Spring RTS Engine

Argh wrote:

Next time you guys want something, specify it in much greater detail- I put a loooot of work into that, and none of you bothered giving me feedback during the whole ... almost month... this was in-process

See suggested uses, above- I think it'd be a cute plasma-proof flame-tank, but ... whatever. I'll put up a link to the geometry and skin when I get home tonight, so that somebody will use it- I'm not going to use it for NanoBlobs.

If you want to give it away GPL style, I would love to put it into Xect vs Mynn as Level 2 anti-air.

<sighs> it's not the geometry that's the issue. It's the time invested in the skin. If I export it and try to bring in new geometry, I will have to uvmap any new geometry either into the smallish gaps between existing parts, remove some of the current parts to free up space on the texture... or I will have to scrap the entire skin and do it all over again!

You have to know 3D modeling and skinning well enough to know that... with a single-skin model... once the geometry is ready for mapping, you're pretty much committed- we're talking 3-4 hours between making the geometry in the first place, and then doing the uvmaps in a way that makes sense- it's not like you just make a model and the skin magically wraps in an optimal fashion.

Lesson learned- if I work on anything else for XTA, I will wait until everybody is happy with the geometry before doing any work on the uvmap. I am not going to shy away from helping the SYs- it seems the least I can do to thank them for making and upgrading Spring, after all. But I will be a lot more cautious about it- I simply cannot afford to waste time on a side-jaunt when I have my own things to do. Which leads to a couple of things:

The requested split-missile/multi-shot grenade launcher needs to be specified, in detail, so that we don't have this kind've debacle again. How many shots will it split into, for example- are we talking an ICBM-type of device, or a cannister shell, or a firecracker round? There are a lot've multi-shot weapons systems IRL to draw upon, but your description is totally vague.

I am willing to model it- that's the least time-consuming process... and then, if he's at all willing after the debacle that happened with this unit (SJ, you really need to pay more attention lol, you missed a lot of drama) to give it a go, I'd have to vote Smoth for the skin, because I think he deserves a chance to show us what he can do. If he's not feeling too badly burned, that is... and then somebody will have to script it.

[edit]And yes, anybody is welcome to the model/skin... I will freely give it away under GPL rules, I have no use for it, especially as the Spring code it is meant for isn't available yet. Credit would be nice.[/edit]


Here's a download link, folks.

For anybody wanting the Smasher to play with, here it is, skin and all. Scripting it will be child's play, but right now the code to support it fully isn't available to me... which is why I made this in the first place

I hereby release it under the GPL, etcetera, etcetera, feel free to sell it on eBay or whatever you want... just make use of it, somebody, so that this wasn't a complete waste of my time

do you have a script for it?

or just ask could anyone make script for it

oh and at some point im gonna beg that Caydr adds that to AA

All it needs is the world's most basic tank script. It has no flares to hide/show (I intended it to use lasers, not weapons with recoil), and the turrets are the only things that move. I made a basic script for it for testing purposes in no time flat- this is strictly LazyScriptor stuff, trust me.

yay for Lazyscriptor...
*pokes Maelstrom*

I told you that I looked at that. Was a bit hard for my current skill in programming and relative lack of scripting ability. However if some kind soul is willing to guide me though scripting a unit from simple LLT style things to huge complex Monkeylord style things, I'd be happy to atleast take a shot at making a new Lazyscriptor for Spring.

Right now LazyScriptor seems to allow only 3 weapons. And of course you have to make a 3do copy of the model.

<laughs>

Look... I'll put up the script I made for it, for testing purposes. Adding the additional turrets is just a matter of changing the piece references and FirePrimary, etc. to the new format (see Wiki). Really, this is the world's easiest thing to script.

Argh mabye submit your tank thing to AA mabye they can use it?

Sure is a nice tank, hate to see it and your time on it wasted!

have you tried to pm sj or yeha with it ?

It loads and moves in Xect vs. Mynn. Due to my miserable scripting skills, it does not yet fire. I switched the textures to png and posterized them a bit to keep download size low. Look for the Xect Smasher in the next release, should own vs air and lvl 1 units.

Argh wrote:<sighs> it's not the geometry that's the issue. It's the time invested in the skin. If I export it and try to bring in new geometry, I will have to uvmap any new geometry either into the smallish gaps between existing parts, remove some of the current parts to free up space on the texture... or I will have to scrap the entire skin and do it all over again!

Just for the heck of if I made the front turret big, slanted the sides so it looks like a pyramid with the top chopped off, and put it on top of the model. It looks ok, and no retexturing necesary.

Yup, should be OK with the turrets, they use a very bland texture so you won't be able to tell.

Have you ever tried making a vertical rocket bomber? It could just unleash a whole pod of rockets upward as the aircraft glides past the enemy. It would be big and wide with a big flat back with holes in it for holding vertical rockets. I imagine it would look funny, but it can't look any weirder than the walking cone tank with a blue laser of death. Hey, maybe the cone can launch its whole coney top off for a vertical rocket lol. Talk about a mobile nuke.

Yeha wrote:We are planning to add some new units to xta.
...
MIRV launcher for core, mostly a core version of the raven kbot, instead of a rocket volley it will fire a two phase weapon, either a MIRV missile that will split into multiple warheads before impact, or a cluster grenade with balistic path that will explode into smaller pieces before impact. This can be either a kbot or a vehicle.
New weapon will be created when we have a unit to tinker with.
...

Maybe you could change, instead, the smaller missile launcher (not the nuke, the other one which i can't remember the name) to launch a missile that will split before impact.

Or a proximity missile that just explodes right before impact releasing lots of small plasma shots (shrapnel) and killing multiple aircraft.

I slapped a big turret on top so it fits the request now. I hope the sy's will like it now.

hm, why everybody seems not to post in WIP thread first for opinions/feedback.

diggz2k wrote:I slapped a big turret on top so it fits the request now. I hope the sy's will like it now.

Very Cool! This is what I imagined...