Model =
stunning and beyond belief
LOD models = very poorly executed and really quite terrible.
Here's why:
The initial model is so incredibly high poly count (stupidly high) but doesn't drop for a big distance, then the first polys to go are the most noticable, and some of the polys left in the very final LOD are some of the least noticable and should have been the first to go.
I'd like to urge you to re-do your LOD models.
LOD | Metric | description
1 | 30 | Small slits in rear tires lost. Front wheel loses curvature on hubcap slightly. Insides of all wheels loses detal. Most detail inside the cabin starts to dissapear, bolts become a single, square plane floating (no side polys). The gearstick can lose masses of polys, can become 4 maybe 5 sided cylinder. Chair can lose roundness. Radiator grills can become straight
2 | 60 | Radiator grills become a single quad, no sides like the bolts. steps on the ladder can become a single quad also, text becomes floating polys, no sides. Most detail in cabin dissapears, chair loses more definition, it's bracket on the floor dissapears all together, put tansfer it's colour to the texture space underneath it instead of having jet black. Maintain the shape of the rear wheel's hubcap at
all costs
but lose polys in the detail there too. Lose detail in the tire grips before the side profile of the wheel. general reductions in the roof, bumper, exhaust and lose
lots
from the curvature of the tanks underneath. Lose the hinges from the door on the back.
3 | 90/100 | Sides of the ladders can now be single planes (visible from the front, use $nocull in the vmt or to keep them visible from the back or make them triangluar prisms). Begin to lose detail in the rear wheel's hubcap. tanks underneath should be almost cubes and supports to front wheels should be as simple as possible, text dissapears, if the steering wheel isn't alreadt it should now become a ring of one-sided polys (best to use nocull instead of making everything triangles) the shaft it's held on should be 4 sided by now too. The seat also should be really blocky. Box under the back should be 6 sided now.
4 | 120/130 | All detail on the side of the back wheels should be gone but
maintain the shape of the centre hub
and get rid of that terrible black ring around it, very unprofessional LOD. Either reduce the tire grip to just the top planes losing the sides or make the texture on the surface of the wheel the right colour (not black) (or do both). steeringwheel shaft should now be triangular prism, as should the gearstick. Door on the back and it's hinges should have their colour transfered to the polygons below and be removed totally. Rear axle, combine the two sides of it into one and make it four sided. In this final LOD more curvature should be lost from the roof as well as the exhaust
Your LODs make me a very sad bunny, seeing such a professional model gimped so unnecessarily by such sloppy LOD models. The LODs are the only reason why I won't consider using this model. I'd
absolutely love to get it in any future maps of mine, its just let down so badly by the LODs
You need to re-jigger your LOD making attitude, you're keeping details that aren't needed like the steering wheel, chair, gearstick and front wheel supports but losing the details that are integral to the model like the rear tire's shape. At a distance the tires are a large, visible, feature of the model, the interior of the cabin and the grills aren't, those are the areas polys need to be shaved off first.
Please, please, please, re do your LODs and really make this the finest custom tf2 model!