Style vs. Reason - wear & tear on equipment textures, or "Why spawn broken stuff?"

[FIREk]

Originally Posted by Accuser

^ This
There's nothing saying that there's a Vanu-tech "computer aided design" interface where the factions get to design whatever they want. They brought over a small civilization worth of gear to Auraxis, found the nanite construction tech and scanned in what they had. NC had to bolt a tank together as best they could, then scan it, then start pumping them out using the resources on Auraxis.

This makes perfect sense if the founders of the VS were TR scientists who discovered a cache of Vanu tech and figured they could scan it all and use it to secede.

It would, if the TR and VS vehicles were pristine.
The TR have/had limitless resources and could scan a fresh vehicle, right off the assembly line.
VS tech is by definition cutting-edge, brand-spanking new and there's no reason why it would be scanned dented.
Come to think of it, even if the NC had stolen some previous-generation TR hardware (which I'm assuming is what they're using, story-wise), they obviously had to repaint all of it before scanning. And they're not some space hobos that they couldn't afford enough paint. :P

I do agree that this explanation has merit, and I thought about something like this when considering the subject of worn equipment, but there are still a few gaps left unfilled until the devs tell us their story (assuming there are no gaps there).

[Accuser]

Originally Posted by FIREk

It would, if the TR and VS vehicles were pristine.
The TR have/had limitless resources and could scan a fresh vehicle, right off the assembly line.
VS tech is by definition cutting-edge, brand-spanking new and there's no reason why it would be scanned dented.

We might be working with different lore here... And I don't think there are any assembly lines on Auraxis.

The TR show up with a few thousand people to Auraxis, roll around in tanks discovering things, getting them dented up in the process. Scientists find ANCIENT (read as "not brand-spanking new") Vanu tech that was obviously designed for warfare and may well have been in wars before their discovery. Once nano-bot fabrication is worked out, TR scan in a tank (which has been rolling around Auraxis for a while now, hitting invincible trees and falling off cliffs). VS scan in their ancient, second-hand magriders. NC break out the duct tape and build a MAX with an integrated "beer hat" drinking system and scan that in.

Voila! All the nanobot-fabricated stuff is beat up.

[Brusi]

Originally Posted by Accuser

NC break out the duct tape and build a MAX with an integrated "beer hat" drinking system and scan that in.

Cause, as if you wouldn't!

I like the way the models look and it doesn't affect me in the slightest, even though i love fluff. I do like the explanation that the tanks we get have been salvaged and repaired by nanites. Maybe by teleporting the wrecks of vehicles or whatever.

One thing i do notice playing PS still is that you get a really good feeling driving around in a fully repaired tank, that is peppered with bullet holes and black from explosive impact marks. They are like veteran status badges, haha!

Having something visual that shows that you've managed to keep your vehicle alive for a longer than average time during battle is really nice. I would love a feature of gradual damage and dirtyness, but only if they have the resources to do so.

[Talek Krell]

They have the locational damage, so maybe it wouldn't be too hard to have some of the damage leave "scars" when it's repaired?

[Xyntech]

Originally Posted by Talek Krell

They have the locational damage, so maybe it wouldn't be too hard to have some of the damage leave "scars" when it's repaired?

Maybe bullet pock marks and scorching from fires/explosions remains, but fires get put out and missing pieces come back.

It's not like we are cleaning and resurfacing the vehicle, we are returning it to a structurally sound, combat ready state

[Traak]

Nose art on the bombers. If I'm the only one who can see the nose art on my bomber, then so be it.

[Raymac]

Originally Posted by Traak

Nose art on the bombers. If I'm the only one who can see the nose art on my bomber, then so be it.

Hell yes! I want a pin up girl, or maybe some Flying-Tiger-esque nose art on my plane. Of course, if you can design anything you want, it will take about 5 seconds before we see the Flying Penis Squadron.

[Brusi]

and 5.1 seconds for the flying swastika squadran

[Malorn]

If stuff spawns from nanites it doesn't make sense to me that they would manufacture it worn and dented. If I just respawned from a respawn tube why would my gear be torn and tattered?

