Messages

106

Artwork / Re: SRPMW model

« on: February 10, 2008, 08:35:21 pm »

Thanks for encouragement! I'll try to provide more.

Well, I tried to read info on licenses, but still a bit confused about license. If I state that my models or any parts of them could be used, modified, meditated at for inspiration or utilised an any other way - is that a GPL license? How should I denote it - by putting a model somewhere on the web along with readme.txt with text provided in Wiki? Or by just saying "I choose GPL"?

107

Artwork / Re: SRPMW model

« on: February 10, 2008, 07:51:36 pm »

Thanks for feedback!

Well, I was more about "wow, I can draw 3D models" than "you MUST include that model in the game" I would like to hear if there are any faults in modelling, level of detail, weapon layout with the regard to functionality, ergonomics and such. Sort of info I could use in future.

And I think alien weapons are best designed from sratch rather than make human weapons look alienish. I could look into alien launcher, though I am a bit unsure how it would look like

108

Artwork / SRPMW model

« on: February 10, 2008, 06:45:52 pm »

I've been toying with Wings 3D editor and tried to model that rocket carbine of mine. Its my first try in game modelling, once I get master the editor and learn to make textures, I might even try something more useful later

Here's a variant with a box magazine (138 faces, 174 vertices):



The same with a drum feed (148 faces, 194 vertices):


I haven't learn texturing yet. All sort of feedback is welcome!

109

Feature Requests / Re: Weapons/equipment suggestions

« on: February 10, 2008, 09:06:50 am »

In a community-driven game like this playerbase suggestions are more likely to be taken into account than in some commercial project. Hovewer, in order to maintain coherent game style (or call it sprirt if you wish) someone must be responsible for plotting general course. And anything that contradicts with his or her vision of how the game is intended to be is mercilessly rejected. That surely hurts democracy ideals, but otherwise we'll end with a weird mix of jedi lightsabers, giant robots and someone's pet puddle (it is so cute, you can't leave it out of the game!)
On the other hand, even rejected ideas can be used later, if a need arises, or serve as inspiration for something more decent. So it won't hurt the developers to have a pool of such. And not intending to teach anyone, but, well, some diplomacy could be used in public relations. Beeing too straightforward can be discouraging to community.

110

Feature Requests / Re: Weapons/equipment suggestions

« on: February 09, 2008, 10:23:48 pm »

Remember, that plasma guns have a "spray" firemode, which is very much flamer-like (but it got disabled in 2.2 for no apparent reason?!). If we are going to have yet another "flamer" it would have to offer something new, like exceptional range or effectiveness vs armours which protect against plasma and fire

It seems that I missed the spray firemode of plasma weapons! However, if implemented, the flayer should be more powerful, since it is heavier than plasma and less versatile (no longer range firemodes). Besides, it seems to deal normal damage, unlike other alien ranged weapons.

111

Feature Requests / Re: Weapons/equipment suggestions

« on: February 09, 2008, 09:54:37 pm »

Speaking of alien weapons - I have an obvoius suggestion of antimatter bomb and stereotypical one of sort of corrosive slimy goo thrower. Aside from them, I could suggest some rather weird counterpart to human flamethrower:

Flayer blaster (I am bad at naming weapons!)
The weapon act much like a sandblasting device. It emits a high-velocity stream of heated air mixed with hot grits made of alien memory material. As grits penetrate material or flesh and begin cool down, their shape starts changing due to memory properties, dealing massive additional damage. Skin and flesh are virtually ripped from the bone in seconds from any unprotected body part. Full body cover offer some protection, however any prolonged bombardment by thousands of sharp grits would tear the heaviest of armors into shreds. Fortunately, the range at which grits retain their penetration capacity is limited.  Besides, cooled-down and re-shaped particles don't produce such devastating effect. Hence, weapon's range is restricted to 10 meters or so. Flayer blaster and its ammo are too heavy to be effeciently utilized even by strongest of human soldiers. Moreover, firing it is much like trying to hold a jet engine, therefore its use by aliens is restricted only to strongest species, like Ortnoks.

112

Feature Requests / Re: Weapons/equipment suggestions

« on: February 09, 2008, 08:49:34 pm »

On mortar/artillery - this kind of thing would certanly be widely used, though I am worried about balance issues. Aside from that, UFO games were about careful moving through an area and thrilling gunfights rather then raining the area with firepower from safety and  finishing survivors. Though sometimes I do want such sort of the thing, just because those freaking alien bastards keep killing my squad!

