Drop ship WIP [Need help to improve]

[The Data Mage]

Please note, I do not give permission to use these. Thank you for not stealing. ^_^

Hey all. I've been developing some robots, ships and an interface for a little game im making... But im stuck...

Here is my work so far:
http://i252.photobucket.com/albums/hh19 ... /Craft.png[/img]

This is a dropship. Serving the purpose of dropping it's cargo and flying away. The cargo is a large container (look in the update for info). It's been designed with 4 arms that hug the container and thus this makes the main body of the craft.

The problem is the engine placement. The first option had no visable engines, not too bad looking but a little plain and hard to explain how it just "floats". The second was an attempt but it looked aqward...

UPDATE 01:

http://i252.photobucket.com/albums/hh19 ... pdate1.png[/img]

After dicussion I decided to try adding the engines to the legs. This would give vertial thrust and if  the rear engines were powered more than the front ones, could be maneuvered a lot like hellicopter or harrier.

What does everyone think?

 

[Eriol Clowphengire]

Say, is that for Oppodian Revolution?

 

[The Data Mage]

Nah something more experimental...

I might post some of my other material ill use for it... Like the containter the dropship drops off... and the drones that it deploys.

Edit: I'm still needing help on making this look less aqward...

 

[The Data Mage]

Um... am I allowed to bump yet? Sorry If this is too early.

I'm really stuck on this and can't really continue without some suggestions. Please help.

 

[|3_32]

If it were me, and it ain't I understand that, but i'd widen the back part with some sort of wing designs, move the current engines back a few pixels, and add another pair of engines at the front of the ship [adds to own tileset]. Cos everyone knows, dropships = four engines for awesome landing. ^^,

 

[The Data Mage]

I had planned on augmenting the carrier arms to include downwards facing engines... But that was more of a copout... Because i had figured that if I put them on the legs, I wouldn't have to put them on the back...

I'll try that. 4 arm engines which means that the back of the craft can be used for arials and other com equipment, bare with me.

Edit: Updated the first post. ^_^

 

[Eriol Clowphengire]

sounds greatly inspired from Frank Herbert's Dune (the desert RTS by Westwood Studios) and from Tiberian Suns (the futurisitic RTS by Westwood Studios)!

 

[The Data Mage]

The game that it'll be used in isnt a strategy game. I think i've played tiberian sun? Is that a comman and conquer game? Either way, I'm not sure why you'd say it's inspired by it? Possibly the color? If thats the case, I was looking for color pallets and decided that different drones and robots will have a different color. (inspired by watching a program on US aircraft carrier crews which wear brightly colored uniforms).

Orange is search and exploration.

Any comments on the work itself?

Heh on a side note, I've decided for the hell of it to take a crack at using clest's mech template to see what I come up with.

 

[Eriol Clowphengire]

Not due to the palettes, but to the design itself and it's more similar to Dune's Carryall ship (too sad that there were no more Dune RTS games)

As for the work: Not the typical outlining work eh!? Keep it up for uniqueness ^_^

 

[The Data Mage]

Upon googling the dune carryall. Mine looks nothing like it.. Both the one used in the game (which actually looks like a plane) and a fan created 3 render of the tiberian sun version which has a claw underneith it's golieth sized structure look nothing like my craft lol.

But thanks for the heads up with that. I have to try and keep my work looking as unique as possible.

 

[badmonur]

to me it looks like your pallet needs alittle of a hue shift and contrast. Other than that it looks great

 

[The Data Mage]

I keep considdering that... Need to really get a tutorial on those... I had really hoped you'd look here bad. Seeing as at the moment your future and moden material is second to none.

Any suggestions?

 

[badmonur]

I'm a little concerned that the orange you used is a bit too vibrant. You also have to rember to use light to your advantage. using shadows to show your shapes rather than outlines. Extra touches like, rust and paint chipping is always fun too. Dont be afraid to use different colors and shades either. I didnt have much time to do this but here. I would also do something about the font and lines. I noticed that you lost alot of your outlines and highlights, Its always a good idea to go back over them with a darker or lighter color depending.


http://i49.photobucket.com/albums/f251/ ... ate1-1.png[/img]

 

[The Data Mage]

Thats amazing. I'll get to updating everything those colors and standards now. Thank you. I love how it looks like the box has been dropped and moved a lot. I've been fretting over the font and lines, they looked bad to start with and then when i designed the drop ship, they become obsured... So they need to be moved. I'll do that now also.

 

[badmonur]

Always happy to help
I hope you learned something from it lol.

 

[The Data Mage]

Yeah, it's interesting to look into your version close up... What I'm in ore at most is the look of random destruction to the container yet it be so purposefully designed. I'll have to bare that in mind.

Would you suggest that the drop ship also has the dents and rust or would you think that would be more pristine?

 

[badmonur]

unless its brand new, go crazy with it. Another thing i wanted to go over was your engines. They dont look much line engines. I went online and referenced a couple different engines. In your shading you shaded it like it was a flat object. Rounded objects are a bit tricky when it comes to shading them but I hope my example helps a bit. Also, you used quite a bit of dithering on them. You might want to focus on getting your shapes in order before you start that. Getting ideas from different places before you lay pixel to paper, so to speak, is a good idea. Im not saying copy exactly from your reference but mix it up a bit.

http://i49.photobucket.com/albums/f251/ ... ftcopy.png[/img]

 

[The Data Mage]

The main difference (other than my inexperience compared to you) is the style of the game I had planned to use them with. Mine was a light hearted little test game with fun looking robots and other such material.. Bold colors simple shapes etc...

I much prefer yours, it gives a "this game might not be epic but it was made well" feel.

My only complaint about the engine was the hexagonal / octagonal shape... It again distracted from the light simple feel but i believe two flat surfaces fit together than two curved ones, so again I prefer yours. I'll see how I can work my own version of it into the craft.

While on the subject of engines, on my original question, how would you have fitted the engine furthest from the viewpoint to make  it look less aqward?

 

[badmonur]

I would have mabye made it look something like a street light. The round part being the light and pole connecting the engine

 

[The Data Mage]

I'm not sure I understand but I'm really having fun with updating this craft with details and rust, dents and other such imperfections. ^_^ Thank you once again.

Edit: here is it so far:

http://i252.photobucket.com/albums/hh19 ... Slowly.png[/img]