Battle Chess

[BiG ToE-3DT]

Game Art Challenge 07
Subject – Battle Chess

http://i55.photobucket.com/albums/g129/DJBiGToE/Banners/BattleChess-1.png

Thread Naming: Your Name – Battle Chess
Keep all questions in this thread

What if Chess was played with real characters? What if jumping pieces was obsolete, replaced with the two pieces battling it out to see who gets to move on. The winning piece leaving a path of destruction while working its way across the board. What if just turned into Why Not.

The board has been set; all the pieces are in place. We’re about to play CHESS, but this isn’t just a normal game of Chess. Nope, here at Threedy, we constantly kick it up a notch. This Chess game will be played with customized game pieces. None of that boring stuff you see everywhere else. Rooks, pawns, knights, kings and queens, all are changed now. So what does this mean?

The only king on this chess board is the last one standing.

CHECK & MATE

DUE DATE: July 31st, 11:59 pm GMT - SUNDAY

Idea:

Create a chess piece that can dominate the board. It needs to look like it can handle it’s own in a battle with any other piece it may come up to. Only real restriction, your piece needs to have a “chess like” base.

Poly limit:

15,000 Tris Total. You can do whatever you want with these, just don’t get carried away and don’t exceed the 15,000 Tri Limit. Remember, the limit tells you where to stop, there is no minimum, so use as much of the limit as you see fit.

Textures:

-1 x 2048 Color Map
-1 x 2048 Reflection Map
-1 x 2048 Specular Map
-1 x 2048 Specular Color Map
-1 x 2048 Normal Map
-1 x 2048 Bump Map
-1 x 2048 Opacity (transparency) Map
-1 x 2048 Glow map
-1 x 2048 Glossiness map.

You can not chop it up into multiple smaller textures.

Textures can be hand-painted or you can use photographic sources. Do what you do.


Pedestals/Stands:

You do not have to create one, but if you do, understand that there is no texture or tri limit. You can go as crazy as you want, or keep it basic.


Restrictions:

-Joint entries are prohibited for this challenge

-Your entry must be specifically created for this challenge. Do not use any pieces from previous personal works.

-There are no lighting restrictions.

-All Game/Render Engines are allowed.

-You must create a W.I.P Thread to show off your work in progress.

Final Pictures:

Required In The Final Post (1 post per entry):

- 1 x Winning shot. This image should consist of your chess piece depicted in its most awesome angle.

- 1 x Beauty shot of your chess piece. Feel free to put multiple angles of your chess piece or just one big version or your chess piece on this page. You are free to do whatever post effects you like on this image. Be careful how you do this though, simple is often better. It’s up to you.

- 1 x Construction shot of your chess piece. Feel free to put multiple wire frame shots or just one big wire frame shot on this page. It is up to you.

- 1 x Texture sheet that includes all your used sheets squeezed into "one" sheet.

- Concept Sheet (if you have one)


Good luck everyone!

BiG ToE.

Time Remaining (http://www.timeanddate.com/counters/customcounter.html?msg=DeadLine&month=07&day=31&year=2011&hour=23&min=59&sec=59&p0=136)

[MemoNick]

I'm sorry to post here, but can the pieces be colored, or just black and/or white?

[BiG ToE-3DT]

how you go about texturing your piece, is up to you.

[MemoNick]

Great, so we can use colors! Thanks for replying.

[hulahuga]

Interesting! I can imagine a lot of cool models for this one :)

[rocneasta]

excellent idea

[janisray01]

Good one . I like it.

[The Prime]

OK, rant time...

This does not reflect a GAME ART competition, it is just a 3D competition imho.

9 x 2048 textures? Seriously? Have you ever tried that in a game engine on a single character?


All game engines and render engines allowed? VRay for a GAME art competition?

Now don't get me wrong I love these forums, but this is not a game art competition. Anybody who has worked in the industry will tell you that the key aspect of being a GAME artist is being able to create high quality work, with the minimal amount of assets.

The texture allowance is ridiculous, and the fact that people can use any render engine, removes the key challenges of making GAME art.

I'm still gonna play, just by my rules ;)

[BiG ToE-3DT]

I'm still gonna play, just by my rules ;)

:dance: Just dont break my rules. Or I might have to freestyle battle you.

