New Body Types?

[Akamadoushi]

This idea just struck me; long (segmented) bodies. I've seen the dual turret suggestion in at least 2 threads; a new series of bodies would make dual turrets look great (one at the head, one at the tail), but I think this idea could be examined on its own as well.

Basically, these bodies would have several (3 or 4) segments close to (3/4) the size of a standard body of that weight. Each segment would have its own propulsion (as in a set of wheels/treads/hoverpad for each segment, if using halftrack then the front segment or 2 would have wheels and the rear segments would have tracks). All are relatively slow and expensive, but with high body points and great maneuverability. If this idea is popular, I could do some concept sketches of these.

Maggot -- segmented light body, faster than other segmented bodies.

Centipede -- segmented medium body, trades speed for body points as usual.

Millipede -- segmented heavy body, another speed>body switch.

Death Worm -- segmented super heavy body, slow moving juggernaut.

Ghost Train -- segmented heavy body, unlocks after Death Worm, more body points than Death Worm but better speed than Maggot. Prohibitively expensive and slow to build, to balance out its strengths.

[Zarel]

Oh, man, words like "maggot" and "worm" aren't exactly going to make people like Warzone as a game. Certain words have good connotations, and certain words simply sound disgusting.

In addition, the game engine doesn't support segmented bodies, and I see no real reason why it should... The path movement code is certainly already broken enough without adding that kind of stuff.

[Akamadoushi]

Oh, man, words like "maggot" and "worm" aren't exactly going to make people like Warzone as a game. Certain words have good connotations, and certain words simply sound disgusting.

Well, snake names were already taken and I needed a set of names that would work together to describe a body that's long and can bend. Millipede and Centipede came to mind first, I had a little trouble coming up with the other two. I thought 'catarpillar' for the light body but many of them are typically larger than centipedes and millipedes, and while a snake name might have been fitting for the super heavy it'd be too similar to the project body naming conventions. The death worm was named for a mythological creature of the same name, supposedly a legged worm of tremendous size that can spit acid and breathe deadly electricity.

Also, I'm guessing these wouldn't be too pretty :-p They're segmented tanks, not passenger trains. Point taken on the names though.

In addition, the game engine doesn't support segmented bodies, and I see no real reason why it should... The path movement code is certainly already broken enough without adding that kind of stuff.

Fair enough.

[Zarel]

Well, the NP has claim on insect names, too, so you really would be conflicting with the naming either way.

While it's an interesting idea in theory, it doesn't really add enough tangible benefits to make it worth the coding effort.

[Akamadoushi]

Well, the NP has claim on insect names, too, so you really would be conflicting with the naming either way.

Good point, I guess they could instead be "Scrabble", "Creep", "Crawl", and "Prowl"

While it's an interesting idea in theory, it doesn't really add enough tangible benefits to make it worth the coding effort.

I shared the idea without first considering what difficulties there would be. I don't know a thing about programming, so I really have no idea what something like this would entail.

[3drts]

Well, the NP has claim on insect names, too, so you really would be conflicting with the naming either way.

[nitpicking] No it doesn't, only one of its names is an insect (mantis). A scorpion is more closely related to spiders, and definitely is not a member of Hexapoda (ie, insects). "Bug" is very non specific...
Though given the current best phylogentic tree constructions: http://tolweb.org/Arthropoda/2469
It would appear one cannot definitively form a clade containing hexapoda(which a Mantis is a member of) and Chelicerata(which a scorpion is a member of), without including Myriapoda (ie, centipedes).

Of course that tree gives a 4 way node, when there would really only be 2 way nodes, we just can't resolve beyond that.
I would think a clade could be formed including spiders, scorpions, and insects, but not trilobites and centipedes, but the fusion of segments and reduction in leg number may be convergence.
I also have my doubts that they group crustacea as closer to insects than spiders+scorpions, but they acknowledge that link is weak in that tree.

All we can definitively say is the NP uses arthropod names

So that leaves us with the arthropod sister taxa.... velvet worms and their ilk(onchyphora), or going to the sister taxa one node down: just plain worms: Annedlis

btw, maggots are insects....

[Olrox]

Hey, naming talk goes a long path ahead, it isn't even necessary since the idea was already rejected. Anyway, segmentation wouldn't make sense for adding HP or Speed, or pretty much anything other than maneuverability - here in my city we have buses that are very long (probably about 25 meters long), which are called "biarticulated buses", because they have 2 articulations. That was made only for the bus to be able to take normal turns, using regular streets. The articulations' walls are made of elastic polymers to allow bending. Making armoured articulations would take up too much internal space and would create fragile spots, along with the unnecessary weight of the mechanisms.

