Bringing Nimitz to Life

PLEASE.

Does everyone here understand that Evergreen has said repeatedly 2 things:

1) Nimitz is STILL VERY MUCH a work in progress, and their #1 concern to get right visually, including 6-limbed motion. (The Evergreen presenter at Honorcon must have said that 4 times!)

2) The Nimitz animation models do not have FUR...DELIBERATELY...because of #1 above. They need to see the body/features move during the refinement process. They fully intend, and have always fully intended, that Nimitz will be a furry, cuddly, furball...once they get the motions right.

(In addition to everything else, and the masking-of- motion concerns, animating flowing fur on every development model would be very wasteful, both in work time and in processing resources. Natural-looking hair/fur, and motion of same, has been a time and resource hog for graphics processing for the entire history of electronic animation.)

Evergreen did apologize for the way that Nimitz appeared in the first comic series arc. The Korean principal artist, under time pressure, received some concept art to launch from without adequately translated explanation that the alien creature WAS supposed to have thick luxuriant fur. Deadline pressures did the rest.

They DO NOT intend to make him look like a demon! Just a believably independent, competent, 6-limbed alien felin-o-trope...and NOT a kitty-cat.

Now for those of you who think that the Nimitz-concepts look too devilish for any amount of later fur clothing to properly improve, I refer you to:

https://www.google.com/search?q=cat+hai ... 1000%3B564

dreamrider

dreamrider wrote:PLEASE.

Does everyone here understand that Evergreen has said repeatedly 2 things:

1) Nimitz is STILL VERY MUCH a work in progress, and their #1 concern to get right visually, including 6-limbed motion. (The Evergreen presenter at Honorcon must have said that 4 times!)

2) The Nimitz animation models do not have FUR...DELIBERATELY...because of #1 above. They need to see the body/features move during the refinement process. They fully intend, and have always fully intended, that Nimitz will be a furry, cuddly, furball...once they get the motions right.

(In addition to everything else, and the masking-of- motion concerns, animating flowing fur on every development model would be very wasteful, both in work time and in processing resources. Natural-looking hair/fur, and motion of same, has been a time and resource hog for graphics processing for the entire history of electronic animation.)

Evergreen did apologize for the way that Nimitz appeared in the first comic series arc. The Korean principal artist, under time pressure, received some concept art to launch from without adequately translated explanation that the alien creature WAS supposed to have thick luxuriant fur. Deadline pressures did the rest.

They DO NOT intend to make him look like a demon! Just a believably independent, competent, 6-limbed alien felin-o-trope...and NOT a kitty-cat.

Now for those of you who think that the Nimitz-concepts look too devilish for any amount of later fur clothing to properly improve, I refer you to:

dreamrider

I can understand that fur etc would make the animation more difficult and that they wouldn't necessarily want to use it for their tests. However, perhaps they could solve the problem by posting a still of Nimitz + fur to let us see if he looks cute or if he still looks like Demon Nimitz.

Evergreen said, "It was important for Nimitz to visually look like he had the ability and will to viciously attack and kill from the minute you were introduced to him. He had to look dangerous." Now for some reason I don't equate this with cute for some reason.

Poker

pokermind wrote:Evergreen said, "It was important for Nimitz to visually look like he had the ability and will to viciously attack and kill from the minute you were introduced to him. He had to look dangerous." Now for some reason I don't equate this with cute for some reason.

Poker

That is indeed the BIG problem. That starting point just doesn´t work with the "real one".
It´s a specifically repeated theme that Nimitz does NOT look dangerous.

I do hope they contact Genkkis on deviantART, he had some of the best renditions of Honor and Nimitz out there.. I believe he did the Canadian covers of HH books.. I fell in love with his covers immediately.. In this one Honor looks a bit like Helena Cain from BSG but i think he is on the right track, should def work with him in later phases...http://41.media.tumblr.com/2202bcecbdd6 ... o1_500.jpg

For me Nimitz appearance would be based on how a feline would evolve as an apex predator living in the forest canopy.
For me Nimitz appearance would be based on how a feline would evolve as an apex predator living in the forest canopy.

