Elben Schafers has entered the Grand Space Opera 3D.
Latest Update: Final Image: final Out on a limb
Just added some minor changes to the back planet so it doesn’t stand out so much. Might experiment a little further, but should probably submit my final before the deadline.
This is just a first sketch made in Painter, to see about creating flow. It represents two fighting neighbors and the similarities they unknowenly have. 
Ok, it’s just an image with two planets with vine like cords stretching into space and the inhabitants at war.
Wow, looking over all the images so far I’m really tempted to start over because I see a lot of images with nice layouts of cities on planets and nice environments with ships etc. Still this is SPACE opera, so I might stick to the original concept and include something with space in it. Hint, hint
There’s some really nice stuff out there, though. Should shape up to some nice competitions.
I just thought of having one planet instead of two, but have it broken in half. I think it will be a little more interesting and have a better focal image.
Flipped the image horiz just to see if the eye will flow better. Kinda think it does.
This is where I’m going with the cockpit for the walkers. I’m using Maya for the modeling. I find that smooth proxy seems to work well for the more fluid of pieces but didn’t work so well for the more mechanical areas. Regular polys work better for those. This is a combo of both.
great concepts bud, And the modeling is coming along nicely too.
Interested to see how you will portray the background.
Liquid
Thanks for the comments guys. A plastic bubble sounds good, but I actually already added that in. This is the mostly final model for the craft itself, minus some slight detail and a driver. I hope to add more detail by using textures, but we’ll see how that turns out.
It’s a little different for me, not building for games. I tend to still make the models a little lower then needed. It does makes it easier to move around though.
WOW! Man I have to say: Great Aracnic model! I liked it a lot! Keep it up! I think this is going to be another project to be tuned with! Oh! and good luck! 
Man I have to learn to put in detail to my models like you have here. Great looking vehicle, really nice detailling.
The models are looking very nice. Overall, the composition of your concept sketch is cool. Since the background has interesting originality factor (not seen as much) may I suggest you shy away from isometric quality to your organic antagonist (aracnid) - to keep the original flavor going. For instance, the Ant is isometric in legs, but has a large bulbous abdomen. The potatoe bug is one of the most frightening looking insects, even though it has isometric balance in terms of legs and skeleton.
Although, if you choose to stay in that direction, your modeling skill is certainly apparent, and your doing a great job. In any case - looking forward to more.
to me your sketches look like a nano world.
and these guys shrinked themselves and now they
are fighting in some organism
could be you 
really nice so far!
GaNNEl- thanks bud. There’s a few really pieces that people are doing. Just hope to follow this through. Seems like I have too many things going on.
Gamoron- thanks too. I still wasn’t sure if I had the right amount of detail, too much and the image becomes cluttered, too little and it becomes sorta cartoonish. I have to see what texturing does, hopefully tonight.
Daniel McMillan- I’m trying to get a good composition, but I find that this never gets ironed out till closer to the end. I agree too on the non isometric idea, but I thought maybe the legs and guns would be very similar all around, keeping to a manufactured style. The difference of sides could be more along the line of sat dishes, storage compartments etc. Good idea with the potato bug though. I always wanted to do something with microscopic bugs…next time.
CybapunC- that’s a unique way of looking at it. Not bad.
Well, I hope to be able to show a little more soon.
Good detail level. 
How about to use the clamps to fly?
I will be watching your stuff!
Good luck at the challenge!
I’m learning a lot of what not to do. Since I modeled the pieces first using smooth proxy in Maya, it didn’t make it easy to lay out the UV’s. I should’ve built the base shapes, layed out UVs then cut in to create sharper edges, when smoothing. Most of the time when working on games, I model low poly then map out UV’s. Higher poly takes a little more getting use to.
This is just another angle of the cockpit. I’m going for a little cleaner look, mostly on the upper section of the whole piece. Looking to create a little more of an astronaute feel, where parts are kept as white as possible. I’ll try to pull the opposing vehicle in a more dirty direction.
I finally have the texturing done for the walker, minus the character inside. Also some lights that are grouped with the walker to light the way.
