Subnautica Species Concept - Treader
Umbreeunix
USA Join Date: 2016-04-15 Member: 215791Members
USA Join Date: 2016-04-15 Member: 215791Members
I'd originally posted this concept on the artwork section of Subnautica's steam page, and after it received a lot of praise, and someone suggesting I bring it up in the forums, I decided to post it here and see if the concept might be taken into consideration. So without further ado here's my species concept.
These are Treaders, a sort of aquatic looking, giraffe-like lifeform that I'd designed to live on the floating islands. (I know the name isn't the most creative but it just seems to really fit with the overall design and has a really nice ring to it) If I'm being honest I'm actually very proud of this concept, especially color wise, because I'd never actually dealt with a palette that has more natural tones like this one.<p style="font-size:16px;"><strong>Now I want you to know I did in fact spend a good few days scoping out the Floating Island in game just to make sure my concept would actually fit without any threat of being too large and overcrowding the place, and in fact the island is large enough to hold at least 3 herds of 4-6 individuals, and it would only make sense that at least 1/3 of those individuals would be juveniles and only a fraction of the size of the adults depicted in my artwork.</strong></p>In fact I even made a picture of what these guys would look like inside their natural environment just for proper scale. (because only seeing it next to a human offers a skewed perspective of their scope)
<img src="http://i.imgur.com/xbkceXM.png" width="1000"></a>
That is how they'd look in their habitat, and trust me there's enough space that they could live comfortably, if not in very small numbers.
<p></p>Now I'd like to share a rough draft of a data bank entry I wrote for them, and at the bottom I'll provide a few links to the original post on Steam, as well as a blank template, which is one originally used for Shuttlebugs but the only source I could find was the image on the Subnautica Wikia.
So what do you all think? Do you like it, hate it? Let me know in the comments below.
Links:
Original Steam Post
WIP Drawing
Official Blog Post
These are Treaders, a sort of aquatic looking, giraffe-like lifeform that I'd designed to live on the floating islands. (I know the name isn't the most creative but it just seems to really fit with the overall design and has a really nice ring to it) If I'm being honest I'm actually very proud of this concept, especially color wise, because I'd never actually dealt with a palette that has more natural tones like this one.<p style="font-size:16px;"><strong>Now I want you to know I did in fact spend a good few days scoping out the Floating Island in game just to make sure my concept would actually fit without any threat of being too large and overcrowding the place, and in fact the island is large enough to hold at least 3 herds of 4-6 individuals, and it would only make sense that at least 1/3 of those individuals would be juveniles and only a fraction of the size of the adults depicted in my artwork.</strong></p>In fact I even made a picture of what these guys would look like inside their natural environment just for proper scale. (because only seeing it next to a human offers a skewed perspective of their scope)
<img src="http://i.imgur.com/xbkceXM.png" width="1000"></a>
![http://i.imgur.com/xbkceXM.png"](http://i.imgur.com/xbkceXM.png"){kind=link}
That is how they'd look in their habitat, and trust me there's enough space that they could live comfortably, if not in very small numbers.
<p></p>Now I'd like to share a rough draft of a data bank entry I wrote for them, and at the bottom I'll provide a few links to the original post on Steam, as well as a blank template, which is one originally used for Shuttlebugs but the only source I could find was the image on the Subnautica Wikia.
Possible Data Bank Entry:
A massive herbivorous land animal whose stature can range from 8 to 10 meters in height. Completely unperturbed by other lifeforms, it treads slowly across the island jungle and grazes from the tops of the glowing trees. It could possibly be what gives it its’ bio luminescence.
Predators: None
- Legs work like stilts, with very little muscle but incredibly strong bone. Is completely incapable of swimming and when fallen it finds incredibly difficulty getting up.
- Two pairs of nostrils, the larger used to expel salt, sand, and other impurities from the ocean water they drink.
- Fins and escas seem completely vestigial, only use being illumination at night.
- The juveniles look ride-able, but aren’t privy to taking commands.
Assessment: Possibly edible, docile.
So what do you all think? Do you like it, hate it? Let me know in the comments below.
Links:
Original Steam Post
WIP Drawing
Official Blog Post
Comments
That could be awesome to discover atypical lifeforms above water.
Just a few questions, Treaders seems to have atrophied fins on legs and back. Underwater heritage ?
The only problem I see is the bioluminescence, for me this isn't logical , as a peaceful animal it would be too vulnerable to predators, but I agree this looks amazing !
If someone know if physical characteristics may occur following a specific diet that interests me ^^
Maybe the biolum' can be limited to eyes or fins, who are very thin.
The thing is, with their habitat and location, they currently don't have any natural predators. Other than the Cave Crawlers, which they could simply kick off if need be, there is no threat of being eaten on the island as of yet. Now if that changes and Subnautica staff decide to implement some sort of land dwelling carnivore, then I'll take into consideration their bioluminescence, but even with their size the predator would have to be either incredibly large or incredibly powerful to take them down.
During the Treaders' development their bioluminescence was actually made to be a factor of their diet of the glowing blue trees, which is why their glow is similar, if not the same, in color.
Hell, why not just call them like, Stiltwalkers?
Because holy shit I love that design!
K
And here's me assuming it was just another sea treader
Its a neat design, sure, but makes no sense in how they got there, since the Floater Island only recently surfaced from the Sparse Reef area, and they would not have had time to evolve into such large creatures
Honestly I think they'd be better living in the Mushroom Forests.
Or paint them Green, and put them in the far end of the Lost River where all the winding trees are. Their legs could be specially adapted to wade through the acidic brine.