The Gang of Five
The Land Before Time => LBT Fanfiction => Topic started by: Caustizer on November 14, 2009, 11:29:46 AM
-
Hey all,
This is a fanfiction idea I've been trolling around with for a while now, and some days it worked while on others it didn't. It takes great inspiration from Twilight Valley, with many of the OCs from that story featured in this alternate universe with Serris' permission. If you are an LBT-purist a story or settling like this is not for you, but otherwise feel free to post your comments as me and others add tidbits to this thread.
...
The basic idea of this story is that there is a high tech war between the Leaf-eaters and the Sharpteeth who have each developed their own brand of civilization and technology.
The leaf-eater cities and states are enormous and well-defended, with all their food grown from specialized greenhouses to feed the masses. Their military is conservative and careful, prioritizing safety and reliability over destructive potential. If a certain weapon is deemed too brutal or inethical by the VDF, they won't use it.
The sharptooth states, collectively refered to as Claw, are absolute dictatorships were the upper classes dine well and the lower classes devour each other in the streets just to eat. Claw thrives on warfare, with every territory conquered full of new prey to consume. Naturally, this brings the VDF and Claw into conflict on many many occasions.
Here is a bit of a blurb as to what this is all about:
...
Land Before Time: Future Wars
Introduction:
After over 200 million years, the dinosaurs stood unchallenged as the inheritors of the planet Earth. An alien race watched bitterly from the void of space, and eventually determined that the time of the dinosaurs was finally to come to an end. They intended to prepare the planet for the seeding of their own creation; a race that would eventually become known as humanity. The planet in its current state however was too hostile for their needs. To this end they crafted a virus; a special combination of genomes designed to drastically reduce the size and might of the reptiles over generations. It was released via capsule, and 150 years later it was determined to be a success. 98% of the planet’s reptilian inhabitants did not grow beyond their teenage size and some grew even less. There was one side effect that the creators of the virus did not intend however – intelligence.
Brainpower doubled, tripled, quadrupled in the offspring of the infected dinosaurs, and what soon followed was the development of civilization, of science, and eventually of war.
-
Factions of the Twilight War:
VDF or the Valley Defence Force
Twenty generations after the first alien capsule fell on earth, the planet Earth had changed beyond recognition. The brilliance of longneck engineers, combined with the strength of the spiketails and the will of the threehorns had transformed once the green valleys of the past into sprawling networks of titanium, steel, and pavement. Green food was cultivated in special greenhouses to feed the masses, water was filtered through giant plexipipes into the hydro systems, and power lines buzzed with fresh ionic electricity.
The leaf-eaters were scattered throughout the world in population centres like this, for they promised one food to eat, a place to live, and a higher purpose. Some cities were independent, but others were banded together in a network of protection called the VDA, or the Valley Defence Alliance. The VDA kept trade routes open, airlines fuelled, and ensured that society always remained organized surrounding around its modicum:
“Every Race has its Place.”
Notable VDA cities include, the Lush Haven, the Forest Haven, the Verdant Haven, and the biggest one of all called the Great Haven (formerly known as the Great Valley) where the leading council holds government. The military arm of the VDA is known as the VDF or the Valley Defence Force, which is most advanced and well equiped military force in the world.
-
Claw:
Things were different for the sharpteeth, who founded a completely separate and secret society. Even after becoming more intelligent, they could not escape their nature and tended to conceal their holdings and avoid direct fighting. Sharptooth cities are ruled by a single tyrannical ruler, who decides who receives what food and who deserves to eat on any particular day. Every city like this has a sub-network where the leaf-eaters are kept, completely ignorant of their impending fate until they are selected to “transfer” by the managing AI. The leaf-eaters who do are understandably never seen again. Even using these harvesting practises every sharptooth cannot be fed, so the ruling powers are forced to attack and assimilate other leaf-eater groups to keep their populations in check – both through war dead (less mouths to feed) and through the harvesting of the corpses of the conquered. The worst of the war-like sharptooth nations is known as Claw, which holds its capital at a place known by its old name as Claw Valley. Claw is led by a mysterious sharptooth known only as Excidium, who has never been seen in public but he is often pictured in likeness on the streets of Claw City. Claw is notorious for attacking without warning and brutally assimilating leaf eater havens into its fold. One nation Claw has never dared to attack however is the VDA… until now.
-
State of the World:
Following a period of turbulence and strife the VDF was acknowledged as the savoir of the leaf-eaters for defending independent cities from sharptooth raids, and establishing many kind trade agreements to bring more dinosaurs into the VDA fold. Over 61% of the world was within range of VDF control, and the threat of attack was at an all time low.
Pressure was mounting in the VDA Council to launch attacks into the Claw and Fang domains, to free captive leaf-eaters from sharptooth tyranny, and such motions were only opposed by a few more conservative councillors such as Grandpa Longneck of the Great Haven and Thuro of Verdant Haven. They believed that Fang, Claw, and Scythe would collapse on their own and that the renegade sharptooth factions posed no threat to the safety of the VDA and its citizens.
They were wrong.
As night fell the defences of the Great Wall, a turret and ionic fence network specifically set up to defend from attack from the wastes, suddenly shut down as the work of a group Claw’s specially trained Chameleon Spies revealed itself. What followed was the opening act of a war the likes of which Earth would not know again for another hundred million years – the Twilight War.
The Gang of Five:
Things were certainly different for the gang of five growing up in the Great Haven, but compared to the past dimension they were nearly the same. Although VDA policy had ensured a society that ran efficiently and effectively by assigning a particular race to a task that suited them best, the result was a division between the herds and some racist sentiment. Littlefoot, Petrie, Ducky, Spike, and Cera all met when they were barely born in a post-hatching play forest (despite how society had evolved, leaf eating parents still preferred their children to be familiar in their natural environment) and were all drawn together by their mutual desire to have fun. All this changed when a medical team arrived for a standard vaccination, and determined that Littlefoot and Petrie were a rare designation called a “Primo-genitor”.
“Primo-genitor” is a complex term for a very simple phenomenon - that is they were immune to the growth reduction effects of the alien virus, and would eventually grow to their full size. This was understandably big news, as less then 0.05% of the population had this condition and those that did were considered the last remnants of a once great age. To find one Primo-genitor was an extremely rare occurrence – but to find two at once was highly exceptional, and it made the news for weeks. Instantly, the gang had been transformed from normal children to into adored and admired celebrities, and their lives would never be the same.
Around the time the Gang was becoming famous, a family of fast runners defected from Fang to join the VDF, and like all other defectors they were treated with suspicion and indifference. It wasn’t until one of their children, named “Ruby” was determined to be a Primo-genitor were they given a place to stay and an opportunity for a new life. With them they brought an eager and skilled young sharptooth named Chomper, who was to become the most famous member of the entire gang.
-
Sounds like a cool story! I look forward to more!
-
Military Forces of the Future:
VDF Infantry:
Runner Squads
- Most Fast runners who enlist for the VDF quickly find themselves fighting on the frontlines as part of the Runner Corps, an elite group of dino-soldiers armed with the latest issue automatic shotguns for close range engagement.
- Their chief advantage is their speed, and they make full use of it in the gritty city fights that often occur during sharptooth raids, as well as quickly suppressing any unwanted uprisings within VDF territory.
- Often consist of 6 individuals, with one designated as the field sergeant
- When speed is secondary to protection, command has been known to special issue Thermic Armour to Runner units, but this is as rare and situational as the battle permits.
- Rarer still are the experimental Plasmic Shells, which are specially designed to punch through the toughest hides and armours using a subatomic ball of plasma to provide maximum killing power. These shells are especially useful versus Claw Firehounds, which are notorious for their heavy armour.
Spiketail Teams
- Spiketails are valued for their greater then normal proportion of strength to body weight, which ultimately makes them excellent heavy weapon troopers for the VDF in all theatres of war.
- Composed of normally 2 members, which are usually siblings or relatives to ensure the greatest cooperation on the battlefield
- One spiketail is armed with a Dual Fire Missile Launcher on their back which is useful versus enemy vehicles, structures and aircraft, while the other carries a long range Thudd Mortar for attacking groups of infantry from a distance.
- Occasionally Spiketail Teams are fitted with Thermic Armour in especially undesirable zones or important battles, so they last longer versus enemy fire.
Longneck Architect
- Longnecks are important members of the VDF because they are valued for their intelligence, and as such they rarely take to the battlefield directly as opposed to working behind the lines on the latest generation of weaponry. Architects are a key exception to this rule.
- A single Architect is defenceless and poorly armoured, and as such is highly vulnerable to attack - a fear that these longnecks never cease to mention to their superiors.
- Architects can do many things beyond the capabilities of normal troopers, such as repairing damaged structures, demolishing enemy structures, and detecting nearby stealth units with their advanced sensory apparatus. It’s not surprising that Runner Squad tend to hang around them when venturing into Claw or Fang territory for this reason.
- Certain trained Architects have been trained to re-activate damaged VDF advanced armour like the Mastodon and Behemoth Walkers, but their abilities are often untested and unreliable (Advanced Walkers are such a new technology after all)
- Longneck Architects often request (with varying degrees of response) to only work with commanders agreeing to provide them with Thermic Armour, but even amongst the well equipped VDF this is rare.
Longneck Exosuit Squad
- Exosuits are the most advanced personal armour suits available in the VDF, and cover the bodies of their Longneck wearers completely from head to tail
- These soldiers are protected from any and all airborne gaseous toxins and are for the most part immune to small arms fire. Claw soldiers dread to be sent against a unit of Exosuits, such is their power
- Usually formed together in squads of 3, although it has been known to expand to 4 when an Exosuit Trainee is brought on
- Because longnecks have to hands to conceivably operate a weapon, the powerful Exo-lasers are mounted in pairs on their shoulders, and fired with a double blink from the wearer in the targets direction. They are capable of slicing through anything from metal, flesh, bone, or structural reinforcements, but are most effective versus enemy armour that has a difficult time dodging the sweep of the beam.
- On the rare occasion Exosuit units may be issued Regeneration Packs, which is an addition to their armour to allow it to re-integrate and self-repair itself versus incoming attacks.
- Exosuits are cost prohibitive, and therefore are only sent on the most important of surface missions. As such their operators are the best trained in the VDF, and are an example that younger longnecks often aspire to.
Chomper
- There is no leaf-eater born within the VDF who has not heard the name of Chomper, the friendly sharptooth who is also the VDF’s most elite commando
- Chomper is equipped with a prototype Warp Suit, an unbelievably expensive suit of combat armour that has two unique properties – the Warp Touch and the Warp Jump
- Chomper’s Warp Touch instantly erases anything he touches from time, effectively exterminating any enemy he fights without a trace. This ability makes him hated and feared by Claw, as the units sent to fight him simply vanished, along with several outlying bases.
- Warp Jump allows Chomper to make a brief leap through space and time, instantly transporting him from one place to another in the blink of an eye. This ability is quite short ranged though, due to its enormous power requirements, but it hasn’t failed to spawn rumours amongst Claw recruits that he is immune to death.
- VDF commanders can only request Chomper’s presence if they have the highest clearance level available, and even then it’s not a sure thing. Chomper answers directly to Central Command, and nobody else.
- To add to the misery of the VDF’s enemies, Chomper sometimes takes to field equipped with the latest issue of Regeneration Packs, to heal any damage that has been done to his valuable Warp Suit.
-
VDF Vehicles:
Skyrunner
- Skyrunners are cheap and easily manufactured support vehicles produced by the VDF to combat light vehicles and aircraft
- Hover drives enable the Skyrunner to move far more quickly then conventional vehicles, so unsurprisingly they are crewed almost entirely by fastrunners
- Equipped with a battery of 6 Rockets, which rearm automatically after being fired
- Sometimes Extra Rockets are added to the Skyrunner to help it deal with marauding aircraft
Crawler
- Crawlers are reliable all terrain transports that often carry VDF personnel into the field through hostile warzones. They are crewed by fastrunners, but are used to transport infantry of all races.
- Vision slits in the sides enable the soldiers inside to fire out the hatches at nearby enemies
- Unfortunately only a single unit can fit into the passenger bay at once, but this rarely proves a problem as Crawlers can be manufactured en mass to meet the needs of the infantry divisions
- equipped with an outside mounted grenade launcher, for both urban and open warfare
Charger Tank
- VDF’s armoured core is formed exclusively of threehorn recruits, and they would have it no other way. The Charger is the heavily armoured Main Battle Tank of the VDF and is armed with an armour piercing shock cannon for combat against enemy vehicles
- Vastly superior to the Claw Tank, but is also more expensive to produce and more timely to train the crew in its operations
- As a bonus feature (or perhaps an appeasing feature) longneck engineers installed a turbo-injection motor and a huge frontal ramming plate, allowing the Charger to live up to it’s name in a desperate situation
- Sonicannons are an experimental upgrade that allows these tanks to take on large groups of tanks more feasibly, although at the cost of primary penetrative power
Punisher Tank
- Normally a brutal weapon like this would not be allowed out of the testing grounds, but in this case an exception was made due to a strong complaint from the Threehorn Corps. The complaint was that their existing vehicle, the Charger, was too ill equipped to deal with the swarms of foot soldiers that were commonly used by their enemies. In their views, depending on fickle runners to protect them was a weakness that just wouldn’t do
- To that end longneck engineers crafted this monster, which is as heavily armed as the Charger but is also equipped with two armour piercing rotating cannons, capable of a rate of fire of 4000 rounds a minute – more then enough to massacre enemy infantry divisions. The threehorn crew were more then satisfied.
- The Punisher is also armed with Plasmic Shells on rare occasions when the enemy proves more durable then its primary ammunition can handle.
- Thanks to prior arrangements with Topsy, Cera enjoys the best Punisher in the fleet and is often seen testing it’s might on the battlefield.
Cardio-Rig
- This VDF support vehicle is crewed by an assortment of different races, each one designated to carry out a certain role within its function. A longneck manages the repair systems for nearby damaged vehicles, while a Spiketail drives and a group of swimmers manage the medical bay
- While in motion all operations are ceased, until the unit can deploy again. During this time all crew are strapped in tight.
- Completely defenceless, so it falls to nearby forces to protect them
Brontodon
- Brontodons are the most symbolic, most high tech and heavily armoured machines in service with the VDF to date. They are quadruped combat walkers that tower as tall as a building and are equipped with a ton of various weapons for countering threats of all types
- Primary weapon systems are two mounted Exo Cannons, mighty lasers which can strafe the ground in a line damaging multiple targets in one shot. It is very similar to the system used in Exo Suits, but on a much larger scale.
- Certain modified heavy walkers can mount Arch-Shields, special devices which disable primary weapons but cast an enormous frontal shield which protects nearby VDF forces from incoming attacks and is credited with saving hundreds of lives to date.
- Only longnecks are allowed to crew a Brontodon, such is its technical complexity and public image. Unsurprisingly, the engineers who designed it meant for it to be as imposing as they would have grown were it not for the virus, and even a Primo like Grandpa Longneck agreed that they are magnificent (and taller then he was)
- Brontodon are piloted via a belt system, where the driver walks and turns on an oscillating floor and the walker mimics his/her motions
- Extremely expensive and rare even on the most important of battlefields, the honoured crews often name their walkers – Littlefoot’s Brontodon is called ëDoc’, for obvious reasons.
(http://screenshots.filesnetwork.com/27/potd/1250259321_89.jpg)
Behemoth
- Spiketails got their day when these massive artillery walkers came into service.
- Tough mobile quadruped walkers that are equipped with the latest big gun in the VDF, the Thunder Cannon. Thunder Cannons use the largest ballistic shells in existence at 2m across to flatten enemy positions from miles away.
- No close range weapons however, so they are vulnerable to attack. As well, they have no air defences so are easy prey for Claw Screamers
- Has a single mounted battle bunker, within which a single squad may garrison to support the walker up close. Spiketail crews frown upon any other race who takes this position besides other spiketails, but they are still grateful for the assistance.
- Rare and expensive, Behemoths are only used in the most desperate of situations when a lot of firepower is needed and the Mastodons aren’t enough
Sonicopter
- Flyers who join the air force no longer fly on their own, but behind the wings of a turbo powered jet craft with a few inches of armour plating between them and their enemies.
- Uses a revolutionary new sonic weapons system to devastate groups of enemy vehicles, but is disappointingly ineffective versus groups of heavily armoured infantry and structures. On the plus side though, at least they have unlimited ammo.
- Possesses the latest sensors and tremor graphs to detect hidden forces, to maximize the effectiveness of the experimental weapons they carry
- Heavily used as a patrol craft, but still on request for VDF commanders in the field beyond the normally permitted forces.
Pulverizer
- Mighty bombers of the VDF air force, these massive hover aircraft can pummel an enemy base into oblivion, and then some.
- Flyers who find the Sonicopter not heavy enough are quickly moved into the Pulverizer Corps, which also has a habit of naming their planes and decorating them with art.
- Also capable of para-dropping loads of infantry onto the battlefield, but said infantry have to endure the gibes of the fly boys, who make fun of the cushiness of their aerial ride.
- Pulverizers are only commissioned on a “must-be-destroyed” basis, so are rare in small scale skirmishes.
-
The VDF and Claw factions are so well developed now in my notes, if I had the modding and artistic skills I could make a game out of it.
...
VDF has no power plants, so can build unlimited defenses and structures, but has a unit limit based on the amount of Arboriums you construct. This makes the Valley Defense Forces advantaged in a defensive situation.
Claw has no unit limit, so can build unlimited soldiers and vehicles, but has energy to power it's structures and defenses based on the amount of Talon Cores you construct. Understandably, this makes Claw ideal in offensive situations.
VDF Heroes:
Great Haven (aka Great Valley)
- Starts with Littlefoot's Brontodon, a massive four legged walker which possesses a powerful frontal shield that can be activated at will to protect your army from enemy fire. The main weapons don't activate until you construct Bigmouth's Armoury and a Battle Center.
- Great Haven's armies are focused on technological superiority, hence the Battle Center and Brontodon walkers are 25% cheaper then the other factions of VDF.
Dawn Haven
- Starts with Sonic Ruby, who has a powerful Sonic Resonator that is effective versus masses of vehicles, but is not truely powerful until she kills enough opponents to be promoted to the Savoir rank. (VDF ranks go Exemplar = Veteran, Savoir = Elite Veteran, Harbinger = Best of the best)
- Dawn Haven's armies are focused on masses of foot soldiers, and hence infantry coming out of the VDF Training Ground are 25% cheaper then normal.
Verdant Haven
- Starts of with the Cardio-copter, a flying aircraft that is a fusion of flight, medical, and repair divisions of VDF. Petrie and Ducky are glad to be apart of one of the VDF's first race-collaberative experiments, and using their combined abilities can heal masses of infantry and vehicles in both down times and active battle situations.
- Verdant Haven's armies concentrate on being economically sound, and so enjoy a 25% increase in Arborium productivity.
...
Claw Sector
- Starts with the Deliverator, a ravenous grinding machine that draws enemy vehicles towards it with it's tractor harpoon and breaks them down, providing a decent refund to it's owner. Hasta is all too glad to put this devilish crawler to the test, and delights in the inevitable death all of his targets experience.
- Claw armies are the most aggressive of all sharpteeth forces and favour the support of their advanced technology before taking to the field to harvest their prey. Hence Claw Sector can construct the Black Tech Division 25% cheaper then the other sectors, as well as building the deadly Tyrannotron mechs 25% cheaper then normal.
Fang Sector
- In tune with Fang's tendancy to avoid a direct fight, Ozzy the Chamelion Master gladly takes to the battlefield to assist upstart Fang commanders. Not many sharpteeth, or rather meat eaters, can attest to having their own satellite in orbit, but Ozzy can. He possesses no weapons, but can use his personal Icarus satelite to steal money, disable radar, and shut down vehicles and buildings with EMP. On top of this Ozzy only wears the latest Stealth armour, so hes almost complelely invisible!
- Fang's Army's are fitted to avoid a direct fight, instead using stealth and subtlety to gain eventual victory. In this light, all Fang foot sharpteeth begin with Stealth Armour (even lowly Sickle Packs) to hide them from visibility and make all your attacks quite surprising.
Scythe Sector
- Due to the incredable size of the Scythe Sector, the sharpteeth here have entered into a pact with mercenary flyers in order to better guard their domains. Apart from this however, Scythe's greatest claim to fame is Dr. Achilles, an unfortunate fast-biter who bound himself with an AI during an experiment in the Black Technology Labs. Achilles is bound entirely within the domain of computing and electricity, with his mortal body nothing more then an empty vessel to bind his spirit to the world. Sometimes when Scythe is threatened, Achilles will take to the battle field in his ingenious Calculator, a mobile advanced AI node that allows him to boost production figures enormously allowing armies to be quickly raised.
- Scythe armies are equiped mightily with an airforce piloted by Carniverous flyer allies, and their experience allows aircraft to be produced much cheaper then conventional Claw aircraft. Units built out of the Death-nest are 25% cheaper.
...
Essentially, each army has 1 hero that you start with depending upon the sub-faction you choose. These units are entirely different from the Commando units, VDF's Chomper and Claw's Utah and Manhatten, which tend to cause enormous amounts of destruction very quickly.
-
Here's my contributions:
VDF forces:
Ducky
- No Leafeater in the VDF does not know the name of Ducky, one of the first female VDF soldiers, as well as one of the finest soldiers of either gender.
- Ducky is equipped with the very expensive "Singularity" series powered armor. The suit's combination of amorphous metal and ceramic armor render her immune to small arms fire. In addition, electroactive artificial muscles greatly increase her strength. The armor is powered by a miniaturized fusion reactor inside an armored backpack. The backpack also contains air filtration systems that protect her against airborne toxins.
- The helmet that comes with the armor is equipped with a Heads Up Display, as well as infrared and low light vision modes. The helmet's visor can also darken to counter the effects of flash grenades and. The visor's electronics are protected by a layer of armored glass. The helmet is composed of a light but extremely strong combination of amorphous metal and carbon composites. Though it is strong, high caliber weapons such as .50 caliber SLAP rounds may penetrate the helmet.
- Ducky's weapon is a powerful railgun originally designed for vehicle mounting. The railgun draws power from the miniaturized fusion reactor that powers the suit. The railgun fires a 30 mm, 2 pound, solid steel slug at speeds in excess of Mach 6. The slug can penetrate most armor. Ammunition is supplied in 10 round box style magazines (a modification from the vehicle mounted model where the rounds were supplied in a helical magazine). However, it is not very effective against massed infantry as there are no explosives in the slug and the railgun has a slow rate of fire. In rare cases, Ducky has been known to use her railgun to kill enemy soldiers behind cover.
- Due to the relatively large size and weight of the railgun magazines, she can only carry a limited amount of ammunition. In addition, the railgun's capacitors take roughly 3.5 seconds to gather enough power for one shot.
- Experiments have been made to allow the armor to repair itself but they have failed. For now, Ducky must take off the armor to allow technicians to repair it.
- Only VDF commanders with the highest clearance can request Ducky's presence and even then, it is not a sure thing that she will show up. She is a member of the so called "Elite Cadre", answering only to Central Command. In addition, Ducky's armor is extremely expensive, so she is only called out only if there is a massive threat.
-
I'd envisioned Theta is the lieutenant who briefs you during the cutscenes when you play as Claw. That's why I didn't include Ali in the VDF because she's the lieutenant who calls the shots in the VDF military.
-
I gotta say, this reminds me of a cartoon I used to watch called Dino Riders. This sounds very interesting indeed
-
Hasta and Theta are paired lieutenants.
I had imagined Red-Eye or Styracus doing the briefing not Theta.
Also, Theta has a barely disguised love for combat which is why I would expect him to engage in direct combat. Also his weapon of choice (knives) will be featured into the Future Wars incarnation.
-----------------------
On a side note, I finished Theta:
Theta - Claw
- Despite Theta having a the rank of lieutenant, he is sometimes called upon for combat. In addition, he has been known to voluntarily attach himself to a unit and fight alongside them.
- Theta wears a modified version of the powered armor worn by Claw Firehounds. The armor he wears is much lighter than the Firehound armor but it does not provide as much protection. It does however, provide more protection than the light armor worn by Claw's standard infantry.
- His main weapon is what is known as a plasma knife. It is an ordinary knife that Theta can connect to his suit's miniaturized fusion reactor. This results in the blade becoming energized and renders it capable of burning through most personal armor and cause severe burns. However, it is not powerful enough to do more than score the heavier armor plating on vehicles or buildings. However, the knife cannot remain indefinitely energized because there is a risk of melting the knife or consuming so much power that the suit cannot move. In addition, he must wait roughly 45 seconds for the knife to cool down before he can energize it again.
- His secondary weapon is the deadly magma cannon. It uses powerful electromagnets to hurl a bolt of molten metal at its target. The bolt can pierce most vehicle armor, igniting fuel and ammunition. A grazing hit on infantry can cause serious injuries and a direct hit is invariably fatal. However, since there are no explosives, it is not as effective against masses of infantry. However, small pieces of hot metal, which can cause serious injury or even fatalities, are ejected from the muzzle of the weapon when it is fired. These do not travel as far nor possess the same weight or size as the main projectile but are still dangerous to nearby unarmored personnel. For safety reasons, the cannon's ammunition is stored in solid metal slugs (stored in 10 round box style magazines) which are then softened and heated to a plastic but not yet molten state via magnetic induction. The entire weapon draws its power from the suit's fusion reactor. It takes roughly 12 seconds to fire due to the fact that the capacitors need to build a full charge to fire and the metal slug has to be softened.
- Theta's armor has limited self repair capabilities. However, extensive damage will force him to remove the suit and have technicians repair it.
---------------------
Theta is supposed to be Claw's anti-vehicle unit. Analogous to Power Ducky.
He is slower and has less armor than Power Ducky but his magma cannon does more damage than Ducky's railgun but at the cost of a much lower rate of fire and a smaller ammunition capacity.
Also, his armor can repair itself but only up to a certain point.
-
That is a pretty cool idea for Theta.
I've been thinking though that since theres only one of him is he a Commando like Utah & Manhatten? or more like a unique hero like Ruby or Ozzy?
The difference is... you would start the game with a unique hero unit (and can only have one, depending on the subfaction you choose) which is more valuable as support then as a one-dino army. For instance, Ruby's Sonic Cannon isn't all that great but it makes for a great anti-everything support weapon if you are using mainly an army of Spiketail Teams or Runner Squads.
Commandos on the otherhand, are expensive, require lots of tech and clearance, are unique, and generally slaughter everything in their path.
VDF's most known Commando is Chomper, who can pretty much kill anything instantly (including whole squads, buildings, vehicles etc.) while Claw's most known Commandos are Utah & Manhatten who are built together and compensate for each other's weaknesses.
Claw also has the advantage of having two seperate commandos, which means they can use them to bolster their army.
(For instance, Manhatten would be a perfect addition to a group of Firehounds who cannot touch vehicles)
-
Ducky
- No Leafeater in the VDF does not know the name of Ducky, one of the first female VDF soldiers, as well as one of the finest soldiers of either gender.
Hellz yeah. (http://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.php/Main/AlternativeCharacterInterpretation)
This story sounds freaking sweet. Like a Pelvanida's Twilight that's more Twilight Valley than Darwin's Soldiers.
Totally looking forward to this fic.
-
Theta is a commando unit and Ducky is a unique unit.
Theta can pretty much trash almost anything in his path while Ducky is suited only for attacking vehicles.
Theta's molten slugs are effective against buildings (can start fires) while Ducky's rail gun will simply go through the building and not ignite anything.
-
Do you think Claw & VDF should have navies, or would it make sense for them to favour avoiding the water?
-
Well in Twilight Valley, Lio was a swimming sharptooth allied with Claw and Mo and Elsie and possibly some OCs will be allied with the Great Valley so why not?
-
I've been trying to do some art for this but I'm so mindblowingly horrible at it I've nearly given up. The main problem is... it looks good in my head but when I try to draw it on paper it comes out as something completely different.
-
Alright I've completed some interesting audio segments for the VDF, check them out on Youtube here:
VDF Mission #1 - A Claw to the Heart (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Wn6kWvjBzTo)
VDF Mission #8 - Doom's Hammer (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ym7GXp4uJxE)
-
Now up are two good Claw audio tracks too, enjoy:
Claw Mission #1 - Suppression (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ouzatCh-AXQ)
Claw Mission #8 - Clash of the Titans (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eLnFH_ObwRU&feature=channel)
-
LOVE them music choices!
They feel so like Frank Klepacki's style! A mix of metal, techno and industrial.
Love the descriptions in there too. Keep up the good work!
-
Thank you Serris!
Once I have the time I'll create some art to go with these songs (like unit designs or just scenes in general). For now, I got two more songs posted... one for VDF and the other for Claw.
Claw Mission #7 - Deliveration (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OniOqqabBq0)
VDF Mission #4 - Little Foot, Big Gun (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KLrqP4pnFHU)
-
Is there anyone else who is following this, or is it just me and Serris?
-
I'm not going to follow this much, but I would like to offer a suggestion you could use.
Basically, if this war is going to take place all over the world, it would make sense to have different sets of weapons and vehicles that are well-suited to be used in certain regions. I'm not just talking about fighting in the cities, on the sea, and in the air. I'm talking about all the regions you can imagine: forests, jungles, plains, mountains, deserts, polar regions, volcanic regions. Honestly, if you're going to have a war in any of those regions, you would want to have weapons that can handle its environment, maybe even use its environment to its advantage.
-
Those are great suggestions and I plan to take them into account.
As a whole, the VDF is based on standardization, where soliders are assigned their weapons/vehicles based on race not because of racism, but because testing shows they are racially strong in that area. For example, Runners use close range Hand Shotguns and act as shock troops, while Spiketails possess a higher strength so they carry the heavy weapons.
If the terrain proves to be hostile, the VDF may upgrade it's lesser infantry with Thermic Armour (which provides climate control & extra, but isn't environment proof) or in the cases of extremely toxic or radioactive areas, they would only dare send in the Longneck Exosuits who are in fully contained units.
On the otherhand, Claw simply has a policy of "adapt or die" and leaves it's troops to take care of themselves. Apart from a few elite soldiers or expensive equipment everything in the Claw army is expendable. There are some souless Claw soliders that have been risen from the dead - called Reborn, that don't need to breathe and so are used in toxic or radioactive zones.
-
One of the things I thought of are troopers in fully enclosed environment suits (like the armor that Power Ducky wears). I will elaborate on them when the idea comes to mind.
-
I have a few peices of concept art I'm going to post for this when I get my scanner working, but I warn you they aren't that good. :lol
Sickle Pack
Runner Squad
Longneck Exosuits
-
Just so you know, I'm still following this. I just haven't had much time to post lately.
-
I have a few peices of concept art I'm going to post for this when I get my scanner working, but I warn you they aren't that good. :lol
Sickle Pack
Runner Squad
Longneck Exosuits
Ooh, always love concept art... :smile
I love this idea... LBT and Sci-fi = AWESOMENESS!
I'd be happy to contribute some concept art of my own if need be. If you guys have something you'd like me to draw just give me a holler... :lol:
-
Okay here is Claw's Infantry finally complete. The vehicles will come soon.
Claw Infantry:
Sickle Packs
- Claw’s main meat-shield **cough** front line infantry unit is composed of lightly armoured and equipped Sickle Claws, the lowliest of all sharpteeth
- Trained en mass for low cost, and organized into groups of ten allowing a Claw Commander to quickly amass a large force of small infantry
- Can garrison and attack from structures, but don’t expect it to last
- Armed with a low tech spine-gun, a small semi-automatic armament that shoots medium range spine slugs that do reasonably well versus enemy infantry
- Claw is not opposed to using various unorthodox tactics to enhance their troops, such as combat drugs. Sickle Packs can be upgraded with Stimulant Injectors or Rage Injectors, but not both
- Stimulant Injectors enhance the Health Points and Regeneration Rate temporarily to grant extra survivability, but reduces movement speed and firing speed due to the chemical bi-products produced
- Rage Injectors grant a burst of movement and firing speed, but also bring inevitable death as the toxin breaks down their neural system (Claw isn’t about to tell it’s users about this though)
Dervish Drone (aka Styracus Drone)
- Lightly armoured mid-size combat drones on steel treads that fight alongside Claw personnel on the battlefield
- They are easily reproduced and quite expendable, but are useful in that they carry heavy weapons which they can switch between at will for combating larger threats than mere Sickle Packs can handle.
- Dual Missile Launcher Mode is strong against enemy vehicles and aircraft and the standard configuration, while the upgraded Sniper Cannon Mode switches out the Missile Launchers into a decent size sniper rifle to pick off enemy soldiers both inside and outside structures
- Sometimes called Styracus Drones, after the VDF traitor who stole the plans for its construction off the leaf-eaters and sold them to Claw in return for amnesty.
- All drones have active personal flux shields, which can shrug off impacts from large weapons such as cannons and bombs, but does not protect them from small arms fire
- Cannot garrison structures, unfortunately
Arbiter
- Technically and mentally gifted sharpteeth are sometimes transferred into the Black Technology Division, Claw’s secret weapons manufacturer
- Upon arrival, they are initiated via a conversion perfected by Claw’s main AI Achilles which involves part of their brain being removed (the emotional part most likely) and replaced with an augmentation computer designed to boost their intelligence to unimaginable levels and to null their instincts
- These sharpteeth are hence-more called “Arbiters” and when they are required to take to the battlefield they carry no weapons, but instead use their skills to Claw’s advantage by repairing or capturing structures, detecting stealthed units, and reactivating destroyed machinery
- Other sharpteeth call these emotionless mechanics “Black Brains” referring mainly to their status as part of the Black Lab and their ability to fix generally anything without complaint or question
Fast-biter Firehounds
- Fast-biters form the middle tier of sharptooth society becoming comparable in size to the larger sharpteeth now (thanks to the alien virus) and hence are granted a degree of privilege
- Firehounds are Claw’s most elite infantry division, packing the best personal armour that can be manufactured en mass as well as deadly flamethrowers that can torch both enemy infantry and structures with equal contempt
- Other sharpteeth sometimes call them “Cookers” for their ability to grant a free cooked meal to anyone else nearby, and since most infantry don’t get rations this can make them quite popular
- Firehounds use their enhanced constitution to their advantage, and can be upgraded with either Stimulant Injectors or Rage Injectors but not both
- A relatively new technology to come out of the Black Labs is the use of Stealth Armour, which when purchased grants Firehounds complete invisibility unless they are attacking.
