all your ideas are simple and plain, nothing too exciting... but your models are amazing and fit quite well into tf2.. i'm looking forward to see your textures :P

For the pin-ups, have you looked at the team calendars in the spawn rooms?

I'd advise you to make some colour studies of your Bazooka before settling on the modeling. I tried to make a rocket launcher with just dark and darker greys myself (save for the handles) and quickly found that it didn't work; the contrast between the metal and the wood is pretty essential for the weapon's design. There's a chance you can get away with just metal, because you've got a pretty strong silhouette, but again, do a test to see if it actually is so.

As for the melee weapon, it's not terribly creative and I think that's a weakness. Personally I was thinking of him swinging around a broken off propeller to fit with the air theme, but that might be too silly.

Pretty nice stuff so far.

Originally Posted by Psyke

the t looks a tiiiny bit plain

maybe wrap a cloth or some rubber grip around it?

Thanks, I'll look into it.

Originally Posted by Snex

all your ideas are simple and plain, nothing too exciting... but your models are amazing and fit quite well into tf2.. i'm looking forward to see your textures :P

That would be down to personal interpretation of what fits. I could be more outlandish - as a number of other entrants are doing - but I don't see that as being necessary.

Originally Posted by Rogue Trooper

For the pin-ups, have you looked at the team calendars in the spawn rooms?

Eh? Are you thinking of this entry? A pinup probably wouldn't fit my stuff since they seem to be more associated with bombers and the air force than the paratroopers themselves. I've not seen a glider with one on it.

Originally Posted by Zwebbie

I'd advise you to make some colour studies of your Bazooka before settling on the modeling. I tried to make a rocket launcher with just dark and darker greys myself (save for the handles) and quickly found that it didn't work; the contrast between the metal and the wood is pretty essential for the weapon's design. There's a chance you can get away with just metal, because you've got a pretty strong silhouette, but again, do a test to see if it actually is so.

Well since I have to organise the details of both the bazooka and the shotgun, I was considering looking into the colour scheme for them at the same time so I could see how colour and silhouette variations interact. It'll proabably be the next thing I do.

Originally Posted by Zwebbie

As for the melee weapon, it's not terribly creative and I think that's a weakness. Personally I was thinking of him swinging around a broken off propeller to fit with the air theme, but that might be too silly.

I don't think a bit of a plane would fit since the airborne units spent more time out of aircraft than in them, so I don't really see any strong links to draw inspiration from aircraft. You might be right in saying that it's an unimaginative weapon though, but there isn't all that much to play with without going too far from the other weapons, and I'm pretty happy that this feels different enough from existing ones. It was also fun to make, which is big plus in my eyes.

Damn it, wrong thread. Sorry about that.

"Whippet Gun" Shotgun Development Part 2



To change the shape of the shotgun significantly, while making sure it still looks and functions like a shotgun, I went for a folding stock that folds over the top. I thought about using a side-folding stock, but that would only give visual interest to the user or an observer, depending on which side it's on. A top folding one like this is visible to all and impacts the side-on shape of the gun.

The most common example of a stock that folds like this looks rather plain and modern since it's made from pressed metal. It carried that look into the model when I tested it too. So I decided to make my own, styling it after the folding stock of the paratrooper's M1A1 carbine, and I rather like how it turned out.

Colour wise, I decided to see what it would look like if I used the colour pallette of the only waepon in the game with green on it so far - the Direct Hit. It happens to be close to a promising shade I came across in my research.


Next up:
Probably bazooka stuff, I've been doing some basic silhouette and colour studies with it and it looks like Zwebbie was spot on about colour having a huge impact, even before you put the thing on a character model.

quite a harsh looking little thing isn't it?

Wow! That stock made all the difference in the world! I was afraid, like some others, that your ideas were just not interesting enough visually. But, the shotgun modification is quite redeeming. Keep up the good work.

With all the default shotguns in the game, it's great to see people taking it on and making it unique!

Originally Posted by Psyke

quite a harsh looking little thing isn't it?

It's got the look I'm after then!

Originally Posted by ParingKnife

Wow! That stock made all the difference in the world! I was afraid, like some others, that your ideas were just not interesting enough visually. But, the shotgun modification is quite redeeming. Keep up the good work.

Hey man this is why it's all work in progress!

Originally Posted by Snowloss

With all the default shotguns in the game, it's great to see people taking it on and making it unique!

Exactly why I'm having a go at it. Since to test it in game it replaces the shotgun used by everybody so I've seen it in all the class' hands, and it only really fits the Soldier in regards to the changes in shape (and it really doesn't fit the heavy since it's a tiny baby shotgun).

