Unit Previews: GrossPanzer and Modern Ninja

[DJ Bonebraker]

Well, after taking a 3 day break from unit making, I'm back at it again. This time, I'm attempting to pull a BeBro (making two or more completely different units simultaneously). I've got the models done for my Arashi Commando (basically a modern Female Ninja), and one of the Shinra UU's: the GrossPanzer. I could start animating the GrossPanzer as early as tomorrow, but I still need to add the Arashi Commando's sword (I've got a basic Ninja Sword model from 3dchaya.com, but it needs a sheath, which I'll make tomorrow). The sword will be worn accross her back. I might also add a scope to the rifle, but it probably wouldn't show up too well at civ size. Anyways, previews are posted below. Any suggestions and comments are welcome (preferrably BEFORE I start animating and rendering, although I always save a version with the basic un-animated model just in case I screw up really bad).

Here's the preview of the Arashi Commando (my first NON-Final Fantasy unit):

 

[DJ Bonebraker]

Here's the preview for the GrossPanzer. Inset is a screenshot from the game, where all three turrets have been destroyed. I'm also not sure about the current Civ color setup. Should I just have the main turret civ colored, or both the Main Turret and the ramming prow (like it is now)?

 

[MarineCorps]

Well, after taking a 3 day break from unit making, I'm back at it again. This time, I'm attempting to pull a BeBro (making two or more completely different units simultaneously). I've got the models done for my Arashi Commando (basically a modern Female Ninja), and one of the Shinra UU's: the GrossPanzer. I could start animating the GrossPanzer as early as tomorrow, but I still need to add the Arashi Commando's sword (I've got a basic Ninja Sword model from 3dchaya.com, but it needs a sheath, which I'll make tomorrow). The sword will be worn accross her back. I might also add a scope to the rifle, but it probably wouldn't show up too well at civ size. Anyways, previews are posted below. Any suggestions and comments are welcome (preferrably BEFORE I start animating and rendering, although I always save a version with the basic un-animated model just in case I screw up really bad).

Here's the preview of the Arashi Commando (my first NON-Final Fantasy unit):

Why is she using an AK-47? Japan uses for the most Part American made stuff.

 

[A Viking Yeti]

The tank looks really cool, but I think the ramming prow might be a bit much as far as civ color goes... Actually, they both look really cool .

 

[ShiroKobbure]

why she called a ninja?
she has a gun which is loud, and she is wereing a kabuto, ninjas are people of the shadow not infantry. and give her a sword if you are trying to make it look more old japan

 

[DJ Bonebraker]

Wow, thanks for the feedback guys.

Marine Corps:Actually, the Japanese design and manufacutre their own wepons and equipment for the most part. The rifle she has is supposed to be the Japanese 7.62 NATO assault rifle that was based on the AK-47's design, but with a number of improvements to increase accuracy. It worked quite well. The rifle basically combined the range, accuracy and killing power of the M-14 with the ease of use, durability, and ease of maintanance (and if things really got hot the shear rate of fire) of the AK-47.

AVY: Thanks, although I'm still undecided. I've attached a preview of the unit without civ coloring on the front, and I'll let everyone decide on which they like better.

Shirokobure: She's supposed to be a MODERN ninja, and she's armed with a sniper rifle, which at the distances it'll be used (800 meters), noone will hear it anyways. Here's a more detailed explanation in Japanese. I had to type this on my other computer, since this one can't handle Kanji:

白さん、嵐兵隊が自分の漫画から来ました。この嵐隊は1400年の時に青竜王国の最強忍者隊です。 しかし、今の時、嵐隊が清流王国のスペシャルフォセズです。 彼女の鉄砲はスナイパー銃です。 刀の事は始めのポストまだ書いた。 このポストに、僕が“刀はまで作らなかった。明日忍者らしい刀をずっと作る”と書いた。もう一つの事:このモーダン忍者のスナイパー銃のために、サイレンサーを作る。嵐隊っての者がCFC User's Modのために作る。我が漫画の青竜王国は僕の国です。(僕のあだ名“高山飛火郎”はこの漫画のヒロの名前です&#12290

 

[citizen001]

Is it just me or does the tank look like it's made of plastic? (i mean the turret bit) Are you planning to redo the model?

