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Posted (edited)
16 hours ago, Mjolnerd said:

 

 <snip>

 

I gave it a go, maybe there are some ideas you can take from this.

My biggest hint would be that is if you don't use any 'top pattern' on your metallic chest/legs then use Blend (or Diamond Blend) and use a tone or two different on the blend to create some different tones to give it more depth. I gave her a cigarette too cause why not- you can use Bestial Breath aura for a smoke effect which I think looks cool. And don't mind the sliders I used my character as a base and she THICC.

nN7psgh.png
CUfqSGK.png

Edited by Latex
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Posted
On 12/6/2020 at 12:19 AM, Shocktacular said:

I took a swing at this.  I have no idea if this is anything like what you were after, but at the very least it's a place to start.  I used white and pink for the bunny features, with green and orange armor because carrots.

 

samuraibunnyfront.png

samuraibunnyback.png

samuraibunny.costume 7.17 kB · 0 downloads

Thank you so much! ❤️ it's 100% better then what I was commingnup with! ❤️ I love him.

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Posted

Glad to help! 😄

 

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Posted
On 12/6/2020 at 4:00 PM, Mjolnerd said:

This is Adamant Eve. She's one of my favorite alts, and I have a lot of alts. The first of only two (so far) of my 50s from live that I've taken all the way to 50 again on Homecoming. As one might imagine, she's an Invulnerability/Super Strength tanker, sort of in the vein of Colossus from the X-Men powers-wise. She's magic-origin, though I've never really come up with a backstory more specific than that. I feel like "magic" in her case is a power source rather than a skill, so more Wonder Woman or Moon Knight than Doctor Strange or Zatanna.

 

I've tweaked her look from time to time over the years, but from day one it's been basically what you see here: silver metal "skin" and blue-gray clothes over the top with gold accents. And it's... fine, I guess? But it's not exciting to me. I'm not really a fan of the whole "street clothes as a superhero costume" approach in general, but unfortunately, it's where I keep landing with her, mostly because I want to be able to show off that she's made of metal (it's kinda her whole "thing") without having her run around nude or basically so -- applying a pattern over the metal just looks like it's painted directly on her body. So I've ended up using shirts, jackets, robes and other styles that sit above the main layer so I can put the Metallic pattern underneath. Trying to show off a lot of skin without showing too much skin is kind of a paradox, who knew?

 

But maybe someone here can improve on this, solve the problem in a way I haven't considered. I'm open to changing pretty much anything about her design except for it being obvious at a glance that she's made of steel, and I'd very much prefer to steer clear of "titillating" and toward "badass." Looking more like a magic-powered superhero instead of a regular person who happens to be extra shiny wouldn't hurt either.

 

Ooohhh, this one's hard.  Like, really hard.  I've been messing around with this a bit... have you tried using the Celestial Armor top?  Does that work?  It will let you color her chest and upper back separately from the rest, and it looks reasonably metallic (at least to me).  It does have rivets and bands, though, so I'm not sure that it would fit the "metal skin" look.

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Posted
On 12/6/2020 at 7:06 PM, Cutter said:

Here's a first stab at this. Maybe something here you can use as an inspiration!

I've tried similar looks to this before, for whatever reason they didn't sing for me. Maybe it's the horizontal lines on the top? I've never been a fan of that particular piece, especially on a female torso. The other one I like better, but it has those open sides and only tends to look good over other "clothing" rather than "skin."

But I kinda love the Barbarian Ring on the upper arms, there's something there I think. It subtly bulks her up a bit, implies more strength.

On 12/6/2020 at 8:50 PM, biostem said:

Here's my attempt.  I call her "Iron Rayne":  😉

I had her in that same shirt for a while on live! I actually really like the way the side panels on it flow with the pattern on the pants, and I'm a big fan of the way the belt's lines interact with the pants too. Even if I don't end up using that combo for Eve, I'm going to tuck it away and use it for something.

 

Boy, those glasses look better than the eyes on the Metallic face, don't they? I've never loved that face. I wish that new "Metallic 2" texture without the robot-lines had been ported over to female characters too.

Also, the shoulder pads. I like. Same as above, these make her look more powerful in the upper body. It's a shame there's such a stark separation from the shoulders themselves; the texture could simulate metal skin with the right coloring, look like it's a part of her rather than something she's wearing.

