The jetpack is a backpack providing flight abilities that the human can wear on top of its clothes, the light and potentially the upcoming medium armor. For simplicity, it doesn't need to have strips going over the chest, it can just magically attach to the back.
Here's a picture of a human with no and light armor:
[TODO: Provide a picture of the human where the back is visible from an orthogonal perspective.]
Top left and right are indeed good directions. I guess if you add wings they should be bigger. Otherwise we can always argue that the jets balance the user by slight (invisible) variation of power and/or angle.
Having the jets so close to the body might be a security risk, maybe you'll want to move them a bit away from the body. It would also be possible to put them in a similiar position as in your right sketch but have them fold out/extend to their "active" position when the jetpack gets enabled. Unfolding wings would also be possible.
I guess I prefer the armor-plate-ish shape of the right version but I guess it would look too heavy when metal is used as a material. Maybe try the right shape but don't use solid metal everywhere.
So I've worked a bit on the design on the right. It tried to incorporate this plastic/leathery texture. I don't really know where to go from there. So if you have ideas please let me know.
Was the propeller being too close to the body problem valid on this design too?
Was the propeller being too close to the body problem valid on this design too?.
Yes, I was writing most of my feedback with the right design in mind. The jets would create some plasma/fire/ion beam that's rather close to the legs (I don't think using air for the boost would look cool enough ).
I don't think leather is the right material either, but I guess the shape is more important for now anyway. Just keep in mind it will later be textured to look like it was made from some light yet solid aerospace-grade material. The material of the upper left version looks more fitting but maybe that's because round shapes are being used there … but shape wise I like your edgy (right) approach more. The issue with the texture on the right version is mostly the scratches and color variations that make it look like solid anvil iron. I guess if you used a similiar color but made the surface less dirty and scratched that would work already.
I guess you're right. I wanted to go for a non-shiny rubber texture and it ended up looking very much like leather. But suppose I manage to make the area in "leather" something else, would that do? I'd also move the propellers no to burn the hair of our soldier's legs.