Oolite Bulletins

Ark wrote:

I do not believe that this thread justifies the title of "Ruining the classics" any more. Now it is more close to "Enchancing the classics"
This model is not only a remarkable ship but also a valid replacement for the original cobra

Hmmm...it's just that they do create a strange look compared to the common ships. I must admit though, that I like him "ruining the classics", too...it's really an enhancement.

I am not quite sure what type of ship to buy now...I guess I should buy something like the navy edition of the imperial courier, but the boa he made....it reminds a bit of a pimped up version of the Sulaco (Aliens II)...if it weren't so slow (I know, I can edit the files), I'd instantly buy it.

If there's a way to make some request, well...how about some griff-style alternative for the IC(N)? Guess I'd even save my money till then if I'd knew such a ship would be upcoming...

Anyway, I wish there'd be a larger speed range for most of the ships. I used models from python/bcc up to "fast" ships running at .6 - and the game does feel great with the higher speed. I wish there'd be a general engine upgrade to models, so that a fast ship ain't that overpowered to most others, while still having some slow stuff. I guess any big trade ship for anarchy worlds would have engines that trade off some cargo space (or have a higher mass) in order to achieve higher speeds, probably with slower acceleration/deceleration than tiny fast ships, and with just less pitch/roll? If things were realistic (I know, that can't be), a large ship would be as speedy as a tiny one, just the speed changes would be different.

Since it's so much fun running tiny ships over with a BCC and I do remember reading something about building ships for ramming capabilities in some elite manual, maybe the next "big" model could have a "head" built for such stuff?

Anyway, go on, Griff, great work!!!

Screet

I just want to say I absolutely frigging LOVE the Cobra Mk III as you've rendered it.

Don't be afraid, PLEASE, to add as many new flourishes and what-not to the model. After all, the original models were geometric because of computing limitations of drawing wire-frame graphics on the BBC Model 'B', not because of some pan-galactic design ethos.

I say: start with this...



...and pimp the mofo.

Hi Pangloss - glad to see you getting stuck back in!

The Stealth Fighter F-117A has a similar problem - it only looks like it does because that's all the polys that US Military computers in the 60s could run in their anti-radar models, if you look at the B2 Stealth Bomber designed conceptually just 10 years later - nice and smooth but with equally good anti-radar properties.

Griff wrote:

it's 2383 polys! I Haven't loaded the model into Oolite yet to see how it plays, hopefully it will be ok, otherwise i'll cut out a lot of the bevelled polys around edges of some of the shapes

I suggest not making this sort of decision just yet. ;-)

Unfortunately, I think the effect of Oolite’s smoothing on this model will be somewhat disappointing, although decent results should be possible using smoothing groups. It’s a good thing, then, that the work I’m currently doing will make it easier to add support for other model formats, e.g. supporting OBJ files directly – this will allow non-flat normals from your 3D editor of choice to be used directly in Oolite.

This isn’t a prioritized feature for MNSR, but it is something I’ll need for the rewrite of Dry Dock I’m also working on. (It’s also necessary for generation of normal maps from high-detail models to be useful.)

Ahruman wrote:

It’s a good thing, then, that the work I’m currently doing will make it easier to add support for other model formats, e.g. supporting OBJ files directly – this will allow non-flat normals from your 3D editor of choice to be used directly in Oolite.

This isn’t a prioritized feature for MSNR, but it is something I’ll need for the rewrite of Dry Dock I’m also working on. (It’s also necessary for generation of normal maps from high-detail models to be useful.)

Goodie, in short, the smoothing you see in your editor, is the smoothing you will see in-game.

Keep up the good work Ahruman..

Newbie question-
MSNR??? (Mile Stone Next Release?)

Griff-
Sign me up... I'll take the first one off the assembly line!

@Griff
The Cobbie MK3 Looks very good!

Cmd. Cheyd Vlos'Olplyn wrote:

Newbie question-
MSNR??? (Mile Stone Next Release?)

Griff-
Sign me up... I'll take the first one off the assembly line!

Mythical Next Stable Release.

goddamn, she's gorgeous.

DaddyHoggy wrote:

@Griff - just noticed the "blender" as A_C calls it - I'm afraid I'm going to have to report you to the authorities as it looks a lot like a classified project I used to work on - no seriously it does - can't tell you what though - otherwise I'd have to shoot you...

* hazards a guess* Some sort of top secret device for combining bananas & milk?

Griff wrote:

DaddyHoggy wrote:

@Griff - just noticed the "blender" as A_C calls it - I'm afraid I'm going to have to report you to the authorities as it looks a lot like a classified project I used to work on - no seriously it does - can't tell you what though - otherwise I'd have to shoot you... :D

* hazards a guess* Some sort of top secret device for combining bananas & milk?

We did warn you… *bang*

I thought you'd designed one of these: http://www.gizmag.com/go/7461/ Although the one I was on the periphery of was called DART - lots of text but no photos (not surprisingly) on the web...

I've had a go at doing a viper in a similar style to the cobra

http://www.box.net/shared/0hphhfuuhb
because the ship makes use of normal mapping it won't work on the current test release of Oolite, but it should work on the trunk version, and i remembered to test the shaders in simple mode this time - and they work! unbelieveable!!
i fixed the exhaust placement after i took the screenshot

Nice as always, Griff! It looks damned cool.

Gr8 Griff