UndeadPuppy wrote:

DevildogFF wrote:

I'm practically teary-eyed at how well you guys are bringing the Unfallen to life. 

This is the best thing I've been a part of since I started eXplorminate. Well done, guys...well done...

We never actually asked, but is the Unfallen's homework a Forrest, Terran or a Jungle planet. I just realised that we don't really know much about their homeworld.

I imagined it as a Forest planet, with many different "breeds" of Unfallen. Much like there are many different strands of trees here. 

Each strand would have different roles. 

Very similar to different dog breeds, too. 

I thought about giving their homeworld a name that was reminiscent of a tree species here, but I don't know...

Mithrill wrote:

Ok, so shortly:

-The Caretaker, a tank-like unit:

http://imgur.com/a/EtcK6

P.S. Can somebody help me with making a real photo? Because I can't :(

-Some names for ships' classes, from mythological trees:

-Deoder, civillian;

-Bohbi, corvette;

-Ashvattha, destroyer;

-Walleecha, cruiser;

-Kalpavriksha, battleship;

-Yggdrasil, dreadnought (following Hinin)

That link doesn't show anything, sir. 

DevildogFF wrote:

UndeadPuppy wrote:

DevildogFF wrote:

I'm practically teary-eyed at how well you guys are bringing the Unfallen to life. 

This is the best thing I've been a part of since I started eXplorminate. Well done, guys...well done...

We never actually asked, but is the Unfallen's homework a Forrest, Terran or a Jungle planet. I just realised that we don't really know much about their homeworld.

I imagined it as a Forest planet, with many different "breeds" of Unfallen. Much like there are many different strands of trees here. 

Each strand would have different roles. 

Very similar to different dog breeds, too. 

I thought about giving their homeworld a name that was reminiscent of a tree species here, but I don't know...

What about calling it Dendron? Based off of the meaning of the word Dendroid.

Celeir wrote:

I really hope people will go further in their experiments and find something more unique (or at least less stereotypical).

I love techno-magic of 'Endless' games, and this magic can be much more interesting, than dryads or ents.

By the way,

DevildogFF wrote:

the Unfallen's ships are a mix of organic material and machinery, so The Unfallen's ships are basically cyborgs. 

For sure, it would be very strange, if Unfallen knows how to create MASSIVE cyborgs and don't create smaller ones. If they so skilled in combining machinery and their own flesh, for sure, they have many years of practice. What if all Unfallen are tree-cyborgs? Their 'tree' part even could only be slightly shown through exoskeleton, or be in heart of totally mechanical construction. Horizon: Zero Dawn can be as inspiration too.

Creating just 'armed trees' you can overlook one of the most important questions: "how tree can be competitive to any sort of metal or pure energy?". If it can't (and it can't), then 'tree flesh' has to be hidden under something that protects it; and also can't be major part of spaceship, until spaceship fights with standard tactics (and, for example, doesn't similar to swarm of weak but maneuvering targets etc).

I beg you all, just ignore DevildogFF comments about how much concept are close to his idea. His part of work is over, and now it's in our hands, not DevildogFF's, how to add details to faction look. Did you noticed how few facts can be found in available descriptions? Event the word 'tree' can represent not nature but just look of creature -- maybe made entirely from metal but for some reason stylized himself to tree, or grass, or whatever. You aren't pinioned to create what YOU want!

Celeir wrote:

Celeir wrote:

I really hope people will go further in their experiments and find something more unique (or at least less stereotypical).

I love techno-magic of 'Endless' games, and this magic can be much more interesting, than dryads or ents.

By the way,

DevildogFF wrote:

the Unfallen's ships are a mix of organic material and machinery, so The Unfallen's ships are basically cyborgs. 

For sure, it would be very strange, if Unfallen knows how to create MASSIVE cyborgs and don't create smaller ones. If they so skilled in combining machinery and their own flesh, for sure, they have many years of practice. What if all Unfallen are tree-cyborgs? Their 'tree' part even could only be slightly shown through exoskeleton, or be in heart of totally mechanical construction. Horizon: Zero Dawn can be as inspiration too.

Creating just 'armed trees' you can overlook one of the most important questions: "how tree can be competitive to any sort of metal or pure energy?". If it can't (and it can't), then 'tree flesh' has to be hidden under something that protects it; and also can't be major part of spaceship, until spaceship fights with standard tactics (and, for example, doesn't similar to swarm of weak but maneuvering targets etc).