[The Prime]

http://jimmycarter08.com/wp-content/uploads/2009/05/throw-down-cheney1.jpg

[BiG ToE-3DT]

http://i55.photobucket.com/albums/g129/DJBiGToE/81573425.gif

[The Prime]

I suppose because that's a gif, you class it as one single texture :D

[LemonW]

i am not so clear about what to be created.
to change the look of the chess, but still has the own feature, still could be recongized as Rooks, pawns, knights, kings and queens.
Or to creat any thing you like, just make it chess look, has a panel, could be place to a battle ground.
Just like the warhammer game?http://warhammeronlinenews.files.wordpress.com/2007/08/goblin-hero-warhammer.jpg

[BiG ToE-3DT]

yeah, I can see that "guy" as a chess piece.

[MemoNick]

OK, rant time...

This does not reflect a GAME ART competition, it is just a 3D competition imho.

9 x 2048 textures? Seriously? Have you ever tried that in a game engine on a single character?


All game engines and render engines allowed? VRay for a GAME art competition?

Now don't get me wrong I love these forums, but this is not a game art competition. Anybody who has worked in the industry will tell you that the key aspect of being a GAME artist is being able to create high quality work, with the minimal amount of assets.

The texture allowance is ridiculous, and the fact that people can use any render engine, removes the key challenges of making GAME art.

I'm still gonna play, just by my rules ;)

@Big-Toe, just remove the Game Art from the name :P

[The Prime]

@Big-Toe, just remove the Game Art from the name :P

In that case you can remove the restrictions too. The only thing that makes any 3D competition a "game art" competition is the restrictions on poly-count and texture use. The restrictions for this competition however are not really restricting anything.

[LemonW]

so, just creat a charactor, or a big gun ,or whatever upon a panel, to make it looks like a chess piece?

[Kaiune3D]

Ive not played with the newest release of UDK yet but from what I can tell it can handle a fare amount of textures. Not too sure about a glossy or reflection map

[BiG ToE-3DT]

so, just creat a charactor, or a big gun ,or whatever upon a panel, to make it looks like a chess piece?

something like that. You may want to play with the idea that each piece on a chess board has a job, so your chess piece might want to fit into one of those jobs.

[LemonW]

Thanks BiG ToE. It is interesting.

[Vitrux]

This challenge is very interesting, I won't be able to participate.. but I will follow your entries guys! Good Luck.. :dance:

[hulahuga]

Btw, didn't the previous threedy challenges usually have some sort of rewards involved?

[BiG ToE-3DT]

I can see people getting awards for this one.

[hulahuga]

I mean it doesn't say anything about it in the brief... :)

[BiG ToE-3DT]

thanks for ruining the surprise.

now I gotta come up with something else.

[timberwo7ves]

thanks for ruining the surprise.

now I gotta come up with something else.

I need a new PC.

[TekNeek]

Oh hell yes!

[dhin]

very interesting... I'll see what I can come up with

[Raul]

cool! will be interesting to see what people come up with! good luck! :)

[hulahuga]

thanks for ruining the surprise.

now I gotta come up with something else.


Well then send me a pm instead gothdammit :lame:

[poopipe]

Prime...


Look at it as a spec you'd get on the next generation of games. Things are getting so close to production spec these days that there'll be almost no distinction in the way you create the assets for end hardware within a year or two. Your point on lighting is something I agree with but forcing an engine on people is a bit harshgiven the varying level of experience and equipment people have.

[MemoNick]

Well said poopipe.

[hulahuga]

Well if we go down that road I wonder how much extra stuff people could render out of say the newest versions of the UDK... ;P There you can even use sss ;)

[Warlock 279]

Poo said it much nicer than I was gonna say it. I want to add twp things tho...

Its not gonna be the person that uses the most polys and pixels that wins, its gonna be the person who comes up with the coolest idea, and executes it better than everyone else. Idea and execution will take you miles further than specs any day.

Besides if BigToe didn't give us specs similar to those used for the recent DW, we'd have everyone in here complaining "....well DW let us have, blah blah blah, so why can't I..."

BigToe, thanks for taking the time to set this up for us. :)

[BiG ToE-3DT]

anytime.

