In an example like that, zbrush wouldn't have a problem with the baking. The meshes won't need to be connected or anything. As long as it's not actual floating geometry that involves a highpoly mesh with completely different geometry than the low. Even still, I think xnormal gives more control and better results.
Ugh so I think I'm gonna have to leave the highpoly here in the interest of actually finishing on time, I'm thinking a lot of details will be quicker for me to paint in when texturing anyway. Maybe he still needs his belt pouches to break up symmetry?
The concept piece there instantly reminded me of a tutorial series by FuturePoly. I will link to the playlist, but you should check out the last video in particular, where he uses some modular, highpoly baked pieces to augment the base model. https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLhn8HxtWs4QhSylHQsVDtMNTgQfBQxPO0
Grey: Sure, chamfer away! I may do that on this mesh but I am planning on beveling the hard corners in the highpoly mesh and let the normals handle it. Xenobond: I sure did! :P Haha point taken, I'll see what I can come up with.
Sorry for the lack of updates guys, been away over the week, (Notting Hill carnival woo woo :) ) Got some things done - redid the tool holders, got some tools and did the belt around the gloves. I think i'm done with the highpoly now. Piccys:
I don't know if you are doing a highpoly, but if you are then you are going to want to model that first. Otherwise progress seems good so far, just watch how many sides some of those cylinders have, some of them have a lot more than necessary.
Wouldn't all of this be a lot easier/faster in zbrush anyway? For instance just making all of the burned bits and such in Zbrush, and then just re-topologising that, if you're going for a clean highpoly mesh. It's just that i don't see the point of this, when you're going to give it a zbrush pass anyway...
Rigging completed for the most part. It was fairly straightforwards. Also, all of the highpoly object now have lowpolys as well. Unfortunately, I need to make a few more assets as well I've found out. Anyways, sorry for the high res, but it's sort of the only way to see the rigging.
Really the polycount on the highpoly doesn't matter as long as its not slowing down the viewport or anything. If anything, the barrel looks a bit too skinny, but there isn't much to comment on or critique. @Mime its fun to subdivide people stuff till their computer slows down to a crawl or crashes :P
Well, got the hair blocked in now. It more or less looks like what I had in mind. I'm not sure wether I sould do a highpoly for it or just use alpha and rely on transparency to do the work. http://img100.imageshack.us/img100/9084/faceayh0.jpg