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AR :: September 2012 Battlefield Update


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Intro

Welcome to the Apocalypse Rising September update! We've been working hard on the game to push the latest beta out for the testers. Lots of things have been happening in the background and we're pretty much back and active again after the period of inactivity we experienced between February and August. True to our word, here's the update for September.

 

Here's what the team's been up to by the way:

 

One Winged Angel has been job searching, but no luck just yet.

dtrngd has been coordinating the new staff members to get into their position easier.

danpaul88 is out of hospital now, which is awesome.

BogdanV has moved to the UK now and One Winged Angel met up with him a few days ago for a secret transfer of super top secret AR files.

ChAoS has been sharpening his rusted rigging skills and started making the SEAL's MP5-N ingame-ready with the new hands.

Byamarro has been working on a lots of cool stuff. Videos and webby things. ;)

Eggman891 has been helping out ChAoS here and there.

Teamwolf has been working on Isle of War.

 

Before we hit into the AR updates, we have a couple of things to announce!

 

Firstly, the APB classic forum skin is almost ready! Expect it sometime next month.

Secondly, we'll be looking to hire a new batch of testers very soon, so keep your eyes peeled for the announcement!

 

More New Faces

We've hired some more new team members to help us out with the game! Say hello to Dawnblaze, Axelia, and FelipeCZ!

 

Dawnblaze is a 3d artist who works using Autodesk Maya. This program is different from the 3d creation program we use (3d Studio Max), but it features the ability to export the files to the formats we need. He has started working officially for us by modelling the Portable Flak Cannon for the Flak Trooper!

 

Axelia is a friend of OWA's from real life who he met at the graduation ceremony this year. She is an expert on game design theory, documentation and organisation; so she will be helping to keep the team on the right track, brainstorm ideas for the game and help us write some of those all important documents that back up the game when it's released. User manuals and the like. She's a fan of Red Alert 2, so she knows her stuff!

 

FelipeCZ is our final new team member this time around. He is a composer/musician who will be helping us write original music for the game!

 

 

New Textures

Byamarro has been working on re-texturing the War Miner to make it look truer to RA2. He's done a pretty good job with this and it's definitely an improvement on the old War Miner texture.

 

Check it out below!

 

Screenshot66.pngScreenshot67.png

 

BogdanV's Destructible Building

BogdanV has been working on a few destruction animations for various civilian structures. Here's a video of the office block getting roughed up a bit. Bogdan has also been working on some new bridges for the testers to blow up!

 

<center><iframe width="480" height="360" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/kw1FwFLkLsI" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen=""></iframe></center>

 

Allied Walls

DawnBlaze's "test" model was remaking the old Allied Walls. Test modelling is a process every new 3d artist has to go through before they get hired. The walls have turned out pretty neat compared to the ones we had before and they've immediately made it into the game.

 

Here's a few shots of the old walls and the new one:

 

Old!

allied_walls.jpg

 

New!

allied_walls_New.jpgallied_walls_ingame.png

 

V3 Aim Helper

Currently, one of the the most underpowered units in Apocalypse Rising is the V3 Rocket Launcher. We've been playing around with different rocket trajectories and such, but at the end of the day, the arc of the rocket is so important to the RA2-ness of the unit that we can't really tone it down to make it easier to shoot.

 

This is why we have approached the problem from a different angle. In the next test build, the V3 will be equipped with an aim helper. This feature allows you to switch your primary weapon (by hitting Q), to an aim-helping trajectory line that will help players to get their shots on target 99.9% of the time. Some people may argue that this takes the skill out of using the V3, but the reality was that the V3 was so hard to aim without the helper that even the best of us would have had a lot of trouble.

 

Hopefully this will make the V3 a better option for new players who want the satisfaction of blowing things up with comically sized rockets! Here's a screenshot of the aim helper in action! The green squares will be changed to something more suitable before the game is released.

