Characters
 

It seems that CG characters all end up having a whole lot of musculature definition, more than the average person. In fact, I think I've only seen one realistic, non-muscled character, and that was from Jay. I understand knowing anatomy is important, but it'd be cool to see a more hidden understanding of it. The non-muscled ones are always comical and cartoonish. Anyone notice that?

Yup.

Haha, yeah and I think Zbrush just made it worse.

Yeah, that seems to be the norm. Allot of people only do it because it's expected. With all these video games with over sized guys, and buff heroes. What else are you going to model if you want to get into the industry? But I agree. I'm actually designing my next couple of characters to have more... well, character. a real person.

I don't see why its not done more often, that Altair guy from Assassin's Creed was "cool" and he had the hotness factor so I really can't see why not but at the same time, plowing through an onslaught of ugly aliens with machine guns/chain saws requires a certain type of character and those bulky meatshield types look pretty cool doing it lol.

I thought that but I didn't dare say anything in case i was shot down.

I think Zbrush makes it alot worse

thanks for the comment Peter.

Yeah I think there is a tendancy with Zbrush to absolutely hammer in the micro detail and it can be overkill in some cases.

I find it hard to justify the detail at this level sometimes because on a day to day basis when you look at someone you dont actually notice the skin pores, its more a fluctuation of color and not depth. Unless someone has a face with bad acne....

I find the best models are the ones with the subtle details thats when Im knocked out by such models, Altair from assasins creed is a classic example as mentioned already

Cheers
Jay

@ Mayaniac: I suppose the industry is looking for the uber-steroid body-types. Not everyone has that build, so even in film we enhance musculature for kick-ass effect. But what director would be shooting a film and say "Ok, now ILM... I'm going to want a model of an everyday guy with a bit of pudge for this next scene." An excellent point. I look forward to those characters.

@ Elephantinc: I was debating whether to say it or not for the same reason, but then I realized that most people here actually care about CG aesthetics, and are reasonable. Cheers, Simply Maya.

Its also a reason why I decide to make one of my last characters a fat guy, instead of the usual big muscle guy.

Its a shame that that's all thats seen in the industry as being cool ot the way in, if its not that end of the spectrum its cutesy floppy cartoony characters. There should be more real world types of build, for me you can relate to those characters far easier. Im really not a fan of bulked up 'look at the size of my weapon' like in gears of war.

But then when characters are written properly as well for movies and games they are more easily identifiable as well...


_J

Well, I'm playing around with edge loops in remodeling my castle, and I'm at least understanding their power, though probably not realizing their efficiency. Either way, in the next six months, I'd like to start working on an ordinary character. It seems it would be more fun to give someone backstory through modeling than just make them a shoot-em-up guy, a sexy, big breasted woman, or a fat bumbling dude.

Whoa, whoa, whoa!!!! " Not... sexy, big breasted woman" I think your taking this too far my friend! I may have to personally escort you off the forum ;)

The character models that I like, are the one's that actually have character. You can actually see what there thinking... If you know what i mean. They have depth, and they tell a story simply with there presence.

As for ZBrush... I will agree that it does get taken too far at times (I've done it myself (reference My Organic modeling thread)) :blush: But ZBrush, when used carefully can really make a character come to life. I've seen some great models come out of ZBrush... that only have the simplest of forms modeled... Just enough to portray the character... and those are the models that really get ya, BUT that said I've seen other model that have been detailed to a realistic degree, and they are beautiful! I think that ZBrush is still a brilliant tool for any artist. And I still like the overly detailed models. If you go to CGSociety In the Hardcore modeling challenge. They are doing a Stan Winston tribute... Alien... Predator... Pumkinhead... and more... Could you imagine if these characters didn't have their micro details... All there lovely lumps and bumps?
I guess these things have there place, and i suppose it's up to the artist to know when and where...

I'm looking forward to your characters.

The game was fun, though I don't enjoy those unless I'm playing co-op (I like a good shoot em up here and there). To a certain extent I agree with you (that Cole Train guy was just obscenely huge) and I can't really see much difference between those character designs and the designs from Unreal, Dawn of War etc and females simply don't have a place unless they're hot, dumb and half naked (lol I know most guys don't mind this and in some cases neither do I because I don't think a woman should hide her sexuality if she doesn't feel like it, but we're still people and for me, the dumb half naked cookie cutter chick gets old real fast) and I think thats where it really shows that entertainment is really formulaic at this point. Neither gender rarely has any depth and so the story remains quite topical. I get the fact that originality is "risky" in terms of the bottom line but some diversity is needed I think.


@ Mayaniac

I think excessive detail in illustration is just fine and dandy, not knockin em for puttting so much detail in their stuff but when those images start to move thats a whole different ball game to me, the visuals should help the story along not distract from it. Zbrush enables the artist to "run with it" so more often than not, people tend to go over the top just because they can. I'm tired of seeing Hulks and I'm tired of seeing Wolverines and all those big beefy veiny monsters are all starting to look
alike.

And constant hurricane warnings for Florida, yeah!!!


petersin, gotta keep it real, gotta keep it true, do your thing :p

Hahaa, Too right! Our family spent 2 week in a school auditorium during Charlie, Frances, and Ivan in 04. We lived in lake County then. So we were told to evacuate.
(non mandatory) but we were fresh of the boat from England then.... So we weren't sure what to expect.
But after that experience we decided to stay home for this years onslaught... Though Fay seem harmless to us... allot of people down the east cost got flooded. and it seesm the rest of them are going to miss. So all is well (for us).. touch wood ;)

anyway, Yeah i agree about ZBrush, and as i said it has it's place.

Florida... my mother lives there... I escaped to NY right before, well... if you don't know, google it :<

I don't have ZB and my modeling skills at the moment don't warrant it anyway, but I admit being a bit jealous looking it up... it looks like a great tool.

What I want to see is this: a shoot-em-up game where the hero is a 5'6 woman in a sea-blue skirt and pink tank top. That'd be incredible.

I want to see a game with no heroes, if the definition of "hero" is: entity who serves the light side of the force and saves the day. That is just a bit too cliche, and so are big muscular characters. Sure, no one expects a Bill Gates-like dude to kick down some doors and fire the BFG 9000 into a bunch of aliens, but Hellboy, Hulk, Wolverine, etc are just over the top.

I think a good example of a "good" character who doesn't have arms the size of a battleship's 16-inch guns is the T-1000 from Terminator 2. Pretty average looking guy, kicking Arnie's butt during most of the movie.

As for "dumb bimbo" characters, lol! They have got to be the funniest thing in video games. Why anyone uses such characters is beyond me. Personally, I find Alyx from HL2 to be way more sexy than some half-naked chick who locked herself in a tower that needs saving.

Depth, people depth!