Apatosaurus

[Thorvald of Lym]

Haha, nice!

My only criticism is that the underlying geometry is a little obvious in places, by the fluidity of the animations makes up for it.

 

[Deth McBones]

This really does fill a much needed hole. So few dinos!

 

[General 666]

General_666 > I thought I made one. Probably forgot it at the last instant. Ress.pcx (49x49) can easily be resized to 32x32 or even cropped - you don't need that much tail anyway.

No prob for me.

I thought Giant ants were made for the Fallout scenario? If not they should add it.

I think you shake this with the "Radscorpions" in there. No ants in Fallout ,at least.

 

[Grandraem]

Looks great, Supa! Very nice work!

 

[Gojira54]

I think you shake this with the "Radscorpions" in there. No ants in Fallout ,at least.

They were in Fallout 2 and 3, though I never played the original... But we are veering too far from the topic of this GREAT Apatosaur unit. Supa doesn't know how to fail.

Gojira plans to use AttackA_ALT.flc animation (the looping stomp) as a chopping worker animation. Haven't though of it like this when I made it but it is indeed a good idea.

Also road building, as the natives will never get past dirt roads...

 

[Blue Monkey]

Just to reinforce what Balthasar wrote: over in the "conceptual planning only" department there are discussions about a "Hollow Earth" scenario and an unnamed Prof. Challenger one as well. Both would include your unit. Keep up the good work!

 

[Plotinus]

That is impressive - with the rather stiff model, the archaic reconstruction of the pose, and the animations it really does look very like a stop-motion creature from an old monster movie.

 

[Supa]

When you'll got the time, you should try Fallout 1, Gojira. It's the bleakest of the two first and a very good game.

"Hollow Earth"-type fictions always got my intention. I really need to find a good edition of Edgar Rice Burroughs' books. Last time I checked, I found none. If you know of one.. ;-)

 

[Blue Monkey]

"Hollow Earth"-type fictions always got my intention. I really need to find a good edition of Edgar Rice Burroughs' books. Last time I checked, I found none. If you know of one.. ;-)

I've been listening to them, & other early scientific romances, thanks to Librivox. A few of the readers are not so good, but they make great bedtime stories for adults.

 

[Takhisis]

I think a better bedtime story would be an original edition of [wiki=Fantastic_(magazine)]Fantastic[/wiki], wouldn't you?

 

[Balthasar]

I think a better bedtime story would be an original edition of [wiki=Fantastic_(magazine)]Fantastic[/wiki], wouldn't you?

Yeah, when I was ten. I was introduced to Harlan Ellison that way (before he wrote City at the Edge of Forever). It would probably be fun to turn one of his works into a game scenario, but, given his penchant for litigation, I wouldn't touch his stuff with a ten-foot plasma rod. Nowadays, I'm engrossed in turning a mash-up of Victorian Literary characters and the worlds of the Edgar Rice Burroughs stories into a working Civ scenario. Burroughs works are old enough to be in the public domain. You can find copies of his books these days on Project Gutenburg. While Burroughs' Pellucidar (1914) was reminiscent of other 'Lost World' scenarios that go back to Verne's Journey to the Center of the Earth (1864), and his Tarzan books (1912) followed many of the traditions of adventure fiction stories that include Robinson Caruso (1719), and Treasure Island (1883), Burroughs' book A Princess of Mars (1912) singlehandedly set the template for a new genre: the Space Opera, and you can see the prototypes of all of the stereotypes of Space Opera in it: Dejah Thoris, the princess of Mars (or Barsoom, as it was called in the books) was the prototype for Princess Aurora and later, Princess Leia. Similarly, Burroughs' protagonist John Carter is a prototype for Flash Gordon and Luke Skywalker (and perhaps, with his red cape and superhuman strength due to the weaker gravity of Mars - Superman). We're still looking for a good John Carter Unit and a set of four-armed Tharks for the Barsoom part of our adventure, not to mention some intriguing beasts if anyone would like to try to make some.

You see, what Blue Monkey, King Arthur & I are doing over in the steampunk forum is more than just putting units on the board; we're trying to tie our mods to the writers of fantasy and science fiction who invented the modern adventure genre in the first place: Burroughs, Wells, & Verne as well as other 19th and early 20th century writers aren't as well known, such as Paul Feval, who invented the master criminal John Devil in 1862, and the Le Fanu vampiress Carmilla, who predated Dracula by twenty years. Sure, it follows Alan Moore's tradition, established in League of Extraordinary Gentlemen, of resurrecting obscure fictional literary characters from victorian literature; but we've got characters he never used, and Burrough's worlds to boot. Blue Monkey's Hollow World is shaping up to be a worthy sequel.

As ambitious as it is, if we ever get it de-bugged and playtested, we could conceivably have Lost Worlds out by as soon as early summer, and it will be quite playable, I assure you. For screenshots of what we've already done, and plan to do, follow the links in my signature.

