Well, it's March already and we should be having our annual Sumea Modeller Challenge in a few months.
Feel free to discuss some topics you'd like the challenge to approach this time, and any suggestions and things you'd like to give on the whole modeller challenge and what ever issue you may want to raise.Souri2007-03-01 08:43:32
I kind of agree with PeterDavis.
I believe it's too soon...for the same stuff.
We see very little personal work on here unless it's for the challenges and then it's all based on the same thing, a FPS character model with normal maps and a generic topic such as Uber soldier or Sci fi marine.
Why can't the next challenge be something that allows a broader scope in art direction?
Souri could set up an imaginary world/game with a list of possible models to choose from, (townsfolk, critters, heroes, whatever fits) then the entrant must display there vision of how they think there chosen character model should look in the game/world.
Be it by using an alternative shader, maybe a cel shader like in Wind Waker or by representing them using a very different art direction such Shadow of the Colossus.
I'd love to see something totally off the wall that is well executed and still fits all the specs a games model has to adhere too.
I just think it would be good to see some stretching of our imagination muscles.
If we had some time before it started then the budding designers could compete for designing the world and characters we choose from.
Malus
The challenge will start in June (3 months away), so I thought it would be nice to hear some suggestions early so I can organize things if needed. Challenge will only go for 3 months (till September) which leaves one month for the judges (October). That's usually the plan!
Some great ideas there, Malus. I absolutely agree that it's time we do something different this round.
I think it's never happened as it's hard to expect someone to complete an environment with all the props, buildings etc needed to do an ok job.
Characters, vehicles and props are just easier to get out in a comp format.
Not to mention the small fact that this has always been a character challenge. :)
I think if people want a different challenge it should be done in parallel with not instead of.
arrrrghhhh??? environmental... man.. as cool as that could be.. this competition is well known as one of the best annual character comps around... which i think is a great thing..... i look forward to every competition....as do others i'm sure...but im all for keeping it characters... also there is a good chance that those in the industry are more likely to be stuck in enviroment than characters anyways for a majority of the project... so character modeling could be a good change for industry people as well.. either way ill be participating most likely...
A creature challenge this time around would be spiffy. No limits on limbs or anything like that. Free range, apart from model+texture limits and a short description(similar to conceptart.org's COW - link for example)shika2007-03-05 20:45:42
Character + environment.
What about the most important character in any game, the shop keeper. You spend more time looking at these characters than any other NPC in the game so why not give them the respect they deserve.
Model the character (any genre) plus part of their shop. Like the counter top, display case or whatever they have.
Shika:
A more creative approach, it allows for something totally different.
Giving the entrants a chance to show what there twisted little minds can dream up. Boo ha ha.
Palantir:
Sorry to be harsh but WoW and it's ilk give me the yawns.
We may as well just set the topic as a space marine chick with big boots, size DD cybernetic boobs, tattoos, skulls around her waist, her arms replaced with guns and ....SPLORT... brain damage from lack of stimulus...
FlyingMonk:
Gives the props guys something to play with I guess. Could allow it to be a collaborative effort?
The props/level folk do a set piece and character peeps create the towns person who accompanies it.
Allow the entrant to determine what defines a townsfolk, anything from the generic blacksmith to something more exotic.
Souri could decide on the technical specs to follow while allowing each entrant to determine there own art direction.
the reason we play hero characters instead of shopkeepers and candlemakers is that hero characters are more heroic and therefore way cooler ;) ..that is my intellegent statement for the day.. so therefor way cooler to model... either way... i think it is time again to have higher polycount around 7000-8000 even 9000 with 2x1024 textures ...
i think shika's idea is the best so far.... im all for a creature comp.
although i could be tempted to model a 7000 poly chicken with lazers shooting out its boobies and huge space marine boots
These ideas sound great :D all of them would be super fun to do.
Another idea for the bucket!
What about having an object/item for example a blue bucket (though probably more interesting then that) then everyone has to make that the focus of there work. Either a character wearing it on there head or a large print on a t-shirt, or a farmer with one in there hand. Doesn?t matter how but somehow it has to be there. The more creativly you use that bucket the better your score is.
Don't you feel like doing something different though? I think the challenge needs a real change this year, because we really have gone through the entire gamut of interesting character themes in all the past challenges.
