HOME | DD
chemb0t — Arcane Objects
Published: 2006-10-10 10:19:15 +0000 UTC; Views: 7778; Favourites: 40; Downloads: 26
Redirect to original
Description
Here's some more Concept design. This time the focus was to practice thinking up "plot devices". We know that every story has at least one of these. Some object of high importance that tends to drive the plot and it's characters. Whether it be some magical artifact to fight back evil or perhaps a weapon or key to mass destruction, the device serves many functions and purposes.Here's my take at some basic shapes. I was going for a simple, yet elegant look. Something Archaic and ancient looking yet seeming to hint toward higher levels of technology.
Enjoy =]
Sketched on Heavyweight paper, quick colored in photoshop.
Oh and just for a bit of fun, let me know what you think these objects could be used for. Tell me a story. I'd love to see what your creative minds can come up with ^^
Related content
Comments: 34
Love the semi-technological look to the objects. Kinda makes me think of D&D meets Star Trek.
👍: 0 ⏩: 1
Why thank you. It's been quite a while since I did this work, but I'm glad people are still enjoying it. =]
👍: 0 ⏩: 0
Looks great.
These items could be "McGuffins" of various stories.
A McGuffins is a plot item that the characters in a story fuss over. Its like the ring in lord of the rings or the microfilm/microdot/flashdrive that spies fight over.
The first Xcom was great, nobody has been able to make something as good. They try and they keep failing. Even the Xcom developers could not beat the first one. I would still try to finish the first one if I could get it to run on my machine.
👍: 0 ⏩: 0
hmm o-o
i poked around in wings3D and made a model inspired by the orb object; not entirely pleased with it and it's not textured - or even DONE, for that matter - but i figued hell, why not.
anyhoo :3
ta show ya:
this is the model with some postwork added
and this is a render with nothing but lighting.
please excuse the shittiness, new to the modelling biz owo;;
👍: 0 ⏩: 0
hmm... X-COM, anyone?
*will give you a cookie if you know what I'm talking about*
👍: 0 ⏩: 1
X-COM for the win! ^.^ I never did the Cydonia assault, but I used to play it for hours. The original was a lot cooler than its sequels, I think.
👍: 0 ⏩: 1
SWEET! Finally a fellow X-COM'er!! I agree that the original was amazing, but I liked Apocalypse a lot, it's tied on first place together with Enemy Unknown in my list of faves 
You know, It's pretty cool to finish the Cydonia mission, you first have this funky orange-ish map with some pyramids before entering a super big underground base (the ones like alien-base Earth, but much bigger). I remember spending hours on that last mission trying to find the center control room 
👍: 0 ⏩: 2
Oh wow, terror from the deep. I loved that game. My brother and I used to play that into the night and get scared out of our wits! XDD
I don't think I had a chance to try out the others in the series though
👍: 0 ⏩: 0
Apocalypse I liked, but it kind of freaked me out. Interceptor and TFTD I barely played, and Enforcer I only heard about.
I remember when all I had was a demo of X-Com 1, and I used to play it for hours! Later on my brother and I teamed up on the full game ... he did all the tactical combat, while I did all the base operations. I seem to recall he kept asking for more rockets. ^.^
👍: 0 ⏩: 0
In the world of Eberron, the Riedrans are a human civilization that's controlled by the Quori, a bizarre, evil race with psionic powers. We're in the final battle of the campaign, a huge all-out assault on the ice fields of the Frostfell, and they're wheeling these things out ... big, ominous-looking machines the size of a large wagon, with a team of human soldiers pulling each one.
On command from the Riedran leader they open up like flowers, draining a small amount of psionic energy from everything in front of them. Then, at another command, they discharge, closing up rapidly and shooting this massive beam out in front of them. A human operator sitting in back of the machine aims it, but has no control over when it fires.
I'd already decided what they look like, and this is remarkably similar. Thank you for giving me something to show my players. ^.^
👍: 0 ⏩: 1
Wow that's awesome! I intended for these artifacts to be handheld but the idea of them being that large is really interesting. =0 I'm glad that I could help visualize your idea, even if it was by coincidence. Afterall, that's what concept design is all about ^^
You know, I wouldn't mind sketching out that Rideran psi-Cannon of yours for real this time XD. I could definitely use some practice in machinery and such. Give me a bit more descriptive detail and I'll see what I can come up with. =]
Thanks for the feedback Murrquan! *bows*
👍: 0 ⏩: 2
Hmm, let's see ...
Eberron's kind of a "magitek" setting, but instead of magic AND technology they use magic AS technology! Machines such as the lightning rail ( [link] ) make life easier in the Five Nations, and magically-powered robots called Warforged ( [link] ) did much of the fighting during the Last War.
The Riedrans are a little different in that they use psionics instead of magic, probably because they're controlled by their alien overlords who are naturally psionic. Their machines, like the Dreambinder monuments ( [link] ), help them maintain control over their human slaves.
These monuments served as the inspiration for the Riedran psicannons, although I imagined the cannons being less stretched-out and less shiny. Also, they split open like a blooming flower when charging up, drawing red sparkles of psionic energy into them, so they have seams much like your first device here.
