Hey everyone! I did promise to give an update on our AI. Sadly, they seem to be undisciplined at the moment, and refuse to follow orders... I'll let you know once they have been whipped into obedience.

Anyway, we have some new concept art, and a new artist.

These are by Construct VISR.

Linear Magnetic Projectile Weapon (A-R type)

 Vulture Overwatch Security Aerial Enforcer drone

Stay tuned for more!

New Concept art!

Hey guys! sorry for the long wait, things have been busy. We have managed to get some things done, the Squad AI system is almost done, I hope to be able to update you guys on that by next week. But one of the highlights for this week is ULNMurthy's amazing concept art!

This is one of Terra's many Cities, protected from the icy cold of the planet by massive weather-shields generated by orbital satellites. It is as of yet unknown what other function these satellites might be occupying.

Hope you guys like it!

New Concept art

Hello again! We have some new concept art to show, so I present to you the HPAR and the nomad turret!

HPAR (High-Powered Assault Rifle):

 Nomad Turret:

Feel free to leave comments!

New look!

New blog layout and look courtesy of Theo Jaklitsch.

On Strategic Locations and Turrets

Hello again! I've been pretty busy this week so I didn't get to post an update as soon as I wanted to, but I've got a little bit of time now. In this update I would like to discuss two things that I haven't elaborated on much, but are pretty important to gameplay.

 First of all, Strategic Locations (SL's). These are important or strategic locations on a battlefield and generally come in the form of a building or fortification of some kind. However there are some differences from normal capture points that you might find in games such as Halo: Reach or Mass Effect 3, and I will be explaining this. Some of the main differences include:

 -Capturing these points has no direct effect on the progress of the game
 -Each SL falls under one of 6 categories
      -Offensive SL
              -Large
              -Medium
              -Small

      -Defensive SL
              -Large
              -Medium
              -Small

Here is an example of what a small SL might look like: 

 -Each size of SL has a different amount of Capture points inside the structure, Small = 1, medium = 2, and large = 3
 -One must capture all of the Capture points in a SL to gain the effect of that SL
 -SL's do not give requisition to the commander, capture points do. Therefore you don't need to capture all of the capture points in an SL to gain requisition.

As for turrets, there would be two different kinds of turrets an engineer could build. The first would be"Standard Turrets" and these can be built anywhere, and have standard turret stats, but only have access to a limited amount of weapons. The second kind is "Fortified Turrets" these can only be built in certain locations that generally appear on SLs. This kind of turret is more resilient and has access to more weapons than the "Standard Turret".

Next time i'll see if I can get some concept art for you guys!

New posting schedule

Due to the fact that not enough progress is being made within the weekly attempt-to-post-on-blog cycle, I have decided to update every two-to 3 weeks, but if anything interesting pops up before then i might post that.

Very Late Post

Sorry for the very late post, wasn't here last weekend and was exceptionally busy this weekend. Recent progress, we now have another concept artist on the team, along with a sound designer and a writer, I hope to have the theme song for the game up by next week, and I might have some more concept art by then as well.

New Blog Design

Not much to report on this week, I made the blog look nicer though, as you have probably already noticed.

NOMAD APC Under construction teaser image

Hey guys! I got the NOMAD Static mesh imported into UDK (It hasn't been rigged as a skeletal mesh yet, and therefore I don't have it as a driveable vehicle yet. Also it is not textured.)

Early update

Seeing as I won't be here to update on time,i'll update early. I haven't been completely un-busy so far, and i managed to prepare a basic test map for testing out elements of the game when they become available. here is a picture for those interested:

I haven't used any static meshes (except for the rocks) and I only have basic UDK materials to work with so far, but it's not bad all the same.

First 3D Model!

Here are some pictures of our first 3D model of the NOMAD APC! the texturing is in progress as well. Thx to our Modeler: Alessandro!

Update time!

Alright, i'm a day late, but that's probably O.K.. Not much has been happening this week, as I've been busy with school, but I did manage to work on some more concept art. However, I couldn't get it scanned, so you guys will have to wait for next Friday. I do have some updates though, I have an Idea for a name! Please comment on this so I can have feedback, and feel free to leave your own suggestions.

