Need input/help with a Gear Krieg style mod

[ThvN]

Thanks for the lore summary, that is really helpful for people like me. BTW, it's a very good idea to just post your icons, even the ones you are not satisfied with, some people here are very helpful to help touching them up. The only thing they really need is some ground shadows.

Also, because not everyone knows the GK lore or can accept the concept of Superscience, I felt it would probably be easier to explain it in a detailed summary than get a bunch of questions like "but this didn't exist or its not possible even today". And I am also using the lore I written as a guideline for myself to follow as the information was really scattered among all the different sourcebooks. When I finally get my act together and get a working mod out, I will probably start a new thread and condense all the information I got here over there too. I mean like ThvN, he has been really helpful with his comments but he doesn't really understand the lore so he finds it hard to decide what is acceptable or not.

And material wise, what I meant was the 45-46 years, the game seems completely blank on that. There seemed to be hints that the war took an additional year to end because of all the superscience stuff from the germans. But nothing was stated conclusively in the books/lore, they all seem to leave it hanging at 44 and almost everything the germans developed and didn't develop was out in play by 44. which means 45 would include next gen stuff like the fighter that was supposed to replace the Me262, we would probably be seeing Korean War level stuff. but the lore/books don't state what they were.

There lies the problem for me.But I suspect by the time I hit 43-44 and if there is enough interest in the mod, I can prolly get the userbase to me suggest the 45 units that could have been in play.

Yeah, that is a good summary of my impression, it's very hard to determine what will 'fit', esp. once lasers and hovertanks get introduced. It's hard for me to tell how common certain technologies were, but describing the various factions is very helpful.

For the later years, various 'paper projects' sprinkled with Gear Krieg technology would make decent units, I guess. The lack of existing GK units is not a big problem I think. The upside is you can be very creative in figuring out some units, although on the other hand there is no 'guidance' as to what the GK makers intended.

I briefly looked at some 1950'ies cold war projects, they might provide some interesting looking hardware for the Allied, for the Germans there is the Luft '46 page, the ground units might need a little more digging. Personally, I'm a perfectionist and will usually try to be very consistent in applying techs, I'm not sure if the designers were very strict in this department. I can find plenty of cool-looking retro stuff for you if you need inspiration, though.

Germans: Most advanced walkers designs and has the most dangerous Superscience stuff. Chemically pumped Supersoldiers and zombies, loves prototypes and seems willing to try anything.

How common were certain techs? For example, were the infantry lasers and hover tanks prototypes that were only used in small numbers? I'm trying to get an idea of how common/widespread things are.

British: Laser and Jet(Superior to Germans but loses out late war) tech and prefers sturdy quad walkers to bear heavier guns. Quality is important for them.

Jet design will be easy, plenty of retro-futuristic concepts floating about. The info about their preference for quality is valuable, thanks for that. A lot of late-war and early cold-war designs were not designed to last very long on the (then-looming) nuclear battlefield, so this narrows the designs down a bit.

USA: Prefers piston aircraft, uses Rocket and Jet fighters late war. Places less focus on superscience and prefers tried and tested.

The USA actually tested several planes with mixed engine types, as a rather conservative way of implementing jet/rocket power, so a natural progression path into jets or rocket planes is actually viable. The Soviets tested similar planes, BTW.

Soviets: Railguns and supertanks. only developed rocket fighters in 43 and no jets. Used land-leased walkers in 41, only started developing their own in 43 which featured walker only mode but well armored.

Railguns and supertanks... Mmmh, sounds a bit like Red Alert?

[regret]

Soviet Supertank T-44/47 "Nikolai Lenin"
In Service: 1940 - The T-44 was a land battleship in its truest sense. The lessons learned from the T-28, T-35 or T-100 tanks were incorporated in the design of the Nikolai Lenin. Its wide tracks make it less vulnerable to staying stuck in soft ground. A powerful diesel engine drove each set of tracks through rugged transmission adapted industrial machinery. Armed with 2 76.2mm L/40.2 guns in the 2 forward facing turrets and a 47mm Model 40 Gun in the turret. Also has 5 7.62mm MGs placed around the tank.

Soviet T-44/47 Supertank Big Unit


Soviet T-44/47 Supertank


Soviet Supertank T-44/122 "Nikolai Lenin"
In Service: 1940 - The 47mm cannon of the Lenin was always viewed as a weakness, and the large turret always yearned for a larger weapon. The mammoth 122mm gun was a marvel of engineering, able to pulverize even German heavy tanks. Ammunition was always in short supply, however, and the tank still suffered from poor mobility.

