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

[L.I.F.]

Action Stations! We have located a particularly dangerous threat to the fleet attacking Vukar Tag, a Kilrathi heavy carrier:

Thanks to @Klavs81 for his awesome textured model and to @DefianceIndustries for his help on getting the textures ingame.

Edit: its defensive armament will be 22 Flak Turrets that differentiate themselves from later weapon systems by having a more limited firing arc (they can turn 90 ° on each side from their default orientation, not more, so a starboard-pointing turret will not be able to track and fire at port targets, thus choosing alternate targets).

 

[L.I.F.]

In response to this threat, Confed reinforcements have just arrived. Please welcome the TCS Wolfhound and Admiral Banbridge:

 

[Klavs81]

Looking awesome guys!

Remind me to get you my new Rapier model.

Having trouble with the Tiger's Claw textures?

 

[L.I.F.]

Looking awesome guys!

Remind me to get you my new Rapier model.

Having trouble with the Tiger's Claw textures?

Some, actually, but not the ones in the previous picture. The game gets issues when compiling meshes with more than 25-30 k polygons each, and in the previous version, I divided the main hull incorrectly. Here what I get when I subdivize it a bit more:

And here what I get if I do not subdivize it at all:

My main problem, however, is with the multiple channels on most sub-meshes. The software I use can apparently use one channel per mesh (though it can use multi-materials), and I found out how to move UW maps to the #1 channel with 3DS Max, but this just means I can use one channel, so for example with the deck sub-mesh, I'll only get a proper texture on the front (the space-side) but I won't be able to modify the other elements at all. Do you know a way, with Blender or 3DS Max, to turn your sub-meshes into single-channel multi-material ones? Thanks!

 

[Klavs81]

Some, actually, but not the ones in the previous picture. The game gets issues when compiling meshes with more than 25-30 k polygons each, and in the previous version, I divided the main hull incorrectly. Here what I get when I subdivize it a bit more:

And here what I get if I do not subdivize it at all:

My main problem, however, is with the multiple channels on most sub-meshes. The software I use can apparently use one channel per mesh (though it can use multi-materials), and I found out how to move UW maps to the #1 channel with 3DS Max, but this just means I can use one channel, so for example with the deck sub-mesh, I'll only get a proper texture on the front (the space-side) but I won't be able to modify the other elements at all. Do you know a way, with Blender or 3DS Max, to turn your sub-meshes into single-channel multi-material ones? Thanks!

Ini can find the time i'all bale all that stuff out into a flat map. Stby

 

[L.I.F.]

No problem, it's not that critical as I can get a glowing light to come out of the hangar to mask the emptiness inside, it's just that it would allow your stuff to be showcased with all its glory (I just need to fix an issue with the collision mesh as well as some technical stuff with the ship editor).

BTW, does anyone know if there's an available high definition model for the Waterloo-class cruisers?

 

[L.I.F.]

And coming alongside the carriers is the Exeter-class destroyer:

The turrets ain't included yet. What would you suggest, people? Laser, flak, a mixture of both, something else?

 

[DefianceIndustries]

lasers and flack guns. Should also have the heavy laser turret for anti-cap ship work.

 

[L.I.F.]

lasers and flack guns. Should also have the heavy laser turret for anti-cap ship work.

You mean the AMG turret?

Edit: now with the Tiger's Claw's hangar glow set up.

 

[Spertallica]

So, first off, this mod is pretty awesome. The models are beautiful, and the mod really nails the Wing Commander "feel." I've always wanted to play a real time RTS using Wing Commander units since I was a kid. That said, I have a question- I haven't really played the base Homeworld game much at all before I picked up Homeworld Remastered to give this mod a spin. I've played a couple games in Skirmish now, but it seems like the AI is really hung up on spamming a ton of light carriers (regardless of the side I pick for the AI) and nothing else other than a few Arrows/Darkets, a couple Thunderbolts or Paktahn and, if I'm lucky, a corvette or two. As much fun as it is slaying a bunch of light carriers in a single pass with a flight of Longbows, I wind up crushing the AI in all the games I've played since it pours all of its money into light carriers instead of offensive units. Is there a particular AI setting that the game is supposed to be played at in Skirmish so the AI is more of a challenge (e.g. builds bombers, corvettes, capships, etc. and tries to attack me with them and/or exercise map control), or is the mod more of a strictly multiplayer affair? It's cool if it's multiplayer only (I get that AI is stupid hard to write), but I just want to make sure I'm not missing the boat. FYI, I've been playing with a hard AI set on normal strategy, and hard AI on dynamic strategy.

