MechAssault versus MekArcade

[cdxbow]

Quin always complains I don't give him a clear idea of what MekArcade is all about. Unfortunately there are not many videos around, those that are tend to be poor quality. So I made a little video, it came out of a presentation package, which is why it looks a bit powerpointish. Unfortunately the only bits of video that worked was at the start, the rest are just slides, while they illustrate some of the visuals well, they don't capture the online MP at all. I cover some of the issues with the game and it's sequel.

youtu.be/7sABFdzrbyk

This one is the first, introductory SP mission, so introduces the controls/navigation and is pretty boring:.

youtu.be/tBq5p-RYFSs

This is a mechassault channel which has a few vids, but none of MP. http://www.youtube.com/channel/HC4fsDLG7vano

Added 20/5
This is a sortable table of mek data from Mechassault - http://mechbay.teamxbow.org/simpledb1/mechdata1.php which I put together from shadow panthers site, there are links to the original from the mechbay - http://mechbay.teamxbow.org/technical_links.htm

[Evropi]

Very good video CD Xbow (now I know how to write it!).

It certainly got me excited for MekArcade, not having played MechAssault. I never liked MechWarrior, which is a different type of game alltogether, but mechs are still cool and fascinating.

There is just one aspect that confused me a little. You said you didn't like the fact that you can get out of your mecha and walk about... and yet you've been animating and creating a bunch of human models that can do exactly this? Will we be able to get out of the mech then, or will you only use those models for single-player?

Also, I assume the really big mechs are for boss battles? It will be sooo awesome if those existed in MekArcade. Red Eclipse can already scale models (somehow) when the resize mutator is on, so I assume it wouldn't be too hard to just resize them if you don't want to make new ones.

[qreeves]

That certainly helps. I suppose. My biggest problem though is trying to get stuff done without content, that is what is going to set the tone going forward (I find things always evolve away from "plans" so it is useless making them). We need to focus on the task at hand and get at least one fully working Mek model and a map to forge on ahead with actual game development. I'll be making sure that gets done, one way or another, when I return from hiatus.

[cdxbow]

There is just one aspect that confused me a little. You said you didn't like the fact that you can get out of your mecha and walk about... and yet you've been animating and creating a bunch of human models that can do exactly this? Will we be able to get out of the mech then, or will you only use those models for single-player?

For SP elements I am interested in characterization and narrative as well as game play. All these require a significant amount of modelling work, the lead time for producing significant numbers of quality models is long when the modelling team is as weak as it currently is. Until the last 3 weeks I had never really done any facial work, nor clothes. I am really glad meks don't wear clothes, or have hair! Nonetheless working on bipeds has been good experience and I have overcome a few roadblocks (don't mention the ragdolls!). I am/was interested in providing an alternate path to producing character models for RE, if you count BF, in about six years there has only been a single, solitary player model.

It is more likely to be a only the SP game that you can get out of the mek and run around, or select other vehicles, as it adds more options/variation to the game play. Really can't do much in a mek except blow stuff up. Overall I don't think it adds much to MP and may actually detract, this may be one of the lessons of MechAssault2. Remember this is all a long way off.

I would rather have a unique boss rather than a scaled up one, even though it is more work.

get at least one fully working Mek model

Yes sir, Mr Reeves.

[quintux_v]

That video does a great job of showing what you want to create, now I fully see what you're aiming for.

a single, solitary player model.

I found and linked the polycount forum page about said model a while back, I don't know where that link is, but I remember that the process went like this:

concepts -> zbrush sculpting - head -> retopo head -> body sculpt -> retopo + add head -> repeat with arms, legs -> final retopo, textures + animation

It took about a year.


For human characters, have you considered modular sets (e.g. arms, legs, etc)? You've already sort of done this, with the head and texture changes on other pieces.