Hey hi all! I made this for the weekend challenge of this week (Space). I would really like to know what could I change/add/remove on this because I received no votes…it must be something wrong with my entry…no? I know that there is some better entry like the one of ace and andy but what could I change on my entry so you would have vote for me? Please tell me. Thank you! 
well…I dont see anything particulary wrong with the picture… modelling seems nice… explosion looks great…I like the rays… planet earth is ok… maybe it’s just too typical type of space scene? the kind that people have seen perhaps a bit too many times…?
first that you could try is to adjust the camera angle… it’s an action scene… so try to see what it would look like if the craft that is chased by, would drive TOWARDS the camera… or at least pass it very closely… so that the other craft, that is shooting, would look like shooting at the camera too… you know?
secondly, you could try a bit more dramatic lighting. let the explosion cast light to the crafts MUCH more…see what it would look like…
also… what on earth are the 5 ships doing in the background? 
driving in circles?
but hey… I’m not really getting much votes either, so perhaps you shouldn’t take those ideas too seriously and don’t worry about not getting votes… it doesn’t mean your entry is not good… none of my favourites have EVER won! and looks like in this round that it’s happening again. heh.
.b
The five ships are supposed to fire on each other…but it is an optical illusion…some of the ship are more far than the other…I had to put something else in the background so I out those ship… :-? I wanted to add a capital ship but I had too much difficulty to do it…check this I dont think it look right: http://mysite.iptic.com/xwarrior/rebelcruiser.jpg
ohh and I sent you a private message about something else…
basse had alot of great points, camera angle, weird flying formation of them 5 ships 
also, the explosion is way too bright… make it more like a gasoline explosion with some texture and make the overal boom less rounded, more variety(thanks ace for teaching me this space crap! )
none of my favourites have EVER won!
/me looks down to see basses knife in my heart 
hehe
-chris
I know I had to make that explosion only in blender…arghh I made the base explosion in blender all my friend though it was very nice!!! the said that I was a professional etc…(I dotn think I am one…they didn’t saw your work lol) but one of them said he can learn me how to make more realistic explosion using paint shop pro…so I listen to him and update my pic with a more bright explosion…for the fghter in the back…uhmm what can I say…I didn’t know what to add so…I add some fighter fighting but I did not place them well so it looked weird! 
and imgranpaboy…you are one of my favorite modeller! I really like your work! I am one of your biggest fan!
Well,
can’t say what IS wrong, but I can say why I haven’t voted it
basse is right, I may add:
Explosion is nice but can be better, less blocky rather than less bright. But what I’m concerned with is:
The thin lines radiating from the explosion. What are thay? Rays of ligt? why they are visible in the space? Particles? Why are they moving faster than the gas from the explosion? Lens flares? Nooo… too many.
Ships next to the explosion should be illuminated mostly by it, so lightning is unrealistic.
Ships are nice,
Earth is nice too, but if that gray thing at the bottom is the moon then earth is too close and moon lacks details.
Well, just my 2 cents
Stefano
imgrandpaboy: heh, well, your RCRacer (in the car combo) was my choice for a winner… didn’t win… so you see and I knew on that round, that Cluh is gonna win, just because he modelled the most realistic looking car. but, that really doesn’t do it for me… I’m always looking some kind of surprise in the picture… something clever. something new.
s68: I am no expert in space matters, but… I know there is no oxygen there… so, if there is an explosion in space, would it even look like a real explosion, with fireballs and all?? most of the modelled spaces scenes feature huge explosions, and it got me thinking…
,b
Hehehe good point:
Do you want to make things spectacular or do you want them realistic?
Explosions as such are made by explosives (of course) which do not require oxygen, even on earth to explode (except for FAE explosives, which is anothe matter) Good old black powder makes reaction between carbon powder and saltpeter, with the help of sulphur, no oxigen needed to explode. When oxigen is needed you have combustion, because you dont have enough oxigen in the air nearby to make an explosion (which is an extremely fast combustion)
BTW you can make explosives with plain wood powder mixed with liquid oxygen, but this is highly impractical 
When an explosion explodes you have the (almost) instantaneous conversion of the explosive into gases which tends to be:
1 - very very hot
2 - constrained in the space where the explosive was, which is very very small from them.
Point 2 does DAMAGE and things are blown away as gas expands, and a pressure wave propagates.
Point 1 makes light as high temperature stuff cast light.
So an explosion in space do cast light, while damage is actually less severe since gasses are there, but there is no atmosphere to support the pressure wave (hence NO SOUND in space).
On the other hand the absence of gravity in space tends to produce nice spheric explosinos.
Was I enough confusing?
Stefano
Ok In all honesty I think the earth and your spacecraft models are great. And the idea of one scooting over the surface of the moon in front is too… the explosion is “nice”.
The problem I’m having is the composition… it’s not dynamic… meaning… it’s hardly 3d.
You have the earth in the left top… next to it 5 craft… then the explosion.
In the layer below you have the spacecraft flying over the surface.
It’s all too neatly arranged so that you can see everything you made.
And for instance… because the “supernova” doesn’t lie behind or in front of any model at all, I have no idea where it is located in 3d space. Try putting it behind the earth, or moon, and then have the spacecraft bewteen those… or something… just more dynamic.
Tx for all those reply! I am working on another pic like this with more “action” in it, with better modelled ship (I dont think the ship at the bottom right is “good” enough for the pic…I will adjust the explosion and make a more “detailed” moon that is more far away from the earth…tc for all those comment!
(hey basse did you get my message?)
I don’t know, but the only thing that struck me as “wrong” were the solid lines comming out from the explosion. They don’t look right, my guess is that they are halo lines blown up really big. Either way, that is the only thing really wrong to me.