I've just published the "Animals" set of items for the "Head" slot in the HeroMachine 3 Alpha. I started out working on Headgear, but the first two items in it were animal heads and I realized that unlike in HM2, I now had an actual "Head" slot that could be filled with items. So now you can replace the default human head with animal ones. Down the road I may take the advice of someone in comments, and make some "blank" animal heads, outlines of feline and reptilian heads and such that can be filled with facial features just like the human ones. But for now this is just a replacement of the old HM2.x full head-covering stuff.
Here's a sample::
By way of comparison, here's a sample of the 2.x Animal Headgear items:
In general I tried to make the heads more realistic and more dynamic. Thus you have the screaming chimp instead of the placid looking fellow. I included suggestions from the comments a few days ago as well (notably the horse and dragon heads, for instance), but if you've always wanted some sort of human animal hybrid and don't see it in the complete set, let me know.
Also, note that you can use other items like the various horns from the "Ears" slot to add to these, making your own version. For instance, the more menacing male goat head I put in to replace the old friendly she-goat lacks horns. But you can add a couple from the Ears to complete it. Or you can add some of the animal ears if, for some reason, you wanted a bunny-goat beast. You get the idea.
Next, it's back to HeadgearStandard, and I'm still working off your list in the comments to that post.
Those look awesome!
Great work! Are there any plans to add additional animal like clawed feet and hands? Animal like bipedal legs?
Could you make so the Eye sockets are blank so we can drop generic eyes behind the heads to change their colors?
Paul-
He said he is going to work on the blank slate animal faces later on.
Pleeeze keep the ‘fox’ head option from HM2 and the ability to use only animal muzzles &/or ears!
Jose, there are two fox heads in there. There are muzzles and ears already in the Mouth and Ears slots, check them out. Everything’s basically the same as in 2.x, though the actual artwork is of course new.
Paul, that’s an interesting idea. My first reaction was that it would be a bit off-putting to have these otherwise complete heads missing the eyes. But I dunno, what do the rest of you think? Is that something you’d want?
Jeff these look fantastic!! I especially like the dragon head, it’s awsome!
Matching body parts would be good, like monkey hands, claws, webbed feet too.
Brilliant stuff though!
Thanks Scorp!
Matching body parts would be good. I’m definitely going to have to add lots of that sort of thing.
As a HeroMachine user for 6 1/2-7 Years, I am overly IMPRESSED with the progress and the improvements that HeroMachine 3 has made. Not just I can pick eyebrows, eyes, noses, and mouths for the character instead of whole faces, but with these new parts coming into play, I can make my characters into what they were truly meant to be. On the other hand, what bothers me is that the male characters have everything that’s been provided for them in HM3. What about the female characters? They need to have their own parts, too. I just want to know what kind of progress is being made for the female characters in HM3.
How about a squid/octopus head? Something appropriate for a mind flayer or the tentacle face from Pirates of the Carabian.
WOW! Great Stuff! I’m loving the dragon head! Keep up the good work and I can’t wait for the next set!
Glad you’re happy so far, Brandon! Your question’s come up before, so with this additional nudge I’ve added it to the HM3 FAQ page. Here’s the official line.
The plan is to get the male body and its items completely set, then convert over necessary items to a female body. The reasons for this are threefold.
First, I want to make sure I get at least part of this thing done both completely and correctly in case something goes wrong and I’m not able to work on it any more.
Second, trying to keep all the various items coordinated across different body templates is tedious, time-consuming, difficult, and boring all at the same time. If I put out a set of items, and then someone suggests some really cool stuff I left out, I’d have to go back and make sure the same items are added in the same spot across all the various templates, instead of just worrying about one.
And finally, I suck at drawing women, so I need to take more time and make sure I get it right. This may ultimately mean I pay someone else to draw the basic body, I haven’t decided yet.
Oh, and to follow up — I need to bang out a set of Standard items for each slot, that’s the main priority. At least with those you can make a really solid character. So far I’m probably only about half done with that even for the male pose.
Excellent suggestion Brian, I’ll get on it.
That “dragon” head ought be *popular*. Would be good to have a 2nd/variant version, as most of the HM3 heads have two versions. (Yeah, kinda see the velociraptor & lizard heads as variants, yet they miss the ‘fantastic feel.)’