 

Aimhelper.png

 

New Music

FilipeCZ has been cracking on with some music for the game! The first track he's made up for us is called Counter Espionage. It sounds pretty Klepacki-esque so it should fit right in with the rest of the RA2 soundtrack. Take a listen for yourselves using the magic mp3 player thingy below!

 

 

The Random Corner

Here's come random videos for you guys to have a chuckle before we're all done here!

 

<center><iframe width="640" height="360" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/YmokqDrIBKg" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe>

 

<iframe width="640" height="360" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/ztRBs3riPsA" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe>

 

<iframe width="640" height="360" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/zUrqoI-vA8U" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe></center>

 

We're done here!

Come back next month for more fun and ARness!

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That V3 Helper is a jolly great idea for aiming, but it pretty much throws the element of suprise out the window (if you ever plan on doing a sneak attack). Good for slow moving / large targets (future aircraft carriers ? ) and buildings. Perhaps if the aim helper could be run client-side, so that no other player will see it, but I'm not sure if its possible.

 

Also, that StarFox video made me lol hard !

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Guest SirJustin

Looking forward to the tester release.

That war miner looks great, do any parts other then the tracks function? And if so when mining or always?

The V3 aiming arc will make it a deadly base killer/camper killer for sure. As Bogdan said, will it be user only visible?

Lastly that sound did remind to a point of Frank Klepacki's tracks, it should fit in nicely.

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Guest SgtSavage67

Aww, HECK YEAH! :dance:

 

Liking those walls. I also totally agree with the aim helper on the V3.

 

If you guys need any extra help with music or voice work, let me know. In the mean time, I'll be watching for that tester recruitment announcement. Keep up the good work guys!

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Awesome update! The War Miner and new Allied walls look amazing! :D

 

Love that V3 aiming-assistant, but I hope it's only visible to the user and not other players, otherwise it'd be a dead giveaway.

 

The song is pretty neat, too! Fits well with the Westwood music! Just be sure to feature original RA2 music on most maps. :3

 

Nice building-destruction animations, by the way! :)

 

Oh, and I hope that most AR units keep their original RA2 icons! That'd be so nostalgic!

Edited by APB_ICE
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Guest Retaliation

Aim assist on the V3 is great. Not only can it's rockets be shot down (and is probably pretty slow), but since the prism tank is presumably hitscan there should be at least some parity in the ease that artillery units aim.

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Oh, and I hope that most AR units keep their original RA2 icons! That'd be so nostalgic!

 

This is most likely not going to happen, unfortunately. Then again, there's always me and Westwood Wars II....

 

Oh, and instead of green squares, how about red dots like the original game when you put "Target Lines" on? Nostalgia to the max while providing the same assistance.

Edited by Killing_You
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Currently the V3 aim helper is viewable by everyone. We'll look into getting it client-side only though. :)

 

If we were to use the original RA2 icons (like we are doing at the moment whilst our PT icons are being made) it's look terrible because the icons would need to scale up to a size that they weren't meant to go, resulting in heavy pixellation. We could possibly try and recreate them in the same style though...

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Guest APB_ICE

If we were to use the original RA2 icons (like we are doing at the moment whilst our PT icons are being made) it's look terrible because the icons would need to scale up to a size that they weren't meant to go, resulting in heavy pixellation. We could possibly try and recreate them in the same style though...

This would be good. :)APB .9935's icons were recreations of the RA1 icons, and in my opinion they should have stayed like that.

 

hudarif.pnghudamedic.pnghudalmec.pnghudsshock.pnghudasupply.pnghudsheavy.pnghuddemotruck.png

hudallongbow.png

 

The same should go for AR, for the sake of nostalgia.

Edited by APB_ICE
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,,If we were to use the original RA2 icons (like we are doing at the moment whilst our PT icons are being made) it's look terrible because the icons would need to scale up to a size that they weren't meant to go, resulting in heavy pixellation. We could possibly try and recreate them in the same style though..."

