Hard Light Productions Forums

Modding, Mission Design, and Coding => The Modding Workshop => Topic started by: Xeandra on April 29, 2008, 02:05:11 am

Title: Question: Civilian ships
Post by: Xeandra on April 29, 2008, 02:05:11 am
I've been away for a while and wondered if anyone had made any real civilian shis?
Title: Re: Question: Civilian ships
Post by: Akalabeth Angel on April 29, 2008, 02:07:01 am
I've been away for a while and wondered if anyone had made any real civilian shis?

     There's a big Starliner (passenger ship) in Flames of War Campaign.
     Also the PTF Kulas which is supposed to be a pirate fighter made by a civilian corporation.

     I think that ole Into the Depths of Hell campaign had need of a large civilian fleet, I recall ships being made for it though having never played it I can neither attest to their existence nor quality.
Title: Re: Question: Civilian ships
Post by: NGTM-1R on April 29, 2008, 02:38:51 am
Trashman has made a few, but they can clash pretty hard with something that has the graphics options turned up because they're not shinemapped. ITDOH has several others (and Trashman's) that are simplistically modelled but have promise if you care to mess with them a bit more. These models are all relatively old and probably in need of a revamp not to clash with newer ones.

There's a very good civilian installation of relatively recent vintage, the Bretonia, out there as well.
Title: Re: Question: Civilian ships
Post by: TrashMan on April 29, 2008, 05:03:10 am
IIRC, I used stock maps for the civilian liners and stations, so shine and normal maps should work (since they have been done for a most of the stock maps)
Title: Re: Question: Civilian ships
Post by: Titan on April 29, 2008, 06:52:36 am
Does anyone have ships that are combat ships that would be allowed to civilians? Say, like some private corporations line of cruisers that it uses for itself?
Title: Re: Question: Civilian ships
Post by: Getter Robo G on April 29, 2008, 08:55:54 am
IIRC you can make a basic shine map by copying the regular maps and going greyscale then upping the contrast. If too shiny reduce contrast, if too dul increase.

(correct if in error, I only did it once and it was a while ago)...

Title: Re: Question: Civilian ships
Post by: blowfish on April 29, 2008, 08:59:03 am
I think brightness is more important than contrast.
Title: Re: Question: Civilian ships
Post by: Mad Bomber on April 29, 2008, 10:26:25 am
Does anyone have ships that are combat ships that would be allowed to civilians? Say, like some private corporations line of cruisers that it uses for itself?

The Vidar from INF:A was originally a model, whose name I forget since I'm not at home atm, which was meant for that very purpose.

In the post-Capella era, it's entirely possible that corporations would be able to buy secondhand Fenrises or Atens, tho why they'd want to is questionable.

I'll dig through my MOD archive for other ships that might fit that bill when I get home.
Title: Re: Question: Civilian ships
Post by: Titan on April 29, 2008, 02:05:48 pm
thanks a ton.
Title: Re: Question: Civilian ships
Post by: Galemp on April 29, 2008, 02:28:38 pm
I find it acceptable to disarm the GTM Hippocrates and use it as a passenger liner. There's lots of windows and we know it's capable of spacious and luxurious accomodations.
Title: Re: Question: Civilian ships
Post by: Hellstryker on April 29, 2008, 03:49:48 pm
A hippo isn't exactly big enough to be considered a liner... a transport, however, yes
Title: Re: Question: Civilian ships
Post by: Akalabeth Angel on April 29, 2008, 09:19:15 pm
Does anyone have ships that are combat ships that would be allowed to civilians? Say, like some private corporations line of cruisers that it uses for itself?

The Vidar from INF:A was originally a model, whose name I forget since I'm not at home atm, which was meant for that very purpose.

    Isn't the Vidar from Warzone?
Title: Re: Question: Civilian ships
Post by: Thor on April 29, 2008, 10:34:16 pm
don't forget the civie Orion from Derelict.....
Title: Re: Question: Civilian ships
Post by: Mad Bomber on April 29, 2008, 10:45:17 pm
  Isn't the Vidar from Warzone?

Different Vidar. Also, I don't think I have the original version on this HD.
Title: Re: Question: Civilian ships
Post by: Solatar on April 29, 2008, 10:45:31 pm
In the economy of Freespace, do you think travel would be personnal or group? Basically...are we equating spacecraft to airplanes, cars, or boats? If I want to go to another planet, do I hop in the family spaceship or do I book a ticket on a "flight"? Deciding that will greatly assist us in deciding what kinds of civilian craft are viable.

