Metal Mayhem

[shifty157]

Metal Mayhem

You may have thought this mod was dead or perhaps youve never even heard of it. Well we never died. We've done quite alot of work actually. More than youd think. The groundwork has been established and now we're looking to expand the team.

If youve never heard about this mod then let me give you the background. Metal Mayhem takes place far in the future ona distant planet. Mankind has sent a spaceshift filled with dozens of seperate AIs each with their own task to land on the planet and make it habitable for humans. During reentry into the planet's atmosphere the spacecraft's systems failed and it crashed onto the planet. The AIs were scattered over the planet to escape the crash and managed to survive mostly intact. Once the AIs powered up they immedialty began carrying out their tasks of terraforming the planet but they quickly came into contact with eachother. Having lost any prior knowledge of eachother in the landing the AIs now see eachother as threats to be removed if they are to complete their task and make the planet habitable. You take the role of one of the more powerful AIs with the job of ridding the planet of any obstructions including all other AIs.

This mod is shaping up to be one of the most revolutionary mods in the entire community. The entire standard style of tech tree has been completely scrapped in favor of several tech trees based around researching technologies. This allows every single faction to be compeltely customizable as the technologies you choose to research at the beginning of the game will affect which technologies you can research later on. You could play the same faction ten times and every time your faction can be completely different! Dozens of compeltely new animations have been made using the stock skeletons in ways you wouldnt believe!

Imagine robots with lasers, plasma cannons, rockets, flamethrowers, spinning blades, and more battling it out on alien landscapes. Think its impossible? Think again. We already have it working in game.

You wont see anything like this from any other mod.

If youd like to be a part of the most revolutionary mod in the RTW community then reply here or (preferably) PM me. We're looking for people from all areas of expertise. Most especially we need quality skinners and text file editors. Its only recommended that you bring a spare pair of underwear as youll most likely crap your pants when you see everything we're capable of doing.

[Mr_B1989]

it sound like a good mod need to see some screenies though or a website but anyway good job ~:cheers:

[shifty157]

it sound like a good mod need to see some screenies though or a website but anyway good job ~:cheers:

Ill see what i can scrounge up.

Ok. Heres a quick little thing Bwian made not long ago. The rotor fans spin as does the circular blade underneith. Disregard the rider on top. He obviously wont be there. This is very much a WIP but even at this extremely early stage this is clearly going to be a pretty awesome looking unit and this is only mildly cool compared to many of the other units.

https://img410.imageshack.us/img410/3456/flyers5iz.jpg

[Geoffrey S]

Very, very promising looking mod! I do hope you find some more colleagues, best of luck.

[Bwian]

There is also a thread in the Forge section, cunningly hidden under the title of 'Metal Meyhem' ... it has slipped odwn the page a little, since we have been focusing on the mechanics of the game, rather than the pretties. Making a few units and plastering screenshots for people to look at is only part of the process!

Anyway....allow me to add a couple of extra shots to whet those appetites ~:cool:

http://publish.hometown.aol.com/johnpalmer04/images/1-wheel1.jpg

http://publish.hometown.aol.com/johnpalmer04/images/1-wheel2.jpg

http://publish.hometown.aol.com/johnpalmer04/images/1-wheel3.jpg

THen of course....there are some slightly better pics of the light twin rotor flyer Shifty posted. It only got finished last night, and needed some tweaking. The rider position is now correct...but the texture is not complete yet.

http://publish.hometown.aol.com/johnpalmer04/images/1-fly1.jpg

These are all 'cavalry' units, with the tops yet to be completed. We wanted this for 2 reasons...

1) The units break up when killed this way
2) It prevents wheeled or hovering units being assigned to ladders or climbing siege towers when we don't want them to :bow:

This folks.... is just the tip of the ice-berg!

EDIT: Oh..yes..did I mention.. ALL wheels turn, all rotor blades spin, and wherever possible weapons on the vehicles are animated too

[shifty157]

Trust me when i say that you wont see another mod that does anything similar to what we do.

[zukenft]

Good to see this mod still running, and how the spearmen rides unicycles!~D :hide:

[Bwian]

Trust me...those spearmen are better off than when I started ... I have adjusted the riding position upwards! Before charging must have brought tears to their eyes!

Anyway...the actual top half of the units will become more 'robotic'. The idea is to have a range of mounts tha tcan be paired up with a variety of top halves. Mix and match robots..... Gets even more fun when the prospect of having different scaled top and bottom halves.....

[Epistolary Richard]

Looks absolutely nuts (ha ha)! Can't wait! :thumbsup:

[shifty157]

Thanks ER. Theres a reason why youre so highly regarded among the community.


To describe the tech tree better (as its rather difficult to describe quickly). At the start of the game you can research from one of a selection of several "movement" technology trees and from one of a selection of several "weapon" technology trees. This creates tons of different customizations as each weapon technology tree can be combined with each movement technology tree. This doesnt take into consideration the dozens of other minor buildings and trees that can be built.

By arranging the technology tree in this way the player can completely decide what course his faction will take. What this means is that every faction is completely customizable by the player. Not only this but you could play the same faction over ten times and never have even remotely the same units as youve had in other games. I cant tell you how thrilled i am about this project (or how you will be once you see just how everything works out).

Like i said before Bwian and i have already established the groundwork over the past few months so we know that absolutely everything works in game. We have lasers and energy blasts and spinning blades and rockets and napalm bombs and flame throwers and tons of other awesome stuff already working in game (And it looks pretty awesome too). We just need some people to help us put everything together and bring it to the community faster.