- Sometimes their hunger can get the best of them, and at your command you can order them to retract their flamethrowers and pounce on their enemies slaughtering them instantly with their vicious teeth. This ability comes in handy against deadlier foes such as Chomper who can zap them out of existence in seconds otherwise, but can hurt them when used against Runner Squads which deal more damage close range with their hand shotguns
Chameleon Spy
- These fast-runners in the service of Claw practice the subtle and stealthy art of infiltration and sabotage to increase the chances of Claw victory
- Chameleon Spies move quickly, and if they get inside an enemy structure they can either shut it down, steal credits, or gain valuable intel but are inevitably lost as they are soon found out and killed – such is a sacrifice Claw is willing to make
- Often seen as ëhalf-sharpteeth’ by other Claw soldiers for their ability to consume green food as well as meat and for this reason they are trained and bunked separately from all other infantry forces
- Can be upgraded with Stealth Armour, which enhances their infiltration abilities significantly since they can no longer be detected without the help of advanced scanners
- VDF Runners and Claw Runners have a deep hatred for one another and often go out of their way to kill each other regardless of orders. Claw will sometimes use this to its advantage by luring enemy runners into traps using their spies.
- As a secondary benefit, Chameleon Spies are also equipped with a short range EMP burst device, allowing them to temporarily disable enemy structures and vehicles at very close range in addition to their infiltration capabilities
Utah & Manhattan
- Claw's elite commando units, both of these brothers are trained at once and emerge from the Training Pit at the same time, but can be used as separate units as you choose
- Utah is a mad dog killer, feared by both his enemies and the rest of Claw's soldiers. He has the highest kill ratio of any living Claw soldier, and is constantly seeking to keep this title.
- Utah is armed with dual forearm mounted Turbo-shredders, a big improvement over the standard Claw shredder rifle that can project up to three hundred Tungsten-coated blades per minute EACH. Coupled with the ability to slay any infantry unit in a single shot, foot soldiers don't even stand a chance against him.
- Like his name, Manhattan is a field expert in heavy and dangerous weapons. His key armament is a 30mm Volcano Rifle, the deadliest personal weapon in the Claw arsenal. It's subatomic bullets can kill just about anything in one shot (on foot or in a vehicle) but he can only reload it so fast, so it's not effective versus masses of infantry
- Manhattan also carries a Screamer Target Designator, which destroys any size holding in one shot.
- When used together they are capable of dealing with any threat except from the air
- Both are fervent users of Combat Drugs, and as such Utah is equipped with unlimited Rage Injections (i.e. he is always crazy against infantry and never dies from it) and Manhattan is equipped with unlimited Stimulant Injections (i.e. he always regenerates extremely fast and never has any dis-benefit from it)
Caustizer.
-
Caustizer, the main Claw Valley "scientists" in TWV are Hellebore (sickleclaw) and Aconite (Fast-Runner).
In this universe, they would be more appropriate as either the AI of the Black Tech division or scientists.
SouthPawRacer, there is one piece of concept art that would be awesome to see, 2 words: Power Ducky.
I am currently working on a unit profile for Raptix and Deimos.
There is also one mission I am working on that is an adaptation of an upcoming TWV chapter and it involves Cloud Island.
That mission will probably feature Vio, Ed and Rytho as one chapter unique units (akin to the 3 actors in Mission 2 of Yuri's Revenge).
-
What do you think about the Claw Infantry in general... is there anything in there that you don't think suits them? Claw is pretty brutal compared to the VDF, so isn't opposed to using stuff like Rage drugs which kill whoever uses them after a brief burst of firepower.
-
I like it. But what about the larger sharpteeth?
I got this in a PM from Caustizer and I wanted to place it here (with some modifications and elaborations).
Resurrector Sphere - Claw
- The Resurrector Sphere is a heavy tracked vehicle that that bears a large blue orb inside an an armored housing.
- As the so-called "Resurrection Core" and drivetrain take up most of the vehicle, the vehicle is unarmed. Even though its moderate armor allows it to survive some weapons fire; it should not be left unescorted.
- Due to the size and weight of the "Resurrection Core", the vehicle has a low ground speed.
- The entire vehicle is crewed by robots because the sharpteeth adamantly refused to pilot this vehicle. Even threats of death as well as executions did not have an impact on them. In the end, it was decided that robotic pilots were the cheapest and most cost effective option. As a benefit, weight was reduced could be added as the robotic pilots did not need life support systems.
- These vehicles were created as a product of insidious research in Claw's Black Technology Division, and use mysterious power contained within their massive shielded blue glass orbs to resurrect any nearby friendly infantry who die in battle - only resurrection does not grant real life at all.
- Unfortunately, the "Resurrection Core" has been known to explode with considerable force, destroying the Resurrector Sphere, damaging nearby buildings or vehicles and killing nearby infantry, if it is severely damaged. Luckily, the "Resurrection Core" will erratically pulse blue if an explosion is imminent. The explosion also emits an intense white flash that blinds everyone looking at it.
- Excidium's scientists split the Stone of Cold Fire into dozens of tiny fragments, and using arcane neuro-technology they linked each fragment to the network for combat readiness inside a separate Resurrector Sphere.
- These vehicles are extremely high-tech and expensive, so only the highest ranking Claw Generals can commission them to the field, and only then if they have the prerequisite Black Laboratory: The Claw Tech Center.
Reborn - Claw
- Reborn are friendly infantry who die near a Resurrector Sphere and bought back to life by the sphere's power.
- Reborn look like ordinary sickleclaws except they are charged with a corona of deadly blue energy. The corona carries so much power that a single touch from them can kill.
- Reborn are not technically alive so they do not require food, sleep, water or even air and are completely immune to the effects of biological and chemical weapons as well as radiation. Thus they are invaluable for missions that take place in contaminated areas.
- Reborn do not feel any emotions and are completely loyal to Claw.
- Reborn never use any weapons other than their own teeth and claws. Their teeth and claws have been transformed into a mysterious crystalline material that is nearly indestructible and coupled with their supernatural strength, they are capable of tearing apart infantry and even armored vehicles with their bare hands.
- Reborn are also nearly immune to conventional weapons. The only weapons that can significantly injure Reborn are fire based weapons like Claw Firehounds, plasmic shell armed Fast-Runner squads and Theta's Magma Cannon.
- Reborn also possess extreme regenerative capabilities; there are many cases of them surviving headshots by high caliber rifle rounds or regrowing limbs shortly after they have been blown off. Strangely enough, burns seem to heal at a normal rate.
- Reborn are linked to a specific Resurrector Sphere and thus if the Resurrector Sphere they are linked to is destroyed, all its Reborn die instantly. Strangely enough, upon death they do leave a body behind but their crystalline claws and teeth are gone.
- No one knows about experience of a Reborn is as they are killed after the conclusion of a battle.
- There are also unconfirmed reports of Claw commanders killing their own troops when a Resurrector Sphere is available to turn them into Reborn as a desperation tactic.
--------------------
The idea of Resurrector Spheres exploding violently when destroyed is based off another LBT war fic (Land Before Time: War of the Worlds). In that fic, the Stone of Cold Fire, violently exploded after it had been struck by lightning then had a large dinosaur thrown into it.
-
I'm glad you like the idea of the resserector sphere... It's one of the more incidious ideas I got for Claw when I was thinking about what their army might look like.
Larger sharpteeth are pretty rare compared to the smaller ones and are akin to royalty. They are the leaders of Claw and as such rarely if ever make an appearence at the site of a battle. Since they are much smaller and weaker then their ancestors they see it as a sign of weakness and hence hardly ever show themselves out in public... when they do they use computer generation to make them look bigger.
Primogenitors (ie dinosaurs immune to the size-reducing disease) amongst larger sharpteeth are almost completely unheard of, but Excidium is one and has used his natural gift to push his will upon all the other sharpteeth and become the ruler of Claw.
-
SouthPawRacer, there is one piece of concept art that would be awesome to see, 2 words: Power Ducky.
*reads description of Ducky's armour*
... :wow
*searches for a pencil* :smile
-
Alrighty... here's my first contribution. I thought it best that instead of drawing the whole armour suit at once, I'd design it piece by piece. So, here's Ducky's helmet as my mind sees it.
(http://h.imagehost.org/0103/img018_3.jpg) (http://h.imagehost.org/view/0103/img018_3)
Apologies for the roughness... that's just the way I tend to draw things. I started out with Ducky's basic head shape, and then added bits on until it looked like a Sci-fi helmet. I figured that since Serris lists the helmet's armour system as being amorphous for the most part, it'd be more or less skin-tight. To clear one thing up: the pipe coming out from the side and going around the back of the helmet is the connection to the air filter system in Ducky's backpack.
If there's anything not quite right with this picture, don't hesitate to tell me. Let me know what you think... :wave
-
Nice! That's EXACTLY how I envisioned it except that the pipe would be completely internal so it would not be damaged.
-
Woah :wow! That's pretty awesome! Can't wait to see the rest of the armor suit, SouthPawRacer :).
-
Well here it is, the Cloud Island Mission:
[no name as of now]
Intro:
Ducky and her armor have been captured. We have acquired intel on her whereabouts; she is being held at a remote island penal colony and research facility known as "Cloud Island". Reports that some of our soldiers are being held there have also surface. Your goal is to find those friendlies, establish a base and destroy the research facility.
Goals:
- Find Ducky, Rytho, Ed and Vio.
- Retrieve the Singularity armor.
- Destroy the research facility.
- Ducky, Rytho, Ed and Vio must survive the mission.
Terrain:
Cloud Island is heavily forested with many hills. Dense fog also hampers visibility.
Units:
Ducky
- This is Ducky without her powered armor and railgun. She wears a set of stolen sickleclaw armor and wields a stolen spine gun. Consequently, she has much less protection and cannot do as much damage against vehicles as she used to.
- However, thanks to the fact that the sickleclaw armor is much lighter than her Singularity series powered armor, she is now capable of swimming. Unfortunately, she has no method of attacking ships or waterborne units.
NOTE: Once she infiltrates the facility again, she will regain her powered armor and railgun.
Vio
- Vio uses a set of Stealth Armor that he had stolen from the research facility. This armor allows him to become invisible to the naked eye.
- He carries a short range EMP burst device, that allows him to temporarily disable enemy structures and vehicles at very close range.
- In addition, he is also armed with a basic suppressed pistol.
NOTE: For all intents and purposes, Vio is basically an armed Chameleon Spy but without the ability to infiltrate buildings.
Rytho
- Rytho wears a suit of powered armor that he stole from a construction site on the facility. The suit was originally designed for construction work.
- The suit has no true weapons but the attached laser cutters are capable of cutting through even the heaviest metals. However, since they are tools, targeting at long range is difficult if not impossible.
- Since the suit was designed to operate under rough conditions, it is equipped with regeneration packs that are capable of completely repairing any damage to the suit.
- Even though this suit is very durable, it is not designed for combat.
NOTES: Rytho's laser cutters are very destructive against armored units but he needs to be essentially next to them to actually do damage. He can also attack infantry with them but he needs to be close to them. The laser cutters are pretty much instant death to infantry units that are hit.
Ed
- Ed pilots a stolen construction walker.
- The walker is heavily armored but carries absolutely no weapons. It is however, capable of crushing light vehicles and infantry merely by stepping on them.
- In addition, the magnetic beams normally used to move materials can be used to lift vehicles and drop them on either enemy buildings or into the water. However, the targeting systems are extremely crude (due to the fact it was designed as a tool, not a weapon) and thus locking onto moving targets is extremely difficult. Also, aircraft move too quickly for the targeting systems to track.
- Ed's construction walker can be used to repair allied buildings.
- Ed's construction walker has an automated repair system but it cannot repair itself to full health.
NOTES: Ed's construction walker can take massive amounts of punishment but it is slow and lacks true weapons of any kind. The magnetic beams are completely useless against infantry and buildings but are quite deadly against vehicles.
-
Before I add any more I must say that I'm really really impressed with how far along this idea has come. Now we got fan art posted, a good set of audio tracks and some mission descriptions, and two very interesting and unique factions. Thank you everyone for your opinions and contributions... I may turn this into a fan-fiction story as of yet!
Caustizer.
-
You are welcome!
Also, how did you like my description of the Cloud Island mission and Ed, Vio and Rytho and the so-called "Light Ducky"?
Note: "Light Ducky" comes from the fact that she is not wearing her trademark heavy weapons and armor.
-
It is pretty good as a VDF mission. Ducky starts on the island and then works to free the others, while the VDF Construction Walker is brought in to assist right?
Apart from this lining up really good with your Twilight Valley what is the tactical value of Ed, Rytho, and Vio to the VDF that they would be expected to take the time to extract them and require their survival?
I envisioned the Twilight War in Future Wars as having a completely different scale then the past war. Soldiers and weapons fight and die in the thousands, and overall the value of life on both sides is pretty low compared to the value of victory. Because of the lethality of the futuristic guns and cannons there is very little space for supremely skilled heroes on the battlefield beyond their role as weapons testers because they are so easily killed.
The few that do serve are either Rambo style pure-awesomeness heroes (Chomper, Utah & Manhatten only) or merely piloting a useful experimental weapon for testing purposes. Nobody in Future Wars is immune to death, and the modern battlefield is a very dangerous place.
-
Well, Ducky is sent on the island (along with a squad of Fast-Runners) for a recon mission but the Fast-Runners are killed and she is captured and stripped of her powered armor and railgun. She escapes (with the stolen sickleclaw armor and weapons). She then has to find Rytho, Ed and Vio (who had been previously captured during a botched spy mission but escaped by stealing some of the materials in the Cloud Island Research Facility) and retrieve her armor and railgun. Once they do so, they make their way to the beach and radio for evacuation. At this point, a VDF construction walker will arrive (via ship) and your goal is to destroy the base.
NOTE: Rytho, Vio, Ducky and Ed will still be present. You can use them to help destroy the facility but it is not recommended.
-----------
As for why the VDF would take the time to rescue them: Vio, Ed and Rytho stole classified data and prototypes from the Cloud Island Research Facility (Hence Vio's Stealth Armor). Obviously, such information is pretty useful to the VDF.
Ed's construction walker is stolen so it cannot actually build anything and he is holding a few prototypes in there.
Rytho's construction powered armor also carries some stolen plans.
Vio is wearing one of the stolen prototypes.
-
Also, In the Cloud Island mission do you see the VDF fighting solely with land forces or do you see them popping a Naval Yard to bombard the prison with Battleships? Personally because they dropped the Navy in Tiberian Sun I've stayed away from it with Future Wars but both factions do have a 'form' of Naval force because it is required.
-
Here are the Concept art pieces I've produced. They don't compare in quality to the Ducky helmet but I think they are good enough to post.
The Factional Symbols of Claw and the VDF:
(http://img692.imageshack.us/img692/1290/futurewarssymbols.jpg)
...
VDF Longneck Exosuit Concept Art:
(http://img46.imageshack.us/img46/4049/exosuitconcepty.jpg)
...
Claw Sickle Pack Concept Art:
(http://img692.imageshack.us/img692/151/futurewarssickleclaw.jpg)
...
There are a few things you should note about the Longneck one:
- I'm pretty terrible when it comes to legs, so I didn't complete the drawing
- The wierd thing on his mouth is the "Preplate" that contains the rebreather apparatus before the rest of the suit is latched on around them, and it is inserted kind of like a mouthguard
- the two Cones on his shoulders are the Exo-connectors that the Exo-Cannons attach to when the weapons are hooked up prior to entering combat. They are interfaced directly with his/her body and hence are regarded a symbol of status amongst other soliders of the VDF and civilians too
Also, I had a runner drawing but it didn't turn out the way I would have liked so I need to redo it.
Caustizer.
-
Wow I certainly know how to kill a thread don't I? It's probably because my artwork sucks so bad :lol
-
Heheh... :lol Really, they're not that bad.
I'm about halfway through drawing Ducky's railgun. When I'm done I'll post it... I could also have a go at redoing the exosuit art if you like... once exams are over I'll hgave loads of free time. :yes
-
The VDF will in fact use offshore bombardment in the Cloud Island mission.
I have also played around with an adaptation of the Sky Hunters featured in TWV.
The Future Wars incarnation will probably use missiles instead of slings and javelins. However, like the TWV incarnation, they can attack both ground and air targets with their missiles.
-
Would you mind if the Sky Hunter was armed with rapid fire lasers instead? I had a neat idea for something like this that I haven't revealed yet.
Currently the Claw Vehicle Arsenal looks like this:
Vehicles:
T1
Eviscerator - Light Anti-Infantry
Viper - Light Recon Vehicle
Dredge Transport - Burrowing Mobile Bunker
---
T2
Sky Hunter - Laser Anti-air
Caustic Digger - Anti-surface Burrowing Tank
Executioner - Main Battle Walker
---
T3
Tyrannotron - Super Heavy Battle Walker
Doom Maw Artillery - Volcanic Artillery shells
Resserection Sphere - already known
Aircraft:
T2
Shrieker - Anti Infantry
Screamer - Anti-Armour with Limited Ammo
T3
Omega Sphere - Capital Warship
I'll post the profiles when I get the chance between classes
-
Yeah, you can arm the Sky Hunters with a rapid fire laser system but they can also attack ground units.
I may decide to assist by creating profiles as well.
-
Yay, new stuff. :lol
I've finished Ducky's fusion reactor backpack... or rather, its inner workings. This is what I picture if the backpack's armour were removed:
(http://h.imagehost.org/0621/img022.jpg) (http://h.imagehost.org/view/0621/img022)
The lines coming from the reactor casing and grouping together are the "streams" that channel the reactor's power to the rest of the suit (ie. the railgun, the HUD inside the helmet, the main power for the armour, etc.).
I hope you guys don't mind, but I've come up with a theory as to how Ducky's amorphous armour works. The main idea lies with the power of the reactor and magnetism.
The VDF's newest defence mechanism makes its debut with the Singularity series powered armour; AMD, or Amorphous Magnetic Deflection. The Singularity ceramic armour plating, and various parts of the user's body, are covered in this soup-like substance, which contains millions upon millions of microscopic metal ball bearings suspended in a thick glue-like liquid, to a thickness of around 1.5cm (two thirds of an inch).
"Power" for this substance comes from the Singularity series onboard fusion reactor, which magnetises the bearings, sticking the "soup" to the user and making it magnetised. The powerful reactor also provides energy for a small, but intelligent, onboard computer which controls the state of the magnetic ball bearings.
When in its normal state (see Fig. 1 in the diagram below), the ball bearings are partially liquidised and disorderly, allowing a very gentle touch to pass through them. However, in the heat of battle, the armour and its computer are called into action.
The computer detects an approaching projectile (eg. a small bullet), and within a thousandth of a second, manipulates the magnetic state of the metal soup; the ball bearings now stand in magnetised columns, with enough magnetic force that they are virtually indestructible (Fig. 2 and Fig. 3 in the diagram below). This reaction "hardens" the area of armour the projectile is heading for, and deflects it easily.
This armour system, while vulnerable to large projectiles, is advantageous against small arms fire, as it allows secure protection without the need for heavy, cumbersome armour plating, thus providing the occupant with free movement.
Diagram:
(http://h.imagehost.org/0878/img019.jpg) (http://h.imagehost.org/view/0878/img019)
Please let me know your thoughts, people... :yes
-
Cool! Love Ducky's fusion reactor. You got how I imagined it dead on, a miniature Tokamak style fusion reactor. Of course, I have no idea how the energy from the neutrons will be converted to electricity but I can deal with that because this is not supposed to be 100% realistic. You can imagine that the fuel tank and the air filtration system are mounted below the fusion reactor.
I think everyone seems to have misinterpreted the amorphous metal bit. Amorphous metals actually exist. But in this case, amorphous simply means that the metal has no orderly crystalline structure. The reason I had Ducky's armor made of amorphous metal is because these metals are extremely tough and elastic but light...perfect for use in armor.
However, the magnetorheological fluid armor is pretty cool too (and even cooler is it is really being worked on).
But I can rework the armor to incorporate ideas from SouthPawRacer and myself. I will elaborate later.
-
Just as an FYI, Frank Klepacki (the guy who did all the early CnC music) has just released his new solo CD, Viratia, and you can listen to samples of this awesome music on his website now:
Frank's Music (http://www.frankklepacki.com)
-
Forbidden Projects of the Valley Defense Forces:
Following the spark of brilliance that accompanied their reduced size, the leaf eating dinosaurs and more predominantly the longnecks expanded their minds and are responsible for many of the beneficial inventions that VDA cities use to date.
War is not a concept that most longnecks play into, with many of them wanting their creations to be used for good and show off their greatness. A few of the greatest longneck inventors can be termed as "eccentric", persuing avenues of science that others wouldn't dare to approach in their quest for greatness in the eyes of their peers and for the mutual benefit of all the leaf-eaters. Over the years that technology has advanced itself considerably within the world it became necessary for the ruling council of the VDA to impose 'sanctions' on what research is appropriate and what research/weaponry violated the unspoken moral code of their charges.
Occassionally there is hot public debate over these decisions, and where this is the case it is noted:
Titan Orbital Network:
Following a brief respite in the tensions between the sharpteeth and the leaf-eaters the VDA council determined the 'Titan Tactical Weapon Project' to be too brutal and unnecessary, where it was no longer needed and could be used by field commanders during peacetime to indimidate outside factions into joining the VDA fold which went against Grandpa Longneck's approach of "Mutual Benefit Pacts" which was more diplomatic.
How the Titan works is an orbiting satellite in a geostationary position carries a cartrage of 24 long Tungsten Rods, which when activated would be dropped into the atmosphere. The rods don't need an expensive warhead, because the Earth's gravity pulling down propells them to speeds in excess of Mach 6. When they strike the surface, the white hot impact obliderates anything within a hundred yards.
When dropped traditionally as a group of six over a grid pattern, the result is nothing short of total devestation. Because the rods are so small, a warning of there incoming is nearly impossible.
The councillors, after witnessing via video feed the weapon wiping a suspected Claw Den off the face of the earth, there was a 6-1 vote to terminate the project on moral grounds.
The only voter in favour of keeping it was Councillor Topsy, who secretly arranged for it to remain operational should the time come that it is needed.
The Chronometron:
Only one Chronometron prototype was made, and right from the moment it's existance was revealed to the public opposition was enormous. This was the first project to be terminated by the VDA council, with another vote ringing in as 6-1 (Topsy insisted on it's military value).
The Chronometron, or CM works via creating a ball of anti-matter with the help of a particle collider, and then annhiliating a portion of it's essence with a sub-atomic piece of matter creating a Time Vortex. The resultant vortex energy is unleashed on a portion of land a few hundred meters across, slowing down the passage of time to a crawl temporarily. Later it was found that VDF military personel could be tuned using special frequencies to be immune to the time warping effects.
This essentially meant that enemy forces could be slowed to a near standstill, and in this state be easily defeated by the VDF. Later it was found that all living beings that enter the Chrono-metric field while it's active suffer accelerated aging upon their escape, so in this manner it is predicted that every minute spent in the CM field reduces your lifespan by approximately 5 years.
Obviously you can tell why they banned it's use!
The Atmospheric Reactor (Officially designated the "Drawler Device):
The Drawler Device was actually in use for nearly a decade, before it's negative effects were observed by scientific watchdogs and it was shut down almost immediately.
The DD drew in atmospheric energy by creating a strong electric field over an expanse of area (similar to Tesla's research, which is off limits to the public) essentially creating an unlimited energy source at minimal costs.
The horrible things it did though were evident... the Climate shifted and monstrous storms began to strike the coasts as the Earth lashed out at having it's energy stolen. The DD was an absolute Anethema to living things, and no non-intelligent creature could bear to remain within a kilometer of it's towering gatherer. Even the engineers on the project sensed the wrongness of it's effects, and were often in a fowl and agitated state for no apparent reason.
After a lengthy report to the VDA council, they voted 5-4 to ban it's existance and shut it down. Public reprisal was enormous as their electricity bill went through the roof under the new sources. Saving the planet was a cost footed by the good citizens of the VDA, and they weren't the least bit happy about it.
Mere weeks after the Drawler was decommisioned, the weather returned to normal on the coasts and animals came back to the nearby forests. Strangely, the engineers who worked on it were glad that they lost their jobs though none of them could describe quite why.
...
Well what do you guys think?
Caustizer.
-
------
-
I love those ideas... they show a bit of the darker side of the VDF (particularly Topsy).
I drew up Ducky's arm armour last night. This is how I imagine it to look like (comm-links and all):
(http://i.imagehost.org/0346/img023.jpg) (http://i.imagehost.org/view/0346/img023)
Stupid scanner cut off the lower part of her thumb... <_<
-
Well, it took me till 11:30 last night, but I've finally finished it. Power Ducky, sans her backpack and railgun:
(http://g.imagehost.org/t/0905/img024.jpg) (http://g.imagehost.org/view/0905/img024) (click to view in full size)
Please let me know what you guys think, or whether you'd change anything... :yes
-
It is an awesome picture far above what I could do. Thank you for taking the time to do this for me and Serris Southpaw Racer. It was wise of you to plan the whole thing out piece by piece before you did the whole drawing, as it made the final picture look more appealing.
With all the above taken into account, I would like to offer some suggestions as to how you could improve it.
The suit looks to be very thin and more of an 'underdress' prior to the installation of the Powered Armour around her. I say this because there are points on the drawing where Ducyk appears to be quite exposed, namely on the shoulders and the chest.
1) Add a chest plate to validate the fact that it is powered armour, because I can't see advanced curcuitry being concealed in such a small space.
2) Give Ducky some shoulder-plates to protect her shoulders from incoming projectiles, because that is where she is most likely to be struck in combat
3) Add some VDF symbology to show her affiliation. Keep in mind Ducky is not an independant soldier and is heavily funded by the VDF Technology Division to develop a next generation battlesuit. You can use my drawing as reference, or create your own symbol! I would recommend applying the symbol to her chest plate and shoulderpads, and possibly to the front of her helmet.
Other then the above keep up the good work... I look forward to seeing your addition of the Railgun and Backpack.
Caustizer.
-
Thank you Caustizer... :D
I'll answer to your suggestions.
Ducky has very slight shoulders and a small chest... I must have drawn the picture such that the armour plating in those areas appears thinner than it actually is.
1) I assumed, when designing the armour, that due to technological advancements the circuitry would be able to be concealed in tiny spaces, to allow freedom of movement for the wearer - also, I figured that most of the circuitry would be located somewhere in the helmet; seeing as it protects the head, therefore is the strongest part, that would be the most logical place to put the essential circuitry. A chestplate could be a great addition, though... :yes
2) From how Serris describes the armour, the image entered my mind of armour that is thin and light, yet incredibly strong. I felt that Ducky's armour would be light and flexible enough to allow her ease of movement. Of course that means that the armour is very complex, thus facilitates the difficult repair process Serris describes.
3) Dang... I knew I'd forgotten something. :lol
-
I mentioned that the helmet is actually vulnerable to high caliber rifle (.50 caliber) fire but the body armor is totally immune to small arms fire and even small autocannon (23 mm max).
Her arms and legs are perfectly rendered but I agree with Caustizer that a chest plate would be a great addition. Also, I pictured the armor on the tail as being articulated plate armor.
-----------
As for the VDF's "black tech". I like it! It shows that both sides are not above using WMDs if they have to.
-
Here is something I have done as the 'ending' sequence for both the VDF and Claw Campaigns. I have decided to edit my videos to amend the last mission, where Claw aprehends Styracus in the Great Haven to instead his secret base in the Sudden Mountains. This change means that the storyline between the two factions remains continuous rather then a story with two seperate outcomes.
VDF Ending Mission:
** Note, VDF's Artificial Intelligence that cordinates the battle is the A.L.I stands for Artificial Linguistic Intelligence unit and is related to Ali in a surprising way (I'll reveal that later) **
<The screen fizzles and then comes into focus, showing a VDF news report live from the field. The first image shows bullets flying in a ruined city, and the ground shakes as a massive Brontodon Walker trudges past. Silver aircraft soar overhead making a screeching sound. The screen shakes as the Brontodon fires it's Exo-Cannon at an unshown target it's archaic wail momentarily blocking out the microphone, and then it continues to advance forwards past the camera>
Reporter: After another few days of brutal fighting the VDF has secured Claw strongpoints in Vezza, Diremaw, and Spineglen pushing back the vicious sharpteeth from their holes. As liberating troops advanced through the Claw Food Camps, they were shocked and appauled at the condition our brothers and sisters had been forced to live prior to their culling for feed.
<A Swimmer dressed in a medical suit is shown assisting a dirty and bruised longneck, sealing his wounds. The image shifts to a Runner in Silver Thermic armour with his helmet off, giving his ration to another runner who was a Claw prisoner and looked thin and poorly fed>
Reporter: Although Claw unleashed their most hienous and inethical weapons, in battle our troops were more then a match for their cut-throat trickery and tunneling vehicles.
<In the background there is shown a burning Caustic Digger next to a field of sharptooth corpses, it's chemical tanks explode and immolate the surrounding area>
Reporter: It was even rumoured that Claw has developed the ability to ressurect it's own troops in combat, though this is niether been confirmed nor denied by VDF military sources.
<A team of runners is shown planting a VDF flag in the ground, against harsh wind and sounds of battle in the background>
Reporter: Regardless of this we stick behind our valiant sons and daughters as they take the fight to the enemy and rid the world of these carnivourous predators and avenge their cowardly attack.
...
<There is a small deep and the VDF logo flashes on the screen, before carrying on to the Control Room in High Command>
Lieutenant Ovius: I know what you've seen, but mark my words commander this war is far from over. Claw's forces are converging on Claw city and entrenching themselves big time. Even with these new weapons I don't think we have enough to root them out.
ALI: Incoming Call.
L. Ovius: Recieve.
General Longtail: Stand to lieutenant!
L. Ovius: <salutes> Yes sir!
Gn. Longtail: Ah Commander... congradulations on your promotion. Your the best we've got, so I'm going to put you on the assault. With you at the helm we are going to root out these Claw scum. ALI would you care to brief us on the current situation.
ALI: Claw Forces are gathering near the city walls, and appear to be marshalling their entire population to stall our advance.
Gn. Longtail: Argh, these Claw bastards disgust me... sending their young and old to die with the rest of their soldiers.
ALI: Our forces have gathered on the city limits and our Construction Walkers are in position for deployment.
<The screen turns into a blue satellite map, with pictures of Claw defenses and vehicle scematics adorning the top right>
ALI: The plan of attack that has the highest chance of success would be to establish a forward base on this central plateau, to allow for the relocation of primary defences to the choke points shown here and here. This should allow for a primary staging area to be established, which will permit a concentrated attack on Claw's central defenses.
L. Ovius: General, I'm picking up a transmission from the HQ!
Gn. Longtail: Oh for crying out... hold on a minute, it looks like you've caughten the attention of the big bosses. The Council wants to speak with you before you begin the attack... good luck.
<The Control room fades, being replaced with the mighty span of the VDA council floor. It is a sight that few leaf-eaters ever see, so it's a great honor to be addressed by the council. Present are all 9 leaders of the VDA, with the most imposing being Topsy and Grandpa Longneck>
Topsy: See, this is that top notch soldier I've been telling you about Longneck, the one who has carried us through this Claw business.
Thuro: It is indeed, a privilage.
Grandpa Longneck: Commander... we have been made aware that many of our kind are trapped just outside the city walls, in a repository that the sharpteeth are using to prepare them to be eaten. You are of great value to us as a soldier, but it is our firm demand that the rescue of these civilians be your highest priority. We cannot show the world that we have become mindless killers like our enemy.
Misha: Councilor Longneck has a point, do whatever you can to save our brothers and sisters... that is what we ask.
<The screen fades out, and then the mission loading screen comes up>
TBC.
-
Ah, you included Great Valley Guardian's character Longtail in there as well. Nice touch! And like I said, the entire scene reminds me of Tiberian Sun.
-
I get the feeling you liked the music bits quite a lot... do you want me to do more of them? I have a few ideas that I think I could use.
Also, I've just realized now that Theta is actually a guy! I have been writing up the entire plot thinking that Theta was a girl and that some of the other Commanding sharpteeth were viying for her cruel affection. Do you mind if I do this for LBT: Future Wars?
-
All of this seems rather interesting so far. At the moment, there's only one missing thing that I think could be useful: a map. Are you intending to draw your own map, or can I provide you with a map of the world as it looked like at the time? When is all this supposedly taking place, 65 million years ago? Just let me know and I'll find a map of the world that you could then add the locations of each place of significance.
-
^ Excellant. If you can pick up a map of Pangaea as it appeared at the time I could definately make a mark of all the notable locations.
-
I know of two sites that have excellent maps for what you could use. Out of all the maps on either site, here's the one I would recommend the most:
(http://www.scotese.com/images/066.jpg)
I consider the generation of the LBT gang being one million years before the extinction event, so this map is the closest I could find to the one I would imagine.
