"Scifi Sentient Dinosaurs" Topic

I heard rumors that someone here had some WIP greens. Who was that?

For 2 years I've been looking for a Dinosaur Miniature that can hold spears/bows/stolen guns, yet they all stand like a 'Dude in Latex Dinosaur Costume' IMHO

I want bird-like legs, prone body balanced by it's tail balancing it's body.

link

Great art, but without hands and opposable thumbs, how did those critters craft their equipment? There's too much fine detail and apparent needle work to have done it with their beaks. In the end they look more like mounts than sentient beings.

But I like your idea.

Their wings have evolved into arms and hands – you can see the talonlike fingers clearly in the second image. If they look like mounts, it's only because the largely horizontal stance is fooling your subconscious. Intelligence and tool use don't need to be vertically oriented.

Looks like they use their beaks for holding some weapons as well, which may imply a prehensile tongue as well, which would give them a third hand of sorts. Interesting bend to their spear shafts – be curious to see how they hold them – beak and one hand, maybe? Better strength in the neck muscles and better accuracy from mouth weapons, maybe? They don't look like they could extend their arms enough to aim down a hand-held weapon well, but they might have an instinctive knack for hitting what their beak is aimed at – their eyes are certainly arranged to sight down the beak well.

Not my art Unfortunately. But they do have actually have hands in the Pictures. If you look carefully at what appear to be wings.

But if you look at birds feet, particularly Parrots, you can see how they actually have oppose-able hands.

A pack creature would find that flight would disrupt their coordinated taking down of larger Prey. They would also lose their stealth. I believe the feathers would be more downy, but still allow less wind resistance.

They have Claws, so punching holes in hide isn't a problem, nor using shredding Sinew for thread.

The First 'Cities' would probably spring up at a 'Communal Nest' (Where all the females lay their eggs, and guard the eggs while the males hunt and bring back the killed prey and foraged food.)

That is just my thoughts any way, and I would like them as 'Cave-birds' or 'cave-raptor' as well as some unclothed that I can add Armour to myself.

I think they'd hold the spears like a lance.

After all, a spear would make a great 'Latch point' (a perch) from where they can claw/ stab with primitive daggers/kick/peck from.

Damn… I want these for my Dungeon Crawls to replace kobolds!

leCypher 11 Jun 2012 6:45 p.m. PST

Not my art Unfortunately.

In that case, credits might be nice. They aren't easy to determine in this case since the pix are hotlinked from a blog.

Agreed on that these would make great concepts for intelligent entities evolved from dinosaurs.

Apologies for the Delay, it appears the artist's web link is down. (his link but the page has been removed)

Here is another link to more information on 'dinosaurids'

link

Does anyone have some recommendations on what 28/30mm models/toys/mini's I can use to make my own for HOTT?

EDIT: Just found the Artist, Simon Roy. This link is his Deviant Art page, and he has more pictures and discussions.

Ah yes, Mr. Roy was mentioned on TMP earlier because his "gourd alien" design.

I have no miniatures suggestions at the moment unfortunately. Can't recall any dinosaur style models with any sort of technology, much less ones with feathers.

leCypher – I think you may be thinking of the 15mm green I showed for an upcoming release.

The Chuhuac are hi-tech, science fiction raptoroid dinosaurs that have some feathers and futuristic kit. You can read more about them at my blog at loudninjagames.blogspot.com .

These miniatures are being sculpted right now.

-Eli

These guys are close to sentient bird dinosaurs.
link

Those sketches just don't ring true, the creatures are still obviously far too "animal" for complex tool and garb creation and use.

We try to do that so often, crowbar human tools onto non-human creatures. Human tools come from a very specific sentient species with a very specific biology. They look, as the ninja models do as well, like animals dressed up by someone else.

What's particularly amusing is the battery of weapons supposedly employed by dromaeosaurs, which themselves appear to have been exceptionally deadly weapons. Rather like a T. rex holding an axe in its ickle hand. Come closer so I can give you a chop!

While what Porfirio says is pretty sound, the Loud Ninja Games Chuhuac, are supposed to look exactly as he describes them – as close to the original animal as possible but with guns and gear

The design is pure fun and not supposed to be a study in xeno-biology (not that you said it was).

It's a Rule of Cool design.

-Eli

If you don't mind converting pre-painted plastic, the Horror Clix miniatures line had a Reptosapien in a lab coat, and some nice Velociraptors.

Loud Ninja, any chance of you also making some that are 28mm scale rather than just the smaller scales.

I don't rule anything out for the future. We'll see how the Chuhuac do as a first release. I'll be releasing more 15mm stuff definitely, but haven't pigeon-holed myself into that scale as yet.

-Eli

porfirio, I had the same thoughts myself. The pics were less about the weapons, and more along the line of what the creature itself would appear.

I believe that they would use weapons more along the lines of a 'helmet'/mask to protect their beak/absorb the shock of impact and a twin-pointed staff, that they hold in their hands so they can thrust sideways to protect their flanks.

Ranged weapons would be more along the line of as rocks in a beak-sling, later refined to sling-shot, then a slingshot/rubber-band gun hybrid.

Clothing would be more Saddle-Bags, and a tool harness with stone and bone tools over their neck.

Eli- When can I buy them mate? I want to order at least 5 packs for HOTT.

Are there any recommendations of any commercially avsliable structures that could be adapted as 'Hatcheries'?

Loud Ninja. Those are some very cool aliens. Kudos for getting them done. They are SO on my want list now!

@republic of tolworth, leCypher and all other interestested parties,

If I can beg a little more indulgence of the unintentional sidetracking of this thread. I've posted an update to the Chuhuac project in this thread – TMP link

Thanks,

-Eli