Metal Mayhem is coming

[Bwian]

Bigger, better, badder, and...for BI. More information to follow soon

[Pantsalot]

is this mod/independant work, gonna be including u're last models?

[Bwian]

All the finished content will remain. Some elements are getting a workover to fit with some of the new ideas I have incorporated, but I won;t be throwing anything away unless I have something MUCH better to replace it!

A classic example would be my first attempt at making a Dreadnought. It worked...ish. With the new approach I am taking to units, I can make a MUCH better unit.

It all stems from a simple idea I had to achieve the 2 main aims I had to have for my units.

1) Get away from the scale and proportion limitations that the stock skeletons imposed

2) Have units that broke up when destroyed.

The solution is simple....they are all cavalry! Top half plus bottom half. Mess with scale and 'saddle' position and you are good to go. Walls will be knocked down by artillery units or...possibly...very heavy melee units. So...no need for ladders or towers!

That's just the tip of the iceberg ~:D

[LeftEyeNine]

Umm..Any overview of the idea..I mean what's this all about, the era or the theme etcetera ?

[Epistolary Richard]

Recap attack!!!!

https://forums.totalwar.org/vb/showthread.php?t=56976

https://forums.totalwar.org/vb/showthread.php?t=52862

[Geoffrey S]

Glad to see it back on track. It looked great when you posted updates, and it's good to see someone certain about what they can and can't achieve in RTW.

[Bwian]

To quote one of my favourite maxims...

Theory informs, but only practice convinces.

I make a point of actually doing something before I advertise it on the forum

Progress update:

All essential custom animations are now finalised. I have improved on some of the 'walking' animation attempts I had before, and added the swimming routines for the roller anims. I have opted not to have seperate animations for 'hover' units, since I did not think they fitted well either as units or as models on screen.

I have also brushed up the main combat aniimation routines.

Base : Just brute force slugging. With or without weapons

Claw : Power claw type attack. Claw blades 'snip' when striking

Buzzsaw : Spinning disc cutting blade in place of a right hand.

Driller : Rotating drill. Rotates in the opposite plane to the cutting disc.

All of the above attack animation 'top half' units can be placed on any of the bottom half units... so you can have walking drillers, rolling cutters...and so on. Since they are seperate, I can also scale up or down each section, and have size variations. So...I can make a 'claw' bigger on a stock 'walker' and make a dreadnought. The same with a cutting disc makes a Killa Can type of thing.

Any of the 'ordinary' robot chassis can be upgraded to use these weapons once you build the factory upgrade, and this just entails swapping an animation and adding the physical weapon to the mesh.

Next BIG job will be to convert the map and building stuff over. I might leave the map till later! Lots to do.....and so little time!

[snevets]

It's good to hear this is going again, I was always interested in it. I heard you gave up on rtw though for awhile due to an accident.

[Bwian]

I gave up on just about everything that involved use of my right hand until the physio was done and I could hold a mouse at all! Took a few months to sort itself out, but now it's pretty much back to normal.

I don't see any point in waiting for MTW2 to come along, so I might as well get cracking with this mod again! I can't think of any other mod I would rather be working on

[Duke John]

Very clever! A mod for a game about ancient warfare in which you can upgrade weapon systems of robots and actually see it on the battlefield

I can't think of any other mod I would rather be working on

NTW2, Lord Bwian? Just kidding, of course do whatever you like best, and this mod sure seems to get your creative juices flowing!

[Bwian]

DJ ...I hadn't forgotten that I have a few tasks to complete on that score in my spare modding time!

This mod is more of a creative 'build what you like' mod, rather than trying to make something that has to look exactly like what it is supposed to be!

But...to elaborate slightly on the build trees:

Each faction will be able to build a small selection of common units. These are the 'basics' with very limited combat use.

Each 'basic' can be upgraded. Build an 'Armoured Alloy Plant' and you can then build 'basic' and 'armoured basic' with a model showing base mesh plus armour plate. Then you can build 'servo upgrade' and have the basic unit or the armoured unit plus a power-claw. Power claw equipped troops will have a bonus against walking units. Next, build a powered weapon add-on, and you can add drill or cutting disc equipped unit.

For laughs, build a large chassis factory, and build scaled up basics.

For bigger laughs, build a Titan chassis factory.

