That is awesome! The only little nit-pick I have is...It doesn't feel very fast. Maybe have the camera pull away from the dash to give a bigger impression of linear acceleration. Same with the turns. Have the pilots head move around as the ships making her turn and all that. Or have the actual shot through the launch tube move faster. But, overall, brilliant!
Thanks, IRML!
BradMick: Yeah, I totally agree. For the cockpit shake, and pullback...all that needs to happen in game - it's really easy to do it real-time... not so easy the way I've got it rendering. But yes! it will be there.
japetus: Thanks, and I agree - here's an update!
Oh yeah, now that feels powerful! It's so neat seeing this old style graphics done with modern 3D packages. Is your lighting in the tube painted maps or actual lighting? How does this integrate into the game exactly? Do you have textured geometry in-game or are you showing just an image sequence?
Great work! You've really captured the feel of those mid nineties space simulators! I remember the debates between the then rudimentary polygonal approach (X-Wing) and the sprite approach (Wing Commander) like it was yesterday.
japetus: Thanks, man! So, the tunnel stuff is just...Images. I'm not using any 3d geo here beyond simple uv mapped planes. So to answer your question - the lighting in the tunnel, and indeed everywhere, is light-traced radiosity with area shadows...because it's all pre-rendered
Here's a screenshot of the scene to show you what I'm on about:
So yeah, what you see in this mockup is identical to what you'd see in the game. I'm just going to export the camera animation and the relative positions of the frames, and it should be exactly the same. The only thing I've not accounted for is the difference in height-from-the-deck for each of the fighters...Some are significantly more low-slung than the Copperhead, and the perspective should be nearer to the floor. I'm hoping no one notices or cares, because I don't want to have to re-render a new set of launch sprites for every player fighter.
Stonky: Thanks. I just remember how fun they were to play - I couldn't have cared less about the tech behind them. Until I started to want to make my own games... then I got curious, of course.
Thanks guys! Here's the next cockpit I'm working on... The Boomslang!
Still pretty early on, but anyone have any thoughts?
Also, I've started my own webpage back up - http://www.hedfiles.net and will be posting more about DeadSilent art, game design, and progress there. Just one gallery post up so far, but it's stuff I've not show here before, so you guys might find it interesting.
Glad to see you using your website! I'm practically hooked already and you only have the one post. It's nice to see the "here is my inspiration -> here's what I made" progression there.
Thanks guys!
Annihilator: Yeah, that story will definitely be making an appearance. Now if I can just track down all the emails and images. :P It was 5 years ago, after all.
Update to the cockpit... moving along, still much to do.
It's been forever since I've checked out this forum, but I'm glad I did today. This looks incredible, and I truly hope the game comes to fruition. I was always disappointed with the apparent demise of Pioneer, but this may be even more exciting, being set in an original universe but still retaining a lot of that Wing Commander flavor.
Thanks, MagnumHB! I really feel sad about Pioneer too - I really thought I had something going on there, something that could get finished released and be awesome. This is almost my re-bound project, and it's one I fully intend to make work to the end.
Looking as good as ever. Though perhaps a little too dark? I know it's hard to tell without the animations and flashing screens that you've got on the other cockpit, so perhaps it actually isn't.
Whoah I just started looking through the whole thread and I must say this is the most impressive thing I have seen in a long, long time ! It reminds me of the first PC games that I had - FMV cutscenes, pixelated graphics and 2D planars everwhere
Great work !
It looks great, mate. Only thing I can even think of is maybe some exposed wiring down the right hand side. Also, maybe some coils of wiring just visible behond the display panels behind the little LED instrument clusters that sit above the displays.
Apart from that? Sheesh - I've got nothing!
Edit - One thing that just occurred to me...Do you have an "Eject" light/button anywhere in this or the other cockpit you've finished? It would be a neat little nod of the head to Wing Commander if you did. It used to light up when the ship was heavily damaged, you might recall. :cool:
I agree with you there Comco! There was nothing more satisfying than flying the last 3 of a four point patrol with that eject light and tone screaming at you. Really made you fight for your life. Definitely a must add if it's not already there somewhere, Howard!
Armondikov: Yeah, a bit too dark. I think I've got it fixed in the last few images.
somacruz145: Thanks!
Comco:Heh, thanks. I do like the random radar screen thrown on at the top left there. I totally agree on the wiring, and I've added it, as well as some other tubing and wires.
Bradmick: I completely forgot the Eject warning light! This cockpit has it now, and I'll go back and add it to the Copperhead cockpit. I don't think the turret cockpit needs one, so it's not a big deal. Thanks!
Here are the latest: << Canopy up << Canopy down, ready for launch << In space
*grumbles something about the eject button being his idea*
Will be interesting to see how you do the HUD on this one. On the first one you worked on, you went with a conformal HUD that seemed to match the angle of the canopy. How do you envisage you will do it here?
Flanker: Thanks! Enjoy the animated version.
