Author Topic: If TBP could have new effects, what would you want to see?  (Read 59188 times)

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Offline m!m

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Re: If TBP could have new effects, what would you want to see?
I justed checked the scripting API and I think that the shadow fade-out/in effect can be scripted to play automatically when a shadow ship jumps in or out. Using texture replacement the animated texture would be set and either replaced by the default texture when the animation has been played once or the ship would be removed from the mission when it is warping out. This way even old missions would benefit from the script as no additional mission setup would be required if it works the way I imagine it. :nod:
I'd like to try it but I'm no texture artist so I'd need some animated texture to have a starting point.
So, what do you think?

 

Offline wesp5

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Re: If TBP could have new effects, what would you want to see?
I justed checked the scripting API and I think that the shadow fade-out/in effect can be scripted to play automatically when a shadow ship jumps in or out.

If something like this is possible for the warp effect, may I kindly ask again if something can be done about the normal effect which isn't like in the show too? I mean the 2D effect is much too flat and the 3D effect is too long with the flash in the middle and not at the end of the cone where it belongs. Something right between would be the optimal solution!

 

Offline m!m

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Re: If TBP could have new effects, what would you want to see?
That effect has nothing to do with scripting as the 2D Warp effect is a simple bitmap and the 3D warp effect is (AFAIK) a special model with the right textures. If the effect should be changed then these files have to be changed.

 

Offline mjn.mixael

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Re: If TBP could have new effects, what would you want to see?
 :nervous:

I could probably make an animated texture set given that I had original textures to work with...
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Offline Trivial Psychic

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Re: If TBP could have new effects, what would you want to see?
One thing I had hoped to change back when I was an active member of the group, was to change the warping speeds for all craft to the same figures so that ships such as fighters and destroyers could all warp in and out as a group.  Unfortunately, to achieve the desired visual effect, it would need an SCP upgrade to arrival/departure cues so that we could disable the rendering of the jump point while preserving the speed+decel/accel associated with jumping.  That way, for the destroyer+fighters arrival or departure scenario, the main vortex would only be rendered for the destroyer, while the fighters would continue to cruise alongside the capital ship rather than stopping dead.  It would probably also require some reworking of the existing missions for Raider Wars and virtually all other campaigns so that any ships jumping would arrive at their intended position rather than overshooting.
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Offline FUBAR-BDHR

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Re: If TBP could have new effects, what would you want to see?
So what you want is a flag like the existing no warp effect one but only kills the effect not the rest of the warp.  Sounds doable. 

One thing before all these effects get a bit out of hand.  Remember there is a bitmap limit.  So when possible it's best to keep the effects as small as possible and usable by as many things as possible.  I've been redoing all the lods on the EA ships to free up a bunch of slots but it will be awhile before I get to other races.
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Offline Slasher

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Re: If TBP could have new effects, what would you want to see?
So what you want is a flag like the existing no warp effect one but only kills the effect not the rest of the warp.  Sounds doable. 

One thing before all these effects get a bit out of hand.  Remember there is a bitmap limit.  So when possible it's best to keep the effects as small as possible and usable by as many things as possible.  I've been redoing all the lods on the EA ships to free up a bunch of slots but it will be awhile before I get to other races.

This is good since it will cut down on the amount of unique effects I have to do and speed things up.

For the Midwinters weapons i rewatched severed dreams and managed to get some shots of the midwinters weapons., every weapon pulse in the shots comes from the midwinter(clarkstown), hope these help.

Thanks for the screencaps.  I started working on the Midwinter's main gun; here's the first of what will probably be several versions of the effect:


IMHO, Centauri effect is too red, I think that it should be orange-red (as seen on screencap).

Adjusted the hue settings to make it a little more orange so hopefully it's more in-between now.  Screenshots had their contrast settings edited so they look more like what I see in-game, since otherwise they look very bright and kind of washed out:


Also changed the Omega's phalanx turret effect...again.  If anyone has any "decent" screencaps of the effect from the show, please do share.  All I can get from my screencaps are somewhat blurry yellowish streaks.



:nervous:

I could probably make an animated texture set given that I had original textures to work with...

The Shadow ships actually use an animated texture for their normal hull to simulate the organic armor look.  Hypothetically speaking, would you need all the frames from the effect or just one to do a phase-in/phase-out set?

Still trying to hone in on a summer release for this stuff.  Comments are appreciated. :)


 

Offline den5

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Re: If TBP could have new effects, what would you want to see?
I hope this will help you, but don't expect to much. These impulses are moving too fast for getting decent screencaps. Seems the all Omega turrets have one and the same weapons effect... and thunderbolt  also.

[attachment deleted by ninja]

 

Offline karajorma

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Re: If TBP could have new effects, what would you want to see?
I justed checked the scripting API and I think that the shadow fade-out/in effect can be scripted to play automatically when a shadow ship jumps in or out. Using texture replacement the animated texture would be set and either replaced by the default texture when the animation has been played once or the ship would be removed from the mission when it is warping out. This way even old missions would benefit from the script as no additional mission setup would be required if it works the way I imagine it. :nod:
I'd like to try it but I'm no texture artist so I'd need some animated texture to have a starting point.
So, what do you think?


