Tags: °weapon °SS2

Rainalkar's roommate, Rainalkar's, and Rocketman's EMP Rifle
 
Thanks to the brilliant work of dedicated modders we now have almost all of the weapons appearing in the game remade. As far as I know, the EMP Rifle didn't fit in that category; this is an attempt to amend that. Although the principle was, in general, to maintain the feel of the original, it wasn't mandatory, and some alterations were implemented. Hopefully, you will like the outcome. The model is close to an end product, but not entirely. Therefore, we have provided you with two different versions of both the world and the hand model. Tell us what you like and dislike in both, so that those two version may eventually unite.

Enormous majority of credit goes to my roommate who made the model, textured it using little bits from his previous works, and partly designed it.

My part was in creating/refining the textures, helping in design, creating icons, and, most importantly, inducing the whole thing (which makes my contribution by far the most essential one  ).

Last, and far from the least, Rocketman tweaked the model in many ways so it would feel the more as the original and look better, created textures, helped importing it properly, and assisted with numerous advices and tips: it would have been so much harder without you, thank you so much.

Enjoy.

Image: http://img291.imageshack.us/img291/9986/emp1bu9.th.jpgImage: http://img138.imageshack.us/img138/1750/emp2ga5.th.jpg
Image: http://img291.imageshack.us/img291/60/empdark1cn8.th.jpgImage: http://img138.imageshack.us/img138/8798/empdark2yr7.th.jpg
Image: http://img291.imageshack.us/img291/4900/emplight1nq9.th.jpgImage: http://img138.imageshack.us/img138/2804/emplight2yv4.th.jpg
3:
Image: http://img242.imageshack.us/img242/2824/dump000gh9.th.jpg

And the original, so you can compare:
Image: http://img228.imageshack.us/img228/2507/dump000ex9.th.jpg


EDIT: I've uploaded the build files, model, textures, etc. I'm trying to sort out the stuff on my computer, so this is a precaution from possibly misplacing them somewhere.

I'll try... let's call them the left one and the right one.
Now I'm judging just from the screens, I think it's sufficient for what I'm going to compare.

First of all... more polygons. Mainly in the upper part, those edges are too sharp and too right-angeled, all's too regular. Try to round the edges a bit. Try different angles for different parts.

In overall picture I like the left one more. The right one is needlessly prolonged.

But the right one is better situated in hand model...and blocks less of player's view.

That viewfinder in the upper part or scope or whatever that display means is vertically oblong. All such things are usually squared or circular or horizontaly oblong, it feels more natural and logical as eyes are horizontally situated next to each other in the face and so is your view. I'd go for squared impression from FP POV.

That claw at the end point is IMHO one of the most important parts of the EMP rifle technically. I don't know, it looks very important to me if I think about how it could work. In vanilla model there's something turquoise set in the claws. It's missing in your models and I think it's important. As for the shape I like the left claws better than the right ones. But I think they should be longer...like the right ones..but shaped as they are.

One little thing at the end.. that black part. I'd prefer more metallic coulour or texture. Black just won't do.

Summary:
- left one is better shaped in overall picture
- more rounded edges and unregular polygons in the upper part
- situate as the right one in FP POV
- squared display in FP POV
- turquoise set in the claws, shaped as left, long as right
- black parts more metallic


Update:
I have another idea. Cool but difficult. That "bridge" in the upper part that's connecting to the claw.. would look like something if turned into a cable, thick cyberpunk cable.... so much for fixing the regular edges up there. 

Agreed on all accounts. I also like the left one better. I don't care much about the display being square but ok.
And I definitely need more greebles here! This gun fires electromagnetic shockwaves that bring large machines to a halt... It should be chock full of blinkenlights and terribly interesting looking technical details. Wires are a good idea, but it also needs a medium sized battery pack strapped to one side. Asymmetry makes things and people more interesting! \o/ 

Ok, step by step:
-The feel isn't really the same when looking at the pictures and ingame. I remember some games which had horrible screenshots, but beautiful animation. This isn't that extreme, but you're missing some other parts, like the animated screen etc.
-The number of polygons is around 800, it could be somewhat higher I guess.
-Angles could I guess be solved by making them smoother, adding a few more polygons. The right rifle is more rounded (the side is) in this respect .
-When you say it is prolonged, in what way? The handle, the prongs?
-I don't know is the stuff about the viewfinder that eye prinkling. The circle isn't an elipse, and it's vertically longer only because of the lights beneath.
-I agree that the prongs are very important, and I agree with your other opinions, save one: I know that the blue prong looks fitting in the original, but I tried placing it here, and it simply feels odd. The model is more robust, and it hardly fits. I guess I could try a few more tweaks.
-We simply were lacking fitting textures for the handle. If anyone has something usable, let me know.
-I don't know do I like the cable idea. I can't escape the feeling that it would look cheap, and this is state of the art technology.
-I was careful with animations and blinking so that the rifle wouldn't be named Disco Rifle I guess a few blinks (red light for instance) could be added, but nothing excessive.
-As for symmetry, I aimed it Seems more modern, dunno know.

I agree that right hand model is smoother and better in many ways but there is ellipse on that display and yeah, it's eye pricking for me at least. )))
But world model is better the left one. The right is strangely prolonged in handle and all that back.
I think Kolya's idea about some power source there is very very fitting. There you have another chance for blinking power indicator but according to my tastes I dislike all the gizmos and gadgets like disco gun you've said.. it seems like a toy for kids then and not a state of art piece a' technology.
The prongs could be more visible on hand model and some energetical traces should be there...that turquoise stripes I mean. Without them the prongs seem useless there, like only to make nasty image.