Hard Light Productions Forums
Modding, Mission Design, and Coding => The Modding Workshop => Topic started by: Black Wolf on September 02, 2005, 03:55:42 pm
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Me and Vasudan Admiral are knocking together a HTL TC-TRI to go with his HTL Triton, and we've hit upon a difference of opinion regarding the shape. So, at an impasse as far as debating between ourselves, we've decided to get some second opinions.
On the left of the attatched image is the TC-TRI from Sparky. On the right is a quickly cut and pasted together rendition of what my current HTL one would look like were the two poly counts similarly low (I've not used an actual screenie of the new container as the extra polies make it look better, and this is a question of design, rather than purely of aesthetics). The question is whether the left or right one should be used as the basic design for the HTL ship (I'm going right (regular), VA's going left (irregular).
Anyway, on the one hand you have the basic, fundamental tenant of HTL that requires one to stick at least relatively closely to canon. also, the left hand design is, in VA's view, more interesting and breaks up the squareness of it (I think - he can come along and clarify if I'm getting it wrong). For my part, I reckon that the more uniform design is better because it gets rid of the apparently random changes in length of the extruded prongs and, while technically breaking canon, the model remains recognizably a TC-TRI. Also, if the left hand design is used, the cargo braces (X shaped texs - check them in MV if you don't remember) are applied to non square polies which, if my memory from physics is any good, wouldn't work that well.
So, opinions?
(Oh, and to forestall the inevitable question of "Why are you HTLing a cargo container anyway?", go check the old pof in Modelview. It has 75 polies spread over an object the size of a fenris. It'd stick out like the proverbials if we docked it to the nice, new HTL Triton).
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OK genius, now attatch the image.
I'm an idjit.
[EDIT]Um.. hee hee... could some admin/mod/japanese fighting rabbit add a poll? Left or Right is all that's needed. I'd've done it myself, but, well, see above. Plus it's 5 AM and I only got back from work 2 hours ago.
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Right.
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That's a tough call. I'm going with right, because the general principle behind the TC-TRI is a large cargo box (the light grey) with 6 smaller boxes fastened to the sides. Actually, I'd fix that too so that the entire big box really is a box instead of having that weird spreading right before the smaller pods as the one on the right has. (I'd take this time to plug the fact that there is no real reason that the Triton should only have one container) But the left one makes the front boxes look more like part of the big box. I wouldn't be opposed to making the front non-flat, but the front sides of the two forward-most smaller boxes should still be flat forwards.
EDIT: I do think that, whatever you decide to do with the front, fixing the inconsistancies between the sizes of the external boxes is a must IMHO. Also, make sure you fix the debris and lower LODs; while LOD0 is bad, the TC-TRI's lower LODs and debris are an absolute abomonation.
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I've been meaning to ask, what does 'HTL' stand for, anyway?
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Hardware Transform clipping and Lighting
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I'm saying left. Stick to canon.
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I say combine them. Make the sizes of the six boxes identical but keep the beveled front edge.
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I would slightly lean towards the right one, but it's a hard choice. I agree with StratComm that the important thing is to make all six crates the same size. The bevel can be added on in the front to keep it close to the original but it should be textured so that it's part of the central piece and not of the front crates as it is right now.
On a side note, what really needs an overhaul is the SAC 3. Those stretched textures look ridiculous.
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Right one.
Originally posted by DarthWang
I've been meaning to ask, what does 'HTL' stand for, anyway?
Hips, Thighs, and Legs.
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I'm going with the right on this one. The original looks like it was the intern's job to model that day.
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Originally posted by Trivial Psychic
I'm saying left. Stick to canon.
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Originally posted by CP5670
On a side note, what really needs an overhaul is the SAC 3. Those stretched textures look ridiculous.
Agreed, but that'll have to wait for a better modeller than I.
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Originally posted by Goober5000
I say combine them. Make the sizes of the six boxes identical but keep the beveled front edge.
:yes:
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Originally posted by Goober5000
I say combine them. Make the sizes of the six boxes identical but keep the beveled front edge.
So like this?
