[Snail]

I don't agree with taking too much artistic license with models either, to be honest. But on account of a lot of these models looking excellent, I try not to make too much of a big deal of it.

In this case though, swapping around missile firing points is more than artistic license and wanders into gameplay-altering territory. IMHO that is a valid concern. If/when AthlonBoy returns, this needs to be addressed.

[SypheDMar]

I don't agree with taking too much artistic license with models either, to be honest. But on account of a lot of these models looking excellent, I try not to make too much of a big deal of it.

Same. As for artistic liberty on the Boanerges, I'd much prefer a single-pilot and agree with Droid803. Did AthlonBoy release the model?

[Thaeris]

I've got the model as there's (or was) a download for it on a previous page of the thread.

I however do like the idea of having at least two crewmembers. This "ugly motha'" is quite massive, after all, and only one crewman/woman might be rather odd...

[SypheDMar]

Well, I interpreted the Boanerges's Tech Description to be a single-seater. Of course, it probably isn't a canon interpretation, but that's what the animation is for. Also, the lack of a turret also means that if there was a co-pilot, he wouldn't be aiming, assuming that's one of their duties. Anyway:

The challenge of maintaining an aging fleet has motivated the GTVA to develop a new generation of ships able to withstand long-term abuse in the field.

Not only does it mean that the GTA bombers are being dated, but it also means that producing more of the same is costly. Boanerges, being a single-seater, is more cost-efficient.

One test pilot observed that the Boanerges handles better than any other bomber and has enough firepower to make it a formidable anti-capship weapon.

One as in one. Not one of two. Though it doesn't necessarily say that there wasn't a co-pilot, there was no information saying that there was. Also, the firepower explains the massiveness of the bomber.


While you have the model, are you gonna work on it?

[Thaeris]

If anything, more modern fighters seem to be shifting to two-seaters. Fighters. Operating a modern weapons system (and everything else), despite its automation, is still quite a job. Thus, the WSO/co-pilot is a very valuable asset, especially in a big ship with (if real) would have a very large numbers of systems to monitor/operate. A second set of eyes is also a tremendous value...

Thus, I'd try to sit two crew in it. 

And I did want to play with it... but I have quite a few other projects to work on. I'm a concept artist for a project, I'm going to try and do a few things for BP, and I've been trying to get aircraft/ship models to ShadowGorrath.

Not to mention school. The semester is winding down, so the work is certainly going to build up.

[Droid803]

I don't care if it's single or double seater...
but I do care if you change the cockpit to accommodate a copilot.
If you can fit two into the basic design without looking strange, then great. If you can't then just stick with one. Srsly. The cockpit of the current HTL one is what I hate the most about it. It's disturbing me more and more the more I look at it more.

[Kolgena]

Also, there seems to be a good meter of head-space for the pilots in the HTL model, much like how the GTF Valkyrie has a ginormous canopy that you could swim in.

IE, it's ugly in that respect as well. Stacking the pilots would reduce apparent headroom, and make it look nicer.

[Thaeris]

Hmmm...

I was daydreaming a few days back about the Boa in combat - the primary gun bank was acting as a turret... I always thought the lower guns looked a bit like they should be placed on a semi-traversable turret.

Once we get a decent Boa, would it be concievable to place a degree of auto-aim on the lower turret once you have a target selected? I believe this has been done for the Shivan Nephilim bomber, though that might have only been for a certain special case...

[The E]

It's certainly possible, although it would probably not find it's way into the mediavps tables like that.

[MatthTheGeek]

Mediavps are intended to stay as close as possible to retail gameplay. But nothing prevent you or anyone to make personal changes after that

[Rampage]

http://dl.getdropbox.com/u/1400541/Boanerges%2097.max

Dear Community,

Would someone w/ 3DS Max kindly convert this file to 3DS or OBJ.  The Inferno Team would like to UVmap and hopefully texture it.

[mjn.mixael]

I tried.. the file calls for a dll I don't have and can't open it.

[Rampage]

What's the DLL called?

Keep trying guys; whoever gives the Community a workable file will get to BETA-test the next Inferno release (no joke)!

Inferno Team

[mjn.mixael]

"Standard Bitmap Storages and Filters"

I assume that this file was made with an older version of Max and that that dll is now defunct in Max 2009.

[Hades]

Honestly? The model's not going to be easy to work with and it might just be better to remake it completely, as it has 104k polygons (around the same as the new Hades)

[Droid803]

Oh god. 104k? O_O

[Kolgena]

It still beats the vanilla model. I'm not sure how easy it is to optimize 104k to something not astronomical, but the model should be salvaged if possible.

Oh, and things need to be fixed, like the air vents. The ones above the cockpit are where secondary hard points are supposed to be.

[Rampage]

We have an algorithm (imperfect but good enough) that we can run to reduce polygons symmetrically and systematically in OBJ files.  If the Community can convert this mesh to a 3DS or OBJ, we can reduce polygon numbers and rework the model.

-INFTeam

[AthlonBoy]

Now wait one cotton picking minute, 104 thousand polys? Nonsense, it has 6000 on my e-

...

Oh, bugger. I see what I did.

I made a duplicate of the mesh and meshsmoothed it, with the intent on generating a normal map from it. I then hid this mesh within 3DS Max and forgot about it. It must have found its way inside the files I exported ages ago.

Rest assured, the poly count is under 10k. 9,054 tris and 5,182 polys, in fact.

Here you go. http://dl.dropbox.com/u/1400541/Boanerges.3DS

I changed the missile tubes to match the retail texture, removed the top vent to make room for a weapon hardpoint, and changed the cockpit entirely to better match the retail texture. I'm not happy with the cockpit, but I'd rather you have this than some crazy 104k poly... thing.

I may be incapable of texturing, bad at greebling and terrible at finishing up projects, but one thing I am not is an inefficient modeller. I got a regimen, yo. I keep them polys in check.

[Kolgena]

Au contraire. It takes a certain special something to buff something so small/simple into 104k polies

It's very good that you are able to provide the originals though. Seems like FSU will be tearing through new assets this month