His appearance would be set by his primitive ancestors before the genetic mutation occurred that allowed them to evolve into a empathic/telepathic/sapient race.

As a hunter they would have to rely on Sight, Smell, or Hearing.

Sight would be problematic with the forest canopy providing lots of cover for prey, leaving aside protective camouflage.

Smell would be problematic with the 3 dimensional world of the forest canopy where prey could leap in any direction to other branches/trees...making a scent trail difficult to follow.

Sound would be optimal, If we look at owls who hunt in the near or complete darkness and use sound to hunt prey that cannot see, we have an idea of what the shape of their face would be like.

Owls have round faces that separates their ears as much as possible and one ear is lower than the other. Allowing time differentials in sound so the Owl can judge distance and speed of their prey, and also can judge the depth of prey burrowing in the snow.

The shape of the owls feathers around its eyes create sound dishes that catch sound and the feathers direct the sound to their ears...making their hearing incredibly acute.

So a treecats face would be very round face with large round furry tufted ears designed to trap sound, with one ear lower than other. The large head would allow for a large mouth to contain many teeth with large fangs. As well, borrowing the black face markings from the cheetah that start at the eyes and go around their muzzle...the treecats markings would start at their ears following the jawline ending at the side if its mouth.

So looking at a treecat you would see a large fluffy head with a lopsided perpetual grin. Kind of goofy and whimsical. When the treecat snarls the face is transformed. Smile markings distort and the lopsided smile would turn to a snarling sneer with many sharp teach and large fangs...Not so cuddly looking to say the least.

As for mobility through the forest canopy, we can look to the mountain lion/Cougars paw. The are large in proportion to the body, with large pads and very flexible. Allowing them to move easily and quickly over rocky/mountainous terrain. Yet they have large claws that make them one the best tree climbers of the large cat family. So a treecats paw would be large to allow stealthy and surefooted movement through the forest, and allow them to sheath/hide large claws that provide more grip for speed or as weapons.

So cuddly face transforms into snarling menace...and cute fluffy oversized feet transform into intimidating long claws...here kitty...kitty...





His appearance would be set by his primitive ancestors before the genetic mutation occured the

Well I just got around to the Youtube site and I just gotta say I never imagined Nimitz as a 6 legged demon lizard. That cat looks as dangerous as he actually is. No way would Nimitz ever be considered just a "pet".

Does anyone really think that a young girl would want to cuddle up with that?

Part of the charm of the Tree cat is they do not look dangerous.

In fact I sorta imagined Tree Cats as a 6 legged version of a Scottish Wildcat.

And without having read into the Tree Cat Mythology, couldn't they be the result of genetic engineering??

Anyway that is my 2 centavos.

(>-<) wrote:Well I just got around to the Youtube site and I just gotta say I never imagined Nimitz as a 6 legged demon lizard. That cat looks as dangerous as he actually is. No way would Nimitz ever be considered just a "pet".

Does anyone really think that a young girl would want to cuddle up with that?

Part of the charm of the Tree cat is they do not look dangerous.

In fact I sorta imagined Tree Cats as a 6 legged version of a Scottish Wildcat.

And without having read into the Tree Cat Mythology, couldn't they be the result of genetic engineering??

Anyway that is my 2 centavos.

Short answer: NO.

It is inherent to the Manticore cultural background, and to the Nimitz - Honor relationship, and to the treecat culture multi-book sub-plot, that treecats are sentient alien species. Indeed, that they are a sentient alien species that is actually more clever, capable, and organized than even the humans who have lived with them for 300 years have given credit for.

Also, in Honorverse human culture, there are lingering prejudices against the genetic manipulation of humans and other sentients. This is a very basic presumption of the book series.

dreamrider

PS - BTW, in the 2nd comic series, Nimitz has fur, and he looks much more approachable. Feels almost mostly domesticated, ...kinda like a 'family friendly' Doberman...or an Orca that likes to have his head scratched. {grin}