Hard Light Productions Forums

Off-Topic Discussion => General Discussion => Topic started by: Shrike on August 24, 2001, 12:11:00 am

Title: Alcyone Redux
Post by: Shrike on August 24, 2001, 12:11:00 am
 (http://www.3dap.com/hlp/staff/shrike/alcyoneredux.jpg)
Title: Alcyone Redux
Post by: Fineus on August 24, 2001, 12:54:00 am
Woah, nice!
Title: Alcyone Redux
Post by: 'Captain' Nick Brown on August 24, 2001, 12:59:00 am
Wow! What is that? Is that a super-advanced Aeolus or something?
Title: Alcyone Redux
Post by: Shrike on August 24, 2001, 01:06:00 am
Yes!

From the R2NT page (which isn't updated, dont' go there)

RNI Systems' Aeolus class cruiser, while looked on with disfavor during the pre-war period, saw extensive combat during the NTF rebellion and Shivan invasion. It was only during these conflicts that the Aeolus came to claim the title as the most effective Allied cruiser, as it's massed antifighter weaponry could effectively cover an entire convoy, or in small hunter-killer packs attack with near impunity from retaliatory fighter counterstrikes. Demand and usage of these ships was so heavy near the end of the NTF and Shivan wars that they would often go into battle without full loadouts of flak projectiles and complete hull repairs. Only four ships survived out of the original twenty four built.

With their Laramis shipyards undamaged, RNI quickly started the production lines again after the end of the second Shivan invasion, rapidly producing more of the class. They also took the opportunity to correct a number of minor flaws such as the weak subsystem armor. At the current date, the Aeolus cruisers along with the Deimos corvettes are the most common vessel in Terran service. However, BuShips and RNI didn't stop there.

In 2373, the new GTC Alcyone class was unveiled, a technological follow-up to the Aeolus, designed jointly by RNI and GTVA BuShips. While as one pilot said, "damned short on looks" the Alcycone has an extensive and powerful weapons array. Using a similar hull setup, the Alcyone had a number of improvements over it's older sibling. These include improved antifighter beams and cannons, as well as a single nose mounted medium beam cannon, eliminating the Aeolus's other weakness, low anticapital firepower. The hull armor consists of a new collapsed Tungsten-Rhenium- Iridium alloy, laced with a heat-dispersing superconducting gridwork. This superdense armor has the greatest refractivity of any armor yet used by the GTVA, giving excellent protection against directed energy weapons. Many of these and other, lesser improvements are due in part to materials advancements made since the second Shivan invasion. Current plans are to assign Alcyone cruisers to mutually supporting hunter-killer packs in case of a major conflict, a strategy that was particularly effective for the NTF.
Title: Alcyone Redux
Post by: Setekh on August 24, 2001, 02:35:00 am
Whoa, very cool. It has just enough chunkiness to make it substantial, but not too chunky (think of... the Bast).  (http://dynamic.gamespy.com/~freespace/ubb/noncgi/smile.gif)
Title: Alcyone Redux
Post by: Sandwich on August 24, 2001, 03:03:00 am
I like, I like!  (http://dynamic.gamespy.com/~freespace/ubb/noncgi/wink.gif) Now put some viewing ports on the ship for a sense of scale.  (http://dynamic.gamespy.com/~freespace/ubb/noncgi/tongue.gif)

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"He who laughs last thinks slowest."
"Just becase you're paranoid doesn't mean they're not out to get you."
"To err is human; to really screw up you need a computer."
Creator of the Sandvich Bar ("http://michael.randelman.com"), the CapShip Turret Upgrade, the Complete FS2 Ship List and the System Backgrounds List (all available from the site)
Title: Alcyone Redux
Post by: Shrike on August 24, 2001, 03:08:00 am
 
Quote
Originally posted by sandwich:
Poke holes in the armor why don't you!!

No.   (http://dynamic.gamespy.com/~freespace/ubb/noncgi/tongue.gif)
Title: Alcyone Redux
Post by: Setekh on August 24, 2001, 03:10:00 am
We need some viewports, so we can animate the decompression scene.  (http://dynamic.gamespy.com/~freespace/ubb/noncgi/biggrin.gif)

 (http://www.3dap.com/hlp/staff/setekh/decomp01.jpg)

(Sorry Styxx)  (http://dynamic.gamespy.com/~freespace/ubb/noncgi/biggrin.gif)
Title: Alcyone Redux
Post by: Fineus on August 24, 2001, 04:30:00 am
He looks like hes just put his foot in something dodgy...
Title: Alcyone Redux
Post by: Shrike on August 24, 2001, 05:10:00 am
 (http://www.3dap.com/hlp/staff/shrike/closeinterval.jpg)
Title: Alcyone Redux
Post by: Setekh on August 24, 2001, 05:34:00 am
Nice. Now get them to do something  (http://dynamic.gamespy.com/~freespace/ubb/noncgi/smile.gif)
Title: Alcyone Redux
Post by: Shrike on August 24, 2001, 05:39:00 am
They are doing something.   (http://dynamic.gamespy.com/~freespace/ubb/noncgi/tongue.gif)  That was a test for raytracing shadows, believe it or not.  The entire point of that render is to get the shadow of the Alcyone on the Norn.  I wanted to see how it looks.
Title: Alcyone Redux
Post by: Setekh on August 24, 2001, 06:02:00 am
Try making the shadow softer. A shadow from an object so far away (far away because the shadow is so small) should have its edges blurred from peripheral light sources (ie. more than one point on the light source, as is the case with any stars).  (http://dynamic.gamespy.com/~freespace/ubb/noncgi/smile.gif)

[This message has been edited by Setekh (edited 08-24-2001).]
Title: Alcyone Redux
Post by: Styxx on August 24, 2001, 08:56:00 am
Good job on the new Alcyone!  (http://dynamic.gamespy.com/~freespace/ubb/noncgi/smile.gif)

And Steak, you know you wasn't supposed to post that here, right?  (http://dynamic.gamespy.com/~freespace/ubb/noncgi/wink.gif)
Title: Alcyone Redux
Post by: wEvil on August 24, 2001, 09:11:00 am
oooo

very nice.

can i see it ripping holes in something next?

add a *LITTLE* bit of bump mapping in and make the ships slightly more shiny.

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I'm sick and tired of being sick and tired!!