Believe me when i say that this mod is in no danger of dying out. When i say that this is without doubt the most innovative and revolutionary mod in the entire community. Im sure some of you could spare some time for us.

[Bwian]

UPDATE!

Here is a shot of what has been going on model wise!

https://img34.imageshack.us/img34/5041/screen13fl.jpg

https://img186.imageshack.us/img186/9149/screen20zl.jpg

https://img414.imageshack.us/img414/9044/screen30tg.jpg

In this motley bunch, we have the tracked base 'light' tractor unit, bakground shot of
the enhanced version. Also shown is the single and twin wheeled chassis and teh
firs of the rider units. All models have 4 levels of detail.

[Meneldil]

Bwian, Metal Mayhem really looks promising :)
Congratulation for the units ~:cheers:

[shifty157]

Just to reiterate. All the wheels turn etc. etc. Basically any part that should move or spin does move or spin due to Bwian's totaly new set of animations.

[Geoffrey S]

Lookin' good! ~:cheers:

[Ilsamir Lord]

This is another of those unique and excellently original mods! Keep up the great work!

[shifty157]

Just a quick little bit of fun. Therell be quite a few units in this mod thatll force you to rethink your strategies. Some stuff that you really wont expect. Take for example this smoke effect that can cover large portions of the battlefield in smoke. Have fun organizing your war machine in that.

There are a couple of units in there somewhere.
https://img288.imageshack.us/img288/96/smoke10nz.jpg

I managed to find one of them.
https://img288.imageshack.us/img288/5189/smoke22gk.jpg


Imagine that youre in the thick of battle. You need to know whats going on everywhere. Can your left flank hold long enough for you to rout the the right flank? How is your middle faring? Is your general safe? Now imagine that the most critically important spot on the battlefield is completely covered in smoke. You have no idea how well the fighting is going. The only thing you can see are the numbers on your unit icons at the bottom turning red and dropping. Are you winning? losing?



What do you do?

[Meneldil]

great stuff :)

[GrimSta]

mary mother of god...this is fantastic!!!! the smoke idea is brilliant, make it grey though ~;)

Looking good, Bwian you are really very very talented, i take my hat off to you :viking: - (<--- every mod needs a viking ~:cool: )

:bow:

[shifty157]

mary mother of god...this is fantastic!!!! the smoke idea is brilliant, make it grey though ~;)


Yeah the smoke thing is something i came across by accident during my research into the game's particle effects. I thought it would make for a pretty cool tactical unit (especially in multiplayer). I can make the smoke any color that i want although i probably wont make it grey because grey isnt very interesting.

[Bwian]

The smoke and particle effects are all Shifty's work :bow:

We wanted to make this mod something different ..... and I think it's fair to say, we are achieving that aim. We have wheeled vehicles, we have new weapons, we have smoke grenades, an we have robots ( big and small )

We are now working on our revolutionary approach to recruitment and unit building ... hope to get the tech-trees roughed out so Shifty can get orkin on the scripting !

[shifty157]

I know its been a while but Bwian and I have good reasons for not having any new screens. Ive been having major computer problems (resulting in a purging of my harddrive). Only today have i finally gotten everything working again properly. Bwian has been insanely busy with work. He gave me a runthrough of his schedule and it made my rather busy schedule look like a walk through the park taking time to stop and sing with the furry woodland creatures.

Anyway. Im back now and Bwian should have some time over christmas. Ive worked a bit on the new User Interface today. I think its coming along rather well. Obviously its a WIP and not nearly done. Any thoughts?
https://img467.imageshack.us/img467/7263/uiwip15nm.jpg

[Geoffrey S]

I like the little touch of a red light switching on for selected units. I'd suggest improving the one-tone borders on the left (around the map and speed toggles) but since this is WIP I presume they're only temporary.

[shifty157]

Small update on the User Interface.

Again this is very much a WIP so many things on here must still be changed.
https://img506.imageshack.us/img506/3996/uiwip21ce.png

Alot of the time i usually set aside for modding lately has been taken over by playing the EB beta which is pretty nice (although a little rouch around the edges). Bwian has been working a bit although he has nothing to show yet.

[killerxguy]

Fantastic mod! Very original, i hopeyou the best of luck!! When your beta is released please let me know! Also i have some advices: 1-Advertisement, 2-AI changes so they get affected and run around when smoke is hit near them...thats about all...i wish i could help but thats impossible right now as im working on knights and kings, i wish you succeed and hope no flaming starts that it's "Impossible to make" as you already proved the impossibles to the community...you are a complete success!

CONGRATS! MM TEAM!!

[Bwian]

We are taking GREAT care to avoid the 'it's impossible to make' posts. It's easy really.. we wait until we have it working, then post a picture ~:D

Progress has been slow from my end over the last few months largely due to a slower than hoped for recovery from a road accident, combined with having to work 12-14 hours a day in the run up to Christmas.

This left me utterly exhausted and in no fit state to mod! Work pressure is easing up now as we clear up post 'festive' season, and once I am fit to ride again, ( SOON I hope...the bike is nearly fixed, as am I ) that will save me several hours a day to devote to modding!

Meantime, Shifty is doing a good job with the UI! I have sketched out some buttons to replace the ones on the right hand side ( the stock ones look awful ) and will get them photoshopped as soon as I can

Then I can get back to modelling!

[killerxguy]

Good luck recovering...and also going back to modelling!