Was originally a concept for Evo; was then modified a lot, and eventually replaced by Snaf's design. I got the green light from WoL to use it freely (as it doesn't resemble the current concept particularly closely), so I'm thinking of putting it into a map or mod of some form (not exactly sure what yet - working on that bit). Looking for opinions and also felt like showing you guys.
NB: Colours are definitely not final. I want to keep them somewhat dull and neutral, owing to both the nature of the weapon and its purpose. It's gone from eggshell white (too boring) to eggshell blue (too vibrant) to khaki (looked like crap... literally), and I've finally settled on a dull russet for now. Of course, it will have a shine ingame, but nothing too fancy. And yes, I like writing... so prepare for the imminent wall of text
Now for a pic, and description of the weapon:
OMR-44 Marksman's Rifle
This weapon is of semi-organic construction, formed by the manipulation and then processing of a commonly-found semi-sentient life form. The creatures are farmed, a portion being collected as larvae and then injected with hormones and other chemicals during the pupal phase to cause growth anomalies which form the basic shell of the rifle, with the creature dwelling in the stock end. Once the shell is fully hardened, it is crafted into its final configuration by cutting holes for the scope, muzzle, vents, etc. and inserting internal components. The weapon utilises the inner being's own natural defense abilities and controls and magnifies them, allowing it to (once the being has been supplemented with the right substances) fire a concentrated energy pulse at high speed up to a distance of 1,300 metres (give or take a 20% margin of error due to differences in supplement cartridge contents), a small magnetic device in the centre of the pulse guiding it as a long stream down the barrel and then out into a ball-like shape. The magnets themselves are part of each cartridge, acting similarly to regular projectiles.
The weapon loads through the cheekpiece, directly into a receptacle that is in fact part of the creature; after the last round is fired, the modified bolt locks open and the cheekpiece will gently spring open as pressure is removed from it. The old cartridge irritates the being and is kicked clear, allowing a new one to be slotted in and the cheekpiece locked closed while the bolt strips the first magnet (and its corresponding charge of energy) from the creature and chambers it. Manually locking the bolt open to reload mid-cartridge also works. Pulling the trigger causes a magnetic field to launch the projectile out of the weapon at high velocities, and the bolt reciprocates.
The rifle is fitted with an onboard microcomputer and variable-power telescopic sight, with cartridge charge (and hence magnet count, as they are directly proportional) displayed along with other critical data such as range, elevation and weapon heat (due to the massive amount of sheer energy pulsing through the barrel) all projected onto the ocular lens of the scope. The sights are automatically adjusted to compensate for wind and gravity based on the creature's sensitive visual, aural and tactile receptors, which are in turn wired to the computer. The forend splits down the centre and folds down to form a bipod for stability.
The rifle is of light yet immensely strong construction, is very reliable, and extremely accurate. However, it does have its drawbacks (namely the tendency to overheat during rapid fire, and the stock-heavy balance).
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
Alright, I'm done
