let's figure some stuff out.

The game-world at this point has tinges of spaghetti westerns, cyberpunk, post-apoc, and some horror. Rachel definitely would have this bizarre post-apocalyptic western feel central to it. I have an idea. Having the town being "under siege" by a new virus which affects humans, apes, and humanoid extradimensionals (no gameplay mechanic however, the player can't get infected unless part of a quest). Some people seemingly are immune, others die within hours. Is it of extradimensional origin, or is it some kind of horrible genetic engineering project out of Area 51 gone wrong (or perhaps even terribly right)?

We can get more ideas by dissecting the internet sources such as the wikipedia article ( http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rachel%2C_Nevada
):

well, that sets up how it's related easily to the plot and locations. It's on the way from Henderson UHC to NAFR.


Little A'Le'Inn and the Alien bar can both make appearances. We need a least few UFO watchers from out of town, some of which have gone missing when hiking in the mountains near Area 51.


We can up the seeming number, but ingame I would say an actual number of interactable NPCs should be like at least 10-15, if not 20-30.


sounds like a nice place for extradimensional creatures and criminals to hide.


Artists, map designers, keep this in mind.

so what do y'all think?

_________________
aaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa

can we at least pretend that I'm not talking to myself?

_________________
aaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa

Sounds good.

Just posting to let you know you're not talking to yourself

_________________
Serious game developer

http://www.persistentrealities.com
http://www.persistentrealities.com/vbfibre
http://www.ambiances.nl

I say we use this setting, slap a map together with a little quest, and try to construct it.

_________________
Law is mind without reason. - Aristotle

it's not specific enough yet.

_________________
aaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa

Wait, for the PSP, or are you guys still trying to get this to work on PC?

_________________
"You are what you eat." –A cannibal

I'm the only coder actually working on anything, and that anything happens to be the PSP.

_________________
aaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa

Sounds nice. I think you should leave Area 51 out for the most part, but if it has to be in there, have it connect to the mines somehow. I'll PM you a possible cliched explanation for the connection.

_________________
Stephen Hawking's Pro Wheelchair 2!

Area 51 is connected to the game because NAFR is the headquarters of THOR (THOR is pending name change).

_________________
aaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa

Awright! I got pwned!

_________________
Stephen Hawking's Pro Wheelchair 2!

we need to think up some specific characters for the locale, like a sheriff and mayor and stuff.

_________________
aaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa

temporary character names:
Mayor Kevin Everett
Sheriff John Stevens
Sheriff's Deputy Steve Escobar

_________________
aaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa

Well, personally I see a whole bunch of crazies living here, who ironically were hardly directly affected by the crash. I mean you'd imagine quite a few people on the extraterestrial highway living in the area would be a bit excentric.... Not to mention those that would be attracted to the place when they realized so much weird stuff was going on.... Perhaps some protagonist not-so-sane cryptozoologist is killing and cataloging, extradimensional creatures from the surounding area... Maybe said cryptozoologist has a conflict with a more sane, but less friendly UFOlogist, one with a very big gun, possibly some sort of attack system of his own design. Said UFOlogist wants everyone to leave the strange creatures along and leave them to what he views as a benevolant series of actions to enlighten humanity (hence the emergence of psionics, aliens trying to help/enlighten us.)... And thus, a poorly formed sidequest is born...

hmm, the Sheriff could get involved too.

_________________
aaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa

could this be turned off for people above 100 posts? This forced me to make this post dial-up unfriendly.

http://maps.google.com/maps?ie=UTF8&z=1 ... 3&t=h&om=1
Rachel on Google maps.
those round things are farms.
37.63839,-115.75801 coordinates if you want to find it on Google Earth.

pictures from google image search:












a page about some people's trip to Rachel:
http://www.dreamlandresort.com/trip_rep ... p_023.html
another one, scroll down a little (and beware the annoying xfiles midi music):
http://markl.hyperrealm.com/area51/

_________________
aaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa

Well, to get back into the modeling business, I'm going to model a practice sign (since I see so many of them in your pictures). See if I still have any skill (might need some practice). I'll post the model render in a bit.

_________________
Law is mind without reason. - Aristotle

you could model about 1-3 sign models and then the rest could be retextures that I can (attempt to) do.

(I still don't get UV mapping entirely).

edit:
I just realized the delicious irony of the photograph of a sign that says "photography prohibited".

_________________
aaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa

_________________
Law is mind without reason. - Aristotle

lol

_________________
aaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa