Anyone for a trip to mars?

[devinpatterson]

I just stumbled across an article on plans the government had in 1959 to build a MOONBASE, yep ten years before we even landed there. A link in the article sent me to a posting of the actual proposal figured what with the mention of the moonbase and the fact they wanted to stock it with portable nukes it would be some awesome stuff to look at and snag some ideas for this from.

 

For some reason, when I first glanced at this, I read it as mobile moonbase and I was thinking of the mobile base crawler at adams air force base from broken steel. Hmmm I wonder if those assets are in the NV meshes bsa.

 

Very cool article GreenKnightFury, I only had a chance to skim it, but I think it will be useful, thanks :thumbsup:

 

I'd like to think there is a moonbase (earth moonbase) as well. Since logistically it would be easier than mars. But it's probably nuked to kingdom come. Of course a irradiated moonbase and lunar cavest could be cool too. Use the inverted worldspace modifier to give us that barren dark look. Need something to curb LOD issues outside the cave though.

 

howabout some prototype GECK teraforming wierdness.

 

I was thinking of some FEV bio weirdness in the biodome, but are you thinking more geck weirdness outside the dome? Like a small valley some where that the geck was tested and produced a anomoly/failure? Or did you have something else in mind?

 

I should be putting up a little mod I'v been working on (off an on over the week) this morning and hope to have time to work on mars and sunset Thursday and the weekend.

Edited January 25, 2012 by devinpatterson

[kibblesticks]

http://i1086.photobucket.com/albums/j454/kibblesticks/BioDomesWIPtex.jpg

 

WIP texture for the Domes =]

[flameape]

I am 45, white male and can do a range of ages/accents for voice acting. Let me know if you still need help as I want to give back to the mod community for all the fun I've had playing mods from here.

 

-Greg G.

 

[email protected]

www.flameape.org

[devinpatterson]

WIP texture for the Domes =]

 

Nice :thumbsup:

Is that the chinese stealth suit texture? Whatever it is, great match for the dome.

 

I am 45, white male and can do a range of ages/accents for voice acting. Let me know if you still need help as I want to give back to the mod community for all the fun I've had playing mods from here.

 

-Greg G.

 

I would really appreciate that. BTW are you interested in doing voice work for other projects? I have a few projects that could use the audio.

[Jeoshua]

I say, more weirdly unnecessary antennae and other crazy SCIENCE! details are needed to maintain the illusion that this is still in the Fallout universe.

 

But what you have looks really great so far. I love the textures!

[VaultPi]

also simular we need refrences to other things in sci-fi

 

purhaps a boss fight with a tripod, or a run in with a 1x2x9 aspect monolith....

[kibblesticks]

Is that the chinese stealth suit texture? Whatever it is, great match for the dome.

 

Thanks! It's a custom texture I made on GIMP. Wasn't really sure how grungy to make it look as I don't know what you're going for but the texture can be easily changed. :turned:

 

I say, more weirdly unnecessary antennae and other crazy SCIENCE! details are needed to maintain the illusion that this is still in the Fallout universe.

 

Yup, agreed 100% It does actually have antenae but I forgot to unhide them for the shot :facepalm: Sorry, I don't know if this has been said, but is the technology Enclave or something new? Just so I know what colour to make glowing bits :biggrin:

[Jeoshua]

Enclave is a mix of old technology and new designs. They're still actively designing things from types of technology they have scavenged, sort of like the BoS but with more flair for the dramatic and they actually do have the microchip unlike everyone else... actually they're probably micro-vac-tubes instead of transistors but you get my meaning.

 

I'd say that the colors prevalent In General should be:

Red and Black - for dirty textures, Martian dust is notoriously fine and sticky... also corrosive.

Blue and Green - For interiors and such. People respond to these colors well and remind them of "home" and "safety"

 

For warning lights, a color that appears well against the Martian color scheme would be prefered. Amber lights might only look like a slight shine in the Salmon/Red/Yellow environment and wouldn't grab ones' attention.

[kibblesticks]

Okay so Brainstorming the layout of Mars; I was thinking a Crater is probably the easiest way to keep people inside an area without using huge walls like big MT or doing a "You can't go that way, turn back" message. Craters on Mars range from 1 metre to 5,300 miles so size isn't an issue :thumbsup:

 

With that in mind I took the liberty of drawing up a basic bare-bones plan to work off. This is in no way fixed, it just tries to incorporate some of the ideas in the thread (sorry if I missed something crucial, it's a very long thread).

 

THE MAP:

 

http://i1086.photobucket.com/albums/j454/kibblesticks/TripToMars.jpg

 

 

THE HEIGHT MAP: (Lighter grey is higher, darker grey is lower. Pure white is just marker lines, because I didn't realise white would mean uber high until after I finished it.)

 

 

http://i1086.photobucket.com/albums/j454/kibblesticks/TripToMarsHeightmap.jpg

 

 

I tried to incorporate different colour schemes and atmospheres into each area. F.E.V. base is full of gore and grotesque creature/human hybrids. Swampland is green and buzzing with life, large and microscopic. Enclave base is military and clean (as you can get on Mars). Martian Ruins are eerie and ghostly, with destroyed structures and massive amounts of radiation, hinting at some terrible past disaster. Take a look and see what you think.

