Nice, looks really good, loving the display screens, gun overheat indicators and all that malarkey in the cockpit. I'm gathering for the bigger ships you'll eventually have a more spectacular explosion and death animation than what you have here? Either way loving the work that has gone into this so far. I'm liking your work on the Copperhead too, the back end reminds me a little of the Gunstar from the Last Starfighter, no idea why as it doesn't look that much like it. Also think the back end might look better and more balanced if it was bulked up a bit when compared with the front section, but that might just be coming from over exposure to the likes of the X-Wing a Viper designs. Either way you decide to go with it, great stuff.
I think when the ships explode the bigger ones should tumble slower, the smallest ones look great but the tumbling should decrease with ship size from there
also I'm finding myself wanting to see the ship roll when it turns, I'm sure I used to play x-wing and you couldn't yaw the ship like that, you had to roll it to one side and pull up if you wanted to turn
anyway that's all I can think of, it's great otherwise, it's like refined old school, I love it
I'm assuming that currently he just has the smaller ship death animations tied to the larger ships, and more appropriate ones for the size of craft will be added at a later date. At least I hope that is the case.
With the actual motion of the ship, rolling when it turns is really a throwback to atmospheric flight, we tend to add that to starfighter motion for familiarity, such as with Star Wars dogfights emulating WW2 dog fighting footage. Yet in reality, being a spacecraft it will most likely execute manoeuvres with directional thrusters, kinda like you saw in Babylon 5 with the Earth Force Starfury (Still one of the best and most realistic starfighter designs out there if you ask me), so the sort of motion pictured in the animation is probably truer to spaceflight manoeuvring than if the ship rolled into turns like a fighter aircraft.
With the actual motion of the ship, rolling when it turns is really a throwback to atmospheric flight, we tend to add that to starfighter motion for familiarity, such as with Star Wars dogfights emulating WW2 dog fighting footage. Yet in reality, being a spacecraft it will most likely execute manoeuvres with directional thrusters, kinda like you saw in Babylon 5 with the Earth Force Starfury (Still one of the best and most realistic starfighter designs out there if you ask me), so the sort of motion pictured in the animation is probably truer to spaceflight manoeuvring than if the ship rolled into turns like a fighter aircraft.
you still get g-force in space and being pulled down into your seat is easier to handle than being pulled sideways, so I think it makes sense
also if it's good enough for x-wing it's good enough for any game
Wow! I love it. Especially the grime on the cockpit glass. Don't know why, but it really gives me the feeling of being out in the black.
But, I echo the comments of others, blowing up the bigger ships seemed a little anticlimactic. I think it would be better if a series of explosions rippled along the ship, ending with a few big chunks slowly twisting away.
(tl:dr version: make the cap-ship destruction effect much longer.)
The video makes me want to tell you to sod finishing it and just send people the debug version! Though seriously, great work.
Secondly, how's the RPG side of it coming along? I thought meshing the two old-skool genres together was an awesome idea, so I'd really like to see more of it if you have the time.:thumb:
Okay, update time!
TALON_UK: Thanks! Yes, the cockpit will be having quite a lot more going on in the end. Also, I'm trying to get the copperhead to be reminiscent of the Raptor from Wing Commander...which was originally copied from the gunstar. So yeah, thanks! Glad at least some of the references are shining though. As for the capital ship explosions... yeah, right now they're just using the same thing that the fighters use. This will change.
IRML: In all likelihood the ship movement will stay as it is... but we do have some plans in place to match some of the movement goodness from X-wing and Tie-Fighter - things like the fasting turning being accomplished at 1/3 throttle.
Borkless: Glad you like the cockpit glass! It's the little touches that I love doing. And that's exactly what we've got planned for the capship explosions!
Armondikov: Well, if you're interested in being a beta tester... Go ahead and e-mail me at howieearl (atsymbolgoodness) gmail (comthing) That goes for everyone. You'll need a gmail account of your own, since we plan on distributing this alpha version using Google Drive. Once it's live - we'll e-mail instructions on how to snag the latest build and run it.