My vote is for the "buy a ticket" method of interstellar travel.
Title: Re: Question: Civilian ships
Post by: Mad Bomber on April 29, 2008, 10:49:27 pm
I think, for the most part, it'd be "buy a ticket". Mostly so that the GTVA wouldn't have to deal with very many private owners buying their own spaceships and causing havoc (either intentionally, i.e. piracy, or as a result of not knowing how to pilot very well).

However, I do think it'd be quite feasible for families or small groups to rent or buy small or smallish vehicles, perhaps refurb Centaurs. Albeit a bit of a rare arrangement, but possible.
Title: Re: Question: Civilian ships
Post by: blowfish on April 29, 2008, 10:51:31 pm
Or Hermeses.
Title: Re: Question: Civilian ships
Post by: Mars on April 29, 2008, 11:12:49 pm
The Chronos, Elysium and Bast are said to be of civilian design.

The Bes is implied to have been civilian at some point.

But I guess that doesn't answer the question
Title: Re: Question: Civilian ships
Post by: TrashMan on April 30, 2008, 05:36:07 am
You can always use OLD craft - like Uylesses - for security forces, police or bounty hunters. Heck, you can prolly use my Falcon as a police fighter (as that's what it was when I begun making it)

Civilian ships wouldn't have any weapons and most wouldn't have a drive capable of node jumps. So are you requesting shuttles and transports?
Title: Re: Question: Civilian ships
Post by: Titan on April 30, 2008, 06:56:05 am
Anything that's a transport without major armament, and also light fighters and smallish warships, like the Vidar and your Praetorian (provided it's armament is scaled down a lil)
Title: Re: Question: Civilian ships
Post by: Stormkeeper on May 02, 2008, 07:26:15 am
don't forget the civie Orion from Derelict.....

You mean the one with the hole in its side ?
Title: Re: Question: Civilian ships
Post by: blowfish on May 02, 2008, 09:50:27 am
No.  The Auriga.  There was no Orion in Derelict with a hole in its side.
Title: Re: Question: Civilian ships
Post by: Stormkeeper on May 02, 2008, 06:51:35 pm
Oh. Right. THAT Orion. The one I was remembering was from Transcend.
Title: Re: Question: Civilian ships
Post by: colecampbell666 on May 02, 2008, 07:32:21 pm
don't forget the civie Orion from Derelict.....
That wasn't really civilian, more a corporation trying to take over the galaxy.
Title: Re: Question: Civilian ships
Post by: Stormkeeper on May 02, 2008, 07:35:37 pm
It had the gay white beam of long range doom, right ? And you had to surgically remove the front beam turret with trebuchets ?
Title: Re: Question: Civilian ships
Post by: Retsof on May 02, 2008, 07:49:46 pm
I think, for the most part, it'd be "buy a ticket". Mostly so that the GTVA wouldn't have to deal with very many private owners buying their own spaceships and causing havoc (either intentionally, i.e. piracy, or as a result of not knowing how to pilot very well).

However, I do think it'd be quite feasible for families or small groups to rent or buy small or smallish vehicles, perhaps refurb Centaurs. Albeit a bit of a rare arrangement, but possible.
There may be small personal craft for in-system use, and, depending on how much jump-drives cost, they may not even be subspace capable.  I think travel between systems would be the "buy a ticket" kind.
Title: Re: Question: Civilian ships
Post by: Droid803 on May 02, 2008, 08:08:10 pm
Buy a ticket...on what?
In BP, civies buy a ticket out in an Elysium, but you'd have to pay me to shove me into that tiny brick of death. Trashman's civillian liners do fit in well here though. Those things at least have some armor.
Title: Re: Question: Civilian ships
Post by: Retsof on May 02, 2008, 08:15:41 pm
The Elysium incidents are all in wartime, while the civvies are being evacuated.  What I'm talking about is more like a cruise ship or a 747.
Title: Re: Question: Civilian ships
Post by: blowfish on May 02, 2008, 09:14:21 pm
It had the gay white beam of long range doom, right ? And you had to surgically remove the front beam turret with trebuchets ?

No, that was an LRBGreen :rolleyes:
Title: Re: Question: Civilian ships
Post by: Solatar on May 02, 2008, 09:56:38 pm
I'm starting to imagine the situation sort of like boats in today's world. Large freighters, etc. with a few very rich people owning larger craft.
Title: Re: Question: Civilian ships
Post by: Stormkeeper on May 02, 2008, 11:43:53 pm
I seem to recall some one in London owning a Sherman tank and using it as daily transport.
Title: Re: Question: Civilian ships
Post by: Droid803 on May 02, 2008, 11:57:29 pm
I seem to recall some one in London owning a Sherman tank and using it as daily transport.
O_o. Must get a some gas guzzler lol. And I doubt the military let him buy/keep/use shells.

