Request partners; MARS mod

[vbraun]

Should I include a run animation? I'm not really sure how you are going to use it.
In addition to recoil in the attack I'm going to try and add some smoke coming out the back. Unless you dont it to do that.

 

[Smoking mirror]

I think it's probably best to make it immobile. I can't think of an easy way to do the run animation, unless it deploys a balloon...

Actualy I'm thinking of doing some "balloniaks", commando raiders with small personal balloons, parachutes would be next to useless in the thin martian gravity, but ballons work realy well, much better than on earth. Actualy Vbraun if you are looking for an easy unit to take on after the sentry gun I'd suggest a dirigible.

I've been working on a model for the armoured trooper, it's quite difficult to get him to look like kal-els sketch, but at civ scale it shouldn't be so obvious. I haven't done the skeleton yet, so no animations so far. I may well swap parts between this model and the earlier "soft bodied" trooper, I'm already using several bitz that would take too much time to remodel (such as the head) for little advantage.

Here is a little preview;
EDIT: removed image to svae space

 

[Smoking mirror]

I'll probably do a further upgrade that is more like Kal-els sketch, The biggest difference being the relativly small chest on my model, due to something I was trying out with the arms & legs to make them less angular and deformed during movement, don't know if it has worked yet, have to wait for the final animations.

Here is a close up of the head, I may ditch the bubble helm entirely on this model, and "butch up" the head a bit to make it look more survivable;
EDIT: removed image to save space

 

[Ozymandias]

Actualy Vbraun if you are looking for an easy unit to take on after the sentry gun I'd suggest a dirigible.

Actually Wyrmshadow made an airship that might do the trick ...

 

[vbraun]

Heres a little preview of what I've gotten done. I'm probably going to do another version with a better death and attack. What I've done right now would work as a placehoulder untill I really finish it.

Preview in .avi

 

[Smoking mirror]

Heres a little preview of what I've gotten done. I'm probably going to do another version with a better death and attack. What I've done right now would work as a placehoulder untill I really finish it.

Preview in .avi

Looks good Vbraun, I'd add a little to the attack FX wise and reduce the explosion in the death quite a bit. It should mostly just fall to bits with a bit of a bang, remeber most of the units it's likley to be attacked by are going to be using riot sticks or rubber bullets.

I've decided to make the Armoured trooper in to two versions, one raider and one artilleryman. The rocket launcher guy has a dome helmet while the other guy has a breather mask and soft helmet.

 

[Anarki]

Yeah, I think I said this in the other Post but... I'll help you make the Mod.

 

[Kal-el]

looks pretty good. if you swing that right elbow out a bit he won't have to crank his wrist so hard to hold on to the launcher.

 

[Smoking mirror]

Oh yeah! In Open FX it's easier to do right angle movements becuse of the vertex control tools, but It's not that hard, just habit forming.
I've lightened the black colour up a little on the right hand guy, and increased the size slightly of both units to make them look more intimidating.

Well... Sound files are going to be a big requirement. You should have a sound editor program that comes with windows or your sound card. Even something basic like "windows sound recorder" will do.
Try stitching together some of the sound files from the civ III units or other games, or look for some sounds on the web. There are plenty of sound banks where you can download short samples.
That or making INI files...

Quote by me in the units thread for Anarki, and thanks for offering to help.

 

[Smoking mirror]

Finished the animations for the dark (shock) trooper and the commando. They've come out fine. Infantry wise there's just the settler, riot guard, and rocket launcher trooper left to do for the first scenario.

Vehicle wise there is a Mars car (worker) and rover van, and the upgraded rover scout. Also a balloon and rocket lander.

So nearly enough units for the first scenario!

 

[vbraun]

No sentry gun for the first scenario? I think if they can make rovers they should be able to have a basic sentry gun.

 

[Smoking mirror]

No sentry gun for the first scenario? I think if they can make rovers they should be able to have a basic sentry gun.

Yeah sorry, meant to say the sentry gun, though I thought it might be finished already? I was just listing the unfinished ones...

In the first scenario there will be a few advanced units such as sentry guns, rovers and rocket landers, but they will be preplaced and unbuildable, to represent materials bought with them from earth.

 

[Vadus]

great idea guys ! is the terrain downloadable somewhere ?

 

[vbraun]

I'm going to try and work on the attack anim and death tonight. I might not be able to get it for a little whille. I still have to figure out if SBB will work on my Linux Machine.
Edit: Heres the current preview, (again in .avi format) http://vbraun.xkhosting.com/uploads/tripodprev1.avi

I'm a whole lot happier with the attack now. The Death still sucks.

I was able to get SBB to work no problem but was unable to get Civ3Flc or Pedit to work. So I could send you the storyboards for you to finish up the job.

 

[Smoking mirror]

OK, If you send me the story boards I'll post it in the finished mars mod units thread with your name attached, just to keep them all together. Can you make a civlopedia pic? Just lower the camera angle, set it off to one side slightly, turn the ground white and try to get a diffused shadow (I use a spotlight set really high up with a really wide beam).

I may upload the terrain later on today, but it's not finished yet, still needs some work on the deeper sea and ocean tiles, as well as some other terrain types such as boulder field (trees) canyon (marsh) and craters (jungle). I'll proabably upload it as is, so if anyone has the time they can finish off some of the bits I've not got around to yet.

Going to try working on the rover's today, may not get much done though as I'm hoping to go to the gym later.

 

[madmapper]

Has anyone attempted the roads and irrigation and such? If not, I will.

Roads: Dirt Tracks with Beacons, a la SMAC

Rail: Covered Maglev Trains

Mines: Mines

Irrigation: Irrigation like Civ III, but with greenery. Or perhaps covered greenhouses...

 

[Smoking mirror]

Mars Terrain V1.1

O.K. here is the second update to my martian terrain, now available for download to help in testing and further development.
It is not finished yet, but much is ready that wan't before.

Have a go at making some terrain buildings (such as goodyhuts and mines), there are some premade buildings earlier in this thread if you need them. I've also included some possible city designs, these would be second scenario cities, the first would be much simpler.
For the city walls I'm thinking of having subterrainean vaults. This would make the city look mostly underground, and increase it'd deffence strength quite a lot.
I've added transponder beacons to the road, these would allow you to navigate at night of during a storm by sending out a coded location signal. Other civs wouldn't be able to decode the signal and would remain lost.

Here are the two parts of the terrain; part 1
& part 2
and also some cities; Cities

For civ colours I'm thinking the following to start with;
Republic of China and south east Asia; RED1
European Union & Israel; GREEN4
Russia; WHITE0
United States & Australia; BLUE6
Second world Union (A coalition of Middle Eastern, Indian, Pakistani, South American & south African Countries); YELLOW3
Barbarians (rebels); BROWN27

Some of these would change in later scenarios to reflect changes in world structure. These changes would reflect success or failure in different scenarios.
For instance if Russia or America won the second scenario They might gain enough political power to absorb other nations back on earth in to new political forms. For instance Chinese and American failure on Mars could result in the fall of communism, a split in American Union, and a merger between china the US, south America and Australia in to a Pacific Union, somewhat like the UN.
Or Russian success could result in them subsuming the EU or parts of china.

Enjoy!

 

[madmapper]

Well, for mines I was just thinking of porting over the SMAC ones.

 

[vbraun]

Finished 2/3 of storyboards. Need to render, rename, and make other.

 

[Anarki]

Could you tell me what sounds you want?