Starsiege-Tribes Mod Concepts

[Neolight]

Hail CA. I havn't posted in this section yet, so that's new.

Some months ago I stumbled upon a mod team working on a total conversion of quakewars into something in the wake of Starsiege Tribes, a multiplayer FPS that came out in 98. Since they were in need, I decided i'd try doing concepts for them as a means to find out what working with a development team is actually like (and to jump-start an internship portfolio for after sophomore year)

Happily, it's been a pretty great first experience thusfar. You can view a gameplay video and screenshots at our site at www.twars.org But, before you do, take a scroll downwards.

I'm hoping you guys can take a look at what i've done and toss me some crits? I was planning on waiting until our game was released, but figured that some insight from you brainiacs would make my future work for them all the better.

[FourTonMantis]

Your work is really good. You've recreated the Tribes theme very well.

As for the gameplay, it almost just looks like a higher res version of Tribes: Vengeance...

...but that's not the point. Good work.

[Prometheus|ANJ]

Think about how defensive architecture would work. You probably wouldn't place a console so it can be disc'ed easily from the outside (I'm refering to vehicle bay). You also don't want to have to walk around it or jump over it. A 45-90 degree turn would be more handy, or just a sidestep. In Tribes you want to be able to board the vehicle quickly, especially if your teammates aren't in the mood for teamplay. Perhaps the hangar needs to make a slight turn in some direction to prevent mortar spam from reaching into it. Saw teeth in the floor would negate grenade weapon blast damage.

Stuff like staircase steps and handrails are obsolete if you can fly and falling down isn't dangerous.

Most things would be smooth to facilitate quick fluid movement, you don't want to get stuck on little edges.

Smooth can be pretty sterile and dull, but I think there are ways to provide a sense of scale and detail by using concave detailing in the walls. You can't get stuck on that.

Perhaps bevels are useful, they can break things up a bit, and if the engine is good the player will collide with them properly too.

[Neolight]

As for the gameplay, it almost just looks like a higher res version of Tribes: Vengeance...

Thanks for the encouragement. The dev team probably isn't going to rest until it feels like tribes 1, and hopefully it will.

Think about how defensive architecture would work.

Pushing the vehicle station out of the way is a good point. I recall Scarabrae did a similar thing. The hanger isn't currently facing the opposing side, but rather, the teams' respective flag towers.

You're right, hand rails and stairs aren't necessary at all, but I honestly had no idea how to approach it. I knew that I absolutely did not want my interiors to look like T2's, which were not only bland, but pretty confusing to me at least.

The Dev team seems to have translated my stairs as ramps anyway, (you can see the ramp texture in the pic below) and I'm sure the handrails will be chucked as well.

Thanks for the responses, if anyone has nitpicks on my painting in general I would certainly appreciate it.