[The Avenger]

Well i have told people about this before, and i even started it a while back, the time has come to get a crew together. I have the coding skills to create the game, but i need 2D graphics people and 3D modelers i also need a game designer, + other positions if people can think of them, so please tell me if u would like to do something, message me or email me and we can discuss it further, it is gonna happen just a matter of time

------------------
 http://www.avengershome.co.uk" TARGET=_blank>http://www.themodplace.co.uk

http://www.avengershome.co.uk

[KillMeNow]

i might be able to help for modeling and 2d graphics - aslong as you can use lightwave models

[wEvil]

*spits*

 

just use a well known proven format.  Im not suggesting we use .gmax or whatever, just something that works.  If we go all platform specific its going to be a mess.


------------------
 

[KillMeNow]

he asked for help i can model but with lightwave ask me to make somethign in gmax and i cant so its upto him

[DragonClaw]

 

Originally posted by wEvil:
*spits*

   

just use a well known proven format.  Im not suggesting we use .gmax or whatever, just something that works.  If we go all platform specific its going to be a mess.

Hey man... I-War2 uses LW models... and the quality is great...



------------------
   -Director of the staff of Hidden Terror.
    -WebMaster of The Apocolypse Project

       

The fear always controls our attitude, let us fear no more!

[Shrike]

And FS used MAX models, and it looked great in its time.  It's not a matter of what program was used to create the models, it's a matter of the skill of the srtist and more importantly, the quality of the engine.

[wEvil]

i didnt mean to start a flame war.

I'm just stating a point that different people use different software so a format should be used which is easily accessible to both while still providing the features we need in the engine.

if it wasnt antiquated id go for .3ds



------------------
   

http://www.descent4.net

[DragonClaw]

 

Originally posted by wEvil:
i didnt mean to start a flame war.

I'm just stating a point that different people use different software so a format should be used which is easily accessible to both while still providing the features we need in the engine.

if it wasnt antiquated id go for .3ds

you could go for .3ds... Lightwave(at least Lighwave 7) has a .3ds file exporter...



------------------
   -Director of the staff of Hidden Terror.
    -WebMaster of The Apocolypse Project

       

The fear always controls our attitude, let us fear no more!

[Nico]

 

Originally posted by wEvil:

if it wasnt antiquated id go for .3ds

you can still make cool stuff with 3ds3. There's no group possibility tho, and that's annoying.

[mikhael]

I'll sign on to do meshes. All we have to do is settle on a well documented format to use and convert-n-tweak meshes built in other applications.


------------------
--Mik
http://www.404error.com
ruhkferret on ICQ/AIM

"Your guy was a little SQUARE! You had to use your IMAGINATION! There were no multiple levels or screens. There was just one screen forever and you could never win the game. It just kept getting harder and faster until you died. JUST LIKE LIFE." --Ernie Cline

[Ace]

Hey Avenger, since you are planning this as a simple multiplayer space-sim, please don't torture us with a melodramatic space-opera to "explain things"  

------------------
Ace
Staff member FreeSpace Watch
 http://freespace.volitionwatch.com/

[This message has been edited by Ace (edited 01-09-2002).]

[Stryke 9]

I'll do modwork, but I can't guarantee quality texturing- if necessary, I can also make my own concepts for said mods to fit most themes. I also have access to viable texture maps and music files I doubt anyone else here would have...

And .3ds really is the best thing, most likely. Practically everything (if not literally everything, I can't be sure about Ray Dream and some obscure progs) can load them, and TrueSpace doesn't utterly destroy them like it does DXFs, but the textures don't stick most of the time. TrueSpace can load .lwo files if necessary, but who really wants to deal with TrueSpace more than necessary? Actually, what I'd recommend most is that everybody get the same good modeling program (you all probably know what I'd recommend strongly, even though that does involve a spanking load of work on my part), but that most likely ain't gonna happen. Second best, we sort out which program will be the final one (for this, I don't recommend TrueSpace or the stuff I use- crappy texturing for the latter and crappy program for the former), and make sure the people responsible for texturing and overall polishing of the project have that program- one that takes .3ds files. Modders make the body and send it, possibly with suggestions as to what the texture look should be, and send it to the texturers as a textureless .3ds. The texturers do their thing, and then they convert it to whatever the game format is, if applicable (like POFs for FS). Finally, someone with the equivalent of a POF editor designates where the gun and thruster points will be- as per the modder's instructions. It could even be the modder himself. The whole point is to have an assembly line, see? And this can be done individually, in batches, whatever.

Another step we should probably start thinking about now is how the final product will use our models- Will the gunpoints, etc, be stored internally (like in FS) or externally (like I think Iwar is)? What kind of poly limits will we be talking here? Etc., etc.

Plot can come after the basics, dude. And I think Eishtmo, as official HLP storyteller, maybe should come up with it.  

------------------
 

[Stryke 9]

PS: AND WE ARE USING ICQ THIS TIME IF WE NEED A REALTIME CHATTER! I still remember my little game of computer tag on mIRC, besides which it got corrupted and ******  up my HD!  

There, that much is established.  

------------------
 

[Carl]

<--can make models  

[Fineus]

<- Can make backgrounds/concepts  

[Shrike]

I suggest you do at least some basic engine work and get the storyline, concept and style nailed down before you do anything in the graphics end of things.  Take the FS Reference Bible as an example.  Do something like that before all these model vultures start pestering you with 'I want a job!!'  Or more accurately, before any more pester you.  

[Styxx]

Listen to Shrike kids, he knows what he's talking about.  

As for the 3D file format, I'd suggest using a simple format - something based on XML, where you can define everything you may need on the model at the same place (eliminating the need for table files, for example), and make export plugins or conversors for any 3D package that will be used.

[Shrike]

 

Originally posted by Styxx:
Listen to Shrike kids, he knows what he's talking about.    

Heh heh, nice to see a bit of support.  

 

As for the 3D file format, I'd suggest using a simple format - something based on XML, where you can define everything you may need on the model at the same place (eliminating the need for table files, for example), and make export plugins or conversors for any 3D package that will be used.

Hmm, I think personally that a tbl-type file is a good idea.  It's easier to do editing that way.  Personally, I think the way that   or [PS] did it was pretty good and quite sensible.  Depending on your models though, it might not work very well, or would end up being extremely long.

[This message has been edited by Shrike (edited 01-10-2002).]

[Nico]

 

Originally posted by Shrike:
Hmm, I think personally that a tbl-type file is a good idea.  It's easier to do editing that way.  Personally, I think the way that     or [PS] did it was pretty good and quite sensible.  Depending on your models though, it might not work very well, or would end up being extremely long.

well, tbls sure makes developement more flexible. It's a big amount of work to edit a model just to change a parameter when what you could do is just change an entry in a txt file (plus loading one txt must be easier than loading separates data entries for each model, processor wise). Of course, Hexadecimal magicians don't care much about that  

-edit, post cleaned up - Shrike

[This message has been edited by Shrike (edited 01-10-2002).]

[Styxx]

XML files ARE text files. If the game is to be moddable, why not use it? It's like having the model file and the table file all on the same place, on an easily editable text file. You'll just have one file for each model, nothing else.

And it doesn't matter if it's a huge file or lots of small files for the game performance - this will just affect a bit the loading times. What will matter is the amount of data that will be on the memory at any given time, and that's a function of the file contents, and not it's format...