Combine outpost perimeter defense

flaagan

Came up with a new design for the Combine (HL2) auto-turret. Something a bit more robust and able to handle different environment conditions. The drawback to this design is that they must either be powered by a generator or by a battery /ammo pack (the darker object on the mode).

Currently missing a few details and the legs are still wips.


I plan on making up a generator (smaller, more mobile / robust version of the existing one) and a tree-mounted battery powered turret, something slightly larger than maybe a manhack. A combine soldier could pull one out of his pack, slap it to a tree, the thing would clamp down in a similar method to the hoppers, and run / gun as long as the small battery on it will last.

danr

suitably spiky'n'stylish, but it still looks like a stiff breeze would blow it over. I know they're supposed to be portable and light, so they can't have heavy solid bases ... but it feels like they should sit more on their haunches (so to speak) to feel more stable. This one (though it could be the render angle) looks like it's leaning forwards and feels quite fragile.

Dunno though, i'm not big on the physics of gunfire. Hell, maybe it's spot on for combat.

Nilium

You know what'd be a neat idea is if it had a grip for the base like the 'hoppers' (gigantic really visible and useless tactically land mines).

Gmanx

You sure got the Combine style ethic going there, the assymetry is good. I think Danr's onto something with the whole thing looking a little off-balance, maybe you could project the power pack a little further back. I take it the two thicker legs stay at the back and transmit recoil into the ground?

rooster

hm, based on the turret designs it seems like the combine like their stuff to fall over . I do think it could do with more balance too, perhaps fork the rear leg out? looks recognisably combine to me though

poopinmymouth

Looking cool flaagan. I think Rooster has a good point. It'd be cool to have a turret design that was so stable only a grenade placed right under it would tip it over, or if it was hit point based so you had to destroy it, rather than knocking it over. The current design in-game sort-of works because they look semi-portable. That would explain why they cannot have the most stable bases. Yours looks quite a bit hardier and as such should probably have some stronger sturdier mounting system. But maybe I'm misinterpreting the scale.

flaagan

some more lil goodies.. got the tree-turret started on.. had a good idea after makin the renders of this on how to design the two prong-like hooks / claws that will fold down for support so that they'll act like a grip for the soldier..

idea behind this turret (a very small one, slightly larger than the manhacks) is that a soldier would carry a few of these (3 or 4 maybe). He'd grab one from his backpack and slam it into a tree (or other surface, noel even had the funny (and neat) idea of sticking them into other soldiers or creatures). The longer section of the spike would instantly slide out (to it's shown extended position) and hold it in place until the soldier releases his grip, then the claws / hooks would slam down in place to secure the turret to the surface.

The turret's fin-like battery pack would sustain the gun long enough (ammo and running in general) to provide nomimal cover fire for either retreat or a weak / unprotected angle of a hunkered-down group of soldiers. The turret could potentially also serve as extra gunfire on an assault / raid.

flaagan

pretty much the final design, some tweaks may occur, but i'm likin it.

gauss

nicely done. i think it'd be cool to see some sort of mockup of the disposable turret deployed on a tree or on the ground, etc.