Mando's development thread

First off I am going to say, this is NOT an official development thread, while I am trying to get these into SOL, I still have not heard from dabrain, and i havent heard from axem recently. My reason for creating this thread is to get some feedback from you guys(though I know frequent visiting is down, which might increase, because I plan to do frequent udates). So I currently have 5 models which are technicly in hte texturing stage(my weakest), however I am willing to add to them if a valid arguement is made. so here are the first three, I will attach my model pics below, and put the main refs up here.
The Arwing Interceptor (fast, and agile, automaticly has twin lasers in its nosetips, but normaly does not have a smart bomb launcher, but more lasers may be possible, and it does have a true shield due to light hull armor, note I do have ingame refs from SF2, that show it with this forward hull look, and the g-diffuser color is for a bit more uniqueness, and I say that it is a prototype version of G-diffuser as well, though technicly still a canon secondary one)

Arwing defender(has heavy weapondry, several lasers, and multiple warhead launchers[note, since weapon stats are kinda uncannon anyways, and the engine may have only been capable of limited weapondry stats, I have boosted em] it is proably bigger than the assualt arwing, is pretty slow, however it does have a prototype version of the assualt arwings breaking system, and it can take a lot of damage)

{my new backstory on the defender and the interceptor: Made as prototypes to test further arwing technologies, the defender and interceptor were both more specified for certian missions than the main arwing series, but managed to become semi sucessful anyways, though very few were made, a handful were bought by team fox directly after the lylat wars, though they were put into storage as emergency craft. 2 interceptors were also acquired by the mercenary team of Fay and Miru. They are supposed to be some transitionary pieces between the 3 arwings(interceptor: mk1->sf64; Defender: Sf64->assualt}

and the final craft I am showing today, the Cat's Paw (note some alterations have been made to improve the look, and texture still needs touching up)

I have two more I will show in a couple days, and I do hope to get some feedback on these three

The Cat's Paw looks too angular and undetailed IMO... Feels like it's still the same model from the N64...

well, it may not have a large amount of details, however I have made several changes and improvements from the SF64 version and while it is angular, I was going for something of a advanced fighter like stealth and angular personaly looks good;, however if you have any ideas on HOW to improve it I would be glad to listen, and also the texture is not done, and it will proably need help from someone with more skill in that area, however the model itself I can improve if you give more specific input, as my skill is mostly replication, with some improvements, but I need help to do it fully. also what do you think of my interpertation of the arwing interceptor and defender, and how the models look?

It's good work, but I agree that the models could use some more detail. I don't know how much help this'll be, as I can't do what you do, but I'll give it a shot.

There are some details on the Interceptor and Defender that are implied by the original bitmaps. For example, there's the two dealies immediately behind the cockpit on the Defender, and whatever is in between the fuselage and G-Diffusers; those areas are all pixelated.

Instead of trying to re-create the models perfectly but in higher resolution, you can feel free to add anything that looks like it would fit. Running lights, antennae, warning labels, random greebles, smaller hull panels protecting access points. For inspiration, you might want to look at Hades' updated Medusa: http://www.hard-light.net/forums/index.php?topic=76945.0 or Sab0o's Artemis: http://www.hard-light.net/forums/index.php?topic=73768.280

Also, when you build a cockpit (and pilots) and find out how to do transparent canopies, these'll take another leap forward.

I will have to make the pilots.... greeeat... I may have to just modify existing one. hmm but the internal cockpit I should be able to do in theory, but first I guess i do have some detailing ideas, though I am a bit more of a replicator, I can do great off a single pic if needed, but adding stuff is tough, and I hate having to reuvmap it. I think I know some detailing to the interceptor and defender, but I would need feedback for the cats paw. Though, I will add more detail to the defender than the interceptor, cuase I think it should be a bit simpler and elegant like the normal arwing

ok so after listening to scourge, I decided to go back and work on the defender a bit. First thing I want to say is, for now IGNORE the texture, I have some uv map fixing to do, and that is my weakest area, I was just planning to make a base, and get help with the final thing. also, scourge, I ignored the attenae comments, cause this is an arwing, they dont have attenaes, and labels are to a minimum
ok so I decided to add a few general details, and some weapondry related details, so I added 6 lasers, two top missile/smart bomb ports with retractable hatches(more on that later), and a bottom port with retracting doors, for two launchers designed for a more convential bombing attacck style, note I still need to mess with the smoothing areas a bit

so with the 2 top hatches, I have 2 options I want your opinions on, either it slides up and back, or it hinges up with the pivot on its inward side
, these panels might be destroyable
I plan to do some work on the interceptor tomorrow as well

also, just to show you guys, I have made many changes and design improvements myself, those ref pics up above were the basis, and they were pixel art, I have below 2 pics of the actual ingame defender, and trust me, mine is an improvement