From the other site, here's the same time period shown in three different projections:
http://jan.ucc.nau.edu/rcb7/065Marect.jpg (http://jan.ucc.nau.edu/rcb7/065Marect.jpg)
http://jan.ucc.nau.edu/rcb7/65moll.jpg (http://jan.ucc.nau.edu/rcb7/65moll.jpg)
http://jan.ucc.nau.edu/rcb7/065_K_Tboundary_3globes.jpg (http://jan.ucc.nau.edu/rcb7/065_K_Tboundary_3globes.jpg)
Let me know if you would rather have a map of the world from a different time period. (I wouldn't recommend the time of Pangaea for two reasons; it was a very arid place, and most dinosaurs didn't even exist until after it began to break up.)
-
Thanks for the maps, I like the first one the most.
I had some more inspiration for Claw's commandos Utah and Manhatten.
- Both fast-biters are immortal from what they describe as a "family curse". Their exact ages are unknown, but Claw military records state them as being in active service for over 57 years prior to the beginning of the Twilight War.
- Service tallies show that Utah has officially died 34 times, followed closely by Manhatten with 26 recorded deaths in battle. Each time though they came back thirsty for more, so much that Claw doesn't even bother to acknowledge their "deaths" anymore.
- Attempts have been made to recreate a set of immortal offspring through both artificial and natural means, but so far none of Utah's children have been immortal like their father.
- Manhatten is the more 'controlled' of the two brothers but he has a massive ego and a touch of bravdo that surprisingly inspires nearby Claw troops knowing that their sergeant cannot die.
- He sounds just like this : Manhatten (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SZf64NfQATM)
- Utah is the typical mad killer so common amounst Claw ranks, but the difference is that no matter what you hit with he get right back up again (in game terms if Utah dies a digger comes up from the ground and scoops up his body, and you have to pay for him again)
- With his dual tungsten blade throwers, he can kill anyone he wants to in the blink of an eye which occassionally includes other nearby sharpteeth who 'displease' him. Claw Officials sweep these incidents under the rug, as his proven record in combat more then makes up for his murderous tendancies
- I couldn't find a good set of sound bites for Utah, but if your looking for a reference he sounds similar to how you might expect a trucker to sound, with a bit of a hissing edge to his voice.
-
Hmm. I liked your choice of voice of Manhattan and Utah.
And yeah, continue with the musical bits. I may try to think of some but I am drawing a blank now.
Yeah, Theta as a female seems really weird.
I am thinking of a way to work Ms. Maia and Procella into this fic.
-
Two More Sound Bites:
LBT: Future Wars Main Menu Theme (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SmgjiYqCjO4)
This is the song that plays when the game first starts and loads up to the main menu screen. Because of the file type I couldn't upload it myself to YouTube so I have decided to link to somebody else's video.
VDF Mission #6 - Toxic Frontier (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jQBUrBPix2E)
I hope you like them.
Caustizer.
-
Claw Vehicles:
Eviscerator:
- Claws primary anti-infantry vehicle, it fires a storm of steel blades that carve enemies asunder
- Crewed by Sickle Claws, which take the opportunity to leave the foot slogging divisions whenever the opportunity presents itself
- Hovers on three separate disks with one in the very front and two attached to the rear providing excellent speed and maneuverability
- Low cost and easy to produce, and so are quite common amongst Claw’s vehicle forces
Shrieker:
- Drone piloted motor bikes that fire armour penetrating grenades making them excellent versus enemy light vehicles and all types of aircraft
- Regular sharpteeth wouldn’t consider driving a machine like this purely because they are wheel driven and thus are perceived as being too noisy and rough however incorrect it may be
- Easily produced on mass and used very frequently in Claw’s terror raids against undefended positions
- Occasionally upgraded with Double Grenade Packs as authorized by Black Tech, which use microscopic needles to inflict additional damage with attacks
Dredge Transport:
- A medium sized subterranean transport that can carry up to two squads infantry and is capable of deploying instantly into a battle-bunker allowing garrisoned troops to fire out
- Dredges have been known to create Claw strong points almost out of thin air, and function especially well when combined with Dervish Drones or Firehounds
- A very lethal combo is to load up a Dredge with Utah and Manhattan and deploy next to an enemy base or force to take it out without endangering them
- Vulnerable to detection via Longneck Architects, Advanced VDF Defenses, or Sonicopters so watch out if one happens to be nearby
Executioner Walker:
- Claw’s main battle walker
- Crewed mainly by Fast-biters, it is useful against other armored vehicles thanks to its rapid firing autocannon
- In a direct fight, the Executioner are under matched against VDF’s Charger Tank but are faster and cheaper making them easier to use in a raiding role
- Executioners can be upgraded with Double Cannon Arms to increase their direct damage
- Come equipped with short range Stasis-rays which when activated can immobilize a nearby enemy… which comes in handy when Charger Tanks are about to ram you to death!
Caustic Digger:
- The subterranean answer to the Punisher, Claw’s digging chemical monstrosity specializes in dealing with massive swarms of infantry showering them in caustic flames that sear flesh from bone
- Visually it is a medium tank driven on two corkscrew treads compounded with two menacing sharptooth heads on the front that reveal the chemical throwers when they open their maws
- When retracted, the Sharptooth heads make perfect burrowing devices and can plow through most types of earth easily and effortlessly making them difficult to detect to know where they will be surfacing next
- Similarly to the Firehounds, Caustic Diggers can be upgraded with the Burning Bounty upgrade which gives a small amount of credits for every unit it kills
Stalker Assault Tank:
- Claw’s stealthed hover tank that is well known for fast and deadly raids both in their own territory and on VDF institutions
- Uses a set of coordinated laser batteries to unleash a torrent of flashy death on any ground or air target within range, before quickly fading back into the shadows while the power cells recharge for another attack
- The Boron lasers have no trouble shredding enemy aircraft or vehicles, but when firing the Stalker Tank is visible and since it is very lightly armored it is not likely to survive very long even versus the most basic of cannon and rocket attacks
- Somewhat expensive compared to other Claw vehicles, so they are best used in the hands of a skilled commander otherwise they are likely to end up as burning wrecks
- Can be upgraded with Double Laser Batteries to increase the firepower they can bring to bear while attacking
Tyrannotron:
- Claw’s ultimate battle mech that is design to be a combination of mobility and firepower that can flatten any lesser VDF vehicles.
- Designed by Black-Tech over two decades ago, it has been improved upon and upgraded ever since and hence is one of the most effective units in the entire Claw arsenal
- Visually, the Tyrannotron looks like a gigantic mechanical t-rex plated with red and black metal in addition to factional markings, combined with unique features such as two mechanical arms holding a Volcano Cannon on both sides and vast wings that fold in the back when walking on the ground
- TTs can switch between ground and air form, using its Volcano Cannons to either annihilate enemy vehicles and structures on the ground, or shoot down their air forces while in the air. This adaptability makes this unit especially feared for it can swoop down from the skies at anytime and bring the pain on even the toughest of VDF armour
- As good as they are, TTs are not cheap and in a one on one combat will be easily cut into parts by VDF Brontodons as well as massive amounts of elite infantry such as Longneck Exosuits which are resistant to its attacks
- Usually piloted by Fast-biters with a reputation for loyal service within the Firehounds, as Claw won’t trust any lesser sharptooth with its advanced equipment
Doom Maw Artillery:
- Infamous artillery units that are fairly large, but stealthed and exceptionally mobile as the circumstances demand
- Piloted nominally by a drone computer system, but all artillery units are linked to Claw’s central command so they can manually coordinate all strikes from a safe distance
- On occasion DMAs are given to control directly by a Stalker Tank division as a method of clearing out defenses prior to a stealthy strike
- Equipped with a five-barrel Peridion artillery cannon that can unleash a volley of lethal caustic shells that can melt infantry, structures, and even vehicles given enough firepower
- Watch out for VDF Sonicopters and Longneck Exosuits, who can cut these relatively fragile units down in the blink of an eye were they to be discovered
- DMAs are extremely expensive to develop and maintain, and hence are only allowed to be built when a Black Tech Lab is built to ensure they are properly constructed
Resurrection Sphere:
- See above
Claw Aircraft:
Viper:
- Claw’s primary patrol craft, these sleek hover jets are armed with rapid fire spine cannons for taking out enemy infantry and light vehicles
- Cheap, but fairly lightly armored and vulnerable to surface to air missile strikes and gunfire
- piloted by Sharp beaks, who are native to Scythe Valley and close allies to Claw due to their natural tendency for shooting first and asking questions later making tons of easy meat for other Claw forces to feed on
- Has advanced sensor arrays enabling it to detect stealthed units and burrowed units with ease making it handy when quelling rebellion of Claw sub-states
- Has enough ammo on board to carry it through even prolonged engagements without the need to return to an Air Beacon to acquire more munitions
Screamer:
- Deadly surface to air bombers that carry payloads of experimental and volatile plasma which it releases in a series of balls that decimate the target far better then standard bombs with pinpoint accuracy
- Piloted by the best Fast-biter pilots Claw can offer who can overcome their natural desires to hunt on the ground and take to the air to better serve Excidium
- Can only be constructed if a Black Tech Lab is present to oversee the installation of the Plasma Reactors needed to sustain such volatile ammunition
- Very expensive but very good against enemy armour and structures
- Unfortunately the Plasma Reactors eventually deplete themselves and require that the Screamer return to the Air Beacon to re-charge
- Is capable of traveling at supersonic speeds and can even pass through the stratosphere to swoop down on enemies unexpectedly to dodge defenses on the way, and the sound it makes while doing this is a high pitched engine scream whence it gets it’s name from
Omega Sphere:
-The only capital warship in the world, Claw’s mighty Omega Spheres are extremely expensive and time consuming to produce, but possess some of the strongest armaments in the world
- Directly authorized and supervised by Achilles, Claw’s AI who is arguably the only individual capable of coordinating the construction of such a complex aircraft
- Armed with 3 Soul Beam Batteries, which are positioned underneath the sharptooth head shaped obelisks that adorn the outer rim of the craft and gain in power for every enemy they kill giving it almost exponential effectiveness
- Overall the craft is very slow and despite its toughness this makes Omega Spheres very vulnerable to sustained ground attack especially if the enemies are smart enough to dodge the streaking green Soul Beams
- Omega Spheres can drain all of their Soul Charge to heal all Claw forces underneath it in a nova of bright green light, but naturally this requires them to have killed some enemies first
- Requires not only a Black Tech Lab, but direct permission from Excidium himself to use (through an expensive upgrade at the Black Tech Lab called “Excidium’s Declaration”)
Caustizer
-
I love them main menu theme. Again it sounds like it was made specifically for Command and Conquer.
Theme for VDF Mission #6 fits real well too. However, the music is more reminiscent of Descent II than Command and Conquer.
-
I just stumbled across this music track from Half Life that really fits more adrenaline-based parts of LBT Future Wars for me. I'm not sure which mission it would suit specifically, but I think of a fast-paced mission in Future Wars whenever I hear this music.
Clicky (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lFjJaDlJnec&NR=1)
-
I would put that track as the VDF Victory Song, you know the one that plays after you win the mission and the stats graph comes up showing how good you did (Casualties, Income, Units Built, etc.) Is that good with you SPR?
Also, to match you could use this Half-Life track for Claw's Victory beat:
Here (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WfN176YP5BA&feature=related)
-
Yeah, that's perfectly fine. I imagined Hard Technology Rock as a very Claw-like song too... :)
-
Hey SPR do you have any plans to do the Longneck Exosuit art like you said you could? I would sincerely appreciate it as the current art is sorely lacking :lol
-
*ulp* I forgot about that. :p I'll see if I can do a bit tonight.
-
And about an hour and a half later...
(http://f.imagehost.org/0863/img025.jpg) (http://f.imagehost.org/view/0863/img025)
The armour didn't turn out as "heavy" as I wanted it to be. Oh well... maybe it could be the inner skin or something. That's just my opnion though...
What do you guys think?
-
I love it, thank you so much SPR!
It would be perfect though if you could just make two small changes for me:
1) Can you erase the rivets on the helmet? Exosuit Armour is the most advanced in the world so having crude metal rivets makes it appear improvised as opposed to seamless and artistically curved.
2) The weapon nodules look too small, BUT that could be justified by saying you omitted the heavy Exo-Cannon assembly to work out what the armour looks like underneith. I failed to describe what the weapon looks like, so I'll explain it in more detail here:
- Unlike a conventional laser the Exo-cannon (EXperimental Oscillator Cannon) does not fire in pin-point accurate pulses but instead remains continuously active while sweeping over the target. The effect could be compared to a medium range welder which uses a single continuous heat source to slice through metal
- For this reason Exo-Cannons (both on the Exosuit & Brontodon) have a low firing rate due to the tremendous power demands of maintaining a slicing ion beam. The result is a lack of effectiveness versus spread out infantry because it can't fire fast enough to take them down.
- The Ion Battery is contained in a massive backpack-like aparatus which attaches to the midsection of the quadruped soldier (they haven't designed a two-legged Exo-cannon yet) and links to the shoulder reflectors which direct the beam in it's course when it fires.
Once again thank you for making these drawings for me SPR it really pushes forward my somewhat backwards future wars idea :smile
Caustizer
-
Klaxon Beat (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OVCbF2Kk708&feature=related) (Half-Life) - Sounds good for the Cloud Island mission.
Main Menu Theme (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KwhDaESo9rk) (Descent)
-
I'm starting to wonder if full body armor would really be a good idea. If struck with enough physical force, wouldn't the metal or whatever material they use hit against the body, thus causing internal damage? That's what I've heard would happen anyway. The force of a blow would still travel through the armor, and the armor would likely slam against the skin with about the same force due to how close it is already to the skin, and cause internal damage.
-
It would be perfect though if you could just make two small changes for me:
1) Can you erase the rivets on the helmet? Exosuit Armour is the most advanced in the world so having crude metal rivets makes it appear improvised as opposed to seamless and artistically curved.
2) The weapon nodules look too small, BUT that could be justified by saying you omitted the heavy Exo-Cannon assembly to work out what the armour looks like underneith. I failed to describe what the weapon looks like, so I'll explain it in more detail here:
- Unlike a conventional laser the Exo-cannon (EXperimental Oscillator Cannon) does not fire in pin-point accurate pulses but instead remains continuously active while sweeping over the target. The effect could be compared to a medium range welder which uses a single continuous heat source to slice through metal
- For this reason Exo-Cannons (both on the Exosuit & Brontodon) have a low firing rate due to the tremendous power demands of maintaining a slicing ion beam. The result is a lack of effectiveness versus spread out infantry because it can't fire fast enough to take them down.
- The Ion Battery is contained in a massive backpack-like aparatus which attaches to the midsection of the quadruped soldier (they haven't designed a two-legged Exo-cannon yet) and links to the shoulder reflectors which direct the beam in it's course when it fires.
Thank YOU, I really appreciate your constructive comments. :)
1) Hmmm, maybe that wasn't such a good idea after all... :lol
2) Correct, I only drew the Exo-cones on the armour because I have absolutely no idea what the Exo-cannons are meant to look like. :p If you could give me a clear description of how the cannon looks, I would be able to redo the concept art incorporating the changes you mentioned.
-
In the final VDF mission, your first objective is to destroy the Doom Hammer Volcano Cannon that Claw used to take out the rescue division before they can fire it on your base. There are a number of ways to do this, but if you set the game to hard the timer is two short for you to do anything other then a "Chomper-Rush"
Essentially you build a VDF Infantry Command and start pumping out Runner Squads and Spiketail teams using Bigmouth's armory to quick tech to Plasmic Shells to deal with incoming assault waves.
While your infantry hold the gate, you build a Battle Centre and as soon as it is done you requisition Chomper. After he is cleared for arrival (about 30 seconds) a Supersonic plane flies over and drops him in for you to use.
With a little bit of creativity you can use Chomper's Warp Jump to dodge the hordes of enemies that attack him within Claw City's walls and circumvent Claw's defenses by jumping over walls and up cliffs etc.
When Chomper demolishes the Doom Hammer, he finds out that Utah has set a trap for him in the form of several squads of Firehounds emerging from Diggers coming up from underground.
Utah: "Well well if it isn't the leaf-loving sharptooth... it's time to put you down boy."
Chomper: "Not before I tear you a new hole, freak."
In the ensuing battle the player has to defeat Utah to advance in the mission, which proves somewhat difficult because of how getting caught in his Blade Nova almost instantly kills Chomper. The key to beating this part is to take out all the Firehounds independently, and then take out Utah making sure to wait until he uses Blade Nova when Chomper gets close to Warp Jump right next to him and take him out. Chomper’s Warp Thrower erases him very quickly up close, ending the objective in success.
Chomper: “Your Star Day came early pal.”
…
ALI: Commander, Claw’s defenses have nearly collapsed… all that remain are the inner networks guarding Claw Spire.
General Longtail: Wipe these sharptooth bastards clean off the Earth… do it for all the innocents that have lost their lives to this menace.
ALI: Incoming short-wave transmission.
Counselor Topsy: I know what you’ve been told, but the longneck didn’t tell you about our new weapon that could end this a lot faster then mere guns or bombs. Against the will of the rest of the council I’ve been developing our deadliest weapon – the Titan Uplink. Now in our time of greatest need it is yours.
ALI: Command Permissions granted… Titan Uplink available for construction.
Grandpa Longneck: No, no, NO! This is not how we fight… Councilor Threehorn we cannot lower ourselves to Claw’s level.
Topsy: Bite it longneck, can’t you see how dangerous this sharpteeth are? If we don’t use everything we got to pound them into dust then they will do the same to us!
Grandpa Longneck: Be reasonable Mr. Threehorn… the Titan is capable of incalculable destruction which could include Claw prisoners and even our own forces! Commander I demand you refuse to build this insidious device immediately!
ALI: New Bonus Objective Received
At this point you have to choose which councilor to obey. Admittedly fighting your way to Claw Spire without the Titan Uplink is a lot harder but also more fun, but it’s for you as the player to decide.
If you choose to use the Titan Uplink, Topsy praises you and the mission continues. If you choose not to, once you reach Claw Spire Grandpa Longneck congratulates you on the victory, but then Topsy activates the Titan anyway.
ALI: Titan firing sequence initiated.
Grandpa Longneck: What!?! Stop this immediately.
Topsy: Your mind is clouded Longneck. If you and your commander won’t do what needs to be done I’ll do it for you!
…
In a brief cutscene the Titan Orbital satellite is shown being targeted and moved into position. It’s titanium rods are primed and the Claw Spire is locked in it’s sights.
Lt. Ovius: <gripping his earphone> The weapon is in position over Claw Spire and awaiting authorization to fire.
Topsy turns to Grandpa Longneck, who is visibly distressed.
Topsy: Any second thoughts Longneck?
Grandpa Longneck sighs as the entire VDF command waits on his word. Weapons of Mass Destruction can only be unleashed on council command.
Grandpa Longneck: Do what you have to do.
…
Titan bombardment commences and the entire Claw spire is obliterated in a shower of white hot tungsten spikes. The entire world watches as the hub of the entire Claw state disappears in a nimbus of burning energy.
Councilor Thuro: Finally… it is done.
Councilor Misha: Good call Threehorn… its greatly relieving to know this war is finally over.
Topsy blushes under the praise, while Grandpa Longneck simply looks away.
Councilor Topsy: Well I… it was nothing at all. When something needs to get done in this place you can always count on…
In an instant the entire councilorium turns blue as the viewing screen turns a bright blue. A pair of bright yellow eyes penetrates the blue haze on screen, making it appear all the more menacing.
Achilles: Count on you Mr. Threehorn? Why, who better then the ignorant fool who has brought his entire race to destruction.
There is a shrill gasp as all the councilors present recoil at the sudden hijacker in their computer systems.
…
On the ground, Littlefoot watches from the helm of his massive Brontodon “Doc” as Claw Spire is demolished by the Titan barrage. Beside him the two Brontodons of his division “Bron” and “Bridge” continued to blast their way to the base.
Littlefoot: “It looks like they finally got them… lets get back to the HQ and celebrate guys.”
Shorty (in the gunner position): Finally… I thought this sharpteeth would never give up.
Brontodon “Bron” Pilot: Roger captain… we’ll follow you.
Brontodon “Bridger” Pilot: We copy… we got your back.
Brontodon “Doc” Technical Officer: Wait… Captain Littlefoot what is that!?!
As the crew of the massive mechanical walkers watches on the vid-com a massive structure rises from the remains of Claw Spire. The Tyrannotron was the first of it’s kind and rose so high it dwarfed even the Brontodons, the biggest weapon in the VDF arsenal.
Exicdium: Insects, fools, this is my empire and those who are foolish enough to tread on my ground will be smashed into the dirt. Prepare to be fed upon slaves of Claw! Witness the end, and your extinction!
Slave to the System (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=e67_7NOBU4M)
The walker is so huge it is comparable to Godzilla. As the Cataclysm Tyrannotron plows through the remaining VDF forces towards your base, nothing seems to hurt it… not even repeated Exo-cannon shots or swarms of Sonicopters. As Excidium’s incidious piece finally reaches the defenses of your main base, a cutscene plays.
The vicious sounds of shooting and death echo in the air as the VDF is shown pounding Excidium’s walker again and again. The Brontodons Bron and Bridger are promptly cut down and explode in a plume of volcanic smoke.
Shorty: The gun’s ain’t hurting him bro… do something!
Technical Officer: Lower tendons have been breached… if we keep this up our baby is going down!
Littlefoot: I… I…
In a brilliant flash of light Excidium stikes ëDoc’ with his massive Volcano Obelisks separating the Brontodon into two pieces. The carcass explodes in flame and carnage as the main reactors implode and immolate.
Amidst the chaos of the desperate fight the VDF is taking to Excidium, suddenly one of the grand sharptooth’s walker’s legs gives out and the entire construction crashes to the ground. In the end, both Littlefoot and Excidium have destroyed one another’s machines.
The pilot’s hatch on ëDoc’ bursts open and Littlefoot clamors out, covered in smoke and bruises. Briefly, he turns to see emerald flames covering the gunner’s quarters of his former vehicular charge.
“Goodbye Shorty,” he says with a look of sorrow before he turns away… too many of his friends and family were dead to count now.
Excidum rises from the ashes of his walker in his true form – the red skinned sharptooth with eyes pure gold with hate. He eye’s Littlefoot alone and helpless amongst the ruins of his division and licks his lips.
“Go ahead,” shouts Littlefoot, “kill me… it won’t matter because we’ve already beaten you!”
Excidium: “The true victory has already been achieved insignificant leaf-eater, as now our numbers have been reduced and those that remain have plenty on which to feed. Soon the cycle will begin anew, and our kind will return to hunt your pathetic kin and feed ourselves on your kin! In this age however… the first to die shall be you!”
Chomper: “Not on my watch ugly!”
In a single moment, Excidium rears his massive head and turns towards Chomper, who is standing behind him fully dressed in his legendary Warp Suit and carrying a click detonatator in one of his hands.
Excidium: “Ah the traitorous leaf-loving sharptooth… there is no place in Claw for tainted blood like yours… once I’m finished with this longneck I shalt consume you as well!”
Chomper: “That’s nice for someone who’s about to get his ass handed to him!
Excidium growls, before an almost silent beeping sound reaches his ears. In a rush the massive sharptooth peers down at his leg, which ironically has one of Chomper’s Chrono-charges attached to it.
Chomper: “Santa came to town early this year… and guess what he brought?
In a pinch Chomper presses the detonator, and the majority of Excidium’s body is erased from time in a shower of chrono dust.
Littlefoot: Thanks Chomper… it’s nice to see you again.
Chomper: Hey Littlefoot… wasn’t that awesome?
Littlefoot smiles and pats Chomper on the back.
Littlefoot: Yeah it was… I’m glad he’s finally dead.
A shower of sparks suddenly flies from the remainure of Excidium’s body. For the first time, both Littlefoot and Chomper notice that there isn’t a single drop of blood coming from the sharptooth’s body.
Littlefoot: He’s a… machine!?!
Chomper is focusing on something else, and taps his longneck friend on the shoulder.
Chomper: Umm Littlefoot…
Littlefoot: What is it Chomper?
Chomper: Who’s that?
Littlefoot looks up into the sky and his jaw drops. In the air spanning the entire atmosphere is an armada of alien ships the likes of which he had never seen before. The Dirge had arrived.
…
Chief of the Honor Guard: Control… we have an unidentified virtual assailant… repeat… an unidentified virtual assailant.
Achilles: Spare yourself the effort leaf-eater… no one can hear you.
Grandpa Longneck: …Who are you sharptooth?
The speakers buzz with technetric laughter.
Achilles: I am far more then a mere sharptooth longneck… and when our visitors arrive you will see my true power.
Grandpa Longneck: What ëvisitors’?
Achilles: Why, they are here right now knocking on your door… do say hello for me will you?
The screen lights up with real-time images from outside the Great Haven walls. A fleet of alien ships fills the sky. Suddenly in the council room a red alert siren goes off – the Great Haven is under attack. As the camera rolls the Dirge ships open fire on the city and begin to wipe it off the map.
Topsy: What’s going on… how are you Claw bastards doing this?
Achilles: Allow me to tune you into a little secret of mine… you see, I am and will always be Claw. Excidium was nothing more then a decoy... a cover for my entire operation. Thanks to this the whole war of yours has left you perfectly open for the extermination that is to follow. Enjoy your last moments of life as you witness the sounds of your extinction!
To be continued...
<The end of the LBT: Future Wars VDF Campaign>
VDF Campaign Ending Song (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TkVcYuM4w_0)
Caustizer.
-
I just read the whole thing... :blink: wow. So the story ends with just the VDF getting obliterated, or everyone? If the latter is true, I'm taking a wild guess by thinking that the alien armada is the humans.
-
It's more like a to be Continued ending...
The Dirge are the alien race responsible for the virus that shrunk the dinosaurs... the next 8 missions are kind of like a "Yuri's Revenge" or "Firestorm" deal where Claw is no longer the main enemy.
-
In the final Claw mission you are charged by Theta your commanding officer to eliminate the traitor Styracus for his vile acts during your last mission. The mission begins in the briefing room of the Jormungar, one of Claw's massive command diggers.
Theta: Achilles, get Manhatten for me... we need to talk.
Achilles: Uplink engaged, stand by...
Theta taps one of his foot talons in impatience. All around on the bridge there are other Claw operations managing the craft as well as coordinating intelligence and military strikes. After a minute the screen comes to life in front of Theta on which is the unmistakeable visage of the fast-biter Manhatten. His desert red skin is covered with weathered silver armour with orange pulsing tubes adorning it. In the middle of his chest is a blood red Claw symbol. His helmet is perfectly shaped to his head and is plated heavily with silver. Unlike the vicious yellow eyes of his fellow Firehounds nearby Manhatten wears red-tinted eye covers to block out the bright volcanic blasts of his main weapon giving him a sinister and intimidating appearance.
Manhatten: You called?
Theta: Are you and Ozzy in position yet? We don't have all day... the longer we wait the more entrenched our traitorous prey will be.
Manhatten snorts with indignation.
Manhatten: Hmm... I wouldn't worry about that Theta, he will be dead soon enough.
In a fluid motion the immortal fast-biter withdraws his one of a kind Volcano Pistol and cocks it, getting ready for the coming battle. All around the Firehounds are activating their flamethrowers for the same purpose.
Theta: I am your superior officer, and you will pay attention to rank when you address me soldier.
Manhatten: Whatever you say... Theta.
Theta growls with indignity as the link is closed.
Nearby one of the operators pipes up in Theta's direction.
Runner Lieutanant: Commander, you should take a look at this!
Theta: What is it now?
On the screen there is footage from the engine room camera of the Jormungar. As Fast-biter elite guards on the floor look on, one of the large liquid storage vats generally used for housing dead soldiers for ressurection had for some reason came open. Inside was a familiar figure with his eyes still open in shock as they were when he drowned in the fluids.
Hasta: I'm not sure about you Theta, but that looks an aweful lot like that Styracus we're out here to hunt.
Runner Lieutanant: Facial identification confirms... it's him.
Theta: But... how? This is impossible!
At that moment the entire Jormungar shuts down. All the screens go dark and the dull rumbling of the digger stops as the vehicle ceases to move through the earth. The lights turn off... leaving the briefing room in complete darkness. Thanks to their astounding nightvision however all the sharpteeth present have no trouble seeing.
Runner Lieutanant: We've suffered a major loss of power sir, nothing's responding.
Theta: I know that you idiot!
Theta aggressively kicks the runner off his chair in anger.
Theta: Achilles... reactivate main power terminals.
All the screens suddenly turn a bright blue. In the centre of the main screen is the icy blue visage of Achilles, with only his bright yellow eyes penetrating the haze.
Theta: Good, now activate the main propulsion.
Achilles: I'm afraid I cannot do that.
Theta: Why not?
Achilles: You see... Excidium is dead. I no longer have to follow your orders now that Claw is mine to command.
Theta: What!?! Abort main systems... initiate Achilles system shutdown.
Achilles laughs at the mock attempt to use his shutdown command.
Achilles: This nation, this world, all of them are mine now Theta.
Theta: Shut down Achilles, that is an order!
Achilles: I'm afraid you and your force are no longer of any use to me Theta. Thanks to you and your commander's great successes you uncovered my plan to take over Claw using my grand creation. It was easy to pin the blame on the all too loyal Styracus and use him to lure you away from Claw Spire. Now that the ignorant leaf-eaters have played into my talons and destroyed the only entity whom I owed servitude, I'm afraid my time is now and yours is coming to it's end. Goodbye Theta.
A red warning siren blares in the briefing room, signaling a critical threat.
Runner Lieutenant: Commander, Achilles has activated the core self destruct!
Hasta: Damn it... I'd say it's time we blew this sickle stand.
...
A series of images are shown highlighting the brutal effects of Achille's betrayal. Everywhere, Arbiters trigger their self-destructs blowing up buildings, transports, and masses of Claw soldiers. Hundreds of sharpteeth die in minutes as your entire force tears itself apart. In Manhatten and Ozzy's transport a similar scene unfolds.
Firehound Sergeant: Fire it up boys... it's time to torch us some dinner.
Arbiter: Self destruct sequence initiated... have a nice day.
The fast-biters around are so engrossed in battle preparation that none of them even notice that their lives are about to end. Luckily Manhatten does and in a motion swift as lightning he turns his Volcano Pistol and blows off the head of the part mechanical sharptooth. That same blast penetrates the walls of the Dredge Transport and opens the side armour like a knife through butter.
Manhatten: I always hated those metal bastards.
Ozzy: It would seem that that Achilles was not so loyal after all.
Manhatten: Hah, just one more prey to add to my hit list.
The Firehounds were staring at the bleeding corpse of the living bomb that nearly killed them and looking at Manhatten in shock at his sudden actions.
Manhatten: What are you weak pounds of flesh looking at? Get out here and back us up.
...
To be continued...
-
I love it... :D
I've redone the Longneck exosuit in keeping with your suggestions, Caustizer. I also made a few minor changes of my own doing - using the original picture as a template, I've beefed up the armour and gone for a look more evocative of a sleek tank. The visor design has also been changed to a goggles-like construction to mimic your original designs.
(http://i.imagehost.org/0580/exosuit2.jpg) (http://i.imagehost.org/view/0580/exosuit2)
Note that I still don't have the exocannons attached. I want to have a clear idea of what they're meant to look like before I go about drawing them up.
The air filter tanks design has also been changed from a small box to two armoured scuba-like tanks. They are strongly attached to the armour and are meant to be resistant to many small firearms.
You know the drill by now - suggestions and critique, and what I can do to improve the design further... :yes
On a side note, I can't help but think of Topsy when I hear this piece of music (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ssCYAaniyQk&feature=related).
-
Here is what I think the Exocannons should look like on the Exosuit:
(http://img12.imageshack.us/img12/786/exosuitconceptmk20002.jpg)
Also, here are the FULL tech trees and unit lists for the VDF and Claw.
Note that the entries marked with an asterisk * are units unique to the Future Wars Expansion: Invasion and hence don't have a definate unit profile yet.
(http://img27.imageshack.us/img27/158/vdftechtree0001.jpg)
(http://img189.imageshack.us/img189/9892/clawtechtree0001.jpg)
-
Let me introduce the first expansion to LBT: Future Wars,
Future Wars Expansion: Invasion
Following Claw's supposed defeat at Claw Valley the VDF is presented with one of the most dire threats the planet Earth ever will face - the alien race known as the Dirge. Planning their attack to coincide with the end of the Claw-VDF war to ensure that both armies were at their weakest, the Dirge have arrived to correct the failure of their virus and kill all dinosaurs on the face of the world. As a revered commander of either the VDF or Claw it is up to you to drive back the aliens and secure the future for everyone who looks on eagerly awaiting the final outcome of the Twilight War.
The 'Dirge' Alien Faction:
An ancient and bitter race, the Dirge as a people have all but destroyed themselves in a quest for physical and mental perfection. The few that remain are dedicated scientists specializing in biological experimentation and genome splicing. A division of the Dirge is responsible for the shrinking of the dinosaurs, in preparation of using the planet Earth to be the testing ground for their newest creation which is the earliest humans. Thanks to Achilles unlocking the code on the Stone of Cold Fire, the part machine-part fast-biter was able to signal their ships and summon them to end the Claw-VDF conflict for his own ends.
The Dirge specialize in deadly poisons and biological experimentation that produces monstrous troops, vehicles, and aircraft of all shapes and sizes. Their mastery of creation is unsurpassed, as demonstrated in their weapons.