I'd rather see this fixed in code to be honest. It would have the same effect of working with old missions as only the tables would need changing.

I vaguely remember adding a second TBP warpout type specifically with the Shadows in mind but I never hooked it up to anything so it just did the same as the Shadows in TBP have always done.
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Offline Dragon

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Re: If TBP could have new effects, what would you want to see?
Den5 once made special TBP build which had a "shadow" type warpout and warpin effects, along with a couple of other interesting features.

 

Offline wesp5

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Re: If TBP could have new effects, what would you want to see?
Seems the all Omega turrets have one and the same weapons effect... and thunderbolt  also.

This makes sense from a technical point of view. The EA would build their most powerful weapons into both!

 

Offline Slasher

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Re: If TBP could have new effects, what would you want to see?
I hope this will help you, but don't expect to much. These impulses are moving too fast for getting decent screencaps. Seems the all Omega turrets have one and the same weapons effect... and thunderbolt  also.

Thanks for these screencaps.  These are way higher resolution than what I was using (because I've been too lazy to pull my Season 4 DVDs out of storage).  Latest version of the Omega's guns:






The Omega's rear pulse guns use the same effect, albeit smaller.  By extension, due to the way the ships are tabled, the Midwinter cruiser's non-foward gun/non-laser turrets use the same effect as the Omega's rear guns.


This makes sense from a technical point of view. The EA would build their most powerful weapons into both!

Not counting the Omega-X, of course. :D

 

Offline den5

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Re: If TBP could have new effects, what would you want to see?
Off-topic
Den5 once made special TBP build which had a "shadow" type warpout and warpin effects, along with a couple of other interesting features.
It's was made by Asprin and Mihard from OpenSpace Softworks team. "Shadow" type is based on the "Hyperspace" warpin\ out effect, but it still needs refinement.
Was added flash weapon effect. This used single texture, not the animation as in 3.6.12 Media.

Some features in this old video: http://den5.pochta.ru/hyperspacetest.avi
« Last Edit: July 30, 2011, 12:30:45 pm by den5 »

 

Offline Vidmaster

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Re: If TBP could have new effects, what would you want to see?
I really love all the work in here...
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Offline mjn.mixael

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Re: If TBP could have new effects, what would you want to see?
I was going to try some sort of cloaking effect for the Shadow guys.. but with the cloaking going into the code itself.. it made my way of doing it totally moot... But that's a good thing, especially since it seems you can have ships arrive cloaked!
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Offline -Norbert-

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Re: If TBP could have new effects, what would you want to see?
The people from the "Jouney to Hiigara" made some nice animated texture change (okay I made that term up, but it seems to fit) for the beast infection. Maybe their method might also help for the Shadows phasing in and out of Hyperspace?

http://www.hard-light.net/forums/index.php?topic=73529.msg1490924#msg1490924
http://www.hard-light.net/forums/index.php?topic=73529.msg1499078#msg1499078

 

Offline Slasher

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Re: If TBP could have new effects, what would you want to see?
Well the Drazi capship weapons really needed some attention so they got it.  My low resolution screencaps leave a lot to be desired but they definitely imply a greenish colored pulse weapon and a more orangish laser as opposed to what we had in 3.4.

Screencaps from "Movements of Light and Shadow":



Old effect:


New effect:





If anyone knows of any episodes where the Brakiri fire a non beam weapon, please point it out to me. 

 

Offline Trivial Psychic

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Re: If TBP could have new effects, what would you want to see?
I don't recall the Brakiri ships doing much firing at all.
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Offline Commander Zane

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Re: If TBP could have new effects, what would you want to see?
I'd take this with a fistful of salt, but from what I remember, Aviokis were never seen in show firing at all, and in one game mod that had them used in combat, the ships fired blue particle beams and pulse cannons.
On a trailer for TBP's Earth-Brakiri War however, their weapons were red instead.
« Last Edit: August 06, 2011, 08:34:05 am by Commander Zane »

 

Offline Vidmaster

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Re: If TBP could have new effects, what would you want to see?
Well the Drazi capship weapons really needed some attention so they got it.

I remember me discussing with IPAndrews and I think Orph about this. That was before I fredded my first campaign :-)
I was banned for a week...                  FINALLY SOME REAL DRAZI WEAPONS!

Still, I'd prefer yellow shots for the pluses guns as well.
These shots are clearly yellow (with a tint of white) for me when I watch that episode :-)

On a trailer for TBP's Earth-Brakiri War however, their weapons were red instead.

They are in game (and use the EA weapons). If you change their beams, I'd really like you to make them yellow as well.
"Green" is strong, Minbari/Vorlon style. Blue beams are not really present in the show. Yellow seems a good choice, for it is used by the weaker Drazi a lot and the League shares weapons.
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