Team CHOW II: The Happy Little Trees

[blackcherry]

Oohh one more thing, we've decided on classes (I think) but has everyone decided on race? We need to make sure we get a good variation going...

Yeah I was wondering about this too, What's everyone thinking? I was leaning towards though I could go for elf just as easily now I'm thinking about it.

I suppose we could decide on this after establishing some initial ideas.

Also I agree with having a variety of scales for the characters. My initial idea so far has mine being pretty tall, though I'm trying to gather some helpful research and visuals first before I rush in and become too set on something without exploring first.

Oh and Ashley Wood Art's awesome! Going to check out the other links too now

[ALH]

Looking up some alternate races from celtic myths (since we're allowed to add new ones :3) and stumbled across these ugly seaside folk-

Fomorians

The word fomóire is believed to derive from Old Irish fo muire (Modern Irish faoi muire), "under the sea". This, combined with their association with glass towers in the western ocean, suggests a connection with icebergs. However the mór element may derive from a word meaning "terror", whose Anglo-Saxon cognate "maere" survives in English "nightmare"

They are sometimes said to have had the body of a man and the head of a goat, according to an 11th century text in Lebor na hUidre (the Book of the Dun Cow), or to have had one eye, one arm and one leg, but some, for example Elatha, the father of Bres, were very beautiful. Bres himself carries the epithet "the Beautiful."

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fomorians

List of mythical species ( includes giants, little people etc) http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of..._and_mythology

[{CKL}]

I guess everyone should write a character brief. Don't worry about overlapping with someone else's idea at this point we just need to pin down a direction.

My current idea for Thief is:

Race: Some kind of half-breed: 1/2 Human, 1/2 Elf, Goblin, Orc, or something

Physical Characteristics: about 5'4-5'9', lithe, cuts an angular silhouette(maybe slightly hunched over), pointed facial features, pale translucent skin, purplish black lips, large toothy grin. Conceals most of his features to hide his mixed heritage.

Defining Issue:Coming to terms with heritage, unreturned love, or isolation.

Feel free to start sketching at this point. Think about your thumbnails and where you want to go with pose and gesture.

[ALH]

Mage


Race: Human, though studies in the dark arts of a long lost race of god like creatures.

Physical Characteristics: Old enough to seem out of place in battle, posesses deep visible scars from a 'traumatic event in her past'.

Defining Issue: Traumatic event in past still haunts her. Has to come to terms with her own mortality. Some suspect she may have gone senile quite some time ago, and that there never was an 'event'.


- Some see her as a wise woman, versed in an encyclopaedic knowledge of the dark ways, she is often called upon to rid towns of their imp problems.

- The event in her childhood is what made her focus on learning dark magic. At the moment i'm thinking a corrupt dogooder did something to a loved one and she is out for revenge, or perhaps she was a victim of a kidnapping, attempted witch hunt/ virgin sacrafice etc. Plenty of kidnapped maidens out there, must have sucked to be a girl back then knowing you were likely to be picked off by a dragon once you hit puberty. Plus, what happens if youre rescued and its NOT happily ever after?

Kind of want to avoid making it a 'ladette' feminist statement, this isnt WOMEN CAN BE KNIGHTS TOO JUST LIKE THE MEN LOOK AT MY WONDERBRA, THAT MEANS IM LIBERATED *belch* GRRL POWER!

More Ripley than Princess Fiona. She is disturbed by what happened to her, She may not WANT to continue fighting, but cannot give up. It waned as she got older, it doesnt sting so much, but at some point she will be reminded of what happened and it will push her over the edge.

[blackcherry]

My idea so far for the healer is:

Gender: Male
Race: Human or Elf (haven’t decided yet)
Defining Issue: A decision of allegiance / bad choice / something related to power.
Physical Characteristics: Tall (over 6ft), Angular features and form, Slim build, long limbs, long hair.

As for age, I’ve been thinking of maybe distorting this slightly depending on the path he choses. For example if he goes towards evil his appearance may be distorted due to his dabbling with the darker side of things, or it may even expand his life line and keep him youthful. However if I do do this I would keep certain defineable features the same so he can be clearly identified in both.

Will do some research and sketches and write the brief over the next few days.

Oh btw, Have any of you seen Heroes the TV show? If so something I found interesting in that was the man with healing powers (he can heal injuries, disease, give life to flowers and also mental scarring), Linderman, is basically a mob boss who's manipulative and has no problem with having people assasinated.

