PREDATOR Mod

[TheCaptain 0]

To the point: My MAIN question is if I can use alpha channels in a soldier model, so I can create the PREDATOR cloak effect from the movies. Or, if anyone has any other ideas of how to create a cloaking effect....?

Background info, more questions, etc:

I'm working on a nice lengthy campaign/mission for OFP based loosely off of the original Predator movie. Basically, the characters will be new, the setting will be slightly different, but the major plot points will all still take place. However, my goal is to make the mission more of a 'living movie' than a scriptfest a la Half-Life. My absolute favorite aspect of OFP is that it makes it's OWN stories during missions, rather than relying on mission scripting to achieve the same effect. I'll be using Jungle everon to start, but as soon as we get Jungle Malden, I'll switch to that most likely. However, I can say upfront, this mission will take a lot of dynamic work, and I'm still a scripting and addon newbie, so I've got some questions...

I have various scripting questions that I asked in anotehr forum, like how to attach a downed chopper in a tree, or create fog that covers the player's feet, but I do have some questions about how to make the Predator himself.

Simce we can't import models, my Predator 3d models are gatehring dust on my hard drive, and I'm planning on using a civilian with a hazy texture to recreate the cloak from the movies (since we can't import models yet; which I have, waiting to be put in), and he'll have a laser designator (three dots instead of a red square), blue-plasma shoulder cannon, and a hand to hand attack. However, most of those would have to be scripted... and he'd have to be controlled by the mission so he just scares the crap out of the players and toys with them, and didn't just go and kill them outright all the time. The mission will be playable by up to 6 human players in coop, without respawns. So when a player dies, the story keeps moving without them... and it'll give a new meaning to 'teamwork' (the pred will try to pick off stragglers).

Can a weapon be made that fires a lens flare, in effect, so I can create the blue-plasma laser? Can a weapon be made with a range of 1m that the unit closes in range, and attacks with? Can other weapons be given the laser designator targeting dot, but still retain their attack? Can a civilian unit be given extra hitpoints so he can take damage from small arms and still survive? Also, can green blood be created?

I know some of those seem farfetched, but it's all that really needs to fall into place for a semi-recreation of Predator. The main enemies will be drug cartel troops, by the way, and it'll be a gritty semi-realistic action addon, and it's not some completely farfetched sci-fi thing.

Anyone have any story ideas that I might want to consider?

I have worked on 'Aliens vs. Predator' mods for other games, so I have a wealth of editing experience and piles of content sitting on my hard drive. This includes movies, music, sound, textures, models, movie scripts, short stories, etc.

[Dawdler 0]

</span><table border="0" align="center" width="95%" cellpadding="3" cellspacing="1"><tr><td>Quote </td></tr><tr><td id="QUOTE">Can a weapon be made that fires a lens flare, in effect, so I can create the blue-plasma laser? Can a weapon be made with a range of 1m that the unit closes in range, and attacks with? Can other weapons be given the laser designator targeting dot, but still retain their attack? Can a civilian unit be given extra hitpoints so he can take damage from small arms and still survive? Also, can green blood be created?<span id='postcolor'>

Lens flare: Hell yeah, just look at a law at night.

Range. Short range can probably be fixed. But if the AI will walk up and try to punch you... Dont know.

Laser: Probably. But Im unsure.

Civilian: Yep, that should work, just edit him in the config file. Havent done anything like that, but I think the option in hitpoints are there.

Green blood: Sure. At least, Im close to sure. It should only be a matter of texture color.