Thanks for the help and the awesome mod! I appreciate all of the work you have clearly put into it!

 

[L.I.F.]

Well, AI isn't something I truly understand as of now. From my understanding of things, heavier units should be built, but for some reason, the need for light carriers doesn't seem to be fulfilled properly, so, no, the issue ain't on your side. I'm trying to get the AI to do stuff (and actually doing anything at all was a big milestone for me X_X) and while I think I might get it do build and use heavier ships, I have no idea whether I'll be able to get it to play like a WC admiral, AKA using strike crafts properly. This is one of the reasons I'm also trying to get campaign missions where I can script the hell out of it for a short time. ^_^;

 

[Spertallica]

In that case, anyone interested in setting up a multiplayer game of this at some point? Let me know... I don't mind being the evil Kilrathi Empire.

 

[L.I.F.]

You can ask here or on the Steam page, I'd say (and the Kats are pretty fun to play, actually ^_^; ).

 

[DefianceIndustries]

You mean the AMG turret?

it's actually not an AMG turret. According to Claw Marks It's a heavy laser battery. However for parity it could be an AMG turret.

 

[L.I.F.]

it's actually not an AMG turret. According to Claw Marks It's a heavy laser battery. However for parity it could be an AMG turret.

Yep, but given that it'd be the only ship armed with it and it won't take place in WC1's era, I guess it can be an AMG. :-P

 

[L.I.F.]

So, about the Bengal-class, their weaponry: these ships are currently armed with seven laser turrets for defensive purposes and come with a quite heavy frontal armament, as per the job of strike carriers. First and foremost, they come with a pair of heavy antimatter turrets:

These weapons are severely limited in their firing arcs but make up for it with very high firepower and accuracy, their shots being each twice as powerful and twice less likely to miss than regular turreted AMG bolts:

In addition to this, the ship comes with two frontal missile tubes that will probably be armed with cruise missiles similar to the ones fielded by Kilrathi capital ships.

Like the Exeter and the Snakeir, the Bengal is currently planned to be a campaign-exclusive ship in the recreation of End Run. All in all, a worthy predecessor to the Jutland-class, slightly less armed but offering the same package that made the Confederation proud from the Tiger's Claw to the Cerberus. Pew, pew!

 

[L.I.F.]

Finally, another model from @Klavs81 that got ported ingame but will most likely not see action, his take on the Sivar dreadnought:

Very unlikely to be used in the campaign or the skirmish/multiplayer mode due to difficulties with the file, but if I manage to get some dry dock to work, I guess it might be part of the decor for a mission near Kilrah.

Here you can see the wet dream of TCN Marines when finally reaching Kilrah:

Picture this and many other dry docks with various ships, waiting for nice demolition charges. Target acquired, people:

 

[L.I.F.]

*does his best David Attenborough voice*

And now, I am going to take a closer look to the legendary brood mother of Asteroid Fighters, the Asteroid Base. If we are lucky, we might see the courtship rituals in which a Dralthi mates with an Asteroid to sire a newborn Asteroid Fighter!

(That's my headcanon and you can't stop me!)

 

[Dundradal]

In that case, anyone interested in setting up a multiplayer game of this at some point? Let me know... I don't mind being the evil Kilrathi Empire.

We can certainly try to find a time. I'm also not the best at HW. I've played through both campaigns so I get the basics but not all the details (lots of what LIF is talking about, I just pretend to know ) so it'd probably be a pretty fair fight.

You can find me in #wingnut whenever I'm home.

 

[L.I.F.]

Here's the Ralari:

Also, here is a suggestion for a new interface. Look on bottom-left:

The new icon is strongly inspired from the tactical icons showed in Wing Commander Saga's briefings, modified with the new ships as well as with a dedicated space for the statistics of the unit. I think I'll end up going with multiple-view profiles for ships and fighters, like in Wing Commander III's loadout screen. Here how it should look with subsystem-equipped ships.:

And with the multiple-view system:

One exception, though:

EDIT (Tuesday): all icons are done for the Confederation.

Edit (February 25th): all icons are done for the Kilrathi. Only the Border Worlds left to do and I'll update the package.