Thought that kind of links in to the sort of twist on stereotypes we were talking about before.

[nimzicki]

Race : Elf or Orc
Gender : Male
Class : fighter
Defining issue : as I wrote before, demons trapped within the armour, evil side brings them to life.

Will post first thumbnails tomorrow...

[ALH]

So we have..

A thief who feels isolated
An old mage who has to come to terms with her past/future
A healer with power issues
A posessed fighter


This is gonna take one hell of an event to get them all together.

A lonely thief sounds tragic, and it would be nice to see a play on some sort of self-punishment in his manner- he steals because he thinks he is bad, because he is ugly, because she doesnt love him, because he is alone, because he steals, because he thinks he is bad...


Power issues with a healer is very poignant, he basically has the power over who lives and dies, even moreso than someone wielding a sword, because they cant choose to 'undo'. Thats a lot of responsibility, especially if you alone have this power. I can see someone turning into a total asshole with this too- making a spectacle of healing and charging big bucks for it, selling vials of 'healing water' that he has blessed but are actually laced with an addictive drug, or a poison which requires a more expensive 'antidote'.

Nimzicki, can we have a little more about the fighter? Why does he have demons in his armour? What happened to him to get to that point? He seems a little flat at the moment, i cant really place a personality.

[nimzicki]

Everyone has issues that they don't always talk about, my gf could have power issues for all i know I think to sell our characters the visual link needs to be strong.

[ALH]

Everyone has issues that they don't always talk about, my gf could have power issues for all i know I think to sell our characters the visual link needs to be strong.

Our characters need to be interesting enough for people to care about their plight, their visuals are just the icing on the cake, without foundations theyre just eye candy , and there are much more experienced chocolate makers in this competition. Concept is VERY important

[nimzicki]

Yeah..I was kinda only kidding

[ALH]

We have been plotting, and things are starting to become pretty epic-


CK says:
we just need to give them smattering of hope in the descriptions
a smattering...

(ALH)( ´ 3`) ( °д°) Σ(ﾟДﾟ ) says:
the hope comes with their life changing event, if all goes well theyre fine, if it goes bad its down evil alley



On Nims idea-

The initial idea has a lot of potential, hopefully he can take it somewhere. I was thinking, perhaps his character is burdened with responsibility. The armor is like some kind of A-Bomb, used by his people in desperate situations.
(ALH)( ´ 3`) ( °д°) Σ(ﾟДﾟ ) says:
thats not a burden of responsibility, more the burden of being a puppet, of being restricted in freedom..which goes with the cage. nice.
CK says:
what if he volunteered?
(ALH)( ´ 3`) ( °д°) Σ(ﾟДﾟ ) says:
then he wasnt aware of what it would do to him,. even if someone tells you what it will be like, theyre not going to tell you the whole truth, or noone would volunteer
if the suit takes over and is something he has to constantly mend he is a slave to it
if he takes it off everyone is fucked, if he keeps it he has no life
yey he got depressing
perhaps he is the cause of the event which changes everyones life, because he certainly seems the most powerful in terms of destruction

CK says:
From a technical point, the demon/armor is a huge epic artifact. An average or even above average adventurer wouldn't come into contact with it. So in essence his character would have to be epic, while everyone else is support.
unless they're like standard issue in some army.
(ALH)( ´ 3`) ( °д°) Σ(ﾟДﾟ ) says:
but if its been forced onto him because he was tricked it becomes a little more manageble

CK says:
don't forget the undies!
(ALH)( ´ 3`) ( °д°) Σ(ﾟДﾟ ) says:
lol
perhaps he found it as a child and tried it on for play fighting, then he couldnt take it off, and his quest is to try and get rid of it
but of course he finds out he cant
and people notice its power
the good guys and bad guys could both be trying to recruit him/set the demon free
CK says:
maybe this could be a tie in for your character and his
as old and crusty as your character is she has to have at least some knowledge on it. maybe he seeks her out or she has some plans for him
actually maybe your character has plans for all of us?
(ALH)( ´ 3`) ( °д°) Σ(ﾟДﾟ ) says:
she does have a way with demons through her knowledge of the dark arts
perhaps so, though we'd want to avoid a gandalf situation
unless we WANT a gandalf situation
she would certainly be interested in hanging round blackcherrys character to help extend her life
CK says:
the thief could probably be easily manipulated given his anxieties
(ALH)( ´ 3`) ( °д°) Σ(ﾟДﾟ ) says:
perhaps the thief has been sent in by an outside party to try and acquire the armour, but he doesnt know that when he tries to remove it all hell breaks loose?
i imagine if a pretty lady/man winked at him/her they would be putty and eager to please
heck if anyone shows them human kindness
such as healing a wound...
CK says:
hrm, this is getting coherent.
(ALH)( ´ 3`) ( °д°) Σ(ﾟДﾟ ) says:
i would imagine my character would relate somewhat with the thief, as life as an old woman can get lonely, everyone she has ever known has died, but she hangs on because she must 'finish her plans' because she is afraid of death
and theyre not exactly the prettiest members of the group
CK says:
very true
outcasts by ugliness alone
(ALH)( ´ 3`) ( °д°) Σ(ﾟДﾟ ) says:
it certainly fits for the healer to use their power issue to control the thief


