Early Mech Models
Believe it or not, GDS started not as a story but as a number of early sketches that depicted some support drones that escorted a walking fortress (sometime around 2017-2018). I didn’t have anything else in mind, just a couple of robots that walked alongside a fortress that was going “somewhere” and not much beyond that. I’d originally been walking along a really long, flat road late at night and had imagined a walking fortress as long as it was, and it went from there.
So as part of that, I’ll show the initial drawings (from years ago) and then what they turned into. Part of that is because I want you to understand that even if you cannot draw for shit, even if you cannot lay out your ideas in a highly professional manner, it doesn’t mean they aren’t worth pursuing and sticking with.
Keep going, keep trying, keep improving.
I used to do a lot of 3D stuff as I was trying to get hired at Blizzard, but that never panned out. As a result though, I ended up creating 3D models of these drones and decided they were part of some paramilitary organization called “Glacier Defense Systems”. At that point, I called the walking fortress Glacier and started making artwork for it, but it wasn’t a story yet.
Hell there weren’t even characters, it was going to be an art project where you could browse a fake catalogue that GDS put out showing their offering of drone based defenses and security systems.
So here’s how that all went.
Other 3D stuff can be found on my Artstation profile, of which I refuse to look at the “last upload” date because that’ll make me feel awful.
https://www.artstation.com/metalbreaker
Sky Tyrant
The first drone was the Sky Tyrant, a mobile flak walker that provided AA defense.
Sketching it was easy.
The rigging, which I’d never done before, made me want to walk into the ocean. Looking back on it, why in the name of God did I think pogo-stick feet were a good idea? That thing walks off a paved road and it’ll be all kinds of disastrous.
Attack Dog
The second drone was the Attack Dog, meant to provide a rapid, brute force type response to any type of danger.
For the actual MFAS-1 Attack Dog I’ll be redoing the design, but here’s what it originally looked like.
Wisp
Third drone was the Wisp, a scout that relayed information back to the other drones to help defend Glacier. Between the other models, this one was an absolute breeze because I didn’t have to rig much besides rotating engines, a tail and some flaps.
It’s actually pretty close to the final design of the Wisp, but there will definitely be some changes.
Shepherd
Lastly was the Shepherd, a humanoid drone that walked in front of the fortress and behind it to repair any damage to the environment and geography.
The design is pretty close to the final one, but there will be a number of changes. Largest thing to take away from this is that the rigging and cloth physics for the Shepherd is likely the most difficult thing I’ve ever done in terms of 3D work. I had no education, no experience, no automated tools, nada.
Just a drive to get it done, and like 10 bottles of whiskey.