[CLASS] Obligatory Dwarf (On Indefinite Hold?)

[ThndrShk2k]

This is a custome character class modification for Torchlight, that will include the Dwarven character class [CLASS NAME].

The [CLASS NAME] will focus on three styles of fighting: The sturdy and heavy hitting warrior type *[MELEE TREE NAME]* ; The clever and expert marksdwarf *MARKSDWARF* ; and finally the clever and resourceful dwarven machinist*[MACHINIST TREE NAME]*

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News
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Spoiler: show

11/04/09 - 00:00 est
Tiptoe has volunteered to help do the modeling, and is modifying the Destroyer model to make it resemble what I have done so far of the model sheet. She's done a fantastic job so far and I plan on restarting the model sheet to match the current model a little bit more.
11/04/09 - 10:00pm est
Have front, side, and back views sketched out for the model sheet. Focused on giving some detail to the anatomy right now, although it's not my forte. Unsure of what to include in detail and what not to include due to the simplicity of the game design.
11/05/09 - 9:00pm est
Focusing on making sure the beard has no issue. Updated the model sheet sketch with a new smaller, but still dwarfy, beard that should resolve any foreseen clipping issues.
11/06/09 - 4:00am est
Tiptoe has tested the model to make sure the Dwarf's mighty beard doesn't cause too much of an issue. I have finalized the sketched draft of the Model Sheet and currently am making lineart of it in illustrator.
We're now moving on to fleshing out the model of the dwarf with his starting armor, and probably Hair too.
11/07/09 - 4:20am est
Designed the starting armor, except for the details on the chest armor (which is skinning details anyway).
Hair met a creativity roadblock. Will most likely go with partial bald or starting hat on the model. (Got used to him being bald and everything else looks weird o.O)
11/07/09 - 7:23pm est
Not much going on, figured I just give a little update. Blame Dragon Age if anything for lack of anything from me.
With TorchED released, people are delving into it, and I have yet to have a chance other than to look at the interface. Looks like I can learn it (with help of tutorials of course ), but we'll see how that goes.

11/23/09 - 10:00pm est
Life's been busy. Eye doctor's, work, family, games. Yay holiday season.
Been tweaking around in TorchED, made a mod folder and currently just using a bunch of Destroyer assets and modifying those. Planned out one skill and partially implimented it. (Creating a Skill and an Affix for the skill to use).
Also been smoothing out and trying to finish the Model Outline. Might make a portrait icon, but need to draw the hair, if I even want it.


12/06/09 - 11:30pm est
Been rather lacking on my part, but I don't want to do too much in the realm of implementing custom skills without models and animations to use with them.(/LAME EXCUSE)
Thinking about the skills that the Dwarf should have, keep coming up with skill ideas, however trying to be original is hard when I have no clue what I even want. Have most of them thought out except for 1 OFFENSIVE//MELEE and 1 RANGED active skills. Also added specific passives for each tree, but do not know if they'll stay. If they prove to be too useless//overpowered, may have to make 1 more active skill for all the trees just in case.

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Artwork
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Model Sheet - By Thndr
Current in drafts.

The current sketched draft of the model sheet, along with the armor draft.


I started making some basic outlines in Illustrator as well, just to make it look all nice in the future. Once I get once side cleaned up I'll mirror it and make sure it's seamless.



Model - By Tiptoe



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Design
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The class design itself I was thinking towards the Dwarf class being beefy and sturdy like dwarves, so innate damage and health bonuses. Dwarves are also known for hunting with ranged, and since they're technically inclined, guns. And due to their study of engineering/mechanisms, they should also have access to an array of tools and materials to create turrets and other steampunk stuff.
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MELEE TREE
ACTIVES:3/4
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BASH ATTACK (Name Pending)

Spoiler: show

Currently it's essentially a copy of the Destroyer's SLASH ATTACK, but with KNOCKBACK and STUN instead of INTERRUPT CHANCE
Bash Attack
Lvl1
Damage:87%
Cooldown: 1
Stun: .8
Knock: 23

