Development has ramped up over the past few days with the new TO DO BEFORE RELEASE list posted in the development forums. The team is working on all fronts from infocards to FL Hook 2.0 coding to get this mod ready for its release on December 15th 2011. In the next few weeks you'll see our work logs fill up with new content.
I also started to work again on my normal/specular mapping project. I'm thrilled with the results of these two capital ships. They're both beautiful designed and textured models and these normal/specular mapping just take them to another level. One of the ships is of particular importance as its a staple of all the factions shiplists, including civilians.
I hope you enjoy these small previews as much as I had pleasure in making them.
I hope to have a new development video out showing the systems off in the near future! So stay tuned!!
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I wonder if your able to pilot these ships?
you are :)
Yes. These will definitely be pilotable
All the ships we've ever shown are player-controlled.
Just a matter of actually getting your hands on one ;)
The thing I mused about the most is how you will be able to create a world where the players have just as much fun to pilot a small TIE-Fighter as a giant Star Destroyer and how you will successfully manage to hold a realistic balance of capital ships and fighters. The nightmare would be a world where battles consist of ten capital ships and two fighters...
I remember a news where it was said, that each fraction will have a limited number of each ship, but I am still sceptical how it will turn out. In fact, nobody can precisely say how motivating it will be to pilot a TIE Bomber over several months just because all capital ships are already in use, but I have much trust in your team to find a good solution.
The scenario you mentioned happened in Tides of War. Dev, when I started to created the mod, cautioned us of this prospect. We have/will take measures to ensure that capital ships will not be the emphasis of the mod, rather starfighters will. To achieve this, we have limited capital ships based on several factors; faction wealth, faction trading and server activity. For a capital ship of a certain class to be on the server, there will need to be a certain number of opposing faction players online. To build a capital ship you will not only need a tremendous amount of credits, you'll also need to build the ships with material garnered through trading.
I'll be pretty frank here when I say, you'll never see a player controlled ISD/MC90 with regular day-to-day activities.
or the Capital ships have 20 - 50 KI Fighter. That would be greater.
Yeah, adding lots of Ai's to fly as fighter/bomber pilots.
Pro is that this would make a battle much more realistic (in cause of the fiction)
Con is that this would f*** up the game perfomance.
build the capital ships? do we have to build these in-game using credits? i was under the impression that you could buy these capital ships?
also, i was wondering about the power of these vessels? if i am controlling this ship, do i control each gun/turret such as a freigther would or is it AI controlled weaponry?
haha and finally, how expensive will these capitals ships be, relative to say, a tie fighter?
sorry bout the questions, but you guys are doing such an awesome job, im SO EXCITED!
i am curious too on how the resource sytem will work. cant wait to get my hand on it to find out :D
you are able to controll each weapon. just like in regular FL. you can group some weapons and switch them on and off however you want.
i would guess that if a tie costs one bag of credits, a SD would cost about 10.000 - 100.000 bags
capital ships the size of an SD were never intended to be privatly owned, but rater bought by large companies or factions.
i am excited too! helping them by awnsering questions that have already been asked is the least i could do :D
Capitol ships will have to be "built" by factions to be able to use them. Using an innovative web interface Qi built(is building,) factions must gather and stockpile certain materials used in the construction of these vessels. For example, x number of raw materials, basic alloys, ship plating, personnel, control panels, hyperdrive components, ect.. and the list goes on. These stockpiles can be seen by the faction leadership, on their corresponding faction control panels, so they can inform their members of what is needed and what they have enough of.
Once the faction gathers enough resources and credits for the certain class of capitol they desire, and once the minimum member amount is achieved, that faction can begin the construction process.
Details are still being discussed and the amounts for each class of capitol ship is TBD.
This does not mean that once the capitol ship is constructed and ready to be used, it can just "pop-in." There are online player limiting factors that are still being discussed on when a capitol ship can be logged in and when not.
This system sound very interesting. Can't wait to see how it pays out. Great job on the ships too.
Looks great, and I'm enjoying the insight into the complexities of the game's design. Looks like this is going to be quite the in depth and immersive Star Wars experience. Looking forward to it.