I like the idea of the wear n' tear being something developed over time, to the point where someone alive or a tank that has been through hell and back LOOKS like it has been through hell and back, while some fresh-off-the-nanite-line tank is pristine.

Layers added over time or distance traveled or damage taken (or some combination) makes sense to me, as you are no longer in a spawn tube or off a nanite pad. But the initial renders of worn gear and stuff looks really bizarre given the planetside nanite technology.

NC might be using older designs, but that doesn't mean they're using older equipment. I'd also like to understand how they explain the superior vanguard firepower, MAX shield, and phoenix/sparrow guidance systems if they are using "inferior" tech to the TR.

What is more plausible is that they are using older designs that have been modified since they cannot use TR designs (for whatever reason). The original PS lore also stated that the separatists that became NC had some industrial types in their group. Makes sense that they would inherit some good engineers and scientists who could adapt cutting edge technology to older equipment designs. And in doing so they were more concerned with practical applications than aesthetics so you get the square shapes and the rugged look.

Rugged = yes.
Older designs = yes.
Hastily but practically modified = yes.
Worn & tattered = no.

[kaffis]

Originally Posted by Malorn

NC might be using older designs, but that doesn't mean they're using older equipment. I'd also like to understand how they explain the superior vanguard firepower, MAX shield, and phoenix/sparrow guidance systems if they are using "inferior" tech to the TR.

A cannon is inferior tech to a SAW. The vanguard isn't really difficult to explain. The Sparrow guidance system is pretty similar to the Striker, depending on which iteration you're talking, and the Striker's shoulder-portable vs. requiring an integrated suit. The Phoenix isn't all that advanced when it comes to guidance. Automated guidance vs. radio/wire-fed manual control? I'll tell you which requires more computational power. the Shield is an outlier, I'll grant you, considering it showed up before vehicle and base shields.

[Geist]

Well, we can customize our uniforms and vehicles, perhaps the explanation is that they want it to look battle-scarred. Does make these things more intimidating.

[kaffis]

Originally Posted by Spectre

Well, we can customize our uniforms and vehicles, perhaps the explanation is that they want it to look battle-scarred. Does make these things more intimidating.

As I said in the Art Week Commlink thread: New Conglomerate -- Even our vehicles are grizzled battle-scarred veterans!

[NapalmEnima]

I figure the lore on this will be something like "we had to base the nanite pattern on something, so we used the best one we could find. Yeah... it's seen better days."

It doesn't necessarily explain all the post-creation customization, but I suspect the Lore will patch that hole too.

[basti]

Originally Posted by LZachariah

Remember, the NC are described as scavengers/commandos/masters of asymmetrical warfare. Of course, no one would ever construct a new, BROKEN object via nanites ("let's make it with a scuffed paint job!"), but one could consider that nanites are also used to disassemble and TRANSPORT objects that had previously been scavenged. I imagine giant weapon vaults wherein objects are teleported, via nanites, to the NC (in this case). So their devices aren't being made from scratch (with worn bolts and a chip on the shoulder-stock), but they are being rifted to the soldiers via nanites.

~Zachariah

This got me.

What if your weapon doesnt just go away if you die, but the weapon itself got stored as data via nanites, and you then get the lastest version of your weapon back, fixed up and everything, but still with all the visual flaws. That would explain why stuff looks used after fresh spawning, but would also allow stuff to age. Let it age slow enough, and you will clearly see the difference between someone that uses a Gauss for the first time, and someone that was born with a Gauss in his hands.
The same could also work for vehicles. Would allow you to see the guy that is driving a mag for the very first time, and the guy that never left his mag for anything else but dying, just to get a new one.

[Crator]

Originally Posted by basti

What if your weapon doesnt just go away if you die, but the weapon itself got stored as data via nanites, and you then get the lastest version of your weapon back, fixed up and everything, but still with all the visual flaws.

Just doesn't make sense. It's fixed up but still looks damaged? I'll be kicking the weapon term thinking it gave me a broke weapon.