Alberiks Skins: Montanunion, Toledo and others

[alberik]

Hi, since i am nearly done with the FF1880 Project i want to show an other project, witch i startet. It is an Eurobased Superhero group called Montanunion. It is called after the first incarnation of the European Union, witch startet with 6 Countrys:
France, Italy, Germany, Belgium, Netherland and Luxemburg.
I have made suits based on the flaggs.


Thats what i have for now:

France: Concord (or Mirage) basicly an fast flier in battlesuit
(tried to make the face like Jean Reno, but i am not happy with it now, needs some work)

Germany: Hagen he should be able to fell the enemies weakness, but i am not sure how to represent this in his hero file
-idea based on Hagen von Tronje, he was the guy who killed Sigfried (Niebelungensage)

Italy: Garibaldi, he will get leadership and will be a though guy and some extra Heropoints, since Garibaldi take 4 or 5 attemps to unite Italy and he dosent give up till he had done it.

Luxemburg: I have no name yet, the only thing i know, is that he will get electric based powers, since the accumulator was inventet by an luxemburger

Belgium: Maybe some Karate Guy (Jean Claud van Damme) or someone who greats Thing out of the nothing, since Belgium is the Motherland of the european Comics

Netherland: No idea, exept it will nothing have to do with Joints. Maybe Waterpowers, since the Netherland have expand their territory by greating land out of the Northsea.


Any help with creating the missing Names and Powers are welcome.

[yell0w_lantern]

That face on the French hero is priceless!

Maybe the Belgian guy should be a great detective like Hercule Poirot?

The Dutch guy should also have some wind powers for the windmills.

How about shrinking for the Luxembourger?

[alberik]

That face on the French hero is priceless!

Thanks, but i am still not happy with the face  :huh:

Maybe the Belgian guy should be a great detective like Hercule Poirot?

Great Detectiv sounds not bad,but how could that be made on an herofile?  :unsure:

The Dutch guy should also have some wind powers for the windmills.

Windpowers for the Netherland sounds great, i think i will take that.
(If i will make an Spanish Character he would be Don Quichote and the two can have argues... :lol:)

How about shrinking for the Luxembourger?

Shrinking for the Luxembourger? Because the Country is so tiny? Why not, but he will still get Electric Powers... :D
(Oh, i think he will be an Ant-man clone :cool: )

[Carravaggio]

Alright, a European team that features Van Damme!
Love the idea Al, especially since I have something very similar in the works myself :D Even from the thunbnail these guys look like flag swarthed heroes, and the colours are obviously European. Great work!
I like the Jean reno face the best, it's good to see you aren't settling with C6 base face. It looks unusual when a team has all the same face ;)
This is a fantastic start, and it's good to see other skinners taking on larger 'group projects'.
Some constructive criticism and suggestion, feel free to heed or ignore them as you want:

1. While the VX meshes are excellent, especially in terms of animations for omni-powerful type heroes, I would look at some alternative body shapes to mix it up a bit, so the team doesn't look like five recolours of the same mesh. Could Italy be on a male heavy mesh since he is so robust? Maybe a Hercules mesh to utilise his beard and moustache? You could use a male basic for another and a male_muscular for a third. With 2 VX meshes, a heavy, a male basic and a muscular, along with Jean, you get 5 body types out of six heroes. That is good variation.

2. There are a few other hair types for long male hair, such as the hair meshes bobby69/vertex made, as well as Ren's sentry hair, the IPS mesh hair and a range of ink's meshes (Joseph, Capt Euro etc.) It looks unusual for three characters to have the same hairstyle. If you get a hold of nifskope and work it out (lots of tutorials for it out there) it will open up your mesh options greatly.

3. There are three characters who have thigh high boots. Maybe look at tommy_versatile parts to 'skope some thigh boot cuffs on some of these characters? Likewise for cloves. to mix up the costumes you could use some Captain America gloves, or some metal wrist bands. You might be going for that sleek, unified look, and thats cool. they do look unified, but a lil bland (to me, sorry. its just personal taste). Have you though about some belts, shoulder pads, ribbing or other textures to mix up the characters appearances a bit?

