P.U.R.E. 0.55

[Neddie]

Oh, and if anybody would like to contribute voice talent, I need some work done.

Sure, doing some things for SWS, did some for S44, have a better microphone now.

[Guessmyname]

I was wondering how to help differentiate the Human Resistance and the Overlords.

These two are the results


(Those are wheels on the end of the legs, by the way)


(Walking tank)

(NOTE: I'm still modifying the designs - mainly so that the legs can work better: it's the joints I'm experimenting with. I've also got a number of concept sketches if you want me to send you those)

EDIT: Woah. Jpeg certainly butchered those images...

[Argh]

It's not JPG, it's the Forum, cutting down any image larger than 500 pixels. Right-click to enlarge, it's fine.

Ya know, that spider tank reminds me of this old thing, from Silent Dark:





Maybe some wheels? I could maybe get the suspension scripting to do something crazy-cool, if the leg / wheels were in a neutral position to start...

The other one! LOL! It's crazy, it's innovative! I guess it'll have to do something super-special, to clear the turret, but meh, that's fine! I think that my only "complaint" about that is that the cannon is begging to be a gatling gun, but meh, that's going to look incredibly interesting and different, bravo!

The biggest thing I need, though, is the infantry. I have squad-building LUA now, and I'm working on a base that will deliver squads, vehicles, whatever. Resistance gets a small drop-off base at first, then can build a much bigger one, later on, that will deliver somewhere around 20-40 infantry at a go, all as one "squad". I need to get the first building done, but after that... some kickass, totally awesome futuristic infantry is in order.

[smoth]

I like the not walking tank because it looks different. That silent dark thing belongs in nanoblobs.

[Argh]

<shrugs> just an idea. It's not a terribly cool model, or anything. I just saw that there might be an interesting concept there- with electric motors driving the wheels, it's not even all that ridiculous from a mechanical POV... and it could pop up when aiming, flatten out when driving fast, etc., might be very interesting visually.

[rattle]

Yeah go with GMN's first model, that's pretty cool. Besides, spider walking animations are annoying to do.

[smoth]

nope, EE has walking spider mechs, supcom has them, nano has them. GMN's first model is different and fits more with the heavy battletech look side 2 has. One thing that really hurt nanoblobs in my eyes was that none of the units seemed to fit with any one style it created much visual chaos in my eyes.

That is also the reason I still hope you remove the knight and replace it with something more fitting.

[Argh]

One thing that really hurt nanoblobs in my eyes was that none of the units seemed to fit with any one style it created much visual chaos in my eyes.

Well, duh. You didn't think that was an accident, did you? I was always honest, and rather loud, about how I was very purposefully not giving a hoot about anybody wanting them to be all realistic and serious- I really should've just made them all symbols or something, but I wanted to learn more about BOS animation and working with .S3O, so it all worked out I mean seriously... Realism is goddamn boring to me. People like it, that's great, and I like it when a design makes people happy, but I don't personally get super-excited about it. But I've decided to be nice, with this one, and give people what they want, as opposed to what I personally like.

I don't see anything particularily "Battletech" about the first model, either- it's more steampunk than anything designed by Mr. Loose and co. But meh, it doesn't really matter a whole lot, I don't want to borrow very heavily from them anyhow, I'm hoping for a few things that have the feel of the less-silly work from Rifts, but I haven't quite decided how I'd like to go about that- this whole side's style is still very much in evolution at this point.

And of course, there's an actual list of things that are required in the game design behind all of this, too (I need to take care of a few of these things myself, actually- the defensive structures are probably going to have to be my gig, because they're very special). The mobile arty was one of the key pieces, along with the very first thing. The mech had a slot ready, there's at least one heavy-mech slot. Infantry are the biggie, though, the game design calls for light infantry and heavies with certain abilities that I will not get into right now...

[smoth]

Rift looks like something that the ironwarriors would have built in the warp. No that truck looks like a variation on longtom artillery. THAT IS A GOOD THING. I really like this tank gmn did, it is different and that gives it style. As I said we see enough spider bots, any more and it is over used.

[Argh]

I agree, that's why I chucked in the wheel thing... already been there and done that, the Strider in NB had a different leg layout, but it was basically just the same ol' same ol'. GMN's wheeled thing is a lot more interesting, although now it's time to make it look practical, too. Harder call.

I have most of a motorcycle done. Was going to make that the land scout. Always wanted to see a motorcycle in a RTS, and I think I've solved the coding issues necessary to pull it off without a hassle, using some LUA and BOS, so that it can bank correctly...

