Hard Light Productions Forums

Modding, Mission Design, and Coding => The Modding Workshop => Topic started by: Raptor on July 11, 2005, 01:42:42 pm

Title: Food for thought...
Post by: Raptor on July 11, 2005, 01:42:42 pm
After a long break from modelling/modding FS, I've started to get back into the groove of things.

As for this thread, well I need to explain the background...

As part of my modded versions of FS1/2, I am planing on replacing all the stock weapons, including those on stock ships.  I'm also planing on re-turreting most of the ships (replace old ones with newer, higher poly versions).

Fenris/Lev done, but for FS1, need Orion...

I was looking at the various Orions I have in .cob format (I have 4!), inlcuding Bobboaus HTL version.

One thought kept going though my mind: "Bob had the right idea, but he went too far."

Of course, Bob would be well within his rights to say "If you don't like my version, make your own."

So I started one.


(http://img326.imageshack.us/img326/8845/orion010kg.jpg)
(http://img325.imageshack.us/img325/2629/orion028vn.jpg)
(http://img303.imageshack.us/img303/3320/orion036lx.jpg)
(http://img347.imageshack.us/img347/7324/orion040mm.jpg)

Two things:
1) I'm aiming for something between the Stock model (with its simple form and clean lines) and Bob's version (which has detail by the bucket load, but somehow does't have that 'something' that the Stock model have).

2) One thing that has been a real pain during turreting for me about this ship is the Asymertry, making it very difficult to have equal firepower on both flanks (and it would also make steering it... Fun:ick: ).  So here I'm trying to get equal mass each side of the engine centre line, with out losing the 'Orion-ness'.

Should I continue, or abandon the project?  I'll check back in a week, so post away!
Title: Food for thought...
Post by: Martinus on July 11, 2005, 02:29:49 pm
[color=66ff00]I'm liking it thus far, seems to me that you're taking it in a good direction. The only thing I'd be thinking about is that redistributing the weapons might have a range of consequences notably on the original campaign(s).
[/color]
Title: Food for thought...
Post by: Roanoke on July 11, 2005, 02:35:41 pm
I'd rather you carried on with the original stuff you're doing.
Title: Food for thought...
Post by: knn on July 11, 2005, 02:46:20 pm
Nice, but the changes you are making are IMHO to "radical" to make it an HTL Orion. That`s why you should make it an Orion Mk2 or something like an Orion refit.
Title: Food for thought...
Post by: WMCoolmon on July 11, 2005, 03:17:38 pm
We have enough Mk. IIs running around. It can just be an Orion variant with a couple of extra radar dishes.

Maybe it's an older or newer model than the ones we saw in Freespace/2.
Title: Food for thought...
Post by: knn on July 11, 2005, 03:22:31 pm
Quote
Originally posted by WMCoolmon
We have enough Mk. IIs running around. It can just be an Orion variant with a couple of extra radar dishes.

Maybe it's an older or newer model than the ones we saw in Freespace/2.


Why is it that the sentence "Maybe it's an older or newer model than the ones we saw in Freespace/2." appears only when I try to post a reply, not in the default view?

EDIT: The sentence just appeared!

Anyway, I don`t really care what it`s called, but now that I think of it, Orion Mk2 doesn`t sound that good.
Title: Food for thought...
Post by: WMCoolmon on July 11, 2005, 03:27:35 pm
Quote
Originally posted by knn


Why is it that the sentence "Maybe it's an older or newer model than the ones we saw in Freespace/2." appears only when I try to post a reply, not in the default view?


The miracle of the 'edit' button. ;)
Title: Food for thought...
Post by: knn on July 11, 2005, 03:36:33 pm
Quote
Originally posted by WMCoolmon


The miracle of the 'edit' button. ;)


Yes, but I went back to the thread and it wasn`t there... oh yeah, that was the older version stored on my HDD... Never mind
Title: Food for thought...
Post by: WeatherOp on July 11, 2005, 04:43:37 pm
Hey Raptor, that sounds alot what I had an idea of doing, making very Hi-poly ships and adding High poly turrets and such. I say go on with the project, I'll use it.:D :yes:
Title: Food for thought...
Post by: TrashMan on July 11, 2005, 04:53:18 pm
Teh problem with Bob's version is hte overuse of the blue pannels by texturing.. you can notice how the stock model uses the darker taxture far more often then his ..
Title: Food for thought...
Post by: mikhael on July 11, 2005, 05:01:49 pm
Continue this and just declare it a high poly Orion. Anyone who doesn't like it can be damned.
Title: Food for thought...
Post by: pyro-manic on July 11, 2005, 05:03:28 pm
Hmmm. I'd say if you're going to change the Orion that much, then call it something else. A revised design built post-Great War (and thus not in the Sol shipyards) - the Vega-Pattern Orion or something. Changing the weapon and subsystem locations will affect existing campaigns and missions, so you couldn't replace the standard design with it.

