This ain't no pansy GW armor, son

[chaos0xomega]

OHHH... I get it. Well, while I have to say that does look pretty cool, that would be impossible, as redoing that would force me to redo the entire tread section + the wheels, etc. Additionally I would have to redo the main hull, as then it would have way too much ground clearance.

Again, I'm not trying to imitate GW's ridiculous "trench raider" style design philosophy with massive tread sections, I'm trying to incorporate some of GW's design features into modern day design features in order to create something entirely new that fits into the GW setting as well as a generic sci-fi one.

[chaos0xomega]

So, did a little more work today. It's really starting to come together, I think its amazing what a couple of additions can do to its look.



Unfortunately I gave in to my desire to use the gothic arch on the engine section ala the GW Baneblade... although I swear to god that I've seen that exact design feature AGES before GW ever produced it.

[can't_decide]

Really liking the additions that you've made. I like the ribs on the front. They really break it up, without looking over done IMO. The engine compartment in the back is also coming along quite nicely. I like that there is potential to add your own iconography, but it could still look good as is. Coming along very well.

[chaos0xomega]

Yep, I'm not going to be putting any iconography of my own on there, but there should be plenty of area for you to... I dont know, place forgeworld aquila brass etches on...

Glad you like the ribbing too, wasn't sure if it meshed well with the rest of it or not.

[Siam-Tiger]

Just a short question about the modell it self, at which price do you aim and where do you life so i can calculate shipping?

[chaos0xomega]

I'm aiming for between 20 and 30 USD, and I live in New Jersey/New York.

[chaos0xomega]

As you can see, I finally got around to redoing the stacks, and I'm pretty pleased with the way they turned out. Aside from that I did some more detailing on the fuel drum holders, still not entirely done with them, but getting there.





Edit: Also, I forgot to mention this before, but since this is 3d modeling software, when you are viewing things, there is no "perspective" I.E. everything is at "true" angles, I.E. - a perfectly 2d representation of a 3d object. So things that are farther do not appear smaller, etc. For this reason when you are looking at the pics things can sometimes seem a little off, like things are at awkward angles, etc. If this is throwing you guys off, the software has a "perspective mode" that I can use, which makes things look more realistic as if they were actual 3d real-world models. I personally never use it, as I am very much used to the software and technical drawing methods.

[chaos0xomega]

And another update:


I did some more work on the rear area, mainly by adding a pair of turbine style intakes.

And on the front I did some more detailing works, added some hook-ring type things/ a fender.


I guess its nothing major, really, just progress as usual.

[Xomborg]

I have a grim feeling it will be expensive to cast due to detail.

If need be, remove some. You really do need to keep the price low. For instance, I think you could remove the engine arch on the back. It is a potential liability legal wise too, and it subtracts at the attempt at making a semi-believable vehicle.

That being said, I will buy 2 or 3 the day they are released. And I live one state over from you. Yay!

[chaos0xomega]

lol.

Detail doesn't effect price(except by making molds more complex to produce, but as I am doing the whole resin thing for the time being...), material and time do. I dont care much about time, and I know for a fact that as a worst case scenario, these will cost 10 dollars each to produce (I did a conservative calculation to the number of inches^3 of resin in a gallon, determined the inches^3 of resin required for a solid block with dimensions 7x4x4(to account for the turret) inches, and determined I could make about 8 such models out of 2 gallons of resin which I purchase at a cost of 80 dollars per 2 gallons. Considering that they will in reality be hollow, its more likely I can produce double that amount of models for the same amount of resin.

As for the arch, GW doesn't have a monopoly on gothic arches and mine is fairly different from GW's baneblade arch in terms of dimension and use(meaning that they have no grounds for a lawsuit, as I was inspired by their design in the same way they were inspired by various WW1 era AFV's). And yeah it does negatively effect the believability thing, but my intention is to make that bit removable to allow the exposure of engine detailing beneath(which I have not yet done), which will also coincidentally allow for an accurate representation of AV10 and 11 (about half the Russ variants have one the other half the other, so its convenient).

I also came up with concept designs for the various weapons (in my head). Right now, its looking like when these go up for sale, they will come standard with all hull/sponson weapon variants + parts to make a demolisher/conqueror/eradicator/battle/vanquisher cannon, and the remaining main weapons (Punisher Gatling/Annihilator Lascannons/Exterminator Autocannons/Executionor Plasma Cannon) will be purchasable seperately for a couple bucks each, or as part of a "complete set" with the tank that will cost a few extra bucks over the standard, but provide a minor savings over purchasing all the weapons seperately.

Unless people say otherwise I felt that was the best way to do it, as I know a lot of ya'll out there have no uses/desire for certain weapon systems (mainly the punisher gatling gun...), and I personally felt that it would be silly to charge more cash to include a bunch of weapons that people don't want or will never use.

Also, the intention is to make all weaons easily interchangable on the fly. The only thing that you may need to do yourself is magnetize (but I'm going to try my best to make that a nonissue (and just in case I'll make pre-made holes on the parts that you guys can insert the magnets into to make everyones lives easier).

[Ironmonger]

I wish I'd have known you were doing this sooner, before spending hundreds of dollars on my proxied Old Crow/Pig Iron IG army! Oh, well... you can NEVER have enough armour!