[Pxtl]

Speaking as a huge fan of the police-cars from Venus Wars, that Silent Dark thing is hawt secks. Would be tricky to script though, as you'd probably want a suspension script for the legs. Wheels on lets are always cool.

[Argh]

Interesting- Kow Yokoyama, probably my greatest single influence other than Kevin Long, is credited with design work on the mechanical stuff in Venus Wars. Go figure. I'll have to take a look at the police things, the monocycles are interesting, but I think too anime for the game design.

[Argh]

Holy...

If you have a couple of hours to blow, and love concept art... this site's wonderful: http://aswars.tripod.com

The section entitled "future tanks" is worth the trip, even if you skip everything else. Which I'm not.

I'm really digging his concept powered armor, with the huge frontal protection over the face and head, instead of the traditional knight-in-armor designs, among other things.

[Pxtl]

Interesting- Kow Yokoyama, probably my greatest single influence other than Kevin Long, is credited with design work on the mechanical stuff in Venus Wars. Go figure. I'll have to take a look at the police things, the monocycles are interesting, but I think too anime for the game design.

Kevin Long? Of all the Rifts artists, you pick Kevin Long? I mean, he had a few very nice pieces like the Ulti-Max power-armour... but after the first few books his work was just so disappointing.

For me, Vince Martin was by far their best artist, at least for designs. Newton Ewell's stuff was hyper-sexy, but so hopelessly detailed that it would be agonizing to adapt it into models.

edit: here's the police vehicle I was mentioning:

[Argh]

Yeah, Kevin Long. Then again, I watched his work from the Robotech series, until he parted ways with Palladium (and pretty much disappeared from the Earth- he's not easy to find on the Web, for a fairly famous artist). At the time, his Robotech drawings were probably about the nicest in existence...

I loved the work in the original Rifts books, which I own (for the art, actually- never played the RPG, own about 15 books, go figure, I'm a sucker for art)- stuff like the SAMAS, the original Glitter Boy, etc... much of the later stuff by the later artists is just rehashing themes he built. It's always harder to make a new style than to keep reworking it.

But yeah, he eventually just ran out've steam. Happens. For awhile, though, he was making stuff with the most ridiculously elegant lines and fussy reflections, ever. Honestly, I think it may be that he just got so good at it, that he quit designing stuff and just executed, towards the end.

Contrast the original Glitter Boy, with scads of detail drawings and other stuff showing how it all works, with later stuff, where it's just meh. I honestly think that he just forgot what we were buying- either that, or Simbaeda wasn't paying him enough

At any rate, the Police thing is cool, but I really liked the open-top buggy with the side-mounted cannon, that was a sweet design... Kobayashi has visited this whole armed-motorcycle thing a few times, some of the models on that 'site were very interesting as well. Well worth the side-jaunt, I rarely see anything that gets me all that excited, these days.

[Argh]

LOL! I think we overwhelmed this guy's poor Tripod 'site bandwidth limit.

Here's the shot I was referring to:

[Pxtl]

LOL! I think we overwhelmed this guy's poor Tripod 'site bandwidth limit.

Here's the shot I was referring to:

*snipped*

Oops. Now I feel guilty for posting the pic in here.

I like that one too - same basic principle, a vehicle with a fixed hind-wheel and two front-wheels on legs. It's just that, in the animated Venus Wars, the police-vehicle got a lot more play. There was a lengthy chase-seen in which those police vehicles pursued the hero (on his monobike) and the damned things looked awesome.

I really got into rifts when they were ploughing through the "world books" settings (actually ran a campaign of it), and that's when Long's stuff started to slack off and new artists like Breaux and Martin came along. Breaux' stuff was a little dull - blocky approximations of Long's work... but I loved every Martin illustration.

To differentiate, the SAMAS:
Long design:


Martin design:

[Guessmyname]

With the 'spider-bot' the idea was more to make a 'tank with legs'.
As for the wheeled thing, glad you like it! I seem to have a thing for insane unit designs... (you should see the original version of the big artillery vehicle: different cockpit style entirely)

[AF]

Perhaps he would like better hosting. Im sure I can save him from the horror of tripod if he wishes it as could you argh.

[BlackLiger]

Argh, I assume you're gonna publish all the scripts for this that could be very useful to a public but credit requesting repository? I know I'd like the squad and motorcycle code, at least :)

And AF, remember, let me know when you add new accounts, cause it does email me and I really do not want to be going "WTF?!" when I get an email about it