Unreal Universe Monsters! Lets make some art together!

[KazeoHin-TechAE]

Here's an update on the Manta:

Those wings look so much more believable! I like the fact that you stayed true to the original triangular silhouette, but now it looks like the manta can grasp onto something while it isn't gliding. Good work!

[Sly.]

Yes, good to see the triangular shape remained.
It may be more realistic now, but I feel something is off. I think it's the contrast of organic of wing arms to scale-body, right now they look "attached". Maybe there could be a compromise by having scale-wing arms.
I'll give it a quick paintover later tonight and propose you a (hopefully) more uniform look. No worries, I'll keep the shape!

About the gasbag, I have some ideas (and I see you approached them too, Kazeo!), just need to get them on digital canvas yet.
My idea was to create several "gas-balloons" on its body that blow up or flatten depending on the way it moves and the hands to steer (and punch/grab enemies).

And yes Flak, it happens! Don't worry too much about it. We're human and can't be perfect after all.

[EvilGrins]

Skin ported from ut2004, likely created by WarMaster:

[Wail]

Skin ported from ut2004, likely created by WarMaster:

I made that skin actually.

Some better shots:





Some Slith, just for fun:

[KazeoHin-TechAE]

Once again, at work equipped with printer paper and a pen!



I tried to take into account the feedback from the earlier concept.

[Nonemm]

The gasbag is a bit of an issue. The problem with the gasbag is that it is not logical on how it would use the gasbags to fly/float/steer. It needs something that will make it believable as it would just fall down right now. Does he somehow produces gas that makes him float? Perhaps he uses this gas to shoot those plasma balls?

If he produces gas inside his body it could be logical if he had some sort of muscleventils (i dont know a better word for now) which he can open and release gas to steer in the given direction. Would also be could to animate since its very clear how he navigates . In regards of flying, one could say that the gas is enough to keep him in the air.


Awesome work on the Manta, I really like the fact that it has this frog'ish look now , makes the model much more believable.

[Wail]

My thoughts on the Gasbag. Pic of the original for reference.



For me the big feature of the Gasbag is the eyes, which have a very arachnid-like feel to them.



If I were going to try to do anything other than just make a purely HD version of the Gasbag, I'd start with the idea that these creatures have some degree of arachnid influence and try to tweak elements around that (e.g., mouth can have mandibles, try to formulate the arms with some segmentation, etc).

[Nonemm]

"disfigured ******* with irritable bowl syndrome"

lol, that never came to my mind - pretty funny though

[EvilGrins]

I made that skin actually.

Ah, couldn't remember your name. This came up a stretch back over on BeyondUnreal (map edit I'd done) as you wanted me to credit you, but I lost where you said that and couldn't remember who you were.

My bad.

[AndyN]

The cow is starting to look great, maybe you could make the skin-folds above and around the legs a bit more pronounced though, a bit thicker? As for the gasbag, it looks to much like a tormented demon with a disfigured human face instead of an animal.

Some attempts of mine at the krall:

[KazeoHin-TechAE]

Some attempts of mine at the krall:

WOW! I was wondering about how to translate the Krall, but these are AWESOME. I personally think if you could combine #8's more 'natural' looking mouth with #6's general face and shape.

[rapfamily4]

Once again, at work equipped with printer paper and a pen!



I tried to take into account the feedback from the earlier concept.

That looks like the Cacodemon so much xD

[MΛuL]

I think this wins for the most fun thread in the forums right now. Keep up the great work you guys!

[KazeoHin-TechAE]

I think this wins for the most fun thread in the forums right now. Keep up the great work you guys!

Hey thanks, man! I just can't wait to get these monsters in action! I think Invasion type games are going to really draw the casual players in!

[Sly.]

Thanks and yeah, it's amazing what the others are doing here. Some excellent models and concepts so far.
I agree with Kazeo, Invasion was fairly popular, same as Monsterhunt and Unreal coop/campaigns. These monsters could be used for any of these!

Nice Gasbag re-work, Kazeo!
I'm not sure about having asymmetrical eye sizes and positions, it might work more for a mutant or other kinds of abominations though. I'd like to see how it would look like with more symmetry.

Seeing how you went with a less true-to-original design, I wanted (for conceptual symmetry/balance ) attempt something more faithful to the original.
Metalfist, here's the promised Gasbag concept:


To explain the bubble concept:
On the original model (of which I wanted to adapt many visual features), I could see some kind of bulge on the back of its head... uh... or body. I thought, I might turn them into containers for the gas.
The lower "bubble" could be pulsating slowly (as if it was breathing) with a weak pulsating glow. It would be the heat regulation used for the projectiles and the flight height - and maybe even its stomach/digestive system. When it is about to shoot one of its fire/burning gas/plasma/something projectiles, the bubble would blow up for a split second and glow intensively.
The upper three bubbles are the gas containers and would be for the general steering/strafing and flight, changing their size depending on how it moves with a central bubble that has more volume than the other two. The arms (due to their length and proportions) could be weights used for more accurate steering, back and forward movements. Think of how a segway works.
You can also see "ventiles" for gas on various spots of the body: on the back, on the left and right of its eyes and on the left and right above its eyes. The eyes have a structure like those of a spider and they could potentially blink (maybe even irregularly for some additional creepy-factor?), it has an indication of eyelids after all which I adopted from the original's Gasbag's grey outline around the eyes. I think it's obvious its brain would be rather small (it's pretty stupid anyway, doesn't need much brrrainz ) while its digestive system could be partially the "glowing gas bubble". Maybe it turns its victims or its (secondary) food (plants?) into said gas and/or digests them with the heat it creates?
It could be they use their arms to collect their gassource.

I think it's a concept worth exploring, especially since this could allow for the giant Gasbagel - uhm I mean giant Gasbag - to be more of a team-boss: The gas containers could be its weak spot! If you recall, gasbags used to always face you. Maybe you can even make the "gasbags" on the Gasbags pop and have them drop on the ground, being unable to fire any projectiles anymore and trigger a timer that will make them die when it hits 0. Until then they could sprint up to the player on their arms and use melee or even bite them!

I hope my concept will be of some help.

Eh, I still have to do the paintover I wanted to do for the Manta's arm/wing structure, Kazeo's post got me too motivated to give this a try first...

PS: Awesome Krall, AndyN!!

The cow is starting to look great, maybe you could make the skin-folds above and around the legs a bit more pronounced though, a bit thicker? As for the gasbag, it looks to much like a tormented demon with a disfigured human face instead of an animal.

Some attempts of mine at the krall:

Personally, I would love to see a mix of 8 (neck, lower jaw area and mouth) with 6's skull top (I feel like that looks the most "Krall-ish") and maybe a more extended chin like on 5. That would be (imho) the perfect Krall. Don't forget Krall's originally didn't really have narrow heads like the ones in UT3 if you intend to make a frontal shot of it. I think that the combination of some of the elements you have drawn could be used to make the perfect "updated" Krall without going too much into UT3 area.