Dirnae's Creatures

dirnae · Post by **dirnae** » Fri May 15, 2009 10:51 am

I'll post all the creatures i'm working on here from now on

I wont be able to model anything for about a month, i'm currently doing exams, which means most of my spare time is spent revising, so feel free to put forward ideas, but don't expect anything modeled for a while

Bloodthirsty Crustacean · Fri May 15, 2009 6:10 pm

Whatever you can make look good, you should do.

Anyway, I look forwards to your work when you're ready again.

Also, do you think there's possibly the chance you could whip up that shrubbery before you properly take a break, so that the Viridis can be approved and merged?

If not, don't worry about it. Good luck with your examenes.

RelinQ · Post by **RelinQ** » Sat May 16, 2009 7:33 am

OH! make its mouth like ALIEN, that would be cool, maybe to tricky though.

BC Edit: WTF? Anyway, I changed your image to a link to prevent cluttering the thread.

[url]http://www.fantastic-plastic.com/AlienMouth.jpg[/url]

yeah Idk,

Good luck with your exams though.

Lady Nerevar · Post by **Lady Nerevar** » Sat May 16, 2009 3:43 pm

i'd go with an actual insect mouth because seriously, those things are creepy. teeth and mouth appendages have become, at least to me, expected.

i dont know about you, but i dont want to be attacked by some of these critters:
http://piclib.nhm.ac.uk/piclib/webimages/0/30000/300/30301_med.jpg
http://www5.pbrc.hawaii.edu/microangela/mflykisso.jpg
http://i.pbase.com/g5/23/502923/2/62901308.dFuMt9rj.jpg

dirnae · Post by **dirnae** » Mon May 18, 2009 4:04 pm

RelinQ, what have you been smokin?
i could do an alien head, but hell that would just be cliche and boring

Lady N, i can't access the third link, says 403 forbidden, but the second one is the spongy fly mouth i was on about. I don't think i would be able to make it attack with that, unless you want it to pop the end of it on your characters head and leave it there half an hour

i could use it in idles but that would be it

the ant mouth is easily doable though, i'll try it out

RelinQ · Post by **RelinQ** » Wed May 20, 2009 9:44 am

Lol sorry man, Idk what I was thinking,

Eitherway I have a small request for you, I hope you wont mind. >.>
There is a creature called: TR_cr_dres_bug_mtd Eg, "Mounted Dres Sky render" that I noticed needs just a little attention.

When the Render/Guard hovers up and down, the guard sitting down stays still but his spear seems to slide up and down alot. I was wondering if you could you possibly fix it so that the spear keeps "somewhat" more still in the guards hand.

Its just the "Idle" and "Idle2" movements for this creature that it this occurs at.

Thanks.

Keep up the awesome work

dirnae · Post by **dirnae** » Tue Jul 21, 2009 11:44 am

Thanks RelinQ.

I'll tweak the mounted sky render later, it seems like only a little tweak so it shouldn't be too hard.

Though I'm thinking, make my muskfly, alter it into a skyrender, then attach a biped ontop of it.

Sound Good?

Then I'll probably skin some of the old models onto the new skeleton, unless anyone would have a problem with that. I might replace some of them actually, I haven't actually looked at it yet.

Bloodthirsty Crustacean · Tue Jul 21, 2009 12:40 pm

We can take it more slowly, I think. The Skyrender is one of our more solid creatures (although the mounted anim leaves a lot to be desired).

Take your time, and work on one (or two at most) creature at a time, if you can restrain yourself!

This way we can be sure we're getting a quality creature that we actually need.

Muskfly is good, and perhaps after that trolls or beetle tweaks would be good. Your call. But don't rush too far ahead, or you'll confuse us all.

RelinQ · Post by **RelinQ** » Tue Jul 21, 2009 2:03 pm

dirnae wrote:Thanks RelinQ.

I'll tweak the mounted sky render later, it seems like only a little tweak so it shouldn't be too hard.

Though I'm thinking, make my muskfly, alter it into a skyrender, then attach a biped ontop of it.

Sound Good?

Sounds Great actaully, (as much as that creature is solid its animation isnt) But Im a little confused, what movement catergory does it fit into then? Walk & Fly?

Anyway like BC said, there are other more important priorities, so Ill keep that in mind.

Also as you may have guessed alot of our animators tend to disappear, so I'm glad to see you back around here as well (We need your precious animating skills!) and I noticed you were away for a while.

Yeti · Post by **Yeti** » Wed Jul 22, 2009 4:11 am

It's great to see you back Dirnae! Your creature creating skills are very impressive from what I've seen of your work. I... had thought we'd lost you

....

dirnae · Post by **dirnae** » Wed Jul 22, 2009 4:51 pm

Thanks RelinQ and Yeti, I'll stay a little longer this time before dissapearing.

I was gonna do the muskfly earlier, but I got sidetracked...
http://s647.photobucket.com/player.swf?file=http://vid647.photobucket.com/albums/uu195/mark507_album/morrowind/animations/Lizard.flv&fs=1&os=1&ap=1

Aeven · Post by **Aeven** » Wed Jul 22, 2009 5:27 pm

Looks good! If you want to do more creatures in general for us, that'd be really cool. The mainland probably would have special, unseen beasts never seen on Vvardenfell.

