Development > Artwork
Need a modeler?
Winter:
--- Quote from: TrashMan on June 06, 2008, 09:47:32 pm ---Needler Gun:
--- End quote ---
I like the general shape of it, it's interesting, but there are a couple of points that need addressing.
1. There doesn't seem to be a straight path between the magazine feed and the muzzle. For a high-speed automatic weapon like the Needler that would be pretty vital. There can't be a bend or obstruction anywhere along the barrel.
2. A ring-shaped magazine? Makes no sense when you could have a drum with five times as much ammo in the same volume of space, or a box with an equal amount of ammo in a third of the volume. If you really want to be creative with the magazine, make it a trapezium, like a triangle-shaped cylinder (but not a pyramid).
3. Smaller anatomy issues. There's no front handguard (and thus nowhere to hold the weapon) except right up at the muzzle, requiring very very long arms to hold it comfortably; the grip is located in an awkward position right at the very back; and there's no buttstock to take the not-insignificant recoil. I'd recommend shortening the front and redesigning the rear part of the weapon to become its own buttstock with integrated grip. Another nice touch would be an alien sniper scope attached to the side.
Regards,
Winter
TrashMan:
Allright..
B.t.w. - I got the exporter to work and I exported all the items.
Both the XAW95 and the Coilgun are scaled properly and work in-game... Only the textures don't show up, they are red. Some converter error? Or does the jpg have to have very specific settings?
@Winter:
1. Actually, the lower tube was supposed to be the main barrel :P
I'll make it a big bigger...
2. Noted, it will be different.
3. Also noted. Will fix this. Maybe make the gun less...fat?
Psawhn:
I was just thinking, a simple ring-shaped clip like that can probably offer very high fire rates, quick reloading of new clips, linkless feed, and little manipulation of the round between the drum and the chamber. If the propulsion method is in the gun (magnetic or otherwise), then the needles will probably be quite thin and might even fit 50 or more rounds inside that ring magazine anyway. The system will also probably be quite simple and thus robust and durable. Artistically, it looks exotic and unique from human technology.
Another idea is to just thicken the ring, increasing the number of rounds that can fit in, but leave the center open. I don't think a full drum would offer five times the ammunition capacity. By my math, a ring with thickness 20% of its radius has about 1/3 the area (35.9%) of a full disk (ie: its total diameter is 10 units, and the ring is only 1 unit thick, leaving an inner diameter of 8 units). That looks close to what he has already. Doubling the thickness from there doubles the area to about 2/3 (64%). Going on to 3x, 4x, and 5x (solid disk) gives the percentages of 84%, 96%, and 100%. (A spring-loaded drum magazine doesn't use the center core anyways: http://www.minsky.com/portfoli/ammo2.jpg)
So the ring magazine might not be all that bad. Doubling the thickness would probably be the best balance between increasing capacity and keeping the advantages of such a system.
About the barrel: an alternative to enlarging it is to flatten or thin the top support, making it look less like a barrel. Maybe have the main ellipsoid shape end instead of extending into a tube, and have a few thin strips or rods extending out as supports instead of one thick tube.
Mattn:
--- Quote from: TrashMan on June 07, 2008, 01:23:13 am ---Both the XAW95 and the Coilgun are scaled properly and work in-game... Only the textures don't show up, they are red. Some converter error? Or does the jpg have to have very specific settings?
--- End quote ---
if the texture name is xaw5.jpg (which is the name we are using in the svn) the skin path should be .xaw5
Note the dot at the first position - and without extension.
Winter:
--- Quote from: TrashMan on June 07, 2008, 01:23:13 am ---@Winter:
1. Actually, the lower tube was supposed to be the main barrel :P
I'll make it a big bigger...
2. Noted, it will be different.
3. Also noted. Will fix this. Maybe make the gun less...fat?
--- End quote ---
Oh, I do understand that the lower tube was the barrel. My point is that if you look closely at the muzzle block, it comes out at the very bottom where the little bevelling is and it appears as if the bevelling obscures part of the muzzle. It ought to come out at least a little higher since it's the only bit where projectiles will actually be emerging. I don't mind it being lower than centre, which goes against human tradition, as long as it's got a clear line from magazine to target.
Making it less fat is a good idea, I think. Would make it look a little less comical and more threatening.
--- Quote from: Psawhn on June 07, 2008, 07:31:11 am ---I was just thinking, a simple ring-shaped clip like that can probably offer very high fire rates, quick reloading of new clips, linkless feed, and little manipulation of the round between the drum and the chamber. If the propulsion method is in the gun (magnetic or otherwise), then the needles will probably be quite thin and might even fit 50 or more rounds inside that ring magazine anyway. The system will also probably be quite simple and thus robust and durable. Artistically, it looks exotic and unique from human technology.
Another idea is to just thicken the ring, increasing the number of rounds that can fit in, but leave the center open. I don't think a full drum would offer five times the ammunition capacity. By my math, a ring with thickness 20% of its radius has about 1/3 the area (35.9%) of a full disk (ie: its total diameter is 10 units, and the ring is only 1 unit thick, leaving an inner diameter of 8 units). That looks close to what he has already. Doubling the thickness from there doubles the area to about 2/3 (64%). Going on to 3x, 4x, and 5x (solid disk) gives the percentages of 84%, 96%, and 100%. (A spring-loaded drum magazine doesn't use the center core anyways: http://www.minsky.com/portfoli/ammo2.jpg)
So the ring magazine might not be all that bad. Doubling the thickness would probably be the best balance between increasing capacity and keeping the advantages of such a system.
--- End quote ---
My main concern about a ring magazine over a box mag is that it would be very difficult to carry additional mags. Also, the mag doesn't need to be spring-loaded, which seems pretty low-tech for the aliens and wouldn't be very effective for something with only millimetre thickness. It would most probably load the needles either on a belt, by magnetism, or even by vacuum.
--- Quote ---About the barrel: an alternative to enlarging it is to flatten or thin the top support, making it look less like a barrel. Maybe have the main ellipsoid shape end instead of extending into a tube, and have a few thin strips or rods extending out as supports instead of one thick tube.
--- End quote ---
The top support isn't the issue, I don't mind it. It's the lower tube where the magazine comes in that's the barrel.
Regards,
Winter
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