 

Actually, now that I think about it, the Valkyrie 3(?) shoulders could do the same, with the trim/edges providing a nice accent similar to what Cutter's use of the Barbarian piece did. I'll play with that.

15 hours ago, Latex said:

I gave it a go, maybe there are some ideas you can take from this.

My biggest hint would be that is if you don't use any 'top pattern' on your metallic chest/legs then use Blend (or Diamond Blend) and use a tone or two different on the blend to create some different tones to give it more depth. I gave her a cigarette too cause why not- you can use Bestial Breath aura for a smoke effect which I think looks cool. And don't mind the sliders I used my character as a base and she THICC.
 

More sunglasses! Yeah, I should definitely do something about that face, the blank version makes her look like a robot. The shades help that. They add a lot of personality.

 

I've used that same smoke trick on another character when I needed a grizzled old soldier with an eye patch chomping on a cigar. It's subtle, but it really adds a neat effect.

 

The use of a pattern on the "skin" under the "clothing" elements is here nice -- again, that pattern in particular with the bicep rings is a good look (I keep coming back to that same general place, there's definitely some potential in it). In fact, now that I think about it, maybe there's a way to get past that problem with the open sides on the Roman chest plate after all....

8 minutes ago, Shocktacular said:

Ooohhh, this one's hard.  Like, really hard.  I've been messing around with this a bit... have you tried using the Celestial Armor top?  Does that work?  It will let you color her chest and upper back separately from the rest, and it looks reasonably metallic (at least to me).  It does have rivets and bands, though, so I'm not sure that it would fit the "metal skin" look.

I've tried it, and every time it's something I want to like more than something I actually do like. I think the problem is that it only covers the upper torso, leaving the midriff area exposed. That isn't terrible per se, but without being able to use it with a jacket/robe/whatever to make it look less like a really elaborate bra/bikini top, it doesn't really do what I want it to. The piece looks great over tights or other costume-costumes, but over "skin" it just creates that "near naked" look I'm trying to avoid. Basically if I color it like her body she's nude, if I color it like her clothes she's fighting crime in a fancy tube top. The rivets and bands -- any adornments, really -- aren't necessarily a bad thing, though, and might even help with the "magic" aspect.

 

I really appreciate the help, everyone! You're getting wheels turning, thank you!

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Formerly of Virtue, now on Excelsior:

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Posted

This is the first time I've ever been totally stumped on visualizing a character; so any suggestions or ideas would be appreciated.

 

Miss Menagerie, a blueside Magic, Beast/Nature MM; she can both summon beasts & shapeshift.  I've tried various "Jungle Queen" and "shaman" attempts at design, but didn't land of anything satisfactory.  I don't hate her costume -- sometimes something sleek & simple is great -- but it hasn't helped me define her persona.

 

Other than spending the 2M inf for the coyote & panther travel powers, I haven't done anything with her.   I'm not opposed to re-rolling her with a different Origin or Secondary to fit a better costume/concept to match the name.

 

650155783_MissMenagerie.JPG.2e0dce0bf44b1a3a10b54e53957c5baf.JPG

Original CoH player [2004-2012]; Freedom Server

Posted
1 hour ago, Crimson621 said:

This is the first time I've ever been totally stumped on visualizing a character; so any suggestions or ideas would be appreciated.

 

Miss Menagerie, a blueside Magic, Beast/Nature MM; she can both summon beasts & shapeshift.  I've tried various "Jungle Queen" and "shaman" attempts at design, but didn't land of anything satisfactory.  I don't hate her costume -- sometimes something sleek & simple is great -- but it hasn't helped me define her persona.

 

Other than spending the 2M inf for the coyote & panther travel powers, I haven't done anything with her.   I'm not opposed to re-rolling her with a different Origin or Secondary to fit a better costume/concept to match the name.

A quick stab at this before work. I went with more of a "jungle queen" approach. Hope it helps!

 

Fur makes sense, I think. Monstrous hands imply the "shapeshifter" part by making her look a little more savage. Glam hair because it's the biggest, wildest style. I've used the Carnival head detail as "leaves" to great effect on my own characters and tried it here too, but wasn't happy with the way it clips through the hair until I added the Vines facial pattern, which kind of makes it look like she's caught mid-shapeshift? Blast legs pattern for the same reason -- like it's "pulling back" from her to reveal a human underneath.