Lvl2
Damage: 91%
Cooldown: 1.3
Stun: 1.0
Knock: 26

Lvl3
Damage: 96%
Cooldown: 1.6
Stun: 1.2
Knock: 29

Lvl4
Damage: 102%
Cooldown: 1.9
Stun: 1.4
Knock: 32

Lvl5
Damage: 109%
Cooldown: 2.2
Stun: 1.6
Knock: 35

Lvl6
Damage: 117%
Cooldown: 2.5
Stun: 1.8
Knock: 38

Lvl7
Damage: 125%
Cooldown: 2.8
Stun: 2.0
Knock: 41

Lvl8
Damage: 135%
Cooldown: 3.1
Stun: 2.2
Knock: 44

Lvl9
Damage: 146%
Cooldown: 3.4
Stun: 2.4
Knock: 47

Lvl10
Damage: 158%
Cooldown: 3.7
Stun: 2.6
Knock: 50

Lvl11
Damage: 171%
Cooldown: 4
Stun: 2.8
Knock: 53

Lvl12
Damage: 185%
Cooldown: 4.3
Stun: 3.0
Knock: 56

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Martial Trance (Buff that boosts movement speed and melee attack power)
Knockback and wide strike abilities.
Rend Armor (A heavy attack that reduces armor)


PASSIVES:1/1
Dwarven Hardyness - Raises STR and DEF
--defaults--
Armor Passive
Melee passive
Offensive spell passive
Dual Wield
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MARKSDWARF
ACTIVES:3/4
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RAPID SHOT - Small amount of mana used per shot, penalty to damage, increased level increases the damage to a max of 125% *135 lvl 12* with firing rate of 200% (233% lvl 12) max. 4 tiers to the skill. First tier 133% max firing, damage starts at 75%. Mana consumption to be determined.
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Explosive shrapnel shot. (Kind of like the vanquisher's explosion shot, but shoots shrapnel when exploding)
Exploding bomb shot (like those monsters who shoot arrows that blow up a few seconds after landing.)
=some more ranged abilities=

PASSIVES:1/1
Dwarven Endurance - Raises AGI and HP
--defaults--
adventurer passive
Defensive spell passive
Ranged Passive
Armor passive
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MACHINIST TREE
ACTIVES:3/3
Steampunk Machingun moving turrets (one of those small laser turrets from the dwarven fortress, but with a chaingun/machinegun on the top instead of a laser eye) - Temp summon? max 5 at one time? Cooldown?
Miniature Ballista (Pierces foes, Ricochets. Slow firing rate, fires 3 at a time)
Steampunk/Obsidian Magma turret (only one summonable. shoots magma. Reduces armor, slows monsters. Area of Attack increases with tiers. 4 tiers)

PASSIVES:1/1
Dwarven Mechanics - Raises MAG and MP.
--defaults--
Magic passive (Late in the tree)
Charm Spell passive (Middle in the tree
Pet Mastery passive
Barter Passive


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Current Workers
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Thndr - Concept and Artwork
Tiptoe - Model

[Krageon]

Awesome.
To properly do this you'd need TorchED, of course, but a rudimentary version of this can be made already: Make the models in Blender, create Textures in the GIMP and add a selector for it in the menu. Skills *could* be made from the skills of the other classes, but it'd be sub-par. Still, not bad for a skeleton if everything I just said is actually as possible as I imagine it is

[Tiptoe]

This is great!
I'd love to see some new playable races added to Torchlight. I'm a big fan of the Forgotten Realms, so I'd love to see things like dwarves, gnomes and elves added to Torchlight .

[ThndrShk2k]

Updated the drawing in the first post.

Added in lines and improved some of the coloring, along with filling in the non-detailed area with simple shades.

Think the beard may be a bit out of place with it's pointyness, instead of rounding from the sideburns it seems to just slide back into his hair.

[Naihonn]

Well, I think engineering is more like gnomish domain, not only in WoW. I think dwarves are usually exceptional blacksmithes, using materials (mythril for example) noone else can use so effectively for weapons and armour.

[Ein]

Going by the Dwarven tech already in the game I'd say they're excellent machinists. What with their ride armor and those little crawly robot things.

[yeoni8]

Wow, truly impressed.

[Tiptoe]

You've inspired me Thndr, I wouldn't mind trying to model this little chap. But I'm going to throw a challenge your way. Your first sketch is wonderful as a character concept, but it's not suitable for 3D modeling purposes.

Have you ever heard of character model sheets? Basically, these are images of a character that can be imported into a 3D modeling program as reference images. Ideally, they should consist of a front, side and back view (and their proportions should all line up).

