I also enjoy seeing your work. The depth of your imagination is nothing short of wonderous to me. I don't play these games, but yet I like to read your descriptions and can usually 'see' what you are portraying.
Excellent work.
Printable View
I also enjoy seeing your work. The depth of your imagination is nothing short of wonderous to me. I don't play these games, but yet I like to read your descriptions and can usually 'see' what you are portraying.
Excellent work.
i don't do the games, not at all my thing, but you certainly produce the art :)
Been busy - mostly writing, editing, page layout, and cover design for my Planet Builder project. And am posting the cover design to show - and the design was created in XDP11 at least.
And of course @handrawn - I fully know, what I create and it's purpose has little to do with most other members of the Talkgraphics community (you guys aren't my target market). Just posting art here, as I do from time to time.
Here's playing around with another animal shaped starship. I've done crustaceans before, but have never made a shrimp/prawn design before. Again just for fun - I got intrigued with the shape of a shrimps head for a design and what got me started. I'm starting to think this ship flies backwards - it can fly both forward and backwards, but thinking due to standard shrimp tail movement, in it's primary cruising speed it's flying backwards. It can do a "Crazy Ivan" stunt, I think, as well most ships I create sized small to large feature maneuvering pods for thrusters that can rotate allowing a rapid spin on the spot, I'd think. I see it as a scrapper salvage ship or drone, dropped by a carrier as a couple dozen to rain onto a gargantuan derelict ship, to be rendered to nothing in disassembly - like a swarm of shrimp eating a dead whale in the depths... Anyway the Prawn!
Attachment 129919 Attachment 129920
it's good to have the imagination... mine works in a very different way [that isn't always appreciated on TG :D]
So it turns out, I'm using that "shrimp drone" from the previous thread, and creating a variety of crustacean based ship designs, and calling them Crustacea. Here's a crab ship version, and a pair of wood louse/pill bug configured repairs drones whose articulated antenna are 3D printer heads, essentially, using refined disassembled materials as print media...
Attachment 129956Attachment 129957
Here we go, seems to have some wahoo factor, but oh well, living crab construct ships, what do expect? This is the next Crustacea, a Hermit Crab Scrap Hauler ship, medium in size - so bigger than the land crab ship (I should have included one for scale). The land crab makes itself a ramp allowing the shrimp disassemblers to carry their materials into the hauler bin, then shuts the door, allowing the hermit hauler to lift the salvage material and return it to the carrier mother lobster ship in orbit. The colossal lobster carrier/processor ship is next and last in this series... enjoy!
Attachment 129969
Well in the past, I've tried to design ships that emulate lifeforms, but is still technology. Whereas, these hava a more fantasy-esque quality being fit for a science fantasy game, where magic coexists with technology. These are living constructs manufactured by some ancient race, now long dead, that used powerful magics to program and animate these into "lifeforms" they cannot replicate nor reproduce, but they are immortal until destroyed. So if they look real, I put extra care into their modeling so they resemble closely to their organic counterparts.
This is two views of the construct Crustacea Lobster Carrier-Salvage Processor Mothership, that is 15.000 ft long, houses all other Crustacea along it's hull, with the bulk of interior space dedicated to processing salvage materials. The front view shows the flight bay entrance under it's nose.
All modeled using Wings 3D, a subdivisional surface modeller and Vue Creator to light, texure and render the scenes.
Attachment 129981Attachment 129980
Calling this Towing Hazard: a one-shot module for four players of 6th level for use with the Starfinder Roleplaying Game. This will be both the cover art and an interior illustration. With the players working as a towing service for a salvage yard station, where they tow a huge derelict with a salvage beacon. Unknown to them Crustacea have claimed the ship for themselves not recognizing a salvage beacon claim. So enroute to towing the vessel in, prawn constructs are seen crawling out from inside, and a medium crab vessel is joining the fray. This is where I'll introduce the Crustacea living construct starships. I haven't even written the module yet!
Attachment 129984
After creating last night's illustration, I realized that I need a portrait oriented image and not a landscape one (duh); been using square-ish formats previously then cropping down. But I decided to redo the cover illustration version at least in portrait. I used a different atmosphere, maybe a planetary nebula, where the derelict destroyer sat adrift. The salvage towing service has securely connected to the destroyer and now pulling it the two days flight back to the salvage yard station. A prawn is crawling across the hull of the towed destroyer, a crab is about to land, and from behind the colossal lobster mothership is in hot pursuit. I thought with the dust clouds, asteroids and the menagerie of Crustacea, this was a more epic and dynamic image than the previous - and it fits space! Now I need to write the dang thing!