 

Colors may need a little tweaking.

menagerie.png

menagerie.costume

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Formerly of Virtue, now on Excelsior:

Ace of Spades Adamant Eve | Arch-Rival The BeBlackbelt Citizen Arcane Core | Ctrl Alt Defeat | Daddy Longlegs Diamant Drop Dead Gorgeous Freak Accident

Galactrix Great White Shark Heavy Machinery Highway Star The Howl Inter-GalacticaIon Maiden Knockout Artist Krakatoa The Night's Templar The Pact

Paroled McDonald Sentinelle Virtual Boy Volcaniac White Widow Yucatan

And my most recent 50, Doctor Roswell (Psychic Blast/Atomic Manipulation blaster, 16 August 2024)

Posted
21 hours ago, Mjolnerd said:

Glam hair because it's the biggest, wildest style.

Biggest, maybe, but wildest?

 

Menagerie-Wild.thumb.png.94bdf4b7c896d4b1784ea386ed249560.pngMenagerie-Shimmer.thumb.png.48c6226e90e95c5c82efc9e4366218c8.png

 

Digging the Shimmer style myself, but after uploading these, I realized the colors for both styles could use more "massaging."

 

There are also a few dreadlock options, but I've never been a fan of 'em.

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Posted (edited)
On 12/8/2020 at 8:22 AM, Crimson621 said:

Miss Menagerie, a blueside Magic, Beast/Nature MM; she can both summon beasts & shapeshift.

Here's my attempt.  I hope you like it!  🙂

 

 

menagerie mel 5.png

 

menagerie mel 3.png

menagerie mel.costume

Edited by biostem
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Posted
On 12/8/2020 at 10:10 AM, Mjolnerd said:

A quick stab at this before work.

 

2 hours ago, biostem said:

Here's my attempt. 

 

Both great suggestions and combining elements of both gets me awfully close to a fully developed looks.  I took the heavy emphasis on leather/fur from the first, and I love the feeling that she's wearing a pelt hood as in the second.   I'll be tweaking details -- gloves & belt -- for a few days I suspect, but she's taking form.

 

2031704640_MissMenagerie.JPG.51feec0fca08c5dae7b690cede68d8c6.JPG

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Posted
16 minutes ago, Crimson621 said:

Both great suggestions and combining elements of both gets me awfully close to a fully developed looks.  I took the heavy emphasis on leather/fur from the first, and I love the feeling that she's wearing a pelt hood as in the second.   I'll be tweaking details -- gloves & belt -- for a few days I suspect, but she's taking form.

Looks great -- glad I could help!

 

Man, that hood/ears combo is fantastic, @biostem. I'm kind of jealous I didn't think of it.

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Formerly of Virtue, now on Excelsior:

Ace of Spades Adamant Eve | Arch-Rival The BeBlackbelt Citizen Arcane Core | Ctrl Alt Defeat | Daddy Longlegs Diamant Drop Dead Gorgeous Freak Accident

Galactrix Great White Shark Heavy Machinery Highway Star The Howl Inter-GalacticaIon Maiden Knockout Artist Krakatoa The Night's Templar The Pact

Paroled McDonald Sentinelle Virtual Boy Volcaniac White Widow Yucatan

And my most recent 50, Doctor Roswell (Psychic Blast/Atomic Manipulation blaster, 16 August 2024)

Posted (edited)

I think I've got it, folks. It's very different from (most of) your suggestions, but you all helped me out a ton. Elements of all of the ideas presented ended up coming together into something I'm really thrilled with. This thread got me thinking in ways I wasn't before, then I sort of rubber duck-ed myself the rest of the way there.

 

It doesn't look like street clothes! It looks magic-y! It still looks like the same character I've been playing for years, just with a fresh design! It looks like someone who could hurt you really badly, but only if you gave her a reason to!

 

The Valkyrie shoulder pads do what I was hoping they would: provide a bit of color to the upper arms the same way the Barbarian Ring did, while also adding mass like the Smooth shoulders -- with the extra bonus of looking like it's actually muscle she can use to punch bad guys really, really hard. Roman chest plate + pattern on skin (Belly Tee Long, but with the colors reversed, if you're wondering) = torso I like without exposed sides. Seeing how much better sunglasses looked than the blank face made me realize how much I hated that face and wanted to cover it, and talking about ornaments and adornments got me thinking about the Carnival masks, which it turns out look great with the metal skin. And then I discovered just playing around on my own that the side panels on Imperial Dynasty legs look like steel covered by some kind of sheer fabric that dulls the shine, and that means more skin without more skin.

