Oolite Bulletins

Amah wrote:

I like the Vipers, Smivs! It looks a bit you plan additional to the wing flashers some on top of them as well?

Thanks. Yes, the originals did have a flasher on the top rear corners (you can actually see that in the picture of the original), so I have just moved them inwards a bit. These flash alternatively blue/purple from side to side and the wing lights flash together, sequentially front to back as per the original version.

nice!

Following on from the two Viper variants, the final Police ship can now also be revealed - the bigger and faster Interceptor (or GalCop Viper Interceptor to give it its full title).

(Click for full-size - 2000 x 1060px)


So, just two Worms to go and the whole set will be finished, at least to stage one with stage two being the coding and scripting. Once that is done and I can start play-testing I can fine-tune the textures to correct any anomalies and make them all consistent with one another, and also look at the textures for the 'Lite' set.

The last two ships.
Not exactly a Grand Finale are they, the Worms. Tiny, dull and seldom seen in game, but quite cute in a way I suppose.
Again I have followed Giles' original designs quite closely. I have reproduced the original logos and decals (you've got to love that worm, haven't you? ), and the only real change is a colour up-grade for the Miner which originally had the same basic colouring as the standard Worm.

The 'old' standard Worm...



...and my re-imagining of them.

(Click for full-size - 1700 x 1400px)


Next is to revise all the textures and get the coding and scripting together, so I won't really have much/anything more to show you now, until release. This thread may go a bit cold as a consequence, but I will post the odd progress update from time to time...

UPDATE

Getting there
The texturing is more or less finished now (or at least till the next time I change my mind about something, or have another 'good idea', or an unexpected problem [see below] requires a rethink), and I've got to the point that I have a fully functional OXP which is undergoing play-testing.
I've already found a few bugs, the Mamba with no engine, the exhaust bigger than it's ship <that was quite funny!> and so on, and I'm sure there will be more.
However one thing has shown up which does need consideration I think. Due to the expansion in the number and type of 'roles', many ships have become much more versatile. Cutting to the point, what was once exclusively a pirate might also now be a bounty hunter or assassin etc as well. So I am seeing ships emblazened with 'Skull and Crossbones' motifs (pure pirates in the pre 1.80 era) appearing 'Clean' and acting in a most un-piratical way. This strikes me as silly.
The solution? Well I think changing the logo from Skull and Crossbones to something more general (but still a bit dangerous) might be the simplest and best solution. It is a minor deviation from the original textures, but that's never stopped me before
Competition time! A logo/emblem/motif, 300x300px, suitable for pirates, assassins and other cut-throats (even 'Clean' ones), so if anybody wants to submit something for consideration...

Crossed swords - katanas, perhaps?

Always thought your Viper textures were some of the best and I love the beat-up grey texture on that worm on the right...

Smivs wrote:

Competition time! A logo/emblem/motif, 300x300px, suitable for pirates, assassins and other cut-throats (even 'Clean' ones), so if anybody wants to submit something for consideration...

If you can't decide, go with something sharp and pointy:

Yes, I was thinking swords etc as a good choice. I thought a crossbow might be quite cool as well.
There are two or three ships that need a new emblem, so the more the merrier. I like that one Big D, thanks.
So, all you budding artists out there, put pen to paper ( or fire-up Gimp as we're in the 21st Century now) and who knows, your handiwork could appear in the ship set.

BTW, if anybody fancies doing a bit of check-testing on this (checking for errors like the ones I mentioned above etc), PM me and I'll give you a link to the current version. It's really just a case of flying around and getting up close and personal to as many of the ships as possible to check that they are working and that all are appearing where and when they should. This could involve un-told excitement like hanging around the aegis for hours waiting for Shuttles and Scavengers to show, for example.
Bar fine-tuning the texturing is now pretty much done, so this isn't an exercise in art appreciation - I don't plan on making any major changes now but obviously if there is a real issue with any of the textures I'd like to know of course.

There's always the biohazard symbol, which is nicely menacing, too.

Bah, swords...
https://app.box.com/s/odbw4ah6prpmo6aikhlfkabifd7557vw
https://app.box.com/s/7nwkxxqcgev9r35f1y02w8spqiiaojt7

Hmmm, clubs, cudgels and other blunt instruments

Digging around in some past projects, I've found this "Dark Wheel"/Chaos symbol:

Thanks for the images
I've used Disembodied's Sword and Rorschachhamster's Mace-on-a-Shield, which are both now gracing a couple of these ships.
Testing is going well and no problems have been seen for several days which I'm taking as a good sign. I am just fine-tuning the textures as I go along now, adding a bit more detailing where it is needed. I've also started gathering screenshots and compiling the wiki page etc in between.
No promises, but I've got next Friday (27th Feb) pencilled in as the release date.

Smivs wrote:

No promises, but I've got next Friday (27th Feb) pencilled in as the release date.

Fat chance!
RLTM has been a PITA this week, and I have an intermittant (and so far inexplicable) bug I'd like to sort out before release as well. I'm also contemplating adding a couple more textures to complete the set - the Sidewinder for example has two versions specified in shipdata, but only one texture so I thought it might be nice to 'fill in the gaps', as indeed I have done once already by giving the Viper Pursuit its own texture.
So Friday is unlikely, but hopefully the delay will be just a few days. Watch this space.