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Jackal

I just decided to redo my jackal model entirely and ended up with far better results than i had expected. I just figured it was about time i made justice to the halo attachments that have been lying around useless here for the last two years. :)

Attachment points:

head
chest
origin
hand left (shield)
hand right
weapon (for muzzle flashes, see below)
foot right
foot left

Weapons to go with this:

Plasma Pistol

Carbine

Needler

Plasma Shield

I also uploaded missiles for all theese. In the respective weapon threads, i uploaded individual muzzle flashes and instructions on how to use them. I chose not to add a built-in muzzle flash on this model since that would restrict it to a single weapon attachment. There are also sound effects to use in the missile threads for ultimate halo experience.

I might add "defend" animations for this model in the future for those of you who wants to use it with that spell, but it is a lot of work and wil take some more time for me. The model currently huddles down behind his shield by default, and i was planning to make a system for making the shield absorb damage from attacks coming from the front. I will also make a "spell slam" animation for it where it flies away from an explosion, to be used with knockbacks etc.I also made teamcolor for this, but i was not able to make the body material blend (it obscured the hair which is also blended for render range), hence it looks a bit sharp. If you want to make skins for this, the entire body save for the head and hair supports TC.

Keywords:
jackal, covenant, halo, alien, vulture, amazing fingolfin
Contents

Jackal (Model)

Reviews
Frankster : Very nice model and awesome textures. Great stuff. Approved.

Moderator

M

Moderator

Moderation: 11:46, 21st November 2011
Frankster :
Very nice model and awesome textures.
Great stuff.
Approved.
 
If you want to create good looking models make it high poly.

Except it isn't even particularly high poly. There are many units in wc3 that have similar poly count to this (ObsidianStatue - 1737, Ghoul - 1035, CryptLord - 987, GoblinAlchemist - 1050, FireLord - 1036 etc). Hell, it isn't even half the polies of a standard SC2 model.

If it looks high poly: kudos to the 3ds max smooth modifier!



EDIT: @Chucky: "polygon" is not necessarily the same as a triangle/face, in cpu graphics, a square is often also counted towards a polygon even though it consists if two triangles (a polygon is technically just a two-dimensional surface with an indefinate ammount off edges).

Anyhow, displaying triangle/polygon count as a mean of model weight is not always very accurate. Imagine that you have a triangle, and want to make it a square, you really just need one more vertex for it. Essentially, for each new triangle you want to add to the same mesh, you only need one vertex still. This means that a group of standalone triangles have three times more vertices than a mesh consisting of the same ammount of connected triangles. This model has very little floating geometry and hence it has very few vertices.
 
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@Chucky: Go away. Right now.

@Fingolfin: This model is killtacular. Only thing is you could make his eyes more noticeable in the texture.

Frankly, i quite like the pale eyes, they make it look more like a vulture which i believe was the base concept for the jackal. If you want them more bright, then ofcourse it is a simple edit.

Thanks everyone for the nice responses!
 
Wow this is an amazing model, :D.

But would their be an animation where there is no shield? Because the shield does get destroyed at some point...

That is why both the shield and weapons are attachments, you can add or remove them whenever you want. The shield will automatically die when the jackal does, also.

I posted instructions on how to attach the shield in it's thread.
 
Level 23
Joined
Jan 25, 2008
Messages
7,799
Great! My favorite Covenant unit ever! (aside from the Skirmisher subspecies) Only thing I find odd is the face, and those eyes. But noting the Halo 1 Jackal, this looks better, and wrcraft textures can be a pain to work with, detail-wise. So, well done! :D

Go jackals :3
 
Is that a challenge? :D

No, but seriously, it can be done. You gotta know some jass though.

EDIT: I would personally do it using a knockback system. Assuming that you have triggered the plasma grenade spell, just pick all units within it's blast radius the moment it lands (the grenade will take a couple of seconds to blow), and if (random chance = 75%) then knock them back from the grenade and play the animation where they throw themselves (you would have to turn the model so that it faces the right direction).
 
Level 22
Joined
Jul 25, 2009
Messages
3,091
Is that a challenge? :D

No, but seriously, it can be done. You gotta know some jass though.

EDIT: I would personally do it using a knockback system. Assuming that you have triggered the plasma grenade spell, just pick all units within it's blast radius the moment it lands (the grenade will take a couple of seconds to blow), and if (random chance = 75%) then knock them back from the grenade and play the animation where they throw themselves (you would have to turn the model so that it faces the right direction).

That's a pretty damn good idea.
 
perhaps a summer-salt roll, forward, i cant spell =/

tucks its elbows in bends strait forward, arms down, knees together, bends its head down, dos a forward facing back roll, might be universal uses.

AND to counter bridge suicides, if they enter a region or within distance around a point they loose that 75% chance to dodge or what ever.

this models amazing.

9.5/10 (nothing is a 10) but this is close, somthing funky about the walk animation

but enough scrutiny! every body! get the porcupine guns and start shootin them purpley pink glass thingys!
 
Level 23
Joined
Jan 25, 2008
Messages
7,799
Well, since ther knockback system i use checks pathing, rolling off bridges is not a problem (i believe varsaigen was refering to the real halo games). But yes, i will implement some kind of roll animation sooner or later, not to mention i will make a model for the sniper helmet :D

You'd be right on what I was referring to. :p It's one of the tactics to clear jackals and Elites from bridges. XD

But yeah, beautiful model. I look forward to further editions. :)
 
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