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Blotto & Stick - a new custom Courier by spacemonkey & MoP

MoP
polycounter lvl 18
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MoP polycounter lvl 18
Hello friends,

It's been a while! But this time spacemonkey and I have not been idle... we have just put the finishing touches onto a new Dota 2 custom Courier. :)

You can check out the Steam Workshop page for the backstory and voting here: http://steamcommunity.com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=161982972

May we introduce... Blotto & Stick!
He is a drunken and greedy small keen who has come into possession of a magic stick that just about manages to keep him on the straight and narrow!

He has everything you'd want from a custom Courier, and more:
  • 2 LOD levels
  • Multiple animation variants including 2-3 idle and portrait loops
  • Additive turn animations
  • Jiggle bones for his bags
  • Cloth bones for the tail coat
TL;DR:
A video of most of the animation sets:
[ame="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eFn91_Gs4zc&hd=1"]DOTA2 Courier - Blotto - A new custom Courier for Dota 2! - YouTube[/ame]

Some fun images:
blotto_posed.jpg
blotto_walkingset.jpg
blotto_flyingset.jpg

And the concept art from spacemonkey that started it all:
blotto_conceptart.jpg

Some vital statistics:
  • Concept art by spacemonkey
  • Highpoly sculpt, lowpoly mesh, UVs and textures by spacemonkey
  • Rigging and skinning by MoP
  • Animations by spacemonkey and MoP
  • Tools, scripts and in-game setup by MoP
In fact, here's a screenshot of the (currently alpha-version) tools that I've been writing - currently they only support Couriers but I hope to expand this later. It handles exporting SMDs, compiling QCs, VMTs and VTFs, all from the simple UI window.

blotto_tools.png

Anyway, take a look at the Workshop page and if you like it, please vote - we'd love to get another fun Courier into the game :)


Cheers,
-MoP

Replies

  • Sunburnn
    Looking good, keep it up you two/!
  • Goldo_O
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    Goldo_O greentooth
    Wow O_O Let's make this guy a new hero! Awesome concept and animations, I hope it gets in quickly!
  • Sunburnn
    Goldo_O wrote: »
    Wow O_O Let's make this guy a new hero! Awesome concept and animations, I hope it gets in quickly!

    Yeah, we could possibly make him a new hero, just find a voice actor and we're golden
  • Neox
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    Neox veteran polycounter
    way too awesome
  • spacemonkey
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    spacemonkey polycounter lvl 18
    thanks for doing these promos mop! :) lets see how the dota community react now I guess.
  • bounchfx
    oh my goodness. you guys are out for blood... looks amazing!
  • Sukotto
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    Sukotto polycounter lvl 8
    This is all kinds of amazing! Good job guys!
  • soulstice
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    soulstice polycounter lvl 9
    amazing! great job!
  • 7thBattery
    I really, really love this. The model and textures are amazing and feel like they could've easily been done by Valve.

    However, what I'm most intrigued by is this:
    MoP wrote: »
    In fact, here's a screenshot of the (currently alpha-version) tools that I've been writing - currently they only support Couriers but I hope to expand this later. It handles exporting SMDs, compiling QCs, VMTs and VTFs, all from the simple UI window.

    blotto_tools.png
    *jaw drops*

    Could you explain what exactly your tools are doing? I mean, I get that almost all of Valve's files are just text files we could (potentially) write ourselves, but I'd love to hear more detail on all of this from you guys.

    If you could give a detailed tutorial especially in the area of jiggle and cloth bones, I'd gladly, lovingly offer you guys up as a Service Provider on all my future items :)
  • Neox
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    Neox veteran polycounter
    wow for a proper toolset that simplifies the workflow for sets or couriers i'd so give you a share of all items that make it into the store :o
  • vlad_the_implyer
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    vlad_the_implyer polycounter lvl 5
    MoP wrote: »

    In fact, here's a screenshot of the (currently alpha-version) tools that I've been writing - currently they only support Couriers but I hope to expand this later. It handles exporting SMDs, compiling QCs, VMTs and VTFs, all from the simple UI window.
    But, why would you need this? The only usefull feature is exporting smds, and there are exporters that do that.
  • DoubleLeaf
    Most unique courier ive seen! Instant Win!
  • Neox
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    Neox veteran polycounter
    But, why would you need this? The only usefull feature is exporting smds, and there are exporters that do that.

    well if you could get a full set or courier for testing in the game without the super exhausting workflow that it is right now that would be a real timesaver, i've seen people putting in custom mdls to play with against bots and such, so this would be a way better way to test your stuff before you do the final submission. also who knows maybe valve will see this and try to streamline the workflow further, because as of now it's a pretty annoying pipeline to for instance just load up pieces of a set to test them all together with the workshop editor.
  • Lennyagony
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    Lennyagony polycounter lvl 14
    Incredible work all around, you most definitely have all of my votes. As for the tools they look so polished, just looking at them almost make this feel like real production :)
  • Oroboros
    Very cool. Nice change of pace from the standard flavor of couriers, interested to see what Valve thinks. Nonetheless, got my vote.
  • MoP
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    MoP polycounter lvl 18
    But, why would you need this? The only usefull feature is exporting smds, and there are exporters that do that.

