Team Panda consists of Heathmeister, Kanpai!, and myself. We're all new members and are excited to try our skills out on this challenge. We'll be using concept 53 - Base.



Backstory :

During the years after World War 2 the islands of Severnaya Zemlya were studied by a team of geologists from NIIGA (the Scientific Research Institute of Arctic Geology) in St. Petersberg under B. Kh. Egiazarov from 1948 to 1954, who compiled a comprehensive geological map.

During the geological survey a electromagnetic anomaly was detected on the northernmost island of Komsomolets within the the Academy of Sciences Ice Cap, the largest ice cap in Russia. Discovered in the ice cap was a large object of unknown origin,
attempts to obtain samples of the object for further study were unsuccessful as no piece of it could be broken off to bring back to a lab.

Batteries and other electrical devices were drained or became inoperable when brought near the object. Dubbed the Taymyr Anomaly by the Russian scientist, was unable to be moved by several major efforts by the soviet government to relocate it to a more secure location, due to its effects on the electrical systems of heavy machinery.

Deciding that study of the objects effects may result in a decisive strategic advantage over the west, and that the removal of the object would prove too costly and conspicuous, an extensive research facility was constructed on the site. Built over the years with prefabricated parts, with personnel and material moved under the cover of arctic expedition supplies, the facility grew around the enigma.

Over time the soviet scientists learned to shield their equipment from the anomaly's effects. Over time they were able to pry deeper and deeper into its core, unveiling more and more of its secrets. After a scheduled experiment attempting to breach further into the object than ever before all contact with the facility was lost, a quick reaction force was sent to investigate, shortly after arriving all contact was lost with them as well…

Woot!

Originally Posted by Tumerboy

Woot!

Oh indeed... waiting to get off work so we can get started on a paint over and some prop ideas and layout

I'm trying to join us to the contest but the page says its closed for registration, any idea whats up?

dont worry about it man, just keep plugging away. you dont really have to register until you submit your entry but itll probably be open for registration soon anyway

Thanks rooster, I was confused.


posting for updated backstory

kudos!

Well guys here is an update from us. I did the paintover and finally finished it to a point to show you kinda a idea and direction we are heading and going with how stuff will look. I was spending to much time thinking, changing and erasing stuff on this paintover.... I would have spent forever on it so i forced myself to stop.

So here is the paintover and such for you guys viewing...





So yea we are trying to juggle our jobs and life and do this all at the same time... We will be posting some concepts of props and other stuff soon..

I like this, but its lacking some evil. I mean don't get me wrong, the place doesn't exactly look friendly, it's just lacking some interest in the lighting department, and it looks far too much like earth with the way it is right now - which again could be solved in the lighting. Or you could make the buildings look 'alien' in some way?

Seeing as we're fighting for polycount, perhaps turn those blues into greens just as a test and see if it still looks like a futuristic earth... I suspect not. Or perhaps some purpley-reds?

Maybe this isn't useful at all, something you already know or have thought yourselves, but thought it was worth suggesting all the same. Good luck with this one.

Originally Posted by petrol

I like this, but its lacking some evil. I mean don't get me wrong, the place doesn't exactly look friendly, it's just lacking some interest in the lighting department, and it looks far too much like earth with the way it is right now - which again could be solved in the lighting. Or you could make the buildings look 'alien' in some way?

Seeing as we're fighting for polycount, perhaps turn those blues into greens just as a test and see if it still looks like a futuristic earth... I suspect not. Or perhaps some purpley-reds?

Maybe this isn't useful at all, something you already know or have thought yourselves, but thought it was worth suggesting all the same. Good luck with this one.

Nah petrol your right, there are some things lacking evil I promise you that... but in the same time im still a beginner in painting in PS...

But we have talked and seen that there is some stuff that we should make look a little more evil.

We are planning on doing a interior for the core that hit the earth and where they built the facility around it.

Thats where i think we will add that haunt factor and the ere feel... We are trying to come up with different things and ways to put the E in Evil I guess..

It is still early so who knows what will be added and changed a tad..

Thats alot tho petrol... good comment

Here is one of the many props I got done with yesterday.

Yay! Nice work! Add more detail!

Update

We've gotten a rough layout of the environment, trying to make it seem more evil and trying some early lighting. We're going to have the Aurora Borealis in the sky to help add some green/blue ambient lighting and a bit more of a unusual feel.

We've decided to have the central focus of the level be the mysterious artifact, thats busted out of the ice cap and through the concrete shell that was constructed around it and is now floating in the air. The wires coming off are sensors from the experiments that were being performed on it and it will be surrounded with debris from the building it was housed in.

The background buildings are placeholders for right now, they'll be destroyed and burning like in the paintover piece heath did. We're currently doing concepts on what we want the anomaly to look like, it wont be a egg in the final

various camera angles rendered so far. Let us know what you all think.

Hey guys heres a little concept sketch for the alien egg thing lol.

So we are trying to shoot for the creepy feel since we didnt get the whole evil thing off the beginning.

So here is the concept....