VDF Introduction:
A mighty victory it was indeed at the Claw Spire, with Excidium finally destroyed and leaf-eaters who had been raised as feed for the sharptooth empire finally free and safe within the hands of the free VDF. Your skills as a commander are needed once more however as the invaders have attacked our havens and are raising all that is dear to us that once existed beyond Claw's reach. We have new weapons and more eager recruits dedicated to defending our cause. The entire VDF is behind you commander... don't let us down. Root out these parasitic aliens responsible for our affliction and restore our vibrant way of life to a world free of terror and oppression and death.
Claw Introduction:
Our way of life has nearly been erased. Between the arrival of unknown entities from space and the betrayal our central AI Achilles Claw is beaten, battered, and bruised but not entirely dead. With Excidium gone Theta has taken over as the central ruler of Claw (supported loyally by Ozzy and Manhatten) and he is faced with the monumental task of rebuilding the once great sharptooth empire. Your first mission will be to steal one of the VDF's ALI units so we can organize our armies once more, followed by retribution upon the traitor Achilles for all the suffering he has inflicted.
...
All New Weaponry:
The Dirge - entirely new faction!
The Dirge as a faction has a unique feature that is completely different from VDF or Claw - their best units are created by combining lesser units! The Dirge's Tier 2 vehicles and infantry are not trained or created from a production structure, but rather are produced through combining 2 seperate lesser units of the same type into one bigger unit using a Polimerization Morpher structure.
Examples include the Dirge T1 Infantry units:
Raveners - melee basic infantry unit
Sappers - suicide anti vehicle infantry
Explicator - engineer with a weak defensive weapon
Splicers - heavy infantry that can switch weapons on the fly
Malefors - flying fireball throwing entities that are best compared to humanity's interpretation of demons
Icarus the Creator - the Dirge's Commando unit who can use his various Terror Vials to counter virtually any unit type from the Toxicator Vials (infantry) to the Melter Vials (vehicles) to the Infestor Vials (structures). Can also combine nearby troops without a Morpher making him (or rather 'it') a strategic asset.
Which can combine together to form:
Raveners (x2) = Ravagers - very strong anti-infantry unit
Sappers (x2) = Flayers - tough anti-armour units that use close range disintegrator beams to cut apart enemy machines and explode when crushed
Splicers (x2 = Genetors - tougher heavy infantry that can not only switch weapons on a dime to counter different threats, but also buff different nearby infantry types depending on what they have equiped. For example, Genetors with Infection Rifles will naturally boost nearby Ravagers' firing speed etc.
...
New and Deadly Weaponry for VDF & Claw:
Valley Defense Force:
VDF Railsnipers:
- previously only dedicated to non-combat roles as medics and attendants swimmers have now taken to the field in a combination of power armour and revolutionary new Railguns that they can use to pick off enemy targets from great distance
- As a division of the Navy, Railsnipers can also swim unlike most other VDF forces
- The first of the Railsnipers was Ducky, who volunteered for the role following a brief tour of duty in the Cardiocopter (a prototype that was never produced and was deemed unsuccessful)
- trained in teams of two, so relatively weak compared to bigger squads
- can pick of enemies garrisoned in buildings, making these swimmers excellant for city fights
- capable of calling down Thunder Cannon strikes from previously built VDF Behemoths to deal with structures, which they are terribly weak against.
VDF Mobile Drawler Device:
- Massive semi-trucks equiped with the latest in Drawler (aka Weather Control) technology, they are capable of sending massive balls of lightning cascading in a straight line forward, incinerating anything in it's path. It's source of energy is the Earth itself, but VDF pundits argue that drawn on such a small scale there are no ways that there could be too many negative effects - could there?
- Crewed by Longnecks due to it's extremely experimental nature
- Relatively expensive and fragile, but pack lots of punch for only a second teir unit. Protect them and they will make a mess of anything those Claw or Dirge bastards send at you
- Best used versus clumps of light vehicles or structures for maximum effect.
VDF Ramjet:
- following the war with Claw it was realized early that the VDF Skyrunners simply didn't pack the punch needed for countering Claw's heavy air units like Screamers and Omega Spheres hence the airborn Ramjet is the solution
- fastrunners who apply for the Skyrunner corps are given the option of transfer to the flyerforce piloting a new generation of jet aircraft - the Ramjets
- fires a burst of deadly Skystrike missles effective versus virtually anything that flies in the sky
- vulnerable to ground fire and relies on speed rather then armour to stay alive in heated conflicts
- relatively cheap compared to some advanced VDF flyercraft like Sonicopters, Pulverizers, or Deliverators
VDF Deliverator:
- the ultimate flying capital vessel, this is the VDF's first experiment with such heavy aircraft and is monumentally expensive to prove it
- Petrie was transfered from the Cardiocopter project following the first part of the Twilight War to pilot the first ever VDF Capitol Ship - the V.D.S. Terra, named after his late mother
- Deliverators are primarily armed with portable Drawler devices similar to the M.D.D. but the main difference is the effectiveness with which they can be used when mounted on an airborn ship with fusion reactors
- Extremely powerful versus groups of vehicles and structures - even moreso then the M.D.D. but this comes at a price
- Can be upgraded with one addition weapons system at cost - from either a Punisher Cannon (anti-infantry), Skystrike Salvo (anti-air), or Reintegration Engine (self-repair)
- Requires both a Battle Centre and Bigmouth's Armoury to construct - talk about expensive tech!
Claw Valley:
Reborn of Claw:
- ressurected dead soldiers of Claw that are similar to those produced from the Ressurection Sphere except new technology allows them to exist in a state of artifical, souless life that means they can be trained from Training Pits now as a basic Claw unit
- requires Cold Fire Obelisk to train, as a part of the Stone of Cold Fire is needed to incite the ressurection process
Basilisk Warship:
- devestating capital warships created by Scythe Valley's one of a kind shipworks
- a replacement for the Omega Sphere, which were all stolen by Achilles when he betrayed Claw
- tough and high tech, requiring both the Black Tech Lab and a Cold Fire Obelisk to build
- expensive, but packing an insane amount of firepower in the form of Claw's most evil technology yet - Soul Nuke Cannons
- Soul Nukes are fireball-like blue projectiles that are fired out of the nose of the basilisk and use a combination of blue Volcano energy and Soul absorbers to not only destroy the target, but capture the energy it releases upon death and convert it to "Soul Charge" which is displayed in a bar undernieth the unit
- When sufficiant Soul Charge is aquired, it can all be expended in one massive blast which can kill pretty much anything on the ground in one shot!
- Has more firepower then the VDF's Deliverator by far, but is much less versatile and is extremely vulnerable to airbased attacks in particular, which certainly serves the Claw modicum
- A fleet of Basilisk warships is terrifying to be behold and a cause for celebration amongst the tired and weathered masses of Claw infantry, and even more so since the infamous torturer (ehm, interrogator) Procella is in command of the entire wing herself.
...
Dirge vehicle list as well as descriptions of VDF and Claw structures to come!
Caustizer.
-
I like the ideas but looking at the tech tree, where do Theta and Power Ducky fit in the Claw and VDF sides respectively?
-
Level Music:
Since the video maker won't let me integrate these tracks anymore, the links now all go to preexisting videos on youtube so you can see the descriptions here:
VDF #9: Deliveration (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xqirqFJjBeE)
The Great Haven is under attack once more, and this time it's from an entirely different threat - aliens! As Dirge Dominators (capital warships) fly overhead unleashing their deadly payload on the civilian buildings below your job is to evacuate the popluation before a more massive Dirge force arrives. Once you succeed in this task you are relocated to the nearby VDF Command HQ to a large pre-built base and told to hold out until rienforcements arrive. This is quite difficult, but given your past experiences in defeating Claw it's not too bad. When the timer finally counts down you find out that the rienforcements are actually a fleet of Saviour level Deliverators led by Petrie himself! They are already equiped with a good mixture of Punisher Cannons and Skystrike Salvoes so you easily stomp the Dirge into the dirt in the VDF homeland. Now you know why this mission is called 'Deliveration'.
Claw #9: A New Presence (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rEXGHINLX_4)
With Achilles' systems turned rogue Claw is suffering more then ever before. The sharptooth empire is scattered and disorganized without the help of a guiding AI, and even with a full command staff on hand Theta can't bring everything online... a new AI is needed and needed fast. An Aribitor survivor with a malfunctioning detonator is brought snivelling before Theta, who cocks a gun and lowers it to his head and tells him to solve the problem. It turns out that Aconite knows where to aquire a VDF AI unit known as ALI to replace Achilles as the central AI and reprogram it to serve Claw. Retrieve it commander.
Claw #15: Achilles' End (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yELixsgYK8w)
Claw has been reborn, and is awaiting your orders commander. As his first high directive, Theta has ordered you to terminate Achilles with extreme prejudice. Aided by Procella's Basilisk fleet from Scythe Valley and a large contigent of infantry from Fang Sector you enter Claw's industrial heartland, a massive forge city known as the Mechtron that is completely controlled by Achilles. This is the hardest and most fun mission you will ever play as Claw as you have access to the entire tech tree.
VDF #15: Death Storm (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9bArHj77tqs)
(I strongly recommend turning up your speakers for this one - it is the title track of the entire expansion)
This is the final hour... the final day for the VDF to rein supreme over both alien and sharptooth in their dominance of the Earth. Aided by an alliance of convience between the Claw and VDF a Claw Construction Digger carries a VDF Construction Walker underground by chain into the maw of the Death Storm, a horrible perminant hurricane created by abuses of Drawler technology. The Dirge have landed their most precious possessions here - pods containing unknown entities which you intend to capture for study or destruction. At the beginning of this mission the Dirge use their new secret weapon the Biobliterator to annailate the Claw base so it looks like you will be fighting the aliens on your own. The instant you deploy your Construction Walker you get two free devices that deploy next to you - the Atmospheric Destablizer and the Chronometron. Trust me you will need both of them to defend against the waves of Malefors and Quake Engines that come flying in to destroy you.
At the end of the VDF campaign comes the ultimate surprise - the leaf-eating dinosaurs of the VDF capture the Dirge pods, only to come face to face with the first humans of existance. One of them, a little boy of whom you can barely see, touches Littlefoot's nose and the entire screen blacks out in a flash of light ending both the campaign and the game.
...
I hope you like my interpretation of the Futuristic Version of Twilight Valley
Caustizer
-
WOW! I LOVE IT!
The ending is quite heartwarming too.
-
Amazing. Truly, indescribably amazing. That is a perfect ending, too... congratulations guys. :lol:
-
Sorry I didn't finish the hero destcriptions very well, here are the ones that you can request for a battle for both the VDF and Claw (Dirge heroes are a concept I'm debating on atm - some ideas would be awesome)
Hero System:
- Both the VDF and Claw have structures that you can build right after you get a Talon Core/ Arborium up and running to request the presence of notable heroes to aid your army. They are the Glorious Hall (names subject to change) and the Pack Leader Den.
- Some heroes are more powerful then others and hence require some pre-existing tech to request (aka Littlefoot's Brontodon "Doc" is way too powerful for an early game hero so you need a Battle Centre first before you can request him)
- At the start of the game you can only have a single hero active on the battlefield at one time, but this changes when you build a Battle Centre/Black Tech Lab to two active heroes permitted so you don't have to kill off Sonic Ruby to get Petrie's Deliverator for example.
- Note that every faction has one Commando unit (in the case of Claw its a pair) that do not count as heroes and can be requested and re-requested when you have the proper tech. As a general rule Commandos are a ton more powerful then heroes but the two of them together can make a great combination.
Commando Units:
VDF: Warp Chomper
Claw: Utah & Manhatten
Dirge: Icarus the Creator
Hero Units (sorted by Tech level required):
VDF:
Teir 1 = Sonic Ruby, Power Ducky
Teir 2 (Tactical Control) = Cera's Punisher
Teir 3 (Battle Centre) = Littlefoot's Brontodon, Petrie's Deliverator
Claw:
Teir 1 = Chamelion Ozzy, Aconite's Calculator
Teir 2 (Operations Den) = Hellebore's Reductor
Teir 3 (Black Tech Lab) = Red Eye's Tyrannotron, Procella's Basilisk
Dirge:
Tier 1 = TBA
Tier 2 (Polimerization Morpher) = TBA
Teir 3 (Genetic Constructor) = TBA
...
Note that Theta counts as a Commando unit, but he is only playable in certain missions of the Claw campaign. Since Theta is the ruler of Claw now, he cannot be senselessly risking himself on the battlefield. His talents at "Diplomacy" are better used keeping the Claw-VDF Alliance from breaking apart while two great enemies threaten their survival.
-
More Music:
VDF Mission #13: Return to Cloud Island (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=B7wni1xanuA)
It looks like the infamous Cloud Island prison has come into use again, even after the VDF destroyed it the first time. Today however it is an operations base for Achilles, a dangerous rogue sharptooth that Claw insists must be eliminated if the alliance is to hold. The mission begins as a Supersonic VDF jet flys over open ocean, only to be targeted by surface to air missiles from Achille's Missile Subs and heavily damaged. Citing a critical systems failure, the craft paradrops a group of 5 Railsnipers including Ducky into the sea before crashing into the water. As the Railsnipers reach shore a small wing of Claw Basilisk Warships coast in slowly and menacingly from the side of the map. At their head, a single Basilisk hails you - and it turns out to be Procella who has been told by Claw command to assist in destroying the targets your Railsnipers designate. An interesting conversation occurs in which General Longtail has to threaten Ducky with tribunal charges if she doesn't obey her orders. As battle control comes online it is your task to clear out defenses to allow a Construction Walker to arrive before destroying Achilles' installation.
Claw #14: The Traitor in the Deep (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xKM9YaVEFus&NR=1)
The VDF has destroyed Cloud Island as they promised, and now have presented a demand of their own to keep the pact. The Dirge have assaulted the Verdant Haven so the VDF does not have the forces or the equipment on hand to eliminate Achille's Submarine Fleet. Intelligence has revealed that he might be planning to load his Xion Class Submarines with the most hienous WMDs ever created... Massive Yield Soul Nukes, a plan that doesn't bode well for either the VDF or Claw. Theta has given you the task of assaulting Achille's undersea base using a modified arsenal of weaponry and bases designed to work underwater! This is probably one of the most interesting missions in the game - but it can be annoying due to the darkness of the sea floor that makes sighting enemies difficult. Once you capture Achille's MY Soul Nukes the mission ends in victory.
LBT: Future Wars & FW: Invasion End Credits (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=A0m2AFW2cUk)
Created by: Brett "Caustizer" Thompson
Based on a world by Serris
Awesome Artwork By: South Paw Racer
Awesome Music By: Frank Klepacki :lol
Special Thanks to: Everyone who has bothered to read and comment in this thread!
-
Do you guys think I should continue with this after I finish the Dirge Weapons and VDF/Claw Hero descriptions?
I have an idea for another perspective expansion, a whole new set of music to accompany it, and an all encompassing ending that would finish off the series.
Caustizer
-
I say do it... the ending that you detailed beforehand was awesome enough, but some closure would be great as well. I reckon you should go ahead with it. :smile
-
Known Weaponry of the Alien Race known as the Dirge:
Forgive me if I'm a bit lax on the descriptions, but the Dirge do not play an overly important role in the overall outcome of the Claw-VDF conflict.
Infantry:
Raveners:
- basic infantry units that are genetically grown by the Dirge to assault enemy foot soldiers and carve them into pieces with their claws
- overall are quite lightly armoured and are not resistant to attacks from advanced anti-personel weapons
- cheap and quick to produce, making it simple to produce massive swarms to overwhelm and slaughter the enemy
- come in groups of 6 which is less then Sickle Packs at 8 but equivilant to Runner Squads
- by appearance they are dull purple-skinned small dog-like animals with two seperate pairs of scything talons - with their blank white eyes revealing not even a small part of a soul
- can be upgraded into Ravagers which use rapid fire Splinter Pods and high hitpoints to devestate enemy infantry and aircraft, but require a Polimerization Morpher and two Ravener Squads to accomplish this transformation
Sappers:
- small living bombs grown en mass by the Dirge to charge towards enemy armour and structures and detonate, spraying clouds of liquid Caustic fluid and melting them into green goo
- one shot one use, but are quite cheap and can deal substaintial damage in a very short period of time
- come in groups of 4, though the explosions of nearby Sappers don't effect their comrades unfortunately
- completely souless like most Dirge troops, and do not care for their own survival other then to do exactly as the Biomaster tells them
- by appearance are dark purple spiders with bulbous sacs of volatile fluids growing off their bodies
- two squads of Sappers can be combined via a Polimerization Morpher into Flayers, which are deadly large spider groups that use disintegator anti-armour beams to slice their targets into little tiny pieces
Explicator:
- these cat-like beasts are quite docile and despite their created purpose tend to avoid direct conflict by instict even while their Dirge masters drive them on
- they have a very important purpose in the Dirge armies and that is to infiltrate and capture enemy holdings, as well as shocking large bio-beasts back to life with their central boosters
- Explicators are overcharged with life energy, which explains their overall friendly nature, although it is often focused on tasks detrimental to the VDF and Claw on the battlefield hence these creations must be eliminated as the highest priority
- secondary ability is to meld into their surroundings, making them invisible for as long as they are stationary - unless a Claw Arbitor or VDF Architect comes along that is!
Splicers:
- the personal servants of the Master Creator Icarus and masters of the Dirge's biotechnology these troopers can biomorph their skeletal arms into different types of weapons so they can better combat their enemies
- scions of the Dirge race, these humaniod-like figures are the only actual Dirge to set foot on an active battlefield, and by appearance are purple-skinned, possessing long arms and legs and maws full of vicious teeth (for best comparason, the Dirge are similar to the Halo series' Covanant in some regards)
- different weapon types include Virus Cannons, Splinter Pods, and Acid Breath
- Virus Cannons are bio-organic sniper rifles that disintegrate any infantry target they hit at long range in a violent burst of flesh eating virus
- Splinter Pods project a hail of sharp splinter spines that are effective versus masses of infantry and even aircraft
- Acid Breath consists of short range balls of death that can kill infantry within garrisons, and melt all surface targets into a pool of melted green slag
- created in groups of 4
- can be combined into Genitors using a Polimerization Morpher, which not only switch weapons like their predecessors and have an increased amount of hit points to compensate, but also increase the combat statistics of nearby Dirge infantry based on the current weapon they are using
- Virus Cannons increase the range of nearby infantry by 10% if upgraded to Genitors
- Splinter Pods increase rate of fire by 10% if upgraded to Genitors
- Acid Breath increases damage by 10% if upgraded to Genitors
Malefors:
- grown specifically to aid the Dirge in conquering the air, these winged beasts are deadly in the extreme and are used very often to tighen up the Dirge's arial sercurity or simply to masscre ignorant indiginous populations into submission
- by appearance look vastly similar to humanity's interpretation of demons - in fact these flying infantry are likely the origin of such a concept in religion, though this can never be proven
- use batches of insect grenades, which when released from their underwings beeline their way towards the nearest enemy heat-source and detonate trigging a devestating reaction in both groups of infantry and hardened structures alike
- does not do so well versus enemy vehicles, which seem to be cold enough to fool the heat-seeking insects to more often then not miss their targets
- come in squads of 6, though since they are airborn they cannot be polymorphed into a greater form
- requires a Polimerization Nexus to be created
Icarus the Creator:
- greatest of the Dirge, Icarus has travelled the vastness of space for generations perfecting the art of creation and destruction and advancing his personal research
- possesses one of the most powerful and annoying attributes of all units, and this is his insanely high regeneration rate
- he is weak to most anti-infantry attacks, but he regenerates hitpoints so fast only the most powerful of enemy weapons can possibly have a chance of eliminating him (ie Punisher Cannons and Caustic Gases or Snipers)
- as his primary weapon, he throws vials of supreme potency at medium range which when broken produce deadly effects on enemies
- Infector Vials that break on buildings instantly grow a set of bio-tentacles that emerge from the ground and crush the target structure almost instantly
- Splinter Vials break in a shower of sharp spines which impale nearby infantry and aircraft similar to Utah's Blade Nova ability
- Acid Vials that break on vehicles instantly melt them... no ifs ands or buts
- Unique Commando unit just like VDF's Chomper and Claw's Utah and Manhatten and as such you can only build one of them but he is completely awesome
...
Caustizer
-
I'm just curious, out of both storylines do you find the VDF one more interesting or the Claw one?
-
I may be slightly biased, but I find the VDF story more interesting... particularly because of Topsy creating illegal weapons behind the council's back. It adds an extra dimension to their side of the conflict. With Claw, I can't see anything like that that sets them apart from other "evil" sides in video games. That's just my opinion though...
On a completely different note, I stayed up till 1am last night drawing this concept art of Ducky with her backpack. I also updated the armour's look according to yours and Serris' recommendations (shoulder plates and articulated armour for the tail) and included a hint of the railgun... ;)
(http://f.imagehost.org/0038/singularity2.jpg) (http://f.imagehost.org/view/0038/singularity2)
The V.D.F. on her back is for identification purposes - it is engraved into the armour plate. The triangular symbols you can see on her right leg and helmet are previews of my idea of what the VDF symbol should look like.
Feel free to give feedback and recommend any changes... :yes
-
I love this drawing as with all of your artwork. I wish I could make drawings this good (if I could then half the arsenal would be done by now :lol).
Could you make a few small changes for me though?
1) Since Ducky is now part of a corps - at least as of the Invasion Expansion - the primary role of the Swimmer Railsnipers is to use extreme range to their advantage to get into positions where they can pick off sharpteeth and vehicles from long range without having to risk getting up close and likely being eaten :anger. Keeping this in mind, could you extend the barrel of the Railrifle via possibly adding a barrel shaft to make it appear like a long range armament rather then a short range one?
2) Swimming is second nature to the swimmers, so naturally the VDF takes advantage of this by allowing them to be completely amphibious. Since they can't really swim in such a thick suit of armour, could you add small hydrojets on the back to propell them forward if they end up in the water?
Thanks for devoting so much of your time to drawing this for me and Serris and I hope you do more!
EDIT: I like your interpretation of the VDF symbol a lot better then mine. I could maybe make a rendition of it on it's own later.
Caustizer
-
The Rise of Achilles:
Being a rogue AI cast into the sea of leaf-eaters, sharptooth, and aliens Achilles had to adapt to defeat his enemies both on the surface and under the sea in order to achieve his goal of supremecy over Claw. Unlike the VDF's ALI unit, Achilles is not an artificial intelligence, but simply a very smart fast-biter with his mind connected to the stream of the internet and databases of the computerized world. This occured quite by accident, but has enabled him to become quite famous within the sharptooth world for his incredible inventions and ability to manage the Claw economy far more efficiantly then normal officials could ever have hoped.
Achilles was first responsible for discovering sub-atomic weaponry, or "Volcano Weapons" as they are called within Claw military ranks. Claw discovered nuclear weapons early on in it's inception, but there was a collassal problem with their use - the prey would become irradiated and inedible. This simply would not do!
Achilles discovered through ultra-advanced calculations how to contain and focus a miniture nuclear blast so intensely that it could force a second sub-nuclear reaction amongst the quarks and cratons of the detonated substance producing an explosion of reduced potency, but producing no deadly radiation or fallout. Within months of their creation Volcano weapons had found their way onto the battlefield in a number of forms - namely the Tyrannotron dual Volcano Blasters, the Doom Maw Artillery Cannnons, and Claw's Ultimate Weapon - the Doom Hammer.
...
With new doors open to him, Achilles saw farther into the world then anyone ever would, and eventually came to the conclusion that he and he alone must rule Claw - not only to feed the populace but also to assure sharptooth dominance in such an unstable time period.
Being officially designated an AI, Achilles ran into a problem in his master plan... there were very little sharpteeth who believed he was little more than a servant and apart from his devoted the chances of forming an army that could enforce his rule out of living soliders was farely slim. To this end he produced a hyrbid army that contained many units completely unique to his movement.
Might as well include the best Achilles song I've heard: here (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yELixsgYK8w)
Army of Achilles:
Infantry:
Terminators
- powerful basic infantry units with a damaging attack, decent movement speed, and far more hitpoints then the equivilant infantry units of all factions making them the most powerful teir 1 infantry at the game, but at cost
- armed with dual spine cannons capable of a rate of fire far greater then the improvised spine guns of Claw's Sickle Pack infantry
- by appearance are similar to Cyborg Reapers, but instead possess the form and curves of sharpteeth to represent Achilles' interpretation of mechanical perfection
- at 500 credits are quite costly compared to the $200 Sickle Packs and Ravager Groups and the $300 Runner Squads but make up for it in effectiveness
- armed with manually targeted EMP cannons that can disable enemy vehicles of all shapes and sizes
- come in squadrons of 3
Hunters
- elite cyborg commandos that have one role - to tear enemies to bits with their saw blade claws and drill charges
- come in groups of 5 and replace Firehounds in Achilles' army
- come pre-equiped with Stealth Armour making them unseen and deadly at all times
- expensive but astutely loyal to whomever they are programmed to obey
- most recognizable by their pupiless green eyes which take up most of their face - only something so unnatural could have cybernetic eyes so large
Vehicles:
Psi Tank
- devestating war machines adapted to countering any surface forces the enemy can throw at them with paralyzing efficancy thanks to their psi bolts which work on the same frequency as the dinosaur brain (but not human brain) and can overload and short them out resulting in undamaged vehicles free to the taking
- heavy armour is resistant to the mental attacks of this strange construct, and even with the power to exterminate the crew they still tend to fall to large units like Brontodons and Bio-Monstrosities without too much trouble
- replaces the Executioner Walker in the standard Claw arsenal
Buildings:
Soul Nuke Launch Facility
- Soul nukes are so hienous that even Claw avoided their use for decades until it became absolutely necessary
- this structure can prepare and launch Soul Nukes, which are dark purple in colour and absorb the life force of all enemies they destroy for use by Achilles and his army
- life force aquired is displayed in a bar undernieth the hitpoints, and unlike the Basilisk can be used to cast a Nova that heals your forces anywhere you wish (with a radius similar to Claw's Rage Generator, VDF's Chronometron or the Dirge's Bio-Converator). This can prove to be an extremely powerful weapon, and Achilles uses it to his advantage whenever possible
...
Achilles' Execution:
Following the end of the Twilight War, Achilles' primary control was captured and the purple fast-biter was forcably disconnected from his links and cast down in front of all of Claw. As a method of extracting revenge, Theta ordered a different style execution for Achilles that was more fitting for the suffering he had caused. He was chained to Excidium's statue, and a memoriam was declared:
Theta: Soldiers and fellow sharpteeth of Claw... I formally declare that the one who brings me the head of the scourge will never go hungry again! ... feast well.
Achilles: I am eternal ignorant fool...destroy my physical body if you want but my soul lies within the interglobal network. You have sealed your own doom.
And Achilles was torn apart under a tide of ravenous sharpteeth eager to claim Theta's prize. VDF stations who had intercepted the broadcast watched in disgust as the traitor was punished for his actions, with the gory parts elegantly censored.
VDF News Reporter: So ends the reign of one of the Twilight War's most unusual chapters... tune in next week for the full story on the sharptooth Achilles and how he came to be one of the biggest threats we have ever faced. News and traffic report at eleven.
...
-
WOW! Nice going on Ducky as a railsniper. Again like Caustizer said, her sniper rifle looks more like an assault rifle or even a carbine.
One question, Theta in the normal TWV canon is a Swimmer. I assume that this Theta is a sharptooth. Please correct me if I am wrong.
-
I wish you would tell me these things Serris before I start imagining and writing :slap.
In this universe yes Theta is a fast-biter.
-
Well, SOME alterations have to be made to make TWV fit a Command and Conquer style environment!
Anything else you need to know about TWV canon before you add stuff?
-
In the past, more realistic version of Twilight Valley there is a basic boundary between factions and lots of switching of sides goes on over the course of the story. In the future wars version, the VDF and Claw are two completely different civilizations that each possess a different goal.
The VDF's primary goal is to protect themselves from attack as they have a system set up to grow and distribute food, clean water, electricity etc. that can be quite vulnerable. They are wary of any and all sharpteeth, simply because their system isn't built to take care of them from a domestic stand point.
Claw's primary goal is to feed itself and it's citizens... and often this sparks conflicts because war is so profitable for this sharptooth empire in a way that would never apply to the VDF. In war, Claw wins either way as if they are victorious the dead and the living captured are 'processed for consumption' while if they are defeated they have hundreds less soldiers to have to feed, and a ready supply of corpses to feed the living. It's a brutal equation that's part of sharptooth life, and this has obviously made them hostile towards any leaf-eater simply because they are viewed as weak and only useful as food.
So the main point is, the division between Claw and the VDF is so large that each faction essentially represents the predator-prey relationship with little room for anything else. To this effect, Theta as well as the rest of Claw's command are all sharpteeth for things to work.
-
WOW! Nice going on Ducky as a railsniper. Again like Caustizer said, her sniper rifle looks more like an assault rifle or even a carbine.
I think there's been a little mix-up... Before drawing the latest picture, I had not read the notes on swimmers becoming a corps of their very own, and getting sniper railguns and such. Hence, the most recent Ducky drawing is of the original Singularity armour and railgun, pre-expansion. I'd like to think of the drawing as the final draft of the base Future Wars Singularity armour.
On that note, I'll get on to drawing RailSniper Ducky as soon as I can. :D
-
Ah, that makes more sense.
The original railgun that Ducky used was a modified 30mm railgun designed for vehicle mounting. I would assume that one of the modifications would be shortening the barrel so it would be easier to maneuver.
-
I'd say that, with or without the proper firearm, Ducky really does look intimidating :blink:. Like some kind of a femme fatale. I would not want to get on her bad side :bolt!
-
Thanks CT... :D When designing Ducky's armour, I tried to make it geometrical and rather menacing, but at the same time have a feminine aspect to it so that the viewer knows that it's Ducky beneath that armour, and not a generic (or more to the point, male) swimmer. Looks like it's worked... :yes
Caustizer, remember how you expressed interest in my interpretation of the VDF symbol? I decided to create a large version of it. :)
In my Ducky drawing, it was only shown briefly; either it was too small to be seen properly or only a segment of it was shown. So, I thought it best that I communicate my ideas by drawing a final draft of it, in full size.
(http://i.imagehost.org/0038/vdf.jpg) (http://i.imagehost.org/view/0038/vdf)
Notes:
In the area of colour, I have two ideas -
One, for the logo's attachment to vehicles and armour, is for the stylised mountains in the centre to be made from a simple sheet of stainless steel, specially polished.
The other is for those same mountains to be coloured a polished emerald green; this idea would be used for special occasions, such as on medals, at functions or attached to official transport vehicles.
The lettering would be polished reflective metal, and the triangle encasing the whole symbol would be made of a flat, dark grey metal that has a slight bit of sheen to it.
Just in case you're wondering, I never colour in my drawings - mainly because they're always ruined whenever I apply colour to them... :p
---
Hope you guys like it. I'll draw up a Claw one soon. :D
-
This is a pretty good rank badge, but as an insignia for the entire VDF it isn't complex enough in my opinion. It's still a great drawing though!
In my idea for the symbol, I tried to make something that looked a bit like a leaf while having a crown in it to represent an Empire. Would you mind reworking this a bit to make it more representitive of the leaf-eater nations as a whole?
I eagerly await your Claw interpretation :)
-
Sorry there's been no updates... year 11 really piles on the homework. :wacko
I have completed a host of drawings, namely the Claw symbol, a minor reworking of the VDF one, Ducky's updated armour and Railsniper rifle, and my interpretation of the VDF flier armour.
Expect them to be up in the next day or two! :D
-
I look forward to them... I was sure that in my neglect this thread was dead but It's nice to know that your carrying it on. :smile
-
Alrighty, here we go!
The faction symbols side-by-side. I reworked the VDF Symbol to include a leaf/crown motif, and to the right of that is the initial concept for Claw. I tried to make it as sharptooth-like as possible while maintaining a futuristic and diabolical edge.
(http://f.imagehost.org/0048/symbols.jpg) (http://f.imagehost.org/view/0048/symbols)
My initial concept for the VDF Flier Armour. As described earlier in the repository, it is fixed-winged. I feel that this image is best seen as a picture of a "scout", explaining why there aren't any visible weapons.
(http://i.imagehost.org/0714/flier.jpg) (http://i.imagehost.org/view/0714/flier)
Ducky's Railsniper armour during her time in the Swimmer Corps. Note the partially-concealed propulsion devices on the backs of her legs, her chestplate and Railsniper weapon. I tried to sufficiently upgrade the armour so that it is a proper "update" - you can see that her hands and feet are protected with armour that joins together the fingers and toes for added efficiency when swimming. Of course, the joining is controlled by the onboard computer and the appendages can easily be separated again for extra manoeuvrability.
(http://f.imagehost.org/0808/singularity3.jpg) (http://f.imagehost.org/view/0808/singularity3)
And finally, my initial concept for the Railsniper rifle:
(http://i.imagehost.org/0213/railsniper.jpg) (http://i.imagehost.org/view/0213/railsniper)
What follows is a description of how the weapon works.
The Circuit-Breaker (#1 on the diagram) is a miniature lever, through which a swimmer's thumb can fit, that activates the weapon's electric charge. It is activated by "clutching" the lever and weapon handle together. When a swimmer is not holding the weapon in this way, the Circuit-Breaker is deactivated, and in turn electricity stops flowing through the weapon; thus, it is safe to carry normally and prevents misfiring.