------------

I've been thinking of some potential names for some of this kit and I'd appreciate any thoughts on the following:

For the E-tool, the Market Gardener
This comes from the thought of making a play on the fact that it looks like a deranged gardening implement (which is pretty much what e-tools are anyway) and a reference to Operation Market Garden, one of the paratrooper's major operations in WW2.

For the Rocket Launcher
It's proving pretty difficult to come up with something that fits this because the origin of the name Bazooka is pretty colourful in itself. GI's decided it looked like a novelty instrument played by Bob Burns and the name stuck. Since we know the Soldier has a pretty loose grip on reality the following line of thought could work:

"This thing? I hear they named it after that novelty instrument, the Kazoo" - the Soldier

The Panzerschrek also got a nickname based on what it looks like - Ofenrohr (stove pipe). Thing is there's already a stove pipe in the game since that's an english name for a top hat, so to go along the same lines it would have to be the Chimney or the Smokestack, or some other pipe-like thing.

So, thoughts? More research needed?

intrestingly enough, soldier will frequently mention chimney's and smoke when dominatin' pyro

so that's quite a good direction to go with

the shotty you have looks like it needs more detail, some scuffs, dents, and other marks...

The shotgun could use a little work, but not every single weapon in TF2 needs to be broken, taped, splintered, burned, or broken.
The cleanness of the shotgun still keeps it looking like a stock 'skin swap' replacement as opposed to a brand new weapon with stats.

isn't the point of this comp is to make a model that will be made into a NEW weapon?
a "skin swap" is hardly something of a "new" weapon
and this is the soilder we are talking about, why would his guns NOT be scuffed?

The main goal of this contest is to remodel existing weapons, so in essence it sort of is a skinning contest.

As for a little skuff for the Soldier, you're completely right. Was more a comment on what I've seen across most projects as a whole. So much tape...

Maybe have a knife welded/ bonded to the right side of the shotgun for a bayonet?

I am sure it is to model new weapons, the only thing preventing completely new weapons is the default animations...and I know of several people who are animating their weapons.

and duct tape is a Mann's best friend.

It probably looks a little plain since there's no detailing on the pump and there are no bolts on the body - both of those will be in the texture, along with any paint/metal wear and tear.

I'm not inclined to model dents into it because they would add more to an already high poly shotgun, and denting is actually very rare on the TF2 weapons. The only pronounced ones I've seen are on the baseball bat and the bugle, and neither are mechanical devices.

Colour Testing

After spending a load of time digging up shades of military green colours (olive drab) I did some tests of a couple against the TF2 colour pallette. You can see 9 of the tones on the top row of the below image. It turns out none of them complement both the Red and Blu schemes at the same time, and all of them favour red. In the meantime, the only green tone already in game and used on the Direct Hit, does complement both.



It turns out the Direct Hit's green has equal levels of red and blue, while all real colours have more red in them which produces the varying level of yellow/browning, and if blue is stronger than red, it doesn't look like military green. This means the base green I'll use is going to be similar to the Direct Hit green, and the rest of the rows of colours look at variations of that colour.

Bazooka Rocket Launcher Development Part 3



I've been compiling a selection of silhouette varations and looking into how colour variations affect them. I'm leaning towards #8 a lot but the base wood tone may get tweaked. Having the tube wrapped with wood like that differentiates it a lot from the actual bazooka design, whilst at the same time it ties it to the designs of the other rocket launchers - both of which are good things.

Next up:
Probably modelling the above.

I really liked how it looked like with a lighter shade of green, oh well. Also, my vote would have to go for 8.

I have to admit your development process is pretty amazing.

To comment on the weapons, I'm not too sure on the front of the launcher. It feels somewhat plain on the top side and the angle of the cone feels too wide. Maybe just a small ironsight in front of the cone, about half the size of the one on the rocket launcher - even if it wouldn't be useable, it'd add to the silhouette and it could just be passed off as a small joke.

As for the shotgun, I like it, but I can't get rid of the feeling that it's too much like the regular shotty. It's the part between the barrel and handle, how you didn't make any changes other than the texture. Everything else about it looks great but if you could work in some kind of change there other than a different colour you'd have something that looks definitely different from the original.

And if it means anything, I much prefer the wooden area of the 8th rocket laucher

2 or 7?

I'd go for 3, 7, or 8 out of those.

That shotgun looks amazing by the way! It really reminds me of the SPAS shotgun.

That gun is totally fully automatic so maybe you could work some sort of awesomeness from that idea!! I love this polypack and it I wish you the best of luck!!

SPAZ shotgun FTW