Vikings - Feels like ripoff to me

Viking
Builds From: Factory
Armament: Twin Gatling Cannon (assault mode)
MT50 Lanzer Torpedoes (fighter mode)
Role: Air Combat/Ground Support

"Based heavily on the transformation design of the terran siege tank, the viking was designed to be the ultimate anti-air and ground-support weapon system. With the ability to change its combat role from an assault walker to an air-superiority fighter, the viking can switch smoothly to fulfill tactical needs in a developing battle."

Macross, anyone? *iseevalkyriesinkonigmonsterbodies*

what the hell is macross?

Robotech?

...

ALL units in Starcraft and Starcraft 2 are ripoffs.

Agreed. Watch some Alien movies, dude!

What matters is that the games are awesome, not where the ideas came from.

Originally Posted by PurplePoot

What matters is that the games are awesome, not where the ideas came from.

That's what concerns you. But what concerns me is that, being a gaming company this well known, they could've at least came up with original concept designs. What are they paying the concept artists for? To rip off concept from other works? I can do that too. I find this act rather appalling. I mean, most of SC looked like it came from Warhammer 40k, that was near the point of unbearable. But now they do it again from another title. What do you think the one being ripped off feels? Their hard work researching and coming up with concept arts.

Why are people fine with ripoffs? I for one am not.

(Tripods, War of the Worlds >> C&C Tiberium Wars >> Now, SCII)

(Variable Fighters, Macross >> ROBOTECH >> SC2 >> And lastly, the just released RA3 which previews Tengu in the Empire)

Hmm :/

Originally Posted by orangebox

That's what concerns you. But what concerns me is that, being a gaming company this well known, they could've at least came up with original concept designs. What are they paying the concept artists for? To rip off concept from other works? I can do that too. I find this act rather appalling. I mean, most of SC looked like it came from Warhammer 40k, that was near the point of unbearable. But now they do it again from another title. What do you think the one being ripped off feels? Their hard work researching and coming up with concept arts.

LOL.

Like I said, starcraft was a major ripoff from MANY scifi sources and mixing all those ideas made the game original. Add an incredible polishment to that (typical to blizzard) and you get a great game. I mean, Starcraft contained units from:

- Warhammer 40K
- Alien
- Starship troopers
- Predator
- ...

Now they add some new units such as the colossus (tripod?) and viking (transformers more than anything else, I mean I never heard of macross, ever). So what? I don't see any problems at all.

Those sources in turn stole ideas from other sources. I mean, you don't think Warhammer 40K is the most original world ever? It's not as if they just copy/paste idea's. The viking has a transform ability, great, so had the siege tank. So why don't you call the siege tank a rip-off?

So tell me, how are you supposed to come up with 3 races that are actually original? I can link just about any idea to something that's been done before with ease.

No offense, I as a learning artist finds that this act isn't really proper. It's like gaining glory over another person's hard work.

Eleandor > Like I said, it's to my concerns. I mean, why hire a concept art team for that if all they do is rip off designs from somewhere else? That's a rather simple task anyone can do, no? Hell even I can do it =w=

Siege Tank a ripoff? No, clearly I think that's quite an iconic design for StarCraft. The concept artists on the past team did quite a good job. The vehicle designs, etc etc. All has their own originality. (Flying buildings in any RTS? The Terrans has it.) But now, we see copies from one game to another. What is up with that? Note, Colossus from C&C?

Not to mention, RA3 concept art team might've even ripped off the Viking design into the Tengu we see. If not Viking, from the original Macross/Robotech.

Well if you actually compared a Konig Monster from Macross / Robotech to the Viking. It's exactly THE SAME THING with different outlooks. Oh right, the weaponries are different too.

PurplePoot > I'm saying CONCEPT DESIGNS. Visual concept designs. That's what concept artists are for, and the team in Blizzard isn't doing exactly a fine job. I mean, the Goliath has it's own flair. It gives me an impression of STARCRAFT imprinted on it. Siege Tank will be remembered forever as one of SC's iconic vehicles. Hell, the Battlecruisers and Wraith designs are good. Why rip off when they can produce such good designs?

But the sad thing is that when I see the Viking, or the Colossus, I don't see STARCRAFT. I see RIPOFF imprinted.

Edit : Just in case I'm mistaken to be criticizing on the race designs, I'm not. That was a side information I just felt like including into my post. The main concern here is the designs at hand.

Like how Eleandor suggested that Vikings = Transformers, IMO it barely resembled it. Has distinct resemblance but not too much. Transformers = Robots (non-piloted) which can transform to and from anything to anything. They can be a tape recorder at a time, and a giant robot the next. Though, Vikings = Konig Monsters from Robotech/Macross, the mechanics is exactly the same. Piloted aircrafts which can transform into an inverted bipedal mech without arms, instead weapon-based arms, like them mechs in Mech Warrior. These ideas may have slight individual similarities, but they are considered original in this time and day. You can never find original in it's original meaning. Not to mention original, they are popular too.