Attachment 129994
Don't get me wrong, Gameprinter I am in awe of your w0rk it is absolutely fascenting.
I have my own methodology, self taught, and it works for me. Creating the illustrations help me develop the story, almost a part of the brainstorming process, and provides the final touches to make a publication finished. I even create the cover art, as both inspiration and a kick in the ass to get the writing done. I'm the only one in my process, it's not like I'm coordinating with a team or something, while I certainly publish others work, who does the writing first and I finish it, then publish. To me creating the art and maps is part of the develpment process, and because I'm creating the art, it works this way. Had I been commissioning artists for art (I've done that before on some projects), the writing and editing would have already been completed before looking to art. Again, this is my process for non-collaborative work. If I'm working on a project alone, and I've done that many times too, I start with the art, since I'm an artist/cartographer first, and a writer/game designer second. I do it in that order. I'm not shooting for efficiency, rather to complete the work in a timely manner in a way that works best for me. And honestly between myself and my publishing competitors in the gaming industry, I start and finish more projects, more quickly than many other small publishers, and they have a team where I am often alone - so who is more efficient?
Another way to look at, is that most tabletop game publishers are author/game designers wanting to self publish, but they rarely have the artistic talent of creating illustrations and cartography (requirements for most rpg adventure products), so they outsource that. You generally don't outsource work until you've done all you can within your capability at the final stage. Art and cartographer are the first hired, with a page layout artist to follow. All that requires a team. Me, I have over 25 years experience doing copy editing, illustration, cartography, graphic design - so all the backend work for a publication, that was my life's training. I've always been able to write, but never pursued it much, and as a gamer, I always dabble with game design for my own play. Once I decided to start writing my own supplements and adventures, I realized I had the skills to do it all, where most people don't have that wide a skill range in a related field, that I do. Within my experience, I'm the only person/publisher who does that at all. And my work often looks professionally of higher quality than most of my competitive small publishers, who like me are working with tight budgets, but they can only hire the best they can afford (considering the RPG products are seldom major selling products), so they settle for less. I'm not claiming to be a master 3D illustrator, though I can claim to be a master cartographic illustrator, but those talent/skill/interest capabilities I have happens to be those needed for the publishing industry - I don't have to settle. I didn't take this path, knowing this is where I'd be today, it's just the path I took and conveniently works great for the game publishing industry.
like I said.. interesting....
sure.. what you might call informal storyboarding [or 'non-segued'] - pencil out the roughs an' all.. reckon we all do thisQuote:
Creating the illustrations help me develop the story, almost a part of the brainstorming process
but pure brainstorming and 'taking the line for a walk' experimentation aside, I have to have a direction in which to go first; a synopsis, an outline, somthing that gives discipline to what might otherwise be a long journey to nowhere in particular
the bottom line is it must 'say something'; if I don't know what it is that needs to be said in a particular project then it all tends to get a bit woolly
so story lines, and in character design personality, come first as a general rule, though I would be a fool to expect them not to evolve along the way :D
thanks ;)
I do an outline/synopsis first, as well, most of the time. This project is a small one, and it like many small projects I do the brainstorming in my head, and I have it organized as a synopsis in my head. I don't need to write it out, because as soon as I conceive it, it remains in my head easily "seen". Large book and multi book projects takes an extreme amount of pre-planning and organization - which I did in the publication of my Kaidan setting of Japanese Horror (PFRPG), which also featured a dozen team members to accomplish which can more or less be like herding cats. Projects like that require the synopsis and outline to keep people on track, working in a timely manner - such work, of course, requires proper planning. But my Towing Hazard adventure module will end up being less than 20 pages long, and all the work done by me, so I just need enough organization to keep myself on track - and doing so in my head is fine for this work. And everything does "evolve" along the way, but as soon as any evolution occurs, I immediately see it's impact on the whole and how I must tweak other areas of the work to best work with it all.
Another consideration you might dwell on is that tabletop game referees or game masters do what's called "game prep" prior to running any game session with a group of players. This involves reading and re-reading a given adventure, knowing your adventurers unique skills and weaknesses and tailoring the predesigned adventure to better fit the party - weakening some opponents, adjusting the skill level requirements for challenges, etc. So just a normal game referee does extensive preparation, much of it done in your head. So this methodology is practiced by the bulk of the gaming community on some level. I've just extended this "game prep" on a larger more professional scale in the operation of my publishing company.
