ah I think I understand you now THX1138 - thanks for the extra information

So it kind of gives me the impression that if you're modelling for games which use specular and normal maps (more recent games if I'm right?) then it's better to make a decent highish poly model to grab all the specular and normal information and then create a low poly model from that to apply that information to?
Has this method been a major shift in developing games characters for the latest games then?

Theoretically I could finish the current model as is and use it in a pre-normals game engine or add detail to a high poly version and go down the normals and specular approach?
13 days suddenly sounds a very short time to finish it in :headbang: