Hard Light Productions Forums

Off-Topic Discussion => General Discussion => Topic started by: Swamp_Thing on April 04, 2005, 07:33:39 am

Title: A Freespace first person shooter?!?
Post by: Swamp_Thing on April 04, 2005, 07:33:39 am
What would you think of a shooter played in the Freespace universe, with levels like the inside on a Orion destroyer, a base on Vasuda Prime, and a shivan freighter? And where you get to fly a fighter , man turrets, ride tanks and vehicles, and fight vasudans on foot? Imagine, for example, a hypotetical plot where you have to defend an Orion from a vasudan bording party, and after you kill them all, you jump in a fighter and go blast vasudan bombers into oblivion.
Or how about you jumping in the  back seat of an Ursa bomber and control the Ursa´s turret, protecting it from incoming shivan Maras?
What would you think of such a thing? Just wondering...
:drevil:
Title: A Freespace first person shooter?!?
Post by: Kie99 on April 04, 2005, 07:37:41 am
I'd like it, especially if I could play as a Shivan!
Title: A Freespace first person shooter?!?
Post by: Windrunner on April 04, 2005, 07:41:31 am
i think that dudes over at VolitionWatch were working on a FPSmod for freespace until they shut the site down
Title: A Freespace first person shooter?!?
Post by: kode on April 04, 2005, 07:45:42 am
you mean FSFPS? I think it died. a long time ago.
Title: A Freespace first person shooter?!?
Post by: vyper on April 04, 2005, 07:50:04 am
[q]What would you think of such a thing? Just wondering...[/q]
I think you should be learning how to mod the Source engine.
Title: A Freespace first person shooter?!?
Post by: Swamp_Thing on April 04, 2005, 08:00:17 am
Quote
Originally posted by vyper
[q]What would you think of such a thing? Just wondering...[/q]
I think you should be learning how to mod the Source engine.


No, using the Unreal Engine.
Title: A Freespace first person shooter?!?
Post by: Rictor on April 04, 2005, 08:07:26 am
Unless you have a dedicated team of talented coders and artists, then its not likely to get off the ground. And since people are too busy working on SCP.....

(by the way, any mod started now should probably be geared towards the Unreal engine 3 for maximum eyecandy, or Source for usability and ease)
Title: A Freespace first person shooter?!?
Post by: Swamp_Thing on April 04, 2005, 08:24:46 am
Quote
Originally posted by Rictor
Unless you have a dedicated team of talented coders and artists, then its not likely to get off the ground.


Well, maybe. But what´s so great about using the enreal engine is that all the support features are already present in the engine, you don´t need to add to the existing code. Take UT2004, for example. You can fight on foot (with the best performance i´ve seen to date yet), you can fly, and you can enter tanks, turrets, and whatnot. And what´s even better, it comes with a dedicated level editor that works like a charm. I know, because i used to design levels in it. So basically, all you need is to port the ship models into UT, and make the players skins and just adapt to the existing skeletal meshes. The rest is just creative level designing.
And since the editor is so good, you can just import the audio tracks you need from FS. It has great AI path work, for the AI bots, so you don´t need to fiddle with the code either.
 I´d venture that a couple of level designers, one guy to model the weapons and model skins, and another guy to port the models and do the HUD work, could pull this off in a relative shorter time than what it takes to build a good FS mod campaign.
Title: A Freespace first person shooter?!?
Post by: Rictor on April 04, 2005, 08:31:40 am
I dont know...look at the existing mods out there and you'll notice that they almost all have 10+ member teams, working very hard to create a polished product. There's no way around it: if you want quality, you have to invest lots of time and talent.
Title: A Freespace first person shooter?!?
Post by: vyper on April 04, 2005, 08:32:59 am
Heh, hand held Maxim cannons!
Title: A Freespace first person shooter?!?
Post by: Kie99 on April 04, 2005, 08:46:59 am
Some people believe you don't have to do anything. (http://www.game-warden.com/forum/showthread.php?t=629)
Title: A Freespace first person shooter?!?
Post by: IceFire on April 04, 2005, 08:51:19 am
Yeah, Ace and Plasma and co were once working on a Red Faction MOD with FreeSpace as the setting.   Came up with a really neat story too.  But it was alot of work and not enough talent to jump onboard.
Title: A Freespace first person shooter?!?
Post by: Inquisitor on April 04, 2005, 08:56:03 am
Making games is a non-tivial excercise.
Title: A Freespace first person shooter?!?
Post by: Roanoke on April 04, 2005, 11:35:11 am
tivial ?
Title: A Freespace first person shooter?!?
Post by: ZylonBane on April 04, 2005, 11:38:47 am
The fact that FSFPS was based on the anemic Red Faction engine doomed it from the start.

