Author Topic: Effects for the MV_(adv)effect VP- The vote  (Read 53380 times)

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Offline DaBrain

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Effects for the MV_(adv)effect VP- The vote
Although I've already put together those two VPs, there are still a few things I'd like to get some oppinions on.

I can replace stuff in a matter of minutes now and it would be quite disappointing to replace stuff after the final release. So I'll ask you now.


First: The thruster glows

Some people stated that they like the glows in Taylor's VPs.
I like them too, but I think they're kinda 'unusual'. So, which set of glows would you like?

Did you like the shivan glows in the last MV package?
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Offline CP5670

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Re: Effects for the MV_(adv)effect VP- The vote
Can you put up screenshots? I have been using a set of thrusters different from the ones in the current vps, but I don't know if they're the same as the alternate ones you're referring to.

 

Offline MetalDestroyer

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Re: Effects for the MV_(adv)effect VP- The vote
Some screenshot would be great to compare between the old one to the new one. It's difficult to see.

 

Offline 666maslo666

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Re: Effects for the MV_(adv)effect VP- The vote
I dont like shivan thruster glows they look live lava.
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Re: Effects for the MV_(adv)effect VP- The vote
I've been helping DaB test in a small way, so I think he's talking about 3d thrusters vs Taylor 'bright trails' thrusters.  In the current test version, at least, he is using retail-eque textured poly thrusters.  The most recent vp release used very different bright glow trails.

I think the taylor thrusters look better and avoid the blending problem, and obscure the strange/silly Shivan 'lava pool' effect.  However, they do look 'strange' from certain angles.

I've provided a comparison here.

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v164/pnakotus/compare.jpg

 

Offline Vasudan Admiral

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Re: Effects for the MV_(adv)effect VP- The vote
Errm, wow. When I made those glows now in Taylors VP I didn't expect them to be considered for the effects VP. Seeing as they're pretty much my very first attempt at propper effects, I'm honoured. Thanks. :D
(even if no-one remembered who did 'em :p )

However - because mine are .dds and the ones in the current VPs are tgas/pcxs, they tend to get overridden most of the time. Case in point, I don't think they're visible at all in Pnakotus' comparison.

MediaVP glows are on the left, the newer ones on the right.


I should point out here though that I still think they could be a lot better.

edit: Changed the pic link.
« Last Edit: February 03, 2007, 03:28:12 am by Vasudan Admiral »
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Offline MetalDestroyer

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Re: Effects for the MV_(adv)effect VP- The vote
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v164/pnakotus/compare.jpg

I like the 3D thruster in normal mode and I prefer to keep the Taylor one for the Afterburner.

http://sectorfiles.net/ti-file-dump/VasudanAdmiral/Pics/ThrusterComparison.jpg

I should point out here though that I still think they could be a lot better.

Is it possible to see the shivan thruster with their appropriate ship. Because, in some case, the Old one are still pretty good and give some sort of experimental engine. Well, I don't have the word in mind but it give really something to shivan ships. However, the old version are also a little weird.

 

Offline Turey

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Re: Effects for the MV_(adv)effect VP- The vote
* Turey votes for VA's thrusters.
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Offline neoterran

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Re: Effects for the MV_(adv)effect VP- The vote
I like taylors, but i like mars' orange color after burner color. Teal Afterburners are disgusting looking.
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Re: Effects for the MV_(adv)effect VP- The vote
I can't tell, isolated like that, the shots are...out of context.

 
Re: Effects for the MV_(adv)effect VP- The vote
* Turey votes for VA's thrusters.

Seconded.
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Offline Vasudan Admiral

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Re: Effects for the MV_(adv)effect VP- The vote
Can I vote against my own for now? (For the terran glows anyway. I really dislike the farts-on-fire glows of the media VP shivans.)



They just plain don't look right in-game. :\
Give me a while to get them all looking good and I'll see if I can improve them and match them up with all the other components of the thrusters. :)

Edit: Changed the pic link.
« Last Edit: February 03, 2007, 03:29:02 am by Vasudan Admiral »
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Offline DaBrain

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Re: Effects for the MV_(adv)effect VP- The vote
Thanks for posting the pics. ;)

I do like them, but not on all ships. They look fine on the Persus, but wrong only the Ulysses.


Well and I'm glad I can replace the shivan glow. It doesn't look bad... but it's not a thrusterglow imho (unles it was animated).
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Re: Effects for the MV_(adv)effect VP- The vote
The Shivans and GTVA are very different, and the Shivan thrusters have always been a bit naff.  I like the taylor 'red trail' because it blends well with the thrusterglow.  As VA shows, the thrusterglows don't look very good without a thrustercone thingy, and the Shivan thrusterglow is often far too large for the thruster, so it looks like a huge disk attached to the ass of a ship.

