Start by posting your work in progress shots in 3D Showcase, and keep posting updates as you progress along. Tons of good resources out there for self-directed study. For example: http://wiki.polycount.com/wiki/Roguedevelopmentdiary
The example on the right is a 90 degree angle with two extra loops. I meant a proper bevel with two 45 degree angles. Like I said - it's the same geometry just a proper bevel.
also, unless youre trying to make a film asset where every part needs to be modeled in... I'd say this area is a perfect example of what can be baked into a LP without having the geo there
Since your game features really nice, vivid colors - make use of them! Also, if you have trouble fitting that "fat title" in, just use a different font. Quick example:
o m g - finally i see some highlight bakes as an example.. thanks so much for sharing your process, really appreciate it. keep it coming i am soaking that stuff in.
This is an awesome example of nailing the execution of an environment to the quality bar set by the studio and being rewarded for it. Literally holding your work up next to theirs and hammering on it until it fits right in. Nice work :)
Whatever you're passionate about! Though if you're looking for short and sweet you may try things with many different approaches to modeling like complex shapes for example soccer balls and tires.
Looking at the example in the .obj it seems like you can just select the cylinder faces, extract them (leaving the original geometry intact and creating a new object) and then push the polygon normal outward.
I agree do whatever is easiest to work with. Your bottom example would be a pain for me to work with because I like loops and rings. Also... Quad Cap? http://www.mariussilaghi.com/qcap.htm
This didn't get much attention, thought I'd bump it just in case. TL;DR; Is there a way to export Blinn-Phong (as opposed to GGX) PBR textures with SPainter (that look accurate in Sketchfab for example)?