I beg you all, just ignore DevildogFF comments about how much concept are close to his idea. His part of work is over, and now it's in our hands, not DevildogFF's, how to add details to faction look. Did you noticed how few facts can be found in available descriptions? Event the word 'tree' can represent not nature but just look of creature -- maybe made entirely from metal but for some reason stylized himself to tree, or grass, or whatever. You aren't pinioned to create what YOU want!

Excellent points, Celeir.

Celeir wrote:

Celeir wrote:

I really hope people will go further in their experiments and find something more unique (or at least less stereotypical).

I love techno-magic of 'Endless' games, and this magic can be much more interesting, than dryads or ents.

By the way,

DevildogFF wrote:

the Unfallen's ships are a mix of organic material and machinery, so The Unfallen's ships are basically cyborgs. 

For sure, it would be very strange, if Unfallen knows how to create MASSIVE cyborgs and don't create smaller ones. If they so skilled in combining machinery and their own flesh, for sure, they have many years of practice. What if all Unfallen are tree-cyborgs? Their 'tree' part even could only be slightly shown through exoskeleton, or be in heart of totally mechanical construction. Horizon: Zero Dawn can be as inspiration too.

Creating just 'armed trees' you can overlook one of the most important questions: "how tree can be competitive to any sort of metal or pure energy?". If it can't (and it can't), then 'tree flesh' has to be hidden under something that protects it; and also can't be major part of spaceship, until spaceship fights with standard tactics (and, for example, doesn't similar to swarm of weak but maneuvering targets etc).

I beg you all, just ignore DevildogFF comments about how much concept are close to his idea. His part of work is over, and now it's in our hands, not DevildogFF's, how to add details to faction look. Did you noticed how few facts can be found in available descriptions? Event the word 'tree' can represent not nature but just look of creature -- maybe made entirely from metal but for some reason stylized himself to tree, or grass, or whatever. You aren't pinioned to create what YOU want!

Steady on mate, no need to be quite so vitriolic about it. As Frogsquadron said, DevildogFF is perfectly entitled to 'expressing preference'.  I'm sure we'd all rather Phase 2 doesn't turn into another argument-fest like Phase 1. 

BG123 wrote:

no need to be quite so vitriolic about it. As Frogsquadron said, DevildogFF is perfectly entitled to 'expressing preference'.  I'm sure we'd all rather Phase 2 doesn't turn into another argument-fest like Phase 1. 

I'm not vitriolic, i'm only pointing on vast of opportunities. 

DevildogFF is completely free to comment what he see, but his comments shouldn't have influence on competitors direction of thoughts. It's just 'someone likes a picture' and nothing more

Celeir wrote:

BG123 wrote:

no need to be quite so vitriolic about it. As Frogsquadron said, DevildogFF is perfectly entitled to 'expressing preference'.  I'm sure we'd all rather Phase 2 doesn't turn into another argument-fest like Phase 1. 

I'm not vitriolic, i'm only pointing on vast of opportunities. 

DevildogFF is completely free to comment what he see, but his comments shouldn't have influence on competitors direction of thoughts. It's just 'someone likes a picture' and nothing more

Hmmm. At the end of the day the community will vote for thier most preferred entry, regardless of who's backing it I'm sure.

. DevildogFF is hardly saying 'no guys, I don't want any innovation or originality of ideas' he's merely expressing his own ideas for what he'd like to see, just as I have. It's not even like he's insulting other entries or acting as if his opinion is special.

Even if his preferences don't coincide with yours, wouldn't you agree that's no reason to bash his?

I've finally posted the image of The Caretaker. I based on Warcraft 3 Night Elves and their Tree of Life. I've only changed the face and added some weapon.

Yes! I was waiting to see non-humanoid design. I really like the other submissions and they look great, but we have enough humanoid looking things. Maybe go with the concept that as the military unit continues to grow it eventually grows into the ships? Like the unfallen life cycle would be: Seed -> civilian -> military -> small ship (fighter/bomber) -> small ship 100m -> med ship -> large ship -> end of life cycle. Not trying to suggest this is a game mechanic but maybe is an aesthetic way of bringing all of the unfallen unit/ships together.

cha0sunity wrote:

civilian -> military -> small ship (fighter/bomber) -> small ship 100m -> med ship -> large ship -> end of life cycle.