/
Title: A Freespace first person shooter?!?
Post by: Ace on April 04, 2005, 11:48:27 am
Quote
Originally posted by IceFire
Yeah, Ace and Plasma and co were once working on a Red Faction MOD with FreeSpace as the setting.   Came up with a really neat story too.  But it was alot of work and not enough talent to jump onboard.


The source code project was also its death knell. Everyone hopped over to code for that. The various modelers were also busy with their own projects. (BWO, Machina Terra, etc.)

Quite a bit of impressive (for 2000) art was done. Including various Vasudans, Shivan hybrids (GTI experiments), a VTOL transport (the Xanthas), and some weapons.

If such a project was do be done again the old art assets would be useless, but the plot would still work. Some of the Volition peeps who visited the internal forum seemed to like our take on the V-T war.
Title: A Freespace first person shooter?!?
Post by: Rictor on April 04, 2005, 11:56:11 am
Quote
Originally posted by ZylonBane
The fact that FSFPS was based on the anemic Red Faction engine doomed it from the start.

/


yup. I think it was a bit too much V fanboy-ism to use the Red Faction engine other, more userfriendly ones.
Title: A Freespace first person shooter?!?
Post by: Goober5000 on April 04, 2005, 12:47:57 pm
Quote
Originally posted by Ace
Quite a bit of impressive (for 2000) art was done. Including various Vasudans, Shivan hybrids (GTI experiments), a VTOL transport (the Xanthas), and some weapons.
Are these "assets" still around?  Any chance of converting them to POF format?
Title: A Freespace first person shooter?!?
Post by: Black Wolf on April 04, 2005, 01:40:30 pm
Quote
Originally posted by Goober5000
Are these "assets" still around?  Any chance of converting them to POF format?


You're weren't actually serious were you?
Title: A Freespace first person shooter?!?
Post by: aldo_14 on April 04, 2005, 01:55:16 pm
Quote
Originally posted by Black Wolf


You're weren't actually serious were you?


He's probably thinking of the Xanthas VTOL Ace mentioned (TVWP perhaps).
Title: A Freespace first person shooter?!?
Post by: Carl on April 04, 2005, 05:27:43 pm
no, he wants to use bobboau's vasudan model as debris.
Title: A Freespace first person shooter?!?
Post by: Goober5000 on April 04, 2005, 05:32:54 pm
Actually I was thinking of the Vasudans and the Shivan hybrids.  Because it's theoretically possible to turn the SCP into a first-person shooter as it currently stands.
Title: A Freespace first person shooter?!?
Post by: Grey Wolf on April 04, 2005, 05:32:49 pm
Really? I'd think adding gravity and all would take some effort.

EDIT: Time warp. This post goes after Goober's.
Title: A Freespace first person shooter?!?
Post by: Goober5000 on April 04, 2005, 05:46:27 pm
Quote
Originally posted by Grey Wolf
Really? I'd think adding gravity and all would take some effort.
The "as it stands" version would be extremely hackish, but it would work.  Gravity would certainly require considerable effort, and it would benefit the FPS immensely, but it is not strictly required.
Title: A Freespace first person shooter?!?
Post by: Grey Wolf on April 04, 2005, 05:49:09 pm
Well, I suppose you could set it in a derelict ship which has lost internal gravity.
Title: A Freespace first person shooter?!?
Post by: Ghost on April 04, 2005, 06:01:48 pm
If I recall correctly, a dude was making a Doom 3 FS mod. He never did anything with it... Anyway, I sure as hell would play it. **** you, Vasudans!
Title: A Freespace first person shooter?!?
Post by: Goober5000 on April 04, 2005, 06:09:17 pm
Quote
Originally posted by Grey Wolf
Well, I suppose you could set it in a derelict ship which has lost internal gravity.
That's not what I mean.  It would be a strictly 2D FPS.  You'd see it from a FPS perspective, in 3D, but nothing would be able to move vertically or bank.
Title: A Freespace first person shooter?!?
Post by: Dark RevenantX on April 04, 2005, 08:26:36 pm
UNREAL ENGINE 3 - GET IT TODAY! (http://www.unrealtechnology.com/flash/technology/ue30.shtml)
Title: A Freespace first person shooter?!?
Post by: Turnsky on April 04, 2005, 08:25:21 pm
idly curious, how would one model a shivan moving, afaik, only V did that with Hallfight, but that was more leaping than actual walking.
Title: A Freespace first person shooter?!?
Post by: Goober5000 on April 04, 2005, 08:27:09 pm
Quote
Originally posted by Turnsky
idly curious, how would one model a shivan moving, afaik, only V did that with Hallfight, but that was more leaping than actual walking.
Bobboau's submodel animation, of course. :) It'd take a heck of a lot of work to figure out the table entry, though.
Title: A Freespace first person shooter?!?
Post by: Turnsky on April 04, 2005, 08:30:43 pm
Quote
Originally posted by Goober5000
Bobboau's submodel animation, of course. :) It'd take a heck of a lot of work to figure out the table entry, though.


point

it'd be interesting to see if one could get actual FPS'in introduced into the SCP, such as the general movement in first person shooters..

altho, the idea posted before gives me an idea for "on rails" levels, like turret fighting and the like... or a rather neat sequence of a ship going through the launch routine whilst the destroyer is under heavy attack....
Title: A Freespace first person shooter?!?
Post by: Ford Prefect on April 04, 2005, 08:40:50 pm
I, for one, am wating for the Freespace MMORPG.
Title: A Freespace first person shooter?!?
Post by: Grey Wolf on April 04, 2005, 08:38:58 pm
Get to work on that, then.

EDIT: Time warp. This was directed at Ford Prefect.
Title: A Freespace first person shooter?!?
Post by: Ghost on April 04, 2005, 08:47:39 pm
Hey guys... You might want to check out the ~+O cheat. It turns it into regular old Descent physics, which works more like a person walking. That might be a decent basis for walking around.
Title: A Freespace first person shooter?!?
Post by: LOA--Paul on April 04, 2005, 09:10:03 pm
If this get's going, please keep us constantly updated.  I have been wishing for this for such a long time.  I've always wanted to play as a GTVA Marine or such things like that :D
Title: A Freespace first person shooter?!?
Post by: Swamp_Thing on April 04, 2005, 10:05:18 pm
Actually, i´ve been working this idea around for a while. I have some plotline and mission sketching done already. I´m starting experimenting with level design now. Time to dig up my old stuff.
I started cooking the idea when i began making a 3D Galatea´s hallway. I thought "why settle for just a hallway?" Why not make a full FPS mod of it?
Using the :V: engine is pretty much out of the  question, though. It runs well on space fighting, but to make it work FPS would take way too much code fiddling. And level design would be a major pain. I don´t think you can make it using FRED.

:doubt:
Title: A Freespace first person shooter?!?
Post by: WMCoolmon on April 05, 2005, 12:10:12 am
Unless someone with the necessary knowledge is willing to work on it (read: Bobb) you'd be far better off into looking into modding some other FPS...there are plenty to go around. HL2, of course, possibly the T2 engine if it's still being licensed out.
Title: A Freespace first person shooter?!?
Post by: Knight Templar on April 05, 2005, 04:20:44 am
Quote
Originally posted by Goober5000
That's not what I mean.  It would be a strictly 2D FPS.  You'd see it from a FPS perspective, in 3D, but nothing would be able to move vertically or bank.


Why not? The Maras move vertically.
Title: A Freespace first person shooter?!?
Post by: WMCoolmon on April 05, 2005, 05:41:00 am
Moving vertically would involve adding gravity.
Title: A Freespace first person shooter?!?
Post by: Ghost on April 05, 2005, 06:38:52 am
Oh..yeah.. good point, WM. Anyway, is anyone going to definitely start working on this for some engine or other?

EDIT: Oh crapshakes! You guys remember that star wars game that really wasn't too good? Battlegrounds or something? That was an FPS where you could fly as well... Mod that, perhaps?
Title: A Freespace first person shooter?!?
Post by: aldo_14 on April 05, 2005, 06:56:45 am
Quote
Originally posted by WMCoolmon
Unless someone with the necessary knowledge is willing to work on it (read: Bobb) you'd be far better off into looking into modding some other FPS...there are plenty to go around. HL2, of course, possibly the T2 engine if it's still being licensed out.


