I'm currently working on the GTF Apollo (as many who use the HLP chat have noticed) and am at the point where I thought of starting a progress topic about it. I'll update the image from time to time when new progress is made. Answer/reactions to questions and comments will be included in a FAQ-like bit on the bottom of this first post.GTF ApolloRecent update: I've changed the cockpit into a canopy style after all and some detail is added to the guns, missile banks and engine pylons which hold the bottom engines.
Progress:3D Model: 95%[||||||||]Textures: 0%[||||||||]Adapt for FS2: 0%[||||||||]Currently to-do: Making the inside of the cockpit before starting to UV-wrap and texture the model.
FAQ (Frequently Asked Questions)Q: Why does your Apollo differ somewhat from the retail Apollo and the upgraded Apollo with cockpit?A: I realized that the original Apollo was stripped of much deserved detail because of the limitations in computer technology back in 1998. Crucial details were left out on the first Apollo in favour of improving game performance and many other details were incorporated into the textures to safe model details. Taking into account that I had an opportunity here to remake the Apollo entirely I decided to make some minor changes to the engines and the fuselage.
The overall design remains much the same, but subtle details really bring the model in line with many of the upgraded FS2 models. Some of the textures may slightly deviate from the original Apollo also, but more in the fashion of having a stripe of paint added to them here and there. It's somewhere in between an upgrade and a reboot of the original Apollo.
Q: Isn't there already an upgraded Apollo out there for many years now?A: There is, but the older upgraded Apollo was made a long time ago and when compared to today's standards is no longer on par with many of the other ships in Freespace. While the older Apollo upgrade has a very nice cockpit and improved bottom engines, the rest of the ship is still rather low on detail. Many elements are drawn onto the ship with textures rather than having been modelled and the majority of the ship is very angled and low-poly. Since the Apollo is my favourite fighter from the FS1 era, I decided to remake it in such a way that it is up to today's standards: both in detail and in design.
Q: Will you make a version which is like the Apollo from the cinematic?A: I'm considering making a 'bomber' variant of the Apollo as seen in the cinematic. This version however has no priority over finishing the Apollo and other projects I'm working on and will not be released straight away after the release of the Apollo I'm making now. When it is, it will be a modification of the Apollo I'm making now, sporting guns where the missiles are placed and adding missiles to the place where the guns currently are placed. Like the cinematic version, there will be a nose mounted gun as well.
Q: When your Apollo is finished, can I use it for my mod?A: You can use this Apollo for your mod and you may even retexture it, as long you include it in a whole mod or campaign you're working on and do NOT release it as a seperate stand-alone project. The reason? I've invested a lot of time in this project and I'd honestly feel bummed if someone poaches my model, slaps their own texture on it and releases it stand-alone as their own creation. When you do include this Apollo in your mod, please be as considerate to give me credit.