Yep, taking into consideration words about elders that grow up to battleships, it sounds very logically for me

To make voting interesting, there should be much more diversity between entries than 'choose between tall or low trees'. Comparable to diversity of entries in Phase 1 -- and it's not about just number of entries

Well, it's not exactly about diversity of entries strictly speaking, it's about what the community prefers, or the majority of the community as the case may be. That may well coincide with a desire for less humanoid shapes, though it might not. You sure you aren't just self-projecting your own opinion as to what the Unfallen must and mustn't look like?

Anyway, I believe we'll get to vote on all the submissions, so it's a bit of a non issue really.

BG123 wrote:

Well, it's not exactly about diversity of entries strictly speaking, it's about what the community prefers.

It's like in 1984: people can't rebel if don't know this word and can't describe required emotions   If all shown entries obviously received the word 'tree' in a straight line, it could turn others away from experimenting at all. But announcement of possibilities may help.

BG123 wrote:

You sure you aren't just self-projecting your own opinion as to what the Unfallen must and mustn't look like?

I'm sure. Forcing one (my) opinion kills other opinions, and these other ones could be much greater than my. I'll vote for 'just tree' with a light heart, but if that conception will be rid of current inconsistencies.

"civilian -> military -> small ship (fighter/bomber) -> small ship 100m -> med ship -> large ship -> end of life cycle."

I believe Hinin's entry has already supported this life cycle, he suggested that civilians will morph into soldiers who then merge into the giant tree-ships.

Celeir wrote:

BG123 wrote:

Well, it's not exactly about diversity of entries strictly speaking, it's about what the community prefers.

It's like in 1984: people can't rebel if don't know this word and can't describe required emotions   If all shown entries obviously received the word 'tree' in a straight line, it could turn others away from experimenting at all. But announcement of possibilities may help.

BG123 wrote:

You sure you aren't just self-projecting your own opinion as to what the Unfallen must and mustn't look like?

I'm sure. Forcing one (my) opinion kills other opinions, and these other ones could be much greater than my. I'll vote for 'just tree' with a light heart, but if that conception will be rid of current inconsistencies.

Eh, I understand and agree with the point you're making but it's somewhat redundant. Judging from the cries of 'Ooh yes I love that non-humanoid entry' (paraphrasing) a significant amount of people both like Uriak's style and want to see more of it, a sentiment I'm sure artists on here have picked up on. 

In fact, I'd say the situation is more akin to the opposite of what you're arguing. We're all aware of a desire for diversity in appearance (I'm happy with a humanoid design if it captures my imagination such as Digitalhawl96's entry and I'd hardly say it isn't original) and thus its unecessary to 'remind' everyone of what is essentially, a non-issue.

uriak wrote:

Hey thanks MezzoMax, that's nice to read :)

Here's more progress on the ships. Some thought about them

- when a ship is needed, the Unfallen weave a biosynth fabric to install their older brethen in. They are allowed to grow further in micro gravity. 

- they add several layer of specialized material generated by specialized organism to provide an hyperspace grade shell to the Unfallen. They replicate the old one texture while effectively rendering them space compatible

- critical sections are reinforced by armored elements. Those are less compliant than the normal shell and are reworked to install most external hardpoints

- generation, life support egg are inside the living part of the future spaceship. 

- the Unfallen cannot regenerate per se, but reacts quite differently to impacts than most material and is able to seal very efficiently part of itself. 

-the largest ship aren't made from one unfallen but several because forcing such extreme growth would be considered unethical. The volunterrring Unfallen are grafted unpon each other and powerfully tied by bio synth elements.

- Bio  engineering has allowed them to efficiently create guided ordnance and launch sections from pre existing features.

I love it! Although it could use some more colour variation. SO far all of the entries suffer from brown over saturation.

BG123 wrote:

We're all aware of a desire for diversity in appearance... and thus its unecessary to 'remind' everyone of what is essentially, a non-issue.

Let's hope it is true. There is not many competitor in the thread so far, but from what I've seen, questions you are named as redundant already would have to be asked - but weren't. So here I am.

Okay, point of view is stated. Now it's time for imagination and searching "alien trees" in Google

Celeir wrote:

BG123 wrote:

We're all aware of a desire for diversity in appearance... and thus its unecessary to 'remind' everyone of what is essentially, a non-issue.

Let's hope it is true. There is not many competitor in the thread so far, but from what I've seen, questions you are named as redundant already would have to be asked - but weren't. So here I am.

Okay, point of view is stated. Now it's time for imagination and searching "alien trees" in Google

Quite. Looking forward to the forthcoming entries, I hope.