As Zarel mentioned, we must have a really good reson to add a whole new class of bodies, with a really good balancing and thinking. The way they'd look or be called, is something that must come after the purpose, otherwise we would have a logically inverted design, since we are talking about war machines. Well, it is clear that something with a strong purpose can be made look good, it only varies between few and a hell of a lot of work, but it's always possible.

~Olrox

[Rman Virgil]

.

TenCate makes advanced light-weight, composite, flexible, ballistic protection armor fabrics for tanks, APCs, naval, aircraft and infantry that could be used in segmented vehicles (which don't interest me for many reasons, some expressed by Zarel & Olrox) but which I find intrigueing because Pumpkin anticipated this technology somewhat in their Cyborg armor upgrades.

There is a long military tradition of using the names of animals metaphorically to dub military vehicles and even paint the likenesses of those animals on the vehicles themselves. One classic example would be the Flying Tigers of WW2. This I think could be interesting if WZ supported true faction GP.

- RV
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[Olrox]

There is a long military tradition of using the names of animals metaphorically to dub military vehicles and even paint the likenesses of those animals on the vehicles themselves. One classic example would be the Flying Tigers of WW2. This I think could be interesting if WZ supported true faction GP.

Actually this dates from many centuries, as meso-american warriors already dressed animal costumes, like pelts and feathers, in the attempt of embodying the qualities of those animals - I know you know that, of course, I'm just adding that to the mix.

Well, I agree that it would be interesting, if WZ had chooseable factions - but I really like the fact that in WZ, you can already specialize yourself in a lot of ways, given the extensive & wide research tree and different ways of overcoming the same situation. It really differs from C&C in this aspect, since in this last, you are limited to the faction you've chosen and you'd better know what to do to win with that since you can't change your option in the middle of the game, unless you capture other faction's buildings.

Even though that's true, I think that we could have some interesting ways of making different player's units look different. Allowing the player to choose a pattern to paint his teamcolor, for instance, would be a really nice thing, and probably easy to implemment given the TCMask system. Adding Homeworld2-like badges to structures and possibly units would also be nice, especially for the first case. Meh, perhaps it's even worthy creating a topic to discuss those many new customization possibilities opened by the texture mask system

~Olrox

[3drts]

Then you have coat of arms that medieval knights used to identify themselves, with lions and eagles and such.
The Roman Aquilla (Eagle) also was a very prominent symbol.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Aquila_(Roman)

There were also various European tribes wearing horned helmets, some of the "barbarian tribes" (as named by the Romans), wore animal skins into battle, bear claw necklaces and such.
Leather armor was common in those days, which is just animal skin... why not leave the hair when making it and give yourself a frightening appearance?

I'm sure the practice goes back to when humans first started to wear clothing (presumably the custom started after moving out of Africa, where the lack of body hair presented a challenge in colder climates).
Many "primitive" hunters wear animal skins of their prey to disguise scent/ hide themselves, and hunting and going to war are somewhat linked...

I'm guessing the custom of making some reference to an animal (either by name, symbol, or clothing) in battle/war is nearly as old as humanity itself.

[colective]

bueno yo soy nuevo aqui y daria una sugerencia para los nombres de los tipos de cuerpos nuevos, que tal el nombre elefante como carroceria pesada, rinoceronte como la media y hipopotamo como la lgera auque no quedaria muy bien el nombre para la ligera y podrian ser de color turqueza o un poco gris como la piton, o que tal otros nombres como cocodrilo para la pesada, caiman paa la mediana y camaleon para la pequeña unos nombres de reptiles aunque estas carrocerias serian de color esmeralda o una escala de verde para relacionarlas con los animales. tambien losd diseños de las carrocerias podrian tenera algunas caracteristicas con los animales aunque, bueno es mi sugerencia.

Translation:
Well, I'm new here and have a suggestion for the names of the new body types: "elephant" (heavy), "rhino" (medium) and "hippo" (light); they could be turquoise-colored or slightly gray.

Another idea: "crocodile" (heavy), "alligator (medium), and "chameleon" (light) and these would be emerald green or scaly, like animals. These designs could have some other characteristics like animals, too.

Well, that's my suggestion.

[Roux Le Corps]

great ideas but i think we need some more bodies that are advanced, maybe some that add purpose to a body? like a super heavy body that can produce cyborgs on the fly? -or only when stationary - and things like that, would add a little more strategy to sieging a base which i like to do.... a lot, sieges are just awesome

OR multi purpose bodies that have an inbuilt although weaker versions of things like radar inside for extra range and a turret of your choice? just some ideas