[MemoNick]

Yeah Big-Toe, thanks a lot!

[The Prime]

Hey I'm all for the competition, I just think that adversity drives creativity. And I don't want the competition to change in anyway, I just think it's incorrect to call it a game art competition.

For the record, I work in the games industry, and I'm fully aware of engine capabilities. But Mental Ray, or VRay? That's allowing a bit much.

Please don't get me wrong, I'm not a hater. I just think that if we're going to make it a game art competition, then there should be some limitations.

And I don't want to force an engine on anyone, there are plenty of different game engines, all of which are much simpler to use than other rendering packages.

[hulahuga]

Guys, I have an idea for future comps...

Why not have a sticky with some quick tuts and links to the most popular game engines? That way people can quickly get into the action even though they might lack former experience with the engines...

[The Prime]

If you load up UDK, you get a link to a load of free tutorial videos by the guys from 3DBuzz. They're very useful, and take you through the full processes of making a level from scratch.

[hulahuga]

Yepp, and that's good but it is only for the UDK... The quick startup tuts could also be complemented with some info on the characteristics of each engine...

[BiG ToE-3DT]

well the good news is, you don't have to use a game engine at all.

[hulahuga]

I know! I just meant for future challenges and whatnot, and it is good even if you don't have to since people might want to try something new =)

[SherifAlaa55]

Can beginner artists take part in this competition?

[timberwo7ves]

Can beginner artists take part in this competition?

I am, so yes :D

[SherifAlaa55]

great gonna finish exams then start on it

[MemoNick]

Me too, will finish exams before I start working.

[silverflame]

Luckily I don't have any exams...just one final viva with the external examiners then hopefully I'll have my Masters :)

It's good to see new faces entering all the competitions here though :)

[MemoNick]

@silverflame, Lucky you! :P Want to share?

[Neil_F01]

did anyone here play the starwars battle chess.. that was awesome..

am sure there was a d&d set as well.. that was cool..

so yeah lot of cool stuff for people to come up with...

[MemoNick]

Can we use particle systems, for example a vortex around the character?

[BiG ToE-3DT]

no.

[MemoNick]

Oh, ok. Thanks all the same.

[The Prime]

Can people use animations?

[Crevasse]

Are the bases part of the Tri limit?

[BiG ToE-3DT]

The Prime: if you want to animate your model, you can.

Crevasse: Yes, the base is part of your model, so it counts towards the tri count.

[hulahuga]

Pedestals/Stands:

You do not have to create one, but if you do, understand that there is no texture or tri limit. You can go as crazy as you want, or keep it basic.

Big Toe - No they are not according to your previous statement in the brief ;)

[timberwo7ves]

Base of chess piece is different from pedestal or stand.

[The Prime]

Base of chess piece is different from pedestal or stand.

The man makes a sound point :)

[hulahuga]

Doh, I thought he meant the pedestal and not the table... ;)

[The Prime]

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v221/stormshaman/ohoq9.jpg

[hulahuga]

Hahahhahaa :D

[timberwo7ves]

lol @Prime.

sorry for short reply, perhaps sounded rude, I typed on phone. I thought same as you Hula, til BigToe replied initially :D

[BiG ToE-3DT]

yep, the base of the chess piece counts towards the tri count, but the stand that it "stands" on does not.

[snakeeaterjns]

I must be based on pieces of Lewis, or pieces of Staunton?

[snakeeaterjns]

Sorry. Wrong post.

[poopipe]

this competition needs this....

http://forums.cgsociety.org/showthread.php?t=317235


the first post holds gold.

[BiG ToE-3DT]

so your saying we need more thought placed into the designs?

[poopipe]

im saying it wouldnt be a bad thing

Chess pieces are abstract enough concepts to allow a lot of freedom but they're also subject to very strong preconceptions and rules about their roles.

The design has to fit the role or the piece will be a failure.

[The Prime]

I agree with Poopipe. One of the reasons I wasn't fully behind the idea of a chess piece, is because of how open it could become. It's turned into a character competition, with frankly an unlimited number of possible classes/races.

Take any character you can think of, and you could probably reason a way for it to be a particular chess piece.