 

[DJ Bonebraker]

Is it just me or does the tank look like it's made of plastic? (i mean the turret bit) Are you planning to redo the model?

I'm using a hammered steel texture, but when it's Civ colored, it does look kinda plasticky, but at Civ III scale, it actually looks like painted metal(for a good example, check out the Death Machine and Sweeper mechs that I made last week). And, no, I'm not redoing the model, since this is what the actual unit looks like in FF VII. I might change some of the textures, though (I've managed to pick up a new steel type texture with one of the samurai sword models I downloaded recently).

 

[citizen001]

I'm using a hammered steel texture, but when it's Civ colored, it does look kinda plasticky, but at Civ III scale, it actually looks like painted metal(for a good example, check out the Death Machine and Sweeper mechs that I made last week). And, no, I'm not redoing the model, since this is what the actual unit looks like in FF VII. I might change some of the textures, though (I've managed to pick up a new steel type texture with one of the samurai sword models I downloaded recently).

hope you're right. it might look better with the new shiny steel texture.

 

[DJ Bonebraker]

Well, here's a preview of the unit at civ size. I used the damascus steel texture on the main body, wheels, and guns, and I like how it turned out. The current preview is using the palette I'll be using, once I begin converting the grahics into FLCs, and I've included a shot of Muffins' Baneblade tank to give a size comparrison (to show just how much firepower the Sinra are packing in the moder age).

 

[Dease]

That's pretty massive if it's at civsize, cause IIRC muffins tank tookup the whole tile

Maybe add some stuff to the top/sides of the turret, it looks rather bare (maybe a hatch?)

 

[DJ Bonebraker]

That's pretty massive if it's at civsize, cause IIRC muffins tank tookup the whole tile

Maybe add some stuff to the top/sides of the turret, it looks rather bare (maybe a hatch?)

Shoot, you should've seen these things in FF VII. One of the charachters could've easily fit into the main cannon, and one of its attacks was running over the entire party of three people. That thing darn near filled up the screen during the battles. It was one of the few non-boss monsters that was bigger than some of the creatures you could summon.

As for details, There is a door on the side of the turret (you can see it in the small preview), but I'll see about adding a couple of hatches on the back so the crew can snipe off any enemies trying to climb aboard and drop grenades down the tailpipe. I may even add some light machineguns by the back hatches, even though the original didn't have any. They won't be featured in any attacks, but the way Sqaresoft originally designed this tank, it'd be extremely vulnerable to a rear attack, and IMO as a military man, that's a major design flaw that needs to be addressed.

Oh, I've given my modern Kunoichi (female ninja) her sword. In true ninja fasion, it's flat black, so you can perform those Tenchu-style stealth kills

FYI, the idea for the Arashi commando was born from a mixture of Tom Clancy's Splinter Cell, Tenchu 2, Final Fantasy, my Reitekina Sesou-the Spirit Wars manga project and being bored off my a$$ during a 4 hour watch on my radar console.

I've attached a new preview of the Arashi Commando below. After I muddle through Kinboat's tutorial, I'll be ready to start animating her (unless the camoflage doesn't look right at Civ size, in which case I'll re-texture her fatigues with a flat olive green color).

 

[unscratchedfoot]

Hikaruko, those are some hot units you got cookin. Keep it up.

 

[DJ Bonebraker]

Hikaruko, those are some hot units you got cookin. Keep it up.

Thanks! Glad you like them! I take it that the Arashi commando is going into your Vietnam mod? I may do a generic Female Asian Partizan unit from the same model, but replace the helmet with a bamboo hat, and get rid of the sword. Depends on how the whole animation process turns out with this unit.

BTW, I'm not a girl, so please don't end my name with the feminine designator "ko", okay?

