Author Topic: WIP of TheUnknown - The Akula (mk II) (Read 106845 times)

X_TheUnknown_X · « **Reply #200 on:** November 12, 2009, 02:32:21 PM »

Well, Lionus. You wait for the DW Akula is almost over. I've finished textures on the Swiftsure for now, After that it's just speculars and hardpoints. As for the Phobos, I'll be sumbitting the mod to BCFiles shortly.

There should be no need to introduce the following

:

Dalek · « **Reply #201 on:** November 12, 2009, 02:40:24 PM »

You could waste a few more poly's by actually modelling in the holes in the hull. Would look much more realistic than flat burn marks.

captain_obvious · « **Reply #202 on:** November 12, 2009, 02:46:10 PM »

Agreed, it looks like something has just gone "splat" against the hull.

Lionus · « **Reply #203 on:** November 12, 2009, 02:51:32 PM »

all I can say is..

ninja edit: He can always make damaged model for the nitpickers when and if he feels like it. Now, shush, and let me drool after the pretty.

captain_obvious · « **Reply #204 on:** November 12, 2009, 03:50:18 PM »

Are those tiny little phaser arrays rather than single point emitters I doth spy??

Lionus · « **Reply #205 on:** November 12, 2009, 03:57:14 PM »

I have to agree with that conclusion. *cookies to the author*

Bones · « **Reply #206 on:** November 12, 2009, 05:19:32 PM »

You could make the hull deformed and twisted in damaged places like Ent-A in ST6, I like the idea of newer phaser arrays actually ;) You have done exceptionaly great job on Akula

Billz · « **Reply #207 on:** November 12, 2009, 08:21:23 PM »

You could probably spend a few more pollies on the warp nacelles, but otherwise, shes purdy!

King Class Scout · « **Reply #208 on:** November 12, 2009, 08:42:39 PM »

hey, I had to talk the polys DOWN, Billz. I can't use half the ships you guys make cause I can't upgrade my graphics card to accommodate them!

X_TheUnknown_X · « **Reply #209 on:** November 13, 2009, 04:58:45 PM »

Well it's time, I think, to respond to some posts:

Firstly, the new phaser arrays. It always bothered me that, on the DS9 war scenes, the Mirandas (and other TMP ships) always fired single phaser beams from the dual cannons (for in the case of the Saratoga, the sensor pod

). I thought it would be interesting to have a kind of micro-array so that it would look right. I'm glad y'all think so too

.
The biggest cause of dicussion is the damage effects. To get any reasonable level of detail into the mesh for damage effects would mean that even more polies would be added to the 6.5K mesh that I have now. It would also mean some remapping, as well more fiddling around with the normals calculations. In brief, and respectfully, it would just be too much work, for too little effect. What I have done, however, is added some embossing to the textures; so, much like ablative armour can be textured in with bevels, the damage can be given a sunken effect with an emboss without altering the mesh.

Once I've completed specs and got the Switsure ingame, I'll post again.

X_TheUnknown_X · « **Reply #210 on:** November 18, 2009, 05:17:34 PM »

So, here we reach the final curtain of Project Akula. The Akula's come far since the basic mesh I posted a few months' ago, here is now the last in the Akula-class series, the USS Swiftsure. The Swiftsure is balanced to the Light Cruiser status of the war era, she'll prove a match for ships of the same group such as Cardassian Galors, Dominion Bugships (in groups) and Kligon K'Tingas, however her weakness is the extensive battle damage. The ship has a weak ventral shield, the starbord phasers are slow to charge, the engines are slower than usual and at red alert, at least two systems must be kept below 90% power to avoid draining the batteries.

There are only a few more tweaks to be made until her release, until then I present the ingame pictures of the USS Swiftsure:

Lionus · « **Reply #211 on:** November 19, 2009, 07:21:08 AM »

Sweeeeeet..

FekLeyr Targ · « **Reply #212 on:** November 19, 2009, 01:43:36 PM »

Nice work.
It'll be interesting to fly the Swiftsure.

captain_obvious · « **Reply #213 on:** November 20, 2009, 07:07:12 PM »

I'm guessing there isn't going to be a "fresh off the shop floor" version of the Swiftie?

Shino Tenshi · « **Reply #214 on:** November 20, 2009, 07:12:09 PM »

It's great and all, but isn't anybody noticing those smoothing errors that are all over the place? oO

X_TheUnknown_X · « **Reply #215 on:** November 21, 2009, 06:35:49 AM »

Quote from: Shino Tenshi on November 20, 2009, 07:12:09 PM

It's great and all, but isn't anybody noticing those smoothing errors that are all over the place? oO

By my count, there were three

. I've just now been looking over the model and, yes, there are a few errors with the way the normals are calculated. By now, it would be a little too late in the project to make any adjustments to the model, but you learn from your mistakes; so my next model shouldn't have the same problems.

I'll be submitting the Swiftsure later today BTW.

EDIT: In a complete reversal to what I said earlier, I have actually finished working on a hotfix for the smoothing errors (two on the nacelles, one on the impule engines and one on the sensor pod). The problem was merely with the way the normals are calucated in complex meshes; now I've just split the problem areas up, recalculated normals and reintergrated the meshes (the only side-effect is duplicate verticies, which is why I was reluctant to try this earlier). Anyway, the fix will be included for all the Akulas - along with a full set of instructions - with the Swiftsure. The release time will be a little later while I test the new mesh.

Shino Tenshi · « **Reply #216 on:** November 22, 2009, 03:41:38 AM »

Good to hear ^^

X_TheUnknown_X · « **Reply #217 on:** December 04, 2009, 01:58:05 PM »

Okay, the Akula is now out of the way. So I've decided to end my break of expanding the Kessok Empire to bring you a new ship in their line: a Destroyer.

So far, the Kessok have very few ships at their disposal. The Light Cruiser and Heavy Battlecruiser in the stock version, and the Assault Ship, Carrier and Station realeased on BCFiles (the latter two on my account). The Kessok Destroyer is a semi-kitbash of existing Kessok hulls (although I have built all the sections myself) along with new attachments to give the ship an original design element. The ship itself is about the same size as a Kessok Light, and is designed to be the Kessok's version of the Defiant; speed and strength being the primary design ideology.

Here are some pics as the ship stands so far:

JamesTiberiusKirk · « **Reply #218 on:** December 04, 2009, 01:59:52 PM »

cool! i love kessok ships.

Billz · « **Reply #219 on:** December 04, 2009, 04:10:05 PM »

I'd change the forward section a bit as it looks rather 'innapropiate (Yes, I'm immature at times. Helps keep me sane, lol)' but otherwise, getting more Kessok hardware is always a good thing. Keep it up.

Have you given any thought to a Kessok equivilent of a Federation Fighter craft? Would be interesting to see the Kessok use small single occupant fighter craft.

News:

Author Topic: WIP of TheUnknown - The Akula (mk II) (Read 106845 times)