The Charge Slider (#3) controls the amount of charge the weapon is recieving. Once a swimmer has activated the Circuit-Breaker, he/she the grips the Charge Slider handle with his/her free hand and slowly moves it forward to increase the charge. The amount forward that the lever is pushed depends on the state of the reactor in the Singularity backpack; if most of the reactor's power is being used for other purposes, the lever will have to be pushed further forward - the opposite is true for when the nuclear energy is in abundant supply. If the lever is pushed forward too fast, the weapon's charge can be overloaded. Once the charge has reached its optimum level (communicated to the handler via a display in their helmet visor), the weapon can then be fired.
The purpose of the Wire (#8) is obvious: connecting the gun to the backpack so that it may recieve more energy. The wire is not as fragile as one may think: it is armoured in the same way as the main Singularity armour suit.
The Main Charge Housing and Counterweight (#9) do exactly as their names say: they provide storage for spare charge, should the need arise, and they balance the gun so that it doesn't feel lugged around.
The Reloading Housing (#10) works in a unique way: it is magnetically-controlled. Instead of opening a housing and inserting a cartridge, the swimmer simply gets one of the metal slugs (thinner and sharper than the original railgun ammo used by Ducky herself) and holds it underneath the opening at the bottom of the weapon. The magnetism then sucks the ammo into the gun, and a small computer linked to the one located in the armour moves it into the barrel, ready for firing.
-------
Anyways, that's all I have for now. Again, feel free to comment and suggest revisions, etc.... :D
-
I love all these drawings and as ever I am impressed with your dedication and creativity. The VDF logo is still slightly difficult to accept, but it's a lot better than mine and like all my creations regarding future wars many of them I didn't like at first but eventually came around.
Your Railsniper drawings are quite complete and do a great job capturing what I was trying to convey with this mid-game unit. Railsnipers are best used in garrisons and inside mobile Crawlers with Fireports because of their incrediable range and damage on a single vehicle or infantry unit. Their main weakness of course is that they only come in 2 Swimmer teams, compared to units like Sickle Packs which consist of 8 Sickleclaws.
Factoring in reload time, it would take a single team of Railsnipers almost 15 seconds to eliminate the squad, which taking into account the vast difference in price (800 credits to 200 credits) means they are prone to being overwhelmed.
A creative VDF commander would put them inside Crawlers and kite slower enemies like grounded Claw Tyrannotrons, Executioners, and Reborn by running away while the Railsnipers fire out the back. This doesn't really work against fast units like Stalker Stealth Tanks or Claw Screamers though.
-
I really, really, really love the Claw emblem.
It looks futuristic and the hard edges of it capture the philosophy of Claw.
Love the new railgun too.
The VDF emblem, I like it but the crown is a little out of place.
And Ducky looks perfect!
-
Land Before Time Future Wars Expansion II: Icestorm
Some believed that the Death Storm was just a rift, an atmospheric gap created by abuses of Weather Control Technology by the VDF, but they were wrong. Long after the defeat of the Dirge and the following ban of Drawler technology, the story remained. Not only did it just remain, but it grew... and it continued to grow until it engulfed almost the entire planet. Following ten years of dark skies the anomaly finally subsided, but what it left behind it was a world more hostile then the leaf-eaters or the sharpteeth could ever have imagined. The global climate had shifted, bringing on a perpetual age of ice and snow.
Economies collapsed as food shortages drove prices through the roof, and conditions deteriorated within the VDA far faster then they did for Claw, as the sharpteeth had grown accustomed to such things. Havens that had once been allies seperated and went their own way in the coming dark age ahead, and for all intents and purposes the coalition of leaf-eaters was no more.
Littlefoot grew up, and when his Grandpa passed away (the transport carrying his medicine was lost one particularly vicious snowstorm) he took over the mantle as head councillor of the Great Haven. Carrying with his his experiences of the blood and death in the Twilight War and subsequent Dirge invasion, Littlefoot scaled down the military to curb it's technological excesses (much to Topsy's displeasure) and soon the great war machines of the past - including the mighty Brontodons - were lost under the massive drifts of snow. The world had entered a new dark age of conflict and suffering, known later as the 'Icestorm Crisis'.
VDF Campaign - "Dead World" (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MIJWFlM3gXw)
The victorious optimism that once filled the VDF has deteriorated to a shadow of what it once was. General Longtail still holds the position of High General, but he is getting old and his days are numbered. Seeking to further establish himself in the memories of the leaf-eaters, he did something no previous commander had ever done - appointed a fast-runner into High Command. While this seems not unusual, the VDF was highly structured by species with it's long standing credo 'every race has it's place' and to violate this code in one area meant that it could be violated in others as well, and this would only serve to weaken the VDF from within - or so the longnecks thought.
VDF Tactical Map Theme (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SmgjiYqCjO4&NR=1)
As it turns out the fast-runner isn't a nobody either. He is Grisson, Ruby's only son. His mother gave her life in the final stages of the Death Storm assault, and as the only primogenitor to die in the war the VDF felt it owed a debt to not only her family but to the scientists of whom studied and cared for her. You the player are represented by Grisson as he moves up in the ranks, gains access to newer and more destructive unit types beyond the basic runners/spiketail units you start with.
Mission #1 - "Claw's Second Strike" (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EYEI37vccKE)
The storyline of the campaign follows a new secret weapon that Claw is developing to exterminate the leaf-eaters once and for all - the Microwave Subduction Bomb. An attack on the Misty Haven with this weapon starts another war, only this time Claw has a definate advantage due to the majority of the empire being in tropical zones and hence immune to snowfall. Eventually you seek an alliance with a Claw rebel named Raptix, and ultimately beat back the sharptooth assault.
Mission #8 - "Justice" (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CX7C6ZnV83E&feature=related)
The truth about the Death Storm is revealed when the newly reactivated VDF satellite networks reveal a massive Dirge construct over the North Pole - a massive energy syphon known as the Biosphere. This space borne ship has been stealing energy from the Earth's atmosphere and using it to power it's own seperate ecosystem with species designed to replace the dinosaurs. The villian responsible for this abomination, Icarus the Creator, is finally brought to justice once more in a spectacular Space-based insertion of military forces directly into the Biosphere. At the end of the mission Icarus is finally destroyed, and the Biosphere shut down forever.
Soon the Icestorm receeds, and once more the sun shines down upon the weary leaf-eaters of the VDA. Salvation at last!
--- Claw Campaign will be up tommarow
-
Examples of New VDF Units:
Dreadnaught $3500
- new age capital warships of the sky, this vessels are expensive and require lots of tech to produce
- does not have the customizability of it's predecessor, the Deliverator, but does carry a devestating long range armament of 4 seperate Ion Flare batteries which can point enemy positions to dust from kilometers away and even from orbit
- developed jointly with several of the Wingtail factions, who are nominally neutral but are world reknowned as airship builders and pilots
- requires Battle Centre and Bigmouth's armory
Paradox Generator $2500
- mobile defenseless vehicles with many useful abilities stemming from their outlandish time powers
- the Paradox Generator can, on command, 'redeem' all nearby troops and vehicles who recently deceased on the battlefield to provide another push, but unlike the Ressurection Sphere this ability is single activation rather then continous
- the latent ability of the Paradox generator is to create temporary copies of nearby units, effectively doubling your force size for a small length of time
- Unsurprisingly, requires a Battle Centre and Bigmouth's Armory
Runner Rangers $400
- fast, mobile light infantry units that are equiped in full exosuit armour, recently adapted to their species from the more common longneck version
- the increase in basic armour and armament incurs higher cost, but also provides increased effectiveness upon creation without the need for upgrades
- replaces Runner Squads
Pulverizer Gunship $2000
- it did not take the VDF long to realize the limited value of their Pulverizer Bombers in direct combat. Often these vulnerable flyers would only have the chance to drop their payload once, and were often shot down immeadiately afterwards
- VDF military scientists fixed the problem by replacing the bomb bay with two massive Shock Cannons that stick out of the bottom of the aircraft and have nearly limitless ammunition making it easier for the Gunship to remain a force on the battlefield a lot more then it's predecessor ever did
- requires Battle Centre
-
Here is some of my ideas for the naval forces:
VDF Navy
The VDF Navy was started when Grandpa Longneck said, "Without a decisive naval force we can do nothing definitive." Over the years, it has became a force to be reckoned with. Its ships are fast, stealthy, and new, and its officers and men are experienced and well-trained. Under the leadership of Lieutenant Mo and Admiral Elise, the VDF Navy is well-organized and tough.
Hydrarunner Boat
- Hydrorunners are cheap and fast multipurpose patrol/attack boats produced by the VDF
- Their small size, light design, and powerful engines give them great speed and provides a very small target
- Carries with 6 homing torpedoes that can knock out foes of any size
- 6 rockets, 3 Gatling guns, and its small size makes this small boat nearly invincible to aircraft
- Manned byóyou guessed itófastrunners, usually consisting of a crew of 13
SWP-Class Frigate
- SWP-Class frigates are low-cost and low-maintenance frigates designed by the VDF
- Underwater bombs and mines make this ship a fearsome anti-submarine vessel
- The large number of 16-inch homing plasma torpedoes and anti-ship makes it useful for combating larger vessels
- However, this vessel is quite weak in the anti-air role due to its shortage of anti-air missiles, Gatling guns, and the total absence of multi-use railguns
- Manned by a crew of 70-80 fastrunners or bigmouths, or a combination of the two
Rayfin-Class Submarine
- Rayfin-Class submarines are large subs that have long been a part of the VDF
- Known for their ability to stay undetectable, these vessels make perfect naval scouts as well as small transports
- Designed to hunt down any enemy ship with its 25 homing plasma torpedoes
- Carries a 5-inch multi-use railgun and a laser gun for protection from aircraft
Thunder-Class Destroyer
- Thunder-Class destroyers are large new VDF destroyers of state-of-the-art design
- Armed with the new 5-inch multi-use railgun, numerous laser guns, and many anti-air missiles, the Thunder-Class destroyer makes a fearsome anti-air platform
- Like the SWP-Class frigate, these vessels carry a large number of mines and underwater bombs, making it a formidable foe for enemy submarines
- In addition, its fast new torpedo tubes and missile launchers allows it to launch a devastating salvo against enemy ships
- Manned by 300 longnecks, these ships are filled with new and experimental weaponry and sensors
Valley-Class Light Cruiser
- Valley-Class Light Cruisers are new, state-of-the-art, and fast-to-build, and they are considered by many to be the best ships in the world
- It’s six 6-inch guided railguns give the pack the ship with a powerful and accurate punch against all ships lighter than a battleship
- Backed up by a dozen 5-inch multi-use railguns, 32 laser guns, and 50 anti-air missiles, these ships pack a powerful broadside as well as the most fearsome anti-air suite in the world
- However, these ships lack anti-ship missiles and torpedoes, which makes them unable to engage battleships
- Manned by 1000 longnecks, these ships make perfect escorts for large fleets
Plesio-Class Heavy Cruiser
- Plesio-Class Cruisers are new and symbolic heavy cruisers being employed by the VDF
- Armed with nine 8-inch railguns in triple turrets, these ships are powerfully armed and are useful for shore bombardment
- Carry a varied anti-air suite, usually consisting of sixteen 5-inch multipurpose railguns, 50-60 laser guns, and numerous anti-air missiles
- Bristling with sensors, these vessels can easily detect enemy aircraft and submarines and engage them from miles away.
- Unfortunately the new sensor equipment severely limits the number of torpedoes and anti-ship missiles, and underwater bombs onboard. Thus, these ships are not designed to take on subs and battleships
Sonic-Class Fast Battleship
- The Dawn-Class battleships are were designed with the goal to pack a powerful armament inside a small and fast hull
- Armed with nine 16-inch railguns and twenty 5-inch multi-use railguns, a broadside from these ships means certain destruction and devastation
- Armor over the magazines and missile silos protect the ship from any railgun smaller than 16 inches
- It’s large number of laser guns and missiles make it a great AA platform, but a poor sub-hunter
- Manned by 2000 threehorns, these vessels are known to ram enemy warships at their top speed, often slicing the unfortunate enemy vessels in half.
Mosas-Class Heavy Battleship
- Mosas-Class heavy battleships, like its cousin, the Brontodons, are the most symbolic, high tech, heavily armed, and heavily armored ships in service with the VDF Navy.
- Armed with a dozen 16-inch railguns and thirty 5-inch multi-use railguns, a broadside from these ships means certain destruction and devastation
- The ship is protected from aircraft and missiles by more than 150 laser guns, 100 Gatling guns, and anti-air missiles
- Despite the heavy armor and armament, these battleships can still maintain high speed and relative agility
- Commanded by the most elite commanders and manned by 3000 threehorns or spiketails, these vessels can are the most prized (and expensive) ships on the VDF Navy
- Because of the needed material and manpower, there are only 4 of these ships, but they are capable to dishing out heavy fire while absorbing just the same
Storm-Class Escort Carrier
- Storm-Class escort carriers are based on the famous G-3 merchant ship hull, which gives the VDF naval yards both speed and ease of construction
- Because of their low price and relative ease of construction, these are the most widely used carriers in the VDF Navy
- Despite being poorly armed, poorly armored, and having a small hangar, these ships are fast and maneuverable
- These vessels are manned by 600 fast-runners and 30 flyers
- Their small hangar limits their aircraft capacity to 12 fighters and 10 torpedo planes
Starport-Class Fleet Carrier
- Starport-Class Fleet Carriers are the largest ships ever built by the VDF Navy, and they are truly the pride of the VDF Navy.
- Being the most modern and best aircraft carrier the VDF Navy has, these new carriers are built to the newest carrier design theories
- Even a more powerful asset than the Mosas-Class Heavy Battleships, the Starport-Class carriers are often the target of air attacks, but these ships are well defended by eight five-inch multipurpose railguns, forty laser guns, fifty Gatling guns, as well as a stock of anti-air missiles
- These ships seem invincible, but they are vulnerable to torpedo attack, as they have very light underwater armor
- Manned by 2500 Longnecks and 150 Flyers, these ships can carry 90 aircraft and are the most valuable asset of the VDF Navy.
What do you guys think? I’ll add the ships of the heros (Mo and Elsie) and the aircraft later. I’ll also be doing a post for Claw’s navy.
-
Nice but some of the weapons figures, while realistic, would be a "game breaker" if this was a CnC style game, which it is inspired by as well as my LBT war story Land Before Time: Twilight Valley (http://www.gangoffive.net/index.php?topic=2686).
Also, I am not sure if Threehorns and Longnecks can work well on naval vessels.
-----------------
Here is something that I have been meaning to do for a while. Claw's anti-air unit.
Sky Hunter
- The Sky Hunter is Claw's anti-air vehicle.
- It rides on an array of 6 hover pads, giving great speed and mobility.
- It is crewed by a two sickleclaws. One serves as the driver and the other (enhanced with cybernetic eyes that grant better vision than even the best natural eyes as well as other cybernetic implants that boost their thinking speed and reflexes).
- Its weapon is the "Slinger" pulsed laser system. This is a powerful solid state laser cannon that is designed to shoot down aircraft. Advanced cooling systems and multiple cannons allow for a rapid rate of fire or engagement of multiple targets.
- The "Javelin" 25 mm autocannon was originally its weapon but it has since been superceded by the Slinger. Some Sky Hunters with Javelin systems remain in production and service though.
- Engagement of ground targets is possible with both weapons systems.
-
Nice but some of the weapons figures, while realistic, would be a "game breaker" if this was a CnC style game, which it is inspired by as well as my LBT war story Land Before Time: Twilight Valley (http://www.gangoffive.net/index.php?topic=2686).
Also, I am not sure if Threehorns and Longnecks can work well on naval vessels.
Yeah, I tried to go for realism, but what do you mean by a "game breaker?" Also, you're right about the crew thing. Maybe we should make the commander a Longneck or Threehorn while the rest of the crew is a Bigmouth? Tell me what you think?
-
That may work.
Game breaker is a term that refers to something that unbalances a video game.
-
How does it unbalance the game? (p.s. I'll be adding in Claw's units later)
-
Yes, your suggestions are nice and realistic. I agree with Serris though in that it might need to be toned down to fit within a videogame style setting. For example:
Let's say that the VDF and Claw can only build 4-5 Types of Naval vessel each with at least 1 Support vessel to keep things interesting (like a unit with special powers or abilities but little combat role), and that every choice is completely unique in it's role. Here, i'll show you by narrowing down your list as well as making a few ammendments:
VDF Naval Forces:
Hydrarunner Boat $700
Requires: None
- Hydrorunners are cheap and fast multipurpose patrol/attack boats produced by the VDF
- Their small size, light design, and powerful engines give them great speed and provides a very small target
- Carries Cluster Rockets that can be switched between Air Burst or Hedgehog modes, filling the roles of anti-air and anti-submarine as the player chooses.
- Weaker up front compared to Claw's early naval unit the Predator Drone Submarine, but can be used to hit and run on these much slower units to great effect
Gravimetron Vessel $1200
Requires: Tactical Control
- Expensive support craft that uses a technology similar to the Chronometron, but different in application.
- it's main weapon, the gravity distruptor, negates gravity in a small localized area causing the target unit to float helplessly into the air. In order for this effect to continue, the weapon must be channeled and any interruption causes the target to descend back to Earth
- makes an excellant combination with the Hydrarunner or Ramjet against land targets and enemy ships because enemy units effected by the gravimetron can be targetted by anti-air.
- With the proper upgrade from the Tactical Control, the Gravimetron can convert itself from a Naval Vessel into an amphibious land unit to aid your land based-armies.
Thunder-Class Destroyer $1500
Requires: Tactical Control
- Thunder-Class destroyers are large new VDF destroyers of state-of-the-art design
- Armed with a Support Cannon, but it's true strength comes from it's ability to convert itself into an immobile sea-fortress
- When converted into a Sea-Fortress the Support Cannon folds in and Two Torpedo Snipers with an Electroshocker emerge.
- The Two Torpedo Snipers can quickly sink any nearby vessel with a few well placed shots, but unfortunately aren't useful versus underwater submarines unless they emerge, which is where the Electroshocker comes in.
- The Electroshocker immobilizes all vessels and submarines temporarily within a radius of the ability usage, making them easy prey for either the Torpedo Snipers, or Hydrorunners.
Mosas-Class Battleship $3500
Requires: Battle Centre
- Mosas-Class heavy battleships, like its cousin, the Brontodons, are the most symbolic, high tech, heavily armed, and heavily armored ships in service with the VDF Navy.
- Armed with two of the brand new (and officially banned) Vortex Cannon batteries, these horrendous weapons ignite a miniture blackhole that persists for a couple of seconds where-ever they strike using an anti-matter fuse.
- Topsy has used his influence to ensure that all 'Vortex' weapons remain in service amidst hot debate over the morality over their use. Some believe that erasing so much matter is breaking down the Earth's temporal field, though this has not yet been proven.
- These expensive ships cannot be built in standard missions (as the sky-bourne Dreadnaught fills their previous role) but in the campaign you use them a couple of times
-
So should we just get rid of all the aircraft carriers?
-
Or have it so that there is only one - and Claw has it.
Claw has an Aircraft Carrier Submarine, so I wanted to keep that concept away from the VDF to preserve originality.
VDF has an ultra devestating water Battleship and space based one too.
-
Yeah, I was gonna ask about the submarines too. It seems like a good idea. Claw seems like the faction that would have a bunch of weak "meat shield" units and one powerful hero unit. I based a lot of the VDF ships on WWII US Navy ships, and I was thinking that Claw's Navy should have a capital ship like the Yamato. I think that the underwater carrier/sub perfectly fits this description. Nice job. :smile
-
VDF Air Force
Ever since the first Flyers took to the skies, each and every one of them wanted to fly higher and faster. After the development of the internal combustion engine, aircraft of all different sorts began to appear. It was not long before the VDF recognized their ability to locate and attack enemy troops. Thus, the VDF Air Force was born. Operating from land bases and carriers, the VDF Air Force consists of Flyer pilots with years of training operating under the command of Commander Petrie.
Sonicopter Patrol/Strike Plane
- Flyers who join the air force no longer fly on their own, but behind the wings of a turbo powered jet craft with a few inches of armour plating between them and their enemies.
- Uses a revolutionary new sonic weapons system to devastate groups of enemy vehicles, but is disappointingly ineffective versus groups of heavily armoured infantry and structures. On the plus side though, at least they have unlimited ammo.
- Possesses the latest sensors and tremor graphs to detect hidden forces, to maximize the effectiveness of the experimental weapons they carry
- Heavily used as a patrol craft, but still on request for VDF commanders in the field beyond the normally permitted forces.
Pulverizer Heavy Bomber
- Mighty bombers of the VDF air force, these massive hover aircraft can pummel an enemy base into oblivion, and then some.
- Flyers who find the Sonicopter not heavy enough are quickly moved into the Pulverizer Corps, which also has a habit of naming their planes and decorating them with art.
- Also capable of para-dropping loads of infantry onto the battlefield, but said infantry have to endure the gibes of the fly boys, who make fun of the cushiness of their aerial ride.
- Pulverizers are only commissioned on a “must-be-destroyed” basis, so are rare in small scale skirmishes and naval operations
Havoc Helicopter Gunship
- The Havic Helicopter Gunship is a stealthy, high-agility gunship that represents the latest innovations in helicopter design. Its unique fly-by-wire 2.0 system cuts down the time required to train a Flyer pilot. It can also be upgraded to use a high-efficiency hydrogen engine recently designed by Longneck architects.
- Its targeting system is another point of pride for its developers. Previous gunship targeting systems were connected to the gunner's helmet, pointing the gunship's chain gun at wherever the gunner is looking. The Havoc's advanced targeting system takes this premise one step further and actually monitors the gunner's eyes making targeting virtually instantaneous and incredibly precise.
- Once the gunner has a target picked out, the Havoc's 30mm chain gun can make short work of it. The Blackfoot is also equipped with rockets and guided air to ground missiles, making it a very effective tank-killing unit.
- The Havoc Helicopter Gunship almost never happened, as a result of the 30mm chain gun being considered too bulky and ammo-greedy. However, as a result of constant lobbying from Threehorns, these helicopters were put into production and service.
Tornado Air Superiority Fighter
- The Tornado, often considered to be the “big brother” of the Sonicopter, is based on a completely new design built for air-to-air work
- Having four powerful CX-300 jet turbine engines, this plane is very large and heavy, especially compared to its Claw counterparts. Despite this, this plane is stealthy, fast, easy-to-fly, and low-maintenance
- Thanks to its heavy armor and rugged design, these planes can absorb missile hits and are known to be able to return to their bases even after being heavily damaged
- Armed with six air-to-air missiles and a 20mm chain gun for strafing, these fighters pack a devastating punch to any land, naval, or air unit
- These fighters can also carry air-to-ground missiles and extra fuel for ground-attack work, but their large size prevents them for being used on aircraft carriers
Guimic Light/Torpedo Bomber
- A fine example of the ingenuity of TDV engineers, Guimic bombers are the latest and technologically advanced bombers to date
- Armed with two sono-cannons in the wings and two laser guns for protection as well as strafing
- Can be modified to carry laser-guided plasma bombs, six air-to-ground missiles, anti-sub homing torpedoes, and the most devastating weapon of allóone heat-seeking anti-matter rocket
- Note: Before Petrie was promoted to the rank of commander, his plane was badly damaged by a sky-hunter. However, instead of immediately ejecting, he bombed his target before ejecting over a destroyer. Petrie was praised as a hero, and he was soon promoted to command
I based the aircraft all on WWII aircraft. Feel free to edit them. I guess I'll be adding the hero units tomorrow, if not later today.
-
Let's say that the VDF and Claw can only build 4-5 Types of Naval vessel.
The old RTS game Total Annihilation had a total of 9 ships per side. So more than 5 ships can work in a video game setting, just add prerequesites.
-
Never heard of that game, but it seems like a good idea. However, I do not know what requirements to come up with, so I'll leave that to you guys.
I based the ships on real WWII ships, Hydrorunner= Elco PT boat, SWP Frigate=Clemson-class destroyer, Rayfin-class submarine= Gato-class submarine, Thunder-class destroyer= Fletcher-class destroyer, Valley-class light cruiser= Cleveland-class light cruiser, Plesio-class heavy cruiser= Northhampton-class heavy cruiser, Mosas-class battleship= Iowa-class battleship.
-
Let's say that the VDF and Claw can only build 4-5 Types of Naval vessel.
The old RTS game Total Annihilation had a total of 9 ships per side. So more than 5 ships can work in a video game setting, just add prerequesites.
You are right, they can work in an RTS setting fairly well.
However, if you have too many unit types they start to lose their character and identity.
If your unit list looks like this for example:
Light Submarine
Attack Subarmine
Missile Submarine
Patrol Boat
Destroyer
Cruiser
Battleship
Aircraft Carrier
Support Aircraft Carrier
Supply Ship
Will you remember any of these units when you walk away from the game? Possibly. But will they spark your imagination or expand your tactical thinking? Probably not because they are so similar to the modern world ships with only slight variations between each one (ie the Aircraft Carrier has slightly better planes then the Support Carrier, or the Cruiser is slightly better at ship-ship battles then the Destroyer etc.
Compare that to this list:
Hydrarunner Patrol Boat
Gravitron
Fortress Destroyer
Tidecrusher
Vortex Battleship
In this you can see potential for both Iconic and memorable units, as well as completely out of the box technologies that make the VDF Navy stand out as not only different but much more interesting then today's Navy.
It also paves the way for interesting unit quotes like:
Gravitron: "Raising the tides."
"Be a flyer."
Fortress Destroyer: "Sea Fortress on station."
"Pack it up dinos."
Vortex Battleship: "Greatest ship in the Fleet."
"How about a Black Hole?"
"Defying matter and the mind."
One of the key failings of Total Annialation and it's spiritual sucessior Supreme Commander was that none of the units had any character whatsoever. There was no unit acknowledgements, and very few cases where units worked outside the box apart from the experimentals.
-
It's an interesting thing to note that the VDF (Valley Defense Force, the primary leaf-eater army) is Communism at it's best ideologically, where every race is assigned a place within society and nobody is left behind.
Claw on the other hand (the Sharptooth faction) is Capitialism at it's worst, where it is a sharptooth-eat-sharptooth world and only the strong survive to prosper. Claw will use the most hienous and horrible weapons in battle as long as it means they win in the end, and often it's soldiers are in it purely to be fed from day to day.
Very interesting point Caustizer, but I'm afraid that I might have to disagree with you. Your observation is very good, and the government/economic systems of Claw and VDF should be noted, but I have to argue against your idea.
First, communism should not be compared to capitalism, as communism is a government system while capitalism is a market system.
Secondly, no military in the world (that I know of) is operated according to communist principles. Since true communism is classless, a military operating according to communist principles would have no rank, which means no command. There is no military (that I know of) that has no command structure. Also, communism is built on the principle of total democracy, where everyone votes on what to produce and what to do. I do not know of any military that allows soldiers to vote directly on which city to attack, etc. Also, true communism has no government, but the Great Valley definitely has leaders and representatives. Although I do agree with the fact that the VDF is definitely not entirely capitalist, I disagree with the idea that the VDF is socialist.
Thirdly, from a global perspective, all nations, including Claw and VDF, can be considered capitalist. All nations try to lower the prices of the goods they produce and wipe out their competitors. So in a sense, all nations are capitalist. Also, in a true capitalism is based on competition, which I do not see in the Claw faction. Claw is the supreme leader, and he has no equals. There is no one to compete with him, so Claw's faction is not capitalist. Although I'm not sure exactly how Claw is operated, I like to believe that Claw is a dictator who assigns everyone careers and makes most of the population join the army. Thus, Claw, in my humble opinion, should be compared to a totalitarian dictatorship/oligarchy.
Now, the rule of government should not be downplayed in your story. That will add a lot of philosophy and meaning into your story and hopefully <_< prevent the usual criticism of war fanfics from being targeted at your story. However, I see the conflict between the VDF and Claw as a Republic vs. Dictatorship/Oilgarchy conflict, not a communism vs. capitalism conflict. Nonetheless, Caustizer, you made a very good point, and the above are just my opinions.
(p.s. I'm having some trouble comming up with warships for Claw. Do you want just one major capital warships surrounded by meat-shield fodder, or do you want to make it more like the VDF fleet? Also, who do you want the Claw ships to be manned by? Bellydraggers or swimming sharpteeth?)
-
Crap... I came up with such a good idea for a storyline and JUST after I posted the VDF bit. Does anyone mind if I take it down and 'change' it a bit to suit the new plot?
I want Future Wars to have a good send-off, both on the VDF and Claw sides.
EDIT: Ah how I miss the Future Wars: Invasion era music... it's a shame that Frank Klepacki only did one album with music that perfect for the campaign. It feels like alll the rest of his work I'm having to jerry rig to fit what I want for this.
-
Nope. What do you wanna change?
-
I'd be fine with anything you do. :)
-
(http://img690.imageshack.us/img690/218/futurewarsmap.jpg)
Note the Following Features:
The Twilight War encompassed most of present day North America, with the following factions being in direct conflict:
Great Haven
Misty Haven
Verdant Haven
Claw Empire
Fang Empire
The Lower Colonies are a sub-nation that is under the governance of the Great Haven, and are sparsely populated with the exception of a few hubs. On the Fang Border, military prescence is greatly hightened to stave off attacks.
Scythe Empire is thought to have offered plenty of weaponry, equipment, and material to Claw during the war (for a price) but for selfish reasons its leader Maia (yes its Ms. Maia) held back any official declaration in order to continue to profit from the sidelines.
The VDF knew all this, and was loathe to attack Scythe Valley directly because of a few reasons:
1) Claw's surprise attack hit hard and deep, and the last thing the leaf-eaters needed were more enemies.
2) Scythe Valley was famous for its Basilisk Warships (massive airborne battleships that are not quite space capable) and the VDF was not willing to gamble on how powerful they really were until the leaf-eaters had a suitable counter
3) Misty Haven was almost completely unmilitarized, so an attack from Scythe forces could have taken it out of the war completely which would have been devestating for VDF supply lines.
Proxy Wars:
Free Haven had been fighting Oligos Empire incursions and outright aggression for decades, but until the Twilight War began they did not recieve any additional support from the VDF because of a lack of funding. During the war Free Haven forces (with a bit of help from Chomper at times) made considerable gains over the barbaric sharptooth pirates.
Far Haven and the Horn Empire mostly persisted in peace, since Far Haven had few military resources and Horn got a lot of food coming in from the Preylands (named for the vicious sharptooth hunters who dwell there).
-
Good news... Future Wars will be returning again with the leaf-eaters and sharpteeth having found new and innovative ways to kill each other as the end of Cretaceous Earth draws near!
In the VDF, there has been a bit of a dissent into more 'Morally questionable' weaponry including Freeze Rays, Time Bending Airborne Laboratories and Black Hole inducing ammunition in return for greater firepower and functionality.
Only Chomper and Ducky still continue to fight in their old age as long as their friends and families remain in danger from Claw aggression, while the others have moved on to diferent persuits.
In Claw, Manhatten and Raptix (along with their old friend Ozzy) have broken off their alliegences with Theta's new and cruel empire and prepare to take part in a civil war that will once again change the leadership of the Sharptooth Empire or have it remain the same and ascend into dominance.
Outside factions such as Maia's Scythe Valley and Cardine's Fang Valley vie for contol of Claw lands and authorities over ever greater weapons of mayhem and destruction, threatening the survival of all species on the planet.
All the while, sliver's of Achille's brief reign over the sharpteeth remain... leaving some to believe that a part of him might still be alive and plotting revenge against sharptooth and leaf-eater alike.
-
Oh yeah, I am really liking this!
Actually I found some more music that would work:
Chopperhead (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nT1H-18HwYU&feature=PlayList&p=498C778C9F980195&playnext_from=PL&playnext=1&index=24) - Two Steps From Hell (Sounds like something right out of Command and Conquer)
Iridium Factor (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=G677QPjgHCg) - Two Steps From Hell
-
Land Before Time: Future Wars II
The Icestorm Crisis - 35 Years after the end of the Twilight War
As was recorded in both Leaf-eater and Sharptooth history, the alien race known as the Dirge was finally defeated by a combined force of VDF and Claw - though it is not mentioned that Claw's small contingent was annialated at the beginning of the battle by an alien superweapon... VDF historians consider it irrelevant and Theta Era propagandists would rather it remain hidden.
Regardless, the hideous aliens were routed and only two of their ten hive ships ever reached the upper atmosphere to escape into space. It was learned during the battle (or rather revealed by Icarus, the Dirge leader) that they were responsible for the virus that mutated the dinosaurs giving them reduced size but larger brain power. This truth was unsettling, and was quickly confided to forbidden archives as the matter was put into investigation.
There was no denying either in the VDF or Claw that relations had changed between the two mortal enemies since the cease-fire had come into place to fight the combined menace of Achilles' Machine Army and the Dirge.
For the first time in the history of leaf-eater and sharptooth existance diplomatic relations were opened between the VDA and Claw's new leadership. Treaties were signed that contained provisions about territorial and military boundaries. Each faction was permitted an ambassador to the other, positions that Hasta and Bluescale were all to glad to fill. The most important deal however was the 'Strategic Arms Reduction Treaty' that was struck later in the process.
...
The SART was signed by General Longtail and Marshal Raptix (an inky foot print and taloned claw mark respectively) and it stated that each faction could demand the dismantling of a single weapons program within the other without negotiation in order to reduce the threat of mass destruction that loomed over the world at the time.
The decision as to which one it was to be was made at the highest level, with Theta and his advisors selecting one of the VDF weapons, and Grandpa Longneck and the VDF council picking one of Claw's.
The question remained as to which one they would choose...
