16 replies to this topic

[Shotgunner]

Project 50AE is coming along nicely, although I am still struggling to get it working without crashing .

Anyways, I am currently taking a break to see what I have done so far and fix my errors. While doing so I was wondering what my fellow XCOM players would perfer - weapons that are in real life or fictional weaponry from the recesses of my demented mind?

I still plan on completeing and releasing Project 50Ae when its completed, but I would like to get some opinions, thats all.

[Blehm 98]

i think some fictional weapons would be cool but they aren't necessary...

[Shotgunner]

Heh - I just thought of a weapon that is stuck between reality and fiction.

Good thing X-COM does not have voice overs or I'd have to make one that says "Don't move, creep!" and "Thank you for your cooperation."

[Blehm 98]

although one of those guns, what are they called, the weapons that use electric pulses to fire the bullets, they can fire like 9 rounds in a quarter of a second and such

if only i could remember what they're called...

[Shotgunner]

Blehm, I believe those guns are called "Overkill" ROFL

[Empyrean]

The rate of fire and the force of a projectile isn't limited by our ability to design faster or more powerful weapons, it's limited by the human body's ability to absorb the recoil and still point the weapon in the general direction of the target.

So, miniguns and 20mm cannons are not something that human beings could use, even if the gun didn't weigh anything at all. So, a weapon that fires two thousand rounds per minute is not something that a human being is going to be able to operate. Not to mention the whole "completely broken" thing when you try to put it into the game. Why not make a Blaster Launcher that has a twenty round magazine and fires ten times per round? That would be great, huh?

[Shotgunner]

Empyrean, I know the weapons Blehm is talking about. There is almost no recoil due to the RPM(rounds per minute) that are fired. The only problem with said weapons are the fact that they are inaccurate as all heck. A MAC-10 on full auto(even with the muzzle climb on full auto fire) is more accurate.

[Blehm 98]

Nope, no one knows what i'm talkign about...


Lets take the handgun for example...
It has a stack of 9 bullets pre inserted into the barrle, and it has 3 or 4 barrels. When you pull the trigger, it sends an electrical impulse that ignites the fuse, causing hte bullets to fire. It can fire a 3 round burst in around an 8th of a second or less, and the general thought is that they shoot so fast that recoil hasn't been able to have much effect.

The ground portable version can fire like a million rounds a minute, if that sparks up any memories of what the project is...

edit: Metal Storm, thats what its called

Edited by Blehm 98, 05 August 2006 - 11:10 AM.

[Empyrean]

Yes, I know what you're talking about. It was in Popular Science a few years ago. And no, you don't understand what I mean. Just because the recoil is delayed until after the rounds have left the barrel doesn't mean that it isn't going to break your arm when that happens.

Let me explain something to you: if you want to add a weapon, make something that is at least comparable to the existing weapons. If you don't, and decide to try to make a weapon that fires six thousand rounds a minute instead of about nine hundred or so, you're going to screw the game balance. It's easy to get caught up in your own imagination with your men using these super weapons to blow away the aliens, but when you actually try to make it happen it's like playing DOOM on god-mode all the time. It just kills the fun after a while. The limitations of a weapon, the things it can't do, are just as important as the things that it can.

[Blehm 98]

three 9 millimeters won't break your arm, no matter how fast they are fired, there is not that much recoil

in fact, even if all 36 bullets or so stored in the weapon were fired instantly, they'd have no chance of breaking your arm (i wouldn't rule out disolocation however). it wouldn't unbalance the game either, as you still have to aim, its not like you can aim and instantly fire 40 shots at one target without any deviation... It would just be cool to have

[Empyrean]

If you're just going to have it shoot the same as other guns, where's the distinction? The point is to make a gun that sprays six thousand rounds per minute instead of about nine hundred, correct? What else do you know about those particular weapons other than that they have a high rate of fire? Your argument that three bullets isn't going to be a problem is somewhere between disengenuous and retarded; the whole point of the weapon you're talking about is to have an insanely high rate of fire. That's what makes it special. That's also what makes it a horrible infantry weapon, since soldiers can't handle much more than current light machine guns. The Metal Storm system is primarily designed as a vehicle mounted system, as the weight of multiple barrels and the recoil are beyond the capabilities of infantry to handle.

When the novelty of " l33t GUNZ" wears off, maybe you'll have learned something about game design.

Edited by Empyrean, 06 August 2006 - 06:14 AM.

[Blehm 98]

thats why i'm talking about the handgun variant, you refuse to get my point, they won't be carrying around a 300 pound weapon system. The Pistol is not designed for spraying bullets, but to place 3 bullets as accurately as possible to increase the possibility that one of them will pierce body armor. Thats what the designers say, and it doesn't matter whether or not you want to believe it

[Shotgunner]

I think I know what Empyrean is trying to say - new weapons, wether fictional or real, is all good and welcome...as long as they are not overpowered to allow you to breeze through the game in an hour.

The Metal Storm system is an excellent idea, but for the purpose of XCOM, no. If I was trying to mod Apoc, however....

I have a general idea of what I will be making for the game - I am more worried about how to properly balance them at the moment than on what to use. I was just looking for some opinions, thats all.

[NKF]

Hmm, I've just seen something that's really impressed me - and unfortunately it would definitely not fit in an X-Com setting. Ever.

It was on a Monster Garage episode. The worlds most powerful air cannon called the Second Amendment. It was basically a huge turret and launched melons at targets. Who would've thought that a melon would rip through a car so easily? I suppose melons are heavy and their rinds are tough to a point, and with enough force ... Still, amazing. Indeed, this is well within the realm of reality. But it's not something you'll be able to carry around with you.

How would a melon fare against alien alloys though? Ah well.

- NKF

[grommet]

Well, the Mythbusters guys built a chicken gun that used compressed air, that was pretty funny...

While not practical or portable, imagine making an even bigger version to give those pesky aliens what they want: "Here Buddy! Have a COW!!! *WHOOOMP*

ROFL

Grommet

[Sporb]

UFO isnt set in the future AFAIK so i agree with Empyrean about the big angry gun that was mentioned in the above posts. If it was i would have suggested that since its the future, some sort of inertial dampers could be cellotaped the the gunbutt

Wouldnt a gun that fired so many rounds per second require a huge cooling system?

[Blehm 98]

well, the one that fires a million rounds a minute has like 100 barrels

the handgun has 4 barrels and that isn't enough to overheat either barrel. The only problem is that it is slightly more difficult to reload than modern weapons, although much smoother. One must simply slide a bullet tube into the barrel and its reloaded
now that i think about it though, since you can't really tier weapons much (except for replacing laser weapons with metal storm weapons) it would probably be better to use something else