So, yea, sure, make a Fenris your private liner, but don't expect to get to keep the LTerSlash (or Fusion Mortar for that matter. Be happy if you got to keep blobs).
Title: Re: Question: Civilian ships
Post by: Stormkeeper on May 03, 2008, 12:15:38 am
I seem to recall some one in London owning a Sherman tank and using it as daily transport.
O_o. Must get a some gas guzzler lol. And I doubt the military let him buy/keep/use shells.

So, yea, sure, make a Fenris your private liner, but don't expect to get to keep the LTerSlash (or Fusion Mortar for that matter. Be happy if you got to keep blobs).

Yea, but you can always load them up with paint.
Title: Re: Question: Civilian ships
Post by: Droid803 on May 03, 2008, 12:37:08 am
Fun, but doesn't solve the gas guzzling issue though.
Title: Re: Question: Civilian ships
Post by: Thor on May 03, 2008, 03:07:02 am
yes someone does own a tank in london, i remember the news story on it.

and a corporation is still a civilian entity, unless it is owned by a government.  which if they're taking over the galaxy, they aren't likely to be.  i think its a matter of finances.  just like now, someone could by their own interstellar ship if they have the money (ie:john travolta and his jumbo jet), but tis not common.  likely more small craft for personal in system use, and then booked passage on larger ships.  corporations of a sizeable nature are likely to have a variety of their own ships. 

that said.  their should be more civilian ships running around... The FS games always felt like it was just the military running around blasting things.  Freelancer was better at showing a living universe.  I'd love to see that addressed in FS_Open....but i imagine its not a huge priority.
Title: Re: Question: Civilian ships
Post by: Stormkeeper on May 03, 2008, 10:28:19 am
IMO, as long as the models are spicy, the only problem would be processing and lag issues from so many dang ships on screen at a time.

Assuming its a normal day at a space station, there would be as many as 100~ civilian ships coming and going, excluding patrols and military ships.

=edit=

The most ships I ever put up on screen iirc, is about 18 capital ships, and roughly 12 wings of 4 fighters, excluding Alpha and Beta. So its a grand total of ... 73 ... ? ... ships. I don't recall much lag issues, although there was minor when I was watching the capital ships duke it out.
Title: Re: Question: Civilian ships
Post by: colecampbell666 on May 03, 2008, 10:36:11 am
Go watch a BP cutscene.

And what mission/game was that? I assume Derelict, when they bring the Nyarlotothep through the node.
Title: Re: Question: Civilian ships
Post by: Solatar on May 03, 2008, 01:27:26 pm
It's entirely possible that we don't see many civvy ships in the main campaign because we're fighting in battles. If I had my own cruiser liner/yacht, I wouldn't be very prudent to sail it in the middle of a naval battle.
Title: Re: Question: Civilian ships
Post by: Titan on May 03, 2008, 03:07:45 pm
back on hades, there was a small ship, the iron hawk 2, that was supposed to be simply an engine with a cockpit. IIRC, it never actually came with the right model, but just used the Loki model instead.
Title: Re: Question: Civilian ships
Post by: colecampbell666 on May 03, 2008, 06:49:44 pm
What?
Title: Re: Question: Civilian ships
Post by: Stormkeeper on May 04, 2008, 03:46:01 am
Go watch a BP cutscene.

And what mission/game was that? I assume Derelict, when they bring the Nyarlotothep through the node.

Nope, it was one of the missions that were part of a campaign that I was making before.

It's entirely possible that we don't see many civvy ships in the main campaign because we're fighting in battles. If I had my own cruiser liner/yacht, I wouldn't be very prudent to sail it in the middle of a naval battle.

True, that. But weren't there a few missions involving civilian locations ?
Title: Re: Question: Civilian ships
Post by: Mad Bomber on May 04, 2008, 10:40:36 am
back on hades, there was a small ship, the iron hawk 2, that was supposed to be simply an engine with a cockpit. IIRC, it never actually came with the right model, but just used the Loki model instead.

I think I have something like that. Tis named the Sunrider IIRC.
Title: Re: Question: Civilian ships
Post by: Titan on May 04, 2008, 12:17:12 pm
ya, i think that was it. care to post a screeny?