Comco: Yeah, it was. My bad. GOOD JOB, COMCO! Well, the hud on this one should be the same thing as in the Copperhead. The whole front of the cockpit glass is angled and flat, so I'm just going to use the entire half-circle as the projection surface. I'm actually going to move onto the boot up sequence for this one soon, but before I do, I really want to hit the reticules for these fighters. So that's next, I guess.
Thanks, Armondikov!
So. Here's a prelim launch sequence with everything I've got so far compiled. Still a lot of tweaks to make, and some things are a mite squished right now. I will be fixing all of it.
Please, anything at all that looks wrong or off or bad...lemme know!
Ho I did not realize until that last launch sequence that all the ingame objects would be sprites. I thought that only the cockpit would be but the ships would be low poly 3d, like in wing commander 3. Apprently you're going full sprite like in the first 2 wing commanders and privateer. While it works fine with fast moving fighters, I remmember big ships don't look so good when the suddenly turn 45 degrees. Unless you plan to add more view angles.
Anyway, great work so far, hope you make it through
Because there's a lot happening in this sequence it's a bit of a visual overload to take in so much at once. I suggest having the fighter's boot sequence finish before the launch that way the viewer can relish in that eye candy and then be ready for the launch next without being bombarded by so much sensory stimulation.
On another note, those little blue lights are ****ing genius.
Posts
shame this can't go on the header again so soon after last time
Brad
BradMick: Yeah, I totally agree. For the cockpit shake, and pullback...all that needs to happen in game - it's really easy to do it real-time... not so easy the way I've got it rendering. But yes! it will be there.
japetus: Thanks, and I agree - here's an update!
Finished the end piece!
Here's a screenshot of the scene to show you what I'm on about:
So yeah, what you see in this mockup is identical to what you'd see in the game. I'm just going to export the camera animation and the relative positions of the frames, and it should be exactly the same. The only thing I've not accounted for is the difference in height-from-the-deck for each of the fighters...Some are significantly more low-slung than the Copperhead, and the perspective should be nearer to the floor. I'm hoping no one notices or cares, because I don't want to have to re-render a new set of launch sprites for every player fighter.
Stonky: Thanks. I just remember how fun they were to play - I couldn't have cared less about the tech behind them. Until I started to want to make my own games... then I got curious, of course.
Still pretty early on, but anyone have any thoughts?
Also, I've started my own webpage back up - http://www.hedfiles.net and will be posting more about DeadSilent art, game design, and progress there. Just one gallery post up so far, but it's stuff I've not show here before, so you guys might find it interesting.
Annihilator: Yeah, that story will definitely be making an appearance. Now if I can just track down all the emails and images. :P It was 5 years ago, after all.
Update to the cockpit... moving along, still much to do.
Here's an update on the Boomslang cockpit.
Any thoughts?
Great work !
Only that I love the cockpit/dispkay layout.
It looks great, mate. Only thing I can even think of is maybe some exposed wiring down the right hand side. Also, maybe some coils of wiring just visible behond the display panels behind the little LED instrument clusters that sit above the displays.
Apart from that? Sheesh - I've got nothing!
Edit - One thing that just occurred to me...Do you have an "Eject" light/button anywhere in this or the other cockpit you've finished? It would be a neat little nod of the head to Wing Commander if you did. It used to light up when the ship was heavily damaged, you might recall. :cool:
somacruz145: Thanks!
Comco:Heh, thanks. I do like the random radar screen thrown on at the top left there. I totally agree on the wiring, and I've added it, as well as some other tubing and wires.
Bradmick: I completely forgot the Eject warning light! This cockpit has it now, and I'll go back and add it to the Copperhead cockpit. I don't think the turret cockpit needs one, so it's not a big deal. Thanks!
Here are the latest:
EDIT: One more, in the launch tube!
Thoughts?
Will be interesting to see how you do the HUD on this one. On the first one you worked on, you went with a conformal HUD that seemed to match the angle of the canopy. How do you envisage you will do it here?
Comco: Yeah, it was. My bad. GOOD JOB, COMCO! Well, the hud on this one should be the same thing as in the Copperhead. The whole front of the cockpit glass is angled and flat, so I'm just going to use the entire half-circle as the projection surface. I'm actually going to move onto the boot up sequence for this one soon, but before I do, I really want to hit the reticules for these fighters. So that's next, I guess.
Wheee!
So. Here's a prelim launch sequence with everything I've got so far compiled. Still a lot of tweaks to make, and some things are a mite squished right now. I will be fixing all of it.
Please, anything at all that looks wrong or off or bad...lemme know!
EDIT:
And if you want to compare, here's the Copperhead launch:
http://www.hedfiles.net/launchmockup2.png
Man I get so excited when these things come together and look like they belong in the same universe. :P
Anyway, great work so far, hope you make it through
Looks phenomenal, Howard. :thumb:
On another note, those little blue lights are ****ing genius.