The cannons are large, about the size of an SUV, and are mounted on a suspension platform inside a wagon. Two teams of humans or animals pull the wagon, and the cannon's operator sits in the back, where he has a limited set of controls. These mostly consist of a pair of handgrips and a set of glass sights.
The cannon can be pivoted along a limited range of motion, so as to be fired precisely. Its actual firing, though, is not controlled by the operator. Rather, one of the "Inspired" overlords orders it to charge up, via a shouted command, and then orders it to fire. The cannon responds to these verbal commands, and is keyed to only accept orders from the Inspired.
In the actual game, one of these wreaked quite a bit of havoc before the players took control of it and pointed it at the Inspired, who did not know that they'd done so and was very surprised when he ordered the cannons to fire. ^.^ I was quite pleased to be able to show them a "concept pic" of the cannons before that game.
Sorry to go on for so long. Hope this helps!
👍: 0 ⏩: 1
heheh nice description. "Magitek huh? Sounds awesome. I really like how you've got a story for this thing already. ^^
Anyway, I'll see what I can sketch up.
Thanks again for the feedback! ^^ *bows*
👍: 0 ⏩: 1
Welcome! ^.^ I didn't come up with the world of Eberron, but it was fun designing something that fit into their world.
Good luck with your sketching, and your classes!
👍: 0 ⏩: 0
The one on the top, I think, just became the Riedran psi-cannons in our next Eberron session.
👍: 0 ⏩: 0
What the--?!! Those are the parts that are needed to activate my laboratory again! I lost them a few days ago while on a trip. Now I know where they are, I'm gonna get them back!! *Hurries to your place*
👍: 0 ⏩: 1
Heheh right, those would be quite a thing to lose huh? XD
Good luck getting them back. You probably won't get passed my shields
Thanks for the feedback Rick. =]
👍: 0 ⏩: 0
I really dig the third one, but that's cus I'm a sucker for everything with a pyramidical design 
Incidentally, do you know the stories about that Martian site called Cydonia? It should be a super well-known thing, but seemingly it's 'popularity' has sunk greatly... It's a place in Mars that has some sort of pyramids aligned to what some say may be the Golden Cut (doesn't know english term for this), and more incredible is ofcourse the 'human' shaped hill. It's incredible. Read this if you have time: [link]
Arcane and technology always seem like a win-win combo for stories... 
👍: 0 ⏩: 1
Thanks for the feedback man!
Ah yes, I do know about that the Cydonia site. I think it's popularty sunk because it was supposedly debunked by recent images from NASA but I could be wrong. I do know that it was featured in a movie a while back though. =] And yes, I agree. Arcane and Technology make such an awesome combination. The third artifact would fit quite nicely with that theme and architecture ^^
The ideas involving Cydonia are definitely worth looking into when considering the concepts and story I'm developing. Thanks again for the feedback =]
👍: 0 ⏩: 2
Oh and also, I found this interesting page... [link]
👍: 0 ⏩: 1
NOOO, the link screwed up D:
Um, replace it with "
👍: 0 ⏩: 1
*shoots himself in the head 5 times*
LIKE THIS: = p
LIKE THIS: ; p
BUT STICKED TOGETHER =OOO
Sorry for my incompetence..
👍: 0 ⏩: 0
Yaaay! You're very welcome
I don't believe the Cydonian face isn't real though, I guess it's an "I believe in ufo's/I don't believe in ufo's" thing xD I mean, it's all too freaky for me, and who knows. Maybe the species that might have created it are now tearing it down, and I've seen those new hi-res images, it looked kinda destroyed.
But yes, I try to be sceptical towards information I recieve from internet.. But I did see some very weird stuff, not only the Cydonian face. If the pictures are true, there is much more to Mars than only the Cydionia site.
[link]
Lol, very freaky and unbelieveable stuff there.
What movie was it btw? =]
You know what, I think I'm gonna be an astronomer, just to prove that there was an intelligent species on Mars, and that Cydonia is REAL. This stuff interests me too much >D
👍: 0 ⏩: 0
Those are great. And can me modeled easily.
👍: 0 ⏩: 1
heheh I imagine so. I may actually want to try that soon as practice. =]
👍: 0 ⏩: 0
I'd say the red one controls space. By sliding the object around the little jewel vertically or horizontally, you could adjust the size of anything the jewel points at.
The blue controls time. By sliding the object around the jewel clockwise or counterclockwise, you can turn back time on whatever the jewel points at.
As for the green one....
I think it should have control over all types and properties of movement. and by pointing it's jewel at something, and making certain motions with the object, you can control the speed or direction of movement.
I really like their designs and color schemes =]
👍: 0 ⏩: 2
Heheh nice ideas. It seems like the functions of a 3d modeling and animation program brought to real power XD. Scale, track and move! =0
Thanks for the feedback Jake ^^
👍: 0 ⏩: 1
XD 3d modelling program
your welcome =]
👍: 0 ⏩: 0
I meant turn time forward or backward, depending on whether you went clockwise or counter clockwise
👍: 0 ⏩: 0
A Story? Hahahha let me think about it
Nice Objects too
👍: 0 ⏩: 0
oooooo certainly looks really cool and really well drawn and the design looks really good and the colours look really well used too nice work and keep it up Dack ^^
👍: 0 ⏩: 0