconsider adding some more geometry as support.

JHS

IMO i won´t go for real feets, of course it would make more sense to spread the weight, but thats part of the Chibi look you want to achieve. Is the mech constantly running and sometimes jumping or always jumping to move?

j_swan

JHS said:

IMO i won´t go for real feets, of course it would make more sense to spread the weight, but thats part of the Chibi look you want to achieve. Is the mech constantly running and sometimes jumping or always jumping to move?

Thanks for the feedback!! The mech will definitely run and he sometimes boosts to jump/hover. I can't wait to animate it.

Finished up the process of making the lowpoly and doing UV. Quick pass of throwing on some materials in substance painter!
I made the internal details modular so that they can be turned off/on depending on the usage in the game.

j_swan

Taking a break from texturing to make a quick little mockup. 
My original concept was to do a sidescroller, but I'm dabbling with the idea of a more RTS style gameplay, but with only the mecha and 2 soldier units. I'll mockup a sidescroll view next!

j_swan

Ok this is a 10 minute mockup of the sideview, its more for my own reference but figured I'd show it as part of my process, and to show how I intend the model to be used in a game. The sidescrolling would lend to an arcade style game, and it would be multiplayer with a player for each unit.

In the RTS view, it would be designed for one player to control all 3 units, and less emphasis on quick action.

j_swan

First rough draft of the interior! I don't plan on getting too nit-picky, because it won't really be visible up close. Only in some type of cut-scene or starting sequence.

j_swan

Well, it's been a couple days since my last update. I finished up the texturing on the Mecha, and I've moved onto the pilot. I'm not going into high-detail with him, I'm going for more of a Disney Infinity style, since it will be used as a fairly low poly character. I'm aiming for cute, distinctive, and expressive features. I have to polish up the helmet a bit, but otherwise the concept is pretty honed in. I will also be modelling a pistol for the character that would be used in melee combat, and maybe some grenades too. 

j_swan

Whatsup, laaaaadies?

So I've been working away on the pilot guy, this is the new Low-Poly version with all normals baked. First draft in Substance Painter, a bit of refining left to do, and I may re-bake some of the details especially on the back. However everything came out pretty darn tight on the first pass so I'm happy with how it's going. I haven't posted the finished Mecha yet, but I will once I have all the parts ready to assemble.

I will also be modelling a pistol and grenades for the pilot, for his outside mecha action.

j_swan

Here's a test scene in Toolbag.
I'm pretty happy with it overall, just a few tweaks on the main character, and I need to rig/pose him up.
I might just start making the gun and grenades first.

j_swan

Just a little basic rig going, has some simple facial controls for the eyes/eyelids, and some mouth controls for a few expressions.

j_swan

I posed the characters and made an alternate skin for the second player.
I'm getting to the 95% finish stage, which means I could tweak this stuff forever. I think I'll work on the toolbag lighting a bit more, adjust the skin on the players, and get that window to reflect properly. At that point, I'll consider this a finished piece and make some animations of the mecha!
I still plan to model some weapons for the character but that isn't necessary for this piece as it is.  That will be more of an extra bonus when I display the character by itself.

j_swan

The mecha is all rigged up, and I made the first animation!
I'm going to do a complete set of animations, it will include
1)walking
2)jumping
3)melee attack
4)machine gun attack
5) cannon attack
6) player entry - will go from idle to closing the door and ready for action.

j_swan

2 animations DOWN!
The rest will be up shortly!

j_swan

And here's a quick but effective melee attack!!

Critiques are welcome as always.

j_swan

j_swan

Only one more animation left!

Jarran

I love those animations! I think the mech textures are a little too noisy, especially in comparison to the characters. I'd suggest really pulling back on the scratched edges

mvdrocco

Jarran said:

I love those animations! I think the mech textures are a little too noisy, especially in comparison to the characters. I'd suggest really pulling back on the scratched edges

Came here to say exactly the same. 
Also, the glass looks a little boring at the moment. How about throwing in some reflections? Or holographic HUD visible from the outside, depending on the scale of the mech on screen. 

j_swan

Jarran said:

I love those animations! I think the mech textures are a little too noisy, especially in comparison to the characters. I'd suggest really pulling back on the scratched edges

Thanks for that feedback, I totally see that. I went a little trigger happy with all the edge detail.

If I fix it I'll have to re-render all these animations...maybe it won't take too long.
As for the window, I have the reflection cranked up, but I think the opacity is neutralizing it. Maybe if I bake in some bands of solid reflection I can work around that and fake it.

Here's the last one out of my planned animations.

I'll play around with those edges and get some beauty renders out soon..

j_swan

here's a SUPER quick cutaway I did this morning. Still haven't fully finished it but I like this way of outlining it. I need to change the interior texture a bit, that blue is too bright.