- which is all by way of saying, I'm glad you're interested, Supa. You've been a great friend and asset to all Civ fantasy engineers!

 

[nick0515]

Wow that is very cool Supa! Could well end up in my fantasy mod.

Cheers,

Nick

 

[Supa]

Balthasar,

If you like to consider these stories as happening in the same world, you might be interested in one collection in French.

It's "La Bibliothèque Rouge" (The Red Library) in Moutons Electriques Editions. There are actually almost 20 books in that collection, all titled "Les Nombreuses Vies de.." (The Numerous Lifes of..). Each book takes one character, or one writer, or a theme, and considers that every written adventure was true and that the author was merely writing a biography of an existing person.

Every books of that collection are also interconnected. Dracula is mentioned in "Les Nombreuses Vies de Sherlock Holmes", Arsène Lupin and Sherlock Holmes meeting is counted in "Les Nombreuses Vies d'Arsène Lupin".

Also, some less famous stories are also mentioned. In "Les Nombreuses Vies de Frankenstein", the authors extrapolated that Victor van Frankenstein might have heard of the Golem of Gustav Meyrink and he got his idea for creating life from him. In "Les Nombreuses Vies de Cthulhu", Carl Denham dreamt of Cthulhu during the fever dreams coming out of R'Lyeh (The Call of Cthulhu, 1925) and was searching for Cthulhu in R'Lyeh when he found King Kong in 1933. The authors also consider that every mysterious islands (Skull Island, Thunder Island, etc) might be interconnected by a large labyrinth of underground tunnels, as the ones discovered by Linderbrock in Europe, also hinting at an Underground/Hollow Earth-land somewhere deeper.


It's quite interesting to read when you know your classics. If you know French, or if it gets one day translated, you should try one.

http://www.moutons-electriques.fr/serie.php?s=br

 

[Balthasar]

I'd heard of the Lupin - Holmes story, but not of the others. Sounds fascinating - I must find a copy. As for my french; I had to speak basic German in France because my french was worse!

 

[Takhisis]

at least you made yourself understood.
I've read most of the Barsoom stories but I don't think I'm up to making that kind of gfx. I'm not good at muscle and other 'living' parts.

 

[Supa]

Please note that "Les Nombreuses Vies.." aren't new adventures of the title character. It's a mix between a biography, a bibliography and a lot of extrapolation/re-interpretation. Per example, the Arsène Lupin/Sherlock Holmes is not something new the authors added. It was first published in 1908 as "Herlock Sholmes arrive trop tard" (Herlock Sholmes comes too late) and written by Maurice Leblanc.

 

[Blue Monkey]

I think a better bedtime story would be an original edition of [wiki=Fantastic_(magazine)]Fantastic[/wiki], wouldn't you?

Yes, but who would read it to me, my cat?

I'm engrossed in turning a mash-up of Victorian Literary characters ...

You see, what Blue Monkey, King Arthur & I are doing over in the steampunk forum is more than just putting units on the board; we're trying to tie our mods to the writers of fantasy and science fiction who invented the modern adventure genre in the first place: Burroughs, Wells, & Verne as well as other 19th and early 20th century writers aren't as well known, such as Paul Feval, who invented the master criminal John Devil in 1862, and the Le Fanu vampiress Carmilla, who predated Dracula by twenty years. Sure, it follows Alan Moore's tradition, established in League of Extraordinary Gentlemen, of resurrecting obscure fictional literary characters from victorian literature; but we've got characters he never used, and Burrough's worlds to boot. Blue Monkey's Hollow World is shaping up to be a worthy sequel.

If you like to consider these stories as happening in the same world, you might be interested in one collection in French.

It's "La Bibliothèque Rouge" (The Red Library) in Moutons Electriques Editions. There are actually almost 20 books in that collection, all titled "Les Nombreuses Vies de.." (The Numerous Lifes of..). Each book takes one character, or one writer, or a theme, and considers that every written adventure was true and that the author was merely writing a biography of an existing person.http://www.moutons-electriques.fr/serie.php?s=br

Every books of that collection are also interconnected.

The mash-up predates Alan Moore by quite a few years. "Sequels" written by other authors were common during the late 19th/early 20th c. era. Charles Romyn Dake's A Strange Discovery (1899) combines a continuation of Poe's Narrative of Arthur Gordon Pym with elements of Bulwer-Lytton's The Coming Race. The Edisonade novel Edison's Conquest of Mars (1898) by Garrett P. Serviss is a sequel to War of the Worlds.

Flashman (1969) and the subsequent stories include some fictional characters from Victorian literature although most of his encounters are with real figures of the era. Flashman plays an important if covert rrole in almost every major event of the era that involved military personnel. He seems to be a sly version of an anti-heroic James Bond as well.

I believe the modern concept began with the first of Philip Jose Farmer's Wold Newton family work in 1972. Check out Win Scott Eckert's site for the whole background & "history".