I have also considered the possibility of making certain designs only buildable in certain territories, but I don't want to complicate things to the point where the AI just can't use the thing!

[Bwian]

some of the 'leg' mounts in game and working. EAch will have a 'family' of top halves to decorate them!

[Geoffrey S]

Will there be any humans/alien lifeforms in the mod or is it all robots?

Looks great by the way.

[Bwian]

no humans....but I did consider aliens. I don't know exactly how I would fit them in, since they would have to be fairly primitive to fit with the story line.

[JuliusCaesar]

I remember someone from the Metal Mayhem mod once asking for how to make infantry attack walls (I think it was Bwian), and I just got this crazy idea (well, it's actually not that crazy). But try this out: Make a infantry unit with a missile weapon as secondary weapon. The model for this must look like a melee weapon. Next: make a new projectile with the ability to take down walls, and make the model/texture for this projectile invisible (try removing the texture from it or alpha channel it). Then make sure that your new missile-weapon has a very low range (1 or less). At last just make a new firing animation, where the infantry unit smashes his missile weapon (which should now look like a mace or sword or something) into the wall.

Hopefully this is what will happen: when you attack the walls holding down the "alt" button, your infantry unit will start firing at it when it gets close enough, but is will look like they are smashing the walls with a melee weapon because the projectile is invisible, and your firing-animation is changed to a melee-animation.

PM me if this actually works. GL with your mod

[snevets]

Bwian if you're around open up some pm box space.

[Bwian]

Snevets....have cleared a load of junk out of my PM space...and there is now actually room for people to mesage me!!!

Julius...no...sorry, that won;t work. Thanks for the suggestion, but it doesn't really work at all that way. For a missile weapon to damage walls, it must be a siege weapon that fires it. If you make an archer fire boulders, you can't damage walls. It actually won't let you target them. Also, you can't fire from close range properly. Only weapons set to 'prec' fire up close, or if you manually disable skirmish mode. No good.

I have made 'elephant' humans that attack light pallisades or gates, but the way they do this is not really what I want. Right now, though, it's the best I can do.

[GiantMonkeyMan]

excellect news that you are carrying on with an amazing mod it is such a good idea and i'm glad its gonna be completed

GMM

[Bwian]

After a period of work induced slumber.... I thought it was time for n update!

I haven't vanished...I haven't given up :D

Work done so far:

Animations all done. I have my rolling, walking and .....er....tracking animations all done, along with the drill, grind and snip top half animations.

The models are well under way, with the 'base' halves done for rolling and walking variations. All built with at least 4 levels of detail

Some map work done, along with some minor strat map models

Siege weapons re-done to make assorted light artillery pieces instead of ballista's etc

New projectiles done ( including a flame projector! )

Build trees all designed and sketched out

screen shots coming soon :D Most of the models have had some brush up work done to make them better.

[GiantMonkeyMan]

wow! great news... keep up the hard work

[Bwian]

currently working on the tracked lower halves. I might have to make a completely new set of animations for this set....not as fast as the rolling wheeled ones...but a bit faster than walking.

Each 'set' has 7 individual 'mounts'

2 x light
2 x medium
2 x heavy
1 x Titan

Add this to 5 variation on weapon attack skeletons ( missile, melee, disc, drill and claw ) in a variety of scales....and that gives you the available units for each chassis type. Chassis will work like temples... build a 'wheeled' chassis production line, and you can only make wheeled units in that town.

Wheeled units are the fastest....but a bit more vulnerable. Walkers are more robust but slow. Tracked units in between.

I really need to work on some upper halves for best impact on the screen shot front... but I will take some shots of the units as they stand.

I have also opted for a single melee unit on the base human skeleton and one missile unit based on the same. These were required for 'crew' and to allow for ladders and sapping. Not really wanted.....but necessary for certain elements of the game structure. All those cavalry based units cannot get inside the walls otherwise!!!!

[Myrddraal]

gimme some pics!

[Bwian]

OK you screenshot hungry eye-candy addicts here are some pictures to view:

Let me start with the artillery, since that is what I have been working on today.


Here we have a battery of heavy bomb launchers. Firing mechanism utilises compressed gas to launch a combination of incendiary and solid projectiles. Firing rates are low, but they are capable of launcing a heavy projectile. Similar in capablity to old 1915 trench mortars, they are good at range, but cannot fire in close.

clearer shot of the unit!