I mean, compare some other mecha anime with another mecha anime. The slight difference in design differentiates them from one another, although they are generally MECHA. Like Gundams, they are mechs with samurai based designs. Compare it with, say, Macross. Even though both have humanoid forms, but the mechs in Macross are aircraft based designs and can transform from Jet > Inversed bipedal MechWarrior-ish mechs > Humanoid mechs > Jet. They still have their very own retained originality. Although little, but from today's standards, it's already acceptable based off the current scarcity of originality as stated by Purple.

But looking at the Colossus and the Viking...Mmeh...

Okay first of all

The viking looks nothing like the fighter in robotech. Not even close.





Secondly, red alert 3 is NOT a fair example, the tengu was intentionally designed to resemble the robotech mech, in keeping with the empire of the rising sun's stereotyped anime flair.

Additionally, the concept of a large quadrupedal/tripod mech has been around for a long time, its sort of a more general idea now, i really hate how people attach any mech of this type to that stupid movie (or that good book, but i cant remember if they had tripods in there).

And honestly, the colossus bears no resemblance to either the CnC 3 tripod or the war of the worlds (movie) mechs besides the fact that it shoots a laser and that it has 4 legs.

I would like to see you come up with something better.

In these days it's kind of hard to be original since almost everything has already been done. Honestly, I don't see why is it so wrong to get inspiration from other people's material as long as it's not a platant rip-off.

Also Warhammer 40,000, thought old, also takes from other sources, like Starship Troopers (1950s Novel, had The Bugs and perhaps the first Space Marines), Star Wars in some ways and also some other materials.

Also on the Viking;"Transformers, robots in disquise! Transform and roll out!"

Originally Posted by Massive_attack

Okay first of all

The viking looks nothing like the fighter in robotech. Not even close.





Secondly, red alert 3 is NOT a fair example, the tengu was intentionally designed to resemble the robotech mech, in keeping with the empire of the rising sun's stereotyped anime flair.

Additionally, the concept of a large quadrupedal/tripod mech has been around for a long time, its sort of a more general idea now, i really hate how people attach any mech of this type to that stupid movie (or that good book, but i cant remember if they had tripods in there).

And honestly, the colossus bears no resemblance to either the CnC 3 tripod or the war of the worlds (movie) mechs besides the fact that it shoots a laser and that it has 4 legs.

I would like to see you come up with something better.

Right, just let me get this straight. What I'm concerned here is the idea of a Mech which is able to transform from and to an Aircraft, Reversed bipedal legged walker and lastly a humanoid form. Visually bearing the likeness of 100% will of course get licensing. Blizzard won't be stupid enough to approve designs if it was 100% similar. All they had to do is get some lazy concept artists and design something based off an already existing and interesting design. It's basically re-shelling the designs.

Here's the KONIG MONSTER, the model which I am comparing to the Viking, like I've been saying the past few posts.


Shuttle mode


Destroid mode (an older model of the one I showed, it looks slightly similar but not entirely the same as the one shown in Shuttle mode)

And RA3 not being a fair example, why is that? That's the whole reason why I'm writing this lol. Ripping off designs because they wanted that 'flare'?

Well to me, it does. Long-legged, shoots lasers, alien faction. Hmm? I didn't mind Tiberium Wars getting the idea from War of the Worlds. Since they are portraying aliens. But starcraft 2, being the continuation of SC, and seeing past RTS (Tiberium Wars) had this design out earlier, it just gives me that feeling of SC2 ripping off Tiberium Wars.

Yeah I think I might be able to come out with something better if I'm payed to do it. I mean, the concept art team is paid, and considered pro, but why are the designs not giving me a very good impression? Blizzard should do something about this, seriously.

Look at it this way too. Gundam 00's Union Flag is using a similar mechanical design of Macross. They have this Mech > Fighter transformation. But it has it's original flare. Why? The design outlooks! It looks NOTHING like Macross, even though it has the same mechanical designs. If Blizzard would want to come up with a Viking, I would like to see a redesign on it's outlooks so that it bears no likeliness to any other existing titles.

Not that I'm dissing the entire crew, I love the rest of the designs. Personal fav, Thor. But the Colossus and the Viking, geez!

WoW Orcs and Elves are ripped from Tolkien but their design was remade slightly , so what ? I think Murloc is the only true Blizzard creation :)

By the way look at the space marine . It is definitely super ripoff .

omg lord of the rings ripped footmen from ... real life. Sue them!!!