Last point, I find it rude to speak about one's intellect, but I've been tested multiple times resulting in a lower genius IQ (around 147), though on one particular test, it only resulted in whether you were a genius or not, and if so, what kind of genius. And that test results were I am considered a "creative intuitive". That seems logical and believable in my thinking (by my thinking). Its possible that this flavor of intellect works well with my kind of methodology and probably wouldn't work for most anyone else.
as groucho marx might have said, but didn't: 'it takes real genius to fail an IQ test'Quote:
I find it rude to speak about one's intellect, but....
I work with someone who has learning disabilities and she is a genius.. you want an animation sequence timed on the fly as perfectly as it gets, she can do it; no matter how complicated or multifaceted it is she sees it straight off when the rest of us would have to sit down and work it out
genius isn't somethig you can measure or define, except to say that it is the ability to do something quintessentially very very special if not unique
this is said by somone who is very very intellectual by his own admission but has never failed an IQ test - a) because strictly speaking you cannot 'fail' just score low, and b) because I would not be caught dead taking one..
5th graders, at least in my time, all had to take an IQ test. I went into the Army and every entrant needs to pass the ASVAB test (Armed Services Vocational Aptitude Battery) which is an IQ test, since it was the military post WW1 that developed the IQ test as a means to measure the abilities of new recruits to designate the appropriate job to do. Those who cannot get higher than 70 are intellectual morons according to the military. The last IQ test I took was just on whim, some online test. So the first two tests, I wasn't given the option to not take it. The last one was based pure experiment. I didn't say, I passed an IQ test, rather I scored quite high - and if the last test I took has any validity at all... my intellect combines creative solutions and intuitive forethought. I'm no math genius, and when I was in high school I didn't meaure well against the what I call true geniuses - they tested genius, took all the higher math, chemistry and physics courses and went on to become professors. I'm not that, but my "genius" is different. Edit: just remembered in Basic Training, the army was testing a new ASVAB and we were forced to take it, I told them once done it was easier than the one I took to get in. I maxed the second test (while scoring near max the first time).
The weirdest test I ever took was also in the Army. The DLAB test or Defense Language Aptitude Battery. I had considered re-enlisting, but if I did, I was interested in an Intelligence Analyst job, which requires passing the DLAB, even if you don't go to military language school, I was no longer interested in electronics, which was my job in the Army. First part of the test was based on a speaker on a tape recording pronouncing 4 similiar sounding nonsensical words, and you had to identify which word had a different: meter, accent than the other three. Some were quite difficult and while trying to decide if it's C or D, the next word for the next question is asked, so you guess and move on, knowing you didn't hear the "A" word in the next block and must listen to the other three to decide if A was the correct answer. Around 100 words like that. The next portion of the test, they altered the grammer rules for the English language, adjectives follow nouns not precede them, verbs with plural is preceded with a "ya" instead of an "s" at the end. There were five different grammer rule changes, and a block of questions for each one, then you got to review all 5 rule changes and the next block could be any of those 5 or all of them - you had to select the correct sentence. Finally, the last and hardest part of the test, involved a single frame cartoon showing 2 fat boys eating ice cream cones, and beneath it was a made up language sentence describing the cartoon. Below that was 2 girls on swing sets, and four optional sentences that describe it. You have to study the above sentence, figure out what means "2", and find that in the lower sentence to decide that's the correct one. There was 50 questions like that. When I was done, I was bewildered and certain that I'd failed the test, but I was the first one done out of 30 people and ahead by 30 minutes from anyone else finishing the test. Once all tests were taken, scores rendered, each was told their score. Out of that 30 people only 2 passed the test, one of them a military police sergeant first class that was taking the test for the third time (you cannot take a test more than 3 times), he failed the previous 2 and got a 71 on that test. I scored 128. (130 is max). I didn't re-enlist though...
For me it's being able to see through a problem and making multiple jumps and see the end result on any given path of pursuit, enough to make a judgement call on which path best to take to achieve whatever goal you're trying to achieve regarding anything, as long as I have enough clues to what the problem is, and it's hoped for solution. I did that for many industries while running my graphics shop, sometimes sending them off to other pros, as I knew I couldn't help them get there, even though I understood how they should. Now I do that in my head for my own work, which makes it faster for me to achieve whatever direction I go, following the most correct path - and in my case producing content for gamers.
when I was at school [UK] we had something called 11 plus you took when you were 10/11 in order to deterrmine whether you went into a high or not so high stream at secondary school [high school] - this was a test that measured how well you could think through problems; some called it an IQ test, but it wasn't...thinking through problems is not a measure of intelligence, it is a measure of aptitude; the 11 plus measured one kind of aptitude, predominently maths and logic; I have yet to see an IQ test that measures anything other than aptitude
I am old fashioned I would never ever call myself a genius, that is not in my gift, it is for others to determine :)
edit - you edited your post to add the second paragraph, which is interesting again, but rather proves my point.. we are talking about an aptitude to think and respond and conceptualise in a cetrain way; but when it comes to intelligence maybe the fact you did not re-enlist is more germaine...
and another edit [no problem, I do it all the time]
yep, over here we call that common sense ...Quote:
For me it's being able to see through a problem and making multiple jumps and see the end result on any given path of pursuit, enough to make a judgement call on which path best to take to achieve whatever goal you're trying to achieve
I like to be precise in my discourse, in conversation you cannot edit, in text you can - how's that reflect intelligence? In re-reading, as in this post, I see a more precise way to make my point... I don't get the aptitude issue. It's the convenience of the written form.
maybe a lot of editing is more a reflection of the [so-called] alpha personality, the one that is always in a rush to finish, that would be me anyway...
aptitude...
ages ago had a debate here about aptitude - the other member did not think it existed, not a fan of genuius either, just thought anyone could do anything if they went about it in the 'right' way
now me I believe in aptitude - I see it all around me - different people are good at different things, some come naturally, some are never going to work for them; and I beleieve this how nature works it's diversity, and one of the secrets of life is to lnow what you are [not]
I do not really believe genius is an attribute.. it is the result of application.. in other words there are works of genius, but to call someone a genius because they produce these works is missing the point
that said we all do it, like I may say I am a big fan of salvador dali when what I mean is his work; the man himself I never met and you can read all the descriptions of his life you want but the description is never the thing described
I don't claim and wasn't claiming genius as an "attribute", rather explaining as a "complication", in trying to explain to you my creative methodology, which as you pointed out seems quite counter-intuitive. My brain works differently than others, apparently - that's all I was aluding regarding genius. Perhaps another way to explain it is, some say, something like, "Art inspires writers, and words constrict artists" - I think that's true for me. When I create art, I do so at great detail, because as I create, the storyline, the complications, the protagonist and antagonists form and solidify in my mind. When I'm finished doing any given map or 3D illustration, I've dreamt up 10 to 30 pages of writing that I know have to put into text - so then I write it. And the way I go back and correct posts I make, is because, I'm not only an author, but I'm an editor, for my work and the works 2 or more others at the same. So I'm always editing text - that's normal for me. It's my job.
whatever works for you has to be good - and thanks again for laying it out :)
Was in the mood to create another crab based ship design, though this isn't "Crustacea", as this isn't a living construct, and the ship cannot walk once it's grounded. Inspired by Crustacea, this is based on the Robber or Coconut Crab, and is designed as a pirate boarding ship. In the Starfinder Starship Operations Manual, buster weapons are described weapons that only damage shields, and not hulls. I considered using the claws as a heavy ram, but opted instead to call them heavy tether claws (assuming tethers refer to cables or chain systems, but the pincer claws serves as the anchoring mechanism). So this ship finds potential victim ships to attack. using it's forward buster cannon, and twin buster cannons on the turret to reduce a targeted ship's shields to zero quickly. Then it's fast maneuver drives and grappling claws attempt to close onto the ship and anchor it in the pincers. Once anchored, the boarding ramp drops and 4 boarding marines with cutting torches in armored vacc-suits breach the opposing ship to board. While some damage is incurred in the grapple, opponent ships only need to be breached, then the pirate boarding party treats it like a non-ship combat encounter. Kind of a unique method of starship combat...
Attachment 130135
Decided to create a second pirate ship to couple with the Robber Crab ship, this is the Crackerjack small fast signal boat, which is a fast, lightly armed boat with a Hacker module used to attack the computers of targeted ships.
Attachment 130147
After creating a couple pirate ships inspired by sealife, I decided I needed a pirate base, some chunk of rock floating in the Sargasso Nebula. Strange reef building space corals cover some of the rocks, perhaps some needed nutrient found in only some asteroids in nebula dust clouds feeding on the finest grains of nutrients in the dust. The space pirate with their Robber Crab ships and Nautilus pod boats are based on this one, called Scallywag's Rock. Several pirate gangs hide in this nebula. The Colonial Navy has closed in on this asteroid base. After creating all the "sealife" I needed a scene they best fit in - space corals, why not?
Attachment 130168
... dammit, T'Chixik, recheck those sensor logs... this can't be the Drift Beacon coordinates...