 

A Trip to Mars:

A breakdown of the Crater:

 

A: Main Base:

The original Mars outpost. Built, maintained and controlled by those still loyal to the Enclave. The main structure is a large greenhouse dome surrounded by a ring-building. The building is connected to the dome by four walkways, through which O2 circulates throughout the facility. The dome houses many species of Earth plants, with typical Earth bugs roaming around (roaches, mantises, bloatflies, etc). The staff are protected by walkways that overlook the greenhouse area. Firearms and flammable materials are not allowed, however, as any fire would burn up the facility's oxygen supply in minutes.

The ring building contains a loading bay, a radar room, an armoury, barracks, shared kitchen and bathroom facilities, a gym, a chapel, an entertainment suite and a bar. Privacy is limited and the private journals/terminals of the staff are testament to this.

 

B: Swamp: Catacombs:

Swamp:

The western section of the Mars crater is swampland. Large, sickly vegetations creeps along the ground and drags itself up rock faces. The air is thick with a green haze and everywhere there lie stagnant, primordial pools of ooze, brimming with radiation and disease. Strange creatures hunt in these Martian woodlands. Mutated bugs and F.E.V monsters stalk their prey from the shadows whilst giant maggots crawl along the ground, devouring all vegetation in their path. Occasional holes, burst open by plant life, lead beneath Mars' surface, and to the cause of this unnatural forest. The Catacombs.

Catacombs:

The catacombs are a series of tunnels overgrown with plant life. Thick, sinewy tendrils block paths, create bridges and push through walls. Plants which seemed sickly and small on the surface thrive down here. The air is filled with pollen spores and breathing apparatus is required despite the moderate temperature, bearable pressure and high oxygen levels. Fungi as large as boulders litter the floors and walls, whilst towering, alien plant structures fill the tunnels with a faint, eerie light. The insects down here grow huge due to the high oxygen levels. At the centre of this multicoloured maze sits the Mars G.E.C.K. This device continually assesses the surrounding environment and adjusts it to accommodate life. However, the effects are clearly not what the original creators intended.

The Swampland is dangerous not only because of the G.E.C.K created insects, but also because of the F.E.V experiments that originate from Research Outpost 01.

 

C: Research Outpost #01:

Research Outpost 01 is a place where scientists tried to play god with the F.E.V. Any lover of science fiction immediately knows what this means.

The facility itself is the stuff of nightmares. Unrestricted by government or society, the scientists truly pushed the boundaries of genetics inside the walls of Outpost01. Now terror stalks the halls.

The original staff of the facility where either devoured messily or narrowly escaped the slaughter. Riddled with mutation from unplanned exposure to Mars' surface and their own F.E.V experiments, the ghoulified scientists know their Enclave superiors would shoot them on site. They now try to eke out a living on the surface of Mars, moving from site to site and scavenging any food, water and materials they can find to keep themselves alive.

D: The Martian Wasteland:

The Wasteland of Mars is similar to the wasteland of Earth in many respects. However, on Mars your dehydration decreases much faster, the days are longer and.. oh yeah! If you step out of your space suit you boil alive. The only landmarks in this desolate place are unique rock formations and the rough roads constructed by the first settlers on Mars. These roads are marked out every few hundred metres by electric lights. There are four main roads which all lead away from the Main Base and towards Outposts 1 & 2, The Launch-pad and the Mainframe.

E: The Mainframe:

The Mainframe is a computer designed to assist the technicians and scientists of the Enclave in their noble endeavours. However, it is now worshipped by a cult of tech priests who guard the machine zealously and follow its every command as law, even if those commands are sometimes a bit ... batty.

The building the houses the mainframe is built slightly below the surface to keep the machinery cool. One of The Mainframe's key functions was to activate the G.E.C.K and terraform the Martian landscape. It did this, but unsuccessfully, resulting in the Swampland which constantly threatens to overrun the Mainframe Building. Only the vigilant efforts of the Tech Priests keep the rampant foliage at bay.

 

F: Outpost #02: Martian Ruins:

Outpost 02 was built after a powerful dust storm led to the discovery of strange structures lying beneath the planet's surface. Cranes and other excavation equipment were quickly despatched but another dust storm cut off communication from the site. At the same time, the experiments of Outpost 01 began spreading out across the landscape and the Supermutants were drawn to the Martian ruins due to the high amounts of radiation they gave off, making continued exploration too risky. These mutants, though initially eager to use the ruins as shelter, have since moved back to the outskirts of the radiation zone. The reason for this is unknown, but it is thought they hold a belief that the ruins are haunted. This explanation makes sense as Supermutants are notoriously paranoid and gullible. This does not, however, explain the total disappearance of the Outpost 02 crew.

G: Launch-pad:

The Launch-pad houses the rockets. The rockets are the only way on or off the planet. This is where you begin your journey, and where you must return if you want to make it off the planet alive. There is a road leading directly from the launch-pad to the Main Base.

[kibblesticks]

And just to add, these are some screenies I took in the Creation Kit last night.

 

Biodomes in custom Mars worldspace, just to give and idea of how they look in the game world: Base texture still needs work as I just slapped a photo of concrete on there for exporting purposes:

 

http://i1086.photobucket.com/albums/j454/kibblesticks/MarsWorldspace.jpg

 

 

Idea of the plant life spawned by the GECK for the Swampland area: Going to make more plants with a variety of colours and such. This is a "mold" type plant:

 

http://i1086.photobucket.com/albums/j454/kibblesticks/ProofOfConceptJungle01.jpg

 

 

 

Idea of the plant life spawned by the GECK for the Swampland area: Has a subtle glow at nightime to light the player's way:

 

http://i1086.photobucket.com/albums/j454/kibblesticks/ProofOfConceptJungle02.jpg