Race [RETOOLED] The Volans Need YOU! [New Name | New Look | Prev. "The Jax"]

Discussion in 'NPCs and Creatures' started by BionicKraken, Dec 19, 2013.

  1. BionicKraken

    BionicKraken Subatomic Cosmonaut

    I think you're right. :/

    There's a big tug of war between sc-fi influence and fantasy influences on this forum. I'll try to reach a middle ground.

    Change their look how, exactly? I wanted to do rabbits because as a human touchstone, rabbits = breeding. Maybe I could look at cockroaches? Would that work better for people? I feel like that's too "harsh" of a look for the subject matter. Don't really know what else breeds a lot. Yeah, I don't really want cat races, either. Hm... I'll have to think about this...

    But, again, I'm really not an artist, so I don't know how good I'd be at armor/weapons/airships. I'm studying to be an accountant - I look at this as a fun activity. :p

    Thanks for the suggestions! I'm working hard at not working on schoolwork today/this week/since I got home so I'll try to to work on some variations and see how (or if) people respond.
     
  2. Monochromegoggles

    Monochromegoggles Phantasmal Quasar

    What about bees or wasps? If you eliminated the necessity for a queen, you could still keep with the mass population theme, and would keep well with their collective agreement to a general mindset without them being totally hive-minded.

    You could mix in some interesting features from other creatures so they are not entirely of one particular genus as well. Had this been suggested back well before starbound was beta released, you might have been able to get away with a soley insectoid appearence, but now you might really need to add in additional non-insect appearences to up the appeal.

    There's a pretty wide variety of ocean life that have some cool natural adaptations that could be augmented to them without them becoming fishy or amphibious.
     
  3. AldoKaido

    AldoKaido Starship Captain

    Or what about something that ain't an animal on two legs?



    Oh and stil can't be bothered to get into books.Reading is for nerds!I'm playing videogames instead.
     
  4. BionicKraken

    BionicKraken Subatomic Cosmonaut

    Yeah, I'll check out the bees/wasps - thanks! Good idea about the ocean life aspect, too. Generally I avoid underwater creatures because I've never been into them, much. :/ I'll take a look at it.

    Game doesn't support this, yet. :/ Has to be something humanoid, unfortunately. Having that problem with another one of the races that's swirling around in my head.

    I suppose, since they're medically proficient, they COULD make prosthetic appendages, but I feel like that would take the focus away from the philosophic conflict they have (mental) and move it into a more physical conflict.

    Plus it might give off a Bionic Man/Bionic Woman vibe, and I want them to be "hearthy" creatures, you know?

    I'll definitely keep it in mind, though. Thanks! :)

    Ha, ha, can't fault you there!


    So far I've just come up with some simple fly/roach variations I'm not too happy with. :/

    [​IMG]
    [​IMG]

    I'll keep working at it! Thanks, you guys! :D
     
  5. Ado

    Ado Hard-To-Destroy Reptile

    Looks great!
    You know,I always wanted to make a race that's like an insect-reptile hybrid.It would make it kind of original since there are a lot of insect races.I still like these a lot!
     
  6. Monochromegoggles

    Monochromegoggles Phantasmal Quasar

    Now these sprites are a big improvement design wise, your spriting style has vastly improved in a short time, well done! Quite detailed as well, hopefully they size down well in proportion to the game's scaling.
     
  7. AldoKaido

    AldoKaido Starship Captain

    Well I guess I must rephrase what I said:not taking animal from human Earth and turn them into humanoïds.There is far more possibilities for things that stand on too legs.I won't spank you if you do.Tommorrow maybe today i'm tired.


    On a totally unrelated note:Christmas sucks.But happy whatever everyone yadi yada.
     
  8. BionicKraken

    BionicKraken Subatomic Cosmonaut

    Thanks you guys! Honestly, it's because I stepped away from Starbound's (seemingly) simplistic design style.

    Me, too! I was really hoping to see insectoid races in this game, honestly. Because, how can you go out into space without going on a bug hunt, man? ;)


    Okay, I veered away from the insect-like race sketches for a moment because I was hit with a flash of inspiration. Tell me what you think, but I'll still keep working on the bees/wasps/ocean hybrids. I love doing stuff like this!

    This is just a rough rough sketch I did just now, so if you like it, I can certainly make it much better!

    I drew inspiration from a certain type of arachnid and sea anemones, and all of the many sci-fi movies I've watched over the years *COUGH*predator*COUGH*.

    So, here's the Jax in their normal state. Just walking around doing stuff and looking for adventure. (You can't really tell b/c of the forum bg, but those are eye stalks poking up at the top of the head. Could definitely make the center of the "mouth" darker.)

    [​IMG]


    And here they are when they're ready to be sociable. You can see that the eye stalks shut and they now use their inside eyes to see the person they're talking to. (Didn't draw the top "flap" high enough.)

    [​IMG]

    And now they're ready to talk! (They'll stretch your ear for hours if you let them - especially if you get them started about the MRS!)

