Alien Artwork

Oblivion · Post by **Oblivion** » Sat Apr 15, 2006 10:32 am

@zaydana and kangaroo22. Only one cog would defeat the purpose of conveying a sense of connection. Andolians are wired to each other, you know.

To Megatherion · Post by **To Megatherion** » Sat Apr 15, 2006 10:09 pm

I actually liked the first version the most. Especially since the straight lines represented the state of being connect to each other quite nicely.

DancesWithProtons · Post by **DancesWithProtons** » Sun Apr 16, 2006 2:08 am

Maybe turn the ellipses of the eyes to that they are radially symmetrical rather than all horizontal, then put faint lines connecting them like the first. I think the lines in the first logo are a bit overstated, but I like the very last image, with the eyes rotated, so combine them with lighter lines and it conveys both. Not sure about the cogs as they look a little awkward. I think the angular hexagonal meme is a bit more graceful, implying finesse rather than brute force. This fits in with the "protectorate" issues after the conclusion of the lightbearer war.

And kudos to Oblivion for all your awesome alien ideas. Keep it up!

Oblivion · Post by **Oblivion** » Mon Apr 17, 2006 8:43 am

aligning the ellipses radially would be confusing as they would not look like eyes anymore.

But I'll try to make renders of this idea, as well as Kangaroo22's idea of an eye with a cog for the iris.

Actually the original concept of the Andolian logo was of cogs that were far apart and connected with each other by lines (like the first logo i posted). But I couldn't quite see how lines connecting cogs would relate the message of the cogs working together, so I tried to take them closer together. Can't think of other ways to convey the Andolian "Mind-Net".. ideas anyone?

I'm toying with the idea of making hexagons instead (not with the lines) that fit with each other and have eyes in their centers. Will show you what they look like when I get to doing it.

Progress with the Shmrn:

Shmrn Standard Clothing & Accessories:

Shmrn sleeping quarters

Oblivion · Post by **Oblivion** » Mon Apr 17, 2006 10:33 am

Shmrn footwear

Post by **chuck_starchaser** » Mon Apr 17, 2006 3:47 pm

Nice stuff, oblivion. I know nothing about VS canon to judge; but I like it aesthetically, as well as for the amount of thought you're putting into it. Keep it up.

Post by **klauss** » Mon Apr 17, 2006 4:03 pm

Eventually, Oblivion, you should gather whatever is approved by JackS and put it all into an archive, whatever is pending revision (by Jack) and do the same (in another archive), and if you want, whatever has been dismissed, and mail it over to klaussfreire (gmail) so that I can archive it somewhere.
I'm keeping a "contributors" archive so that things don't get lost.
Also, eventually, whatever gets approved should be put in the wiki.

Oblivion · Post by **Oblivion** » Tue Apr 18, 2006 9:46 am

Thanks. But JackS should get the credit. I'm just interpreting the VS history.

And these are just concepts.

Haven't had time to do colored images lately.

A Warning to viewers of this thread:

These are NOT final! Do not take the images posted here as the final appearance of the VS aliens.

@klauss - I don't have an internet connection at home and I do my work there.

Nonetheless, I do not throw away any of the things I have submitted, be it dismissed or approved.

I'll send them over as soon as JackS and I finish all the concepts of a species. As for the wiki (Zeog already asked me to help fill up the wiki too), but.. I'm not really that good at writing

, and I'm still discovering the VS universe.

Still, I'll ask JackS' permission, and be assured that if any of the alien images of better quality gets approved, JackS may add them (or me, if he lets me.

)

Additional images of the Shmrn:

A Shmrn elder (Local Planetary Council - means he has jurisdiction and voting rights only for one Shmrn settled planet):

And a Shmrn healer. Shmrn are best employed as medical workers (also the Dgn) because of the dexterity of their 14 tentacles.