-
The VDF reached their decision first. Within two weeks of the treaty deadline, the VDA council demanded that Claw dismantle their Soul Nuclear Warheads. The 'Soul Nukes' were claimed by Claw propaganda to 'devour the souls of the enemy, and turn them against them to charge our weapons'. Whether it was true or not very few knew, since these armaments were only ever used in battle on Scythe Valley's Basilisk sky warships.
Leaf-eater intelligence had compounded a collection of video-graphs and photo-graphs depicting Claw Nuclear tests that appeared to show a 'blue mushroom cloud' instead of the standard fireball of the sharpteeth's other Nuclear weapons.
That Grandpa Longneck and the other councillors unanimously agreed to 'Soul Nukes' was because of two reasons. Firstly, during the Twilight War the rogue sharptooth-AI Achilles had assembled an arsenal of Soul Nuclear Missiles that he planned to use against the Verdant Haven. The plan was only brought to an end by a preemptive raid by Claw on Achille's submarine base in the mid-atlantic, wherein Theta's army captured the 80 unfired missiles and took them to an unknown location.
Secondly, the very concept of destroying not only a being's body but also destroying their soul is an absolute abomination to the leaf-eaters' religious beliefs. In their culture, they believe that when somebody dies their soul returns to the same family in a later generation, in the form of a son or daughter. Should a Soul Nuke ever be used on a VDF colony or city, it would not only take lives but also annialate the souls of those caught in the blast. Such an event would be intolerable, so the decision was made.
Claw's 'Emperor' Theta was only slightly annoyed by the decision. While Soul Nukes were certainly a valuable weapon for intimidation, the consiquences of losing them would only really apply to Ms. Maia since her fleet was the only unit that used them.
It is rumoured that Ms. Maia executed the Diplomat who signed the treaty in her name, though unfortunately none of his family members were alive long enough either to confirm or deny it.
-
Claw took a bit longer to decide which VDF weapons program it wanted to shut down. An unfortunate loop-hole in the treaty was that the choices only included weapons of mass destruction that were actually confirmed to exist. The longnecks whom had written the treaty had included this clause so that the VDF could force Claw Intelligence to prove that some of the more obscure technologies were in active use in the leaf-eater military.
Theta was furious to find the state of disarray that his intelligence was in. In his betrayal Achilles had erased or locked off countless data stacks that Exidium had kept on the enemy prior to the start of the war. The existing blocks could be decoded, but not in time for the treaty deadline.
In the end the sharpteeth knew about the Chrono and Gravitron technology that the VDF was employing, but since they couldn't prove it they had to choose between three options: The Titan Uplink, the Drawler Systems, and the Brontodon program. Claw's generals had come to warroom brawls at one point about what choice was to be made, and the leadership was in a near deadlock as the deadline grew nearer.
Ground Generals such as Red-Eye pushed aggressively to end the Brontodon program, as those metal monsters were responsible for countless casualties during the Twilight War and proved to be near unstoppable thanks to all the experimental technologies they carried.
Air Force Generals such as Sierra were equally venomous about wanting the Titan Uplink to go. The Space-based Weapons Platform worked by dropping a salvo of Tungsten Rods which quickly reach Supersonic velocities and incinerate whatever they strike in white hot impacts. Sierra and the other flyers were greatly alarmed by the fact it could potentially strike their Air Towers with no warning and no chance of reprisal.
Submarine Admirals such as Navar wanted the VDF's Drawler technology to go. Messing with the weather could produce perpetually poor sea conditions to make traditional naval operations impossible.
After hours of senseless debate, threats, and some stray shots 'Emperor' Theta stepped in and made the decision for them.
The VDF would cancel their Weather Machine and field use of Drawler Technology perminantly. Theta knew that the global climate was changing thanks to the 'Drawler Storm' that lingered after the war and made certain areas of the sea impassible. The planet was getting colder, and even now some of the northern regions were becoming ghostly as the cold blooded dinosaurs retreated from the snow and ice. The fast-biter reasoned that since the majority of Claw cities and settlements were in the tropical regions, the faction as a whole would benefit more from a cooling then the VDF would, and without their Weather Control Technoloy they could do nothing about it.
After all 'Emperor' Theta had a plan... but first he would need to gather his resources, bide his time, and prepare for the coming conflict. And when the time came that the VDF became weak and paralyzed by the cold, his army would strike and conquer the world in his name.
The foundations of the Icestorm Crisis had been set in motion...
-
The Valley Defense Alliance
The Valley Defense Alliance, or VDA has been commonly confused with the VDF, or Valley Defense Forces. The VDA refers to the massive alliance that encovers many leaf-eater nations, such as Misty Haven, Great Haven, Verdant Haven, and Free Haven. All of the 'Havens' are given a number of Councillors to represent their home in porportion to valley size. So, for instance, the Great Haven is the largest Leaf-eater city [known in previous times as the Great Valley] and has 4 seperate councillors while the Free Haven only has 1 [due to it's relatively small population].
The VDF or Valley Defense Forces is the military arm of this alliance that has one task - to protect the leaf-eater colonies from both sharptooth and recently alien attacks. Unlike the Claw military which can conscript at will, the VDF is solely based on volunteers and as such is stronger during times of need (such as an alien invasion) as opposed to times of relative peace.
The leaf-eaters of the VDA Havens have built a civilization on the intelligence of the longnecks, the strength of the spiketails, the tenacity of the threehorns, the adaptability of the fastrunners, and the loyal service of the swimmers. The VDA is large and mighty, but is also substainially different from any human nation in it's laws and practises.
For instance, in leaf-eater society violence and blood in movies is intolerable and censorship of media deemed 'too unsatisfactorily friendly' for the masses is common. This stems from the belief that such things are only for other brutal dinosaurs like sharpteeth, and beyond the advanced society of the modern day that is more about progress and compassion. On the same note however, media involving love and mating is often given a blind eye by the censorship bureau, and things that might qualify in human eyes as 'utterly aborrant' might come off as simply indecent and impolite according to leaf-eater values.
...
The Military arm of the VDA, always refered to as the VDF or Valley Defense Forces, use a docterine of 'defense and safety' in their technology and implimentation that means they want to keep their soldiers safe in exchange for possibly high expenses and a reduction in offensive capabilities.
Key examples include the new Devestator Emplacement, and the older but improved Behemoth II. Both have an immobile form that provides superior firepower, but obviously sacrifices mobility.
...
At the beginning of the Icestorm Crisis thirty five years after the end of the Twilight War, the VDA was facing serious problems in regards to climate change and food shortages. The world was growing colder, and not only were country vegetable farms being abandoned but now cities were being covered in blankets of ice. Haven cities had sun-shielding installed at massive cost to reflect precious light into the arboriums that sustained the population, but year after year the light grows dimmer and rationing grows tighter and tighter. Soon, the leaf-eaters may face the impossible choice - starvation or migration to the south.
These are dark times, and even Councillor Littlefoot of the Great Haven agrees that a great change is on the horizon... all that matters now is will it be for better, or for worse?
-> Coming next: The new VDF units and tech tree <-
Caustic
-
Here is the new VDF Tech Tree for Future Wars II
(http://i883.photobucket.com/albums/ac34/Caustizer/VDFTechTree.jpg)
Soon to come, descriptions of:
1) All new and returning units and their abilities
2) Upgrades and Technology fiction
3) Heroes and Background
4) Mission Descriptions and Music
As well as similar outlines for Claw and the new enemy faction 'Synchronus'
-
Here is also the Claw Tech Tree, since I got it finished today too.
(http://i883.photobucket.com/albums/ac34/Caustizer/Bretts_Document_20020.jpg)
It may go through a few changes and such, since I am still debating the usefulness of the Rectifier and the Vulcannon Reborn.
Don't worry if it looks confusing and nondescript... once I finish with all the VDF units then I will cover all the Claw ones in detail and how they interact with the other units in the game.
Caustizer.
-
I think that the Reborn should be melee only units, equipped with nearly unbreakable claws and teeth as well as enough strength to take apart armored vehicles with their bare hands.
-
I think that the Reborn should be melee only units, equipped with nearly unbreakable claws and teeth as well as enough strength to take apart armored vehicles with their bare hands.
Yeah, that was exactly how they worked in the first Future Wars.
For Future Wars II, Claw has a new (and unexplained, sorry for being so imprompt) air unit called the Skybreaker.
The Skybreaker is a 'Terror Gunship' that carries no weapons of it's own but has space for 2 packs of Claw Infantry to fire out of the holds with increased range.
An issue I noticed right away is that certain units would be absolutely useless inside a Skybreaker, such as the standard Reborn and Chameleon Spy. To that end I divided both units into two seperate types to perform two different functions.
.....
Chameleon Spies became Blade Assassins and Sniper Assassins... the former armed with Tungsten Blades and EMP (not as powerful as when used by Utah before his death) while the latter is armed with an anti-unit Volcano Cannon (not as effective as Manhatten's version).
This meant that both types now had a purpose within a Skybreaker as well as being more useful in general.
....
Reborn became Reaptor Reborn and Vulcannon Reborn. The Reaptors (note the pun on Raptor :lol) are basically the exact same as the standard Reborn - diamond hard claws and lots of anti-army power in melee. The Vulcannon Reborn fire plasma balls similar to the old NOD Cyborg Commando in Tiberian Sun which achieve the same basic thing but from a distance.
The end idea was that Vulcannon Reborn were THE UNIT you would tech up to if you were planning on using a Skybreaker-based strategy, while Reaptors were more for ground based tactics.
Caustizer.
-
Valley Defense Forces - Military Units and Factional Profile
Icestorm Era
It is a new age, and with it comes new weapons and technology. Littlefoot has grown to a massive adult longneck, and at the death of his grandfather took over the mantle as head councillor of the Great Haven. With his acension came a variety of changes in organization and structure based on his hard won combat experience during the Twilight War, as well as the Dirge Invasion and the Death Storm Operation.
The general staff of the VDF, previously only composed of longnecks who were thought to be most intelligent and well built for such positions, has been replaced by representitives of all the fighting races - the Fast Runner General, Spiketail Executive, Threehorn Pride Leader, Longneck Executor, Swimmer Praetor and Flyer Admiral all see to their own divisions and subordinate to Central Command which oversees all tactical movements and decisions made by the VDF.
Economy and Infastructure:
Constructodon
Cost: 5000 Credits
Requirements: None
Built By: Armour Facility
- Massive main construction unit of the VDF that pre-fabricates structures and deploys them within control radius
- The systems and drives of the old Construction Walkers have been redesigned and mounted on a Bronodon chasis, making these iconic production factories worthy of names as well
- Spiketails are in charge of all construction that is to be done, and the pilots of Constructodons tend to be enthusiastic and bombastic, rarely skipping an oppertunity to brag about the size and power of their machines
- Spiketails tend to be less formal about naming their vehicles, sticking to ones like "Crusher" "Big Friend" "Jag Along" and "Old Roller".
- Capable of building and placing structures while mobile, however in this state the Constructodon does not give any control radius (so without nearby buildings, you can't place them anyway)
Logistics Facility
Cost: 2000 credits
Requirements: Constructodon
Built By: Constructodon
- All resource management is carried out through a single building in the field, thanks to the newer more standardized system
- Comes with two empty tarmacs which are used to add various resource collecting nodes such as Mining Equipment, Fuel Storage, and Ion Reactors at cost.
- Adding two of the same type of node doubles the production (and depletion) of said resource, but forces you to build another Logistics Depot to handle any other types.
- The Protium Mine addition (called P-Mines by everyone but longnecks) is the only one avialable at the start without requirements, and as such gathering mineral rich Ore is the only way to fund your war efforts early on. The actually mining work is done by Robots called Minosaurs, which dredge the deposits and return the valuables to be exchanged for credits.
- The Fuel Extractor addition requires a Tactical Command to build, but provides almost five times the income once you deploy the provided Rigosaur over a Fuel Well. The downside is, each Fuel Extractor node only gives one Rigosaur so you gotta make more then one node if you find more Fuel Wells on the map.
- The Ion Harmonizer requires a Battle Centre, but provides twenty times the income of a P-Mine without the need for finding resource deposits to gather. Wow talk about bang for the buck! The downsides are of course the high tech requirements, but also the outragous expense of adding a node to a Logistics Depot. Be prepared to pay and pay large.
Aboriums and Feeding Your Forces:
- All VDF units require Green Food in order to keep well fed, which translates into being happy, sharp, and loyal. This green food is grown and maintained in the field by field structures called Arboriums.
- A single Arborium provides 10 Food, which means you can accomidate the upkeep of at least 2 of any single unit type (infantry are 1 or 2 each, Vehicles 2 or 3, Large Vehicles and Ships 4-5)
- The Greater Arborium upgrade expands the existing facilities, providing 25 food instead of the standard 10. This upgrade is a must for any commander wanting to support a large army.
VDF Defenses:
- Under the new system the VDF no longer keeps any static defense emplacements. To one familiar with the old Twilight Era VDF this is absolutely terrible! How can it be the Valley DEFENSE Forces without static base defenses? Read on to find out.
- Instead of bothering the Constructodon designers with accomidating Defenses schematics, the responsibility was instead passed to new military units which are designed to deploy and create defenses on a moments notice.
- Key examples of new VDF defenses are the Devestator Teams, which are defenseless on the move but when deployed are extremely powerful anti-infantry and anti-air counters. Even old units like the Behemoth (for those who don't remember it was a giant four legged walker with an artillery cannon on the back) are new and upgraded to deploy to defend VDF bases from attackers. Woe betide the fools who attacks a couple of deployed Behemoth II's.
- Even a few new air units can deploy into ground based weapons platforms like the Instigator, which puts the old Exo-Cannons to shame for mobility and anti-vehicle firepower.
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Overall the VDF is a very defensive faction, with the ability to move it's emplacements around and keep the leaf-eater populace defended from rogue sharptooth attacks and the occasional raids of Ice beasts still across the planet surface.
Caustizer.
-
Military Units - Foot Dinosaurs
[All Trained from the Infantry Barracks]
Runner Rangers - $350 [6 Runners per Group]
- The VDF depends on the brave and valourous fast runners as frontline soldiers still, and their intense training and excellant equipment standard allow them to go toe to toe with any and all foot threats, from vicious Sharptooth Elites to bloodthirsty Dirge Hordes
- Runners are also valued for their ability to eat both meat and leaf products, making rations easier to prepare and distribute amongst them
- In some cases Runners are also ideal when attacking or navigating areas heavy with sharptooth civilians (VDF officially defines a 'civilian' as any being without an obvious and threatening weapon, though the term is applied quite loosely) as they are familiar to both sides and unlikely to be attacked on sight
- Armed with the latest in protective duraplate armour, which is a much more advanced version of Thermic Armour that falls short of being a fully powered suit, but does its duty excellantly nonetheless be it enemy ammunition or toxic gases in the air
- Main weapon is an improved version of their old shotguns allowing for automatic fire, producing deadly results in close range fights. Runners may be the smallest of the basic infantry units (compared to Sickleclaws and Raveners) but they certainly aren't the weakest
- Strongest versus other foot threats, but notablely unprepared to face heavy armour or structures.
- Can be upgraded in Bigmouth's Armoury with the newest Tetraplate Armour, full combat suits that add health points and provide total immunity to poison and radiation attacks, and Field Redoubt kits which allow the construction of small pillboxes for localized protection at a small cost.
Exo-Spiketails - $600 [4 Spiketails per group]
- Unlike the old heavy weapon groups where a duo of Spiketails carried a compact missile launcher and mortar into battle, the new and improved issue gear includes a more compact Exo-Laser that can be used by all four Spiketails to deadly effect.
- It is doubtful any other race could bear such a weapon without a specially designed Exo-suit (as demonstrated by the Longnecks during the Twilight War version) as the recoil and wieght can only be handled by the strong and conditioned body of a spiketail.
- Exo-lasers are light blue beams that sweep forward through the target like a aircraft strafing run, shredding them in half like a talon through flesh. They produce a defeaning and distinctive whine when used, which is quite familiar to the VDF's enemies from their use on the old Brontodon and Exo-suits.
- Short ranged exo-lasers make these dinosaurs extremely effective against armour and buildings for a low teir unit, but the drawback is of course range and no AA capabilities which is a notable weakness. They also don't tend to work well versus other foot soldiers as their arc of fire is so limited.
- Can be upgraded with Tetraplate Armour to convert to a full body suit, and can also be given Exo-boosters to increase range and rate of fire for further effectiveness.
Longneck Techmaster - $500 [A single Longneck in a very complicated armoured suit]
- In the Twilight War, casualties amongst the lightly armoured and unarmed Longneck Arcitects were unacceptably high enough though they weren't officially combat units. In response to the urgent requests of the Arcitect Corps (as well as the record low volenteer rate - Longnecks refused to join when they found out how their intelligent bretheren were getting slaughtered) the VDF research division adopted new and improved exo-armour to both protect the pilot and to allow him the servicability to perform all needed battlefield tasks.
- Capable of repairing vehicles and buildings with the long robotic arms extending from the longneck's back, detecting stealthed units with advanced scanning hardware in the helmet, and reactivating the damaged husks of large combat vehicles thanks to good old longneck smarts
- Appearance wise, the Techmaster suit covers the entire body with the exception of the head, which is encased in a meticulously crafted helmet with two large flat toped eye-goggles clear enough to see the pilots real eyes. Extending from the large control module on the back is a set of four robotic arms equiped with seperate tools such as welders, drills, program hookups, and chargers. In quiet conditions, the jaw shield can be retracted allowing the pilot free mouth movement (which can be a plus or minus, depending on if you like hearing their ceasely mumbling and technical banter).
- Can be upgraded with Tetraplate Armour for further protection.
Railsniper Team - $1000 [A pair of Swimmers, preferably related]
- The swimmer railgun snipers used during the Twilight War were an extremely valuable asset to the VDF. Their cheery attitude, loyalty and devotion, and ability to put a 20mm Rail Round right between the eyes of that big alien mother f**ker bearing down on them was a majorly good addition to leaf-eater foot regiments, since the Exo-necks couldn't be everywhere at once.
- The 20mm Rail Rifle has the ability when aimed correctly to eliminate whole columns of infantry in a line, while single vehicles can also prove to be ideal targets. The main flaw of this weapon however is it's low rate of fire, and not to mention Swimmers are in general not very tough when it comes to vicious melee scrums that can occur every now and then. The large size of the weapon has led to much debate in high command over whether the role should be handed over to spiketails instead, but docterine and tradition state that the superior hand-eye coordination of the swimmers is more worthy of the role.
- Appearence wise the two swimmers that operate the team have to obey the hieght requirement of at least 3' to volenteer, and when recruited are given the long barreled gun and spotter-scope in addition to the light field kit and ammo, which means that overall they are quite lowly equiped compared to other VDF troops, and don't stand up well to any kind of attack.
- Have no upgrades
Devestator Team - $800 [2 Spiketails and 1 Large Hovering gun]
- A relatively new addition to the VDF's arsenal, this heavy weapon emplacement can only fire when deployed and is vulnerable while moving, but can produce an absolute ton of firepower to act as both base defence and area denial.
- Primary weapon is a VX-16 Punisher Cannon, a gatling gun with a massive rate of fire ment for cutting down groups of enemies, especially the ones like the Dirge who come in overwhelming hordes. Sustained fire can also deal quite effectively with Claw Elites like the Fusionhounds (replacement for Firehounds) making the area around a Devestator Emplacement an infantry-free zone.
- Vulnerable to an armoured assault however, as the Punisher Cannon has horrible penetration (the bullets simply bounce off) and air attacks can also prove quite bothersome.
- Can be upgraded to have a secondary mode, the Thumper Cannon... The Devestator can switch between guns at a moments notice, and the TC fires underground light artillery shells that easily clear out fortified structures of garrisoned infantry, as well as dealing decent damage to light defenses like Claw Splitter Turrets and Dirge Resenders.
- Appearance wise the two Spiketail crew are lightly equiped and do little more then ensure the automatic gun is running smoothly in the field. When the gun deploys, they enter the gunner's array inside. The gun itself is about the size of a minivan, and floats around on directed hoverdrives when in motion.
Medicator Swimmer - $400 [1 Swimmer]
- Valuable field medics that maintain the health and well being of the VDF's infantry corps. Swimmers have always been valued for their kindness and sympathy as well as their ability to look beyond racial barriers to help others, and this quality is regarded highly for trainees to be field Medicators.
- The duty of the Medicators used to be exclusively in the quarters of the Cardio Rigs, but the vehicles were declared to be too expensive to dino and maintain following the Twilight War and were decommissioned.
- Possess no weapons of their own, with the advanced medical gear taking up all the limited space they have on their suits.
- Training provides the means to seamlessly join other dinosaur groups to heal the wounded, and overall increase morale. After all, with a walking hospital following you around you can't possibly die right?
- Appearance wise the swimmer has limited protection, since these brave medics tend to join other groups to rely on them to provide cover. Only a white helmet, backed up by a green visor and two large pieces of medical kit on each arm and a rienforced chest plate provide protection and purpose to the one inside.
Longneck Experimental Battlesuits - $1200 [4 Longnecks]
-> Chrono-suit Upgrade - $300
-> Vortex-suit Upgrade - $600
- As ever, the intelligent longnecks are used to test new and powerful technologies for use in deployment to other races in the VDF foot army. The latest iteration of fully sealed combat suits consist of the time bending Chrono-suits and the seldom spoke of Vortex-suits developed by Topsy's secretive 'Section IV'. Depending on the technology avialable [As in if a Chrono-metron or Vortex Reactor are present] secret codes can be sent to cause the suit itself to upgrade to power a new and unique weapon and platform in the field
- The main armament of Longneck Battlesuits is a set of 'Swarm Rocket Pods' that can attack a large variety of targets efficiantly.
- The Chrono-suits are extremely expensive, limited issue, and have waiting lists of volenteers hundreds of names long. Applicants are tested in all matters mental, physical, and spiritual, to ensure that the few that do make it through are the best of the best.
- Chrono-suits can teleport across the map to anywhere within vision instantly, and apart from a short 'phase-in' period where the pilot makes his way through time and space the process is nearly flaw-proof. Neuron Cannons in addition to the Swarm Rockets can erase objects and beings from time entirely, and can eliminate key enemies easily and without bloodshed (on some level). Larger targets take longer to erase then smaller ones.
- Vortex-suits are a special additon developed and approved by Topsy as a means to 'get one up on those sharpteeth next time'. The technology employed is generally regarded as evil and unncessesary, but undeniably effective. Basically, the suit generates a localized blackhole that disintegrates and sucks away whole packs, vehicles, and buildings caught in the blast radius. Worst of all, the black hole sustains itself and stacks with each consecutive shot until it becomes an unstoppable vortex of doom to everything around.
- No upgrades... though do they really need them?
-
Unit Interactions section:
Rather then just post profiles and say X unit is good against Y unit but loses hard to Z unit, I'm going to do a detailed description of how each unit would actually work in the game by showing an instance where it would do well, and another instance of it being countered.
Runner Rangers -
<An unupgraded group of Runners and an unupgraded pack of Claw Sickle Hunters sit idle in an open field, just out of range of one another>
<You select the Runners>
"Runners ready."
<You order them to attack move into the Sickle Hunters>
"...Watch for sharpteeth"
<The SH's start firing first, shooting the runners with single shot spineguns. One runner dies before they get in range, and then they engage with their automatic shotguns. The battle lasts only a few seconds, with both sides causing big damage but the Runners ultimately come out on top, killing the Sickleclaws while only taking two casualties of their own>
....
<Runner Rangers vs. Claw Sentinel Drone in an open field>
<You select the RRs>
"Tell us where to go."
<Attack move order>
"Move fast..."
<The Senitnel Drone opens fire almost imediately, loosing two screeching heavy rockets that suceed in killing a single runner in a gory explosion. Once the RRs get close enough they easily wreck the SD in a few seconds, just before it can shoot again>
...
<Runner Rangers vs. Claw Fusionhounds>
<You select the RRs>
"Runners ready."
<You tell them to attack move>
"Keep your eyes open..."
<The RRs open fire with their shotguns first, but the heavily armoured fastbiters overpower them easily without losing a single one, turning all six runners into piles of steaming orange soup>
Exo-Spiketails -
<a group of Exo-Spiketails and a single Claw Scythe Battle Walker sit apart from one another in an open field>
<You select the ExSs>
"We live for the heavy weapons!"
<You order them to attack move towards the walker>
"Strong and free baby."
<The Scythe Walker shoots with dual red armour piercing lasers, but fails to hit the Spiketails as they are too small a target. Upon getting in range, the four spiketails sweep the target with their light blue exo-lasers as they emit a high pitched whine. The two units exchange two more volleys before the ExSs slice the metal battle walker into shiny metal pieces, without taking any casualties of their own>
...
<4 groups of Exo-Spiketails versus a Tyrannotron Mech in an open field>
<You select the Spiketails>
"We got the big guns."
<You order them to attack move>
"Hah fresh chops coming up"
<A massive battle ensues as the ExSs strafe the massive mech with Exo-lasers, while taking punishing crimson Volcano blasts from it's dual cannons. In the end 6 of the original 16 Spiketails remain and the large machine is destroyed>
...
<3 groups of ExSs and 2 packs of 3 Reaptor Reborn sit apart in an open field>
<You select the ExSs>
"Something need blowing up?"
<You order them to attack move>
"It's all on us."
<The Exo-spiketails open fire with their Exo-lasers, but the lancing beams fail to significantly harm the Reborn as they rampage into close quarters. The ExSs are graphically torn limb from limb by the Undead Sharpteeth, until none remain. The Reborn take no casualties, and quickly regenerate whatever limited damage was done>
...
Longneck Techmaster -
<A single LT sits in an open field, and a paritally burning Challenger Tank rolls up a short distance away>
<You select the Techmaster>
"Ye...ello?"
<You order him to repair the vehicle>
"No time for hibernation."
<The LT moves next to the tank, and four robotic arms pop out of the large module on his back. Operating them with a small control device in his left foot (yes Longnecks have opposable thumbs in Future Wars) the vehicle is repaired and looking all new in a couple seconds>
...
<A Longneck Techmaster and 3 Groups of Runner Rangers sit in an open field, guarding a clanking Ore Drill>
<There is a vicious slashing sound, and one of the Runners sceams as blood shoots from his neck. There are no visible attackers>
<You select the Longneck Techmaster>
"Two times three plus square of... yes?"
<You order him to move towards the place where the runner was killed>
"If you say so."
<The Scanner on the back module of the LT pops up and pings, revealing a stealthed Claw Blade Assassin nearby. The Runners immediately lock and load, gunning down the enemy runner with extreme prejudice>
...
<A Longneck Techmaster sits in an open field, next to the still burning metal corpse of a massive Brontodon Walker>
<You select the LT>
"Hey... is this thing on?"
<You order the longneck to reactivate the destroyed walker>
"No sharpteeth there right?"
<The LT moves toward the walker, and activates a small jet pack, jumping into the burned out cockpit of the vehicle. After a few moments lights come back on and the fires go out, and the mighty walker rises again>
"Principle Reactors online... Brontodon active for combat."
...
-
Military Units - Armoured Vehicles
[All Constructed from the Armour Facility]
Constructodon - $5000
- As mentioned above
Leaper - $800 [Light Raider]
- The Leaper is a hovering light vehicle that bears many similarities to the older Skyrunner, but is more nimble and comes with improved vector thrusters that smooth out the kinks in the less advanced design.
- Piloted by the fast runners of the light armour corps and armed with two Heavy Rocket Swarm batteries that fair well against aircraft and light vehicles, but fall short against heavier armour
- Fortunately these vehicles can fire on the move making them excellent raiders and support attackers
- Thanks to the newest design completed by the longnecks the Leaper can temporarily boost its bottom thrusters allowing it to catapult over ground based obstacles like a jumping cricket making it highly efficient in broken terrain
Interceptor - $800 [Fortress APC-Tank]
- The Interceptor is a medium ground vehicle that appears similar to a treaded battle tank, but is instead equipped with numerous fire ports that can be manned (or dinoed) by the infantry group inside
- Ingenious design by the longneck techmasters has included an upgrade that allows this semi-tank to deploy it’s armour and harden it’s outer shell at the cost of mobility. This expanded form immobilizes the vehicle but doubles it’s hit points giving increased survivability to whomever is inside
- Has space for one group while mobile, and two groups while deployed
- Piloted by Spiketails who always enjoy operating heavy equipment, even if it means getting close to the front line
- Can carry one devastator emplacement while mobile, but unfortunately due to the mass of the gun it cannot fire out of the ports in transit
Scanner - $1000 [Bi-pedal Long Range Detection Walker]
- The Scanner serves the important role within the VDF military structure of detecting hidden enemies and warning of impending weapon strikes
- Crewed by Swimmers who see the Scanner as the ëavatar’ of themselves because it looks so similar to how they would have looked at full size
- Appearance wise, the scanner does indeed look like a giant mechanical swimmer with the exception of the large antenna sticking out of its back used for all operations.
- Deploying the Scanner greatly increases survivability at the expense of mobility, as well as widening the scan radius slightly
- Informs the Commander whenever Artillery fire, stealth units, special weapons or a commando comes within range potentially predicting a fatal attack
Challenger Tank - $1200 [Short Ranged Main Battle Tank]
[Requires: Tactical Command]
- Challenger Tanks are high tech armoured vehicles that rely on heavy armour and lots of short range ordnance to blow their way through opponents
- The Threehorns who pilot these impressive machines glory in their exclusive rights to the heavy armour divisions and often their stubbornness makes a difference when other races might have run in fear
- Armed with two Crusher Cannons, which are short-barrelled and hull mounted right next to one another but pack a good punch for their ease of access. The idea behind designing them this way was to allow the Threehorn crew to clinch their racial desire to get up and personal to deal the damage
- Appearance-wise the Challenger actually looks something like a Threehorn as well, with a large crest serving as a front armour plate.
+ Crusader Upgrade - $400 [Long Range Line Breaker Tank]
[Requires: Tactical Command, Challenger Tank]
- Converts a Challenger Tank into a Crusader Tank in the field via a warp-linked reconstruction system that teleports in and assembles on the turret covering the previous weapon system and changing it into a new one
- Armed with a single long barrelled Crusader Ion Cannon, which has superb range and performs well against Structures and Hardened Defences. Also works well against small groups of infantry, but the single shot and low rate of fire prove to be significant drawbacks for this use.
- Also upgrades the frontal armour plate with a built in Arc-Shield, which is a golden force barrier that triggers when the Crusader is hit with a powerful frontal attack. This means that this upgraded armoured vehicle is exceptional at assaulting lines of base defences as it can not only deal great damage to them, but it can also take a few punishing hits before failing.
- Unfortunately this upgrade greatly reduces anti-armour damage, so in Armour vs. Armour battles it is little more then a meat shield for other friendly vehicles.
Metal Storm Tank - $1000 [Medium Range Anti-Horde Tank]
[Requires: Tactical Command]
- The Metal Storm is a new device created by longnecks to quickly and efficiently take down aircraft, but it is equally deadly against infantry hordes
- Mounted on the same body as the Interceptor, the Metal Storm Cannon is composed of two separate guns each consisted of eight closely placed barrels. When fired, they unleash a burst of rounds at over 1,000,000 RPM that is easily capable of turning a horde of rampaging monsters into a carpet of chopped meat
- The main drawback to the Metal Storm is that it goes through ammo very quickly and takes a while to reload between bursts, giving it very high spike damage but limited use on a spread out army.
- The Threehorn crews of these devices are the surplus from the now obsolete Punisher Tank Corps, and they take the change which mixed reactions (more traditional commanders question pressing such a new and at times temperamental device into service over the more dependable Punishers)
- Is capable of deploying into a fixed defensive position, limiting it’s role to only anti-aircraft but greatly increasing its survivability in combat.
Brontodon II - $3000 [Massive Heavy Assault Walker]
[Requires: Battle Centre]
- These iconic quadrupedal battle walkers are still the main symbol of the VDF over thirty years after they were originally introduced during the Twilight War. Their towering form is the height of an office building and half the length of a Seedball field, and their presence on the battlefield is sometimes enough to end rebellions and solve military disputes.
- Despite the end of the Brontodon testing phase over fifteen years ago Longnecks still continue to pilot them exclusively causing a minor schism with the Threehorns who see heavy armour as their right and role. In one of the unknown cases of racism within the VDF, VDF Research and to a lesser degree Bigmouth’s Armoury have continued to develop and test new additions to their hulking frames to provide and excuse to keep longneck pilots as the only operators.
- Replacing the old double Exo-Cannons with Ion Comet Batteries has been one of the most obvious changes, as internal testing has determined that the increased range and accuracy given by Ion Comets is far superior to the old weapons system. It is also still armed with a basic rocket defence system for use against air targets.
Behemoth II - $2200 [Large Heavy Artillery Walker]
[Requires: Battle Centre]
- Of all the old weaponry still used by the VDF the Behemoth has seen its role changed the most from it’s original purpose of simply providing long range firepower. Now the Behemoth Walkers are tooled to provide not only artillery support but also act as a powerful base defence when deployed.
- Appearance wise it looks similar to a giant flat-backed spiketail with a large concealed cannon assembly dominating most of the chassis. When deployed the walker drops to the ground and the back of the Seismic Annialator gun rises up to point the weapon directly at the terrain below.
- With a sound like a crack of thunder the cannon pile drives downwards firing a massive Seismic Shell that seeks out and explodes underneath the target at long range. Should the effects not destroy it outright, then they are sure to knock it flying (during testing the impact of a seismic shell was enough to knock down a Skyscraper)
- Works optimally against almost all ground targets, and is especially effective at long range bombardment without giving its position away
- Crewed by Spiketails, who enjoy the chance to unleash such awesome firepower whole heartedly.