    Well, it's a fair point, and maybe you know an awesome workflow that I don't (if so, please share!) but I just found the whole import and compilation process to be very tedious and painful for iteration.

    As Neox says, to have a simple, "one click" pipeline (which is what my tools essentially allow) straight out of 3dsmax, saves me a lot of effort - especially if I want to make more couriers.

    Partly it was just a fun little side project too, I like to do a bit of maxscript on the side :)

    And you're right, there are exporters for SMDs already (I use an existing one and just wrap the maxscript functionality) but it basically means I can set up the whole asset as a single data file in 3dsmax, have all my exports set up in the max scene so that they can be rapidly re-exported in a consistent manner, and then a button that just converts all TGAs to VTF, writes a VMT using settings from the UI, and writes a QC based on the chosen settings.
    It then also compiles the QC and immediately overwrites the default Donkey courier model so I can just launch Dota 2 Test and check the model in-game without having to do anything else - it's all inside 3dsmax! :)

    Maybe it's not saving that much time really but it was a fun project and we found it useful - especially since we have all our files under version control since we work remotely so we can ensure that both of us are working with exactly the same settings and workflow.

    TL;DR: We think it saves us time, I'd love to be proven wrong though, I'd love to learn something! :)

    Also thanks for all your kind replies guys, it looks like the people on the Workshop like it too :)
  • Neox
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    Neox veteran polycounter
    our waldi is keeping the first place of this week warm for you guys, right now its totally my favorite asset in the workshop. so well made just a great inspiration
  • redcap
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    redcap polycounter lvl 11
    This is so good it doesn't look like a courier. It looks like a stinky hero man! Good work.
  • Hazardous
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    Hazardous polycounter lvl 12
    This is off the charts guys!!!! Seriously, holy shit!!!
  • spacemonkey
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    spacemonkey polycounter lvl 18
    thanks for all the support guys! :)
  • haiddasalami
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    haiddasalami polycounter lvl 14
    Awesome tool MoP and awesome courier! Been thinking of sitting down and looking at the pipeline required for Maya + Dota2. Those scripts from Valve are quite outdated :P
  • vlad_the_implyer
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    vlad_the_implyer polycounter lvl 5
    MoP wrote: »

    TL;DR: We think it saves us time, I'd love to be proven wrong though, I'd love to learn something! :)

    Also thanks for all your kind replies guys, it looks like the people on the Workshop like it too :)
    But it's literally three clicks. Export, rename in D2, press the "testmap" button. It takes roughly the same time, since you need to startup the testmap anyway, replacing the donkey, or doing it the proper way. No need to overwrite, create your own vmts, qc files, and all the other stuff.

    Not to mention that you're not allowed to use custom materials or cloth-sim, and D2 is not using jigglebones.
  • MoP
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    MoP polycounter lvl 18
    vlad_the_implyer: Hmm, what do you mean "rename in D2"? Where do you do that?
    Your method sounds pretty good. Maybe I've wasted my effort... oh well, scripting is fun :)

    I guess we'll see about the custom materials and cloth sim, our courier works without it but I'd like to think that we can get that in :)
    I'm pretty sure the jigglebones are used in Dota 2 too, I thought that actually a lot of heroes use jigglebones (eg. fur on Ursa's back, skulls on Witch Doctor's staff, etc.).

    They definitely work anyway.
  • spacemonkey
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    spacemonkey polycounter lvl 18
  • Neox
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    Neox veteran polycounter
    grats tim and paul, well deserved!
  • kendmd
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    kendmd polycounter lvl 5
    Congrats dude! Very well deserved indeed :D
  • HntrLuc
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    HntrLuc polycounter lvl 18
    Top notch work you two, congrats on getting accepted so quickly as well!
  • Lennyagony
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    Lennyagony polycounter lvl 14
    congratulations!, love to see quality work getting the official stamp of approval.
  • MoP
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    MoP polycounter lvl 18
    I really wasn't expecting it to hit the store that fast, but there it is...
    http://www.dota2.com/store/itemdetails/10297

    I guess I'll have to play with it today and see if the cloth, custom shader and jiggle bones made it in :)
  • MoP
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    MoP polycounter lvl 18
    Just checked the VPKs in the latest patch and they did leave the cloth in and active, looks like the jiggle bones are too :)

    However they have edited the material a little bit (turned off my diffusewarp - it wasn't adding much difference anyway, so fair enough). Weirdly, they also tweaked the specular scale and exponent values, not sure why since we think it looks weirdly shiny now, but whatever... :P
  • seth.
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    seth. polycounter lvl 14
    awesome work guys, everything is top notch. I love the rare idle anim so much :) This nearly makes me want to play dota!....but not quite :D
  • MoP
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    MoP polycounter lvl 18
    Cheers Seth :)

    Someone from work spotted this today... http://www.dota2.com/international/home/atevent/
    Cool! :)
  • KatArt
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    KatArt polycounter lvl 5
    It would be really amazing if you will stream \ or just get to youtube the whole process making that kind of model in 3ds max , in particular about that jiggle and cloth aspects and making \ exporting animations too... really great work, hope of your future works!
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