Fleet pictures wanted

[kafka47]

Originally posted by TheVamp:
Because then Traveller would cease to be an excellent RPG and become just an excuse to make pretty CG pictures, like ZAON.

The mechanic of Traveller has been perfected over time and continues to be perfected by active playtesting therefore, I don't see the danger in just pretty pictures. Pretty pictures will sell more games, as it will become more appealing to the larger SF audience.

Seriously, probably because the kind of artists that do that kind of work demand premium rates (and rightly so). The kind of rates that Traveller publishers are usually unable to pay.

I am not sure about that. Couldn't a royality system based on the sales figures be a basis for payment. Furthermore, these artists are by in large donating these to the larger community by posting them on Rendocity and similar sites. Rates could not be that high for material of this nature already completed.

The high cost of art is constantly cited but surely if something is more than just a RPG but a treasured part of one's book collection, then it will have even greater value and hence increased sales.

The only comparable art I've seen is Jesse DeGraff's stuff for GURPS.

Yes, I like Jessie's work alot but the majority of his drawings have been rendered in Black & White, it would be nice to include some of his colour drawings inside the books which again would add value to any book.

 

[Andrew Boulton]

Very nice pics.

Colour art does increase the print costs quite a bit. It also needs to be appropriate - the art in T4 was good, but (IMHO) it was *wrong* and added little. There are plenty of good artists, there are even cheap, good artists, but there aren't many cheap, good, *Traveller* artists...

 

[Black Globe Generator]

I think a reasonably comprehensive visual dictionary for Traveller would be a great addition to the product line.

As it stands there are a lot of illustrations out there (remember the "Traveller Arsenal" series?), but they are scattered in many different books. A single resource would be handy.

 

[Andrew Boulton]

Yeah, that would be cool.

 

[Colin]

How about something like this, from the upcoming 2320AD?

Or This?

All image copyright Laurent Esmiol, used with permission

 

[Border Reiver]

Laurent Esmiol's images are excellent. Those that can't wait for more previews from Colin should check out his work at Etranger

 

[Brian Blank]

I think a reasonably comprehensive visual dictionary for Traveller would be a great addition to the product line.

As it stands there are a lot of illustrations out there (remember the "Traveller Arsenal" series?), but they are scattered in many different books. A single resource would be handy.

This should get linked to the Traveller Products we'd like to see thread but i'm not sure how to do that yet.

I agree, that a Visual Dictionary for Traveller would be a good product.

I'd sure pay for one.

 

[ravells]

Because then Traveller would cease to be an excellent RPG and become just an excuse to make pretty CG pictures, like ZAON.

Seriously, probably because the kind of artists that do that kind of work demand premium rates (and rightly so). The kind of rates that Traveller publishers are usually unable to pay.

The only comparable art I've seen is Jesse DeGraff's stuff for GURPS.

For me, the big splurgy colour pics may work on the cover and maybe, say four central plates and the rest should be line art.

Line art is more impressionistic and has more character than CG. The problem with photorealistic colour pictures is that there's nothing left to imagine. I would take one of Bryan Gibson's line art drawings of ships or people over CG any day. The fact that the art is in support of an RPG and that everyone imagines the universe slightly differently makes line art a better choice in my mind.

I only wish I had the discipline to practice drawing! I'm afraid that I am one of those mediocre CG modellers because it doesn't require any artistic graft to get an ok result.

Ravs

 

[Kharum1]

Very nice pics.

Colour art does increase the print costs quite a bit. It also needs to be appropriate - the art in T4 was good, but (IMHO) it was *wrong* and added little. There are plenty of good artists, there are even cheap, good artists, but there aren't many cheap, good, *Traveller* artists...

I would like to think I am among them. And I work cheap.

 

[Brian Blank]

Originally Posted by Andrew Boulton
Very nice pics.

Colour art does increase the print costs quite a bit. It also needs to be appropriate - the art in T4 was good, but (IMHO) it was *wrong* and added little. There are plenty of good artists, there are even cheap, good artists, but there aren't many cheap, good, *Traveller* artists...

I would like to think I am among them. And I work cheap.

Andrew and Kharum,

We are glad to have both of you and Scarecrow and a lot of artists I don't even know about doing the great Traveller artwork you do.
Thanks

 

[Andrew Boulton]

You'll see all three of us (and others) on the next calendar...

 

[Straybow]

The flagship is the I.N.S. Imperius Rex, the first and only one million ton superbattleship of its class...

Of course, all of this is part of the Traveller universe I play in.

The ship was designed by my venerable ref, Mr. James Bruce back in 1982 (or was it 1983?) and before we realized that you couldn't have more than one spinal mount on a warship. (Duh, spinal mount!) She came with four type-T meson guns that I incorporated into her hull. You can see them there in the illo.

Man did that ship give us a lot of trouble!

She was finally destroyed over Chronor in 1137 by the Z.C.N. Zhdukkran, a one hundred million ton Zhodani mega-dreadnought commanded by our old nemesis, Admiral Chienjistebr.

ONE HUNDRED MILLIION TONS!

How long would it take to build something like that? Did your ref spec that out or just say something like... "It's BIG. The I.N.S. Imperius Rex spontaneously implodes out of shame."

I'm trying hard to remember, but I do believe it took decades to build these Imperial and Zhodani super-sized ships.

The Imperius Rex was destroyed when the Zhdukkran crippled the Rex, took her inside her hangar and blew her up. Of course, this crippled the Zhdukkran as well, but Chienjistebr was a little crazy in pursuing his revenge.

The Rex was replaced by the I.N.S. Imperium, the empire’s own one hundred million ton mega-dreadnought, flagship of the Emperor Strephon again commanded by Admiral Goolanzoon.

She launched just a year later in 1138, but I believe she had been under construction for fifty years!

Thank god we wrote all of this stuff down in a chronicle of our adventures, or I wouldn't remember any of it!

P.S. Deckplans... you're funny!

On my screen the giant ship is 230mm. The Kinunirs port and starboard are 34mm and 28mm respectively; 31mm as a rough average. That means the giant ship is 7½ times the length, or approximately 400 times the volume.

That would be 30MdT.