Need a modeler?

[TrashMan]

You sure? It will end up like a bazooka..
I thought you wanted another weapon for the sniper skill - a more powerful version of the standard sniper rifle (50% -100% more damage, big, clunky magazine...sniper rifle has 5 bullets IIRC)

I already modeled a set of external capacitors on the coilgun, and the central body is big enough to hold a big power cell.

In fact, my plan was to make the magazine look like a U shaped power cell with 2 or3 bolts in the center - and it's inserted into the bottom of the rifle.
Allright, it's your call - I'll await your final decision before I model in the number of bolts in the magazine.


and can I get a confirmation of what the needler gun needs to look like before I begin modeling it?



EDIT:

b.t.w - this is my current testing setup for hte Coilgun (currently uses bolter ammo)

Code: [Select]

//========================
// COILGUN
//========================
item coilgun
{
name "_Coilgun"
model weapons/coilgun/coilgun
weapon true
type rifle
animationindex 1
holdtwohanded false
firetwohanded true
shape "0 0 5 2"
center "9 0 3"
scale 1.05
ammo 3
reload 10
price 9000
size 30
buytype weap_pri
}

item bolterrifle_ammo
{
name            "_Bolter Rifle Magazine"
model           weapons/bolterrifle/bolterrifle_clip
type ammo
animationindex 0
shape "0 0 1 2"
center "0 0 0"
scale 1.15
price 85
size 5
buytype weap_pri
dmgtype normal

weapon_mod sniper
{
firedef
{
name "_Snap Shot"
skill sniper
projtl  bolter
impact  bolterImpact
hitbody null
firesnd weapons/bolter2
speed 0
spread "0.9 0.9"
crouch 0.3
range 250
shots 1
ammo 1
time 12
damage "160 0"
dmgweight normal_heavy
reaction true
}
firedef
{
name "_Aimed Shot"
skill sniper
projtl  bolter
impact  bolterImpact
hitbody null
firesnd weapons/bolter2
speed 0
spread "0.5 0.5"
crouch 0.3
range 250
shots 1
ammo 1
time 18
damage "160 0"
dmgweight normal_heavy
}
firedef
{
name "_Headshot"
skill sniper
projtl  bolter
impact  bolterImpact
hitbody null
firesnd weapons/bolter2
speed 0
spread "0.8 0.8"
crouch 0.3
range 250
shots 1
ammo 1
time 24
damage "200 0"
dmgweight normal_heavy
}
}
}


[TrashMan]

Ammo box for the XAW95 is done. I also tweaked the texture a bit.. I'll send it over later.

Ammo for the coilgun looks ATM like this:

I could update the coilgun with the ammo box sticking from the bottom (in front of the grip, as seen on the pic)

[attachment deleted by admin]

[Mattn]

doesn't the forum attach feature work for you? it would be nicer to have it here.

[TrashMan]

You mean insert FTP link? I guess I can upload the stuff..

Oh, I finally got the importer working...trying to get the exporter working now


EDIT
***************


Drat! Can't get any of the exporter working....and the coilgun you exported - it won't open it's md2 (opens other game models)



Here are the modified files - everything is slightly updated, and both model have ammo boxes.

http://ferrium.org/trashman/Stuff/UFO/coilgun.rar

http://ferrium.org/trashman/Stuff/UFO/vindicator.rar

[BTAxis]

No, he meant attach to the forum. When you make a post there's an attach button at the bottom. Use that. That way the files are sent to the forum's server, so we aren't reliant on external servers.

[TrashMan]

Missed that...no matter, the files are up.

I'm working on the needler gun ATM and am looking at the nanocomposite armor md2.

[TrashMan]

Needler Gun:


EDIT:
I edited the equipment file but the guns still don't show up...Hm..once you extract the files into proper directories, they take precedence over the .pk3 compressed files, right?

[BTAxis]

Yes, they should.

[TrashMan]

So why doesn't it work...

I've put the models and textures in the UFO/base/0models/weapons/coilgun/

I edited the equipment, weapons_human, research and researched_list (all located in UFO/bbase/0ufos/

Hmmmmm...

[Destructavator]

Try taking the "0" (the zero) out of the folder name.

I'm not positive 100% that that's what the issue is, but I'm pretty sure that would fix the problem.

EDIT (clarification): In other words, "models" instead of "0models" if it is in regular folders and not zipped up into a pk3.

I found this issue myself when I played around with some of the pk3 files with my own copy of the game, and also running the SVN version (which has regular files and not pk3s) - the SVN folders do not have the zeros.

[Winter]

Needler Gun:

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
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]

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?

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]

@Winter:

1. Actually, the lower tube was supposed to be the main barrel
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?

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.

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.

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.

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.

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