Also available is the simpler close up bolt launcher. Able to launch a hardened steel bolt over long to medium range. The propulsion is again a compressed gas based system. Available in a single barrel or this double barrel device for more rapid firing. The twin barrel allows time for pressure rebuild as barrels fire alternatively.


The flame projector applies the base carriage of the other artillery pieces, combined with the pressurised gas propulsion system. Instead of firing objects, this device utilises a container of flammable chemicals, pressurised by the device and launched through a multiple barrel arrangement. Side igniters ensure a good burn as short bursts are released. Effective at close range and against attacking mobile units.


Finally, we have the heavy launcher. Opting for maximum payload, the device carries a battery of simple chemical rockets with explosive warheads. No good up close, but ideal for converting those enemy factories to piles of smoking rubble. Again, manufactured on the same common design chassis, it provides a simple and effective artillery piece.


OK... enough for now! All I have to do now is take screen shots of the 6 leg 'mounts' the 6 tracked and 6 wheeled ones, while I get on with building the 7th unit for each type.... the TITAN class.

[GiantMonkeyMan]

we are not worthy....

[Bwian]

They say you can never have too many screenshots....well...lets see

These are some of the 'legs' for the walking units. I have rendered them in Max rather then in game, since it is easier to see them that way. Once I get the tops in as well, I will post more in game shots. ALL of the content in these pics is fully working in game amd exists in multiple detail levels etc.

Light Walking Units:


This is one of two variations of the light 'scout' rated unit

Medium Walking units:


Rated 'medium' these chassis are capable of handling heavier droids and supprting armoured units.

Heavy Walking Units:

Very heavy chassis. This is one of the heavyweight options available for the bipedal chassis. Capable of carrying the heaviest combat units.

Titans:

CLASSIFIED

[Bwian]

Wheeled units are also under construction, in game and moving faster than anything else on the robotic battlefield. Built for speed, they are also available in a variety of sizes. Here are some examples!

Light wheeled:


For these guys, the emphasis is on speed to control the point of engagement and to charge in fast!

Medium Wheeled:

increased payload, with only a marginal loss in performance. The mediums are a harder hitting combat unit.

Heavy Wheeled:

Putting some combat power into the wheeled armies.

These are just a sample of what has been built...and each chassis will have more than one top half to make some interesting combinations!

[Bwian]

And finally for tonight.... some tracked chassis!

Faster than walking...but not quite as quick as wheels! Able to carry heavier structures and loads than purely wheeled units, they are more useful in combat.... but easier to run away from!

Light tracked unit:

Smallest and simplest tracked chassis. Simple al-terrain chassis adapted for a variety of simple utility tasks ( and the tracks do look like they move! Only the round bits by the wheels, in actual fact, but enough to give the illusion of movement. Quite effective when used correctly! )

Medium Tracked:



Heavy Tracked:


Again...this isn't all.... but all of these are in the game and working just fine

I need to finalise some stuff around the artillery and the missiles the units will fire ( for some reason, I can't get custom particle effects to work in BI... ) but that is something I can work around if I can't fix.

Now work begins on the top halves to complete the first full droid units. It's a pity I haven't got anywhere to put up a video clip of these guys in action... it looks so nice to see them rolling across the RTW landscape

[Geoffrey S]

Wow! I've said it before and I'll say it again, beautiful work and highly innovative. I really love the WW1 look of the heavy tracks, the rest looks fantastic too.

[Neon twilight]

Awesome models ! I just notice the famous imperial eagle it's a WH40k mod ?

[Bwian]

Well spotted Neon Twilight The mod is not WH40k...but the textures and some of the mesh bits on those tracked units were pinched from some stuff I 'made earlier' when I was putting some 40K vehicles into BF1942. I had a whole load of textures and some mesh stuff just sittng on my HD, so I re-used it to uv the tracked stuff. Seemed a shame to waste it!

I have a whole library of textures and bits of mesh.... I never delete anything and sometimes, it's just easier to dip into that rather than start from scratch. The Imperial logo layer was merged into the texture.... It will be gone in the final version...but I haven't got around to doing that yet. I have the original psd on a disk somewhere!!