RA2 icons are just painted. It's what I can do. I need resolution of images and then I can paint them :)

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Guest Gibbletsb

V3 Aim helper.... I've been waiting for that in APB for years now and all we got was a special coloured smoke that really did nothing, I could see the regular smoke fine enough. At least in AR I can use artillery units now, right from the start! I'm going to B2B all your a$$es. On that note "Meanwhile" = :dance:

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Guest SirJustin

speaking of aim helper. Can APB use this please?

Yeah been thinking the same thing since I first say this post. But would it overpower the unit, or undermine skill as it's been skill/luck based?
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Guest Retaliation

V2's/artillery are probably already too hard to use for what they are. They're just so easy to kill, especially for allies. Adding the aim helper would only make the first shots more accurate against buildings, while making them more viable in actual field combat. Best part is that it would get people to actually use artillery since learning how to use them takes soooo long.

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Guest SirJustin

V2's/artillery are probably already too hard to use for what they are. They're just so easy to kill, especially for allies. Adding the aim helper would only make the first shots more accurate against buildings, while making them more viable in actual field combat. Best part is that it would get people to actually use artillery since learning how to use them takes soooo long.

Yeah I can see that, just wondering if anyone is against it or if we all feel we need some aim help. That means v2 should also get direct fire assistance?
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Guest Gibbletsb

I would love it. I see little to no downside to having this. If you want to use aim help it gives away your intended target and your position to the enemy, much like the Psychic Sensor in RA2. Not to mention it gives rangers and expensive inf a chance to vacate the area before the rocket fires. Whereas if you're loaded with skillz you can bombard with stealth.

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Its ridiculously easy to aim the v2 in APB. Artillery on the other hand...

Well the aim helper would definitely help in the alternate fire mode.

 

Also, I dont think its easy mode really. Projectile speed still will need to be accounted for and I think air units will still be hard to hit. Lifepoints will still be low.

Overall I think it would be a good add to APB.

 

The grenadier also needs this.

Edited by Nod00
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Nice aim helper, other units like Kirov, harrier and siege chopper will need it

Harriers are really easy to aim, so they won't need it. Kirovs pretty much need to be above their target to hit them, so they're gonna be easy to aim too.

 

The Siege Chopper will be tricky to aim, so that'll probably need the aim helper.

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Guest APB_ICE

A lot of people here seem to think that the aiming-assistant will be visible to all players, instead of just the user. I always assumed that it would be visible only to the user, and not to other players. :confused:

 

Could a Dev' clear this up, please?

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Guest Xenon560

Looks great :)

 

The v3 aim assist seems like a good idea, but I don't think the v2 in APB needs it as it's firing arc isn't as small.

 

Aren't the walls a bit low down though, or are they not intended to prevent enemies being able to hit buildings?

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Guest SgtSavage67

Looks like in order for the walls to be big enough to block ranged shots against buildings, they'd have to be so big they'd be comical in proportion. They will block close up shots for the most part though, and they will force infantry to find another way in.

 

The Walls in RA2 weren't very realistic in that regard, so I understand the decision to do things this way.

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Guest Dukat863

Aim helper is nice, could you make it team-based too? This might help promoting cooperation a bit, especially when these V2/V3 don't see where they're shooting at.

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A lot of people here seem to think that the aiming-assistant will be visible to all players, instead of just the user. I always assumed that it would be visible only to the user, and not to other players. :confused:

 

Could a Dev' clear this up, please?

 

Currently it is visible to all players because the aim helper is actually just a weapon that's setup with the same firing arc as the main weapon, but shoots green projectiles that do no damage.

 

We'll need to talk to the coders, but hopefully we can do it.

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Guest Sonarpulse

If not, I think it would be a good balance method: Go for stealth, aim on your own; go for accuracy, use the aim helper. The projectile can always be made more subtle.

Edited by Sonarpulse
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Guest Gibbletsb

I sitll think it's best if the aim helper is visible to all. Otherwise you may as well consider the V3 ARs' version of the sniper. There needs to be a disadvantage to using the aim helper. If there isn't, then make it standard fire mode since it's the only one that will get used because it's OP.

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