Oolite Bulletins

Smivs wrote:

The most obvious change is the addition of two extra (small) engines. I did this simply because I think it looks good. Feedback welcome - do you think this suits the Cobby 3? Is it a move too far away from the originality which is at the heart of this project? Please let me have your thoughts.

Personally, I think the small engines are a nice nod to the original (i.e. elite) design and should make the engine trails more interesting too
Also, I like the detail on the underside.

Are those ridges on the nose or is that from the texture?

Yes, the original had 'something' out near the wingtips, but whether they were engines or not is anybody's guess. The didn't have exhausts, but...
The engine trails do look quite cool, especially an NPC under injectors (when I mercilessly attack them - purely for testing purposes of course ).

I am not touching the main models at all, so the nose ridges are not part of the model, but are produced by the normal map, as is the 'spine' along the top and the detailing around the engines.

Thanks for your thoughts

Griff's late-model Cobra Mk III (my ride of choice) has the two extra (smaller) drives too - and I reckon it's well-suited to Mk IIIs!

looking great, smiv. I'm all for the extra small engines for the cobbie3.

I instantly fell in love when I spotted my first alternate Griff cobra3 from the distance ingame with the two big and the two smaller enigine trails, so I'm all for it for your classic shipset

Thanks all, for the encouragement and feedback. Looks like the extra engines will be staying then

In other news, having had a good look at original Constrictor texture and the Smivs'Shipset one, I have decided to start the Classic version from scratch. There are elements of the old shipset version which I can recycle, but I think a fresh start is the best bet to ensure a good end result. I will hopefully have something to show you all soon.

The Constrictor. Dark, moody, menacing....(well, certainly dark!)

Screenshots (Click for full-size)....

I love that Cobra! Plz keep the aux engines

The Fer De Lance. Everybody's favourite suicidal wedge of cheddar
As it was...



...and the new look for the Classic Gold shipset.

(Click for full-size)

Smivs wrote:

suicidal

Now there's a reference that will be lost on the new generation of Ooliteers..

Yeah, things ain't what they used to be. Much more sensible now, but I sort of miss those headlong charges sometimes.

Diziet Sma wrote:

Smivs wrote:

suicidal

Now there's a reference that will be lost on the new generation of Ooliteers..

Never experienced it myself, but I read about it under the Artificial Stupidity category in the TVTropes "Oolite" entry

Some feedback on the FdL from a first impression:

As currently displayed, you can see the 'metal plate' texture pattern beneath the purple areas. I think it would look better if you couldn't; more like they marked more functional or pronounced areas as in elite.

To be fair, in large part that perception comes from the original elite wireframes but they're about as classic as you're going to get. The original Oolite textures change things somewhat but in this the areas display no obvious 'transparency' to a texture layer beneath.

IMO the original FdL texture does you no favours here re your current approach. Specifically, the purple wedge shapes on the top and underside of the model now look like an odd paint job rather than features. With your current 'texture and engines only approach' there's only so much you can do here.

As with the 'viewscreen' areas that you typically add to your textures, making them opaque should help them look more functional than decorative.

Just an opinion. Feel free to ignore and please continue

Redspear wrote:

As currently displayed, you can see the 'metal plate' texture pattern beneath the purple areas. I think it would look better if you couldn't; more like they marked more functional or pronounced areas as in elite.

To be fair, in large part that perception comes from the original elite wireframes but they're about as classic as you're going to get. The original Oolite textures change things somewhat but in this the areas display no obvious 'transparency' to a texture layer beneath.

IMO the original FdL texture does you no favours here re your current approach. Specifically, the purple wedge shapes on the top and underside of the model now look like an odd paint job rather than features. With your current 'texture and engines only approach' there's only so much you can do here.

The transparency is intentional, and is common to all the ships. To me these are just painted areas, and to have an opaque colour on these areas would not look at all right in my opinion. In fact when I am developing the texture they start off as strong solid colours (which really doesn't look good at all) and I then adjust the transparency to get the effect I am looking for, rough metal plating with a thin coat of paint. Incidently, if you look at Giles' original textures, they also have a transparency - you can see the underlying grey mottling through the colour.
Odd paint job? Well, yes it is, but that is all it is I think. Certainly without the painted wedges/triangles this ship in particular does look incredibly angular, and they do serve to break it up very well. So in fact it is a fairly faithful reproduction of Giles original design.
I remember when I was doing the textures for the old shipset, the FDL was by far the hardest to get to look good, and I honestly don't think it ever did, really. I was pleasantly surprised how well this turned out in fact, as I was dreading it for all these reasons.

Redspear wrote:

As with the 'viewscreen' areas that you typically add to your textures, making them opaque should help them look more functional than decorative.

Ah, the 'blue bit'! An Oolite enigma. Almost certainly not a window due to scale (the one on the Asp for example is some 30m wide), so you are right - I call it the 'sensor' and consider it to be the sensor for the viewscreen, scanner and ASC etc. It is based very much on the 'deflector' on one incarnation of the USS Enterprise, and therefore does glow. It is only half as bright on these as on the Smivs'Shipset ships, by the way. In fact I have been wondering recently if it is still too bright, so I will tone it down further, but perhaps not as far as totally non-emissive.

Redspear wrote:

Just an opinion. Feel free to ignore and please continue

I do appreciate all the feedback I get, and it certainly won't be ignored (although I may not act on it ). Input like this can often focus my thoughts, like the sensor thingy where I was dithering over whether to darken it more. With your help I have made the decision to do that.
Thanks.

Smivs wrote:

In fact when I am developing the texture they start off as strong solid colours (which really doesn't look good at all) and I then adjust the transparency to get the effect I am looking for, rough metal plating with a thin coat of paint. Incidently, if you look at Giles' original textures, they also have a transparency - you can see the underlying grey mottling through the colour.

I like that they're darker but that's not dependant on transparency of course...
Yeah, I was hinting at that with "no obvious 'transparency'" but you're dead right. Anyway, you've already tried it so that's that

One last attempt to flog this particular horse if I may , Have you considered outlining them? so that the metal below shows through but the 'areas' are more clearly defined.
Doubt it will appeal but worth a shot

Smivs wrote:

I remember when I was doing the textures for the old shipset, the FDL was by far the hardest to get to look good, and I honestly don't think it ever did, really. I was pleasantly surprised how well this turned out in fact, as I was dreading it for all these reasons.

It's an odd beast the FdL. Personally, I don't think that anyone's yet done a great version of it (certainly I didn't when I tried ). The elite original was one of the most detailed in that game, with three 'internal' areas showing up in the wireframe... but with textures and exhausts being applied (within oolite generally) it's turned from one of my favourites to a bit of an oddity. It's yet to live up to my hopes in any of its oolite incarnations.

Smivs wrote:

I do appreciate all the feedback I get, and it certainly won't be ignored (although I may not act on it ). Input like this can often focus my thoughts, like the sensor thingy where I was dithering over whether to darken it more. With your help I have made the decision to do that.
Thanks.

That's similar to how I try to take 'criticism' and if I helped then you are very welcome

Keep it up, that metal texture is growing on me

Redspear wrote:

One last attempt to flog this particular horse if I may , Have you considered outlining them? so that the metal below shows through but the 'areas' are more clearly defined.

Yes, I have tried that, but the end result looks a bit too much like a childs' colouring book. Sometimes a contrasting border colour works, but it does need to be quite thick to look intentional - too thin and again it looks like an outline shape which has been filled in with colour, so we're back to the colouring-in book look.