To summarise-

Nimzicki is a man with a problem. He has a terrible burden to carry, one which could have catastrophic consequences if he cannot keep his armour - or his mind- together.

People have noticed this.

Blackcherry is a Healer with a lust for power, and what could be more powerful than the ancient demon armour? It speaks to him like a siren, and even though he knows in some ways that this is a bad desire, he MUST have it at all costs.

CKlamb is a desperate thief, who just wants to be noticed, who wants to experience the warmth of human kindness that he has been for so long without. A certain healer shows him this kindness...and entrusts CK with a task, a task which will test his abilities..to steal the demon armour.

ALH is a wise crone, versed in the dark arts, but is terrified of death. She senses the re-emergence of an armour so ancient that she thought it had been lost forever. It scares her..but she is intrigued, if she could just find the man who was trapped inside, she could talk to the demon, she could find out why it is back, what it wants..ask it about the event which traumatised her as a child. But she is old, she doesnt have the strength she used to, despite her magical skills. She visits a Healer..and he seems to share her curiosity about the demon armour..


Therefore...

GOOD END-

The Healer sees the torture that nimzicki is in, and, with the help of the mage and thief, heals the mans shattered soul, so that he may carry the burden without pain. The mage takes down the demon and stares death in the face. It frightens her no longer. The thief has made a close friend in his encounters with the three, and feels less alone.

BAD END-

The Thief carries out his duty and breaks the armours seal, but is unable to complete the job, as the demon bursts out. Terrified by what he has done, his life spirals into darker depths. The Healer becomes a twisted power hungry maniac after seeing the enormity of the power of the demon suit. The mage witnesses the demonic disturbance from afar and is flooded with memories of her own past, driving her insane. The man is consumed by the demon.

[blackcherry]

Just quickly looked over the plot and I'm not sure what my healer character would want with the suit really....What if nimzicki's guy was seeking out my guy to try and get aid for his problem? That would make more sense to me.

I've got my guy as being power hungry. but I see it more in the sense of he's just intoxicated with his own god-like power and can't get enough of it. He likes being able to play god and have people indebted to him.

Not that I'm trying to spoil the whole plot you've cooked up, but would that still work? In a way the healer could also be the source of the plot as he could likely solve most people's problems if he can restore life, heal any injury or illness and cure mental problems.

Anyway will probably re-read it again and chat about it tomorrow.

Also i've made a load of character notes on appearance personality, turning event etc, so i'll post them tomorrow too and go from there.

[ALH]

Double post to split these up a bit.

Black and Nim, you need to solidify your races.

I would suggest Nims character be somewhat innocent and inexperience looking, as this would be a good opposite to my old crone and would also be something one would not expect to see in the face of someone wearing a massive demon infested armour - especially if theyre an orc! This doesnt mean he has to be a whimp- look at football players like wayne rooney, or other particuarly rough looking chavvy kindss- Im sure you've seen a few- someone who could quite easily could batter you with their bulk, but whose face betrays their youth.


I think it would be fitting for blacks character to be as beautiful as possible in their neutral state, and a little vain. Though this may be cliché territory, power over ones own appearance can bring power over those who desire the same looks, and a magical healer would be more than able to perform a beautifying treatment that we would have to go into surgery to fix- just one touch, instant facelift.

I imagine him as being a little like Patrick Bateman in American Psycho in as far as taking good care of himself and placing appearances over everything, though obviously he would be slightly less messed up in his 'good' form.