It is, but there's also that Tanebrae OS thingybob; I think the second version is completely new code (the first was a massively improved Quake engine with IIRC specular, bumb, per-pixel lighting & shading, etc).

http://www.tenebrae2.com/
(http://www.tenebrae2.com/screenshots/tenebrae2_tb-base_06.jpg)
(http://www.tenebrae2.com/screenshots/tenebrae2_tb-base_07.jpg)
The dates on their news posts suggest they might not be working on it, though..
Title: A Freespace first person shooter?!?
Post by: Turnsky on April 05, 2005, 07:15:09 am
dude, that looks like a mix of Source and D3.

and considering the date of posting, that's pretty bloody advanced, too.
Title: A Freespace first person shooter?!?
Post by: Swamp_Thing on April 05, 2005, 07:28:24 am
Those screens look mighty fine to me, but as you pointed out and i checked, that project is all but dead. And screens can´t show you what the performance will be. Taking stills is one thing. Playing the game in it with a steady framerate is another.
And i don´t see anything in the screens that can´t be replicated by the Doom engine, the Unreal engine, the HL2 engine, or any high ranking engine out there.
If i had to choose an engine to play around with, i would choose the one wich gives the best results in spite of the PC used. Not many people have a system that can handle the load Doom 3 dumps on it. My system is medium to high performance, but i still had to play Doom on the lowest of settings. And everytime i got into a firefight it was like watching a slide show.

Anyway, is there anyone around from the FSFPS project? Is there a website, or something?
Title: A Freespace first person shooter?!?
Post by: aldo_14 on April 05, 2005, 07:36:48 am
Quote
Originally posted by Swamp_Thing
Those screens look mighty fine to me, but as you pointed out and i checked, that project is all but dead. And screens can´t show you what the performance will be. Taking stills is one thing. Playing the game in it with a steady framerate is another.
And i don´t see anything in the screens that can´t be replicated by the Doom engine, the Unreal engine, the HL2 engine, or any high ranking engine out there.


Actually, the point was that the above screens are from an open-source, free-to-use-and-modify engine which doesn't require anyone buying anything..... and it was specifically with regards to the Tribes 2 engine (IIRc it's called 'Torque', isn't it?), which is available for a dirt cheap licence (primarily for indy game development, I believe).
Title: A Freespace first person shooter?!?
Post by: Turnsky on April 05, 2005, 07:37:02 am
Quote
Originally posted by Swamp_Thing
Those screens look mighty fine to me, but as you pointed out and i checked, that project is all but dead. And screens can´t show you what the performance will be. Taking stills is one thing. Playing the game in it with a steady framerate is another.
And i don´t see anything in the screens that can´t be replicated by the Doom engine, the Unreal engine, the HL2 engine, or any high ranking engine out there.
If i had to choose an engine to play around with, i would choose the one wich gives the best results in spite of the PC used. Not many people have a system that can handle the load Doom 3 dumps on it. My system is medium to high performance, but i still had to play Doom on the lowest of settings. And everytime i got into a firefight it was like watching a slide show.

Anyway, is there anyone around from the FSFPS project? Is there a website, or something?


not really, the project itself is dead and buried..

as for the engine, i'd personally reccomend either the Source, or one of the latest unreal builds, as we know those engines can support large spaces, or open areas.. 'cuz as you all may well know, the hangar bays on various destoryers are cavernous
Title: A Freespace first person shooter?!?
Post by: Swamp_Thing on April 05, 2005, 07:50:24 am
Quote
Originally posted by Turnsky

as for the engine, i'd personally reccomend either the Source, or one of the latest unreal builds, as we know those engines can support large spaces, or open areas.. 'cuz as you all may well know, the hangar bays on various destoryers are cavernous


Not to mention open space, where the flying missions will take place. ;7

If i had to compare what i´m planning with a released game, i´d say it will be like Mace Griffin: Bounty Hunter, only with much better flying missions. MG:BH had some really nasty space missions...
:ick:
Title: A Freespace first person shooter?!?
Post by: Turnsky on April 05, 2005, 07:52:41 am
Quote
Originally posted by Swamp_Thing


Not to mention open space, where the flying missions will take place. ;7

If i had to compare what i´m planning with a released game, i´d say it will be like Mace Griffin: Bounty Hunter, only with much better flying missions. MG:BH had some really nasty space missions...
:ick:


they were a tacked-on novelty.. but yeah, i get you..

it'd be nice to have a space mission, then dock at your home starship only to have it invaded, or vice versa, picture the very first level of halo, with the chief getting into a longsword and kicking ass instead of getting to a escape pod.. ;)