Here is an example of what I'm talking about:



So if you're up to the challenge and feel like creating a character model sheet for me, I'll try my best to bring him to life for you .

[ThndrShk2k]

Sure, but I am unsure how long it's going to take me
It'll give me some practice with drawing more fundamental details along with some more Illustrator brush practice (Pen too takes me forever >_>). and making it symmetrical will make it even easier Yay lazy workarounds.

I just started drawing again about 2 weeks before torchlight came out, and then torchlight came out and gave me ANOTHER reason to procrastinate XD

[Tiptoe]

I've made a start . I've decided to use the destoyer model as the base. Anyway, I've just de-triangulated him (because it's much easier to work with quads rather than with triangles).

So I thought I'd upload the screenshot from Max because you might be able to use it as a base for your model sheet:



I think the legs will work as they are, but the upper body, especially the arms and shoulders, will need some serious tweaking to match your vision.

I'm really looking forward to this .

[ThndrShk2k]

I've made a start . I've decided to use the destoyer model as the base. Anyway, I've just de-triangulated him (because it's much easier to work with quads rather than with triangles).

So I thought I'd upload the screenshot from Max because you might be able to use it as a base for your model sheet:

I'm really looking forward to this .

Well that would've been useful when I started sketching an hour ago XD

Here's a simple one side sketch (since I'm being incredibly lazy and illustrator will do half of the work anyway.)
http://img41.imageshack.us/img41/9526/d ... sheeta.png

Here's the leg behind (although probably be better just to use less detailed pants, don't need to see dwarf skivvies )
http://img156.imageshack.us/img156/4435 ... sheetb.png

And an alternate beard.
http://img687.imageshack.us/img687/20/d ... ethead.png

Edit: Just checked my PSD file, it's 50MB with all the sketches, the model sheet reference, the old drawing, and the alchemist artwork from the media page (all scaled to what I eyeballed as an appropriate scale to draw the dwarf at)

[Tiptoe]

Excellent! I can definitely work with these .

One hint, don't bother to draw the clothes. Yes, I want a naked dwarf (alright, alright you can put some undies on him ). But the clothes will be modeled seperately, so for now, I just want to get his body proportions right.

[ThndrShk2k]

Cut and paste edit from previous post just in case it gets lost in the thread >_>. I edit my posts too much

Also, while you're tweaking, if you see anyway to make it look better with less polys, or even something thats a better shape design wise, go for it. All I am going off is trying to make a simple design that comes with details.
As you see on the regular model, the skin includes his default shoulder pad. (although the hands and boots probably switch models or something.)

It doesn't help that I'm only halfway decent at drawing.

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Well, if you don't care about specific details I can do naked as well, since half of the drawing so far is naked. Only problems I am going to have is the feet and body, as I'm having trouble with imagining how a dwarf(race) would look, without making him look like a fat dwarf(medical condition) would look.

[Zidders]

This is looking great os far....and the sketches are great!!!! omg i'm so loving this game. *hugs ya!* DORFS!!!!!!

[Tiptoe]

Progress report. I loaded your sketch into Max and this is what I've come up with so far:



Tell me what changes you'd like to make. Should I make his head bigger? Would you like me to make him fatter? What about his hair, is he going to be bald or will we give him some hair?

I'm having lots of fun with this, tell me what you think.

[granty]

a Dwarf needs more beard and beer-belly

[Tiptoe]

a Dwarf needs more beard and beer-belly

Hehe I think Granty is right. I like him with a fat tummy .



But this is your design Thndr, what do you think?

[errik]

Very nice dwarves

I just have one comment really, I understand you like to do your own dwarf and everything.
But couldn't there be a point in using the undead ones in the game as a form of reference?

Of course the undead dwarves could be a long since lost race of dwarves and this new one might just be a evolved one i guess

Just thought I say that :p

Keep up the good work, really liking the model. Are you planning on using the Destroyer animations for it later?

[Naihonn]

Wow, this is great work. I envy you such talent.

[Tiptoe]

I just have one comment really, I understand you like to do your own dwarf and everything.
But couldn't there be a point in using the undead ones in the game as a form of reference?

Yes you're right, I could have used them, but I like Thndr's dwarf design better and the destroyer model was better suited for this kind of tweaking.

As for animations, yes, I hope to be able to use the destoyer's bones and animation. I'm just waiting for Runic to release those Artpacks. But for now, I'm just having fun mucking around with the existing meshes .