Proposition for the battle-machine graphism

[Platyhelminth]

As we can see battle machine move, but we don't know how and with what energy. We can suppose a steam engine, but what steam engine could exist at middle age ?

  In fact, there were a steam engine ,called the Aeolipile invented in antiquity by Hero of Alexandria during Roman time. Hero invented lot of machine and some like the force pump were adopted by romans. But obviously, romans didn't find any interest in the Hero's steam engine.

  So I propose that tech faction uses the Hero's steam engine to power up the battle machine.

  The wikipedia article about hero of alexandria show us what look like his inventions: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hero_of_Alexandria
  This picture show that famous Aeolipile : http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/c ... ration.JPG

  I suggest that the rotating part of the aeolipile is placed in the back of the battle machine. I made a design of my idea but i am not a good designer (but i think it is understandable) : http://img387.imageshack.us/my.php?image=steambtfh9.jpg

[@kukac@]

It's a fantasy game, it's acceptable  

[tucho]

yes, in the first battlemachine concepts in fact he has a chimney on his back, but the problem is you only can atach particle effects to the attacks not to stand by animations or walk animatios. For make it you must change the source code.

 

[Platyhelminth]

ok i see, smoke = particles ? then we can remove smoke from battle machine before changing the code ( just adding the rotating rocket powered wheel and the iron pipe which feed that wheel in steam).

A chimney means that the steam engine is like those of the industrial revolution. Engine of this time used lot of pistons : http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/c ... mation.gif

Piston was not well developed in middle age. . .

Also, Hero of alexandria invented the Syringe (which look like and is probably the ancestor of pistons) but he didn't use it in order to use the steam pressure. In fact Hero's engine was a Jet engine (or rocket like engine).

[weedkiller]

perhaps you can fake the smoke within the animation with transparent faces. only looks bad if the machine turns  

[ZaggyDad]

Well, there is GAE. It allows you to apply the particles to any skill you want. I suppose you want to keep to normal Glest, but you could make a modification for GAE with it in it.

~Zaggy

[MrBlack]

I like like the "hammer + cannon" approach in that concept. It makes it look more like a piece of machinery than an animated pile of wood. Are there any old models with this?

[@kukac@]

They are way old picture of the battle machine

http://www.glest.org/glest_board/viewtopic.php?t=587

[Platyhelminth]

When I see these picture I see that the battle machine driver is very unprotected. A single bowman could defeat a battle machine if he aims the driver. An arrow rain could easily defeat a battle machine army.

I think the driver should be protected, his cockpit should be coverer with only railings opened to allow the driver to see the outside.

[rishenchen]

this is only a game.....it doesn't need to be so realistic. It doesn't need a steam engine or a arrow proof cockpit. If you want it to be so realistic, might as well take out the whole entire magic faction and all the flying units.  :roll:  

[Platyhelminth]

In my opinion a steam engine is exactly in the tech faction "philosophy". Tech faction has units which are the more close possible to real technology, in opposite of the magic faction.

   But it is right there is strange features for mechanical technology, like bipedal moves for battle machine which are extremly hard to reproduce with modern robotic . Successful modern bipedal robots were build with a multidisciplinary point of view ( with as much studies in biomechanic and physiology as robotics ) but are still very unadapted to make a hike )

  No flying object in middle age ? chinese invented kites since the antiquity and used them to lift men http://www.britannica.com/EBchecked/topic/319666/kite . The Chineses had a material in quantity enough strong and light to allow flights : the silk .

  In fact, the glest's ornithoptere looks like to the leonardo Da Vinci flying machine: http://www.angelfire.com/electronic/awa ... nardo.html . LOL watch the last pictures of that site and you will see that glest's ornithoptere is EXACTLY the leonardo's flying machine.
 Of course, Leonardo's machine is not supposed to work (due to the inadapted human strenght to move the wings , may be Hero's steam engine would make it possible ) But it proves that tech faction is inspired by real inventions.

After watching in you-tube i saw there is fun video about Hero's engine. This may help "modeling skilled people" to add this engine to battle machine, if they want :
_ http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ozcZ65bqUF0&NR=1
_ http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Y8eb3ak1f9g
_
documentary video (partialy or totaly in spanish or portugese) :
_ http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GLsRygxnwu8
_ http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DbAP13n6_3M

[Omega]

Where can I find the G3D models for the original battle machine???

[Platyhelminth]

here, I think = (where glest is installed)/techs/magitech/factions/tech/units/battle_machine/models

may be you mean these old models ? : http://www.glest.org/glest_board/viewtopic.php?t=587
Then I don't know.

[Omega]

Yeah, I meant the old one with the hammer and cannon, I thought it looked better than the current battle machine. However, it seems to have dissapeared without a trace, and I doubt anyone has one...

Oh well. Sure did look cool though.

[Platyhelminth]

May be this picture was the only thing from that battle machine version. I think before to decide what 3D model they will make for the game, they designed some 2D pictures . And so that model with hammer and cannon didn't have been choosed by the glest team for some unknown reasons.

[Omega]

You may be right. Kinda a pity, though. I like that battle machine more...