Now, just do a 'Subterranean APC' and I'll give YOU hundreds of dollars!!!

[chaos0xomega]

lol, sorry ironmonger. I realized that I've been working on this for about a month now(friend came over and was checking it out, and he asked, so I checked the date of file creation...), so I have no real excuse for not having posted this until recently.

And if by subterranean APC you mean a big ass drill with a cargo-hold... we'll see what the future holds... After I'm done with this project, I'd like to move onto a chimera-hull alternative. I'm thinking half-track (sorry -Mort-, don't really want to step on your toes or anything) style, since the Germans made great use of their SDKFZ half-tracks for all manner of weapon platforms and troop transport purposes.

Additionally I'd like to make some terrain sets. I already have a great design for a defensive line system(that can also incorporate bunkers, etc.), and what I'd really like to do is have a "system".
Stage 0 would be trench networks and earthwords, etc. (designed to be used in a manner similar to the FW trenches.
Stage 1 would be simple above ground(groundlevel) defensive lines and bunkers.
Stage 2 would be "elevated" defensive fighting positions. I.E. higher walls (say up to 3 inches high), think of a trench network with gun positions etc. but all might out of metal/concrete and fully above ground (with a raised floor, etc.).
Stage 3 would be "curtain walls", I.E. 6-9 inches high. Proper walls, with turrets, etc. attached.

I'd like to do that all in plaster, as it's a cheaper medium to work with, the terrain doesn't need to be THAT detailed (and plaster like merlin's magic can actually capture a healthy amount of detail and still be strong enough to handle use), I can make the pieces more robust, and creating realistic looking battle damage will be easy as pie. AND, because I plan on designing all this on a computer, I can easily do "package layouts" to design sets of the stuff that customers can order to meet different needs, right up to the point that I can make something like a 24ftx24ft vauban star-fort package that noone would ever buy

[chaos0xomega]

I feel as though I'm starting to get very close to finishing the body, and moving on to the turret. The front is largely finished, I just need to do some minor detailing on the ribbed areas, and create a connection point for the dozer blade/mine plow.

I particularly like how the front site gives it more of an appearance of it's namesake (the rhinoceros, speaking of which what does everyone think of the name "Weiße Rhinozeros" (German for White Rhinoceros, any German speakers can tell me the difference between Rhinozeros and Nashorn? Kinda don't want to use the name Nashorn...).

[Loki73]

Sweet. GW should pay you for designing tanks!

[chaos0xomega]

Hey, if GW was willing to pay me nicely I'd sell them the designs... maybe...

BTW, nice avatar

[Benign]

It looks great.

[can't_decide]

I really like the exhaust you put on there. Very unique with the angle it comes away from the hull. I also really like the turbine/intake things on the back.
Out of curiosity, I'm pretty sure this already got asked, but how are you going to make the molds? I thought I remember you saying something about a quick prototyping, but I'm lazy right.

[starlight]

Coming along nicely.

One thing to consider...buy a variant each of the GW Russ and Chimera (whichever gives you the most variants in the box and you can sell them off later). This will give you the actual dimensions of the various turrets, cupolas, sponsons, etc. You'll sell more models if people can use existing GW Bitz to *gothic up* your models, as well as being able to make your kit a little more generic to appeal to a wider audience *and* avoid the GW Legal types...

Given how much I don't like the look of the standard Leman Russ, I know I'd be tempted to use your kits...but being able to use existing GW Bits would take it from *Gee, that would be nice...maybe one day...* to *Hey, I'm going to do that...when are you taking orders?*

[chaos0xomega]

can't decide, I was going to get the model itself prototyped, and then make simple 2-part RTV silicone rubber molds.

starlight, I can borrow the kits in question from a friend if I have to, but if you could be more specific about the GW bitz/gothic-ing up bitz, so I know what to focus on, that would be most helpful(since aside from weapons, there is very little that I like... and even the weapons are meh).
BTW, redheads are awesome....

Anyway, I was going to post another update, but some five minutes ago I decided that not even the Third/Fourth Reich would be so pretentious and grandiose as to put gothic arches on their armored fighting vehicles (although for some reason I would not be surprised if they did...), even some 1000 years into the future, so I'm going to go back and make all those arches into a more angular shape (think arch but with angles and flat sides as opposed to curves).

Since this might take a bit of time, please forgive the absense of any updates in the immediate future. I have to redo most of the detail on the skirt armor, although (fortunately enough) bringing the back in line with the new shape is as simple as adding an extra set of venting on top of the circular section.

[starlight]

If you're going to sell them, then it's no longer about what *you* like, but what your customers like... ...make what you want for yourself, but as soon as you offer them for sale, expect feedback from customers and potential customers...

The GW Bitz part is about making sure that the stock GW turrets fit on your chassis (which means FW will as well...score, more potential customers... ), and the GW sponsons have a place (they just need a space for people who like GW stuff), and that there is room for the usual GW Gothic GrimDarkian Bitz, etc. If you do that, then more people will be interested... Just like if you tone down the integral gothic features (arches, etc), but make sure there is room for the GW Bitz, you will attract people who want to use them in other games.