Oh, and after taking Dease's comment about the size in consideration, I reduced the render window to 150X150, so now the base of the tank is the same size as Muffin's Baneblade (the default "Heavy Tank" in my FF Mod), and I've added two hatches and .50 machineguns to the back (to handle threats from behind), and I've attached another preview below. If noone has any objections, I'll be removing all the old previews in order to clear up some attachment space (I'm starting to run kinda low).

 

[unscratchedfoot]

Hikoko, she needs a more modern-looking hat like the ones they wore in Vietnam such as bamboo hat or camouflaged helmet with a little bit of leaves/vegetation on it. Also, the uniform needs to be lighter like dark yellow or drab green camo before I could put her in the Vietnam mod.

 

[Dease]

yet you could fit my pikemen in though eh?

Anyway , looks good , although I'm not getting that samurai "vibe"


EDIT: oh, just looking at your comparison with the baneblade, your perspctive seems to be off

 

[DJ Bonebraker]

Hikoko, she needs a more modern-looking hat like the ones they wore in Vietnam such as bamboo hat or camouflaged helmet with a little bit of leaves/vegetation on it. Also, the uniform needs to be lighter like dark yellow or drab green camo before I could put her in the Vietnam mod.

If you read my earlier post, I'm considering doing a version without the Helmet, sword (well, maybe switch the sword with a machete) and vest for use as a female asian partizan unit (probably also change the cloth texture too).

Dease, I noticed the perspective is different than that of the BB, but I think that the problem is on Muffins' end, since I'm using the EXACT camera setup that Wyrmshadow uses for all his units (he's the one who told me what settings to use after all). It seems about right compared with Firaxis' stuff (and your T-28, if I might add).

Well, I've managed to figure out the camera setup, even without KinBoat's help. I set the camera so the X orbit is 30deg, the Y Orbit is 45 deg and the Z orbit is zero. I also set the Dolly XYZ positions to 1.2,1.2, and -0.15 and the scale factor to 200%. The unit is about the same height as the Enkidu Warrior, so she'll fit into the game without seeming too large. I've attached a preview at civ scale, along with a palette test using the palette I've got set up for her, as well as the red-colored alpha blended version of the same palette (to make sure that there is no civ color leakage or transparent parts where they aren't supposed to be). As you can see, the camoflage doesn't look that bad at civ size, and the Civ coloration and alpha blending works like a charm.

 

[DJ Bonebraker]

Well, since it seems that noone has anything else to add, I've started on the animations. I've completed the GrossPanzer Default animation, and have a preview attached. I'm currently working on the Arashi Commando default animation, but Poser renders stuff (even 110x110 size) really really slow. I'll post a preview of that when I get done later this evening (well, it's evening where I'm at anyways). Comments, etc welcome as always.

GrossPanzer default animation:

 

[Dease]

Looks good , although I don't think smoke should be coming out during the default, too much movement IMO, maybe a big blast for the fidget would suffice

EDIT: is there and reasoning behind having no spikes on the last set of wheels? IMO it coul do lots of damge if they were on all four

 

[DJ Bonebraker]

Looks good , although I don't think smoke should be coming out during the default, too much movement IMO, maybe a big blast for the fidget would suffice

EDIT: is there and reasoning behind having no spikes on the last set of wheels? IMO it coul do lots of damge if they were on all four

Well, to answer your first question, I did the exact same thing with the Death Machine for its default and it looked okay in game. And as for your second question, the spikes are mounted in the wheelbase in between the wheels. If I thried to put blades behind the last set of wheels they'd shred up the treads. Just wait for the run animation, the blades will go in and out to chop any infantry they come accross into mincemeat

Well, as promised I have the completed default animation for the Arashi Ninja, with a quick preview posted here. I know that this unit is at proper civscale because I compared one of the rendered files with one of Firaxis' units (Enkidu Warrior), and she was approximately the same height.

Anyways, here's the Modern Ninja Chix0r: