Hard Light Productions Forums

Modding, Mission Design, and Coding => The Modding Workshop => Topic started by: Boomer on July 05, 2005, 06:35:29 pm

Title: Catchin' Flak... in Style!
Post by: Boomer on July 05, 2005, 06:35:29 pm
I've finally finished my flak project and it's ready for release!  I wanted different flak cannons for each race and here is what my work has paid off with.

(http://i7.photobucket.com/albums/y270/Salawat/screen0020.bmp)
(http://i7.photobucket.com/albums/y270/Salawat/screen0016.bmp)
(http://i7.photobucket.com/albums/y270/Salawat/screen0005.bmp)

Big thanks to DaBrain and the makers of the Casualties of War flak effects.  They were the inspiration, and as it turns out the base.  The blue are terran, the green vasudan, and the purplish red is shivan.

  I have all the files converted to ani (doesn't anybody use AniBuilder any more?) and all the tables done.  I just need some webspace and a helping hand to get them online so the community can share the wealth.

Can anyone help?
I suck at making webpages...
Title: Catchin' Flak... in Style!
Post by: Taristin on July 05, 2005, 06:50:48 pm
IMO; flak should only be orange... It just looks... christmassy to me...
Title: Catchin' Flak... in Style!
Post by: Boomer on July 05, 2005, 06:58:08 pm
Why should flak only be orange?:confused:

Flak explosions could go off in any color as long as the explosive fuel was of the right composition.  I think that it would be stupid that a race over 8000 years old would make a flak round the same exact way that the GTVA does.  But hey, that's my opinion.

[smartass]Oh, and while I'm at it. christmassy?  The flak is Green, Blue and Purplish, how does that equal christmas?[/smartass]
Title: Catchin' Flak... in Style!
Post by: Spicious on July 05, 2005, 06:58:20 pm
You could submit (http://hades-combine.com/web/index.php?ind=downloads&op=submit_file) them at Hades Combine (http://hades-combine.com/web/index.php).
Title: Catchin' Flak... in Style!
Post by: Nuke on July 05, 2005, 07:03:25 pm
i think i have a blue flak that crushes shiels, but i thought it was dumb and removed it from nukemod
Title: Catchin' Flak... in Style!
Post by: Boomer on July 05, 2005, 07:13:31 pm
Here's the Rationale I used for the Flak:

Terran: Well balanced in regard to damage.  Medium firing rate, shortest range.

Vasudan: Better hull damage, slightly worse shield, lowest base damage, fastest firing, and medium range.

Shivan: heavy Shield damage, low hull damage, best range, slowest firing rate(half a second), best base damage, and leech effect on power systems(or some special gimmick like that...)
Title: Catchin' Flak... in Style!
Post by: Taristin on July 05, 2005, 07:20:14 pm
Quote
Originally posted by Boomer
Why should flak only be orange?:confused:

Flak explosions could go off in any color as long as the explosive fuel was of the right composition.  I think that it would be stupid that a race over 8000 years old would make a flak round the same exact way that the GTVA does.  But hey, that's my opinion.

[smartass]Oh, and while I'm at it. christmassy?  The flak is Green, Blue and Purplish, how does that equal christmas?[/smartass]



For Terrans and Vasudans, it should be similar. Shared technology, for one thing, and I don't see why they'd waste effort to make their flak stand out. It's pointless.


I mean, I needn't complain, because you can't force me to use it, but it just always struck me as..... weird.
Title: Catchin' Flak... in Style!
Post by: Boomer on July 05, 2005, 07:36:05 pm
Quote
For Terrans and Vasudans, it should be similar. Shared technology, for one thing, and I don't see why they'd waste effort to make their flak stand out. It's pointless.


*cough*Subach and Mekhu HL-7*cough*:D

I'm not going to force anyone to use it, I just thought it would be neat.

If you want to download it, check at Hades Combine.  They should post it... eventually...
Title: Catchin' Flak... in Style!
Post by: Grimloq on July 05, 2005, 08:03:46 pm
...You know what would be really cool? The Terran and Vasudan flak, yes, should be somewhat similar - to be honest, I think the FS2 retail stuff was best, if low-res - but the Shivans... They should be more reddish, and how about like... a crackler-like effect? Like, not just one big explosion, but a whole BUNCH of little ones? That'd look kind of neat... I'd do it myself... Really... But my skill = 0, and my software for that = 0, too.
Title: Catchin' Flak... in Style!
Post by: Taristin on July 05, 2005, 08:17:41 pm
See, I think Red is overdone on Shivans. FS1 had green glows on the shivans, and they looked just as, if not more evil, than the clichéd red. :nod:
Title: Catchin' Flak... in Style!
Post by: Boomer on July 05, 2005, 08:34:59 pm
To be honest, with the shivans, I just wanted a plasma-ish explosion, what color do you think it should be?  Let me know and I'll see if I can't make some adjustments.
Title: Catchin' Flak... in Style!
Post by: Grimloq on July 05, 2005, 08:37:10 pm
Yeah, but green flak... Looks kind of... I dunno.

And yes, the green was good. :nod:
Title: Catchin' Flak... in Style!
Post by: mikhael on July 05, 2005, 08:40:05 pm
I've never really understood flak in space, so I really don't understand quibbling about the color of the flak. ;)
Title: Catchin' Flak... in Style!
Post by: Fenrir on July 05, 2005, 08:49:29 pm
Quote
Originally posted by Raa
For Terrans and Vasudans, it should be similar. Shared technology, for one thing, and I don't see why they'd waste effort to make their flak stand out. It's pointless.


Then why are vasudan beams gold and terran green? Not only thier beams, but the blobturrets, too.
Title: Catchin' Flak... in Style!
Post by: Taristin on July 05, 2005, 08:54:14 pm
Touché. But I still don't like it. :p
Title: Catchin' Flak... in Style!
Post by: Boomer on July 05, 2005, 09:07:11 pm
Quote
I've never really understood flak in space, so I really don't understand quibbling about the color of the flak.


Flak in space is actually a pretty good idea.  Throw a metal fragment in space and it never slows down, that is, if it doesn't get sucked into a gravity well...
Title: Catchin' Flak... in Style!
Post by: mikhael on July 05, 2005, 09:09:53 pm
You still have to detonate near the target. Otherwise the vastness of space kicks in and you end up with "flak" spread over half the star system. Like you said, it never slows down. So use a real weapon, not a low yield indirect damage device.

This is what missiles and highspeed turrets are for.
Title: Catchin' Flak... in Style!
Post by: Boomer on July 05, 2005, 09:13:48 pm
Ahh, yes, however, try to hit a fly with a sniper rifle and you'll find a very frustrated hunter and a lot of wasted ammunition.  So combine the sniper rifle and the shotgun and you get flak.
Title: Catchin' Flak... in Style!
Post by: FireCrack on July 05, 2005, 09:24:13 pm
Why are you combining them?
Title: Catchin' Flak... in Style!
Post by: Boomer on July 05, 2005, 09:32:59 pm
Shoot at target, target evades, proximity fuse, boom, shell not wasted.
Title: Catchin' Flak... in Style!
Post by: WeatherOp on July 05, 2005, 10:20:17 pm
WW II, Hundreds of rounds of flak were fired up at bombers, chance of bomber being destroyed.

Now, Radar locks on, SAM goes up, target destroyed.
Title: Catchin' Flak... in Style!
Post by: Boomer on July 05, 2005, 10:23:38 pm
[whitty retort]as long as there aren't any countermeasures used[\whitty retort]
Title: Catchin' Flak... in Style!
Post by: Zarax on July 06, 2005, 04:02:41 am
BTW, Vasudan flak should do more shield damage and less to the hull, after all they focus more on the energy systems than the terrans...
Title: Catchin' Flak... in Style!
Post by: Sheepy on July 06, 2005, 06:34:44 am
My main gripe is aside from the colour, they all look the same, there needs to be some variation to the animation other than a bit of colour tweeking.
Title: Catchin' Flak... in Style!
Post by: Boomer on July 06, 2005, 10:20:54 am
:wtf:

Huh?

The Terran and Vasudan flak are based on the same animation, sure, but like Raa said, with shared technology, that's acceptable.  The Shivan flak though is based on a completely different animation.
Title: Catchin' Flak... in Style!
Post by: Mongoose on July 06, 2005, 12:02:04 pm
No offense, but I think the standard flak looks much better.  The colors make it look way too cartooney.
Title: Catchin' Flak... in Style!
Post by: DaBrain on July 06, 2005, 01:33:14 pm
I'm working on a few things for TBP an SoL ATM.

I'll create a completely new flak effect a soon as I get the time.

If you want vasudan and shivan flak effects, wait for the next Inferno Release. I've created some effects for Inferno. :)
(One of them was for Zarax in the first place though. ^^)
Title: Catchin' Flak... in Style!
Post by: Boomer on July 06, 2005, 04:00:22 pm
:wtf:
(I'm getting used to this smiley)

Looks fine to me.  Hell, I just thought that a little color would add to the whole "Sci-fi" feel and provide a distinction to the uniqueness of each species.

Although, I see what you mean about the Shivan flak though....
Title: Catchin' Flak... in Style!
Post by: TrashMan on July 06, 2005, 05:04:55 pm
I really don't think flak should differ in colour much, but rather in the explosion type/shape..

We allready have so many coloured lasers, beams and stuff... a normal FS2 game starts to look like a circus..That's why I'm focunign my weapons on just a few colors..
Title: Catchin' Flak... in Style!
Post by: Zarax on July 06, 2005, 06:02:01 pm
Quote
Originally posted by DaBrain

(One of them was for Zarax in the first place though. ^^)


I've got no exclusive at all so feel free to share if you think Inferno won't have the effects as private
Title: Catchin' Flak... in Style!
Post by: FireCrack on July 06, 2005, 06:06:47 pm
hmm, i'd agree with trashman.

For me the terran and vasudan flak always looked right, but the shivans looked wrong. Having some primative explosive shells amongst high tech beams and crazy glowy armour was quite deexperiencing. I belive having the shivan flak less of a fireball and more of a flash, with mabye sparks and such, would look nice.
Title: Catchin' Flak... in Style!
Post by: Zarax on July 06, 2005, 06:28:10 pm
I tend to agree with this.
If I'll ever manage to FRED my campaign (might start after Inf R2, now I've got university and MTW modding) it will show my ideas on technological evolution.

Basically:

Terrans

- Stronger Hulls

- Better missiles

- Mass driver weapons (strong damage on hull, weak on shields)

- Tendency to create different kinds of weapons

Vasudans

- Stronger shields

- Faster and nimbler ships

- better energy weapons

- focus on (fighter) beams (mediu, damage on shields, mild to hulls)

- Tendecy to try following the Shivan tech

Shivans

- Uber shielding, crappy hulls

- Superior power systems

- Advanced energy weapons