I agree that weapons like minigun or heavy machine-gun can only be used in powerarmor. Some alien weaponry could too, like particle cannon. I think something on the subject was hinted in their description.

On alien launcher - I think it would deprecate standard launcher if you can salvage enough ammo for it. Maybe add othe disadvantages, like smaller range?

113

Feature Requests / Re: Weapons/equipment suggestions

« on: February 09, 2008, 11:12:14 am »

I think artillery support, if any, could be UGW-mounted. Maybe even a sort of multiple launch rocket system (MLRS).
Though I suspect that next thing to be requested would be an airstrike 

114

Feature Requests / Re: Weapons/equipment suggestions

« on: February 08, 2008, 02:26:19 pm »

Orginal weapons look cool, but soldiers would probably need to accomodate for their effective usage. Bolter, laser and plazma rifles act much more like a conventinal rifle than 10-inch spinning disc thrower. I think it could be an acceptable weapon for aliens to use in their terror missions - it slices unprotected targets into parts, ready to be packed and transported for research.

Meanwhile I added my proposals to Wiki and here's a new one for your constructive criticism :-)

Pyrogel torch (deprecatable by plasma blade)

Originally designed for use by government special agents when the situation required destruction of evidences. Military use was quite limited, including only several operations against drug cartels, when it was used in rapid raids for burning down drug deposits. This device follows pretty simplistic design and represents a flashlight-sized airtight plastic cylinder containing fast-burning binary pyrogel and expulsion charge. It is activated much like a grenade, but after removing the pin it is not thrown, but rather pointed at the target and fired by pressing the lever. Suspended pyrogel is ejected towards target and ignites upon release. Due to the nature of the burning agent, it burns out within a second. The area within direct proximity is exposed to extremely high temperatures, churning or igniting everything that burns. Pyrogel torches were not specifically meant to be used against personnel due to their close range where more convenient close-combat weapons could be used, and excessive damaging capacity, rendering them to be an overkill. However, nothing is too powerful against new alien threat, and with the minor modifications the design was adopted as PHALANX backup one-shot weapon for melee range.

115

Feature Requests / Re: Weapons/equipment suggestions

« on: February 08, 2008, 09:47:47 am »

Bolter rifle throws projectiles at very high speed, but the projectiles are very light themselves, otherwise recoil would render the weapon unusable. Any massive-blade-thrower would probably use lower muzzle velocities. Crossbow or harpoon are technically the same kerr-throwing weapons as a disc-thrower with the same limitations, just in more mundane implementation. Unless kerr-discs are ultra-thin and hence ultra-light, thus allowing being shot at bolter velocities. Though I am unsure if monomolecular technology allows film-thin blades.

116

Feature Requests / Re: Weapons/equipment suggestions

« on: February 08, 2008, 07:10:35 am »

What about a crossbow with kerrblade bolts? Crossbows are sometimes used by SpecOps, so there would be no excessive weirdness in its use. Though the crossbow main advantage over conventional firearms - stealth - doesn't play any role in UFO, since stealth stuff is not implemened afaik.

117

Design / Re: Medikits

« on: February 06, 2008, 02:39:38 pm »

Nor do we have code to allow aiming for a specific body part

I disagree - sniper rifle can do headshots, regardless of body part hit :-)

118

Sounds and Music / Re: Completed song - ogg bitrate, overall volume?

« on: February 06, 2008, 12:10:43 pm »

The dynamism of the music can change depending on number of spotted aliens even within your turn. Battle sequence being played as your soldier stops movement upon visual contact with the enemy would add adrenaline, I think!

119

FAQ / Re: Character names

« on: February 06, 2008, 11:44:56 am »

Speaking of suffixes and endings, I wonder if names are going to be translated to each language? In this case either rules for name declension should be applied, or all sentences should be built in such a manner that all names are used in nominative case. E.g. "Brain augmentation is implanted to Vasiliy Pupkin" would rather be translated "Vasiliy Pupkin proshel vzhivleniye mozgovykh implantantov" rather then "Mozgovye implantanty vzhivleny Vasiliyu Pupkinu". Otherwise either grammaic rules should be coded, or we'll end up with grammatically incorrect sentences like "Mozgovye implantanty vzhivleny Vasiliy Pupkin".

120

FAQ / Re: Character names

« on: February 06, 2008, 10:00:56 am »

I've mostly seen Russian names and surnames with omitted apostophes when written in English. Though that could be handy if names are to be transliterated to other languages.