For his 'evil' side It may be worth looking into the specifics of that slightly inhuman identikit facelift/botox/bat brow face that people of a certain age seem to aspire towards nowadays, to suggest he has been giving himself regular 'surgeries' , but theyre just not doing the job anymore- look up the more extreme examples- Jocelyne Wildenstein, Pete Burns, MJ etc - far more horriffic than any ogre in many cases!

http://www.awfulplasticsurgery.com/

[blackcherry]

I'll happily go with elf if your doing human, though I'm thinking elf like LOTR elves so they still resemble humans more or less but just live longer and have cool ears

As for appearance my idea is the dark version being very vain. American Psycho guy is a good example, another for me would be the guy dressed in white with the rose in Azumi - perfect in appearance but clearly crazy. Also the whole white outfit but evil was pretty cool. Good side, I've got him pinned as much less vain and preferring to blend in more.

This will be clearer when I type up the notes I've made and post them.

[ALH]

Just quickly looked over the plot and I'm not sure what my healer character would want with the suit really....What if nimzicki's guy was seeking out my guy to try and get aid for his problem? That would make more sense to me.

I've got my guy as being power hungry. but I see it more in the sense of he's just intoxicated with his own god-like power and can't get enough of it. He likes being able to play god and have people indebted to him.

Not that I'm trying to spoil the whole plot you've cooked up, but would that still work? In a way the healer could also be the source of the plot as he could likely solve most people's problems if he can restore life, heal any injury or illness and cure mental problems.

Anyway will probably re-read it again and chat about it tomorrow.

Oh yes, of course things can change up a little- So long as theres some interaction between the healer which makes the thief to go to the suit it still works- the healer may just want to help and be so arrogant about his power that he doesnt see the danger, or he may express a curiosity with the man in the suit, which inspires the thief to get closer to the man in order to impress the healer.

I was thinking ( since you mentioned linderman ) he could desire the suit to use as a weapon to set up a disaster so that he appears to be the hero- like how Linderman set it up for Peter to blow up- but you know your character better than I do- and that i guess isnt as good a reason as him genuinely caring, even if he is corruptable. (Its also too obviously lifted from other stories, haha )

It doesnt work so much if nim seeks healing directly, though it will be something he craves. Its better if he is kind of bewildered about this, so that the ball gets rolling by chance encounters of people all seeking something, rather than a direct ' i need a mage for this and a thief for that and a healer'.

My character would be too afraid to go to the suit directly, and may urge the thief along in his exploration of the suit once they meet, but the thief must be intoxicated by the healers beauty, so that the thief and the mage meet- each is linked together.

Homosexual thief? That would be original !



Edit- For clarity, since I hurr a durr didnt make my point like a spaz-

Its important for my character to be human, because its the human maidens who get raped and pillaged and stolen by dragons, the mage has lived her life terrified of this kind of thing happening to her/happening again, which doesnt really work if she is an orc or an elf. Though she will be so old and crooked she wont resemble much of a human anymore

[nimzicki]

Nice to see my idea sparked such a story, thanks guys My initial idea was to roll with a more innocent looking face, howevveerrr, if I was to go too youthful looking, it kinda makes it hard to portray that the suit is a burden, I mean, that kind of worry is going to age you pretty damn quickly.

It will be pretty hard to portray an anguished, yet innocent looking child, I was thinking more late twenties homeless/heroin addict..erm...orc?

[ALH]

I mean, that kind of worry is going to age you pretty damn quickly.

It will be pretty hard to portray an anguished, yet innocent looking child, I was thinking more late twenties homeless/heroin addict..erm...orc?

Nah, 20s is perfect, its young enough for the burden to look massive, good metaphor for someone struggling to accept the responsibilities of adulthood too.

It would please me to no end to see a heroin addict orc in demon armour with a 'WILL SCOURGE 4 FUD ' sign.

It would also go to explaining how the thief knows his whereabouts- passing by the drug den in a bad part of town, he notices something shiny, demon armour would be hard to hide under even the baggiest of smocks and shawls

Each character has their own anguish, yet each has the potential for immense power. These good/evil differences are going to be so dramatic !

I would suggest we put together more character specific moodboards, in particular addressing the good/evil sides- place in them what would make your character want to be on the side of good/evil, what would make them happy, get some refs of expressions, shapes, textures, colours, poses which would emphasise their specific problem/personality/aspiration

We're talking photos or your own exploratory drawings this time, not other peoples art (unless its relevant to the mood) - they dont have to be fantasy specific either- something abstract could be useful for establishing a series of shapes for the graphic side of things, the image of an ornate bird cage could help in defining the look of parts of the demon armour etc.