Bloodthirsty Crustacean · Wed Jul 22, 2009 6:51 pm

That looks like some fine animation there.

However, for the purposes of TR, I think we'd rather you did fixes first, any new stuff later.

You can add the Daedric bat to that vague list of possi-priorities I posted up a few.

Anyway, we'd have to see how that creature ultimately turned out before deciding if it fitted Morrowind, but the community at large would surely welcome more creature resources (especially brilliantly animated ones like these

).

RelinQ · Post by **RelinQ** » Wed Jul 22, 2009 11:37 pm

Looks interesting Dirnae, Im trying to picture what kind of creature it is though. I have an image of like some sort of.... Gryffin like creature with those arm/wing things.

Btw Good reminder BC, those Daedric bats are a shocker in game play. suprisingly I forgot about them. hmm I still stand by what I think about them though, like cliff racers, not to be used in interiors.

Katze · Post by **Katze** » Sat Jul 25, 2009 1:59 pm

RelinQ wrote:I have an image of like some sort of.... Gryffin like creature with those arm/wing things.

You mean a wyvern, perhaps? A gryffin is front end of an eagle, back end of a lion =P

Regardless, this animation work so far is awesome, Dirnae! Keep it up!

dirnae · Post by **dirnae** » Sat Jul 25, 2009 6:49 pm

This is just me making something from a couple of doodles. Though hopefully if released as a resource with TR, I've made it so other people can use my animation to make creatures like wyverns. Anyway, you'll just have to wait and see what it is, and if it doesn't suit TR, I can always edit into a bird and donate it to Skyrim. ^_^

I'll get on the fixes later, this is a hobby, and when I've got a claim I'll do it (well I'll kinda do it), but otherwise I want to do what I feel like, and right now I feel like making some creatures from scratch. Hope that's understandable, and I'm not trying to be piffy at all, and you don't even have to use the creatures I make, it's just I'm having fun making this stuff at the moment, so that's what I wanna do for a little while.

dirnae · Post by **dirnae** » Sun Aug 30, 2009 4:48 pm

Okay, I've got some stuff out of the way, so I'm fine with fixing some bugs now.

One thing I think I've already asked somewhere, is why can't we use Lady E's bat creature? Is there something I don't know about?
The original resource looks pretty crap, but Westly's made a great retexture of it for Melisande's Menagerie: http://i57.photobucket.com/albums/g235/Wesadam/Creatures/WAR_DB_BAT_SCREENS1.jpg
The bat isn't perfect, but with a retexture it looks better than TR's current one, and works fine in game. So is there any reason why we're not using it?
I could retexture it and scale it up, in fact I've been working with Westly on a couple of projects lately, so I could ask him if I can use his texture as a base to make a variation for TR, though I'd like to wait until he's released melisande's menagerie before I ask something like that.

michaleson · Post by **michaleson** » Sun Aug 30, 2009 6:10 pm

You should ask the creators premisson to see if we are allowed to use it.

dirnae · Post by **dirnae** » Sun Aug 30, 2009 6:32 pm

It's a free resource, all Lady E's stuff is.
I don't think you even have to credit Lady E, though it is appreciated if you do.

I'm sure someone here must of thought of using it before, so I'm guessing there's a good reason it's not being used in TR atm.

Yeti · Post by **Yeti** » Mon Aug 31, 2009 1:44 am

Hey, Dirnae, good to see you back again. I was wondering if you and everyone else would listen to this idea I have for a new creature.

You see, it says in lore (one of the corpse preparation books to be precise) that the Sload race of Thras buys slaves at Tear, the Dres capital.

The Sload are the most famous Necromancers, but little is known of their native Thras. In Tamriel, Sload only practice Necromancy on other races. It is uncertain whether this is true in Thras as well. If so, it would explain the number of slaves that are purchased in Tear by Sload merchants

Now I think I remember reading in an old thread that the Sloads' presence in Tear will only be mentioned as a rumor in dialogue. In other words; not represented in-game. Seeing how we don't have them in TR data, then I'm assuming this is still the idea.

However, seeing how we just happen to have a top-notch creature-maker, I think it'd be great if we could include them as a 'Yagrum Bagarn' like creature. One that you talk to, and that is a thing that is unique to an area and gives it extra flavor. Think of it: we'd have a race that, to my knowledge, has never been encountered in a TES game before, whose presence is backed by lore, and we have someone who can make it.

I just want to know if anyone else thinks this is a good idea. It certainly wouldn't be of the highest priority, but if Dirnae would be willing to make it, then I can't see too many reasons for us not to put them in.