Idea:

Rise Of Terra, (or Rebellion: Rise Of Terra)

Also feel free to check out, and leave comments on my Unreal Forums Thread: http://forums.epicgames.com/threads/875148-Need-a-3D-modeler!?p=29841996#post29841996

I'm still looking for more team members! the team now consists of:

A mapper, a particle effects designer, a coder, a texture artist, a concept artist and a 3D modeler. If you have any of the above abilities you are still welcome to join, as I only have one of each.

First concept art

Standard Earth forces helmet:



N.O.M.A.D. Light APC 3D view



Perspective view

I shall upload the document I have been bouncing between the current members of the Dev. team.

Here is the Document:

Gameplay:

· RTS/FPS mix

· 1 Commander for each team (RTS/FPS)

· 9 other players in 5-? Man squads(FPS)

· Other squad members are AI-controlled

Commander Capabilities:

· Can order squads (give objectives to complete)

· Can drive (not shoot/attack with) unoccupied vehicles

· Can request the following from higher command:

o Air/Missile/Orbital Strikes

o Vehicle Drops

o Squad Reinforcement

o Ammo Drops

o Air Support?

o Reconnaissance

o Other Ideas?

· Can go into FPS mode and help out allies on the ground

· Can see anything an allied unit/building/vehicle can see (nothing else unless reconnaissance is used)

· Requires resources to request things listed above, Resources listed later.

· Can deny requests from squad commanders on the basis that “resources are not available right now.”

Squad Leader Capabilities (all players except commander)

· Can order AI squad members around (shoot target, cover target, protect target, revive target, Capture target point, fall back, move to location, take cover, Other Ideas?)

· Can request the following from the commander:

o Destroy target

o Squad reinforce

o Resupply

o Request Vehicle

o Request Transport

o Other Ideas?

· If a squad leader Dies, any AI left in the squad will fall back to the nearest safe area and request a Squad reinforce from the commander, this squad reinforce will also contain the player who died. If a squad is destroyed before it can fall back and reinforce, the player spawns with a new squad at a spawn point.

· When Squads are reinforced, they have the option to change the squad type/equipment

· Squads capture different “points” or “areas” to gain resources for the commander

Squads

· When spawning for the first time, when reinforcing, or when re-spawning after being totally wiped out, a squad leader can choose a new squad type from the following tree. His squad must capture points or kill enemies for unlock points. (The number of unlock points required is listed in superscript after the class name.)

Standard Infantry

· Different Squad Types have access to different weapons, and each squad type has 5 customizable classes.

· When outfitting your squad, you can choose different classes for each member as long as they fall under the same squad type. (i.e. a sniper team can`t get a squad member with a missile launcher, but can get a squad member with a sniper rifle.)

Weapons

· There will be basic weapon types (e.g. sniper, shotgun, assault rifle, etc.)

o Shotgun/solid slug weapon

o Sniper

o Heavy Weapon

o Special Weapon

o Pistol

o Grenade

o Equipment

o Assault Rifle

o LMG

o SMG

o Other Ideas?

· Weapons can be upgraded with sights, grips, silencers, under-slung weaponry, etc.

· Vehicles will be equipped with similar weapons, but more powerful, and will also have access to the vehicle weapon types.

o Light (anti troop)

o Medium (anti-heavy troop and light vehicle)

o Heavy (anti-vehicle)

o Super-heavy (anti-heavy vehicle)

o Artillery

o Heavy-artillery

o Anti-air

o Support (Support/Disruptor) (shield-domes, healing rays, other ideas?)

Player

· Player can customize classes out of game

· Possible ranking and weapon/armour/other unlocks?

· Weapons, armour, armour color?, symbol?, other Ideas? are customizable.

· Before a game a commander is randomly chosen out of the people who want to be the commander (possible slight bias towards those of higher rank?) If no one wants to be commander a player is chosen from those who do not want to be commander.

· When a commander is in the field (FPS mode) he can still respond to requests made by squad leaders.

Resources and points

· Three resource types.

o Requisition (name change quite possible), this resource is the base resource, it allows purchases to be made by the commander, and is gained by capturing points. Resource giving points are:

§ HQ (start with one, give 3 req per second/30 seconds depending on how much we want things to cost)

§ Communications post (1 req)

§ Bunker (1 req)

§ Factory (2 req)

§ Munitions dump (1 req and ammo)

§ Enemy Point (3 req for 5/150 seconds and then normal amount)

§ Other Ideas?

o Favour (name change possible), this resource is a secondary resource, it decreases the requisition cost needed for the commander to request certain items. It is gained through heroic acts, and following the orders of high command.

o Need (name change possible), this resource is a secondary resource, it increases the number of things you get from certain requests such as resupply, decreases the requisition cost for certain items, and decreases the amount of favour you have. It is gained through loosing.