Collect many images, then whittle it down, show us the 3-5 which would absolutely personify your character

Hopefully what will happen when we do this is establish a group moodboard (as opposed to the others, which were more about style/setting), with images representing each character together before theyre 'together'. If you see something which you think is perfect for someone elses character, be sure to suggest it too- the more we step in each others shoes, the more cohesive this is going to feel at the end.


..Now i need to go buy paper, because i ran out in the middle of the last CHOW..

[blackcherry]

Not sure if this will work with the plot, but these are the notes I’ve made so far about my healer character. If it needs tinkering to fit the plot, or whatever then I’m open to suggestion.

I'll put together some character moodboards later too and get some more sketches done to post.

--------------------------------------------

At a young age the elfin healer believed that the use of his powers would help build a better world. He moved to a town and began aiding people in whatever way he could. Initially they revered him for his amazing gift, people flocked to see him, he was their saviour! That time soon passed as time went on. As he watched the many years go by while he used his powers to selflessly to help others; curing, healing, restoring life, he began to question his abilities. Moral issues with his god-like power began to go round in his head; did he have the right to play god? He often wondered if his powers really wee for the greater good, as years later the world was no better than it ever was.

Due to his amazing ability the healer was used by the people who took advantage of his gift. Some were extremely grateful and thankful for his help but the majority saw what his gift could provide and began to take advantage of it. They became selfish and demanding. As a result he lost his faith in humanity and began to build up a distain for people.

Worn out and weary with the lack of rewards for his services the Healer was faced with a choice. He could retreat away from humanity while continue healing others if and when the occasion called for it, keeping his identity a secret with the reward of knowing he was doing good or he could begin using his power for a price making people indebted to him in return for his help. He could extort them just as they had him and establish himself in a powerful position so he would no longer be used by others.

Good outcome:

• Moved away from humans and large towns to an isolated place in the forest away from others except for his kin.
• Likes gardening and grows a large variety of flowers and herbs.
• Makes herbal remedies and cures which he uses indirectly to help people.
• When venturing amongst others, he cloaks himself in a robe to prevent him from being identified and manages to pass by un-noticed. If he ever does step in to help or cure someone he departs from the scene quickly afterwards.
• Has the friendship of a variety of wild animals around his home.
• Though still remaining a good person, he has lost faith in the greater good of his power. Despite his amazing power he does not believe that it really helps people in the long run. He also does not believe that he has the right to chose who lives and dies.
• Deep down he does still care about the people, and would still help someone in desperate need if he believed he could help.

Bad outcome:

• Intoxicated by his own god-like power.
• Distain for humanity and others. Has lost his faith in people.
• Is consumed by his own hate and power and as a result has forgotten his original intentions of using his gift.
• Established himself as a revered and feared ‘religious’ leader with his own army of devoted followers who enforce his rules and ensure that devotion to him is secured and people keep their debts to him in return for his aid.
• Vain and rich.
• Cares more about himself than others.
• Will only use his gift if he can benefit from it.
• Grows a selection of poisonous plants and herbs as well as making remedies for situations when a punishment may be needed or to be used if needed to restore faith etc.
• Likes animals, has a crow and cat.

[ALH]

Remember, you have to fit in a way his life is effected by meeting the other characters, we dont want to have every characters story being ' and then he moved away and lived un/happily ever after', because that goes against the team aspect of this - and doesnt really make for a good 'game' plot.

Consider his 'life quest'. What does he desire most of all? Good/evil is the means to the characters desire , not the end of their quest. A man desires jewels. A bad man steals jewels, a good man works hard and earns them. The 'life changing event' is something that changes the characters mind about something, they learn from it and it changes how they go about doing what they do.

Perhaps your character gets over his issues with morality when he sees the value of his powers in healing the 'worthy' sick - ( as the demon armoured man was truly helpless) - stops being so self centered and worries about the starving children, the plague ridden poor? Perhaps he joins the army in order to heal the casualties of war? This keeps him moving, which stops him from being taken for granted, and it makes him a viable 'adventurer' character.


Try to think of the team as a bunch of adventurers who go on to quest together for a while after they meet, either as a team of noble warriors or a bunch of little bastards.

[blackcherry]

That's ok, well I can just edit my description later to fit the overall plot, but you get the idea I've had for my character from it.

