UFO:Alien Invasion

Development => Design => Topic started by: Captain Bipto on March 09, 2009, 11:30:25 pm

Title: The look of the future
Post by: Captain Bipto on March 09, 2009, 11:30:25 pm
I have a few questions about the look of the setting. This range from whether or not there are flying cars, pervasive and dominant cultures (such as Japanese advertisements in America from Bladerunner), how closely packed buildings are to each other in large settlements, that sort of thing.

Is there a cyberpunk feel to the setting? Partly I'd think not just because while corporations play a role in the game (supplying weapons etc) they are not mentioned as being the dominant force in the setting (unless I missed something).

Are the terror attack maps (the city based ones anyhow) slated to be dark and grungy, or generic? I understand there would be exceptions (I am thinking about sketching out an arcology mission for example)



Title: Re: The look of the future
Post by: Destructavator on March 09, 2009, 11:58:55 pm
Not intending to turn you off when I say this, but I've seen some of this discussed quite extensively in other threads already.

I think that having futuristic looks to everything would mean rebuilding tons of maps, models, etc.

Edit: I *will* say, however, that I do agree with your points - I just don't know how they could be fixed without tons of work...
Title: Re: The look of the future
Post by: BTAxis on March 10, 2009, 12:36:00 am
Well, they can't. It involves tons of work.
Title: Re: The look of the future
Post by: Valis on March 10, 2009, 10:08:57 am
What I would be really interested is how it came to the unification of today's countries into the blocks that we see as sponsors in the game.

The weapons available to the player also do not strike me as to fit in the year 2087. Maybe the game should take place sometime earlier, 30-40 years earlier just after a great conflict that divided the world into the blocks we see.
Title: Re: The look of the future
Post by: Destructavator on March 10, 2009, 03:42:00 pm
I remember in the introduction text how it described Earth settling down and being mostly at peace before the alien attack, wars calming down, etc.  (Not that that's likely to happen, but that's a different topic.)  Given this assumption and idea that everything is calm and peaceful before the Mumbai attack I'd imagine one could argue that because the Earth is all in harmony and everything that weapons technology isn't as important anymore, military forces are reduced or even virtually non-existent because they aren't needed anymore, and when the aliens arrive that the player's forces, a secret organization, are forced to un-bury and "dust off" old technology to start with (before research teams come up with the laser weapons, bolter rifle, etc.).

Along with that idea, perhaps the starting weapons could actually be much less than 80 years in the future, but still be the best available at the start of the game because, again, the technology was slowed down and put aside for years afterward, with world peace and everything.
Title: Re: The look of the future
Post by: Valis on March 10, 2009, 04:07:32 pm
That would make sense actually. Have to start reading those damn intro txt before asking silly questions.
Title: Re: The look of the future
Post by: Winter on March 10, 2009, 04:14:40 pm
I remember in the introduction text how it described Earth settling down and being mostly at peace before the alien attack, wars calming down, etc.  (Not that that's likely to happen, but that's a different topic.)  Given this assumption and idea that everything is calm and peaceful before the Mumbai attack I'd imagine one could argue that because the Earth is all in harmony and everything that weapons technology isn't as important anymore, military forces are reduced or even virtually non-existent because they aren't needed anymore, and when the aliens arrive that the player's forces, a secret organization, are forced to un-bury and "dust off" old technology to start with (before research teams come up with the laser weapons, bolter rifle, etc.).

Along with that idea, perhaps the starting weapons could actually be much less than 80 years in the future, but still be the best available at the start of the game because, again, the technology was slowed down and put aside for years afterward, with world peace and everything.

'Harmony' is not the right word for the political situation in UFO:AI's setting. Also, in my vision of it, violent disagreements are usually settled via electronic rather than physical fighting. Never mind the fact that the super-nations' internal matters would be big enough without having to worry about exterior wars.

Regards,
Winter
Title: Re: The look of the future
Post by: Captain Bipto on March 10, 2009, 08:02:58 pm
Wow. The point of this topic was me asking what the world looks like in the 2080s so I can sketch, not to criticize or complain.
Title: Re: The look of the future
Post by: BTAxis on March 10, 2009, 08:09:28 pm
I think you can largely come up with it yourself. If it looks suitably futuristic (but not silly), it'll probably just be okay.
Title: Re: The look of the future
Post by: Captain Bipto on March 10, 2009, 08:14:49 pm
Thats what it sounds like.

Heh heh why don't you guys model the game after the Jetsons?
Title: Re: The look of the future
Post by: BTAxis on March 10, 2009, 09:05:41 pm
I think you know the answer to that.
Title: Re: The look of the future
Post by: Destructavator on March 14, 2009, 01:12:20 am
Quote
Heh heh why don't you guys model the game after the Jetsons?

Ugh.  I sure hope not, at least not in the trunk as opposed to a Mod of some kind.  If any future official release were perverted to that type of thing, I just might up-chuck a live chicken in disgust...
Title: Re: The look of the future
Post by: keybounce on March 16, 2009, 10:36:09 pm
Just as long as it's not infinitely tall towers of buildings everywhere with the poor people stuck on the ground floor.
Title: Re: The look of the future
Post by: Captain Bipto on March 17, 2009, 09:54:05 am
the Jetson post was a gag...

Mega Skyscrapers are prolly out unless being used as a map portraying said scraper...


Title: Re: The look of the future
Post by: Raethen on March 19, 2009, 10:55:32 pm
Huh... that's not a bad idea for a map, the top 8 levels of a scyscraper, your team could start out around the elevator, and you would have to hunt all the way up to the roof to find the aliens. There'd be a central staircase going up several levels, then mebbe the top few levels would have an "under construction" kind of feel, steel beams and open walls, maybe a UFO landed on the roof, lots of potential there.
Title: Re: The look of the future
Post by: BTAxis on March 19, 2009, 11:11:53 pm
It'd be hard to make it look like the actual top of a skyscraper, though. There's no background image or skybox or anything, just a black void.
Title: Re: The look of the future
Post by: Raethen on March 20, 2009, 03:51:59 am
Yeah, that's rather problematic, but i'm sure that eventually some sort of backdrop system will be implemented, although that'd probably be low prioroty graphical fluff... not the highest thing on the list in a game with so much other stuff to implement and tweak.

Still, i like the idea of a scyscraper level with a UFO landed on the roof, file that one, i think it's a keeper.
Title: Re: The look of the future
Post by: Destructavator on March 20, 2009, 04:01:02 am
Quote
Still, i like the idea of a scyscraper level with a UFO landed on the roof, file that one, i think it's a keeper.

I like that idea myself, although I don't have any mapping experience.

If you're any good at mapping or willing to learn from the wiki, I don't think anyone would stop you if you started such a map.
Title: Re: The look of the future
Post by: BTAxis on March 20, 2009, 10:03:20 am
Yeah, that's rather problematic, but i'm sure that eventually some sort of backdrop system will be implemented

I wouldn't bet on it.
Title: Re: The look of the future
Post by: vedrit on March 20, 2009, 10:12:40 pm
Why? I think that having black borders areound the field, while yes, reduces the idea of "Maybe I can go there", but, come on, the world isnt filled with black borders
Title: Re: The look of the future
Post by: Kaz on March 20, 2009, 10:47:03 pm
I think it has more to do with limitations of the graphics engine than with developer's willingness to code it.

Cheers!