Okay, so here's the capital ship explosion mockup!
Enjoy!
Holy hell, Howie. That is looking phenominal! Definitely chalk me down for the beta. I get misty eyed for the old WC games just looking at those videos. It's funny...When you go back and play the classics, they're never quite as amazing as you remember them. But this...It takes all the fondness of the classic 2d space flight sims, gives it all the shiny goodness that modern graphics can and really ramps up the rose glasses effects to max. I love it. (Especially the cockpit glass. Awesome. ).
Thanks Guys! So now I'm working on a modular pirate fighter. I didn't model the detail on this one - I'm trying out a texture set that should emulate the modeled detail fairly well...
Like the Diamondback, this design is pulled from an old one of mine...
Looking good, trying to think what this ship reminds me of. The Jedi Starfighter from Revenge of the Sith maybe? It is certainly small and compact. I think if it is a pirate ship it might need a little character, perhaps a more eccentric paint job or something? Just looks a little plain and utilitarian at the moment. Like the ongoing development, definitely looks like it is getting more interesting. Also for a minor design point, looks like to me that you need to bulk up that hull panel underneath the engines at the rear, that lip just looks too thin and not able to support those enlarged thruster nozzles, it looks too flimsy to me and looks like it needs a little additional support structure to appear more realistic.
Looks like it's designed to fly in small groups that are well choreographed to screen larger vessels. As with all your vessel designs I'm looking forward to surviving in it or taking out of my sky
TALON_UK: Thanks! I wasn't really trying to match any righter with this... I guess my main idea was a mixture of the Arrow (Wing Commander 3&4) and the Heretic (Privateer 2). And I agree that it need paintjobs or spectacular flamboyantness! The version I had been posting was the civilian version - the one that will be flying around all normal like. I also agree with the bottom fin being a bit flimsy looking. I beefed it up with some supports!
Firelode: Yeah, that's exactly the role it's intended to fill! And you never fly this one (at some point, maybe... but doubtful)...
So here are the first 8 pirate ships. laid out in sprite sheets.
Thoughts?
Enjoy!
Okay, you picky buggers! Here's a higher-resolution render of the 10 Pirate Fighter Variations Ive made so far. 8 of them were on that sheet up top, there.
I'd love any feedback you guys have.
Enjoy!
Bloody brilliant, as usual. It's awesome that there will be so much variety. Most games have the "pirate fighter" but you've got at least 10, which makes me pee just a little.
Have you considered that for the capital ships to not entirely destroy them, but to leave hulks that you could, if not careful, smash into? It would require yet more sprites, but I can see you enjoying making wrecked versions of these.
Klavs81: Thanks. Hopefully you weren't on carpet.
Annihilator: Yep! The only difference is that you need 16 vertical rotations of the same thing. 544 sprites in all.
Armondikov: Well, Larger chunks of debris, certainly. Something on the order of a midsize asteroid. I already have that planned, and it should be awesome.
So, sorry I've been away so long, I had a business trip down to Dallas for two weeks, without my computer. Luckily, Jan Simon has made a great deal of progress on the code - and game side.
Now that I'm back, I'm working on some civilian fighters. Here's the first!
And I've also been working on the first, general missile design. This is a Heatseeking Missile.
And I've also bee working on some website bumpers...EYECANDY!
With any luck I'll be back with more art, and more videos of gameplay!
Anyhow, Enjoy!
The civilian fighter looks great from the top. It feels a little unbalanced to my eyes from front-on given there's more bulk below the centre-line than above it when viewed from the front, but that's purely a subjective thing.