Soviet T-44/122 Supertank Big Unit


Soviet T-44/122 Supertank


There is also a T-45 Variant that came out in 1941 using a Tesla Gun on the turret. I will try to do the icons when I start in the KV variants that also used the Tesla gun.

[regret]

Thanks for the lore summary, that is really helpful for people like me. BTW, it's a very good idea to just post your icons, even the ones you are not satisfied with, some people here are very helpful to help touching them up. The only thing they really need is some ground shadows.

I don't know how to do shadows or to re-skin them to make them look more unified. So these will have to do for the time being.

Yeah, that is a good summary of my impression, it's very hard to determine what will 'fit', esp. once lasers and hovertanks get introduced. It's hard for me to tell how common certain technologies were, but describing the various factions is very helpful.

I already decided to put hovertanks on hold as I have no idea how to model the movement type in. I plan to do a proper tech description for the more commonly used superscience tech later.

How common were certain techs? For example, were the infantry lasers and hover tanks prototypes that were only used in small numbers? I'm trying to get an idea of how common/widespread things are.

Lasers went thru 3 development stages. In 40, they were bulky weapons due to the huge battery packs needed to power the weapons. in 41-2, they were more efficient and able to be mounted on tanks. In 43, the germans invented disposable clip based battery packs as opposed to the allies more efficient rechargeable packs, these were small enough that walkers and infantry could use them.
In 43, Guided Anti-tank rockets(Germans were masters of Rocket technology in the game) were starting to become common for infantry, infantry lasers were less common with the SS formations getting most of the latest weapons first and Heer second. Hovertank production was very limited due to problems getting materials to build the jet engines needed, The book states that the production was like a few vehicles each month starting from 43. I suspect only a few battalions were fielded and they mostly struck at night with the advanced Vampyir (Nightvision) systems and Laser Cannons.

Supersoldiers and Zombies were more common, the chemicals needed to make them were available, the problem was volunteers as the super soldier serum boosted them for 6 hrs plus and left the soldier extremely exhausted for a few days after the effects wore off. Repeated use also led to addiction. The common users were penal battalions that were granted pardon after 5 deployments with the drug or fanatic SS members. Supersoldiers were armed with MGs and wore heavy armor since their enhanced physique allowed them to use these effortlessly.

Zombies were easier to produce as all they needed was dead bodies, but they were mindless automation and couldn't wield weapons except cudgels. The germans employed them as mines since the drug dispenser could be remote activated, they would bury the corpses and activate them once the enemy overran their positions to cause confusion and break morale to allow withdrawal or counterattack. Can probably model these as mines that can switch into zombie units.

Another technology that entered use was remote drones, usually employed by Pioneer units, they were initially armed with demolition charges or flamethrowers and used to clear mines or break fortifications. Late war, they were mounted with MGs, AT rockets and Lasers.

for super weapons, Germans also made the Luftfortress (4 planned, at least 1 deployed on the eastern front), a huge Zeppelin with guns and paratroopers/rocket pack troopers. There was a land battleship concept, armed with naval cannons and powered by submarine engines but was never completed.

British: Laser and Jet(Superior to Germans but loses out late war) tech and prefers sturdy quad walkers to bear heavier guns. Quality is important for them.

Jet design will be easy, plenty of retro-futuristic concepts floating about. The info about their preference for quality is valuable, thanks for that. A lot of late-war and early cold-war designs were not designed to last very long on the (then-looming) nuclear battlefield, so this narrows the designs down a bit.

The British, being British kept to their real life development and style I believe. One strange thing is that nuclear development was almost never mentioned in any of the books leading me to suspect that it was pushed to the side in favor for superscience.

For the States, A rocket based fighter called the Roughrider was deployed on Battleships, the Aircomet entered service in 43 and was used against Japan, Britain provided most of the Jet escort in the europe theater due to their superior designs. America had the most advanced designs on turboprop engines and kept using them.

Soviets basically recruited Tesla after France fell and he refined his Tesla gun and Soviet Railgun designs (stolen from the germans but abandoned by them due to the huge energy requirements) for them. 1943 for a major year for superscience in GK as most of the fledgling technology was refined and miniaturised enough for use by the troops. Stalin was initially adamant against walkers and decided that Supertanks were the future. This order was rescinded in 42.

[guille1434]

Ok, here is another unit that can be useful for the Gear Krieg - PzCorps Crossover Mod: A tesla gun cupola. I think it can be used to model the static defenses of the Gear Krieg universe Maginot Line. I hope you like it.
Another news: I am working on some versions of the T-44 superheavy tank...

[nikivdd]

Any news from the Gear Krieg front ?