Thanks to everyone, I really appreciate it!

AdEve.png

AdEve2.png

Edited by Mjolnerd
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Formerly of Virtue, now on Excelsior:

Ace of Spades Adamant Eve | Arch-Rival The BeBlackbelt Citizen Arcane Core | Ctrl Alt Defeat | Daddy Longlegs Diamant Drop Dead Gorgeous Freak Accident

Galactrix Great White Shark Heavy Machinery Highway Star The Howl Inter-GalacticaIon Maiden Knockout Artist Krakatoa The Night's Templar The Pact

Paroled McDonald Sentinelle Virtual Boy Volcaniac White Widow Yucatan

And my most recent 50, Doctor Roswell (Psychic Blast/Atomic Manipulation blaster, 16 August 2024)

Posted
17 hours ago, Grimz said:

Looking to update Resistance Arrow's look a bit. The main things that need to stay are the cybernetic eye and arms.

Does "Resistance" refer to the Praetorian faction (this will inform potential costume designs)?

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Posted
26 minutes ago, Shocktacular said:

Does "Resistance" refer to the Praetorian faction (this will inform potential costume designs)?

No, it does not

Posted (edited)

Anything else about the character that we should know?  Age, origin, backstory, desired costume style, etc.?

Edited by Shocktacular

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Praetorians can get to AE in Pocket D by going through Studio 55.

 

Posted
Just now, Shocktacular said:

Anything else about the character that we should know?  Age, origin, backstory, desired costume style, etc.?

The idea I had is that he is a resistance fighter from an alternate dimension where Arachnos manage to actually take over the world. Age would be middle aged (around 40~50 years).

Posted
32 minutes ago, Grimz said:

The idea I had is that he is a resistance fighter from an alternate dimension where Arachnos manage to actually take over the world. Age would be middle aged (around 40~50 years).

Okay, I kinda went a bit nuts with this because I love alternate dimension stories!  I did a series of 5(ish) costumes.  The idea is that he starts out with a regular uniform that then ages and falls into some disrepair as the resistance is persecuted by Arachnos.  Some parts are repaired, others replaced.  Some have faded from being washed many times, or have gotten dirty from use, although I kept his bow the same throughout because I figured that he would do absolutely everything to keep his weapon maintained, even if it meant skimping on maintenance elsewhere.  I also tried to show that he aged, too, by lightening his beard with each subsequent costume.  Since this involves so many picture files, I will probably need to make multiple posts.
First costume, original uniform.  Things are still relatively bright and shiny.
 

resarcher1front.png

resarcher1back.png

resarcher1bow.png

resarcher1.costume

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Posted

Second costume.  He's had to replace his boots and fix his belt a bit.  He added a hood to help hide his face, and he hasn't had as much time to trim his beard.  Things are less bright, but still mostly shiny.

resarcher2front.png

resarcher2back.png

resarcher2.costume

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Posted

Third costume.  He had to get new pants.  Chest armor getting very dull, some additional dullness on arms.  Quiver strap has been repaired several times (had to add buckles/metal parts to keep bits together). 

resarcher3front.png

resarcher3back.png

resarcher3.costume

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Posted

Fourth costume.  His uniform top wore out, so he has to make due with a shirt. Pants have gotten a bit dirty. Quiver strap is wearing out quite a bit.

resarcher4front.png

resarcher4back.png

resarcher4.costume

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Posted

Costume 5, probably closest to your original one.  Boots worn down quite a bit.  Got a new quiver strap and a new belt (taller to help support his back). Hood and arms showing wear.  Quiver even starting to show wear.  Pants have been repaired several times, possibly using bits from his shirt?

resarcher5front.png

resarcher5back.png

resarcher5.costume

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Posted

Take from these what you will.  I had a lot of fun making them, and I hope you like them!

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Want more from Praetoria? Check out my level 40+ Praetoria missions in AE! I've got 3 complete arcs so far.
Praetorians can get to AE in Pocket D by going through Studio 55.

 

Posted
11 hours ago, Shocktacular said:

Take from these what you will.  I had a lot of fun making them, and I hope you like them!

I love what you did here and all the costumes look great!

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