I'm a bit confused about the two portraits now though...Are we going to do like a before/after thing for the character then? Because in most games none of the characters really go through totally drastic changes and I think our potraits need to show a significant difference to be effective.

[Vorace]

sweet stuff

[{CKL}]

Vorace- Thanks, mostly a bunch of words at this point, but hopefully we'll pull it together.

Team- I'm currently hand sketching all four characters for purposes of ideation and sharing ideas. If you have any for my Thief feel free to share.

[blackcherry]

Quick intial sketch to start. Got some head shots on the go too. Figure I'll get the face sorted first but after doing a quick full body sketch I couldn't resist!



May alter his body structure a bit through the design process but for now

[ALH]

Blackcherry- Its early days obviously, but while you're playing with basic silhouettes- i'd recommend you do some research into expressive poses to help sell your characters good/evil status. Watch an episode of Americas Next Top Model and listen to what Tyra says about the models being fierce for the camera, and the kind of crits they give at the end of an episode - the advice they give is great wether you're posing a character or yourself, especially the episodes where the poses and expressions are a little subtle/obscure.

If it helps, do some hyper exaggerated cartoon versions of 'behold, you are nothing to me, i choose who lives or dies' (or whatever youre trying to say) to get the gestures down, then put a layer over the top and cut away at it.



On a Random group note- I got a Job interview invite today, which i have to sort out over the next couple of days. Its quite a journey to get down there so i'll be gone for a couple of days possibly some time next week/the week after.

[nimzicki]

CKLamb - very eager to see how what direction you're going, ill try to get some stuff done for the thief too.

ALH - congrats on the interview, wheres it for? If you don't mind me asking that is

[ALH]

The interview is for a GUI role at Climax down in Portsmouth. I only saw the ad on gamesindustry.biz last night at 2am ish too, was shocked to get such a swift reply, especially a positive one!

[ALH]

Some thoughts on common elements-

Wool -

It was mentioned earlier that a northerly direction could be interesting to venture into, with furs etc. I wonder if we could do something with wool? Despite my character being elderly I didnt consider the links to a fondness for knitting until now. While a character wearing a jumper with a christmas tree on the front may be slightly cheesy (and not that middle agey), Sheep farming/knitting are both things that have been around for a very long time, yet i've not seen much of it in fantasy costumes - and when wool does pop up it tends to be brown and basic.

But this is fantasy, who's to say the colour of a sheeps wool cannot be changed by magic? As our characters stories interweave, it would be interesting to see what we can do with a common woven theme. Garments which have been knitted in particular have a visual structure thats not too dissimilar from chain mail, and woven reeds could be used as flexible covering for gaps in armour to allow for character movement.

Thats not to say every character must be kitted out in full woolen regalia ( though my 'good' mage will possibly have a lot of woolies :3 ) - But as a linking element, a scarf, a shawl, an armband of knitted material could be a visual link for all of these characters.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Knitting has some examples of the kinds of shapes used in knitting, its all very serpentine, and reminds me of celtic vines. Theres a lot of potential for graphic photoshop brushes this, and 'knitted' patterns are a big thing in stylised gaming visuals atm- look at LBP's Sackboy, evnironment textures in Super mario Galaxy, Banjo Kazooie: Nuts & Bolts etc

Editing this in a bit to add some visual examples, i've literally just had the idea and need to delve further.

[ALH]

Speedpaint of 'thief' character using knit pattern brush made from - http://www.halfknits.com/patterns/kn...bee-stitch.JPG

[nimzicki]

Quick sketch, trying to get the armour looking right. Taken main shapes from Renaissance armour and tried to add in a sculptural Baroque element to keep it detailed and a noble element to the good side. Im going to move onto incorporating the demon parts now, anyone got any thoughts?

[ALH]

Hey nim, could we get some silhouettes going on before you leap into specific detail? Do a guy standing in a neutral/ortho pose, copy/paste him at least 4 times and do a different armour variation on each, pure black,no linework. Then we can give some direction so itll fit in with the rest of the group, and each pick out which we think is the strongest so you can incorporate bits from each one for your next pass.

I would actually advise each of us to get some silhouettes down before saturday/sunday so that we have a good variety. Things will obviously shift about a bit by the time they get to final, but this is a very important stage, ESPECIALLY for a group of characters who will be seen together and if we skip though it our characters wont be as dynamic as they could be.

This is a pretty good tutorial for the kind of process im talking about- http://forums.megatokyo.com/index.php?showtopic=1715168