Having said that, I like what you've done so far, and it'd be great to have a finished version to use (I know I would have a use for a modified design such as this). :)
Title: Food for thought...
Post by: Kie99 on July 11, 2005, 06:08:00 pm
I'm pretty sure your project is the same as the Freespace Upgrade Project.  Perhaps you should consider joining them.
Title: Food for thought...
Post by: Boomer on July 11, 2005, 06:34:59 pm
Please!  We need new blood!  We're trying to get the project back on track and Zarax and I are having a little trouble... motivating, the crew.  So, please, we could definitely use some more people.
Title: Food for thought...
Post by: Cobra on July 11, 2005, 08:53:18 pm
OK, the one on the extreme left is fugly.

second, here's a refitted version of the orion made by a geek with an equally geeky site, but it kicks ass.

http://hades-combine.com/web/index.php?ind=downloads&op=entry_view&iden=160#
Title: Food for thought...
Post by: Taristin on July 11, 2005, 09:19:52 pm
Quote
Originally posted by kietotheworld
I'm pretty sure your project is the same as the Freespace Upgrade Project.  Perhaps you should consider joining them.




Despite the title, FSUP has nothing to do with upgrading the models.
Title: Food for thought...
Post by: FireCrack on July 11, 2005, 10:00:41 pm
What is FSUP? What is known about it is vauge.
Title: Food for thought...
Post by: Bobboau on July 11, 2005, 11:38:53 pm
I think mine looks better, though looking at the two, I did over use that light blue texture, especaly on the front.
Title: Food for thought...
Post by: KARMA on July 12, 2005, 04:05:54 am
go on if you want, it surely isn't bad but imho we should concentrate more in doing new htl ships rather than remaking already done htl versions, if those look good enough
Title: Food for thought...
Post by: Boomer on July 12, 2005, 01:37:11 pm
The FSU is attempting to A: Show off the features of the SCP, and B: Attempting to make a campaign agreed upon by the community as an extension of Freespace 2.  Ahh, maybe making a Freespace 2.5 is a better way to say it.
Title: Food for thought...
Post by: Raptor on July 13, 2005, 02:18:18 pm
Okay, I lied.  I'm back early;)

The only major change is really on the lower port side.  I've tried to keep the starboard side the same as stock (in fact at first I was simply tracing the stocks armour plating onto the new one).  Also I forgot to mention this is an early WIP.

Subsystems would remain where they are (unless they had to move), and I would most likely create several versions with different turret layouts.  1 Stock, 1 refit, 1 my own beliefs....etc

I like the idea of this being a product of Vega/Chapella shipyards, rather than Sol's...

Cobra, was that link to Hammano's super Orion? (link didn't work for me, but thats okay, since I already have it:D)

And Roanoke, I am carrying on with my own stuff.  See my other new thread (wait, you already have:D).  As for the GTD Hera.... You try texturing 2 2560x2560 maps, on a cpu that hangs for a couple of seconds every time you resize/crop/paste/flood fill in PSP7!  It an't fun!:shaking:
Title: Food for thought...
Post by: Ghost on July 13, 2005, 02:54:58 pm
I didn't really see any difference. Bob's looks great ingame, too; I much prefer it to any other version I've seen.
Title: Food for thought...
Post by: Black Wolf on July 13, 2005, 03:27:35 pm
Quote
Originally posted by Raptor
As for the GTD Hera.... You try texturing 2 2560x2560 maps, on a cpu that hangs for a couple of seconds every time you resize/crop/paste/flood fill in PSP7!  It an't fun!:shaking:
 


Why don;t you crop out the bottom quarter and edit it as a 1024x1024?
Title: Food for thought...
Post by: Raptor on July 16, 2005, 09:01:08 am
Quote
Originally posted by Black Wolf


Why don;t you crop out the bottom quarter and edit it as a 1024x1024?


You mean work on it a bit at a time?

May do that, but it won't help my bizarre problems.  No matter how big or small the bit I'm pasting/filling, It always stutters for a couple of seconds.

Besides, after croping I'd have to paste the edited section back into the orginal...
Title: Food for thought...
Post by: Nico on July 16, 2005, 09:15:41 am
Quote
Originally posted by Bobboau
I think mine looks better, though looking at the two, I did over use that light blue texture, especaly on the front.


You overdid the lights, imho.
Title: Food for thought...
Post by: TopAce on July 16, 2005, 09:50:07 am
Don't touch the Orion.
Title: Food for thought...
Post by: Nico on July 16, 2005, 10:25:17 am
Quote
Originally posted by mikhael
Continue this and just declare it a high poly Orion. Anyone who doesn't like it can be damned.


I second that (see sig :p).
Title: Food for thought...
Post by: Black Wolf on July 17, 2005, 12:29:58 am
Quote
Originally posted by Raptor


You mean work on it a bit at a time?

May do that, but it won't help my bizarre problems.  No matter how big or small the bit I'm pasting/filling, It always stutters for a couple of seconds.

Besides, after croping I'd have to paste the edited section back into the orginal...


That's because you're working on such a big image. Using just, say, the bottom quarter should elimiate or minimize the problem. Plus pasting it back in isn't so hard if you use the corner as a reference.
Title: Food for thought...
Post by: Raptor on July 23, 2005, 08:45:54 am
Quote
Originally posted by Black Wolf


That's because you're working on such a big image. Using just, say, the bottom quarter should elimiate or minimize the problem. Plus pasting it back in isn't so hard if you use the corner as a reference.


No, it won't.

It dosn't matter how big or small the image is.  It's been doing these bugs on 1288x128 images too.  Heck, even if I cut'n'paste one pixel, the systems hangs for a couple of seconds.

I'm guessing some kind of hard/software glitch.

Fortunatly, the bulk of the tools aren't affected.  So while these bugs are annoying, I can still work on textures (not that I'm much good at them anyway).