4. It looks like you are using the lightmap that came with the original FF game. i would suggest trying a less extreme one. C6 has a few brilliant ones he uses to replicate reflections, they are worth checking out. At newpowerinc.com there are links to dozens of alternate lightmaps. A smoother lightmap results in smoother reflections. the one you are using is crinkly and sharp and makes the material the characters are wearing confusing. Look at other people's lightmaps to see how they work. Also I would make your reflect files slightly darker, the reflection is coming on a bit strong.
Also the reflect type on the metal suit of the Frenchman should be very different to the reflection of spandex worn by the rest of the team.

5. Skin tone: I don't know if Brits are pale and Spaniards are tan, but I'm sure there is some variation of skin tones. this is something I'm guilty of, i make a team of eight characters who somehow have the exact same skin tone. heck my brother and I don't even have the same skin tone, so a group of strangers shouldn't either :)

All in all a very solid start. I hope this response has given you a few ideas, and even if the ideas aren't to you liking I hope they sparked some thought on your behalf.
I'll check in later to see how these guys are progressing.

[alberik]

Alright, a European team that features Van Damme!
Love the idea Al, especially since I have something very similar in the works myself :D Even from the thunbnail these guys look like flag swarthed heroes, and the colours are obviously European. Great work!
I like the Jean reno face the best, it's good to see you aren't settling with C6 base face. It looks unusual when a team has all the same face ;)
This is a fantastic start, and it's good to see other skinners taking on larger 'group projects'.
Some constructive criticism and suggestion, feel free to heed or ignore them as you want:

1. While the VX meshes are excellent, especially in terms of animations for omni-powerful type heroes, I would look at some alternative body shapes to mix it up a bit, so the team doesn't look like five recolours of the same mesh. Could Italy be on a male heavy mesh since he is so robust? Maybe a Hercules mesh to utilise his beard and moustache? You could use a male basic for another and a male_muscular for a third. With 2 VX meshes, a heavy, a male basic and a muscular, along with Jean, you get 5 body types out of six heroes. That is good variation.

This meshes are only placeholders, i will take the mesh for france and Germany (since this one i have for 2 Years, and he will got not so much changes) Garibaldi has to have an small Body, because he should look like the real Garibaldi, but i could need another hairstyle, because he has more curly (is that right??) hairs.

2. There are a few other hair types for long male hair, such as the hair meshes bobby69/vertex made, as well as Ren's sentry hair, the IPS mesh hair and a range of ink's meshes (Joseph, Capt Euro etc.) It looks unusual for three characters to have the same hairstyle. If you get a hold of nifskope and work it out (lots of tutorials for it out there) it will open up your mesh options greatly.

Sorry i dont get the whole nifskope thing, but as i said, i am on the search for better meshes.

3. There are three characters who have thigh high boots. Maybe look at tommy_versatile parts to 'skope some thigh boot cuffs on some of these characters? Likewise for cloves. to mix up the costumes you could use some Captain America gloves, or some metal wrist bands. You might be going for that sleek, unified look, and thats cool. they do look unified, but a lil bland (to me, sorry. its just personal taste). Have you though about some belts, shoulder pads, ribbing or other textures to mix up the characters appearances a bit?

The "High boots" are no boots, they are only there, because it is not realy possible to make the flagstyle to the feets. And i have a version, where i only have the feets in one Colore, but it looks more ridiculouse. (I think i will work on this) And about belts and holsters etc.... i am basicly want to try to make the look as simular as possible (since they should represent Europe as an Unit)

4. It looks like you are using the lightmap that came with the original FF game. i would suggest trying a less extreme one. C6 has a few brilliant ones he uses to replicate reflections, they are worth checking out. At newpowerinc.com there are links to dozens of alternate lightmaps. A smoother lightmap results in smoother reflections. the one you are using is crinkly and sharp and makes the material the characters are wearing confusing. Look at other people's lightmaps to see how they work. Also I would make your reflect files slightly darker, the reflection is coming on a bit strong.
Also the reflect type on the metal suit of the Frenchman should be very different to the reflection of spandex worn by the rest of the team.