(http://i5.photobucket.com/albums/y184/VA--Twisted_Infinities/Misc/TC_Tri-3rdOption.jpg)
Got my vote. ;)
Oh, and it should be noted it's BW who's doing all the work on it at the moment, not me. :)
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Actually, I was thinking something more like this:
(http://www.duke.edu/~cek6/TC_Tri-4thOption.jpg)
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Originally posted by Vasudan Admiral
(http://i5.photobucket.com/albums/y184/VA--Twisted_Infinities/Misc/TC_Tri-3rdOption.jpg)
:yes:
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Originally posted by Vasudan Admiral
So like this?
(http://i5.photobucket.com/albums/y184/VA--Twisted_Infinities/Misc/TC_Tri-3rdOption.jpg)
Got my vote. ;)
Oh, and it should be noted it's BW who's doing all the work on it at the moment, not me. :)
Please insert the Index to the Core, Reclaimer, or something like that anyways.
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Originally posted by Vasudan Admiral
(http://i5.photobucket.com/albums/y184/VA--Twisted_Infinities/Misc/TC_Tri-3rdOption.jpg)
:yes:
(Only what's the deal with those really small bumps on either side of the "fuselage" above the two highest boxes? Those should be removed IMHO.)
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(those really small bumps are one of the reasons we make fun of the model. The thing is 75 polys and isn't even square)
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Originally posted by StratComm
Actually, I was thinking something more like this:
(http://www.duke.edu/~cek6/TC_Tri-4thOption.jpg)
:yes: :yes:
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pardon my ignorance but what exactly is this?
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the big cargo container for the triton, yes, we are argueing over a cargo container.
honestly, why not make three or four of them, you don't see such uniformity in todays cargo containers.
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Ah that. I'd completely redesign it. The current version makes no sense at all.
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Originally posted by mikhael
I'd completely redesign it. The current version makes no sense at all.
Why's that?
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because it doesn't make too much sense to have a box with six little boxes attached to it to haul stuff around. It doesn't stack at all.
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This is what it looks like ATM, for the record. Ignore the unfinished (Small box) corners - they should look like the ones on the top right (of the top down image) not the bottom left. And I'm still not 100% sure on what's being done with the inner corners.
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:yes:
The only thing I'd wonder about is the odd shape of the main box - you'd think it'd be as boxlike as possible, to provide the most storage room.
However, Freespace is not all that big on realism. And it looks better as it is than a big box. So there. :p
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Originally posted by Anaz
because it doesn't make too much sense to have a box with six little boxes attached to it to haul stuff around. It doesn't stack at all.
Wisdom.
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That looks great. :yes: Can't wait to see it textured.
However, Freespace is not all that big on realism. And it looks better as it is than a big box.
It would be easy enough to think of some excuse for all the notches and grooves. They are used for the docking/clamping mechanism. :D
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Oooooh...... teh polys!!!
Very nice. Looking forward to seeing this mapped. :yes:
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And I thought it was impossible...you've made a cargo container look sexy. :p
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Originally posted by Bobboau
yes, we are argueing over a cargo container.
Oh don't worry. We're almost ready to begin arguing over what colour the countermeasure's glowpoint should be next. :p
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I like the red, myself. Although green would be more realistic, since it would have a higher energy output.
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:yes: :yes:
So this is finished then :p
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:yes:
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Originally posted by Vasudan Admiral
Oh don't worry. We're almost ready to begin arguing over what colour the countermeasure's glowpoint should be next. :p
Sky-Blue pink!
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What have I done??? :shaking:
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I don't particularly care (red seems most appropriate IMHO) but I would suggest you use one of the glowpoints already found in the MediaVP. I'm not sure if they are duplicate-loaded or not, but as it stands every Terran fighter, HTL and non, that was in FS2 has glowpoints now and there's really no reason to add a virtually identical file to the mix.
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Originally posted by kietotheworld
Sky-Blue pink!
Psh. You might as well just remodel the whole Shivan armada with pink lace. :doubt:
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Now, I like that idea.
Shall we vote on it to end up in the MediaVP's like with the shockwaves?
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I would go for red. Flashing red lights are generally warning lights, which is what you would expect to find on what is basically a missile magnet.