Messages

31

Artwork / UGV autocannon module

« on: January 03, 2009, 07:28:05 pm »

Here's an attempt to make an autocannon module for UGV. The model I've seen in UFOpaedia looked more like a placeholder, and I needed to familiarize myself with Blender  (Wings is handy, but I want to learn to make animations)

Comments are welcome as always.

32

Design / Re: Managing Mundane vs. Cutting Edge Gear and Equipment

« on: December 30, 2008, 08:33:44 pm »

I don't recall negotiation attempts? Even if they occur in the storyline later then what's been implemented and they refuse or ignore they shouldn't be mistreated. An example: if terrorists hijacked a boat and refused to negotiate, they don't lose rights.

Ignored negotiations are taken from official storyline: "Some nations attempt diplomacy, sending messages in a thousand different languages to the aliens ravaging across the countryside. Their words are ignored. Within hours, all three cities are emptied of human life."
Human terrorists are at least capable of negotiation because of their human nature. To my mind, negotiation is a must if a mutual coexistance is to be achieved. Ability to negotiate makes the difference between SkyNet and Matrix machines. And XVI is more of SkyNet type - both were artificially engineered for military purposes, but gone out of control and for both of them the only acceptable form of coexistance with humans is their enslaving.

ANY entity capable of cognitive thought should be given human "rights"

This point is the most arguable to me. You consider the terms "human rights" and "moral" to be all-sufficient and universal through all possible sentient life forms. I consider them to be sorts of behaviour rules that humanity agreed upon to optimize our social attitutes. E.g. do not kill in order not to be killed yourself, help the weak in order to be helped if you become weak too, etc. And these are based on our historical experience of human vs. human interaction, so adding some intelligent indederminate in current relationship scheme would eventually require tweaking our moral principles.

33

Design / Re: Managing Mundane vs. Cutting Edge Gear and Equipment

« on: December 30, 2008, 07:45:58 am »

If we are going to stick to conventions, captured aliens should be treated respect for their persons and their honour and may not be subjected to physical mutilation or to medical or scientific experiments of any kind which are not justified by the medical, dental or hospital treatment.
But aliens here are far different from any human opponent: they didn't make any demands, ignored all negotiation attempts and won't stop hostile activity unless killed or incapacitated. Aside from that, each alien doesn't show much intelligence on individual level, so it's not quite correct to treat them as "persons". The only sentient thing among them is XVI virus, but unless we are going to respect virus' right to infest and devour all living things on Earth, the alien invasion is much like a natural disaster and should be dealed with appropriately.

As for human morale damage - it's quite possible, as with each war. I remember the plot of the Incoming game series - in the first part you fought alien invasion as usual, but in Incoming 2 you took the side of some other alien race defending against humans, which became technologically advanced and xenophobic after the first war with aliens. Something similar could happen after the destruction of alien mothership here - not knowing if there are more XVI motherships or ET threats of other kind, having a number of unidentified XVI hosts on Earth which can form undercover common intelligence cells and provided with alien war technology, Earth goverments can unite under more totalitarian, suspicious and warlike one. In this case the final titles could show an armada of FTL ships being built on Earth orbit, saying "Now we must be prepared" or similar.

34

Design / Re: Managing Mundane vs. Cutting Edge Gear and Equipment

« on: December 29, 2008, 06:53:38 am »

I haven't heard that flamethrowers are outlawed, but in either case all warfare conventions are limited to usage against our species only. E.g. it's forbidden to use toxins against human opponents, but its okay to spread them to ged rid of cockroaches or locust.

35

Artwork / Re: UGV pod

« on: December 21, 2008, 04:35:27 pm »

Here's it, texture included:
https://sourceforge.net/tracker/index.php?func=detail&aid=1904238&group_id=157793&atid=805244

For texture I didn't bother to remove unused parts, only added hatch contour.

[attachment deleted by admin]

36

Artwork / Re: UGV pod

« on: December 15, 2008, 03:21:07 pm »

Okay, once I remember where I put that model :-)
Would stand-alone closed pod model be enough? I don't think that Wings supports animation.

37

Design / Re: about interceptors, esspecially the saracen

« on: December 14, 2008, 12:17:29 pm »

I think Saracen's role is not to gain air superiority or to provide fighter escort to dropships, but to intercept UFOs at speeds unavailable to other conventional fighters. So it is not about dogfighting, but for closing in to interception range, firing misiles and returning to base. Something like SR-71 based YF-12A interceptor. Before more advanced fighters are researched, it is just the only interceptor that can chase up speedy UFO's, even if its maneurability sucks. Thats my point.

38

Artwork / Re: Hyperion

« on: December 12, 2008, 09:41:43 pm »

Maybe a lift-fan, like in F-35?
http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/Image:F-35B_Joint_Strike_Fighter_(thrust_vectoring_nozzle_and_lift_fan).PNG

39

Artwork / Re: Hyperion

« on: December 12, 2008, 06:17:45 pm »

I like the last model! Maybe wings could fold along that pylons when landed so that it wont occupy too much space on maps?

40

Artwork / Re: Models next part 2

« on: December 08, 2008, 06:03:33 pm »

I second BTAxis - the pod is excellent!

The only thing... Well, I know that I shouldn't be so nitpicky to others' work, but I can't help myself. These cargo crates are loose! Inside a droppable pod! :-)
Maybe add some cargo netting, like this one:
http://www.armedforces-int.com/images/companies/991/networks14.jpg
I think a net texture on the crate would sufice, no need to draw a cellular mesh over them.

However, I can handle myself with current model, 'cause it is great already, so feel free to disregard my suggestion.

41

Artwork / Re: Models next part 2

« on: December 07, 2008, 07:29:37 pm »

Looks great! Aside from proportions issue, some comments of my own:
- Images on the monitors give an impression (for me, at least) of the craft being capable of interplanetary flight, maybe replace it with some mission briefing stuff?
- Two chairs in the front look like pilots seats, but afaik previous Heracles model showed up a separate cockpit.
- I suppose that empty space is reserved for UGVs, but shouldn't such be carried on externally mounted pods? I think that could solve the small chairs problem.

Anyway, creators have final word, until then its just my ramblings.

42

Offtopic / Mumbai

« on: November 28, 2008, 12:15:32 pm »

Has anyone else, except me, been frightened to see "Mumbai under attack" and similar headlines?

43

Feature Requests / Re: Double weapons

« on: October 30, 2008, 12:14:29 pm »

I remember there was much arguing about usability of dual-wielded pistols. Not sure, if there were any logical conclusion.

44

Tactics / Re: Super-aliens or Alien heroes

« on: October 09, 2008, 08:23:49 am »

Are you also thinking about who's going to make this model?

I was thinking of it when I was going to model it :-) Now I am not thinking of anything due to recent marriage of mine.

45

Tactics / Re: Super-aliens or Alien heroes

« on: October 08, 2008, 09:21:22 am »

I was also thinking of alien "bosses" for storyline missions - ones maybe even having a model different from others. For example, that infested Phalanx traitor, cybernetically enhanced into some scary cyborg.