    [​IMG]

    Bonus: The "hiding their true form/closing off from the outside world" works perfectly into the race already! Yay!

    Yes? No? Should I stick more to an insect vibe?

    I thought about the hive mind thing you mentioned MCgoggles, and it kind of stuck in my craw. I wasn't sure why, but I figured it out:

    It's not that they're hive minded, they just very community based. They do love each other and their race, they just don't know it! That's kind of why they tend to think along the same lines. Do you really think it comes across a different way? I might have to implement some community specific lore to counter that...

    And as far as scaling down, jeez, I dunno. I used the sprites you can download from the sprite generator as skeletons, so your guess is as good as mine. :wut:
     
  9. BionicKraken

    BionicKraken Subatomic Cosmonaut

    Wa ha ha! :rofl:

    Well, a Merry Christmas Sucks to you, too, AldoKaido!

    Have a great one you guys!


    EDIT: I better go wrap some presents and stop posting. It's almost Christmas Eve! Whoops!
     
  10. Monochromegoggles

    Monochromegoggles Phantasmal Quasar

    Those... are... AWESOME! Flapfaces are a cool idea, and the addition of an internal set of eyes and a mouth look very bizzare and alien indeed!

    They do suit the existing lore as well with their appearence. Humans who are being 'ignored' or slighted wouldn't know that a Jax is doing so,and might assume that the falps on their head are their mouths, not just something that hides it. Very clever, and a far cry from being 'just a bipedal animal' while still retaining some aspects from less well known creatures.

    These show much promise. :)
     
    Tet the Zoologist likes this.
  11. BionicKraken

    BionicKraken Subatomic Cosmonaut

    Oh, wonderful! Thanks so much!

    I'll start working on the sprites and reworking the lore and adding biology. Thanks again for your help getting me here!

    :D
     
  12. The name "Jax" no longer seems to suit them in my opinion. The new look is a huge improvement in terms of originality, maybe one form of customisation could be eye-stalk arrangement perhaps? Seems to have a been a general complaint about the hylotl after all.
     
  13. BionicKraken

    BionicKraken Subatomic Cosmonaut

    Yeah, I'm looking into it. Having trouble figuring out good ways to customize them.

    Gonna have to look at the name, too. I only chose "Jax" b/c of jackelopes, after all...

    It will take me a little while to overhaul them while keeping to the meat of the lore (which I really like).
     
  14. Model QT-377665

    Model QT-377665 Ketchup Robot

    I like what you're doing with this Race, it's definately interesting, and while I have seen that some people are whining about the whole "Teenage angst suicide" thing, I would like to remind those people that the Avians commit Ritual suicide, so yeah. Anyways, for your name thoughts, I'd look to Old Tales, Latin and mashing stuff togethor, goodluck.
     
  15. BionicKraken

    BionicKraken Subatomic Cosmonaut

    Thanks!

    I did end up using some Latin for the name - hope people like it okay enough.

    "Volans" is part of the peacock spider's Latin name, plus it's the short form of a fish constellation: Pisces Volans, so I thought it worked pretty well. It's pretty catchy, too!

    Fun fact: despite many, many years of owning many, many cats, I have no idea how to draw one. Did you know that? No? Well, now you do!
     
  16. Ado

    Ado Hard-To-Destroy Reptile

    I think it would be good if we could put the eyes on the flaps.So it looks like a face...kinda
    I really like the new look and name!:up:
     
  17. Model QT-377665

    Model QT-377665 Ketchup Robot

    Looking good, good new name, good new sprites.
     
  18. BionicKraken

    BionicKraken Subatomic Cosmonaut

    Thanks for the positive feedback on the change!

    Yeah, I see where you're coming with that, but I'm afraid the sprites would resemble the Hylotl too closely if I did that. Plus, with the various mobs with eye stalks we come across, I like that a playable race would have some, too!

    It will make some helmets and some hats a problem, but only the ones that don't cover the whole head/most of the head.
     
  19. Ado

    Ado Hard-To-Destroy Reptile

    Well,I don't really think so.The Hylotl have 3 eyes.You should make them have 2 or 4 eyes,because the arachnid thing.
     
  20. BionicKraken

    BionicKraken Subatomic Cosmonaut

    Well, what I was inspired by with that spider was the fact that it looked like he had eye stalks (the stripes). It's not that they're arachnids, per say. Plus, I really just like the number 3. It's a good, strong number. That... probably sounds a little crazy. :cautious:

    Let me make sure we're both talking about the same thing, here:

    [​IMG]

    A) is how they are now, B ) is how you'd like to see them (?), and C) is what the Hylotl look like, right?

    I'm flexible on this, really, but the thing is, I went back to the drawing board after your suggestion to see if that looked better. I couldn't sprite B in a way that didn't look similar to C. :/

    Plus, I've kind of gotten used to the stalks. I like them now - I feel like they give the Volans an interesting aesthetic. :)

    The creative process is organic, though. Who knows? Maybe I'll change my mind later on down the line. :rofl:
     
    Ado and Model QT-377665 like this.

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