Hard Light Productions Forums
Modding, Mission Design, and Coding => The Modding Workshop => Topic started by: PsychoLandlord on February 23, 2011, 01:41:23 pm
-
So I just found out I'm going to be confined to this hospital bed for around a month, and basically the only thing I have with me at this moment is the old laptop with a few games I've already beaten ten times over, and some rather poorly written Sci-fi books. This does not a productive month make, so I figured, instead of cluttering up your forums with useless posts, why not do something semi-useful? So I just installed blender, and I'm currently running through the various tutorials.
Now my question to you guys, as the thread title states, is simply, what kind of Ships do you need?
The reason for this question is twofold - for one, I'm sure Hard Light gets all kinds of post-Capella Beamrape destroyers and Shivan superships, and if I make something I'd like it to possibly see some use, you know? The second reason, is quite simply, that I'm fairly unimaginative and I'm much more likely to produce something of quality if I have a distinct end goal.
So guys, any ideas?
-
Shivan and Vasudan ships. We don't have nearly enough of those.
-
Shivan and Vasudan fighters and warships in the fighter-corvette range.
-
I've noticed that it has been said occasionally that there are too few civilian vessels or transport / freighter ships available. Non-combat utility type ships like those would probably be welcome.
I've recently been trying to learn how to use Blender too, and would like to contribute some stuff if I get proficient enough at modeling.
EDIT: Sorry to hear about your confinement to hospital. I hope things improve. :)
-
Also Shivan and Vasudan installations id say. We literaly only have 1 HTL isntallation for each. The PVI Kharnak and the new SI Arachnas (which got accidentaly released early :P)
-
Well, I want to make something killy, so it looks like it's going to be either Shivan or Vasudan then. Shivan fighters seem to be easy (no cockpits,) so I guess I'll start there. Thanks guys. I'll see if I cant whip something up in a reasonable timeframe, assuming I can get this damn program to cooperate.
-
Well, I want to make something killy, so it looks like it's going to be either Shivan or Vasudan then. Shivan fighters seem to be easy (no cockpits,) so I guess I'll start there. Thanks guys. I'll see if I cant whip something up in a reasonable timeframe, assuming I can get this damn program to cooperate.
Learning Blender is a lot easier than getting the damn ship to work in game.
-
Learning Blender is a lot easier than getting the damn ship to work in game.
That fills me with so much hope. Truly, this will be an intuitive, easy, and fun experience. (Blender's not actually giving me a lot of trouble, I've just never modeled anything before, and the camera controls are throwing me off a bit.)
-
That fills me with so much hope. Truly, this will be an intuitive, easy, and fun experience. (Blender's not actually giving me a lot of trouble, I've just never modeled anything before, and the camera controls are throwing me off a bit.)
Don't get me wrong, it will take a bit for you to get a hang of the controls, but it's quite versatile. I normally only need to use 1, 3, 5, and 7 on the numpad and the middle mouse button (assuming you have one) for moving the camera. I'm not sure how much you already know, so I apologize if I'm repeating things you already know, but most of the work is best done with the keyboard shortcuts, as opposed to the cluster**** of buttons on the bottom.
-
So I gathered. Admittedly, half the problem I was having at the outset was that I didn't realize Num Lock needed to be on to use the Num Pad shortcuts. Since I've figured that out, I've been chugging away.
So, probably getting a little ahead of myself here, seeing as how I've just started getting to the meat of this program, but what kind of Shivan fighter do people want to see, if they have a preference? Light, Heavy, Lovecraftian Abomination, aquatic predator-esque, so on. Anyone has any preferences, I'll take them under advisement. Suggestions can only help.
-
Well, what I for one would like to see is more Scorpion-esque or Dragon-like fighters (read: asymmetric). Asymmetry was one of the defining things about the Shivans that for me made them so alien. So more of that, please. :D Too many symmetric ships out there these days.
-
The community needs Shivan just about everything, but especially bombers, corvettes, and destroyers.
As far as my Shivan preferences, I like them the way they looked in FS1.
-
I'd go with a sleek, aquatic, semi-insectoid-style stealth fighter - the Shivans don't presently have one of those.
Also, an idea for later:
I'm sure Hard Light gets all kinds of post-Capella Beamrape destroyers and Shivan superships
Esarai made some pretty awesome destroyers (and larger)...but when was the last time we had an ultra-high-detail Shivan superdestroyer/juggernaut/superjugg?
