Flame Thrower (2)

Concept artwork for models and maps.
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Viech
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Flame Thrower (2)

Post by Viech »

The Flame Thrower is the human team's choice against small aliens and tightly packed structures. Here is a human posing with the placeholder model:

Image

Apart from doing direct hit and splash (heat) damage, the flamer leaves burning spots when it hits the ground and can even set alien buildables on fire. The fire can then jump over to close friends, which is a lot of fun to watch.

Design requirements:

  • Held either like a rifle or heavy tool (chainsaw, angle grinder).

  • Has futuristic rifle-like looks as opposed to real life flamer throwers which look more like portbale welders.

  • Has a tank that can be exchanged to reload the gun but can also be used independently of the flamer as a firebomb, so it needs some sort of trigger.

You can use this older concept by Gex for inspiration:

Image

Here is his attempt on the tank, which is supposed to double as an incendiary grenade:

Image

Responsible for: Arch Linux package & torrent distribution, Parpax (map), Chameleon (map texture editor), Sloth (material file generator), gameplay design & programming, artistic direction

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alexbo
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Re: Flame Thrower

Post by alexbo »

If no one will do it. I'll take care of it. I fuckin' love desiging guns.

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Viech
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Re: Flame Thrower

Post by Viech »

And I'd love you to design this gun! :smile:

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alexbo
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Re: Flame Thrower

Post by alexbo »

Cool!

So I had time to work on two basic sketches. It's not two radical variations but I wanted to have at least 2 places to start from.

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Viech
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Re: Flame Thrower

Post by Viech »

Ok, here comes the first wave of feedback.

  • I think the lower trigger handle is better suited for animation purposes, easier to fit a hand on it.

  • The ironsight on the upper version serves no purpose, you don't need to aim this gun (and you'll also hold it in chest height with those handles, so there'd be now way to look through a targeting unit).

  • The tank on the lower version is too small, compared to the rest of the gun.

  • I prefer the detail work (green/gray variation) of the upper version.

  • The barrels look nice for a generic energy/plasma projectile weapon (especially the upper version) but they lack some distinguishing features unique to a flame thrower. Since the fuel is ignited inside the gun, I guess cooling ribs would look good on it. (They were a prominent part of Gex' flamer and I liked that part of the model a lot.)

  • The secondary handle is too close to the weapon body in both versions, especially in the upper one.

  • The tank attachment area shouldn't be symmetrical on both ends. Maybe make one side a basin where the tank slides into and where the fuel is extracted and the other a catch on a hinge that locks the tank in place and is opened during the reload progress. The tank could use a bayonet mount in addition so that it doesn't fall out before the lock is in place.

  • Since the weapon has a secondary handle that is supposed to be above the center of mass I'm not sure if it needs another carrying handle. Removing it would give the secondary hand more space.

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alexbo
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Re: Flame Thrower

Post by alexbo »

Perfect. I love detailed and clear feedback like that!

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Re: Flame Thrower

Post by alexbo »

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Viech
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Re: Flame Thrower

Post by Viech »

This looks good!

For the next iteration I guess we should tweak the proportions a little, moving the shape from a little super-soaker-ish all the way to a big-fucking-plasma-ejector. :grin:

  • The trigger handle is a bit too small and it could reach out higher (it doesn't need to be at the height of the secondary handle but it can be). Compare it with the tank (which has a nice size!) as both should fit into a hand. While the tank is grabbed like your average Flashbang/Teargas grenade (the palm just fits around it) the trigger handle is grabbed more tighly and should have a lower circumference, but both elements should have roughly the same length and overall scale.

  • The current version is quite compact which makes sense from a tactical point of view but I guess the weapon would look even more powerful if the barrel was a tad longer. Together with a size increase of the trigger this should reduce the relative size of the weapon body which looks a bit bulky right now.

  • The cooling ribs are nice. If you want to, make them even bigger as they will be the flamer's unique eye catcher in the ego perspective.

A few more things not realted to proportions:

  • The front catch of the tank could be even bigger, like a chalice where the tank slides into. The bajonet mount was meant as an explaination for the animation, it doesn't necessarily need to show on the surface. Try to make the mount look firmer, like something you would expect on a heavy duty, potentially explosive military device.

  • The back mount could have some form of hinge that can be opened to release the tank and closed to lock it in place in addition to the front mount.

  • I can imagine the secondary handle to look good when it's attached at the sides of the gun as opposed to the top. Just an idea though, it's fine where it is. (Note that the height of the handle is fine, this is just about where it attaches to the weapon body.)

PS: Look what's happening in the Model section!

Responsible for: Arch Linux package & torrent distribution, Parpax (map), Chameleon (map texture editor), Sloth (material file generator), gameplay design & programming, artistic direction

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alexbo
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Re: Flame Thrower

Post by alexbo »

I think I touched on almost every thing you mentioned. The bayonet mount still literally looks like one but I wasn't sure what you meant by

"[...] could be even bigger, like a chalice where the tank slides into"

I included a zoomed in of the tank attachement to ease our conversation about it. Feel free to sketch over if you think it can help.

https://www.dropbox.com/s/jcg3k69i4mlol ... hrower.jpg

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janev
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Re: Flame Thrower

Post by janev »

Holy alien roasting batman that is sexy.

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