In 1984 Rudy Rucker wrote The Hollow Earth which sends Poe into the Hollow Earth he alluded to in his novel of Pym's adventures (1838). Kim Newman's Anno Dracula (1992) also includes quite few cross-overs, although many of them are oblique references. Tom Holland wrote The Vampyre [Lord Of The Dead] (1995) & Supping With Panthers [Slave Of My Thirst] (1996). both include the "guess the real character" crossover technique. The main character of the latter is a London doctor who is wounded during service in the Northwest Frontier, for example. Publication of Connie Willis' To Say Nothing of the Dog precedes TLOEG by two years.

On the French side: The Tales of the Shadowmen A.H. by Lofficier, published beginning in 2000, need to be mentioned. Maurice Leblanc's August Lupin crossovers have been translated/adapted/extended by Lofficier as well and are available from the same publisher as the Shadowmen work. Black Coat Press (linked above) specializes in crossover literature and translations of many, many authors from earlier eras such as Paul Féval.

Brian Stableford is responsible for the republication of some of the fiction & illustrations of Albert Robida. "The Adventures of Saturnin Farandoul (1879), a mammoth, riotous and rollicking homage to Verne in which the indomitable Farandoul, raised by apes on a Pacific Island, teams up with Captain Nemo to conquer Australia, battles with Phileas Fogg in the American Civil War, meets Hector Servadac in orbit around Saturn, steals a white elephant from Michel Strogoff in Siberia and challenges Captain Hatteras at the North Pole." to quote Amazon.com.

Although they are not crossovers he has also translated works of many other fin de siècle French SF authors. The World of the Variants by J.-H. Rosny Aîné is one - a "lost world" series that predates A. C. Doyle's. The anthology series he has edited beginning with News From The Moon centers around the work of European authors of roughly the same era.

Stableford's own Empire of Fear (1988) combines the vampire genre with allusions to both H. R. Haggard & Heart of Darkness. His trilogy beginning with Werewolves of London (1990) also contains many literary allusions to earlier authors (notably Anatole France's Revolt of the Angels (1914)).

Jess Nevins' annotations of the League graphic novels have been extended and expanded to include almost all the Victorian & modern characters in his mammoth Encyclopedia of Fantastic Victoriana. He includes entries on characters from the French authors and other non-English literature.

There are many other works that could be mentioned. Sorry to go on so long. I thought it worth pointing out the depth of our inspiration. Even if we have gotten very OT relative to a dinosaur unit.

 

[Balthasar]

the Arsène Lupin/Sherlock Holmes is not something new the authors added. It was first published in 1908 as "Herlock Sholmes arrive trop tard" (Herlock Sholmes comes too late) and written by Maurice Leblanc.

Then it was most certainly the Leblanc story that I'd heard of. I've always been a fan of fiction match-ups - as I kid I thrilled to Batman vs The Green Hornet, Billy the Kid vs Dracula , and (one of my treasured possessions) the 'Superman vs Spiderman' special edition comic book in the 1970's. The latter had a more durable cover than regular comic books so was, I suppose, a precurser to the modern graphic novels that pass for comic books these days. It follows then that Moore's League of Extraordinary Gentlemen was the first graphic novel I ever read, and I've been hooked on (what was later called) steampunk ever since.

I don't think I'm up to making that kind of gfx. I'm not good at muscle and other 'living' parts.

If you'd like to make some flcs of 'non-living' units for us, I have a short, but interesting, wish list, including a black carriage/stagecoach* and a self-propelled island. The Island is particularly needed for our scenario, as it's a Verne invention.

* I've been trying to get a carriage made since I first arrived in the forums. Even if we can't get the AI to use them as transport, they're the 'chariots' of the 15th - 19th centuries, so the fact that we have none is kind of stunning.

 

[Supa]

So much novels I have yet to read. Some were already on my list but I'm glad to add the others.

I don't mind the O.T.

There is another sequel to Pym adventure : Jules Verne's Le Sphinx des Glaces (1897), which is also referenced in H.P. Lovecraft's At the Mountains of Madness (1931/1936). Lovecraftian stories also got their share of references and not only to other Lovecraftian authors or novels: Poe, but also Arthur Machen, Robert Chambers, etc.

More recently, an anthology of Sherlock Holmes/Cthulhu mythos has been published as Shadows over Baker Street. The following quotes start the book :

"When you have eliminated the impossible, whatever remains, however improbable, must be the truth". -Sir Arthur Conan Doyle, "The Signe of Four".

"The most merciful thing in the world, I think, is the inability of the human mind to correlate all its contents." - H.P. Lovecraft, "The Call of Cthulhu".

You can't not love this juxtaposition.

 

[Plotinus]

You can't not love this juxtaposition.

That's brilliant. In fact, that pretty much sums up the transition from eighteenth- to nineteenth-century European philosophy in a nutshell.