Fantasy Unit Preview: Flying Ship

[mrtn]

I've started to cut and paste my first unit.
And it's not as easy as I'd like it to be.
I'm modifying the Caravel, by adding an air balloon.

It's still quite jumpy, so if I could get some constructive criticism, I'd be glad. I don't know how to make a gif preview , so I'm posting a flc with only the SW direction modified, for anyone interested in helping me to open up in FLICster and check. I will remove shadows and put it higher later.
http://www.civfanatics.net/uploads4/mrtn_Flying_Caravel_preview.zip

 

[Nemesis Rex]

Looks interesting. When I want to ensure that I get an element steady I grab a little piece of the green border as well, helps prevent that one pixel shift. What program are you using?

 

[mrtn]

I'm using photoshop. The thing is that I want the balloon to move a bit, I don't want it completely immobilized. A rock steady balloon and a heaving ship also looks weird.

 

[GEChallenger]

Here's an animated preview, mrtn. It's a little slow for some reason.

It looks good so far. Where'd you get the balloon from? I don't remember seeing anything like it in the units section.

 

[GEChallenger]

The program to use to convert .flc to .gif is, incidentally, called Flc2Gif and is found in the utilities forum. It's a really quick download.

 

[mrtn]

Steph posted it (it's only a still) in one of the Cossacks threads. Thanks for the preview!

 

[Kinboat]

Maybe have it bobbing up and down as the default... Other than that it's looking good.

 

[Mongoloid Cow]

Looks pretty good. I reckon it would be worth a try to see what it is like if the balloon bobs up and down instead of sideways.

OT: BTW I like your sig GEChallenger.

 

[Sir John]

No offence, its a good unit, but I dont belive airships are supposed to look like that.. I would laugh my guts out if I saw something like that on the sky.. Have you tried FF7?? Now there is a airship... If you could make something like that, it would be great..

 

[black_rose]

As for being a bit jumpy, try to get your hands on animationshop by jackson (they have a trial version)

It can make a smooth transition between frames by making some 'inbetween' frames. Then you will not see the one pixel shift as much and have more of a flow.

It is looking good btw

 

[Grandraem]

Originally posted by Sir John
No offence, its a good unit, but I dont belive airships are supposed to look like that.. I would laugh my guts out if I saw something like that on the sky.. Have you tried FF7?? Now there is a airship... If you could make something like that, it would be great..

I disagree. I think airships should come in all shapes and sizes (and types). While I love the airships from the Final Fantasy series, I think this looks fantastic, and I definitely think it's worth finishing. It would be great for a fantasy setting. Keep up the good work, mrtn.

I also agree with Kinboat and Mongoloid Cow, an up and down bob would look good.

 

[mrtn]

I have added the balloon to all directions of the default now. I have also lifted the ship, and "anchored" the balloon, rather than the ship. This means that the balloon is still, and the ship sways more. whaddaya think?

 

[Yoda Power]

Looks nice, but i think you should look at it ingame, to see if its lifted to high/low.

 

[Grandraem]

I think the balloon should shift with the ship. It looks a little weird with the balloon staying perfectly still. Still looks great though.

 

[mrtn]

Originally posted by Grandraem
I think the balloon should shift with the ship. It looks a little weird with the balloon staying perfectly still. Still looks great though.

Well, I have already made it so that the balloon shifts relative to the ship. Maybe I could make the whole package bob up and down, or something, but I don't want to redo what I have already done.
And what do people think about the attack? I'm considering using the caravels cannon attack. If you're a magician that can make a ship fly, you can probably throw smoke and fire around too.

 

[Grandraem]

Originally posted by mrtn

I'm considering using the caravels cannon attack. If you're a magician that can make a ship fly, you can probably throw smoke and fire around too.

Yeah, I think that would work. Or maybe, with Kinboat's permission, you could use the breath weapon of his dragon attack as a fireball that shoots out. Anyways, I'll stop pestering you, you're unit looks great.

 

[mrtn]

Originally posted by Grandraem


Yeah, I think that would work. Or maybe, with Kinboat's permission, you could use the breath weapon of his dragon attack as a fireball that shoots out. Anyways, I'll stop pestering you, you're unit looks great.

Actually, I realised that I can't use the ordinary attack. The ship is shifting in the water because of the recoil. As there isn't any water up in the air to brake this force, it looks ridiculous. It should be shifting the other way. And I can't really use the dragon attack, as that is directed straight to the side. I should have something that shoots slightly downwards. If you use it as a helicopter, then you give it attack 0. Thus it only use attackA while defending. If you give it "bombard effects", maybe that suffices? Then you would have to give it a bombard value of at least 1. If you don't give it any attack flic, would this mean that when under attack, you would see at least one bombard blast at the attacker, and the ship shows the default flic?

 

[Grandraem]

Bump!

How's this one coming along, mrtn?

 

[mrtn]

I haven't worked on this for a while. The Default and Run anims are almost done, I have a vague idea of how to make the death, but the attack is still a problem.

 

[Sir John]

please give us a ingame prewiew...