WC4 Mod For Homeworld 2 In The Works (June 5, 2006)

[BrynS]

Thanks for the WC4 jump buoy references, AD.

I sent czacen some WC3 jump buoy images (looks like WC4 uses the same model) and a scan of the rendered buoy on the Universe Map last week, but think I just missed him before he left for vacation.

I haven't checked yet, but do the jump buoys in WCP gameplay look like the pre-rendered one from the map?

-Bryn

 

[Dundradal]

I think they look similar to the WC3/4 model

 

[BrynS]

Just an update on the video previews -- I've captured a fair bit of footage covering all the requested issues and have just edited and uploaded the first of these Extended Previews.

EP#1 focuses on fighter combat between a roughly equivalent Confed and UBW force and runs at 4m:43s. There is a HQ XviD version (640x480 - 40.4MB) and a LQ WMV (640x480 - 14.6MB) version available. The DivX codec should suffice for the XviD version. Alternatively, I'd recommend Koepi's XviD 1.1.0 Final binary.

EP#1 can be downloaded from the same link as before, although I've cleaned up the directory structure a bit -- one can still navigate to the appropriate directory from the original link.

FileFront WC4 HW2 Directory
(Navigate from Videos --> Confed Beta --> Extended Previews --> EP1)

EP#1 HQ Direct Link

EP#1 LQ Direct Link

EP#2 & EP#3 will follow in the coming days, looking at a Longbow torpedo bombing run, capships vs capships, capships with close fighter support vs capships, sensor ping, sub-systems and more. I will be putting a short note in the Longbow bombing section in particular to highlight the shield issue (i.e. it's not implemented yet) and that the torpedo bombing dynamic will likely change in the final release.

Cheers,


Bryn

 

[czacen]

hi all,
got back yesterday from an amazing holiday. went traveling around the southern side of india with my girlfriend. was a truely fantastic experience. now im back to the grind and keeping my mind off the more boring tasks of everyday life by getting back to the MOD! still going to take a day or so to settle back in to the workflow. however i have some pics as promised. also there has been a change in construction order. i tried to add the drydock facility to the starbase so that confed needs just one multi-role build station like the HW2 shipyards. but due to design and size i have been forced to separate the two parts of the structure. so from now on there will be a starbase build option which builds fighters, bombers, platforms and utility ships. and a drydock build option which allows building frigates and caps. now the really interesting part is that these two structures can only be built from one place; from a jump buoy. these structures are built off buoys adding an interesting role to buoys by making them important not only for transport but also fortification. below are pic of just these 3 structures. bryn and ton_viper will be getting them soon so you guys can see these buildings in action in the next set of awesome videos .

 

[czacen]

 

[czacen]

some better pics. made the first set before i left for vacation. hopefully these newer ones show off the fleet better.

 

[Dumpshock]

Awsome update!
Should be interesting to see how gameplay changes with jumppoints being a vital neccesity for fleetbuilding. So they will have both the same features as a "construction yard" for bringing in the drydocks and to act as Hyperspace nodes?

On another note czacen,
I was browsing the Relic forums recently and ran accross the Dynamic Fighter mini-mod. Do you have anything like it implimented? Personally Ithink it would make an interesting addition to more realistically emulate a "Break and Attack" maneuver so to say.

Relic Forums - Dynamic Fighter Mini-Mod

Would think it would add a more hectic appearance to fighter battles rather than seeing the fighters flying in strict formations together.

 

[LeHah]

So wait - larger ships will be made from docks around jump nodes. Do you have to have the capship dock when you have a jump node?

 

[czacen]

im not sure if i understand your question right. what i meant is that you can have jump nodes wherever you want. say you place one at the starting point (your spawn point) and then place a second on at a mining operation half way across the map. the gates can be linked just like in HW2 gates. these are just buoys. then say you want the forward resource point that you have a buoy at to serve as an offensive fortification. you have the 'OPTION' to build a starbase or drydock off that buoy. the starbase and docks have movement so they can reposition however you want after being built but they are very very slow. so the buoy is actually very important, just as it shld be .

 

[GreyViper]

Question about fighter upgrades, will Avenger and Longbow have the upgrade to target subsystems?
Second, a sugestion to have UBW Banshes leech cannon upgrade, would work same way as scouts EMP special ability in HW2.

 

[Mjr. Whoopass]

I enjoyed the video of the fighter dual, I can't wait to see some of the huge dogfights that develop. I think what you've done so far czacen is remarkable, not only talent-wise but discipline-wise. I think I'd be tempted to play the game over and over again rather than work on the mod! Also, thanks BrynS for volunteering your time to make and host videos as well as helping to answer questions.