Oblivion · Post by **Oblivion** » Wed Apr 19, 2006 10:13 am

Shmrn UHCV:

Oblivion · Post by **Oblivion** » Wed Apr 19, 2006 10:14 am

Shmrn Hatching Facilities:

Sunfire · Post by **Sunfire** » Sat Apr 22, 2006 6:16 am

holy freaking crap batman!

i dont know how you and kangaroo can be so creative....
i understand that these are rough sketches and all, but they could be integrated within the manual without too much revision id think... at least have a base for your minds eye within the game anyways... artwork could come a little later...

i do have to say however, any animal that has had to make mobile heavy amounts of weight so far on earth has had legs that more resemble posts than pyramids... look at anything from cows to dinosaurs...

OTOH, animals with exoskeletons can lift large amounts of weight relative to their mass, and their legs are usually splayed about.... (maybe it only works with small creatures tho?)

Oblivion · Post by **Oblivion** » Sat Apr 22, 2006 11:48 am

...so far on earth...

that's the problem, I would like them to be as different as possible from Earth life, but still reasonably earthish enough to be viable in the VS universe.

The exoskeleton is not similar to arthropod exoskeletons. See the sketch on Lmpl skeleton.

It's my own lame way of trying to make these creatures exist.

Anyway, I'm concentrating pretty much on the Shmrn for now. Will develop those concepts further on the others with hopefully better results.

Sunfire · Post by **Sunfire** » Sat Apr 22, 2006 9:43 pm

Oblivion wrote:
...so far on earth...
that's the problem, I would like them to be as different as possible from Earth life, but still reasonably earthish enough to be viable in the VS universe.

The exoskeleton is not similar to arthropod exoskeletons. See the sketch on Lmpl skeleton. It's my own lame way of trying to make these creatures exist. Anyway, I'm concentrating pretty much on the Shmrn for now. Will develop those concepts further on the others with hopefully better results.

I understand, and i really like the thought youre putting into this (especially the exoskeleton)

however, physics are physics and i have a little drawing to illustrate my point but being as i have no website and are internetically challenged, i am not sure how to post it...

anyways, if you transport heavy weights, a leg that locks like a post can support that weight with MUCH less effort than a leg that is bent... any sort of pyramidal arrangement would be very hard on the joints i suspect...

incedentally, a cows back legs are bent to support the entire weight of the animal for short periods (like springs)(kind of hard for a 2 ton animal to jump a fence without springs...

), the front legs are post like because the animals center-mass is closer to the front.

so maybe you could make an ailen with limbs along the same lines (if it has 3 legs, one would lock, the other 2 would be spring like... or vice versa)
Im not trying to tie you to earthlike creatures, but evoloution always has to deal with the same phisics problems, even on ailen worlds. (bats and birds wing structures are similar, but completly different animals)

Oblivion · Post by **Oblivion** » Sun Apr 23, 2006 10:23 am

Okay. The Lmpl are actually the haziest of the concepts as it is the one with the most weights to carry. The Mishtali do not need the postlike legs, as they will only carry baggage, not cargo or particularly heavy things.

And I kinda like the Mishtali as they are. hehe.

Will consider the suggestions when I come again to making Lmpl concepts for JackS. thanks

Sunfire · Post by **Sunfire** » Sun Apr 23, 2006 10:44 am

lol reading your reply forced me to go back and take closer looks.... i think i was referring to limpl more than anything... the mishtali could use that 3rd hind leg in a locking arrangement... aka, resting on his haunches.. (but maybe that would destroy the symmetry? or maybe that was part of their uplifting...)

as for the last limpl concept, maybe you could use 2 of those legs in the middle as posts rather than cargo holders... and of course the M looking concept could hold ALOT of weight.... but who knows how it would carry it with those tiny arms...

like i said, im not trying to make you really change anything with the lifeforms... just thinking about physics and minor tweaks therein

Oblivion · Post by **Oblivion** » Sun Apr 23, 2006 10:50 am

as for the last limpl concept, maybe you could use 2 of those legs in the middle as posts rather than cargo holders... and of course the M looking concept could hold ALOT of weight.... but who knows how it would carry it with those tiny arms...

The other concept was horrid looking

So I trashed it. The lobster thingie is the one I'm working on improving now. Will consider other concepts though. But I'm not concentrating on the Lmpl now.

The Mishtali were NOT uplifted.

Hence their strangeness. They were discovered and integrated into human society by the Unadorned. Aside from religion and social behavior, they have not changed from their original wild form.

And yup, I'm changing the Lmpl anyway, their concept was too improbable as a highly successful uplift of the Rlaans.

Promise I'll do better at physics and stuff.

Sunfire · Post by **Sunfire** » Sun Apr 23, 2006 10:54 am

dont sweat it, my suggestions are merely that

my fiction is getting kind of screwy and i need to get some sleep... so im not tinking too clearly right now...

Oblivion · Post by **Oblivion** » Sun Apr 23, 2006 11:09 am

it's still just 6:05 PM here.
Anyway, here is a concept logo for proposed subfaction Shmrn Medical Consortium and their banner:

Zeog · Post by **Zeog** » Sun Apr 23, 2006 1:11 pm

Just a word on political correctness: The red cross theme is not a good idea. First because it's a protected logo and the Canadia Red Cross (I think) is going to prevent it's future use in video games. Second, the red cross is only a synonym for "medical" in the "western world". It's the "Red Half Moon" in other countries. Besides the symbol of cross or moon are of religion origin. So, I don't think it's a good idea for the Shmrn. It's a godd design however. Could you try to settle with the "snake winding around a pole"-medical theme? Something like that:

Oblivion · Post by **Oblivion** » Sun Apr 23, 2006 1:18 pm

the Caduceus?

Thanks for the image

Thanks for the info. Didn't know Red Cross is that touchy of their logo. But hey! It was based on the flag of Helvetians anyway (Switzerland). But yeah, will do. I'll change it

Apologies to those who took the oath of hippocrates out there.

The Caduceus would not exactly fit with Shmrn mythology (if there ever was one).

Will try tho. tnx

Post by **chuck_starchaser** » Sun Apr 23, 2006 3:16 pm

The coiling serpents are a religious symbol too; they represent the Kundalini, from Hindu tradition, which is described as two coiling serpents, called Ida and Pingala, which twist 3.5 turns as they rise along the spine. I don't know how exactly Hindu stuff got into western medicine, but probably via that famous herbalist from middle ages, can't remember his name; I think he was the first to use the Ida and Pingala as a symbol for health. Not sure what the wings are doing there... Unless those are flying serpents, but that's Aztec mythology... Ketzalcoatl?

EDIT: Paracelsus. Came back; not sure the spelling.

Zeog · Post by **Zeog** » Sun Apr 23, 2006 4:17 pm

Hmm, that's interesting. I saw serval versions of just one serpent and without wings but a bowl at the top. It was explained to me that this is a pharmaceutical symbol due to the use of serpent poison as medicine and it representet a scene where a serpent "donates" its poison into the bowl.
So, if a departure from human religions and their symbols is wished we could come up with an analogous scene for the aliens. Maybe a characteristic plant shape of which they use to make their medications?

Post by **chuck_starchaser** » Sun Apr 23, 2006 5:12 pm

LOL, if that were the case, you'd think the serpent would be hanging down, throwing up into the bowl...

Sunfire · Post by **Sunfire** » Sun Apr 23, 2006 8:43 pm

i wonder if the red cross could say anything if you changed it from red and white to blue and green.... or white and orange.... or blue and white...

'yes, this is the red cross... were concerned that you STOLE our logo"

'but.... its not a RED cross... its blue!'

'it doesnt matter, we're going to prosecute ANYONE who uses a cross on a background in thier symbolism, no matter what the color. next, we plan on invading england, then possibly finland'

Post by **chuck_starchaser** » Sun Apr 23, 2006 10:30 pm

I think Zeog wanted to pull away from the cross, not so much from red. Though, the cross in the red cross is a pagan cross, that predates Christianity... I like the coiling serpents, myself; and I don't think anyone owns that as a logo. The original symbol, from Paracelsus times, had neither wings, nor a chalice, but a flower, or more than one flower, at the top. I was once in a very ancient building, in a land far away, and a round, actually octogonal room in it had every wall painted with the coiling serpents. But every wall was slightly different in the number and colors of flowers at the top. I was told the flowers represented Hindu "Chakras", and that the paintings were done by masons who had built and owned the building for the first few decades of its existence.