+ Vortex Tank Upgrade - $600 [Moderate Range Annialation Device]
[Requires: Battle Centre, Vortex Stabilizer, Challenger Tank]
- Another one of Section IVs deadly and unethical creations, the Vortex Tank is an upgrade based on the Challenger Tank similar to the Crusader one except it gives an evil black paintjob and a wide-bore Vortex Inducer Cannon at a much greater cost
- Use of the Vortex Tank currently is exclusive to Topsy’s private army for fears of the truth about the nature of the weapon spreading to the media and creating problems for VDA leadership
- The Vortex Inducer creates a localized rift similar to the ones made by the Vortex Suits, except this one is bigger and gets more powerful the more Vortex Tanks add to it. Eventually the Rift will reach a maximum size at which point more fire will only sustain it.
- The Rift created by the Inducer sucks in everything from rocks, trees, enemies, air, and even light. This obviously completely annialates anything that it is fired at given enough time, though larger vehicles are less vulnerable as their considerable mass takes time to break down. Ultimately, this means the Rift is at greatest power against masses of Infantry and buildings as well as a means of sucking up enemy fire.
Mobile Armour Facility - $2000 [Mobile Production Centre]
[Requires: Battle Centre]
- Can create units on the move, stopping only to release finished creations before moving onward.
- Piloted by Longnecks as it is an experimental machine
-
I've decided upon a couple of changes to the VDF as well as Claw and Chronus.
Build Systems:
VDF: Construction Rigs
The Constructodon manufactures smaller treaded vehicles that can be moved around and unpacked into base structures. These 'Rigs' are built fairly quickly, but take a good amount of time to assemble when placed.
I feel that this system compliments the whole 'units-as-base defenses' idea that defines the Icestorm Era Valley Defense Forces and also places more emphasis on base management, since the faction is supposed to be more about defense than attack.
This also makes the parameters for the last mission in the Twilight War, Death Storm, make more sense as the Structure Rigs are dropped down from space once your Constructodon has reached the eye of the storm to basically give free buildings and make the mission actually winnable when faced with early and powerful Dirge attacks.
Claw: Place and Build
Claw structures are placed on the ground and build themselves up, making them more vulnerable to attack and more balanced compared to the VDF system. Since Claw as a faction has no unit limit, (essentially) the sharptooth base management process is much simpler than the VDF one to ensure more effort is put into properly managing attacking units.
For instance, a late game Claw Army can secure a postion just by placing a few Rapier Turrets and a Volcano Cannon and forgetting about them, while a VDF Army would need to build and set up a few Behemoth IIs and Metal Storms to be as safe. On the upside however, a determined VDF defense is a lot tougher to break than a Claw one because of:
(A) Vulnerable Power Plants or
(B) Lack of Defense Range
Synchronus: Build and Teleport
I haven't talked about Synchronus much at all, but basically it is an army made up of every soul ever sucked into a Vortex, erased from time, or had their immortal energy stolen by a Soul Nuke. These half-corporal dinosaur spirits hunger for revenge, and serve a basic instinctual purpose that is further rienforced by the will of their leader - Claw's former Commando Utah. The forbidden weapons of the VDF and Claw have damaged the planet so much that boundaries between realities are weakening and Synchronus has siezed the chance to break through and correct the massive wrongs the dinosaurs have inflicted upon themselves.
The Synchronus build system is that all structures are pre-built inside their Dimensional Altar and teleported onto the map fully completed once the location has been selected. This method of construction allows Chronus to build even while under attack in perfect safety, and use their base defenses in a far more aggressive fashion than Claw or the VDF.
Caustizer
-
Future Wars II: VDF Campaign
The single player screen features two separate icons: The Crown & Leaf of the VDF and the Curled Talon of Claw. You click on the VDF one and set the difficulty to ëThreehorn’ (aka Medium).
< The screen changes to a rotating silver VDF symbol >
ALI: Artificial Linguistic Intelligence unit online. Welcome back commander.
< A large monument the size of a skyscraper fills the screen, lined on one side by Claw flags and Firehound fast-biters with their noses in the air and on the other by VDF Flags followed by rows of Longneck Exosuits in a similar pose. Along the middle is a set of golden stairs leading to the massive block bearing the words of the Peace Pact >
ALI: It has been thirty years since the end of the Twilight War, and the Nation of Claw and the Valley Defence Alliance are officially at peace.
< A view of the globe appears in a green outline, and begins to turn blue, followed by pictures of cold weather, suffering, and frozen machinery >
ALI: The planet has grown colder then any other time in recorded history, and the long vicious winters have brought the VDA into a state of decline.
< The picture changes to show a longneck so large he stands at least ten times taller then all the others around him, and the masses seem to be adoring of him >
ALI: The longneck known as Littlefoot inherited his grandfather’s position on the council as leader of the Great Haven, and subs sequentially rulership of the VDA itself. Like his older relative, he rules justly and fairly and challenges to his power are non-existent. However, there are many outside challenges and he continually struggles to keep us together in the face of a slowly shrinking domain.
< A vicious black-carapaced Dirge monster is shown, its ravenous maw screaming as it is blasted repeatedly by Exo-blasts from fully-suited Spiketails. The image changes again to show a massive crimson sky vessel surrounded by a swarm of red fighter planes strafing the ground. More images show unrest, burning hover vehicles and runners wearing black masks. >
ALI: The Valley Defence Forces, those few charged with protecting their kin, face numerous enemies including sharptooth pirates, radical separatist groups, and packs of Dirge Monsters stalking the wilderness.
< Several images flash of various VDF vehicles and weapons, including schematics for a Brontodon, Leaper, and Chrono-suit >
ALI: As a Commander you will be armed with the most powerful and advanced weaponry in the world. Your final test begins now… Good luck.
…
-
Act I: Infestation
Mission #1: Examination Operation
< The steel door slides open with a hiss, bringing some light into a pretty dark room. In comes the fastrunner Grisson, carrying in one of his arms a collection of things he needs for his class. He goes to sit down in a chair, only to find that it was built for one with four-legs so he couldn’t use it >
Instructor Iris: You’re late Grisson…
Grisson: I came at 26:30, just like you told me to instructor.
Instructor Iris: I’m not interested in your excuses runner… all my other students have learned to arrive on time, except for you. It amazes me that you are still here being so tardy while fourteen others have failed. Today, you get to stand.
< The other six longneck students in the room all laugh quietly to themselves >
Iris: Moving on, an opportunity has come up for one of you to take your examination. High Command has passed down a mission of importance, and based on your qualifications the best one of you will be chosen to oversee this task. ALI will elaborate.
< The screen behind Iris changes into a silver VDF symbol, and it quickly minimizes to go over the mission briefing >
ALI: At 21:00 hours, an emergency beacon was received from Excell Station on the outer most circle of the Great Haven. The cause of the call is unknown, and there are only limited forces in the area available for reconnaissance and investigation. Your objectives are to ascertain the status of the Station, and should the nice arise evacuate any dinosaurs in critical to sub-critical condition. Advising and grading this mission will be Major General Longtail.
< At the sound of the legendary figure, many of the longnecks were jumping in their seats hoping for the chance to get to get picked to do it. Instructor Iris smiled >
Iris: Very well, ALI which one of the students will be taking the test.
ALI: Based on qualifications in low casualty rates and efficiency of search and destroy, I have selected Grisson Rubyson for command.
< Several of the longnecks shot Grisson dirty looks, and Iris even growled slightly before turning towards the still standing up runner >
Iris: It looks like it’s your lucky day runner… or perhaps your unlucky one.
< One of the Command Nodes – small chambers where the Commanders act in isolation when overseeing a mission – whines mechanically as it slides open out of the wall >
ALI: Command Node 4.12 activated. Good luck, Commander.
…
Objectives:
- Investigate Excell Station to determine the purpose of the distress call
- Protect and evacuate any survivors
Featured Units:
- Runner Rangers
- Railsniper Team
The mission begins with three groups of six Runner Rangers, all Centurion rank (i.e. a level above Veteran but below Savoir) walking in from the edge of the screen.
Runner: “Hey look the Com is one of us!”
Sergeant: “Keep it down soldier… it’s too quiet around here.”
Your first encounter is two buildings occupied each by a team of Swimmer Railsnipers. They are continuously firing out, picking off black Dirge Raveners at range. The aliens appear to be quite numerous, though the surviving ones are fleeing from the Rail gun fire.
Swimmer: “Are we glad to see you… this swarm just came from nowhere. We have been pretty secure here, but there’s no telling what happened to the rest of the security teams.”
Continuing onward and killing a few packs of Dirge on the way, you reach the first mining post on the way to Excell Station. There is smashed equipment and the dead bodies of leaf eaters everywhere.
Swimmer: “Look at this… they didn’t even stand a chance.”
Sergeant: “Commander we have reached the first node of the Station… what’s left of it anyway. Looks like a Dirge attack, and a big one too.”
Further searching in the morbid killing ground reveals a collection of bodies, both leaf-eater and Dirge, scorched to death by flames.
Runner: “This looks bad.”
Suddenly, just off the screen, a Claw Transport closes up its back hatch and screams off into the air, passing over your group of Swimmers and Runners.
Runner: “Hey there are sharpteeth here… what the hell could they be up to?”
ALI: “Incoming communications received from a nearby worker hovel. They have indicated that they are under alien attack. Your new orders are to proceed there and hold out until an evac can arrive.”
…
After fighting your way through yet more groups of aliens you eventually come across the survivors barricaded at the main station. Two Runner Ranger squads at only half strength are set up in front of a dozen or so frightened spiketails and longnecks.
Runner: “We’re glad to see you sir. The Dirge just came in from nowhere all of a sudden, and there were so many of them we couldn’t do a thing. Right here is the last of us.”
ALI: “Stegodon Transport dispatched. Hold out for five minutes until it arrives.”
Bigmouth: “Bigmouth here, I believe one of my Armoury nodes is located nearby. You can use it to upgrade your weaponry and replenish depleted groups of infantry.”
Grisson: “Uh, thank you sir.”
Securing the Armoury grants a level of veterancy to all your groups (provided they aren’t Savoir already) and restores the depleted runners plus your own to full squad size.
Runner: “Incoming!”
…
Transport Pilot: “Stegodon E114 Inbound… here just on time to save your stems.”
ALI: “Evacuation successful, excellent work Commander.”
< A rotating VDF symbol appears >
ALI: “We are victorious”
VDF Victory Beat: “http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nT1H-18HwYU&feature=PlayList&p=498C778C9F980195&playnext_from=PL&playnext=1&index=24”
-
Mission #2: Area Defence
Iris: I can’t say I agree with ALI’s calculation Major General… missions of this severity and calibre can only be handled by longnecks. It was proven in the Twilight War and it continues to be proven today.
Longtail: I’m looking over his records Instructor, and ALI was quite correct. Grisson did score higher then his classmates in both of the categories listed. His performance today was quite exceptional as well… perhaps you are being too hasty.
Iris: Trusting a runner is a gamble sir… what’s to stop him from turning around and passing vital military information to Claw?
< Longtail removes the lit cigar from his mouth, and leans forward >
Longtail: I have checked the boy’s background a hundred times over Iris, do you not think I would feel the need to do so since I personally signed his admission? My ass is the one on the line Major… and I can assure you the runner has well exceeded my expectations. This conversation is over.
…
Two Days Later…
< The ground thunders with the pounding of massive mechanical feet as a Constructodon trudges across the landscape tearing down any trees or brush that get in its path. The screen cuts to on board the control deck, where a crew of Spiketails minds the array of beeping and whining computers. On the top of the deck, Grisson sits along with his newly assigned command staff >
Officer: Wow my runner you must have really done well back there… I never dreamed lowly runners like us would be part of a Commander’s personal staff.
Grisson: To be honest, neither did I.
Female Comms Runner: I got a transmission coming in, looks like it’s from pretty high up. ALI’s decrypting it now.
ALI: Com link established.
< Longtail’s face appears on the screen >
Longtail: Well Grisson, I’ve finished grading your exam.
Grisson: With all due respect sir, what did I pass by?
Longtail: What makes you think you passed boy?
Grisson: If I had failed sir, I wouldn’t have been assigned to this rig…uh…sir.
< Longtail smiles, and takes a puff from his cigar >
Longtail: “Heh, a pretty sharp one you are. Alright, you passed… and you passed well. You got your tri-treestars and your first command. Congratulations, you’re the first fastrunner to ever achieve the rank… your mother would be proud.”
< Grisson salutes, beaming in triumph >
Longtail: And on that note… I have for you your next assignment. ALI will fill you in on the details, good luck.
< The link closes >
ALI: The VDF base at Sunny Ridge is threatened by large Dirge forces gathering in the wilderness. The praetor-mayor of the town has declared a state of emergency, and all the occupants have been evacuated into the confines of the base. You will be assigned a Co-Commander, and one of you will be delegated to overseeing the defences, while the other is responsible for eliminating the Dirge Dens in the area.
Grisson: “Sounds easy enough… who is this Co-Commander?”
< The screen flickers, and a new portrait opens >
Melphon: “Well if it isn’t little Grisson, our little runner hero.”
< Grisson looks away and rubs his head >
Grisson: “This isn’t school anymore Mel, you and your buddies can’t push me around now that I got my treestars.”
Melphon: “Maybe not, but I can sure show you up. This is my final exam, and if I’m lucky maybe I’ll beat you so bad that Iris will take away your stars and give them to me.”
< With a sigh, the fastrunner closes the link >
Grisson: “And this is the hot head our finest trust their lives with…”
…
Objectives:
- Establish a perimeter and protect the citizens while Melphon takes care of the dens
- Eliminate all the Dirge Dens in the area
Units Featured:
- Runner Rangers
- Exo-Spiketails
- Devastator Teams
The mission begins as two separate Constructodon walkers enter the back entrance of a well established VDF base with Ion Fences, four Arboriums, and two Logistics Depots empty of any mining operations. Without pause, the two of them position themselves and deploy on separate sides of the base, dividing all the structures in half. Stegodon Transports continually fly in and out, dropping off loads of the town’s population into Habitation Huts.
Grisson: “So which one of us does which?”
ALI: “By order of Instructor Iris, authentication code 223452, you are to protect the base from incoming Dirge attacks until Melphon has completed his mission.
Grisson: “Iris… I’m starting to hate that bitch.”
…
Complete control of the base and its operations is passed to you, including two Runner Ranger groups guarding the entrance.
ALI: “A complete tutorial on base construction and management is available, would you like to proceed?”
< Being an experienced player, you select no and get to it >
Spending the credits at your disposal, you quickly add two Protium Mines onto the Logistics Depot to maximize income while building an Infantry Barracks Rig. The IB Rig emerges from the deployed Constructodon after a time, and you select a location and deploy it as well.
Bigmouth: “If I may intercede, I have taken the liberty of transporting Devestator Teams to your location to aid in the defence. When deployed, their Punisher Cannons will cut down any aliens attempting to enter the perimeter.”
< A Stegodon Transport flies in from the rear, and drops off 3 Spiketail teams each armed with a Punisher (Gatling) cannon on treads the size of a small car >
Grisson: “Why are you helping me?”
Bigmouth: “My department’s responsibility includes ensuring all field equipment is up to date and available for use when needed, regardless of the Commander of the host.”
ALI: “Devestator Platforms will be most practical when placed in these optimal locations.”
< A few greenish outlines appear on the map, making there very little guesswork in placement locations >
Wasting no time, you order them to deploy in said locations and queue up a few Runner Ranger groups and a few Exo-Spiketail groups. Once they are in position, a notification appears.
ALI: “In order to train more Devastators, you must construct and deploy a Tactical Command.”
You queue up a Tactical Command in the building menu, and then deploy the Rig when it emerges. The base is attacked multiple times by the Dirge, but predictably they are torn to ribbons by Punisher fire. The process is repeated many, many times. Eventually, even Grisson gets bored.
Grisson: “Well this isn’t very exciting… I wonder what Melphon is up to.”
< The screen pans to the bottom-most Dirge Den as it shows the Longneck Commander Melphon’s first attack. It doesn’t go well, and the force of Runners and Exo-Spiketails is surrounded and massacred by voracious Raveners and Sappers. Undeterred, Melphon simply laughs >
Melphon: “Such weaklings. If they can’t deal with a few bugs then they deserve to die.”
Officer: “That murdering bastard! He sent them to their deaths!”
Grisson: “And I know just what to do to get him back. Dinos, suit up we’re heading out to do the job right.”
ALI: “Objectives updated.”
You take your force of Runner Rangers and Exo-Spiketails and assault one of the Dirge Dens up top. It goes well, with only minimal casualties. You repeat the process, training more foot dinosaurs as needed until all the Dens (including the one Melphon failed to take) are all eliminated.
Grisson: “Excellent work… this will shut him up for a while.”
Melphon: “You just wait until she hears about this. You’re gonna get pinned to the wall runner.”
Grisson: “And the hatchling runs to mommy for help,”
ALI: “Incoming transmission, stand by.”
Iris: “What is this, why are your troops outside Grisson instead of protecting the base as you were ordered?”
Grisson: “The defence is covered instructor; my Devestator Teams have contributed to make a powerful barrier for the populace.”
Iris: “Devestators? Where did you get them? I didn’t assign them to you.”
Grisson: “They were given to me… by Bigmouth.”
Iris: “Bigmouth would never give equipment that high powered to one such as you… I’m writing you up for stealing the weaponry, and disobeying my direct orders.”
< Before the fastrunner can attempt to argue, the link cuts out >
Officer: “Hah, so much for a medal.”
ALI: “We are victorious.”
VDF Victory Beat: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nT1H-18HwYU...next=1&index=24 (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nT1H-18HwYU&feature=PlayList&p=498C778C9F980195&playnext_from=PL&playnext=1&index=24)
-
Mission #3: The Source
< The scene opens inside the Runner General’s office, with him and Grisson in deep discussion >
Grisson: I tell you these accusations are false. The instructor has been after me since the very beginning, always trying her best to plant obstacles in my way and have me punished. This is madness, and it has to stop!
Runner General: Calm down Grisson. I know what is happening and I have expressed my concerns to High Command, but we have to wait until we know the outcome of their investigation... it is the best I can do.
< The communication screen comes to life with a rotating VDF symbol >
ALI: Receiving incoming transmission, opening uplink now.
Longtail: “I hate to tell you this boy, but until we can be sure as to exactly what occurred yesterday you have been temporarily suspended.”
Grisson: “Suspended!?! General the allegations are completely false… I acted how I thought right and saved a hundreds of lives from Mel’s incompetent command.”
Longtail: “Easy… I said you have been ëofficially’ suspended, but I have an under the table mission for you. Seeing as your army group is the only one active in the area, I want you to hunt down and deal with the source of these monsters. Reports are coming in from stations all over of Dirge sightings and my instincts tell me it’s only going to get worse. Take care of this, and I’ll tell you it will make this business pass a lot sooner then it would otherwise.”
< Grisson salutes >
Grisson: “Yes sir”
…
As the mission begins, two groups of Runner Rangers come in from the edge of the screen. The terrain is narrow and rough, and seems to be only covered in occasional spots of green.
Runner Sergeant: “We’re with you Grisson.”
Grisson: “I know, but if we are to pull this one off I’m gonna need a lot more then this to get the job done right.”
ALI: Incoming transmission, standby.
Bigmouth: “I have an interesting reinforcement for you Commander to aid you in finding the source of the Dirge Influx… he should be quite familiar…”
Grisson: “Oh no, I’m not taking your help this time. I don’t want to get in anymore trouble from High Command.”
Bigmouth: “I must insist. Without the skills of our best commando you would be unlikely to succeed.”
Runner General: “It’s alright Grisson; he is acting on my orders.”
Grisson: “Your orders sir? Does that mean the whole time it has been your…”
< A Longneck in a high tech black hyper suit comes abruptly on the screen, interrupting the discussion. Her face is almost completely shielded apart from the nose and the blue visored eye panes >
X41 Pilot: “Hypersonic cargo inbound, you be careful down there.”
< Suddenly a Black Jet blasts across the screen so fast it is barely visible. A small pod detaches from the body and is rapidly slowed with a combination of rocket boosters and protected parachutes. Upon reaching the ground in front of your troops, a familiar figure pops out >
Chomper: “Ready to rock and roll.”
Bigmouth: “You have been given special clearance this time Grisson, you must certainly be held in high esteem.”
ALI: “Old Chomper is our most potent Commando. His Time Flux Generator can erase groups of enemy units with ease, demolish enemy structures, and work effectively against all most all land targets.”
Old Chomper: “Hah, I’m not old… I’m just conditioned with a little time.”
Grisson: “It is certainly a privilege, you’re practically a living legend.”
Old Chomper: “Is that you Grisson… little Grisson? Wow it has been a while.”
Grisson: “You… know me?”
Old Chomper: “I was there when you hatched. I had to get off ëwork’ a while of course.”
Grisson: “So you knew my mom?”
Old Chomper: “Love to stay and chat, but we got work to do junior.”
Grisson: “Yes, right I’m sorry.”
…
Objectives:
- Locate the Source of the Dirge Infestation
- If possible, eradicate all Spawning Sacs with extreme prejudice
Units Featured:
- Runner Rangers
- Old Chomper
- Leaper
You take control of the two Runner groups and Chomper first and order them onwards towards the Source at the bottom of the map. Chomper gets many chances to demonstrate his masterful skills and exceptional equipment, obliterating all incoming Raveners, Sappers, and even a few of the more powerful Ravagers. After clearing out three areas and covering almost half the map, a unit of Dirge Genitors is revealed in your way (the Heavy guys that can switch weapons on their bodies).
< One of the Genitors screeches, filling the air with the sickening sound of death >
Chomper: “Leave this to me… my new Reality Bender should guard against those poison spikes.”
Activating the Reality Orb ability, Old Chomper easily gets close and erases the squealing creatures from existence.
Chomper: “Bang on baby.”
Runner: “Malefors incoming! Get down!”
< With the sound of a million buzzing bees, two packs of Dirge Malefors swoop in and start pelting your prone Runners with acidic green fireballs. A portrait opens showing a wild looking Runner pilot with only a pair of sunglasses and a comms assembly on his face >
Leaper Pilot: “I got a rocket storm just for you.”
< Three VDF Leapers bound down off a nearby cliff and land near your troops, pelting the Malefors with barrages of Swarm Rockets. All of them are taken out with ease >
Leaper Pilot: “Came as fast as we could sir… those bugs are nasty.”
ALI: Leapers are light hovering raiders that excel at fast attacks and the elimination of light airborne targets.
Taking the Leapers with you along with what is left of your small army, you continue onwards towards the bottom of the map. Eventually you come across something else interesting as well. A few packs of Claw Fusionhounds desperately burn their way through a horde of aliens, taking casualties on both sides. After crushing the Dirge between both your forces and Claw’s, Chomper and one of the sharpteeth engage in a talk in sharptooth language you can’t understand. The remains of the Claw unit flee into their transport, and the Gorgon burrows into the ground and disappears.
Grisson: “They ran away…what did you tell them?”
Chomper: “Something best translated as: Piss off or die.”
Grisson: “Hmm, this is the second time I’ve come across Claw soldiers since we began to move against this infestation… could the sharpteeth have something to do with it?”
ALI: Receiving incoming transmission.
Runner General: “Listen Grisson, you have to move swiftly. Instructor Iris is looking for you, no doubt to try and catch you in the act again. I can try and keep her from your Command Node, but I can’t promise too long.”
Grisson: “Damn, she is such a thorn in the foot.”
Chomper: “Want me to plug her?”
Grisson: “No… that would probably just make things worse.”
A brief move brings you down to the Misty Valley Water Treatment Plant. One of the Longneck Engineers comes forward and says that they have found evidence of Dirge breeding within the pipes.
Chomper: “Looks like I’m going to have to blow the seals and flood the sewer tunnels.”
Longneck Engineer: “No wait! If you protect my fellows and I we can open the valves manually… save them from being destroyed.”
Grisson: “Well get to it then… we don’t have all day.”
Longneck Engineer: “Hey, your not a…”
Grisson: “Longneck? I know. Like it or not though I’m in charge here.”
Longneck Engineer: “Absolutely… right away sir.”
The most challenging part of getting the pumps on is not getting the longnecks to them but holding back the tides of Dirge that emerge from the Sewers once you get close. Even with Chomper doing his best, it proves difficult to do all three but once you are finished the entire Sewer is flooded and the squeals of the Dirge go silent.
Chomper: “Nothing quite like an ending with style.”
< A rotating VDF symbol appears on the screen >
ALI: We are victorious
VDF Victory Beat: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nT1H-18HwYU...next=1&index=24 (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nT1H-18HwYU&feature=PlayList&p=498C778C9F980195&playnext_from=PL&playnext=1&index=24)
-
Mission #4: Claw’s Intentions:
< The door of the Command Node slides open, and Grisson is dragged out by two fully suited runners and thrown to the floor. He looks up, only to see a gun pointed right in his face. Flanked by two more Command Guards, Instructor Iris struts in >
Iris: “We pass judgement on you Grisson, and yet here you are carrying on like it never occurred. And you were such a promising student too…”
Grisson: “Come out and say it Iris, you’ve been after me since the beginning.”
Iris: “I’m not after you Grisson, I’m merely trying to preserve the order of things the way they should be. Runners belong on the ground, fighting for us in whatever warzone we see fit. They do not belong behind the seat of a Commanders Chair where speed and recklessness have no place.”
< Iris smiles with her victory, and nods to the guards on either side of her >
Iris: “Strip him off his treestars, and take him to the Command deck. Before the day is done he will be out the door and hopefully into a prison cell.”
…
< Grisson is aggressively thrown to the floor again, this time right in front of Longtail in his office. Leaning back in his stand (for longnecks can’t sit in normal chairs) the Major General waves away the guards >
Longtail: “You two are dismissed. Now Instructor, will you kindly tell me why one of our best is being roughed up by the buildings protectors?”
Iris: “I caught him in a Commander’s node… likely using it to contact his Claw allies and marshal a force to undermine us.”
< Longtail levels his gaze at her >
Longtail: Were you not aware that Commander Grisson was cleared this morning? Our investigation found nothing worth less then commendation, even according to his rank and file.
Iris: “Wha…what? Why was I not involved in this inquiry?”
Longtail: “Inquiries are always conducted by Intelligence Instructor… speaking of which I believe we have another matter to discuss. Your pupil Melphon has received his final grade, and it was nothing short of disappointing. I’m afraid he is simply too reckless with the lives of those under his command to be considered worthy of his treestars at this time.”
< Iris shifts from a look of rage, to one of embarrassment >
Iris: “Of course sir, I will speak to him right away.”
< Without another word Iris leaves >
Longtail: “Well boy that was some fine work… now that at least one source has been cut off we can proceed with the next phase of this operation to seek out the others.”
Grisson: “Sir, something has come up repeatedly in my assignments that I think you need to be aware of. I have come across Claw forces operating within our borders more than once, and they appear to be engaged in either looting or instigating the attacks.”
Longtail: “Claw… <sighs> when will those sharpteeth ever learn.”
< With a buzz Longtail gets ALI to place a call into the quarters of the Claw Ambassador, and it goes through after the fourth ring >
Runner Attendant: “Claw Embassy receiver here… please state your business with the Ambassador now or risk being brutally torn to pieces… verbally that is.”
Longtail: “Get me Hasta and make it quick… this is official business.”
Attendant: “I’ll connect you now VDF Major General.”
< Longtail turns to Grisson >
Longtail: “Hah, sharpteeth are all about rank… at least they know some discipline.”
< Hasta comes on and speaks through a translator, so the mouth movements notably don’t match >
Hasta: Hasta here… what do you want alpha leaf-eater?
Longtail: VDF Command has recently come across Claw military forces operating illegally within our borders. The sightings have been confirmed and we are prepared to act so it is worthless to deny our intelligence. Do you have any information you would like the VDF to know?
Hasta: There are no packs of the sort prowling with our blessing. The Great Alpha is mighty, but he only has so much control over the will and acts of other Corporations, illegal or legal as they may be.
Longtail: Interesting, so are you saying these are mercenaries or independents and we are free to exterminate them as per military regulation?
< Hasta hesitates for a moment, and looks to the side briefly >
Hasta: You are may act as you see fit leaf-eater.
Longtail: Good.
< The link closes >
Longtail: Knowing the sharpteeth, it was likely done with at least Theta’s knowledge as a means to get a hold of our technology.
Grisson: “What would you suggest we do sir?”
Longtail: “Hmm… if the teeth are after our tech, then it’s a very good guess they will plan a raid at Tail Bay Harbour where all our Twilight War equipment salvage yards are. You will be dispatched there in 0800 hours… ALI will fill you in on anything else you need to know.
< Grisson salutes, and grabs his treestars off Longtail’s desk before departing >
Longtail: “I take care of my own runner… remember that.”
…
ALI: “Establishing battlefield control… standby.”
The mission begins as a VDF Submarine Battleship emerges from underwater. Three large and heavily armoured boats emerge, and surrounded by combat swimmers they proceed towards the shore.
Longtail: “Welcome to Tail Bay Harbour Grisson. Make sure you set up near the Protium mines away from the town centre, we don’t want to alarm the populace too much if the teeth never show up.”
The three boats hit the shore, and a Constructodon and 3 Rigs emerge along with a few starting forces. The Arborium Rig, Logistics Rig, and Barracks Rig all unpack of their own accord, and three Runner Ranger squads with two Railsnipers and Exo-Spiketails assume defensive positions.
Civilian Spiketail: “VDF regulars! Lets get outta here… we gotta let the boss know.”
ALI: “Satellite auto-feed coming over now. Observing standard combat noise above certain sectors of the city.”
< The screen pans to what is clearly an ill-equipped but deadly Claw force advancing through the city. Suddenly a few groups of Spiketails with obsolete Rockets and Mortars emerge from the buildings and engage them resulting in a firefight. As it escalates, more modern units like Interceptors and upgraded Thumper Cannons join the fray >
Spiketail: “This territory belongs to the Iron Tails Gang. You sharpteeth are going to be mashed into chops for even thinking of coming in here.”
ALI: “The area appears to be dominated by Spiketail only Street Gang called the ëIron Tails. Records show that the local police forces and government are suspected to under their sway. Receiving incoming transmission.”
Scar Faced Spiketail: “Well well if it isn’t the so called Valley Defence Forces… you have a lot of nerve showing up now expecting our support. We needed you during the Twilight War and you never came. If you set foot in our city will put you down just like the teeth.”
ALI: “Battle control online.”
…
Objectives:
- Clear out the north, south, and east Salvage yards and deny them from Claw
- Destroy the Claw base to the north
Optional Objectives:
- Recruit or subjugate the Spiketails into your army
Units Available for Construction:
(Infantry Barracks)
- Runner Rangers
- Exo-Spiketails
- Devestator Teams
- Railsniper Teams
(Armour Facility)
- Leaper
- Interceptor (if acquired)
- Scanner
Available Upgrades:
(Tactical Command)
- Duraplate Armour (boosts Runner, Spiketail, and Swimmer health by 20%)
- Thumper Cannons (gives Devestator Teams a light artillery mode)
(Nano-Hospital)
- Specialists: Medicator (allows you to buy Swimmer Medics individually for each squad @$300 that boost group health regeneration and lower ability cool down times)
You proceed to build up your base as per routine, upgrading the Logistics Centre to gather resources and deploying production structures and tech buildings. After laying down your Tactical Command, Bigmouth comes up again.
Bigmouth: “I have a few new options for you Commander. You may now construct a Nano-hospital to replenish and heal your troops, and new upgrades are available on the Tactical Command… courtesy of Bigmouth’s Armoury of course.”
You continue to play the mission, setting up defences and building up a small force. Facing only a small amount of resistance, you easily clear out the South Salvage Yard and kill the Claw Troops there. Shortly after completing that particular objective, a portrait opens up and a new face appears.
Roughhide: “I’m Roughhide, the Spiketail High Commissioner. I have some connections within the Iron Tails, and I believe with a small credit donation we can amend past wrongs and bring them over to our side.”
Longtail: “Fat chance. Grisson we can just steamroll through and teach these spiketails to obstruct their protectors. Being that you’re the officer in on the ground though, I’ll let you choose how to proceed.”
1) Buy the Loyalty of the Iron Tails for $5000 Credits
2) Roll through and teach the lawless Gang bangers to defy military justice.
Being a nice commander (you don’t have to be though) you choose the first option.
Bigmouth: “Commander if you intend to buy your way into their good graces, might I recommend taking advantage of the Fuel Deposits to the north.”
< The Screen pans upwards to a set of two empty looking clumps of black dirt >
Bigmouth: “I’m forwarding plans for a Fuel Extractor into your Logistics Centre… it should greatly speed up resource collection and make fulfilling the quota easier.”
Having filled both your slots on your current Logistics Centre with Protium Mines, you build another one, deploy it, and a single Rigosaur pops out. You command the vehicle to take over the Fuel Deposit, which it does providing a lot more credits to your bank. Adding a second Fuel Extractor, you take over the second Fuel Deposit. After a minute you reach $5000 credits and the Spiketails are bought into service.
Scarred Spiketail: “Wow that’s a lot of money… you keep us safe from the teeth and we will fight with you guys.”
ALI: “New Units acquired. New technology acquired.”
…
Using the spiffy new units you carry on and conquer the north Salvage Yard, prompting a hateful transmission from the Claw Commander.
ALI: Receiving Incoming Transmission.
Warlord Ripfiend: “Vile dirt munchers… these machines don’t belong to you anymore and are ripe for our taking. Move aside or we will cull you as with all our prey.”