Other Ideas/Changes?:

Specifics:

Squad types:

Standard Infantry

• Basic infantry
• Standard movement speed
• Standard HP, armour, no shields
• Weapons available:
• Assault rifle
• SMG
• LMG
• Shotgun
• Pistol
• Grenades
• Certain special weapons
• Equipment:
• Haven’t come up with ideas for equipment yet
• Vehicle access:
• All except heavy walker
• Unlock points: 0

Scout Infantry

• Scouts
• Increased movement speed (10-15%)
• Standard HP, (60%) armour
• Weapons available:
• Assault rifle
• SMG
• Shotgun
• Pistol
• Grenades
• Equipment:
• Haven’t come up with ideas for equipment yet
• Vehicle access:
• All except heavy walker
• Unlock points: 5?

Special Weapons Group:

• Advanced standard infantry
• Standard movement
• Standard HP, armour, light shields
• Weapons available:
• Assault rifle
• SMG
• LMG
• Shotgun
• Pistol
• Grenades
• All medium and light special weapons
• Equipment
• Haven’t come up with ideas for equipment yet
• Vehicle access:
• All except heavy walker
• Unlock points: 7?

Support Squad:

• Support infantry
• Standard movement
• Standard HP, (70-75%) armour, light shields
• Weapons available:
• Assault rifle
• SMG
• Shotgun
• Pistol
• Grenades
• Sniper rifle?
• All light special weapons
• Equipment:
• Haven’t come up with ideas for equipment yet, but will have most support equipment
• Vehicle access:
• All except heavy walker
• Unlock points: 6?

Sniper:

• Advanced Scout infantry
• Standard movement
• Standard HP, (70%) armour, light shields
• Weapons available:
• Sniper Rifle
• SMG
• Shotgun
• Pistol
• Grenades
• Equipment:
• Haven’t come up with ideas for equipment yet
• Vehicle access:
• All except heavy walker
• Unlock points: 17?
• IDEA: Sniper has armour that changes shape depending on the terrain he is in. (kind of like a auto-morphing ghillie suit.)

Infiltrator:

• Advanced Scout infantry
• Increased movement (10-15%)
• Standard HP, (60-70%) armour, light shields
• Weapons available:
• SMG
• Shotgun
• Pistol
• Grenades
• Assault rifle
• Certain special weapons?
• Equipment:
• Haven’t come up with ideas for equipment yet
• Might have some kind of invisibility
• Vehicle access:
• All except heavy walker
• Unlock points: 20?

Heavy weapons/Demolitions:

• Advanced Special infantry/Heavy infantry
• Decreased movement (10-15%)
• Increased HP and armour (10%), medium shields
• Weapons available:
• All/most heavy weapons
• All/most Special weapons
• LMG
• Shotgun
• Assault rifle
• Grenades
• Pistol
• Equipment:
• Haven’t come up with ideas for equipment yet
• Vehicle access:
• Heavy walker and certain turrets ONLY
• Unlock points: 22?

Medical Support:

• Advanced Support Infantry/Medical Support
• Standard movement
• Standard HP, armour, Light shields
• Weapons available:
• Any healing/shielding special weapon
• SMG
• Shotgun
• Pistol
• Grenades
• Equipment:
• Haven’t come up with ideas for equipment yet
• Anything that heals or shields
• Vehicle access:
• All except heavy walker
• Unlock points: 18?

Tehcnical Support:

• Advanced Support infantry
• Standard movement
• Standard HP, armour, light shields
• Weapons available:
• Shotgun
• SMG
• Pistol
• Assault rifle
• Grenades
• Equipment:
• Haven’t come up with ideas for equipment yet
• Construction/repair/technical tools
• Vehicle access:
• All except heavy walker
• Unlock points: 19?
• IDEA: can build barriers. Traps and turrets, can also repair non-destroyed vehicles, and change their weapon configuration (must be applicable to that vehicle, IE can’t give a heavy tank an AA gun), and requires scrap metal and electronics to do this. Scrap metal and electronics are looted from destroyed tanks and enemy traps, barricades, and turrets, and can also be found in scrap piles around the map.