MetalDestroyer - the 3d cones are strange, and they don't seem to blend properly into the AB thrusterglow (as you can see in those pics).  My problem with the 3d cones is that they look rubbish, not the idea of 3d cones, and since the 3d ones actually fade as they trail (woo textures) instead of the inflatable look for taylors it's arguable how much of 'the look' is the effect and how much is the art used.  Either variant could be fine, but thrusters have always looked more-or-less rubbish in FS, and I think we need to sit down and decide how we want them to look and what the best way to get that look is.  Also, taylors 'glowcones' look MUCH better on capships than the 3d cones, as the 3d cones are far too short (barely visible) and so capships just get stuck with the thrusterglows.  This is a significant problem with Shivan caps, as their thrusterglow looks awful.

Also, teal AB = the lose.  That's something I'm prepared to just come right out and say.  AB should look awesome and aggressive, not soothing and relaxing.

EDIT - For what it's worth, huge thrusterglows and long thrustercones aren't prominent in cutscenes etc.  It's arguable, then, that they aren't very 'Freespace', and that smaller glows and shorter cones are the order of the day.

« Last Edit: January 14, 2007, 05:30:30 am by DaBrain »

 

Offline Commander Zane

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Re: Effects for the MV_(adv)effect VP- The vote
Where can I get the effects on the right side of that screenshot?

 

Offline Turey

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Re: Effects for the MV_(adv)effect VP- The vote
Where can I get the effects on the right side of that screenshot?

That's what we're voting on - whether or not to include them in the 3.6.9 mediavps.
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why would an SCP error be considered as news? :wtf: *smacks Cobra*It's a feature.

 
Re: Effects for the MV_(adv)effect VP- The vote
As an aside, is it possible to change the orientation of the glows?  VA's glows are pretty awesome, but they're clearly assymetrical and it's going to look pretty rubbish if a ship banks or rolls and it's assymetrical glows stay the same way...  :lol:

Regardless of preference, simply changing the glows is not going to satisfy people who want attractive thrusters on all types of ships.
« Last Edit: January 13, 2007, 08:56:14 pm by Pnakotus »

 

Offline Commander Zane

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Re: Effects for the MV_(adv)effect VP- The vote
Oops.

 

Offline DaBrain

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Re: Effects for the MV_(adv)effect VP- The vote
The Shivans and GTVA are very different, and the Shivan thrusters have always been a bit naff.  I like the taylor 'red trail' because it blends well with the thrusterglow.  As VA shows, the thrusterglows don't look very good without a thrustercone thingy, and the Shivan thrusterglow is often far too large for the thruster, so it looks like a huge disk attached to the ass of a ship.

MetalDestroyer - the 3d cones are strange, and they don't seem to blend properly into the AB thrusterglow (as you can see in those pics).  My problem with the 3d cones is that they look rubbish, not the idea of 3d cones, and since the 3d ones actually fade as they trail (woo textures) instead of the inflatable look for taylors it's arguable how much of 'the look' is the effect and how much is the art used.  Either variant could be fine, but thrusters have always looked more-or-less rubbish in FS, and I think we need to sit down and decide how we want them to look and what the best way to get that look is.  Also, taylors 'glowcones' look MUCH better on capships than the 3d cones, as the 3d cones are far too short (barely visible) and so capships just get stuck with the thrusterglows.  This is a significant problem with Shivan caps, as their thrusterglow looks awful.

Also, teal AB = the lose.  That's something I'm prepared to just come right out and say.  AB should look awesome and aggressive, not soothing and relaxing.

EDIT - For what it's worth, huge thrusterglows and long thrustercones aren't prominent in cutscenes etc.  It's arguable, then, that they aren't very 'Freespace', and that smaller glows and shorter cones are the order of the day.



The 3d thrusters aren't new. They're still from the FS2 retail version.
I've figured out why they look so weird now.

Actually the there are three thrusterglows, but in the other shot we only see two of them, so the 3d effect becomes visible.

Ah....sorry I hit 'edit' instead of qoute again. ;)
So much about the 'edited by DaBrain" thing.
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Offline Wanderer

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Re: Effects for the MV_(adv)effect VP- The vote
I prefer the thrusters based on three 2d bitmaps (thrusterglow version) above the 3d cones (which imo are very ugly) but as i will in any case disable the 3d cones in my local version it really doesn't matter to me.

I kinda like the older terran glows but the new shivan glows are very good compared to the old 'lavapool' thrusters .
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