[CODEDOG ND]

Try turning a couple of ships up to about 130 m/s and it takes you about 30 minutes to kill one ship.  Making them tougher is probably a much better idea, but since most of these ships will be new ships I think you can work with lower speeds as long as you do it with all ships, but that is why they call it the balancing stage.

Yes, but I was talking more about ships like the GTI Hades and the Amet.  They look cool, but just slapping shivan parts onto your vessels is just tacky.  

[aldo_14]

Originally posted by CODEDOG ND

Yes, but I was talking more about ships like the GTI Hades and the Amet.  They look cool, but just slapping shivan parts onto your vessels is just tacky.  

What one's the Amet?

I can only think of the Vasudan bomber as a hybrid, but i always thought that looked pretty cool

[CODEDOG ND]

It is one of Bobobau's reskins, it's in the VolitionWatch Archives.  As long as it looks Terran or Vasudan but has a Shivan edge to it that is cool, but when you start throwing on some red glows and spikes with the little red lasers; that is when it is too much.  There is the Amet and the Apet.

BTW, I love that Vasudan Bomber, especially in MP.  Hehe packing like a billion Rockeyes is fun.

[aldo_14]

Originally posted by CODEDOG ND
It is one of Bobobau's reskins, it's in the VolitionWatch Archives.  As long as it looks Terran or Vasudan but has a Shivan edge to it that is cool, but when you start throwing on some red glows and spikes with the little red lasers; that is when it is too much.  

Make the GTVA ships 'sharper', I suppose.  Terran fighters tend to be blockier, Vasudan fighters more smooth.   Shivans are sharp.

Although I always tended to prefer Vasudan-Shivan hybrids...dunno why.  More alien, I guess, so more freedom

[Zeronet]

I dislike Vasudan ships, the colour is dull to me.

[CODEDOG ND]

Not a too sharp look however.  You don't want them to become fully shivan.

[Kellan]

Originally posted by aldo_14

I'm just interesting in seeing this WIP storyline

I assure you that the storyline is pretty much done, right down to the continuity and implications. However, we just don't have any models yet.

Also, I would've thought that Terran ships would become more like Vasudan designs, and vice versa. So we'd see lots more smoothed ships, like the Herc II and Perseus. Even the Deimos is somewhat Vasudan-inspired.

Besides, having smooth rather than sharp ships makes them look more futuristic. On a more serious note, the designs of ships in 2450 should surely reflect GTVA integration by having hybrid designs, and the Shivans should be kept out because that way they retain their mystique, weirdness and fear appeal...

[Fineus]

It's possible to have Shivan integration in designs with Terran or Vasudan styling, the easiest way to do this is probably with textures giving the impression that a ship uses Shivan technology but has Terran or Vasudan armor over the top as well as T or V styling...

As for looking more futuristic, things do have a tendency to get sleeker as they get more "advanced"... seems to work well, as long as Terran ships don't start developing Vasudan textures I'll be happy

[Zeronet]

Vasudan Textures uhhh. I thought they were coloured that way so when you shot them down you felt like you were doing the galaxy a service.

[Kellan]

LOL...I prefer the idea of shiny metallics contrasting with the traditional greys. And we can get rid of that brown **** that the Hecate was plated in too. Ugh.

As for Shivan designs, I guess most of the improvements would be internal so there's no need for spikes and stuff, or perhaps even textures. However, I guess a bit of red here and there can't hurt.

[Nico]

Originally posted by Kellan
LOL...I prefer the idea of shiny metallics contrasting with the traditional greys.

anime style?

[Fineus]

The trick with advanced Shivan designs I think is also to make decent looking near-black textures. This is really tricky (obviously) especially since the game can't cope with reflective textures and so on. I think Shivans should start looking more black than anything else with only a few key uses of violently glowing red. This make them look all the more invulnerable to attack - whereas if the majority of the ship is glowing with color or something like that then like Terran and Vasudan ships it has apparent vulnerabilities.

Does that makes sense? Or am I talking rubbish

[Kellan]

It makes sense, though you're assuming that the red glowy bits ingrained into Shivan armour aren't nano-machine pathways that allow them to start repairing the armour on the spot or something like that.

Also, there's a problem with making them all balck with red glowy bits: space is black too. I guess that would make them *even more* invulvnerable.

[Fineus]

Thats kinda what I mean - they've big, black, invulnerable and evil. If only we could pain Russian flags on the sides and US flags on the Terran ships... we could have ourselves a Hollywood movie in the making

[Thorn]

I've got a few models I made kicking around that you can have if you like em. Theyre untextured. I'll post some pics when I get home.

[CODEDOG ND]

Concept Art...and lots of it.


*starts drawing*

[IceFire]

Ahhh fantastic discussion.

Basically...the ship speeds will remain the same.  I'm taking a nod from Wing Commander where ships speeds barely changed over 5 games but the weapon abilities and whatnot more than compensated.

My favorite Terran ships in terms of looks were the Perseus, Artemis, and the Hercules Mark 2.  I think its safe to say that those and some of the other examples I will be providing in an internal document will give a good idea of what the Terran ships should look for.  They are still very Terran, but they have the smoother, more curved, futuristic look.  And its not really a future look anymore either, take one look at the new SUV's or sports cars and you really see some nice lines.  So thats the idea of the new Terran ships.  Texture wise, the metalic colors like grey and whatnot.  I wouldn't mind seeing what Thunder suggested which was a little Shivan influence (some small teal blue glowy bits on the ships somewhere - a bastardization of Shivan tech anyways).  Most of the Shivan stuff is just reverse engineered anyways.

I want Vasudan ships (again outlined in better detail in an internal document) to continue the organic trend.  I think I want the textures to take a nod from the Tauret...although I'm certainly open to suggestions too.  

Shivan wise, what Thunder said is good.  I'd like to shy away from perfectly black...but dull and dark greys are good.  Hopefully with the source code we can really make them glow properly too and give that really harsh red on dull grey look.  And spikes

Codedog...feel free to draw...but you'll get a way better idea of what to draw when I get you a copy of the internal doc.  Which I will ASAP for sure.  I've got ship names, abilities, and descriptions all out there for you to work off.

[Fineus]

Dude... it occurs to me - do you need some concept people? I'd be more than happy to spew random ideas and arguements on an internal forum for you

[aldo_14]

I'd like to see something nut...like a sentient AI ship which talks back to you when you do daft things, or semi-organic components designed into the weapons / armour / propulsion systems....

Need to really see the storyline, though....I think that'll affect a lot what ships should look like - i.e. dark and brooding (apoclyptic type 'last battle' storyline), battered and generally a bit of a state (long gruelling war), or nice and shiny (unprepared for a 'true battle').

I think the ship designs could be quite useful in determining atmosphere....  I guess you'd also need a quantum leap in terms of weaponry, tactics, etc....  i always saw FS1 as being equivalent to WW1, and Fs2 as WW2, which would make a far-future campaign... 2020?

Venoms got the right idea with OtT, IMO.  'cept I'd like to try and come up some really insane stuff

(really wants to see this doc)

[Alikchi]

Has anyone looked at the AI in the source code?