You saw what they did with the GVD Hatsepshut, SC Lilith, and SC Cain. They were alright before, but now they are EPIC. I'm waiting for a remodel of a ship like the Demon, Lucifer, or Sathanas. (saw concept art of a redone Sath here on the forums - is that in the making?) On the Vasudan side, you could consider the Mentu, Sobek, or Typhon.
If you feel really adventerous, the SSD Gigas could use some love. It's kinda low-poly, even for a cruiser. It really only looks good when viewed from more than 5 KM away.
-
If you feel really adventerous, the SSD Gigas could use some love. It's kinda low-poly, even for a cruiser. It really only looks good when viewed from more than 5 KM away.
The inferno team has already revealed the new Gigas, though to be fair it's a completely different design now.
Thanks for the suggestions though. Anybody else has any input whatsoever, post it. Any sort of inspiration helps.
-
Shivan Corvettes.
There are none, except the Scylla, and that's low-poly, and in like every other mod.
I'd rather have Shivan Bombers than fighters, TBH.
but when was the last time we had an ultra-high-detail Shivan superdestroyer/juggernaut/superjugg?
SSJ Dante.
-
Inferno ships.
-
A Vasudan juggernaut.
-
Small vasudan ships, and civilian stuff. Any small installations would be cool, especially a small vasudan base (You said you wanted something killy, make it a front line military base ;))
-
...but when was the last time we had an ultra-high-detail Shivan superdestroyer/juggernaut/superjugg?
A Vasudan juggernaut.
Ships larger than juggernauts are an extremely bad idea, and we have already way too much of those. I'd really suggest you concentrate on smaller ships - actually, anything smaller than destroyers. We really lack of those on the Zod and Shivan front. And yay for asymmetrical designs (for Shivans, not for Zods). Symmetry is boring.
-
Vasudan anythings
-
It's just that there are already Vasudan everything-elses, but the only juggernaut is a bunch of other ships stuck together.
-
Cargo containers. There are hardly any.
-
Well, looks like I have plenty of ideas to choose from. Right now I'm working on a Shivan Fighter/Bomber (how it's used will be up to whoever wants it really, since I don't have FS on this computer, so I cant do Tables or anything like that.)
I dont really plan on doing anything huge, for one because I'm kind of against the idea of anyone but the Shivans having Juggs, and looking at the Wiki they have PLENTY (There was also a Vasudan Juggernaut on there, but it was an old Inferno model,) and because I dont trust myself with something that large yet.
I'll also take a crack at a few utility vessels and cargo containers for the various races of they're needed.
Disclaimer though - anything I do make in the next month is basically going to be thrown to the public as a model and thats it. I'm sorry, I love you guys and all, but I dont want to re-buy FS from GOG, plus I don't think Somerville hospital would take kindly to me engaging in Multi-Gig downloads.
-
I'm sorry, I love you guys and all, but I dont want to re-buy FS from GOG, plus I don't think Somerville hospital would take kindly to me engaging in Multi-Gig downloads.
You don't rebuy it, you pay for it once and hello unlimited downloads.
-
You don't rebuy it, you pay for it once and hello unlimited downloads.
I have it on disk.
-
Shivan Corvettes.
There are none, except the Scylla, and that's low-poly, and in like every other mod.
There's the SCv Bryn from the early glory days of HLP. It's low-poly but I don't think people have used it since its release. In fact, I can't find a download link anywhere.
Anyhow, I have a copy, and if you guys want it, I can post it here.
-R
-
I'd like to see it.
Also, on topic of ships, you could think about making any kind of container transport (and a corresponding container).
There are only a few of these out there and none (IIRC) Shivan or Vasudan.
-
There appears to be also a lack of larger transports, even half the size of the Argo would be good. The Azrael and Isis are the size of support ships. Now, for the Vasudans, the Satis, although it is actually a freighter, easily doubles as a transport, though FS2+ era would be useful. There are ones with Inferno R1, but they could use detail upgrades (hint to the Inferno team). Shivans on the other hand, only have the Azrael and nothing else. I think someone made an enlarged Azrael at one point, though it seems to have vanished.
-
There is the ST Xerxes (http://www.freespacemods.net/download.php?view.177), which is pretty nice.
(http://www.hard-light.net/wiki/images/STXerxes640x480.jpg)
But as far as I know no one has made any other new Shivan transports or any new Shivan freighters. So it would be nice to have some of those. Of course, I'm with the people who'd like a new Shivan corvette.
-
Shivan Corvettes.
There are none, except the Scylla, and that's low-poly, and in like every other mod.