Other Ideas/changes?:

Vehicles:

Vehicle Types:

• Main Tank
• Support Tank
• Disruptor
• Light APC
• Heavy APC
• Heavy walker
• Scout Vehicle

Vehicle specifics:

Main Tank:

· Standard vehicle movement speed

· Standard vehicle armour, no/light shields

· Main weapon classes available:

o Medium

o Heavy

o AA

o Artillery

o Super-Heavy

o Heavy Artillery

· Secondary weapon classes available:

o Light

o Medium?

· Capacity: 4 normal infantry

· Purpose:

o Attack Tank

· Pre-made variants:

o Not yet designed

Support Tank:

· Standard vehicle movement speed

· Decreased vehicle armour (20%), light shields

· Main weapon classes available

o Support (tank)

o Light

o Medium

· Secondary weapon classes available:

o Support (disruptor)

o Light

· NOTE: Vehicle must have at least one support weapon, and always has a radar array (explained later) as a passive weapon.

· Capacity: 5 normal infantry

· Purpose:

o Infield support

· Pre-made variants:

o Not yet designed

Disruptor:

· Increased vehicle movement speed (15%)

· Decreased vehicle armour (50%), light shields

· Main weapon classes available:

o Support (disruptor)

· Secondary weapon classes available:

o Light

· NOTE: Disruptor vehicles are related to support vehicles and have matching types, a shield-support tank, will have a shield-support disruptor. However, disruptors are offensive vehicles while support tanks are defensive. (Maybe when a support tank is spawned it comes with one or two disruptors?)

· Capacity: 2 normal infantry

· Purpose:

o Enemy disruption

· Pre-made variants:

o Not yet designed

Light APC:

· Increased vehicle movement speed (5%)

· Decreased vehicle armour (70%), no/light shields

· Main Weapon classes available:

o Light

o Medium

· Secondary weapon classes available:

o Light

· NOTE: All light APCs have the ability to go into “lockdown mode”, this renders them immobile and deactivates their weapons, but makes them invincible. One can still board and exit a Locked down APC. (Maybe this ability will have a time limit and/or cool-down?)

· Capacity: 1 normal infantry squad

· Purpose:

o Rapid transportation

· Pre-made variants:

o Not yet designed

Heavy APC:

· Decreased vehicle movement speed (15-25%)

· Increased vehicle amour(10-20%), light shields

· Main weapon classes available:

o Medium

o Light

o Support?

· Secondary weapon classes available:

o Light

o SPECIAL*

· SPECIAL: Heavy APCs have the option of adding one manned heavy turret in place of a secondary weapon. This turret has special properties: The turret may only be used by a unit of the heavy infantry class, but confers onto them (for the period during which they are in the turret) faster firing rate and unlimited ammo. It also raises them onto the roof (or some other exposed part) of the APC. In contrast, although heavy infantry can board a heavy APC, they cannot drive it, or shoot out of the windows; only through the turret can they fire. (Other types of infantry can fire out of a heavy APC.)

· Capacity: 3 squads of any type

· Pre-made variants:

o Not yet designed

Heavy Walker:

· Decreased vehicle movement speed (35%)

· Increased vehicle armour(15%), light shields

· Main weapon classes available:

o Light

o Medium

o Heavy

· Secondary weapon classes available:

o None

· NOTE: heavy walkers can take 2 main weapons, and light or certain medium weapons can be “twinned”

· Capacity: 1 heavy infantry

· Pre-made variants:

o Not yet designed

Scout Vehicle:

· Increased vehicle movement speed (25%)

· Decreased vehicle armour (40-50%), weak/no shields

· Main weapon classes available:

o Light

o Support?

· Secondary weapon classes available:

o None

· Capacity: 2 standard infantry

· Pre-made variants:

o Not yet designed

Other Ideas/Changes?:

Factions:

Colonialists:

Preferred weaponry:

Rail weapons

Tech level:

Advanced, rail weaponry

Weapons:

· Not thought up yet

Vehicles:

· Not thought up yet.

Earth-Based:

Preferred weaponry:

High-tec versions of modern weaponry

Tech level:

Advanced, machine guns

Weapons:

· Not thought up yet

Vehicles:

· Not thought up yet

If you have any Ideas, comment!