[Hero Concept]The Rat King(with some drawings!)

[mikaeldefariasteixeira]

Commenting to support the idea!

 

[Alexanderuser]

Bumping this! Amazing concept and idea (which also has that Valve style of subverting common stereotypes and tropes), though for the moves it has to be seen and considered. The swarm of rats idea should be kept since it fits but I'd also add the ability to traverse the new tunnel system, since that's literally a thing a character rat should be able to do in a city setting, especially in NYC

 

[BJack0]

If this isn't added officially then I'm quitting.

 

[Alexanderuser]

most of it is just painted to match the two-toned shading that deadlock has and staring at renders. i mostly referenced pocket and vyper's character select renders.
the background was made in black and white before throwing a gradient map over it to give it the same colour as the other backgrounds. the buildings in it are just a stamp brush i have from a concept art brushpack i use.
the title card is a free font i found on dafont that i imported and slightly edited to have the crown on it.

the only special technique that i used was creating the head in blender and using simple shaders to create some colour balls to reference while i was painting.
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best advice i can give to anyone trying to replicate the style is to make sure that the bottom right corner is in darkness so that the text above it actually shows up correctly. i didnt think about this in my process and i ended up having to darken a huge part of the front of his silhouette, which sucks because there's a bunch of mice in his bag that got blocked out.

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edit: here's a work in progress

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You should definitely post this artwork on the discord channel #fan art

 

[Alexanderuser]

Bumping this! Amazing concept and idea (which also has that Valve style of subverting common stereotypes and tropes), though for the moves it has to be seen and considered. The swarm of rats idea should be kept since it fits but I'd also add the ability to traverse the new tunnel system, since that's literally a thing a character rat should be able to do in a city setting, especially in NYC

Edit: to be fair most of the lines are too "performative" now that I've re-read them. So some "VALVe" touchup and work is missing but overall is the concept itself really cool

 

[harren.yip]

BUMPING FOR RATS

 

[lunch!]

I want a rat hero so bad this is peak

 

[Nomad_00]

yoshi, me wants it

 

[Edward250]

How is this still not in the game? The abilities aren't very good (Valve's homework), but the character and the art is so good!

 

[totoro]

I'm voting The Rat King everyday

 

[Teathling]

I really want them to look back at this one, it's amazing

 

[gibnewitems]

How is this still not in the game? The abilities aren't very good (Valve's homework), but the character and the art is so good!

Valve is less interested in taking hero concepts wholesale, and are a lot more interested in picking up good small things here and there from multiple different concepts.

The only universally praised thing about this concept is the artwork. Valve already has master class artists. They don't need help on that front.

 

[Durandal]

i like this character design a lot

 

[Alexanderuser]

Valve is less interested in taking hero concepts wholesale, and are a lot more interested in picking up good small things here and there from multiple different concepts.

The only universally praised thing about this concept is the artwork. Valve already has master class artists. They don't need help on that front.

Yeah that's what they did with Apollo/Fencer. There's a hero concept around here literally called "Fencer moveset" which was, said by the developers to the creator, their inspiration.

Maybe hope for Rat King is but naught...

 

[TheGoldenMeme]

someone on the subreddit said i should post this here, so here we are. the big rat that makes all of the rules!

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Every few decades or so, the rats of New York gather deep within the subway lines to crown the newest Rat King. Candidates are tied tail to tail and last one remaining is the one to become the next rat to rule over the entirety of the Rodent Underground. Through this ritual, the special rat grows to an alarming size and gains the memories of the previous kings so that they have guidance from the previous generations.

Unfortunately, as powerful of a position as ruler of all rats around the globe sounds, it doesn't really pay the bills. The current Rat King had found him in a different kind of struggle. A 9-5 corporate job on Wall Street.

Weapons and Abilities (I don't know how to balance I just draw)

The Tax Collector - A slow shooting, high impact handgun that explodes in a small AoE on contact with a surface. The Rat King reloads by looking at his watch while spirit rats enter the chamber of the handgun.

Homing Rats(1) - Lob some rats that swarm the closest target and explodes. They can go up stairs, but not ledges. Killing an enemy hero with this attack permanently increases the amount of rats released by 1. You start with two rats per charge of ability. A passive of this ability is that it will kill your PC.

Mousetrap(2) - Create a small, hidden zone that slows enemies within it and steals their healing.

Rat Race(3) - A passive skill that makes your bullets reduce healing and regeneration speed by a fluctuating percentage. Your bullets steal enemy healing by a number related to the amount of spirit you have.

The Big Cheese(4) - Enter a special state where your weapon fire rate increases drastically, and hitting surfaces causes homing rats. Killing with a rat will increase your 1st ability.

VOTE FOR THE RAT KING

 

[Flipkick25]

He should have beef with Pocket/Mcginnis/Any other Fairfax characters. Also billy should hate his fucking guts.

 

[MRPEACHIE]

I think rat king could also utilize the new tiny character tunnels that Rem can use as well.
Like he can dissolve into a swarm/pool of rats and traverse the map through those tunnels.

 

[gibnewitems]

Yeah that's what they did with Apollo/Fencer. There's a hero concept around here literally called "Fencer moveset" which was, said by the developers to the creator, their inspiration.

Maybe hope for Rat King is but naught...

It was a leaker that said that, not a developer.