There's the SCv Bryn from the early glory days of HLP. It's low-poly but I don't think people have used it since its release. In fact, I can't find a download link anywhere.
Anyhow, I have a copy, and if you guys want it, I can post it here.
-R
Oh yes yes!
-
IIRC Axem's Lamia was corvette sized.
EDIT:
(http://www.hard-light.net/wiki/images/SCLamia640x480.jpg)
Apparently it's about 375 m :-(
-
That's a cruiser.
-
Sath is being done by myself. I'm about one third the way through texturing it. Bobbmant was making one too, but I do not know its status.
-
That's a cruiser.
Note the sadface
-
IIRC Axem's Lamia was corvette sized.
EDIT:
(http://www.hard-light.net/wiki/images/SCLamia640x480.jpg)
Apparently it's about 375 m :-(
A few more ships of that style would be nice.
-
Sadly the Cretheus and this are showing their age a bit. When Axem first made them they were beautiful.
-
They're still beautiful, and Lamia is currently the best released Shivan cruiser. Cretheus is awesome too.
-
I dunno I kind of think the Cain and Lilith look better than the Lamia.
-
I dunno I kind of think the Cain and Lilith look better than the Lamia.
By released he means non-canon/fanmade.
This thread is about non-canon/fanmade.
-
Lamia had such awful mapping and texturing. :( It could look better if someone redressed it up a bit.
The Cretheus I think just needs a good normal map, maybe some resmoothing.
-
SCv Bryn
Enjoy,
R
[attachment deleted by ninja]
-
The head is weird, but aside from that the overall design is good.
-
The model is made by Aldo, and the head shows influences from the heads of many birds of prey on British heraldry.
-R
-
Yes, let's do an epic SC Lamia reskin! I opened up that model in PCS2, and it was BEAUTIFUL. Unfortunately, the texture hides much of the detail.
-
That Bryn looks excellent. I think it looks much better than the Scylla.
-
Ive had an idea for a shivan corvette that doubles as a Strikecraft carrier.
-
You mean... the SCv Moloch?
-
The moloch doenst have a fighterbay...does it?
Hang on ill check...
Damn it does.
Nevertheless, im going to try and make this.
-
Awesome, thanks for the SCv Bryn. Managed to table it, first tests as a Heavy Flak Frigate. Will be a lot of time of testing the custom ships I have now though.
-
The reason for this question is twofold - for one, I'm sure Hard Light gets all kinds of post-Capella Beamrape destroyers and Shivan superships, and if I make something I'd like it to possibly see some use, you know?
Quote for truth.
If I may make a specific request, I really like the GVF Heset fighter (http://www.hard-light.net/wiki/index.php/GVF_Heset) but compared to other fighter models this thing is really, really small. So I'd find it cool if you - or someone - could make it a bit bigger, let's say 30-50%?
Also, the GVF Kephri (http://www.hard-light.net/wiki/index.php/GVF_Khepri) has no interface art.
Overall I think the most pressing problem isn't that there weren't enough models, but the stuff that actually is there is often only haf-finished.
-
I think the traditional problem is that Vasudan and Shivan ships look much worse than Terran ships of the same mod generation.
-
Psycholandlord, just curious...
Do you have any links or photo accounts of your models?
-
Somebody should put the SCv Bryn on freespacemods.net and on the Wiki for all to behold. =)
Model is by Aldo.
-R
-
Psycholandlord, just curious...
Do you have any links or photo accounts of your models?
At this moment no, as I have no models to actually speak of yet. I haven't nailed down a design I really like on any of my attempts, though to be fair I'm actually still getting used to the Blender interface since this comp's battery died shortly after my original post.
My past modding experience has basically been some random, amateurish code edits in Homeworld 2 and Crysis, if that's what you're asking.
Anyway, soon as I get a decent design I'm confident in, I'll throw probably start a new thread and let it be judged by HLP.
-
* Sentry platforms (turret-mines, etc).
* Weapons platforms (larger than mines, packing a few turrets).
* Cruiser to Corvette sized ships.
* Freighters and cargo containers to go along with those.
* Modern Vasudan fighters adhering to the Volition design evolution rather than being freaks-of-nature.
If you want some original, but not too often used ships:
* Passenger liner (I'm sure most civies don't go from A to B in an Argo, neither do I think 100% of the space transport operations are ran by the military branch of the GTVA).
* Tugs, construction ships or other logistical vessels which aren't freighters.
* Damaged versions of excisting ships for mission usage.
* Under-construction versions of excisting ships for mission usage.
* Interiors for cutscenes etc.