[AlucardAssassin]

Maybe instead of forcing people to make their project fit the piece, the judges should just subtract points for them NOT making their project fit the piece.

[timberwo7ves]

It's turned into a character competition, with frankly an unlimited number of possible classes/races.

It is a character competition though :S The pieces are going to be characters in the game? By the threads so far though, I get what you mean; most don't look like they should/could be used in a game of chess, and just seem like a general game char.. but I would hope that it's something that everyone's thought about - if I get time to do mine, it's definitely got to be reworked so it fits a board. :D

[poopipe]

Maybe instead of forcing people to make their project fit the piece, the judges should just subtract points for them NOT making their project fit the piece.

nobody's forcing anything - crap designs generally don't win these comps



I see prime's point of view but one of the reasons I suggested battlechess piece in the first place was to open up the competition beyond just character art - there's people on here who're **** hot at hard surface work but just can't get their heads around organics and they're usually screwed in these comps because 90% of the time they're character based.

The other reason is like I mentioned above - interpretation is wiiiide open but there is a solid theme to each piece if you actually pay attention to what you're designing

[Raul]

cough cough*

This is kinda why i decided to enter...although at the same time making my entry fit the category is both a bit of a bitch and a challenge. Which is cool.


nobody's forcing anything - crap designs generally don't win these comps



I see prime's point of view but one of the reasons I suggested battlechess piece in the first place was to open up the competition beyond just character art - there's people on here who're **** hot at hard surface work but just can't get their heads around organics and they're usually screwed in these comps because 90% of the time they're character based.

The other reason is like I mentioned above - interpretation is wiiiide open but there is a solid theme to each piece if you actually pay attention to what you're designing

[hulahuga]

Well I am actually planning on capturing the emotion of the battlefield in my piece... So the emotions can be played upon as well.


Either way Poopipe adviced me to post some other names for the pieces here as the differentiate between different languages. Might help with ideas and the different meanings of the pieces...

Direct translations for the swedish names
Pawn=Peasant
Rook=Tower
Knight=Steed
Bishop=Runner
Q and K are the same...

[Pockets]

You can check out all the different names for chess pieces on wikipedia:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chess_pieces

[poopipe]

I find it very interesting that the name for a bishop in most languages seems to derive from runner or be a fast - attacking piece

well actually, I find it more interesting that we chose to name the runner piece "bishop" in english .

weird.

[xxxcubanxxx]

I find it very interesting that the name for a bishop in most languages seems to derive from runner or be a fast - attacking piece

well actually, I find it more interesting that we chose to name the runner piece "bishop" in english .

weird.

Indeed, in spanish the bishop is called "Alfil" which comes from the persian name for the piece "Al-fil" which means "the elephant"....go figure

[MemoNick]

@Big-Toe. Do we have to use all the maps you mentioned? I am still rather inexperienced and I don't know how to use them all. If anyone has some tutorials, I would gladly try them out.

[BiG ToE-3DT]

you don't have to use all the maps listed, they are just examples of maps you can use.

[MemoNick]

Thanks for the prompt replies Big Toe.

[Tank[NL]]

school's over. i've been wanting to do a cool character for a year. i might join :D

[SnappedStrings]

Is it okay to include a vehicle as part of the character? Say if part of the design is for him to be riding in a chariot or a tank or something? (As long as all fit within poly limits of course)

[timberwo7ves]

Is it okay to include a vehicle as part of the character? Say if part of the design is for him to be riding in a chariot or a tank or something? (As long as all fit within poly limits of course)

Should imagine so, as long as the base is chess piece suitable? There are a couple of entries which aren't bipeds atm.

[The Prime]

What are the restrictions on number of entries per person?

Also, are there any restrictions on having 2 forum profiles, and using them both concurrently?

I say this because I've noticed 2 suspiciously named members...

[Kaiune3D]

I wouldn't see a problem with a mount as long as it all fits on the same texture sheet. considering the Knight piece would most likely be a mounted piece.

@Big Toe-3DT In regards to the "base", Can you elaborate here about this as im guessing most people are confused to the term in the brief.

When I first read "Only real restriction, your piece needs to have a “chess like” base." I assumed by base you ment an identifiable chess like concept.

[BiG ToE-3DT]

SnappedStrings: yes thats fine.

