3D-I Assignment 3; Part 1

So, like mentioned in the last post, we switched concepts with someone else. Or rather we were employed by someone else to make a model of their concept. As such, so was I too by another student. This is the concept I was given:

All rights reserved by it’s creator Ben Ellebracht

According to my “employer”, this character is a shaman, nicknamed Hito. The tribe Hito lives in is a peaceful people that respect nature and lives alongside the giant eagles of the green plains. The village folk worship these giant eagles, using shamans to communicate and take care of them. Becoming an Eagle shaman however, takes many years of training in the old arts of magic.

Hito was brought by an eagle to his tribe when he was a baby, with only a blue orb around his neck on him. The shamans of the tribe saw his green eyes and pale skin as a revelation from the spirits, and took him in as one of their own, teaching him the ways of the shamans. Hito was a natural when it came to focusing and controlling the spiritual powers of nature. He could also at a very young age, talk to the eagles at will. This shocked the shamans, since it usually takes half a lifetime to learn such complicated magic.

The great eagles once told him that grim times were on its way, an entity that spouts fire wherever it goes, and will turn the great green fields to ash. The eagles told Hito not to tell the others, as it would just cause panic among the villagers. They did tell Hito that he had a part in solving this problem, just that they have to wait a little longer until he was able.

Hito does not care all too much about his appearance, he has his big poncho covering most of his body, a headband to keep his dishevelled hair in place. And two giant feathers that he got as a gift from the great eagles, which are his most prized possessions. He also runs wherever he goes, his movements are a bit clumsy because of his very big poncho however.

Visual Style

According to my employer, the model should fall in the same category as that of Link in The Legend of Zelda: Skyward Sword. It could also be compared to the characters in Ice Age. The hair should be very blocky, he should have very exaggerated features in general and also very strong colors. He is a cartoon character after all.

Competitors

The thought up game would compete with games such as Journey, Shadow of the Colossus as well as the new, as of yet unreleased game; Rime. It would be a open world platforming game, based around wind.

Risks

The biggest oddity of this character, is his giant poncho. Will it act as his body, or will it simply flow? I would think that it falls somewhere in between these points. It is a poncho, meaning it would probably me woven, and as such made from a heavy fabric. It would follow the wind and “dangle”, but at the same time be rather restricted in its movements and follow the body well. Another possible risk is that of the giant feathers. As a result of its size, and it being attached to the head, animating this restricts movement in the neck quite a bit. for example, he will not be able to look up, without having the feathers intersect with his back. Given that a big part of the possible gameplay is to fly on the wind, he will hopefully mostly look down on things on the ground. If this would not be the case however, one possible way to solve this, would be to hang them from his headband in a string, rather than to have them be hard-attached via it.

Summary

Personally, I really, really like this concept. It’s cool, fun and different. It’s got a very clear style, as well as theme. The biggest concern I have towards it, is getting approval to use this for my portfolio, as it was not created by the student who employed me. Either way, it’s a good exercise and I REALLY look forward to creating it! Although the model is rather simple, I particularly look forward to doing the texturing, and really capturing the feel of the concept! I am obsessed with wind, the sky and clouds and flying, so it really fits my bill! >uO That’s all for now, and in the meantime; let’s soar!