That would be something I didn't mention in my post above. I would suggest layering them how Valve tells you: http://media.steampowered.com/apps/dota2/workshop/Dota2CharacterTextureGuide.pdf

They tell you exactly what layers go where (and what settings each layer uses). Obviously I don't use all the layers they do because I don't do any sculpting, but you should try to adjust accordingly.

1. The order doesn't matter as long as the final product is what you wanted. However the way I typically set up my Dota 2 layers is the following:

UV layout
AO Bake
Color layers

Make sure to set the layer property of the AO Bake to "multiply". Then when you are done texturing, make sure to hide the UV layout layer since the only thing you need it for reference.

2. Delete any existing lights in your scene first. Then apply the texture you made via the UV screen. Then press "alt+z" to go into texture mode. I'm not sure why you are having trouble lining up your texture with your uvs. Did you export your UV layout from within the UV editor? From within the UV editor, click "UVs" > "Export UV Layout" > save as a .png or whatever and bring this into photoshop as your first layer.

Hm... you could try clearing all materials within blender (and also removing the image from the UV screen). Then reapply the image and create a new material to try to reset it.

https://dl.dropboxusercontent.com/u/10100459/BlenderImages/clearMaterialandUV.jpg

Also thanks for listing me as a service provider! I really appreciate it ^_^

It would be basically impossible without more bones to work with.

Hm... this seems a little tricky. I'm pretty sure the default bag's strap is part of the scout and not a seperate model. How are other scout backpack's set up? Check the soda cooler model to see how they set it up. I'm assuming they just didn't have a strap at all.

You could always decompile a similar model to see how other people set up the rig.

It looks great up close. I think that perhaps you could put a few hard edges along the horns (definitely at angles that would normally seem sharp) which would give the shape a more definite appearance.

Flat Penguin,

Your normals are all fine. The grey smudges are because of the complicated geometry above it (so basically Blender is trying really hard to get a good bake using the restrictions you set). You can try upping some stuff to get a better bake:

In the World tab, find the subheading that says "Gather". Increase the number of passes to 2 or 3 and turn down the error to 0.1 under "sampling".

You can also try baking a much larger image (4 times larger than your final image size will be) so that you can get a much more detailed bake. Then when you export your .tga bake to photoshop, you can just resize it later.

Lastly, you can try baking the model with the strings moved slightly upwards (in edit mode, move the strings up > redo your bake > move the strings back down to their normal position).

Anyway, really good looking model so far!

You should still texture it. Do it like this: http://forums.steampowered.com/forums/showpost.php?p=34536858&postcount=2460

Getting good. Also remember to make parts that require more detail larger on the uv screen (and parts that are just small details smaller on the uv screen). UV unwrapping is just like anything else: the more you do it, the better you will get.

Clear any materials: https://dl.dropboxusercontent.com/u/10100459/BlenderImages/clearMaterial.jpg

And make sure to clear the image you currently have in the UV screen.