Hard Light Productions Forums
Off-Topic Discussion => General Discussion => Topic started by: Kazan on October 23, 2002, 06:22:21 pm
-
Ok, I need a starmap designed for OpenPrivateer - it's a Wing Commander Style "Akwende" Projection - ie a 2d vier of a galactic region showing explored systems and their interconnecting jump points
the Map needs to be 4 sectors by 4 sectors [16 sectors] each Sector has 4 named quadrants in it
Each quadrant can have up to 32 star systems in it
What I want 3200x2400 [or around there - huge] graphic of the star map - the star map I judge as the winning one will be converted into the game's map - and the designer will be put in the credits
As a matter of Preference call our home starsystem "Sol" have it in the "Sol Quadrant" of "Sol Sector"
I also reserve the right to add/remove star systems
-
oh.. im authorizing the creation of one alien species in control of anywhere from 1 to 3 entire sectors, and perhaps "Spilling" a bit into the bordering quadrants of the adjacent sectors
you get to name the species and chose how they name their systems
-
I've seen the site before, but I dunno about the rest of the people here - how about a link? :)
-
um this is for my game - ie the one im writing
i need a starmap...
-
Kazan, I take it you have/own/saw a copy of the Wing Commander: Prophecy map containing those 16 sectors and 4 quadrants in it? That's a damn nice map, IMO, and it might be just what you need...
...the only problem is this map is in Wash. DC and I'm here in New York. And even if I was home, I have no way to upload the map to show it here!:(
-
yes i have a copy of that map - but Open Privateer isn't OFFICIALLY a wing commander game - although im going making it very easy to mod *hint hint nudge nudge*
-
Uh... any specific names?
WC use jump-node type connections, or can you get just about anywhere from anywhere, with only distance constraints? Anything about factions? Tactical data you want in there?
-
yes jump node type connections - let's try not to make them unreasonable by - farthest being between cross-quadrant
no specific naming - as for factions look up at my opening posts
-
Originally posted by Kazan
um this is for my game - ie the one im writing
i need a starmap...
Yeah, I know that - but IIRC this is the same project you showed me a couple of screenies of over ICQ a few weeks ago, no? Didn't you put those up online somewhere?
-
they're just screens of the mod selection screen
-
i remember someone (blacksheep maybe) did a starmap for the babylon project and it looked SWEET
maybe ask them, though i forget where to find it
-
i am putting an entry of my own into the contest and here is my progress thus far
(http://www.public.iastate.edu/~kazan/StarMapProgress.jpg)
-
Here's an idea.
Create a quadrant. Call it Delta. Now, place some weird aliens that go around telling entire races to "lower their shields" and that "their technological and cultural distinctiveness will service them" and finally ending with the words "resistance is futile".
What do we have? A big star map full of conflicts.:D
-
*cough***** you neo*cough*
this is a serious contest
-
Originally posted by Kazan
*cough***** you neo*cough*
Blunt and to the point.... I like it1 :D
Anyway, I'm sure I've got a few old WC graphics and spacey stuff lying around. I'll see what I can piece together.
-
how many times do i have to say this game isn't officially WC.. it's NOT WING COMMANDER
although inspired by... and i hope to see a WC mod
-
that picture you posted a few posts ago Kazan... what did you use to make the background nebula/stars?
-
*guesses Glitterato*
-
Glitterato. Only it has thgat smudging thing if you turn the texture up too high.
-
i was thinking that too, but how do you get small nebulas all over the place like that without having to copy and paste them
-
Bringing the scale way down and using a large image? If you Glitterato a 2000x4000, I'll bet it does the same scale as a 800x600...
-
no i mean when i use Glitterato the nebulas i can't change the shape of! they're always like a random 'shape'... is there something i'm missing in the plugin?
everytime i start the Glitterato plugin the 'shape' of the nebula's different, and all i can change pretty much is colors/stars/etc.
EDIT: I can change the nebula's size (i think... i'm not on my computer right now, so i can't check) but when i make it small it's just ONE nebula (that's small)... how do i make a lot of small nebulas, like Kazan did in his picture? (above)
-
That's the nebula scale- bring the amount up and the scale down- I never get just one. And you can't shape them- they're random fractals.
-
i wanted the fribrosity up :P
-
Well, it most certainly is. In fact, just looking at it makes me have to go...
-
look at the scale indicator.. it's 1:3.. im normally viewing it at 2:1
and when i split it into each sectors im going to expand them
-
Hmm... I don't think I need bother compete with that...
Unless you're interested in a 360* wraparound image, in which case I can do something special, got software for that...
-
Originally posted by Stryke 9
Well, it most certainly is. In fact, just looking at it makes me have to go...
i know, true dat!
-
Kazan, I just have two suggestions for you to keep in mind as you make your map.
1) Make sure that some jump node lines/paths intersect like they do in the original FS2 map. That way, the map looks more "authentic." Ascraeus' map of Shivan space looked odd because none of his jump node paths in Shivan space ever intersected (not even once!), while the GTVA space jump paths did intersect with each other regularly.
2) Avoid right angles whenever possible. This is so the jump lines will look "natural." Right angles don't occur often in nature, and we all know that jump nodes are natural phenomena. Too many right angles on your map will make it look artificial.
Aside from that, I think your map is looking good. :nod: :yes:
-
this isn't freespace 2-esk
-
Originally posted by Kazan
this isn't freespace 2-esq
True, but they're still good things to keep in mind. The WC Prophecy map used those same principles (and yes, I know your map isn't WC-based either! :p :cool: :D )
-
looks rather organic to me thus far
-
Kaz, in FS2 there were a number of command briefings that used a 3D version of the nodemap. Would you be interested in this possibility for this map, too? If so, it'd be best to design it from the beginning in 3D.
-
2d only - we don't have "briefings" this isn't military
-
ok...
-
After a little chat with Sandwich i think im going to use my map as the official map.. but any other maps submitted will be kept on file and possibly used as maps in Map Mods
here's the progress i've got with mine
(http://www.public.iastate.edu/~kazan/Progress2.jpg)
Look! Sol sector is finished!
(http://www.public.iastate.edu/~kazan/SolSector.png)
-
Who didn't see that coming...:rolleyes:
J/k
Kazan's gonna bash my head in...
EDIT: How are you gonna name all those systems?
-
with much difficulty.. it was a stretch to name the systems in Sol Sector..... i'm going to need a lot of help naming systems.... although i do have plans to have atleast one quadrant be totally mythology .. i should have put all those philsophers in the Aristotle Sector
i just counted and there are 85 systems in the Sol Sector
-
www.pantheon.org :nod:;7
-
If it fits in storyline-wise, might I suggest a few cross-sector wormholes, ala DS9. I think they would add a lot of pizzaz and strategic/tactical twists to the game.
-
For naming, you might follow the route that real astronomers do, and just assign ID numbers. It is reasonable to expect that that is what would happen when there were that many systems to be named.
Give names to systems that support large settlements, and leave the rest as numbered.
-
the systems on the frontier have serial numbers only... some of the really old systems [ones we named from earth] hold their ancient names
-
(http://www.public.iastate.edu/~kazan/AristotleSector.png)