Project Echo : Cast of Characters

[Kain Nobel]

Project Echo : Character Workshop

Introduction

Hello and welcome to my Character Workshop! All characters posted below are creations of Kain Nobel for the future Project Echo RPG, all rights reserved.

This thread actually originated as random posts in "What's Up, RMers?!"; you can read the 1st post (here). I may (or may not) migrate some of the old post entries to this thread for historical archive purposes. We'll see...

Please note that this is not the de-facto project thread, but it is an official branch related to the project itself. A project thread will be created for this game when it enters a state of active development.

Description

Geopolitical thriller set in a post-modern sci-fi dystopia.

Target Audience

Retro gaming enthusiasts and conspiracy theorists who enjoy challenging action oriented role-playing games.

State of Development

Status: Passive Development

Project Echo is not being actively developed. However, it is a much larger and more ambitious than the current game I'm working on, so characters are being drafted early to stay ahead of the challenge. Please note that all characters are works in progress and their appearances, roles, biographies and other informative details are subject to change.

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Current Character Progress

Main Party Members

The main party member cast for Project Echo, in no particular order. These people are infantry that participate in battle.



Main Staff Members

Staff members which assist the main party on their missions. These people generally fill non-combatant roles, but may be occasional battle guests.



NPCs: Kingdom Of Hera

The Kingdom of Hera is in the Southwest Hemisphere and has been ruled by the Crown of Hera since 777 AD. This country is south of the world's foremost superpower, the Republic of Myran, and is entangled in a symbiotic arms race against the rising supernation of Chilkaid.

Royal Family:



Royal Bodyguards:


NPCs: Nation of Myran

The world's foremost superpower, located in the Northwest Hemisphere. This nation has been a democratic republic for the last 150 years and is actively engaged in a cold war conflict with the rival superpower Chilkaid.

Government Officials: (Coming Soon...)

Prominent NPCs: (Coming Soon...)

NPCs: Nation of Chilkaid

Aging superpower of the old world, located in the Northeast Hemisphere. After the fall of an autocratic dicator, this nation is fast developing and projected to overtake Myran as the world's largest trading post.

Government Officials: (Coming Soon...)

Prominent NPCs: (Coming Soon...)

[Kain Nobel]

Dr. Benjamin Anders

Current Progress:

Dr. Benjamin Anders was abducted by Chilkaid Revolutionary Forces due to his knowledge as a physicist and engineer.

Most prominent NPC in the whole game. Defected Chilkaid scientist, eventually becomes the de facto leader of the R&D Department. Inspired by Baldanders, or "Soon Different" from German literary mythos (Reference Link). As an engineer, he represents constant change in the game and is (usually) actively involved in the key turning points of the story.

References are included in this post, although I'm not drawing any one person in particular.

Memorable Scene (Spoilers)

Leader: "Please tell me, why are you dressed like a traffic cone?"
Dr. Anders: "Glad you asked. Just finished building the new R&D lab. The autonomous machines run on lidar, I don't want to be ran over."
Leader: "Autonomous..."
Dr. Anders: "Machines, yes! We do all our manufacturing in house, the machines only assist in the heavy lifting."
Leader: "OK, let's check it out..."

(Walks in, instantly gets attacked by robots. Defeats.)

Dr. Anders: "Quit beating up my precious instruments. Go to the utility cabinet and grab yourselves some safety vests. Remember: Safety first!"
Leader: "OK..."

2 Tone Shading

At this stage, we're defining the initial 2 Tone "Flats". A majority of the images key details are defined right here, right now.



Next step we'll be adding the 3rd tone of shading. We could also define highlights at any time, yes, but I'll probably do it closer to the end.

3 Tone Shading

We've gone from 2 tone to 3 tone. Just reinforcing the current shading, blending some things in. And a whole lotta dithered taps, contour line shading and crosshatch shading. Slowly starting to define the real shape and volume of the image, it is now established we have a top-front light source.



We'll go a couple more iterations of shading like this, introducing darker shadows in the next step and giving it even more diffused dithering. The only reason we're dithering is this is limited spec pixel art, otherwise with photoshop you can be blending with an actual brush.

4 Tone Shading

OK now we've added the 4th tone. Notice that everything is starting to really fill in now, he's almost beginning to look 3Dish. Smooth. Probably a little too smooth, now that I think about it. He'll probably look a little older once we add the next tone.



While it's clear we have a definite light source emitting from the front, we don't actually have any real highlights to speak of yet. Next round, I'm not sure if I'll be adding the highlights or adding a 5th shading tone. Maybe I'll do both. You could almost consider this done as it is, but I have to follow my own style guide and use all the shades.

Loose References

Loose Clothing Refrences

Potential references for safety vest. I probably can't legally copy this design stitch for stitch, but I'll do something similar. I don't like my current design, so we'll see if it changes much later.



If I do a helmet, I'll probably make his safety hat white to contrast with the orange vest, but I like this overall design.

[Kain Nobel]

OK, didn't do much today but I did update this guy's face. He's stull ugly, but he looks much more convincing! (It's a GIF, might take a minute to load.)



I had to cut back the shading on the cheek, bring more volume to the hair and eyebrows, blend the neck a little better, chisel the face a little more, etc. I think he cleaned up pretty nicely, although I should slightly reshape the neck. Soon I won't be messing with the hair/face too much, but I would like to bush out the eyebrows more then I'll probably start drawing his bust. He too has two different outfits, his "secret service" suit and tie attire and his normal outfit, whatever that may be.

EDIT:OK, small update; John Jackson now has a bust!

[Kain Nobel]

Crown Prince Alexander De Hera

Current Progress:

The Crown Prince of the Kingdom of Hera, one of his daughters went missing and no agency seems to be able to find her.