FreeGameDev

Unnamed {l Wrote}:Here is what I made. The model had 186 verts before exporting and the md5mesh file has 400 verts. It is the first time I exported a model to md5 and it took a hour until it looked like it works.

Yes as quin said, it's probably not worth messing with md5, especially on static meshes. md5 also has the disadvantage that it spilts meshes along the UV islands upon exporting, which I think explains your different vertex counts.

Here is the model as obj file.
If you copy it into the Red Eclipse home directory the md5 jumppad model still will be used.

Wanted models for new items: "armour shard", "armour small/regular/large", "health shard", "health small/large/regular".

Notes to those interested:

• Please do not use a red + (aka "Red Cross" mark), it is trademarked and protected.
• Try to make them abstract; for example, don't just create a chestplate to symbolise armour. Be creative and science fiction focused, armour could be a shield.
• These items will be first used in the MekArcade beta (so keep that setting in mind too), followed by an adaption to Red Eclipse after the 1.5 release (new "arena").

It occurs to me that this could be a first step towards that 'competitive' mutator we were discussing. I don't know where you intend to go with this ("new arena"? Huh?) but it could radically change the gameplay if applied to all game-types. I can't wait!

qreeves {l Wrote}:Please do not use a red + (aka "Red Cross" mark), it is trademarked and protected.

Possibly, but it is so widely-used across games, works of art and real life that the trademark is as flaky as the trademark for the word "hoover" times a hundred. If challenged in court, it would almost certainly be declared void.

The real problem is that it's not universal; in Muslim countries for instance, it's a red crescent. It wouldn't be apparent to a person from one such place that a red or green cross would be a health pickup.

I don't have neither the artistic nor the technical skill to actually do this, just chiming in with some thoughts if you don't mind.

Evropi {l Wrote}:Possibly, but it is so widely-used across games, works of art and real life that the trademark is as flaky as the trademark for the word "hoover" times a hundred. If challenged in court, it would almost certainly be declared void.

The real problem is that it's not universal; in Muslim countries for instance, it's a red crescent. It wouldn't be apparent to a person from one such place that a red or green cross would be a health pickup.

I don't have neither the artistic nor the technical skill to actually do this, just chiming in with some thoughts if you don't mind.

No, that's great. I seem to remember that Star Trek uses a different symbol for this reason, which is two snakes wrapped around a pillar.

The Red Cross has actually specifically asked game developers not to use the symbol as (they say) it desensitizes people to the protection value of symbol in real war-times (not that anyone really cared in the conflicts of late about international law and war regulations).

qreeves {l Wrote}:No, that's great. I seem to remember that Star Trek uses a different symbol for this reason, which is two snakes wrapped around a pillar.

Ah, that would the rod of Asclepius. I know of it as my dad's a dentist. Looking at the Wikipedia, it is used as far away from the 'West' as Pakistan, India and South Africa, and above all, the World Health organisation.

After a health shard is made, maybe there should be a cool effect on the health bar too to match it, like a bright snake going through it and the bar rising like I recall in another game (whose name I can't remember).

qreeves {l Wrote}:Wanted models for new items: "armour shard", "armour small/regular/large", "health shard", "health small/large/regular".

This is my idea for the armour.

It would be a pickup, with perhaps a bar or star on it showing it's level (small/regular/large). Maybe this will help inspire something.

Is there going to be limited ammo? That and limited health could be the missing link for singleplayer.

Just some ideas, esp. for MekArcade:

-fuel can, for health, or maybe there's limited fuel (maybe even impulse energy)
-body armor, as in metal plates (e.g. shoulder plates, etc). I realize we shouldn't be looking at body armor, like said, but for mechas, this comes to mind.
-when I hear "shard," I'm thinking like a floating crystal, maybe with a similar shader scheme to those plants that cdxbow once made (http://quadropolis.us/node/3327)
a little along the lines of this:

freezurbern {l Wrote}:This is my idea for the armour.

The attachment honeycomb-shield1.jpg is no longer available

something like this?

I must say that I kinda dig that armour. It has this S4-League-ish feeling to it (although that game knows no armour system the last time I checked, so it can't be a rip-off) which I quite enjoy and think fits Red Eclipse fairly well. I'm not completely sure about some details, but I have no clue how to put this feeling into words. I'm going to assume it'll look somewhat smaller anyway when in-game, so small issues in details won't be so obvious.

I like it as well. Dunno if it's possible to make the blue part a little bit more dynamic (moving parts or an animation) but the shape and looks are nice.

Well, using texture material colouring, I can probably make it flash any colours we want using the code. I already did it to the point model Unnamed made for us before (if you notice, the lights on it are actually the colour of the flag it holds).

I made the grid wider. It still disappears if you are too far away, but it shouldnt be a problem if the item will have glow like other items.

edit:
I made two more shields. A smaller and a larger one (probably too bright glow).

(I love the shape of the third shield tbh)

I'm not so sure on the first shield, but I do agree with restcoser, the shape of the third shield is pretty loveable, and the second shield, well, is clearly a shield. Nothing bad can be said about that.

I really like the third shield too. Its shape invokes the image of both a vest (such as stab vests that police wear) and a kite shield. The shape on it is cool too. I think the bright colour is also good, but we must be careful to keep things strictly colour-coded as the weapons already are in Red Eclipse (rifle is purple, grenades are green, etc).

As for the strength of the glow, I expect some tweaking will be done by Quinton or else. I don't think it's overly bright though in relation to the glow around other pickups currently in the game.

You've got my thumbs up too! Nice job on the 3rd shield.

Yeah, honestly the third is the the best.

3rd shield wins, although that glow blows out all the detail.