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Necron Animations, Take One
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Just so you can all see what is happening with the Necrons, for some reason in this video, only the player Necron is using custom animations I made. I will make a new video soon though, as I believe I have solved the issue :) Work in progress as always.
I know that its take one but Necrons should step really heavily and proceed slowly, with no accuracy penalty when they are shooting during walking. This would bring enough immersion to these slow paced, speechless killers and still they will be viable ingame. Btw I like how skeleton is well set inside this model and how cool they idle :D still they could move a bit less.
I like the points you bring up, and I mostly agree. While this is a reply to your comment, I would like other people to read this so they can understand what I'm thinking of for the Necrons.
The animations I am showing here are some of the first times I have made any animations for Arma 2 man units at all. In fact, I have already replaced that walking animation, and I think it's miles ahead of the last one.
I do want to put forth my ideas on the Necron speed though. (Warning! wall of text inbound!) I know how in Dawn of War, and popular artworks/stereotypes it portrays the Necrons as being rather (sometimes extremely) slow. I have to disagree with most of that. I see the Necrons as being "slow to react", they aren't slow moving around, just clumsy and cannot react as fast as other units may be able to. So I plan on making the standard Necron 'top speed' at about 75-85% of what a normal man's speed is. The Necron isn't as fast as the man would be, he's just a bit less maneuverable and clumsier. Something that I guess also affects why I want to try to make it this way is: In OFP 40k, the Necrons were slow as FOOK, and nearly unplayable unless you spawned right in the middle of the fight, because it took AGES to get to the fight! One of the things I want for the Arma 2 Necrons is that they be fun to play, and not be like watching paint dry, if that makes sense.
Another thing that affects my judgement on the speed of the Necrons is their lore. When the Necrontyr race was converted into bodies of living metal, the civilians got the worst off of the new bodies. The next tier was the soldiery, who got bodies that were adequate for their task. And finally, the Lords and their entourages got the best bodies of all, even being able to retain their personality and consciousness.
How does that affect their speed? Well, the crappy bodies that the Necron warriors got would be rough around the edges to begin with, and they are also 60 million years old. Combine that with damage from countless battles, and their maneuverability will surely suffer from it. Necrons with better bodies however, would have gotten better and safer storage, better and more regular repairs, and the bodies were better to begin with. So they would be faster, more maneuverable, etc. So for Necrons another tier up, instead of having 75-85% of the speed of a normal Arma 2 man, they would have 90-95%, and Necron Lords would be just as fast and maneuverable as an Arma 2 man.
I know I know, it would look funny to see Necrons running around like men, but that doesn't mean I cannot give them a jog animation like Dawn of War did. I think instead of having them sprint and run, they could take large foot-steps or go into a jog. Will Necrons be able to go prone and crouch? I haven't decided yet, but I think they should be able to crouch at least.
As for firing on the move, according to a few passages on the Lexicanum, and some common sense, it wouldn't be hard to imagine the Necrons having exceptional accuracy firing on the move. One of the things I am striving to do for the Necron troops is that they move up in lines or 'phalanxes' and discharge volley after volley of accurate, molecule-stripping fire. And yes, I will attempt to make it so that the standard Necron guass weapon can knock out tanks :D
To paraphrase everything I've said, the Necrons won't be much slower than a normal human, but they will be less maneuverable and clumsier, and will use tactics that would make them vulnerable to situations where they have to react quickly.
Of course this is just speculation on one possible way I could do the Necrons, but I believe this may be a good choice.
You make an extremely good point :D
Even made me doubt mine! - I was going to say watch out for making the animation feel too "human". Some of the movement feels a little normal (how much would Necron move while idling?).
But I suppose it's living metal NOT machines. But that said you are talking about life forms that to an extent have hit the most ultimate depression of eternity in a metal carcass :D
So movement, while not being slow makes sense, would definitely be deliberate IMO.
For example, idling I feel would be less extensive as humans - think of humans after a hard break-up, never mind PTSD - have to force themselves to move; 100% still otherwise.
So I would say, make movements more deliberate and calculated - even if retaining speed. See Cylon for a good feel :D (I know, like i said they're not machines - but total loss of self counts).
Hopefully you get what I mean :D
Indeed ,they cant be too slow or they would be unplayable for some people (I dont mind it beacuse ts immersive and I would play them otherwise). Thanks for such detailed reply.
Looks awesome! the head looks a bit big though? :)
Don't worry, I think so as well, this model is definitely not going to be the one I plan on releasing with :) Just for testing.
I agree with the ideas on motion. The lore indicates the average warrior not only has basic tech. But it's had the crap kicked out of it over it's lifetime. Most of their emotions and autonomous thought are gone leaving them disconnected from "reality". Coupled with damage that would explain the slow, but relentless march.
As Panzer mentions though, you have to balance that against that fact some people might like to play as these characters.
From what I've read, this plodding movement doesn't apply to the rest of a necron force. In fact they appear to be a very swift opponent in operation.