Anyway, wheither my idea sucks or not, here is some concept art from the wiki for what they would look like:

[img]http://www.uesp.net/w/images/images.new/9/91/Sload_big.jpg[/img]

Katze · Post by **Katze** » Mon Aug 31, 2009 9:24 am

Yeti wrote:a race that, to my knowledge, has never been encountered in a TES game before

The Sload Necromancer N'Gasta was encountered, talked to and fought in the TES game Redguard, on his Island just off the coast of Stros M'Kai, Hammerfell.

dirnae · Post by **dirnae** » Mon Aug 31, 2009 9:30 am

A sload has been made by Lidicus, Westly, and SWG, find pics of it in this thread:
http://www.bethsoft.com/bgsforums/index.php?showtopic=972484&st=0

I think TR's got the okay to use it, if not, I'm sure the modders will be fine with TR using it anyway.
If you want me to put a robe on it and edit the mesh, I can do that, I could maybe even give it a unique spellcasting animation...

dirnae · Post by **dirnae** » Tue Sep 01, 2009 12:48 pm

My work flow in Blender.

Get a cube, raise it's subdivision to level 8, and sculpt a ridiculously high poly face.
http://i647.photobucket.com/albums/uu195/mark507_album/morrowind/models/head2.png

lower the subdivision level to 5.
http://i647.photobucket.com/albums/uu195/mark507_album/morrowind/models/head1.png

Thats it. Then I take it into max, optimize the hell out of it, make the eyes and mouth and it's done...
I swear Blender makes modeling far too easy. That's a 5 minute model too, I've been playing with sculpting tools far too much lately...

So, we using the Sload then?
Also, we've got a new creature maker haven't we?
What creatures will he be taking on?

edit: here's something a little more relevant.
level 8 http://i647.photobucket.com/albums/uu195/mark507_album/morrowind/models/bat1.png
level 5 http://i647.photobucket.com/albums/uu195/mark507_album/morrowind/models/bat2.png

If you use Blender, learn to sculpt.

Bloodthirsty Crustacean · Tue Sep 01, 2009 1:47 pm

If a sload were to materialise that was of sufficient quality, fit in suitably with Morrowind and our desired role for a Sload, and that was available as a free resource, TR might well consider its inclusion. Until such a time, I don't think we have an opinion...

Worsas is certainly learning how to make creatures, and making great progress. I don't believe he's an official 'creature maker' yet. As for what he's taking on, well we'd give our suggestions when/if he's ready to work. Currently there's nothing in stone, and you're suitably maverick as to prevent too much fore-planning.

As usual, we'll take anything (quality and functional) we can get, particularly if it's a rework of one of our crappier creatures.

Out of interest, what are you actually working on (for TR) right now?

It's the sea crab, right, and it looks like you might be working on a Daedric Bat?

Cheers for updates.

dirnae · Post by **dirnae** » Tue Sep 01, 2009 2:40 pm

Edit: Lady E does not like her models to be cut up and changed, so I will fix the issues with the current daedric bat, and make my own at a later date. They may be retextured and used as is, that is all.

However, before I really get serious with that, I'm going to finish the crab, which'll hopefully be finished very soon, and then I'll resume work on the muskfly, which'll hopefully take around a month to finish now I've got a little more experience with creatures. What comes after that depends on what else needs to be done at that time.

Worsas · Post by **Worsas** » Tue Sep 01, 2009 4:26 pm

Also, we've got a new creature maker haven't we?

Hey, I'm, unfortunately, far off from your quality. Until now I rather rushed through the whole process of learning to model things for Morrowind. Things still need to be deepened. I'm okay with the people here letting me wait. I'll hold on though until I can be sure if this is the job for me or not.

But what I realise is that 'skill' is only half of what belongs to a modeler. Really, you need to have a certain sense for forms, colors and all that. Especially when modeling for Morrowind.

Sorry, if I sound smart-aleck. It's not what I want to be.
It's only that I'm considering to open up a thread that discusses this topic. There are often things mentioned about the general Morrowind-Style, but there is no thread explicitly dealing with it.

You're doing good work, Dirnae. Thanks also for directing me to the sculpturing.

dirnae · Post by **dirnae** » Tue Sep 01, 2009 4:51 pm

I understand, I was the same when I got here in April, it takes time to learn these things.

If you need anything, feel free to ask, at the least I'll be able to point you in the direction to getting help in any problems you might have.

It's great another character artist (for lack of a better word) has joined TR, if you want to start a thread discussing the Morrowind-style, that'd be great, it's something that any Morrowind modeller could benefit from, including myself. Good luck with sculpting mode in Blender, it's arguably Blender's most powerful tool, if you lower the level to 5, remember to decimate and weld vertices to lower the polycount, or else you'll have a load of useless polies.

There are loads of great tutorials for sculpting on Youtube if you need them, I can point you to the one I used if you're interested.

Yeti · Post by **Yeti** » Wed Sep 02, 2009 2:26 am

Oh someone made a Sload already? Cool

When I was looking for one on the internet all I could find was this: [url]http://planetelderscrolls.gamespy.com/View.php?id=1523&view=OblivionMods.Detail[/url]

Lady Nerevar · Post by **Lady Nerevar** » Wed Sep 02, 2009 5:03 pm

ive seen a couple sload mods started, but never a finished, uploaded product.

dirnae · Post by **dirnae** » Wed Sep 02, 2009 5:19 pm

This ones finished, it's being put into the next lore unfriendly version of the creatures mod as a super rare encounter.
You can read about it on the BGSF, Piratelord's got a couple of threads up for creatures XI.