[UNIT] Chaser Race

[Solarius Scorch]

You know, I've always liked Chasers from UFO: Extreaterrestrials, where they fill the niche of low-tier enemies. They look puny at first, but their high TUs make them able to spring a nasty surprise on the player, and their cybernetic resistance to AP fire balances out their very low Health, at least in the early game.



Unsurprisingly, I would very much like to add these enemies in the Openxcom. Of course I'm not Robin, and also I have plenty other projects on the plate, so it's been going slowly; therefore I thought I'd put it here in case anyone wants to help (a pipe dream, I know ).

At this point I have static arms and legs.

[Dioxine]

High AP res + low health on an early game enemy = a reason to carry incendiaries (there is not much reason to do that currently, unless you want to take on the Cyberdiscs, USSR Hero style)

[Solarius Scorch]

High AP res + low health on an early game enemy = a reason to carry incendiaries (there is not much reason to do that currently, unless you want to take on the Cyberdiscs, USSR Hero style)

True, though I wouldn't like to make them too hardcore - they're supposed to be fairly early.

Also, here's the Ufopaedia entry from the game:



Making the autopsy picture will be a bitch.

[pilot00]

Hmm...IDK much about art, but perhaps you could use the sectoid torso from the autopsy as a starter and build arround it. You dont need to have it have whole limbs in the autopsy, only bleeding/oozing stumps.

[Arthanor]

I think something built on the sectoid could look fitting. Maybe with cybernetic implants on the legs/lungs/heart to make them faster and give them more stamina, and a short range gun + melee attack? Fast + short range + AP resistant would make them a complete opposite to sectoids in the beginning and a refreshing challenge.

That would mean "just" a retooling of the sprites to change the limbs, maybe a cyber-eye like in Harald Gray's mechtoid mod and a recolor? The art as it is looks goofy to me and I have a hard time picturing it in XCom.

[Dioxine]

I think something built on the sectoid could look fitting. Maybe with cybernetic implants on the legs/lungs/heart to make them faster and give them more stamina, and a short range gun + melee attack? Fast + short range + AP resistant would make them a complete opposite to sectoids in the beginning and a refreshing challenge.

That would mean "just" a retooling of the sprites to change the limbs, maybe a cyber-eye like in Harald Gray's mechtoid mod and a recolor? The art as it is looks goofy to me and I have a hard time picturing it in XCom.

That "just" is about 95% work required to make a new sprite, dude There are 5 unique frames for torso+head, and around 200 for the limbs.

[Arthanor]

Fair enough, that's why I said "just"! At least it's a starting point

I find having some sort of a starting point to make a huge difference for my projects. Adding an alloy vest to the attack dog for the XAE was tweaking all the frames, but it was MUCH easier because I had something to start with. Tweaked alien races are on my ToDo list after the XAE (which got bumped down to after playing through Piratez), if nobody has gotten to it by then, it is an idea that I might well work on.

[Solarius Scorch]

Actually, I'm starting from a Muton sprite, since the guy will use the same routine.

[robin]

Legs look like cryssalid's.

[Solarius Scorch]

Legs look like cryssalid's.

Indeed, it's a good idea. They'd just need to be thinned down, at least the thighs.

[pilot00]

For the sprite you could start as a reference with the legs of a tasoth from TFTD. Though they dont have the multiple knees they i found them oddly fitting.

[Solarius Scorch]

I don't know about the legs. I've checked the Chryssalid closer and I think it would work, but I have already made new static legs before, and I like how different/original they are (pic attached). Animating them will be a nightmare though, if I can do it at all, so there's this too.

[pilot00]

Yep thats awesome GJ!

[Solarius Scorch]

I tried to get back to this old project, but the spriting is killing me. I can't get the parts to fit together; the more I try to adjust the hands, the more they are displaced. I don't even understand why.
In short, fuck spriting. Unless someone is willing to do it for me; I can provide the graphics.

[HelmetHair]

High AP res + low health on an early game enemy = a reason to carry incendiaries (there is not much reason to do that currently, unless you want to take on the Cyberdiscs, USSR Hero style)

I lol'd so hard I cried.