Some feedback: I noticed the Banshee was listed as a medium fighter. The Banshee's stats are most similar to Confed's Arrow and I think the Banshee is intended to be the Border Worlds version of this fighter- it's also classified as a light fighter in the WC universe. Also, I don't recall Arrows being on the side of the Border Worlds- I posted this question on the general WC chat since it IS listed on the fighter database and no one seems to have an answer. As far as I know, the BW's don't fly Arrows, but maybe someone can give an example.

Also on this site, the Vindicator is listed as a medium fighter, so I would see this as being more in the league of Confed's Hellcat. It also has similarities to the Thunderbolt . It could also compete with the Thuds since it has torp capabilities and a rear firing turret (which might be more trouble than it's worth to implement). So it might be that the BW Banshee--->Confed Arrow / BW Vindicator--->Confed Hellcat and Thunderbolt (in between these two) / and BW Avenger--->Confed Longbow would be a more proper balance.

Also, it seemed a little dark and hard to see the fighters, but this might have been the computer I was using.

On another note czacen,
I was browsing the Relic forums recently and ran accross the Dynamic Fighter mini-mod. Do you have anything like it implimented? Personally Ithink it would make an interesting addition to more realistically emulate a "Break and Attack" maneuver so to say.

Relic Forums - Dynamic Fighter Mini-Mod

Would think it would add a more hectic appearance to fighter battles rather than seeing the fighters flying in strict formations together.

I second that! At least it's worth looking into. Maybe ask the mod creator how easy it would be to impliment and if it would cause any problems: lag/game crashing/etc.

 

[LeHah]

you have the 'OPTION' to build a starbase or drydock off that buoy.

Man, I must be incredibly dense. That answered my question perfectly, thanks!

 

[Dyret]

Why not take it one step further and *make* the jump buoy the shipyard, and have it "jump" ships in in the same fashion the mothership "jumps" in the shipyard. That would be awesome!

 

[czacen]

it would make their role unrealistic to make them the shipyards. it means there is a good chance you will build several shipyards together, so this would equate to several buoys in one area together, thats not how you would see it in WC, plus as shipyards i will have to make the cost of buoys very high, that will seriously mess the game flow. their primary role shld still be hyperspace gate.

 

[Dumpshock]

I second that! At least it's worth looking into. Maybe ask the mod creator how easy it would be to impliment and if it would cause any problems: lag/game crashing/etc.

Yay! Got seconded!

I believe that the creator of the mod posted all his notes on the post. It seems like it would be rather "simple" in terms to create cept for the fact of having to completely re-script most of the maneuvers on the fighters; however, in terms of gameplay visuals, I feel it would be more than worth it. I'll take a more in depth look at it later tonight when I get home from work.

I agree mostly with the decision to keep the jumpbuoys as they are and have them moving the shipyards/construction into the game. As cool as it would be to ave them jumping larger ships in gameplay wise it would be rahter unbalancing. Maybe you could have them jump the larger, more powerfull ships in such as battleships and such saying that they require more advanced construction yards that arnt up to the capacities of the front line yards?

 

[ChrisReid]

Also, I don't recall Arrows being on the side of the Border Worlds- I posted this question on the general WC chat since it IS listed on the fighter database and no one seems to have an answer. As far as I know, the BW's don't fly Arrows, but maybe someone can give an example.

From The Price of Freedom:

A trickle of light ships, Ferrets and an odd Arrow, still emerged from the Intrepid's bay as ground crews brought them up from below and spotted them for launch. The latecomers were fed into the blazing fight in singles and pairs, adding their guns and missiles to the Intrepid's weight. The frigates and smaller escorts began to creep closer to the dogfight, interposing themselves between the fighters and the battered, vulnerable ship behind.

 

[Lt.Death100]

The Border Worlds mostly use older shipsin their fleets and try to make do with what they've got. Unknown Enemy even has a modded Scimitar!

 

[ChrisReid]

Also from The Price of Freedom:

He saw Maniac run from his Hellcat to a Rapier and climb in. Obsolete Sabers and Scimitars, early model Rapiers, and even scratch-built bastards were being sent to face the Confederation's very best machines and pilots. They were scraping the bottom of the barrel.

------------------------

"Launch!" she ordered. The first Rapier hurled itself forward, its afterburners on full thrust. It cut through the force curtain and into space. The fighters fired off the deck in five-second intervals. The Scimitar in front of Blair's Thunderbolt vanished in a cloud of smoke and a circular blue compression ring. Blair saw only the ground crews scrambling for the safety of the dock edges.

 

[Sylvester]

My question is this, what will be the fighter capacity of the Confederation and Border Worlds capital ships. I mean, will the Concordia class actually be able to support 96 fighters?

 

[czacen]

i just took the value specified in the specs and divided it by 4. since on average there are 4 fighters per wing in the game. so that means 96/4 = 24. so the shiphold capacity of the concordia in game is 24 wings. same for other ships though i just averaged it here and there in a few places.