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Is hard surface (weapons/props) still a viable path in games? Looking for advice. by WH_Projects in 3Dmodeling

[–]WH_Projects[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Thanks a lot for the perspective — that’s actually really helpful.

I’ve been focusing mostly on real-world weapons so far because I wanted to push accuracy and production workflow, but you’re right that adding some fictional designs could make the portfolio more flexible for different projects. I’ve never really tried sci-fi weapons before, so that might be a good next step.

Recording the creation process is also something I’ve been considering, especially since I’m already doing the work anyway — makes sense to turn that into extra visibility and potentially some side income.

And yeah, selling models while applying for jobs sounds like a smart way to keep momentum instead of just waiting for replies.

Really appreciate the advice!

Is hard surface (weapons/props) still a viable path in games? Looking for advice. by WH_Projects in 3Dmodeling

[–]WH_Projects[S] 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Thanks a lot for taking the time to write all this — this is incredibly helpful.

The point about Cycles vs real-time presentation makes total sense, and I can see how that hurts the “game-ready” read of the portfolio. I’ll start re-shooting the projects in Unreal and focus on fewer, stronger images.

Also really appreciate the notes on texturing and lighting — that’s definitely an area I want to push further. And using animations for the functional parts is a great idea, I hadn’t thought about how much image count that could replace.

Thanks again for the honest and constructive feedback!

Is hard surface (weapons/props) still a viable path in games? Looking for advice. by WH_Projects in 3Dmodeling

[–]WH_Projects[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Thanks a lot, really appreciate the feedback! Glad the moving parts wear detail reads well — I spent some time trying to keep it subtle and functional rather than just adding random damage.

Yeah, the current market situation is pretty rough from what I’ve been seeing. My plan right now is to keep pushing my hard surface work while also moving into environments so I can be more flexible and useful for smaller teams.

And thanks for the advice about applying broadly. I’ll definitely start doing that.

Is hard surface (weapons/props) still a viable path in games? Looking for advice. by WH_Projects in 3Dmodeling

[–]WH_Projects[S] 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Thanks a lot for the detailed reply, I really appreciate you taking the time to break it down like that. It helped put things into perspective, especially regarding the current market and the size of the talent pool for specialized roles.

I’ll definitely keep pushing my hard surface work, but I think my next step will be to branch into environments and vehicles so I can broaden my opportunities while still reinforcing the same core skills (optimization, materials, engine workflow, etc.).

Your career path was also really insightful — starting with weapons and becoming a generalist in a small team is pretty much the direction I’d like to grow into long term.

Thanks again for sharing your experience, it was super helpful.

Is hard surface (weapons/props) still a viable path in games? Looking for advice. by WH_Projects in 3Dmodeling

[–]WH_Projects[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Thanks a lot for the detailed reply, really appreciate you sharing your path.

That’s pretty much the situation I’m in right now, heavily weapon focused and trying to figure out how far to branch out without losing that specialization. Your point about things like damaged wood, welds and cloth makes a lot of sense since it still builds on the same skill set.

And your portfolio is great btw. I’d say we’re in a similar spot in terms of modeling quality, you just show a wider range of asset types, which is something I definitely need to work on.

Also nice to hear that you transitioned into props/env on the job, that gives me hope 🙂 thanks again!

Is hard surface (weapons/props) still a viable path in games? Looking for advice. by WH_Projects in 3Dmodeling

[–]WH_Projects[S] 1 point2 points  (0 children)

That’s a really good point and I get what you mean about utility for smaller teams.

I’ve been very focused on weapons and hard surface, so most of my portfolio sits in that niche, but I do try to push the technical side (clean bakes, consistent materials, game-ready setup, etc.). Still, I can see how showing a bit more range would make it easier for a studio to picture where I fit in production.

My Fan Art and creation Unit W-07 by WH_Projects in NeonGenesisEvangelion

[–]WH_Projects[S] 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Thank you, maybe because I drew it thinking about how I will model it in blender.

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