Lightmaps are some of my speciallity, they will definitly changed, but it is to early for that.
(Maybe i should show here my Hologram effect mad trough lightmap)

5. Skin tone: I don't know if Brits are pale and Spaniards are tan, but I'm sure there is some variation of skin tones. this is something I'm guilty of, i make a team of eight characters who somehow have the exact same skin tone. heck my brother and I don't even have the same skin tone, so a group of strangers shouldn't either :)

The garibaldi Character could be a litte darker, but not much since he comes from North Italy. The other countrys are all in the middle of europe, so the skin tone would only variate a little. I dont know if it is worth on doing that, but the faces are not done yet.


By the way: I think i have to change one or two Characters to an female version, but i am not sure. I have an alternativ Female Version for Luxemburg, since they have two National flags. (They want to change it some years ago, since it looks to much like the netherland flag, but their president doesnt change it, but the other flag got the same status as the national flag. It could be,that Luxembourg will change it in some years)

[alberik]

I think i have an better mesh for the Italian Hero:
What do you mean?

It is the Captain Euro mesh with basic keyframe.
And with my spandex lightmap

And i think i will take male 80s hair for the Netherlands


Edit: Ok i cant resist:
Belgium gets the Jean Claude van Damme face... :cool:

[AfghanAnt]

I like tham all especially the Italian hero but the Jean Claude Van Damme really don't flow with the rest of the work.

[johncostantine78]

I think i have an better mesh for the Italian Hero:
What do you mean?

It is the Captain Euro mesh with basic keyframe.


Yes, GAribaldi have red curly hair. The most famous campaign of Italian general was "La spedizione dei Mille" (the one thousand spedition). From Sicily, he travels across the Italy with, at the start,  one thousand guys. He arrives to the gate of Rome  winning every battle and then penetrated through the famous "Porta Pia breach" in the Pope's kingdom, with the consequentially unification of my country (North Italy was unificated by the  SAvoia's family). Garibaldi and his man wears  Red Skirt, because the Italian general was a socialist militant. What do you think of an hero that can duplicate himself and, at imitation of his capabilities of unification of different people, some sort of hypnotism\charme power? Ah, Great Skins, all of them.

[alberik]

Since i only had found black and white Pictures i had the hair wrong, but now garibaldi gots red hair

But i havent found a good hair mesh for curly hairs, so i think i will stick to them.
and i have done a rework for belgium too

[alberik]

Update of the group

[alberik]

Hi there, i want to show you my Avatar:
He is called Toledo

and here is a second version


and finaly here is the new Toledo with sword

there is also his Evil Twin Brother Visigoth (and another Version of the modern Toledo)


Thanks to bat1987 who skoped me the mesh


The first two skins are available in my new Group http://de.groups.yahoo.com/group/alberiks_freedom_force_skins_2/

[bat1987]

Looking good  :thumbup:

[djfredski]

that cool Aaa. :thumbup:

[alberik]

Toledo with sword and Visigoth are now available in my second group  ;)

[alberik]

Hi, i have uploaded the Montanunion Skins plus some Extra Characters witch go to the same meshes.
And i also uploaded my oldest original Hero: Dr Dead


Montanunion + Extras
Belgium,Karate Freak   Luxemburg,Dr Faust   Netherland                  Italy                          Germany                   France



The skins are now available in my second group http://de.groups.yahoo.com/group/alberiks_freedom_force_skins_2/

[lmalonsof]

Just an idea / request...

You should add the spanish one, named 'Thunder' (the most famouse adventure comic character in Spain is Captain Thunder)

Keep it up!

[alberik]

I will maybe do Spain, but it will be an original character.
If you can give me some pictures of him, i can make you a skin of Thunder (never heard of him)

[alberik]

I uploaded some of my male alpha skins:
Sirius, The Net, Terror and Astra