Deep Space Anglers are gargantuan, space born, starship sized creatures who ride the gamma ray bursts, solar winds and radiation waves feeding on substances with exotic particles, including jump drives on starships. If they spend at least 7 days within 10 AU of any drift beacon, their biochemistry attunes with the beacon's frequency and signal output and emulates it perfectly. Within close proximity it isn't a problem, however, if it swims into open space, it can confuse starship astrogation systems into thinking they are the drift beacon destination. Which can cause problems... ;)
Attachment 130174
Fantastic creatures and ships, I especially like Deep Space Anglers & your commentary on them.
Very natural designs with beauty and function.
More probably what things will look like when we bodily reach there.
adios
So I needed to create interceptors to fill the Hammerhead's shuttle bay, to be rapidly deployed when engaging with enemies of Colonial Space. I still need to create the pilot for this. I wanted a light force ramming prow to deal with space mines, and an Inubrix rail launcher as the main gun. However for special considerations, I gave it a ghost drive which lets the ship go ethereal for one round, and the Inubrix rail launcher can go ethereal and bypass armor to make more serious attacks. So this is a special craft. Here's the stats.
Ghost Manta Five Tier 6
Manta class tiny interceptor
Speed 13; Maneuverability perfect (+2 Piloting, turn 0); Hyperspeed -
AC 23; TL 31
HP 30; CT 3; DT 6
Shields heavy 420 (forward 105, port 105, starboard 105, aft 105)
Attack (Forward) Inubrix Rail launcher (2d8, linked *Rail 1d8)
Attack (Forward) Light force ramming prow (-, force field* (20), *Ramming)
Power Core Pulse Red (175); Hyperdrive none; Systems advanced medium range sensors, consciousness uplink drive, fortified hull (nanocarbon plate), ghost drive, mk 4 armor, mk 14 Horaculcum defenses, t12 Horacalcum thrusters; Expansion Bays none
Modifiers +2 Piloting, +4 Scans; Complement 1
Attachment 130176
Thanks, Wizard509!
Psyching myself up for the upcoming Tech Revolution, and building myself a mecha design. Now I may need to change the weapons array, as I don't know the number, arcs, type of weapons allowed for Starfinder mecha. So going on a guess. I've created an Amphipod Mecha (a long, skinny sand flea, more or less) with a double barreled gun of some kind on one main arm, and a pincer claw for mecha melee attacks. I created a secondary pair of arms with manipulators that can handle things, but not serve as weapons. Hard to see, but under the windshield on the head and kind of covered by one of the small claw hands, an anti-personnel weapon barrel is sticking out. Again, I'll change the weapons array, once I know what I can place on this mecha design... enjoy!
GP
Attachment 130184
Like this too, hope you guessed correctly.
So the previous version of this mecha, was too sunny and cheery for the subject matter - wanting a more menacing and moody sensibility, perhaps I went overboard. But it fits many genres: sci-fi, modern, war-torn, post apocalypse, and even cyberpunk perhaps. The Amphipod mecha - a relative of the sand flea, a tiny, nasty looking crustacean. This isn't the Florida variety of sand flea which looks more like a Volkswagon beetle, which I denstined to create a ship basing on. Anyway, happier with this version... enjoy!
Attachment 130190
Well, I've been struggling with this scene for 3 days now, first I was having problems with the included plants/forest on the ground level, it caused my system to crash twice, before I figured out what was wrong. I adjusted the atmosphere, clouds, light direction, light angle, and camera angle. As labeled, this is Nova Lisbon, Man-o-war Station, Tethys II, a small gas giant in the Tethys star system. I've done jellyfish stations before, which is cliche really for sci-fi, but I think this kind is a unique version, I'm not sure, how many others have seen a Portuguese Man-o-war space station before. This is either a space station, or a lighter than Venusian air platform in a heavy atmosphere world... enjoy
Attachment 130214
Interesting.
Yes the second Amphipod Mecha image looks much more threatening Gameprinter.
How about adding some wet look? Just a quick make-over.
Thanks, Egg, I may do that....
Keeping on the Sealife in space motif, the Minestar Corporation specializes in asteroid mining throughout Colonial Space using their primary mining vehicle, the huge Minestar Starfish Mining Platform. It's articulated legs can grapple an asteroid to hold itself in place firmly, while cutting lasers, drills, excavating tools beneath the arms work the asteroid for materials, deposits into a conveyor tube that takes raw ore into the ore processor in the hub of the station. It holds around 50 crew miners. It has maneuver drives allowing it to move about a star system, but do not feature jump drives. Enjoy!
GP
Attachment 130217