Caripen GPRV
"Unlike its namesake, the Caripen GPRV does not originate from South America. Most of its systems are products of Parapax, one of the major UN-mandated conglomerates born after the two Struggles. After the construction of the arcologies the need to plunder the world beyond the curtain walls was diminished. When UNJAM was announced, was it any surprise the corporations also looked to the stars?"
Hello and welcome from us here at Mars4 to the third and penultimate article covering the Caripen GPRV's production. The Caripen Ground Penetrating Radar Vehicle is designed for long range surveys. This vehicle can travel across the Martian surface with relative ease and detect large quantities of resources, including the ability to sift out the silver from the dross when it comes to its survey capabilities. Any colonists looking to expand the capabilities of their bases will definitely come to appreciate the efficiency that the Caripen GPRV provides them.
Production
The production step is the penultimate stage before deployment of an asset into the game and to a degree may be considered the most important. It is during this stage that the 2D technical concepts are passed on to the 3D modelling team and the entire design is fully created as a model for use in the game’s engine.
The Caripen GPRV had its suspension system brought into line with that of other Mars4 vehicles with the team focusing on accurately modelling the vehicle’s undercarriage with what might be reasonably expected on a large, cross-terrain vehicle of its size. This involved increasing the density of the suspension systems to highlight the vehicle’s durability. Further attention was also paid to the Caripen’s entry point which differed from other vehicles. The Mars4 team also wanted the vehicle’s entry point to be of particular note, allowing players to truly experience the scale of the Caripen GPRV as they moved to its entry ramp. This design choice helps emphasise the heavy duty suspension systems and draws the eye to the upper chassis above which was made a little more slender, though the team is sure that the Caripen will still carry an element of ungainliness (a choice made to highlight the extensive sensory equipment carried by the vehicle).
After the initial 3D model is completed, the next stage follows through with additional fine detailing. As mentioned in prior development blogs, a 3D model with entirely smooth surfaces fails to convey much depth, both in terms of physical dimensions as well as lore-based design. Vehicles designed for Mars4 are designed with a certain amount of sleekness in mind to bring to mind the near-futurism that the setting evokes, however, vehicles themselves should also appear to be rugged, usable for the purposes they have been put to.
With the design of the Caripen, detailing is furnished around the chassis to highlight the cockpit, intakes and sensor domes. As seen above, the detailing work brings out the model’s design by drawing the eye to the frame. The cockpit’s protruding design helps provide a wide field of view when colonists are driving the vehicle and the particular detailing around the cockpit’s screens help emphasise the industrial and ‘heavy duty’ nature of the Caripen GPRV. This vehicle is designed to roam across Mars and identify rich seams of resources for colonists to exploit for their own purposes. It also bears mentioning that detailing around the sensor dome is important as this is the key feature of the Caripen GPRV. Although the raised portion of the dome makes it harder to spot when a colonist is close to the vehicle, the dome nonetheless is an easily identifiable portion of the Caripen’s chassis from a distance and the detailing around the dome helps ensure that colonists can identify the vehicle (and therefore its purpose) on their lands with ease.
Once the 3D modelling is considered complete, the production team hands off the vehicle to the integration team, the final step of the design process. In this stage, the next team’s job is to ensure the Caripen GPRV is introduced into the game engine and coded correctly, providing players with the fully functional resource-surveying vehicle.
The Caripen’s in-game design fulfils the needs of larger settlements and lands by allowing colonists to survey large areas quickly. The additional quality this provides to resourcing is sure to be useful to any colonist or landowner looking to develop Mars to the best of their ability.
We’ll see you on the surface.
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