Slag - small flying creature
polycounter lvl 14
Hello. I wish to present you my second game art project in my first thread on Polycount so... welcome. 
A Slag is my second monster inspired of ROSE Online Game and not last one which I will do.
Some of rules and restrictions I took from Dominance War challenge.
Because one of rules is obligatory pedestal in scene, so I made a cylindrical block of fantasy ice which creature was tethered to.
Project isn`t very complex so I didn`t need all 10k from tris limit. I`m thinking about my own budget - 2k tris. What do you think?
Also I want to use smaller maps (1024 instead 2048 - separately for pedestal and character.
Pedestal and line is already low poly (490 tris ice, 84 stake and 202 line), modelled in 3ds max and a bit sculpted in Zbrush.
Slag now is high-poly (wires are just without meshmoooth) and doesn`t have sculpted skin, because it will be furry.
All creature high-poly is made in 3ds max 9, rendered by vray so far (ice block by marmoset engine).
presentation (in the background is a screen of game):
wires:
Ice (490tris + 84tris stake):
Reference:
Zoom:
Description:
Slags are harmless flying creatures, attacking in groups in over dozen members. They don`t have any higher-purpose, attack because they are malicious.
They live on covered by snow and ice, planet Luna.
Slag's teeth aren`t useful in battle, because of liking a candies they`re rotten and useless. As weapon to serve claws and attached objects which Slags can to throw down on enemy from air, thanks to dextrous legs.
Generally this flying creatures don`t use magic, but they have a frosty blow with harmless paralyzing properties, unknown to anybody.
Update:
Final screens:
A Slag is my second monster inspired of ROSE Online Game and not last one which I will do.
Some of rules and restrictions I took from Dominance War challenge.
Because one of rules is obligatory pedestal in scene, so I made a cylindrical block of fantasy ice which creature was tethered to.
Project isn`t very complex so I didn`t need all 10k from tris limit. I`m thinking about my own budget - 2k tris. What do you think?
Also I want to use smaller maps (1024 instead 2048 - separately for pedestal and character.
Pedestal and line is already low poly (490 tris ice, 84 stake and 202 line), modelled in 3ds max and a bit sculpted in Zbrush.
Slag now is high-poly (wires are just without meshmoooth) and doesn`t have sculpted skin, because it will be furry.
All creature high-poly is made in 3ds max 9, rendered by vray so far (ice block by marmoset engine).
presentation (in the background is a screen of game):
wires:
Ice (490tris + 84tris stake):
Reference:
Zoom:
Description:
Slags are harmless flying creatures, attacking in groups in over dozen members. They don`t have any higher-purpose, attack because they are malicious.
They live on covered by snow and ice, planet Luna.
Slag's teeth aren`t useful in battle, because of liking a candies they`re rotten and useless. As weapon to serve claws and attached objects which Slags can to throw down on enemy from air, thanks to dextrous legs.
Generally this flying creatures don`t use magic, but they have a frosty blow with harmless paralyzing properties, unknown to anybody.
Update:
Final screens:
Replies
Agreed
Little progress. A small bag with explosive magic powder. 70 tris, 200x200 maps (this will be part of generall map of course).
This morning I made this:
http://www.republika.pl/pussik/stolik_barokowy.jpg o,O
removed private material
I like the Ice.
Should I delete it?
Portfolio is under construction, but here is one of my works:
http://www.republika.pl/castlegear
If the new link you provided is your portfolio why isn't this little guy in it
it just does! the game its based off is cutesy and doesnt make sense anyway
By the way, I have a read about knots, so I modelled a correct one for easy untie, for icycles and pouch and other one for stake and leg.
A short backstory to work. I`m not a good writer but I`m planning extend this story in future and connect with ensuing projects:
Backstory:
During some human expedition on planet called Luna, just after travellers left an Eucar city, they encountered a flock of unknown creatures. Slags immediately started to bother them, so the fight began.
Humans won in quite short time, but they didn`t want to kill all annoying Slags, so a few of them, attached to big ice blocks.
This is motive I present, a Slag, trying to get back freedom.
After freelance jobs and vacation I came back to this project.
This is progress:
Only AO and Normal in beta version, and non all elements are baked.
Interior of mouth needs some work too.
Anyway I see some bugs in marmoset. This is on seams:
but also these bugs are on places without seams (like an eye):
These bugs are because of normal map, but only in Marmoset.
If I render it in 3ds max's scanline, everything looks fine.
If I check "normal" during export to OBJ, some bugs disappear. Left "only" these one one seams. But... after exporting normal information my model is overbrighted in Marmoset:
Checked normal: no bugs (only on seams) and overexposed model
Unchecked normal: bugs in whole model
Take the AO, and put it as a mutliply layer over a mid-grey flat background in photoshop or similar, and save that out- I betcha it'll look fine- I had exactly the same issue looking at AO bakes in Marmoset myself. You can also shift-LMB in Marm and move the sunlight to the rear of the model- but this stops the normals getting nicely lit so half defeats the point!
Good job!
~P~
Revert green channel, made seams to look correct.
Most bugs are solved, soon I start making color map.
This same on YT: [ame]
and new screens:
I think now left only color map to do.
Also i think giving the eyes some depth in the geometry would go a long way!
I'm testing 3d eyes and that's results:
Which eyes are the best? flat dark, convex dark, flat bright, convex bright ?
Each eye is +20 tris (where all Slag has 1400-1500).
Work in progress:
It's not exactly like my concept in head (generall colors, etc..), but this is good start I think.
This is kinda new for me, so I have a various concepts and methods, how to make it.
In Mike Voeller's tutorial about making fur, was about rendering tamplate of UV and then rendering 3D fur on it. I used Max's hair & fur plugin/modifier. It's not easy way but very promising.
Easier way is making fur from picture. I don't know which result is better.
Maybe you tell me?
I know there are visible seams and mirrors, but this doesn't matter on this stage.
Previously I wanted azure fur, but brown fit better. Now i think I will do two different versions of coloring.
It's hard to see any normal map on it. Have you tried toning down the diffuse and upping the spec? It looks great as is, but it would be nice to see what it looks like with highlights popping up from the normal map.
Here is screen from 3ds max with preview of color map:
One seam to do and connect with wing.
Should I remove it?
I wish to have environment in marmoset with additional light from bottom with.
Final screens:
Now I have again some freelance job.. after this I will start making HP model.
There will be some difference between concept and my version. I don't wanna make so ominous character... and I mull on desert/egiptian version of this monster, because fourth planet in this game is in this vibe, so if I make not frozen, but made by sand rocks/stones, Frostworm, I will could use is in a game.
I'm thinking about 4k tris budget (this is too much for 6 yrs old ROSE engine).