Might be overlooking them, but cannot seem to find the popular HM2 —
• Headgear > Aliens > savage
• Headgear > Aliens > antlers
Hope they did not fall of the “to do” list.
V, I haven’t done any of the Aliens yet (except the new Mind Flayer squid thingie). Typically the Standard sets have samples from the various sub-sets, but not the whole schmeer.
Great animal heads, but where are insect heads, like locust, ant, spider (well that’s not insect), wasp and catepillar?
Also a ram’s head would be nice so one could make a classic goatling beastman design.
There is a goat head, Kalkin, a male one. It’s the bottom right one in the preview. I talked about it in the post … ?
I didn’t have any insect heads in 2.5 and no one requested any, so I didn’t put any in.
Go bugheads!
Believe Kalkin (#16), is referring to where HM2 had ’em at :
Headgear > Aliens > ant
Headgear > Aliens > bulb
Headgear > Aliens > foureyes
Headgear > Aliens > reptile
Though, of course, could qualify as “aliens” which are pending. Yeah, we’re demanding, needy, and all.
the fly head was in alien if i recall Kalkin. Hopefully it will pop up when Jeff gets through the alien heads.
If not could we have it Jeff!!! lol
Oh, yeah, I haven’t done Aliens yet. Like I said in the post, the only thing in Aliens is the mind flayer squid guy, which was an accident. When the time comes to convert it from 2.5 to 3.0 I’ll get the ones in the old set like the ants, etc.
I guess technically those aren’t really aliens, they’re animals, but I’m a slave to convention 🙂
Great job. I especially like the snarling wolf head. Can we get matching skins to go with these? Such as a furry body. That was the one thing lacking in 2.X. Could never really make a good werewolf, etc.
i love it the coyote/fox/wolf head is very cool .id love to see a bat head man
Hi Jeff! Great looking animal heads, and all other things is just rad!
However, here is a few requests for animal heads, that i would love to see.
A Duck head
A Mallard head
A Cow head
A regular dog head
A fish head
A Swordfish head
A Parrot Head
A Moose Head
A frogs head
A Ant eater head
A Turtle head
And lastly but not least A Shark head
Well that’s my requests
ok so this might be going a bit far but id like to see a bat head roo head rabit head lion head incet heads viper head taz devil oh and a bat head
Hi Jeff
Jim Strom mentioned a shark head. How about a hammerhead shark too?
Scorp
I’m having trouble visualizing how a shark head would work, since they’re sort of horizontal beasts and humans are vertical …
Hi Jeff
You could use Maccus from Pirates of the Caribbean – Dead mans chest as a decent guide for a hammerhead shark head (to fit on a human body.
Here is a pic of him.
http://www.oafe.net/monkey/art/potc2_mac7.jpg
Thanks Scorp, I’ve saved that image to the reference folder for when I get to Aliens, I thought it’d fit in nicely there since it’s sort of an animal-human hybrid kind of thing.
I suppose you could also use Street Sharks images to get an idea. Also White Wolf roleplaying games had Weresharks in the world of darkness setting. You could try doing a google image search on Rokea or wereshark. I have the book in my attic somewhere. There are some pretty good images that should help.
http://www.worldofantra.com/2006/mini_moovs/Shark_10.jpg
here is one i found.
I have commented before asking for more animal and animal-like options (i.e. tails, claws, wings, skins, etc.), which I will just repeat here. However, I do think I would also like to request that all of the options from HM 2.5 make their way into HM 3 as well.
Thanks!
Anonymus
Thanks Anonymous, I remember the requests. The goal for HM3 is to have pretty much all of the items you had in 2.5 and more.
I’m making posts as I get to each slot, asking for ideas, and I’m learning that the best shot you have of getting specific items included is to comment on those posts with your ideas. Otherwise if a suggestion is too vague I might not come up with what you want. Similarly, if I am working on Headgear, a request for Footwear is probably not going to get remembered however long down the line when I finally get to Footwear.
So the best approach is to make specific suggestions (ideally with a link to an image on the web somewhere so I can see what you mean) about the slot I’m actually working on at the time.
I do keep a folder of image suggestions that I refer to as I go, so “off-topic” requests don’t just fall into the void, but your odds are better the other way.
Hope that helps!