And the G-diffusers and wings on both of these are all me, they are not upgrades of the original, instead they were inspired by the main series of arwing

also note, I am currently trying to figure out how exactly to itnergrate the lasers into the twin noses of the interceptor, this ought to be interesting
and I have decided to show, what I call the classic conerian interceptor, it is a much improved version of the fighter from the opening scenes of SF2, mind you I still have some texture work to do, and I may do some more model work as well, though I do want to say it is angular for a reason, and it does have a decent amount of polys. and a peek at something else I still need to do some improvement on, but is going to be revealed soon

ok so I went ahead and did a few changes on the interceptor, and I only couldthink of 2 major things, the nose tip lasers, and redoing the cockpit, so I did both, now the cockpit is a bit sharper and more starfoxish, anything else would proably be textures, which I stink at
also the pics of the original ingame model as well

Wow, you work fast, good job.

I don't know what other sort of details you could add, I already brainstormed my brain out on the previous post
Opinion on the panels: I say go for a swivel hinge opening. Last thing I heard was that FSO only does "rotation" type animations, so if you wanted the flaps to open in-game, they would have to be that sort.

Your stuff looks good, and keeps improving. Keep it up!

Thanks scourge, well I just checked the emulator images, and here is something I can use to get in another detail. The arwings in SF2 had actual shields, however I plan to do it here, is make the defenders normal, but the interceptors a type of boost, as many believe the main shield reading=hull, but the interceptor had an actual shield boost ability, or maybe just ability, that I can turn into a greeble, perhaps on the front or bottom of the interceptor. and dont you worry about the defender, it has an ability I can turn into something maybe, it has a hull repair ability(note, in SF2 these abilities replaced the smart bomb, but that is not the case here, that was due to engine limitations). so I should be able to make some sort of greeble for both of em, mayb just a special panel or something, or maybe on the interceptor something on that flat area between the 2 noses.

also, I have a few improvements I think I will make on what I call the classic conerian interceptor(fighter from sf2), like new wings

oh and a little joke, I plan to make the lowest LOD of the arwings, and perhaps the interceptor as well, look identical to the original

uh, ok with the cat's paw I could use some help with, any of you team concept artists still around?

ok while I have begun the wing changes, I think I will keep ou guys busy with some pics of a patrol of 3 conerian interceptors being attacked by..... dundundun, a Wolfen mk2(SF64)!!! note, I am going to do some changes and more detailing on it, but this is still good enough to show you the main frame, and YES it is supposed to have sharp edges, oh and scaling is approximate, however the Wolfen Mk 2 IS extremely large for a fighter, perhaps double the length of an arwing. (also I have considered doing the wolfen prototype(SF2), but of course that would be at a later date)

oh yeah, the fuselage does still need a bit of work, specialy the back, but I am not entirely sure what to do with it, ideas or sketchs anyone?

well what I really need now is not another modeler, but a decent sketch artist with some decent ideas as I stink at drawing, and I am not entirely sure what to do

mandobardanjusik said:

well what I really need now is not another modeler, but a decent sketch artist with some decent ideas as I stink at drawing, and I am not entirely sure what to do

Click to expand...

I know that Thaeris on HLP is a great concept artist, he does sketches for all sorts of different projects. If you can get in touch with him, he could probably get you something pretty quick.

thanks scourge, I will send him a message shortly

ok, proably should have posted this last week. Thaeris is helping wiht something else, but he knows next to nothing about SF, however I have tried to contact Starslayer, as he is a concept artist, and he is actualy on the credit list for SOL, however I have not heard back from him yet. Any other ideas? and any further comments on the wolfen 2 or the conerian interceptor

Well, as I mentioned, I'm not a modeller, so any advice I could give would probably be pretty annoying and general. Things like "add moar detail". That's mostly it.

I would suggest, if you haven't already, to look through the Freespace Modding and Freespace Upgrade forums, and just look at all the other ships. Try to get see what kind of textures and details they add to make their stuff more life-like.

and look at the pics I can find of the current arwings. I understand, I am actualy beginning a nother model now, I am really hoping for a reply from axem

ok, say hello to the beginning of the wolfen prototype
it is still lacking its g-diffuser upper wings. basic idea is that the original wolfen was actualy reverse engineered off of the snes arwing by andross, and enlarged somewhat, and opitimized in different areas, obvious this is diversed from in the later incarations of it.
and yes this is still a WIP

Pointy!

Thats the point, its a sharp agressive interceptor with none of the friendly smoothness of the arwing, though I still need to figure out the g-diffusers(and it you are wondering where andross got the prototype arwing, remember the beginning of SF64? I highly doubt they were flying the final models, and pigma had one

okk, so any of you who have played through SF2 in the emulator might be asking yourselves "wait didnt Wolf have is own version of the wolfen?" and you are correct, and I figured out the upper wings on the normal wolfen as well(and yes wolfs ship was blue, dont ask me why), note I am totaly up to ideas on the wings/g-diffusers, but sketches arre better than words

oh, and Axem at least is still semi active, hoping for feedback from him soon