Posts
suggestions:
I think when the ships explode the bigger ones should tumble slower, the smallest ones look great but the tumbling should decrease with ship size from there
also I'm finding myself wanting to see the ship roll when it turns, I'm sure I used to play x-wing and you couldn't yaw the ship like that, you had to roll it to one side and pull up if you wanted to turn
anyway that's all I can think of, it's great otherwise, it's like refined old school, I love it
With the actual motion of the ship, rolling when it turns is really a throwback to atmospheric flight, we tend to add that to starfighter motion for familiarity, such as with Star Wars dogfights emulating WW2 dog fighting footage. Yet in reality, being a spacecraft it will most likely execute manoeuvres with directional thrusters, kinda like you saw in Babylon 5 with the Earth Force Starfury (Still one of the best and most realistic starfighter designs out there if you ask me), so the sort of motion pictured in the animation is probably truer to spaceflight manoeuvring than if the ship rolled into turns like a fighter aircraft.
also if it's good enough for x-wing it's good enough for any game
Wow! I love it. Especially the grime on the cockpit glass. Don't know why, but it really gives me the feeling of being out in the black.
But, I echo the comments of others, blowing up the bigger ships seemed a little anticlimactic. I think it would be better if a series of explosions rippled along the ship, ending with a few big chunks slowly twisting away.
(tl:dr version: make the cap-ship destruction effect much longer.)
Secondly, how's the RPG side of it coming along? I thought meshing the two old-skool genres together was an awesome idea, so I'd really like to see more of it if you have the time.:thumb:
TALON_UK: Thanks! Yes, the cockpit will be having quite a lot more going on in the end. Also, I'm trying to get the copperhead to be reminiscent of the Raptor from Wing Commander...which was originally copied from the gunstar. So yeah, thanks! Glad at least some of the references are shining though. As for the capital ship explosions... yeah, right now they're just using the same thing that the fighters use. This will change.
IRML: In all likelihood the ship movement will stay as it is... but we do have some plans in place to match some of the movement goodness from X-wing and Tie-Fighter - things like the fasting turning being accomplished at 1/3 throttle.
Borkless: Glad you like the cockpit glass! It's the little touches that I love doing.
Armondikov: Well, if you're interested in being a beta tester... Go ahead and e-mail me at howieearl (atsymbolgoodness) gmail (comthing) That goes for everyone. You'll need a gmail account of your own, since we plan on distributing this alpha version using Google Drive. Once it's live - we'll e-mail instructions on how to snag the latest build and run it.
Okay, so here's the capital ship explosion mockup!
Enjoy!
http://www.hedfiles.net/Copperhead43.png
http://www.hedfiles.net/Copperhead44.png
http://www.hedfiles.net/Copperhead45.png
http://www.hedfiles.net/Copperhead51.png
And two clay renders, for the detail phreaks out there:
http://www.hedfiles.net/Copperhead60.png
http://www.hedfiles.net/Copperhead61.png
Any thoughts?
Enjoy!
Consider toning down the contrast somewhat so we can enjoy the details better.
Like the Diamondback, this design is pulled from an old one of mine...
Thoughts?
Further progress!
Thoughts?
Firelode: Yeah, that's exactly the role it's intended to fill! And you never fly this one (at some point, maybe... but doubtful)...
So here are the first 8 pirate ships. laid out in sprite sheets.
Thoughts?
Enjoy!
I'd love any feedback you guys have.
Enjoy!
Annihilator: Yep! The only difference is that you need 16 vertical rotations of the same thing. 544 sprites in all.
Armondikov: Well, Larger chunks of debris, certainly. Something on the order of a midsize asteroid. I already have that planned, and it should be awesome.
So, sorry I've been away so long, I had a business trip down to Dallas for two weeks, without my computer. Luckily, Jan Simon has made a great deal of progress on the code - and game side.
Now that I'm back, I'm working on some civilian fighters. Here's the first!
And I've also been working on the first, general missile design. This is a Heatseeking Missile.
And I've also bee working on some website bumpers...EYECANDY!
With any luck I'll be back with more art, and more videos of gameplay!
Anyhow, Enjoy!
Hope the trip was productive.
The civilian fighter looks great from the top. It feels a little unbalanced to my eyes from front-on given there's more bulk below the centre-line than above it when viewed from the front, but that's purely a subjective thing.
Looking forward to seeing more vids!
i like that civilian fighter. my first though was "future Corsair"