Baldur’s Gate - Imoen from BG1

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Still tweaking some various additional clothing items, but it’s basically done. I'm really pleased with it!

 

[Burnside]

you make me wanna play it

 

[Alatar]

you make me wanna play it

If you did, what class(es) to do like to play and which NPCs would you gather for a party?

 

[Antarion]

These plus some Diablo II chars would be a dream to have

Both my favourite games ever

 

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This is the party of six that I’m building, plus a young me as half-elven Fighter-Mage:

From left to right:

Imoen (Thief)
Minsc (Ranger)
Dynaheir (Invoker)
Kivan (Ranger)
Viconia (Cleric)

 

[Alatar]

These plus some Diablo II chars would be a dream to have

Both my favourite games ever

I wonder how much interest there would be in the 1/6 collector community if a company got the rights and made a BG line. My sense is it’s just too niche among collectors. Collectors are the ones most likely to buy such toys (versus the many gamers that have played and loved BG). But then again there are a lot of collectors that will buy figures that just look cool and fun, which I think a BG line would be.

 

[Alatar]

Also considering this lineup. Kind of torn actually:

I just enjoy the challenge of getting the most out of a Bard in this game, and Garrick is actually a pretty fun to bring along. A Bard adds the convenience factor that it's then rare go to the trouble of having an item identified by a merchant, or resting and casting the Identify spell. Honestly equipped with Algernon's Cloak and Gregan's Harp (especially after using Greater Malison to soften the target's ability to save at -4) he's really pretty damn powerful. Using an enemy to attack his or her own party members is one of the best tactics in the game. And he can of course use all the wands. I actually find it kind of fun to brainstorm battle plans that use all the loot drop scrolls that he picks up, and can cast without resting. He's likable, has some good humorous lines. If I choose Garrick then have the challenge of finding a 1/6 lyre on eBay. That might be tough.

On the other hand, I think Dynaheir in the party will probably look better than Garrick for the entire display. Minsc is of course loyal to her. However it's no stretch to imagine that she could part ways with him, for obvious reasons (he sometimes goes into berserker rages, he's delusional, she got captured by gnolls with him as her protector, etc.). Anyway, I do like her as a character, though. In-game I get a kick out of her butchering of Old English pronouns (she's a Rashemi, haha). She's a more powerful as a character overall than Garrick. But as wizards go I'm not crazy about Invokers in general. Dynaheir's specialization bonuses are with evocation spells that I actually don't use much! And she can't cast Enchantment spells, which imo are generally more powerful than Invocation spells. I much prefer spells that render the enemy helpless than spells that simply inflict damage. Coming up with a version of her head sculpt that works for a figure, based on her portrait where she's looking down, might be a bit of a challenge.

I dunno. Maybe make Dynaheir first and then swap her out from time to time with Garrick.

 

[Antarion]

Imoen, Minsk, Dynaheir are pretty classic. Also Edwin from BG1.
And I would love Sarevok in Armor lol

 

[Alatar]

Yeah I think I'll probably stick to Imoen, Minsc, Dynaheir, Kivan, and Viconia for the first party of six for phase one of this project. Then in phase two I'll make more NPCs to swap out in the lineup, including Garrick and Edwin.

Yeah, no doubt Edwin and Sarevok should both look amazing. Sarevok will be really costly to make because at this point I'd have to commission a modeler to make his armor, and in order for it to be a topflight figure it'd be best to commission a custom paint job for the armor as well.

I do expect apps like Chitubox and Zbrush to eventually incorporate AI that will render 2D images into 3D. If so, 'll probably end up using them, ain't gonna lie. I feel for the artists out there that will lose work to that technology but it's inevitable. And more broadly speaking, job displacement due to AI and robotics will affect many fields of employment over the next couple of decades. I don't even want to say how much I spend to put one of these figures together. If a cost like that can be significantly reduced (for a hobby!) I can't justify not saving the money.

 

[Antarion]

I also look at AI here as progress. Rendering existing 3d objexts into printable files should be done by machines. I mean we scan 2D texts into computers all the time.

Is your Imoen head a one of a kind or are there any more copies to get now that there is a mold? Iam painting and rooting my own stuff since last year and unique heads are always fun to try...

 

[Alatar]

I’m keeping the head sculpts one of a kind out of respect to the IP holder Wizards of the Coast or Hasbro or whomever it is these days. By making a line of these custom figures my hope is to demonstrate interest among consumers so that a 1/6 figure company might consider obtaining the rights to make a BG line. Which is a total longshot I realize. (Hey, how about it InArt?! )

But as mentioned, I don’t think it will be long before STL creation software incorporates AI that can render a three dimensional head sculpt from a photo or other 2D art. Everyone in this hobby will be getting 3D printers and making their own customs. Painters will still be needed though! And the artists that make custom clothing and other gear that’s all over eBay.

 

[Antarion]

3D Scanners already exist. And companies that make 3d sculpts out of your photo you send them. I never tested them but i guess the output isnt on highest level yet?

Worth a try though.


Too bad about that imoen head but happy for you to own her

 

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I put Imoen on a turntable and made a video to try to show off the figure a little better.



I’ve been shooting videos for this project on a table next to a bay window. The window lets good light in, but ironically the contrast created from all that bright backlighting dims the foreground indoors! I have a bit of free time today and I think I’m going to get started with making a proper light box for photo shoots.

 

[Alatar]

3D Scanners already exist. And companies that make 3d sculpts out of your photo you send them. I never tested them but i guess the output isnt on highest level yet?

Worth a try though.


Too bad about that imoen head but happy for you to own her

Oh yeah, both head sculpts that you see for the two figures I’ve built for this project are 3D printed in resin. The source material for the head sculpts for Imoen and Minsc are the portraits from the game. But human artists did the work of making the STL file. Apparently there’s no AI driven program yet that will create a 3D STL file from just a flat 2D image. At least according to folks in STL file modeling FB groups that I’ve asked about the subject.

 

[Alatar]

I constructed a light box this morning. I also changed Imoen's shirt from the faded wine colored one to a purple one. The contrast of the purple shirt with the other colors makes everything pop a little more, imho. Anyway, this video provides a better look at the figure.



Here's just a couple pics with the purple shirt: