Request partners; MARS mod

[Smoking mirror]

Finished some version of the space suit, and some attack animtations.
Also finished models for the rovers and made thier skeletons.
Any comments? These are dedicated to exploration, I think there will be two more types for working and perhaps two dedicated to combat...

 

[Ozymandias]

They look wonderful! I can't wait to see the combat version(s).

-Oz

Edit/PS -- For possible inspiration, check out the "Gatling Panzer" on this page:

http://www.zockerweibchen.de/galerie.php?go=subkategorie&kat=205

-O.

 

[fe3333au]

Yes very 'Viking Lander' looking ... good work

Will there also be small flying/hovering drone type units? to be used for recon?

Keep up the good work

 

[Smoking mirror]

Yes very 'Viking Lander' looking ... good work

Will there also be small flying/hovering drone type units? to be used for recon?

Keep up the good work

Well, with the thin atmosphere on mars it is possible to fly, but you need a lot of wing span for little payload.
There will probably be a robot plane/drone for early spotting.
A rocket powered lander module will be available, probably just a set number at the start of the game left over from the vehicles that bring the people to Mars. It'll not be usefull for combat and it's spotting powers will be limited (too much cost to refuel), so it'll be held in reserve for helicopter troop transport style missions.
A VTOL flyer will be available in later scenarios.

Also to be taken in to acount is the existance of "fines" on mars, that is very minute types of dust that can get in to anything and cause disruption. So anything with lots of complicated mechanical parts is out of the question. So for guns that leaves anything that relies on catapult/tension power, such as crossbows (but would be affected by extreme cold) or air pressure like dart guns. A further option is something that uses rocket or explosive gas propeled projectiles.
The optimum weapon would be somthing like the Panzerfaust of WWII, quick and easy to maufacture, not effected by cold or dust and easy to use to devestating effect. However again here the thin atmospher takes effect, as the blast wave from any explosion would be very weak, it'd have to use direct hits or shrapnel to acheive success.

 

[Ozymandias]

[...]The optimum weapon would be somthing like the Panzerfaust of WWII, quick and easy to maufacture, not effected by cold or dust and easy to use to devestating effect. However again here the thin atmospher takes effect, as the blast wave from any explosion would be very weak, it'd have to use direct hits or shrapnel to acheive success.

... You mean, something like this?

 

[gaultesian]

I believe the SF3D models are by and large the most practical and realistic versions of combat suits I have seen to date and would be very appropriate for a Mars mod (or any mod - would someone please make the PKA ausf D Dora that is shown on the front page of http://home.att.net/~mak3000/hm.html ?).

WRT the SF3D models, such things as back blast and such would not be a problem if the units were using non-gas propelled weapons such as rail guns, or self contained gas projectiles such as rockets, or laser-based weaponry. They seem to be big enough to use the above modes of firepower, but they are not overwhelming like most of the big Mecha units that Japanese sci-fi is so opt to use, and in CIV III become more like a 'who has the biggest mech on the field' syndrome.

For a society that is populating a Mars environment where even a crack in the environmental suit could mean serious injury or death, it will not take much, even for an armoured combat suit, to be put out of action.

Sincerely,
Gaultesian

p.s. The SF3D units are probably the best possible sci-fi units that could be rendered for CIV III

 

[Ozymandias]

The SF3D units are probably the best possible sci-fi units that could be rendered for CIV III

There are also some very good drawings at http://www.fluency.paintedtarget.org/sf3d/ , including a "2887" extension to the SF3D world. I always imagined an "early" Mars hovertank might look something like this:

 

[gaultesian]

Wow Ozymandias, that site is great.

I only hope that the Powers that Be will consider some of these units for the Mars Mod, or just for single unit creations.

Ozymandias, you have really open my eyes up to the great world of SF3D.

Thanks!

Sincerely,

Gaultesian

 

[Smoking mirror]

Thats what nudged me in the direction of the panzerfaust, yes. I'd be an exelent weapon for linghtly armoured units, Allowing them to hit hard against even the strongest enemy units. I'd probaly set them up like longbowmen, high attack and low deffence with no required resources.

For the hover tank... I'm going to stear well clear of antigrav vehicles and tech in this mod, I don't think it's possible exept with unbelivably advanced technology (nanotechnology for example). However a vector thrust unit is not out of the question, though I don't think it'd work like a hovercraft, there is just too much rocky material on the surface and rough terrain.

Speaking of rough terrain I've got the hills and mountains working well. Hills are going to be uplands, mountains are going to be rocky outcropping while snowcapped mountains are going to be cratered upland. With all the extra landmark terrain options in Conquests I'm sure there will be a lot of options for improved terrain and vegetaion later in the mod timeline.
Heres the final terrain screen shot I'm going to post, there may be some smoothing to the mountain terrain before final release, but the next time you see it will be once the cities, roads, mines etc... are ready.

I'm going to work on my own designs for armoured battle suits, there are a few changes I'd like to see from the SF3D designs, though mostly they are well thought out.
Actualy I'll porbably have two main designs, The native mars designs will be very simple, while the imported earth designs will be lighter (designed for use in earth gravity) and smaller but more complicated. The martians will carry thier weapons in thier hands, the main use for thier suits being everyday work on mars. The earthlings however will have automated weapons systems built in to thier suits, these will have been maufactured on earth and used in the many conficts there. They will most likley be designed for small scale tactical operations, probably in an urban setting.

 

[Ozymandias]

Sounds good across the board.

-Oz

 

[Ozymandias]

@Smoking Mirror -- Your point about the "roughness" of the terrain is well taken. Perhaps articulated AFVs would be in order (basically, armed versions of, e.g., the BV-206 ). Turrets fore and aft, anyone?

-Oz

 

[WildWeazel]

SM, can you make the hills so that they run together more? They seem to follow a simple pattern, so maybe you could get them to look like 1 large plateau.

 

[fe3333au]

:The earthlings however will have automated weapons systems built in to thier suits, these will have been maufactured on earth and used in the many conficts there. They will most likley be designed for small scale tactical operations, probably in an urban setting.

So the initial units sent against Mars will not be suited to the environment, I agree.
However future units would be designed for the Martian environment and therefore extremely effective, but costly.

 

[GRM7584]

SM, can you make the hills so that they run together more? They seem to follow a simple pattern, so maybe you could get them to look like 1 large plateau.

I think they meld together rather well, at least in places where civ's map faculties have actually allowed them to connect. Half the time in regular civ there aren't any connections between hills anyhow. I'd be more concerned about some of the "hard edges" on the terrain, especially the dark maria and the lower plateaus, since I'd think that would contribute more to non-fluidity than disparate hills/mountains. Given that there's only so much to work with, its a minor complaint.

For a 'terraforming' timeline, does the AI plant forests if they will produce unilaterally more food and shields than the underlying terrain and can't mine or irrigate said terrain? If so, you'd have a major option open for a period in the timeline where flora was first being introduced to the martian landscape, otherwise you'd be stuck using forest in a more natural sense. There is an alternative: Make forest terrain look like your default martian "grassland", and make the "underlying" plains and grassland look like terraformed terrain. I don't know if this would end up looking messy, but at least the AI would work with it. I also don't know if you already planned on doing that anyway

Also: my canyons are floodplains in Rhye's terrain. I was thinking more along the lines of taking a screenshot of several of them connected together, making it smaller, and recoloring it as a source for terrain.

 

[Kal-el]

I like the look of things so far, SM. Always fascinated by your projects. I don't know if this is useful to you or not, but Muffins made a very cool unit based on a power armor design I did.

I know they don't fit in perfectly with the SF3D models (which are awesome!), but I thought these might be useful for the Earth forces.

Marauder Battle Armor:

and here is a design for a light scout version:
Phantom Scout Armor:

 

[gaultesian]

I use the Marauder in my later Future era tech/units - in a Mars mod it would make an excellent late era infantry/paratrooper unit - very mobile and agile, yet packing a lot of firepower to boot!

In my opinion, the SF3D stuff is good for the early/middle eras while the Marauder power armor is clearly an advanced design.

I would be a great addition for the Mars mod.

Sincerely,

Gaultesian

 

[Smoking mirror]

SM, can you make the hills so that they run together more? They seem to follow a simple pattern, so maybe you could get them to look like 1 large plateau.

This was actualy my orginal idea, though after tying it I found that it is only partly possible. Belive me, the hills look quite good when you see a big group of them. Th rocky mountains and craters doo stick up above that level somewhat, but again, it's the only way possible. as they have to link to the next point at the same height as the hills, otherwise you are left with big problems where hills meet mountains.

I've already smoothed the hills, mountains and cratered hill will follow.

The chessman armour will probaly be in the mod, I'd think perhaps second age, partly terraformed mars.

 

[Kal-el]

Glad to hear that the Marauder will be in the mod.

Just a point of clarification, the armor is actually Marauder armor. The Chessmen are just one mobile infantry division. Other divisions would have different color schemes, i.e.

Chessmen:

Space Ravens:

42nd Red Arrow:

 

[GRM7584]

I have here an attempt at a Dome-Like city; only an initial one, and obviously not too terribly much time was spent on it. I don't think my field of skill lies in making cities from scratch
I also don't know if there are better dome cities out and about, so who knows?

 

[Smoking mirror]

Looks good, can you post a PCX? the format you've posted loses a lot of detail in compression.

I'm going to make some general purpose buildings this week, lots of domes, towers, houses, factories and portacabins etc... The'y be good for making the cities, terrain buildings and City view buildings. You'll be able to cut and paste them together.

Kal-el, how do you feel about doing a concept drawing for a earth and mars battle suit? As stated above the Martian Battle suits would have a rounded, utilitarian/ cold war soviet look, while the Earth suit would be more spikey and sleek, Hard edged with lots of solar panels/sensor arrangements etc.. The Marauder would be a kind of fusion of the two, more robust that the earth suit, but more advanced than the Mars one.