We often see the same names in the top five or ten finalists in the Sumea challenges, and I think it's high time we mix it up a bit. I know characters are the pinnacle for modellers, but I think a lot of you are getting too good at doing them, and too complacent. The challenge therefore threw normal mapping into the mix which was probably an attempt to offer you some sort of challenge, and it sorta made it tougher for the new challengers as a result.
It would be cool if, like I mentioned before, if it were an architectural challenge (with a common theme), or spaceship or something.. just no characters or creatures!
Creatures - there's the possibility that challengers will just run the same ground with creature design that they do with characters (muscle definition, chest, limbs etc)Souri2007-03-08 06:12:55
I'm up for a small scale architectural challenge, its all pushing verts and painting pixels after all :)- though I'd prefer a brief closer to "make a gateway" than "make a building"
I just fear we'll lose a lot of entrants since the majority of artists here seem to be character people and might not be interested in anything else(especially if they're trying to land a job making characters)
I agree with killa dee about risking changing something that is growing in exposure for what it already is.. people get really excited about characters.. and there has been some awesome enthusiasm put into the backgrounds of their characters...
the favorite part of the competitions for me is reading everyone?s ideas... very cool...
I know a couple of people who check out the competition and aren?t even interested in the games industry.. but they go through all the entrants each year just for fun... out of appreciation for the ideas behind them.. ultimately I put them on to it ..
but they have remembered the modeling competition and look forward to seeing the entries.. maybe they would feel the same about environment assets... not sure...
the other thing that might happen is that those who have been sitting at the top with their character models.. might even stand out more if they do environment models.. as the chances are they know all the tricks and have heaps more time to do them... and likewise the wow factor you can get from a cool character idea might give you a bit of extra cred in judging that you may not get with environments..
if we do go environments.. hopefully it will be open enough for interpretation... not just one theme... maybe a 'house of dwelling' or 'guild hall' which could be interpreted as space or medieval or whatever... would be a bit bland if it was kinda 'model a space marine dock' .....
What about a complete scene? The challenge could have an open styled brief similar to the cgsociety challenges (like The Journey Begins, or Grand Space Opera), with the main difference of course being that the scene must be within specified low-poly game environment specs.
This would allow for a high level of creativity and a variety of possible designs. People could make a character model or models as well as the environment (such as a scene of a hero character escaping an exploding army base, or a scene of a crowded castle) while others might choose to make something such as vehicles or creatures in their environments (a scene from a GTA style game, or a level from Doom before the hero arrives), or maybe something that is purely environmental (such as the bridge of a starship or a detailed landscape).
Admitedly a complete scene would be a lot of work, but it should be doable with the 3 month time limit, and of course, not everyone would need to make an overly complex scene. Beats me what theme to go with though.
Why don't we theme the competition to something rather then a genre or style.
I've noticed in a lot of previous competition people avoid doing things that are tricky, like good hair on a character, feet, hands or accurate human anatomy.
So I prepose we theme it on something that forces entrants to try face tricker challenges.
Suggestions:
Cool Hair competition- The character/creature can can be any style or genre as long as the focus is their cool hair.
Fat Character comp- The character just has to be fat or have some sort of obvious fatness going on.
Hands and feet comp- Focus character is the detail in their hands and feet. Preferably uncovered. Quake boots and boxing gloves wont do.
Flesh and bone- Character must explore texture and form of flesh and bone and this must be obvious on the character.
An idea that combines (what I think) are the good points of most of the suggestions so far would be to make a creature + its dwelling. The dwelling should be as much a focus of the comp as the creature, and they have to go hand in hand. It depends on the creature of course, but the dwelling has the potential to be a small, yet interesting environment peice to compliment the creature, which stays closer to the traditional vein of the comp. And of course laser boobies are obligatory.
many great idea's, a 'hands' comp could be fun.
With environment what spec's are we talking here? (Next gen games or cinematic)
What would the specs be like?
-10k polys
-4096x4096 texture (broken up however you like)
-HDRI GI Lighting (Vray and Mental Ray are allowed)
-2 months?
KILLA DEE2007-03-12 16:01:27
already? it seems so soon. Id love to see what some people can do without normal maps, just some good geometry and nice textures.