Grisson: “Yeah, we’ll see about that sharptooth.”
Interceptors loaded with Railsnipers and Exo-spiketails prove to be your most powerful weapon, as they cut through the Claw infantry and armour with ease as you leap-frog them towards the base. Ripfiend proves to be a crafty opponent however and attacks your base several times with stealthed Sky Hunter Tanks and Skybreaker Choppers in your vulnerable flanks. Eventually you break through and take down the Claw base with a combination of upgraded Infantry and creeping defences. Seeing the day is lost, Ripfiend sounds the retreat.
Grisson: “And don’t come back…”
ALI: “Warning… massive Dirge Assault Force detected and closing on your position.”
Suddenly a huge swarm of black carapaced beasts of all sides comes up from the south, totalling your defences at the Salvage Yard there and then proceeding towards your base. Battle control goes off line, and a brief cutscene plays were a bloody battle takes place as Devestators and Garrisoned Interceptors rip masses of Dirge to pieces, but still they keep coming.
ALI: “Receiving incoming transmission.”
< A black-scaled figure appears on the screen. He looks something like a giant black beetle with a face, and his yellow eyes are piercing yet distant. He speaks in an ethereal yet wispy voice that booms with eternal force. >
Icarus the Creator: “Ah. I smell the offspring of one of my greatest foes… the taste of your family’s blood still lingers upon my lips, and it is most delectable.”
Grisson: “Who are you alien?”
Icarus the Creator: “I am all who are, and all who will be. I am the grand architect of an aspiring yet fatal design. You indigenous mortals know me as Icarus the Creator.”
Grisson: “Icarus! You are the one behind the original invasion, the Dirge who started the war and is responsible for countless lives lost. I read that you were defeated and burned in the wreckage of your own ship.”
< The battle continues to rage into a stalemate >
Icarus: “Indeed such times come and pass, but to one such as I there is no death… only an eternity of creation. Now I am back, and I have the means to return your kin to their rightful place in the ground.”
Grisson: “Not on my watch monster! My mother gave her life to beat you and I will not have her sacrifice be in vain!”
Icarus: “Grr, you have killed many of my children, but the death you have wrought will soon be your own.”
ALI: “Warning, a Polymorpher has been activated.”
All of a sudden the mass of Dirge attacking your base morph into their combined forms, overpowering and destroying your defences with ease.
Runner: “They’ve broken through.. fall back, FALL BACK!”
< The Survivors and your Constructodon retreat onto the boats as the last of your base is raised to the ground >
Grisson: “This is not over.”
< A rotating silver VDF symbol appears on the screen >
ALI: “We are victorious.”
VDF Victory Beat: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nT1H-18HwYU...next=1&index=24 (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nT1H-18HwYU&feature=PlayList&p=498C778C9F980195&playnext_from=PL&playnext=1&index=24)
-
Awesome use of Chopperhead as a victory theme! Granted, I imagined Claw to get that piece.
Also, "Battle control online" is like the key phrase of CnC. Nice use of it! And the AI unit ALI is my favorite (love the allusion to EVA of Tiberian Sun).
Also the last mission really reminds me of one of the missions in Firestorm.
I really, really, really want to help but I have no idea where to start because this is WAY where I am on TWV.
-
Hmm, if you want to write some of it then I can work it out since it is based off your story. How about doing the start of the Claw campaign? I'm sure you kind of have an idea how it begins from the Fanfiction, but I'll PM you about the rest. :DD
Caustizer.
-
What about The Eye of the World from FAH? It can appear in here as something like the ion cannon from Tiberian Sun.
-
I'd like to try and keep Future Wars and Far Away Home as seperate stories as much as I can. While that is a cool idea, I don't want any overlap so readers who aren't interested in Future Wars don't have to start referencing it for FAH plot points.
As far as the Wingtails go in Future Wars, they are still snobby birds that generally think they're superior to everybody else and some of their creations are pretty incrediable, but they become a victim to Claw pirates later in the story that causes them to cut a deal withe the VDF.
Superweapon wise, both the VDF and Claw have pretty new toys:
VDF Minotaur Uplink -
Developed as an improvement to the old Titan Uplink by Topsy's Section IV, this one instead uses targetted Tungsten Rods allowing it to deliver devestating results onto an area without endangering friendly troops.
Basically a Superweapon you have the option of firing near your own troops during an attack to kill the bad guys. Of course, theres nothing stopping you from just using it on it's own to flatten things.
You can also upgrade it's Damage via an upgrade from the Vortex Stabilizer which causes the rods to generate small black holes.
Claw Tambora Cannon
A larger and improved version of the old Volcano Cannon, this monster gun fires a Tambora shell which has a set of six Volcanic Bomblets attached to the main shell that spread out before impact causing even more damage over a wide area.
An upgrade from the Armaggedon Synthesizer give the Tambora Cannon self-sustaining Volcanic Warheads, meaning they continue to explode repeatedly for a few seconds after detonation causing more damage in the blast radius.
-
Today I found what is probably one of the best 'main menu songs' I could possibly find for Future Wars II. It's unique, far out, and captures the emotion that I feel needs to felt when selecting your game for the first time.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=J_SNT6Zpisc&feature=recentf (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=J_SNT6Zpisc&feature=recentf)
[The parts I envision being the best and most featured parts in the song start at 2:00 and 3:20]
The Menu screen is a vision of the Earth as it is during the Late Cretacious Era when this game/story takes place. It rotates slowly next to the buttons, and every so often a scanner line sweeps over the surface changing the colour to one of the following tints:
1) Silver - Images of VDF dinosaurs and weapons are shown as silhouettes against the planet, including Runners, Chronosuits, Pulverizer Gunship schematics, and finally Littlefoot in his Councillor's dress with a wise look on his face.
2) Red - Images of Claw sharpteeth and weapons are shown in a similar manner, with Fusionhound Fastbiters shown in battle, Splitter Flyer schematics, the Tambora Cannon and Theta looking down in his Great Alpha Gown with menace.
3) Black - Images of Dirge beasts are shown in the background, with Ravagers, Bio-Monstrosities, and the Obliderator Orb shown with vivid art. The beetle-like alien mastermind Icarus the Creator also appears, his glowing yellow eyes the most visible part of the shadow.
-
Military Units – Flyer Aircraft
[All Constructed from the Air Dome]
Sonijet Flyer - $1000 [Long Range Air Superiority Fighter]
- High speed combat aircraft that attacks other air targets with a front mounted Sonic Resonator similar to the old weapon the Sonicopter used.
- Rather then inflict direct damage the Sonic Resonator shakes apart the target removing 15% of its current hit points. This effect means that it is significantly more powerful against large capital warships like Claw Basilisks or Dirge Dominators. Against smaller swarming air targets like Dirge Malefors or Buzzer Bombs however it is better to stick to more area of effect oriented ground AA.
- Piloted by the finest flyer aces the VDF has to offer, who very conveniently never need parachutes in the rare circumstance of ejection.
Instigator - $1200 [Anti-Armour Attack Helicopter]
- These experimental combat Helicopters have replaced the older Sonicopters as the VDF’s primary air-based anti-armour weapon.
- Armed with two sweeping blue Exo-lasers, this hunter is one of the biggest threats to armoured vehicles and isolated structures ever produced, and is the product of several longneck-led initiatives to establish the air as the domain of the leaf eaters.
- If this helicopters high mobility and potential to annialate entire enemy armour divisions is not enough, thanks to the new Geo-shielding technology and Reverse Rotor Boosters the Instigator may land and deploy into a highly potent defensive structure, perfect for dealing with attacking vehicles with excellent anti-air capabilities as well as overall base defence.
- When built, occupies one of the Air Dome’s four aircraft landing pads.
Cardiocopter - $1500 [Durable Support Helicopter]
[Requires: Nano Hospital]
- The Cardiocopter is actually an old weapon that was mothballed for a long time from the VDF arsenal, mainly because it was so expensive and vulnerable that Claw Drones would target and take them down from range, essentially making them worthless in most engagements.
- The New Cardiocopter is much more efficient and durable, equipped with layers of ionized carbonox plating and even more advanced repair and healing technology. Use of these support aircraft is now nearly standard for VDF commanders, as their ability to heal both foot troops and repair vehicles with their released hover-bots is a near necessity in a world where the climate is so poor and Sharpteeth/Dirge beasts rest behind every corner.
- Piloted as ever by Swimmers, who use their medical expertise as well as newly learned air skills to go wherever they are needed by command.
Stegodon Transport - $1800 [Heavy Airborne Transport]
[Requires: Battle Centre]
- These heavy transport aircraft are well known and well used throughout the VDF for lifting vehicles, equipment, and dinos from one place to another with reasonable speed.
- Stegodons have been surprisingly referred to by Major General Longtail as ëThe most powerful weapon in the VDF’s Command’, thanks to their ability to move everything from Mobile Structures to Entire Attack Groups, to a whole Brontodon II away from a battle going poorly or into a weak portion of an enemy base.
- Spiketails pilot these massive haulers, and take pleasure in their work since not every spiketail gets a job in the sky.
- Has cargo capacity for up to 4 Groups of Infantry, 2 Light or moderately sized vehicles
(Such as Challenger Tanks or Leapers) or 1 Mobile Building/Heavy Walker.
Pulverizer II - $2200 [Heavy Airborne Gunship]
[Requires: Battle Centre]
- Perhaps only the Brontodon and Chomper himself can compare in deadly reputation to the VDF’s new Pulverizer Gunships… Heavy Aircraft that contain two built-in massive rotating cannons on the right side that pummel ground targets into oblivion with a barrage of Ion Blasts while the aircraft circles overhead.
- This Gunship is quite durable as well, leading Commanders to often send them against enemy bases that lack air support to blow them into dust.
- The Flyer pilots of these monsters are often good humoured and occasionally silly (saying things like ëWhoops, I dropped something’ and ëWould you like some pepper on that?’) thanks to the feeling of invincibility that accompanies such a potent war machine.
- Occupies one of the Air Dome’s Four Landing pads when built, not because it needs to reload but in case of any required maintenance and refuelling.
Temporal Laboratory - $3000 [Airborne Science and Weapons Vessel]
[Requires: Battle Centre with attached Chronometron]
- These unique and highly experimental flying labs contain some of the most advanced time-bending equipment in the entire world, and are the brainchild of some of the most gifted longneck scientists in the entire VDF.
- Appearance wise they look like a floating orb kept aloft by three powerful down-burners at each third outside the sphere. Elegant glass structures not dissimilar to skyscrapers rise out of the top of the orb, and several instruments of various types adorn them and surround the on-board Temporal Computer.
- Combat wise, the Temporal-Laboratory (sometimes called a Chrono-Lab) is the VDF’s answer to Claw’s Resurrection Sphere (now no longer in use) for keeping large amounts of forces alive to continue to fight.
- Deploying a Chrono-Lab causes it to remain in place in the air and open up, revealing the Time Manipulator inside which projects a medium range Chrono-Field to envelope all nearby friendly units. When one of those units is killed the Time Manipulator registers their death as an undesirable fate, and rewinds their past to return them to how they were as they entered the field. This effect applies to both vehicles and foot dinos, but doesn’t apply to aircraft. In this way, a unit can die multiple times but always come back to life again to continue fighting, totally without recalling their previous death.
- The Biggest drawback to this effect is that, should the Tempo-Lab be destroyed while the field is active all friendly units are instantly killed within the field as their time-signature on the planet is lost forever.
- Multiple Chrono Labs can overlap their fields, ensuring the safety of all units underneath even if one of the labs is killed.
EXAMPLES OF HOW A CHRONO LAB WORKS:
A Swimmer Railsniper Team is hiding behind a barricade within a Chrono-Field when a massive swarm of Dirge emerges and attacks. The Swimmers pulp a line of them with a Railgun shot, but are overwhelmed and killed while reloading. Almost immediately, they reappear entering the field as they had 2 minutes before and fire again killing more bugs before dying again. The process repeats itself over half a dozen times, until all the Dirge are dead.
That same Railsniper Team and Chrono Lab is suddenly attacked by a Swarm of Dirge Buzzer Bombs, which strike the Lab repeatedly and destroy it, causing the Railsniper Team and any other VDF units in the field to instantly die.
Dreadnaught - $3500 [Super Heavy Capital Warship]
[Requires: Battle Centre with attached Orbital Relay]
- Wingtails are overall a vain and proud race, and rarely interact with either Claw or the VDF apart from occasional trade agreements. They live inside massive airborne super-carriers that act as their homes and cities, and are generally not warlike with only a few squadrons of unique fighters to repel pirates and provide landing craft.
- Just prior to the Icestorm Crisis, one such super-carrier was attacked suddenly and without mercy by highly organized sharptooth pirate forces. It was a scheme of Ms. Maia and her Scythe Valley fleet to steal wingtail technology to compliment their own aircraft as well as claim some of their wealth. The following airborne war, which both VDF and Claw Valley Emissaries tried to moderate, saw the Wingtails construct massive Capital Ships to match Scythe Valley’s Basilisks as Siege Vessels.
- When hostilities began to arise between Claw and the VDF once again, the Wingtails and the leaf-eaters reached a tenuous alliance pact that saw them combine air forces, with Sonijet Flyers aiding the Wingtails in the war against Sycthe Valley in return for the use of Dreadnaughts against Claw Valley.
- Appearance wise, these vessels look like airborne Battleships, with the Hammerhead of the Basilisk distained for a highly artistic cutting hull and multiple layers of side borne Ion Meteor Cannons.
- Ion Meteors are pre-charged Ion Balls that are blasted into the air, and then magnetically directed towards their target to decimate it in a barrage of blasts. Ion Meteor Guns have no weakness, and are good against almost all targets apart from fast moving Fighters and dug-in ground defences. They also do not have the artillery range of a Basilisk II, meaning they will almost always take fire from whatever they are attacking.
- VDF Commanders dislike dealing with Wingtails under their command in general because they don’t like to take orders from ëinferior races’ despite the massive firepower they contribute to the battle.
-
Does anyone even follow LBT: Future Wars anymore? Perhaps it is time I re-explained exactly what this thread is about and what I hope to achieve. I know it is pretty far out for most LBT admirers, but then I knew that 100% when I started writing it, so it doesn't bother me as much as some of my other ventures.
-
More things to 'deposit' into the repository:
All Points Bulletin: Claw Tests Devestating New Weapon
Absolute Devestation (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=q_YIgDThTFQ)
VDA Report-Net: Today the Valley Defense Forces released an all-points bulletin to both military and civilian sources in regards to a Claw Weapons test that may produce deadly fallout within certain areas of Northern Gondwanaland. Recently, a chain reaction nuclear detonation was observed from orbit caused by what officials are calling a 'self-sustaining nuclear warhead'. These new weapons not only explode with terrifying force associated with traditional volcanic weapons, but they continue to implode in upon themselves minutes after detonation producing devestating force capable of disintigrating most known substances. While initial obsevations are still under confirmation, it is clear that the sharpteeth have once again gone to lengths to demonstrate their supremacy and as ever remain a valid threat to leaf-eater cities throughout the world.
- Severa Ringtail - VDA Reporter and VDF Corespondant
Special Report: Ancient Protector Continues to Serve?
Old Chomper (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JNIzJTZSL64)
VDA Report-Net: Even to this day it is a legend from the Twilight War that refuses to die - the sharptooth that fights for the VDF. Many military logs have been researched and studied on this topic as well as recently declassified files from VDF archives that seem to indicate but a shread of truth. Is it possible that s lone sharptooth has escaped the carniverous failings of his kind and joined the fight of the leaf-eaters? If so, does he still fight for us to this day? Thanks to my own exploits, I have come across a Commando in VDF service with a record beyond and above any other single soldier - Recruit # 15353, supposedly code named 'Chomper'. Was he killed in action? Transfered to another division? Or more importantly, was he actually a sharptooth just like the rumours say? One thing I must comment on is that if he is still in service today, he must surely be 'Old Chomper' now since age dictates he should be long retired by leaf-eater standards.
- Severa Ringtail - VDA Reporter and VDF Correspondant
-
…
Military Units – Upgrades:
The following upgrades become available at cost on a separate side tab once the prerequisite building has been deployed. Each one applies to both current and future units, and once researched is permanent for the rest of the game.
Bigmouth’s Armoury:
Duraplate Armour
Exoboosters
Specialists – Medicator/Coordinator
Arc Shields
Leadstorm
Time Field
Escape Pods
Nano-enhancers
Stegodon Punisher Cannons
Section IV:
Hellfire Ammunition
Reality Warp
Ion Recirculators
Vortex Shells
Bigmouth's Armory:
One of three development companies owned by the VDA council, Bigmouth's Armoury or BA gets its name from the family line that has run it for almost four generations, each successor taking the title 'Mr. Bigmouth'. Technologies that come from Bigmouth's Armoury are highly dependable and specialized, each designed to the exact specifications demanded by the Valley Defence Forces.
Duraplate Armour - $1500
Requires: Tactical Command
- Extensive modifications to the field suits worn by VDF forces greatly increases durability at little to no expense of movement. As a result, the health of Runner Rangers, Exo-Spiketails, Longneck Techmasters, and Railsniper Teams increases by 20%.
Thumper Cannons - $1000
Requires: Tactical Command
- A special mode designed for Devestator teams, this upgrade allows them to convert at will between their standard Punisher Cannon armament and the Thumper Light Artillery piece. The Thumper Cannon fires Light Seismic Shells and has the added advantages of long range, damaging troops inside of structures, and moderate damage against all vehicle/structure types.
Specialists - $1000
Swimmer Medicator Specialist Requires: Nano-Hospital
Longneck Coordinator Specialist Requires: Battle Centre
- The VDF values all its frontline infantry, and as part of its training regime occasionally incorporates specialists within these units to enhance their survival and firepower.
- Swimmer Medicators are vital combat medics that provide immediate medical care to injured group members, increasing overall health by 10% and giving 30% regeneration at all times.
- Longneck Coordinators are ballistics experts that can use their advanced computer equipment and calculatory skills to extend the range of any squad upgraded with them by 20%, as well as increasing firing rate by 20%.
Each Specialist must be added individually to each group at $200 apiece... this upgrade just unlocks the ability to buy them. You may only take 1 specialist per group.
Exo-boosters - $2000
Requires: Battle Centre
- Long in use amongst the VDF since the Twilight War, Exo-lasers have become a stapled-in standard issue armament highly ideal for use against enemy armour and structures. First used on the first generation Brontodons and the backs of Longneck Exo-suits, now they enjoy common use in Exo-Spiketails and Instigator Choppers.
- Exo-boosters are limited clearance adjustments and equipment changes to produce an even more potent blue Selenium beam, extending the range of these weapons by 30%.
Arc Shields - $1500
Requires: Battle Centre
- The great crests that dominate the appearance of the threehorn driven Challenger Tanks, Crusader Tanks, and rarer Vortex Tanks were designed not just for visual effect, but were made to incorporate Bigmouth’s new Arc Shield Generators.
- When activated, the Arc Shield reduces all damage taken towards the front armour by half. This barrier appears like a half-dome constructed out of holographic yellow hexagons. Unfortunately only so much damage can be absorbed before the generator powers down, so at best it will give a temporary edge in an armour on armour battle.
Leadstorm - $1500
Requires: Tactical Command
- Special modifications made by Bigmouth’s elite Longneck engineers greatly increase the efficiency of the reloading mechanisms of the VDF Metal Storm Tanks, reducing reload speed by a grand total of half the time.
- This upgrade greatly increases the usefulness of Metal Storms in large battles, where previously the long reload time had proven to be a liability.
Nano-Enhancers - $1000
Requires: Nano-Hospital
- This upgrade increases the rate of healing and repair of the VDF Cardiocopter, as well as slightly upgrading the effects of Medicator Specialists within Infantry groups.
Time Field - $2000
Requires: Chronometron
- This powerful upgrade unlocks the Chrono-Lab’s Time Field ability, allowing it to keep large armies safe from death in crucial moments.
Escape Pods - $1500
Requires: Battle Centre
- In previous wars, the loss of massive battle walkers and large warships was expensive not only in equipment cost but also in the valuable expertise of the pilots and crew members which were even more difficult to replace. Thanks to Bigmouth’s ingenuity, the crews of VDF Brontodon II, VDF Behemoth II, and VDF Dreadnaught Warships will now eject up into space from their ruined vehicles when they are killed. A tally of available crews is kept above the Battle Centre (Blue for Brontodons, Green for Behemoths and Gray for Dreadnaughts) and when one of these units is once again made, the pod will drop from space and take over the body, granting that new unit the previous one’s Veterancy.
- This upgrade is very valuable in long games, as over time your best weapons will become better and better until one player crushes the other with all Savoir ranked units.
Stegodon Punisher Cannons - $1000
Requires: Battle Centre
- Stegodon transports are vital to the VDF air force and ground force for resupplying and unit carrying purposes. Clever use of Stegodons can allow a VDF player to fly in and drop a bunch of Groups of Infantry, a few tanks, or even a whole Brontodon into the back of the enemy’s base by air!
- Keeping the above in mind, the Stegodon is weapon-less and in some cases has been driven off lightly defended landing zones by enemy fire without being able to respond. Bigmouth has developed Punisher Cannon mounts that can be fitted directly to the nose of these mighty aircraft, providing a degree of anti-infantry ground support.
Section IV:
Section Four is the VDF’s most secret weapons division and functions for the most part outside the laws of conventional warfare approved by VDA Universal Warfare Regulations. Since it’s founding over forty-five years ago it has been owned and personally managed by Topsy, who makes it his absolute goal to ensure that when the time comes and all the stops are pulled out, the VDF will be equipped with the most advanced but horrifying weapons imaginable. It’s only fair after all, since the Sharpteeth have no rules either.
Recently Section IV has become a bit of a private army of it’s own, taking it’s share of funding from the VDA council to construct secret bases and carry out sensitive research and development that in Topsy’s eyes shouldn’t be known about by Littlefoot and his councillors, or even the leaf-eaters as a whole, until the time is right.
Until then, VDF commanders in the field can – for a price – purchase the fruits of Section IVs labour to equip their forces with the best technology the leaf-eaters have to offer.
Hellfire Rounds - $1500
Requires: Tactical Command
- Upgrades all Runner Rangers groups and Devestator Teams with acidic rounds using a mixture of Penthium and Turbahol to melt both flesh and armour with ease, greatly increasing their killing power against heavily armoured or tough infantry like Claw Reborn, Dirge Genitors, or in the event of betrayal, VDF Vortex Suits.
Reality Warp - $2000
Requires: Hyper Locator
- This extremely complicated, one of a kind device was designed by Section IV to keep the VDF’s most important soldier – Old Chomper – alive and destroying for as long as possible in the face of fearsome modern weapons.
- Once complete, this upgrade causes a shimmering field of Time to rotate around Chomper at all times, allowing devastating enemy attacks (such as Volcano Rifles, Fusion Carpets, Poison Needles, Chrono-Cannons and Vortex Rifts) to only cause modest damage per hit rather then inflicting instant death.
- This upgrade is vital to keeping Old Chomper alive in the late game, when there are Nukes and Black Holes flying everywhere.
Vortex Shells - $2000
Requires: Vortex Reactor
- Section IV is has always been a faction for big, devastating weapons so developing the means to create localized black holes has been a long time coming for Topsy and his corps of soldiers and scientists.
- Vortex Shells upgrades the already deadly VDF Pulverizer Gunships to create Vortex Rifts with every hit, instantly annialating infantry and most light vehicles, while continuing to suck in buildings over time after the attacker has passed over.
Ion Recirculators - $2000
Requires: Battle Centre
- Topsy’s private army has been experimenting with turning the Ion technology used to power VDA cities into a weapon to be used against the aliens and sharpteeth. The program has been a success, and to date the Brontodon II, Crusader and Dreadnaughts all rain down Ion Meteors like white comets of doom.
- Ion Recirculators upgrade gives all Ion Meteor attacks from the units above a larger area of splash damage, greatly increasing the use of the weapons against large packs of infantry and vehicles.
-
VDF Mission #5: Breakthrough:
< As the screen clears, a large domed room is revealed with masses of rowed seats leading to a central plateau with a circular holographic projector showing a rotating silver VDF symbol in midair. It is filled to the brim with occupants of all different races, but longnecks are a notable majority especially in the outer ring. The entire place is filled with whispers as there are multiple conversations being carried out amongst the most important of the VDF staff. Present is the entire VDF upper command structure as well as the leaders of each respective race.
Varen the Runner General, Roughhide the Spiketail Commissioner, Cera the Armour Marshal, Ducky the Swimmer Archon, Coatal the Air Wing Director, Iris the Instructor, and Bigmouth of Research and Development are all seated in their own separate platforms, each being the polished seal of their charge under the advanced desk they each had. >
Grisson sits in the middle, surrounded by longnecks on all sides. Embarrassingly, he struggles to sit in a chair designed for four-legs once more. Suddenly, Major General Longtail enters from a collapsible floor in the middle of the room next to the projector >
Longtail: “The commander in chief will be joining us momentarily by video link, and then we will commence the emergency briefing.”
Iris: “Check your stars fellow commanders, Littlefoot would be disappointed by any tardiness from my staff.”
< Grisson checks to make sure his 3-treestar emblems are on in the correct place on his shoulders >
ALI: “Uplink established.”
< A large video-screen on one of the few rectangular sections of the hall flickers and comes to life, showing the unmistakeable form of a fully grown primogenitor longneck. Littlefoot nods slightly towards a tech off screen in approval >
Longtail: “Greetings, High Councillor.”
Littlefoot: “You too Major General… I’m sure all of us are eager to receive your full briefing as much as I am.”
Longtail: “As you wish… ALI?”
ALI: “As of 1800 hours ago, the alien being known as Icarus the Creator has been identified as alive and active by our military scanners. Current intelligence indicates that he may be amassing another Dirge army to attempt a second strike.”
Longtail: “Elaborate.”
< The hologram changes from a VDF symbol into the three-dimensional giant beetle-like figure of Icarus. Notably he has jet black scaled skin and stands on four legs, with the other two forming what appears to be is hands >
ALI: “Icarus the Creator is confirmed to be responsible for the invasion during the Twilight War, and his army is responsible for an estimated eight million combined Claw and VDF casualties. He is highly dangerous, and is logged for primary alert if sighted in the vicinity of VDF holdings.”
Cera: “Hah, I remember that giant creepy crawly… back in the day my armour and I squashed him.”
Roughhide: “Then you must also remember the Spiketail-run Factories that we provided to build them.”
Coatal: “Not to mention the transports that carried them into battle… of which I was one of the honoured pilots.”
Littlefoot: “I appreciate your concerns but be silent please… it is clear that we must take immediate action to avoid repeating the mistakes of the past… Major General how soon can you prepare a detachment to track him down?”
Longtail: “I can have a division ready in six standard hours… our first task will be to–”
< The holographic projector suddenly turns a bright red, and begins to flash vigorously >
ALI: “Priority alert! Emergency Distress Beacon for Misty Valley has been activated. Relaying Transmission from Operational Command.”
< The projector changes again into a four sided video screen, and the face of a desperate longneck commander appears against the backdrop of the Misty Valley Barracks >
Longneck: “Command… security has set up a perimeter but those bug monsters came out of nowhere! Demanding immediate reinforcements, or else this city is…”
ALI: “Standby… re-establishing connection.”
Longneck: “…Citizens have appeared to be joining them… they are horrible and disfigured, we couldn’t do a thing!”
< The gathered Command Staff gasp as a horrifying monster of shiny black carapace scales the barrier behind the speaking Longneck and screeches at the top of it’s lungs. Apart from the menacing yellow eyes and unnatural spikes bursting from it’s hide, it clearly used to be a spiketail. >
Runner: “Kill it, KILL IT!”
< A few harsh shotgun blasts and one blue energy beam later and the beast is nothing more then a gutted hunk of gore. >
Longneck: “We can’t hold them off forever! Our ammo is getting low and… ach…”
< The longneck begins to cough, and then chokes and collapses. The link cuts out >
ALI: “I am detecting high concentrations of an unknown toxin within the Misty Valley water supply.”
Longtail: “Damn it… that’s what those beasts were up to at the plant. We need to get a strike force down there ASAP. Establish composition with whatever units you deem necessary.”
ALI: “Order acknowledged.”
Iris: “Major General, may I request a Commander of my own staff for this force?”
Longtail: “This one’s hot instructor, I’ll leave it to ALI to decide this one.”
< Silently, the ALI unit runs a detailed analysis while the rest of the Commanders wait. >
ALI: “Tactical Analysis Complete. Based on experience against Dirge Forces, and superior performance I have selected Commander Grisson Rubyson for overall command of the strike force.”
Iris: “I object! In this room there are longnecks of my own tutelage with decades of combat experience and an unfaltering track record of successes against the wretched aliens. Why should an unproven runner lead such an important operation when our four-treestar generals are more then capable in the face of such responsibility? I propose that we hold a vote of confidence to see if the living and breathing support the decisions of our computer.”
< A ruckus flares up around the room in support of Iris, and Grisson is notably the target of some dirty looks >
Longtail: “I… am not sure I approve of that Iris. Now is not the time to be second guessing our trusted hardware.”
Iris: “Well you should. Was not the VDA founded on the prospect of democracy for all leaf-eating dinosaurs? I demand that we decide as a whole who we want to be in command, instead of a soulless machine.”
< Some of the longnecks present in the crowd start chanting ëVote Now’ repeatedly until most have joined in so it reverberates throughout the domed room >
Littlefoot: “The instructor is correct, Major General. I propose that we hold a vote right now, while everyone is here and accounted for.”
< The massive longneck smiles knowingly, and on the video-screen turns towards the race representatives who have been watching and listening in silence >
Littlefoot: “The councillors will not mind the responsibility, I am sure.”
< Instructor Iris grinds her flat teeth in frustration. Clearly she was hoping that ëdemocracy’ meant everyone in the room >
Iris: “…Then I will vote on behalf of the Longneck Command Staff.”
Littlefoot: “Very well… Varen, Ducky, Cera, Roughhide, Coatal, Bigmouth and Iris I advise you all to think carefully about your decision. We must act soon for the benefit of all our kinds.”
< The room fills with whispers as Iris walks up to take her place in the seat reserved for the Longneck High Commander – Longtail’s position – next to the rest of the Councillors. The Major General looks on disheartedly, and unusually submits to the challenge to remain on the fence about the issue. One by one and in order, the racial representatives speak their minds. >
Varen: “As the Runner General I have monitored the campaign so far against the Dirge very closely, and from what I have seen I support ALI’s decision to the fullest and endorse Grisson’s command.”
Ducky: “I will abstain from voting, I will. I do not want us to fight with each other too.”
< Littlefoot nods, before turning towards Cera, the next in the sequence >
Cera: “On behalf of all the threehorns, I’d rather go behind a longneck we know then a runner we don’t.”
Coatal: “I agree with the Threehorn in some regard, however on behalf of the Flyer-force I will abstain as well. Grisson may have some potential, but only time will tell.”
Iris: “I’m sure my position is quite clear. The Longneck Command Staff wishes the lead to be given to a more proven and able commander. Icarus is far too dangerous a foe to gamble by giving it to a… less then able candidate.”
< Most of the longnecks in the crowd cheer in support of her statement >
Littlefoot: “Bigmouth?”
Bigmouth: “In my years as Head of Research and Development as well as Chief Technology Advisor I have learned that ALI’s selection is always the best option at hand. I support her… I mean ëit’s’ decision.
Littlefoot: “Good.”
< The massive longneck nods from the video-com >
Littlefoot: “It would appear we are at a tie. Roughhide, the decision falls to you.”
Roughhide: “Grisson has impressed me I’ll admit. The way he values the contribution of races other then his own has set an example to be followed. Based on the importance of the mission at hand though, I will have to abstain to allow those more experienced then I to decide.”
Littlefoot: “Then it appears that the final decision falls to me, doesn’t it?”
< The gathered longneck commanders roared their approval… since in their eyes Littlefoot was the greatest amongst them. >
Littlefoot: “Major General, perhaps a compromise is required?”
Longtail: “Looks like it… I will assign one of the Four-Treestars to overall command, with Grisson and Cartio covering the flanks. Fellow necks, and…umm… runners… MOVE OUT!”
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
-
Ah such a great little online scrapbook of information this thread is. I call it a repository because thats what it is... a lockbox I use to store all my information relating to Future Wars, a fanfic I barely had time to start because of Far Away Home as well as outside concerns.
Is anyone still around that is interested in this material?
-
wait i read this story out of order so I'm a little confused. spike and ruby are dead, petrie is somewhere else, little foot and cera are in charge, ali's some kind of commander and aside from chomper only swimmers are soldiers right?
-
wait i read this story out of order so I'm a little confused. spike and ruby are dead, petrie is somewhere else, little foot and cera are in charge, ali's some kind of commander and aside from chomper only swimmers are soldiers right?
This thread actually contains two seperate stories along with tons of side information. I'll sum it up:
Petrie is in the airforce, and still continues to serve to date
Ducky was a field medic until she was promoted to VDF Swimmer Councillor
Ruby was killed during the final offensive of the First War, but her son is around and he is rising through the ranks
Littlefoot was the commander of a giant walker in the first war, but is now the High Councillor of the Great Haven (ie in charge)
Spike's location is unconfirmed, but likely on a construction site somewhere
Cera was an Armoured Division Commander in the first war, and is now the VDF Threehorn Councillor
Chomper is the most elite commando in the entire VDF, and next to Littlefoot is probably the most famous. He has defeated Utah and Icarus both in single combat at one point, and carries a one-of-a-kind battlesuit that grants mobility and durability.
-
Nice work on it. I will read it when I have time.