The Prime: One entry per person. If they try to enter under different names, I'll know, or at least I'll find out.

Kaiune3D: when I wrote chess like base, what I was refering to was the bottom of the model, the part that rests on the chess board. I'll post up a few examples in a bit.

[Neil_F01]

SnappedStrings: yes thats fine.

The Prime: One entry per person. If they try to enter under different names, I'll know, or at least I'll find out.

Kaiune3D: when I wrote chess like base, what I was refering to was the bottom of the model, the part that rests on the chess board. I'll post up a few examples in a bit.

i know i've not been involved here.. but just saw the post...

prime asked about entries and multiple entries....i mean...

i dont wanna step on the bigtoe here.. but couldnt you create multiple entries.. and at the end pick the one that you want to put in as your final... so technically you only enter one... but you arent just limited to one design.. as i'm sure the reason prime is asking.. is because he has a couple of ideas he wants to explore...

so me.. id say.. do them.. and at the end.. pick the one that you think is your better entry and go with that...

but then.. i'm not a judge.. or mod.. so you'd have to ask someone else if thats cool.. :evil:

[BiG ToE-3DT]

it's true, you can make as many models(entries) as you want, but you can only enter one for the judging.

[AlucardAssassin]

So the model needs a base, as in something it stands on, and CAN have a pedastal, as in something it stands on. Am I correct?

[BiG ToE-3DT]

here are a few examples, the last one has a "person" and they are on top of a base.
http://i55.photobucket.com/albums/g129/DJBiGToE/roaringknight_chess_setm600.jpg
http://i55.photobucket.com/albums/g129/DJBiGToE/set-of-chess-pieces.jpg
http://i55.photobucket.com/albums/g129/DJBiGToE/carolingi_xiv_chess_pieces2.jpg

the base and the pedestal are two different things.

[AlucardAssassin]

Thank you for clearing that up.

[BiG ToE-3DT]

10 days left.

[tsabszy]

hmmm
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fn6i3MvKrVk

[TonyClifton]

hmmm
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fn6i3MvKrVk

:haha::haha::haha:

[TekNeek]

.. how does it work btw ?

I've finished mine. Do I submit it somewhere or just post the images onto my WIP thread ?

[BiG ToE-3DT]

post your final entry in the final entry thread (http://forums.3dtotal.com/showthread.php?p=868155#post868155).

[TekNeek]

bah!

I don't always herp.. but when I herp, I derp.

[BiG ToE-3DT]

I just made the thread, that's why you didn't derp.

[TekNeek]

Ah.

[hulahuga]

Aight for some ****ING reason, completely oblivious to me, Mudbox has been crashing CONSTANTLY for the past two hours... Thus I missed the deadline for the final, even though my work has been done, I just can't take away the green from the posing tools nor change the pose or any other part of the model or texture a single tiny bit...

LAME!

[AlucardAssassin]

Aight for some ****ING reason, completely oblivious to me, Mudbox has been crashing CONSTANTLY for the past two hours... Thus I missed the deadline for the final, even though my work has been done, I just can't take away the green from the posing tools nor change the pose or any other part of the model or texture a single tiny bit...

LAME!

Lame! Although this does mean I don't have to compete against you.....:haha:

[hulahuga]

Yeah.... ;P

I have one pic of it though (in my challenge thread), doesn't show wires or anything, only other thing would be an extended deadline by half a day or something... (pretty please big-toe :lurve:)

[BiG ToE-3DT]

you would need to ask the people that got their entries in on time, if they are ok with it, then I'm fine with it.

I just don't want anyone saying, that it's not fair some some people got more time than others.

[AlucardAssassin]

I'm fine if Hula enters his....although I would be sad I didn't vote for it :o

[tsabszy]

i have no problem with it if we give some extra day while you can still post your entry but the voting is on already, just like dw was. hula lost the chance of those who have already voted and may have voted for him. so in my opinion either way it seems fair for everyone

[hulahuga]

A **** with the votes there ;P
But cheers guys :). Working on it now.

[TonyClifton]

No problem, hulahuga! Cheers!

[TekNeek]

But of course! We'd have to reset the votes tho, since i will vote for him.

[hulahuga]

Haha! :)