[hip63]

OK, I working on another FreeSpace 2 DVD and before anyone says, "Hey man you can't distribute FreeSpace anymore," well yes I know, so the new DVD won't included the FreeSpace games, just the SCP stuff (once .10 is actually final of course). It also will not be in ISO like my old DVD was either. Now it's kinda of a do it yourself kit (kinda like Kraft Macraroni and Cheese, lol) Here's the way it will work:

1 - Purchase FreeSpace 2 and download it from GOG.com if you haven't already.

2 - Download the FS2 SCP DVD Archive Files (will be WinRAR, 7-Zip files or whatever) The DVD Archive Files will already contain two installers, one for installing SCP Upgrade (basically all the same stuff you get with Turey's installer with all the same options to select/deselect). The second installer will install about a 100 Extra Campaigns I have collected. Both installers will be compressed to save space.

3 - Extract DVD Archive Files to a temp folder - Example: C:\FS2DVD

4 - In the C:\FS2DVD folder, there will be a folder called Setup, place the setup_freespace_2.exe file from gog.com in this folder, also there is an extras folder for all the extras you can download from GOG.com, you can also place the setup_freespace.exe file here if you purchased FreeSpace with Silent Threat (as well you should) from GOG.com as well a anything else you will like to archive on the DVD.

5 - Burn the contents of C:\FS2DVD to DVD and now you have a nice back-up should need to re-install with having to download everything again.

This idea behind this DVD is for primarly for people like me with a less than stellar internet connect and don't want to have to re-download everything again and for those who just like to archive back-ups to Disc.
It also allows for alternate hosting, such as torrents and taking some load of Turey's servers. If  you are some who may wish to host or torrent it, DO NOT DISTURBUTE THE ORIGINAL GAME FILES WITH IT!

Here's some screenshots of the DVD Menu: (Perseus art by Herra Tohtori)

Main Menu: (you can't see the active cursor but the install button is highlighted because the cursor is hovered over it)




Support Page: (with links to the Corporate Sponsors so to speak)




Extras Page: (Please note that the extras pictured are shown as examples only and will NOT be included in the DVD archive files, you can get them for free with your purchase of the games at gog.com)



The menu also uses FS2 sounds and background music to help set the proper FS2 mood

I could also make a version for those with the original discs perhaps, I would have to look into it to see if it's do-able.


Any Thoughts or Ideas?


hip63

[captain-custard]

give me give me give me and

yay

[General Battuta]

I think you should get rid of the '3D' effect on the text. What little graphic design know-how I have suggests simpler is better.

And isn't that Perseus' green skin gonna look a bit...odd without a beam nearby?

(These are nitpicks, though. Love the work you're doing.)

[Angelus]

Me likes 

[hip63]

Updated the logo with something more familar and cleaner:



If someone would like to do some alternate ship art, I would consider it, it needs to be in .png format,no larger that 300x300 (currently the ship art is art 256x256) and support transparencies so I can use it in my editor software.

A Shivan Fighter would be cool

hip63

[Herra Tohtori]

I think you should get rid of the '3D' effect on the text. What little graphic design know-how I have suggests simpler is better.

And isn't that Perseus' green skin gonna look a bit...odd without a beam nearby?

(These are nitpicks, though. Love the work you're doing.)

That Perseus was originally made to be a kinda stylized, icon-like version... I made it from an old, old screenshot from someone I don't even remember (in which it was reddish), increased the saturation and changed the hue of the ship itself to green, and it works quite well as an icon (I've used it as my FS2_Open icon ever since I made the icon). It's green because that's the colour I've always associated with FreeSpace and to greater degree, Source Code Project.

It does look a tad strange on a nebula background; I would consider either making the background black or with a simple star field, or using an actual render of the Perseus (it's thrusters don't match what you get in the game these days, either).

Using it as icon is just fine for me though, if you're going to include it similar to the different TBP icons on the dvd (which I assume is the case).


Also... yeah I have to agree that using that kind of lighting effects on the text wouldn't be my first choice of graphical design. May I suggest using Stop or Bank Gothic Medium LT font (which is what FreeSpace name plates and user interface use, respectively)? These fonts are available in Karajorma's FAQ... and I would be happy to help with graphical design of the launcher if you want and accept help.

[hip63]

Help is welcome as I am working with what I have lying around.

Custominzing the fonts get trick as the software look to you ssystem fonts so the font has to already be installed to show in the menu (hard to explain unless you are using the software)

as stated above, a Shivan ship would really be cool.


hip63

[Herra Tohtori]

Help is welcome as I am working with what I have lying around.

Custominzing the fonts get trick as the software look to you ssystem fonts so the font has to already be installed to show in the menu (hard to explain unless you are using the software)

as stated above, a Shivan ship would really be cool.


hip63

So the installer software can't use, say, images as buttons instead of text "links"?

[hip63]

OK a complete makeover, what do you think:



hip63

[Jeff Vader]

Question: what's with the DirectX button?

[The E]

That's much better. The other one kinda looked like a throwback to the 90s, IMHO.

[Angelus]

OK a complete makeover, what do you think:



hip63

That's even cooler then the first one!

[General Battuta]

Love those new buttons and text.

[Herra Tohtori]

The background needs to change, it is horribly pixelated and full of artefacts...

If you need good quality, high-res space imagery, NASA's pages are pretty helpful.

Also, there are too obvious transparency issues with the Deimos' thrusters and edges.

You can get a pretty good "render" out of FS2_Open by putting on some ambient light, then take two shots from same angle (disable rotation), one with the thrusters and lights on, and one with thrusters and lights off.

Then you can adjust the contrast and brightness of the latter to make the general outline of the actual ship. Or, turn off diffuse texture and lighting, in which case the whole ship shows up white. Then it's a simple matter of making black transparent in the image with thrusters and lights on, and adding the white outline of the ship to the alpha channel mask so that the ship isn't transparent but possible thruster effects and lights extending outside it have alpha transparency.

The problem with the Ship Lab is that you can't adjust the lighting in any way. Which blows.

Another option is to simply use a FreeSpace screenshot.

I can provide an example of what I mean, just name the ship... Actually, here's an example of Deimos with an alpha channel (plus a pitifully simple starfield as background). It's in PSD format; the layer you would use for this kind of purpose is "render_with_alpha".

Deimos-sample.7z

[Angelus]

I can provide an example of what I mean, just name the ship...

ORION!!!
P.L.E.A.S.E.!!

[hip63]

"Then you can adjust the contrast and brightness of the latter to make the general outline of the actual ship. Then it's a simple matter of making black transparent in the image with thrusters and lights on, and adding the white outline of the ship to the alpha channel mask so that the ship isn't transparent but possible thruster effects and lights extending outside it have alpha transparency."

dude I have no idea what you are talking about, all I got is is MS paint and Irfanview, hey I'm willing to take a pic from I just need it to fit in the frame above so I don't have to start from scratch (again).

hip63

[Herra Tohtori]

See edited message.

One Orion coming right up... Do you want any mayonnaise on it?

[Angelus]

See edited message.

One Orion coming right up... Do you want any mayonnaise on it?

 

No thx, i like my Orion pure.

[hip63]

One last try: (compressing to .jpg causes some loss, the actual menu is much sharper)



but hey, let's see that orion

hip63

[FUBAR-BDHR]

Question: what's with the DirectX button?

Yea that's kind of useless unless it pops up a message about loving bill gates.  Oh wait that was the glow tags.