Taking on the Classics

Remember that cool Rapier and Raptor models that Ender made? Well, here's his take on the Gilgamesh... But first, he posted this to the Chat Zone about his mod.

First of all, I've chosen to do all the work by myself. I've been editing games since 97 and something I learned is that it's better to depend on others as little as you can. The downside to that is that this mod can take a really long time to be finished, but I don't really mind, after all, I'm doing this more for the kicks I get out of doing it than for the desire of seeing it finished.

Now for the mod itself. It'll take place along the frontier systems of Gemini and Vega, around the year 2663. I've got the plot pretty organized in my head (nothing too epic, I never liked that type of plot). I haven't decided for sure which engine I'm going to use, though I'm partial to the XWA engine for now. However, I still need to make 12 more craft, so by then, if there's a better engine out, I'll use it. (If someone has got any suggestions, let me know!!!) Depending on the engine chosen, I plan to include as most weapons from WC1-WC2 as I can. I've also got a list of the ships that will be in the mod. The list may change, but it probably won't. There's not many ships, I know, but I gotta be realistic about what I can do (so it's gonna be quality over quantity, I hope). Well here's the list:

Flyable craft: Ferret, Rapier G, Raptor
Other confed craft: Drayman, Gilgamesh, Bengal, Starbase
Enemy/civilian craft: Talon, Sartha, Dralthi, Krant, Jalthi, Drayman, Dorkir, Ralari, Fralthi
(That accounts for 16 craft total)

Now I've already wrote too much, so let me wrap it up. I'd like you guys to give me all the feedback you can, and also, if someone wants to help me perfect the storyline, or make textures, please let me know. Most of all, suggestions of which engine to use are appreciated.

I think that's all.... hope someone gets interested by all of this :-P

If anyone wants any of the models, I'm willing to send it to you, as long as I get credit (of course), and maybe some other model I'm in need of (I like to base my models on more primitive ones, just to have a 3D reference). Just email me at eder_hc@terra.com.br if you're interested.

Two potential problems, though...

The models are about 700-1000 faces (triangles and quadrangles (does that word even exist? english is not my forte )). Your engine better have some endurance (For instance I don't think SO has any ships with this number of faces)

The models are in Rhino 3D format. I can easily convert them to most formats, but you'll most likely have to re-do about all of the textures. They were applied to the models once they were already in XWA format, and therefore, the application of textures is done quite a bit differently from other formats I know (in truespace for instance it's done totally different).

To Jump or to Jump Differently?

Flight Commander Released!

I'm proud to announce the first public beta of Flight Commander. Flight Commander is a Wing Commander 3d combat game engine written by a fan. Features include

• OpenGl acceleration.
• Takeoff and landing cutscenes.
• Nebula and planets in the background.
• All fighters from Prophecy, Wc3, Wc4, Armada, WC1 and many capships.
• A graphical mission editor.
• Easy editing for ship stats, guns, and missiles.
• Music and sound effects.
• Explosions.
• Automatic detection of newly installed campaigns.
• An AI.

Get all the fun at http://www.cs.ucla.edu/~eddieb/fc/

Please email any questions, or campaigns :), to eddieb@ucla.edu.

What's really needed now is Wing Commander experts to help create stats for ships and weapons.

RFBurn's Two Cents

Hi CIC! This is RF Burns, I just wanted to inform the CIC about my project in the works regarding a Radio Controlled flyable model of the Centurion fighter from Privateer. I requested a wireframe drawing in the fan projects forum and got a response from one of the team members of the WCTC project. Once I get the wireframe drawing, I will begin construction of the Centurion fighter. I wanted to give the CIC a "heads up" notice since I will be taking pictures of the construction process and wind tests, as well as the maiden test flight (video). This model will feature on board CCD color cameras for front cockpit view as well as rear and belly views. The camera inside the cockpit will pivot to allow views from a pilots prospective. When viewed from the cockpit camera, the pannel will look just like the cockpit pannel in the game. This project will take quite some time to complete, since most of the time involved will be wind testing the control surfaces as well as testing the lift capabilities of the delta shape wing and slightly increased size of the vertical fins on the back of the Centurion (vertical stabalizers/rudders). Since the Centurion has a delta shape wing, there shouldnt be any need for elevator control surfaces, that will be handled by the alierons and helper fins mounted on the sides and just under and forward of the cockpit.

When the construction process starts, I will send the CIC notice and a series of pictures of that process.

Thank you for your time!

Taking on the Universe

I wish to create a Privateer 3 if you will, only it will be unlike any game you have ever played, or will ever play, it will be based entirely off of the Wing Commander Series, It will be set durinng the Terran-Kilrathi War. What makes this ambitious is that within the game, you will be able to go ANYWHERE IN THE ENTIRE WING COMMANDER UNIVERSE! It will have the entire universe map from Prophecy fully integrated into it. You will be able to buy almost anyship you were allowed to fly in the Wing Commander games as well as a few Kilrathi ships you weren't, I loved the Wing Commander cockpits (didn't we all), so I'm going to bring them back, I will also include the option to switch off the cockpits if you prefer that. The game will allow the player great freedom, yet it will adhere strictly to the Wing Commander timeline, there will be a dating system used, so if you were to visit say, the Goddard colony on a date before it was destroyed, you would find the Goddard colonists peacefully going about there business, you would even be able to land there, but if you visited Goddard after that terrible day in history, you would find it levelled! I will also make it so that if you visit Goddard on the exact date it was destroyed, you will get to see the colony get completely levelled! This sort of history in your face style, will be used throughout the game, If you happened to be in the system where the Behemoth is test firing, you will see it level a planet, at the same time you will told to leave the system immediately by Confed pilots patrolling the surrounding area. You will be able to purchase guns, and upgrades for your ship, you will even be able to go to the BLACK MARKET! where you will be able to purchase items deemed illegal by confed, There will be a bounty hunters, and merchants guilds as well as others when I've decided on them, there may even be a Pirate's guild. It will be based off of the privateer style game, but it will use a completely new engine with full 3d graphics and sound, I have yet to decide if I will include characters, You will be able to hire your services out to confed, private owners, pirates, even the Kilrathi, yes this game will take the privateer concept even further, you will be able to work for the Kilrathi against the rest of Humanity! I need lot's of help with this game, I need researchers, programmers, graphics artists, anyone who can donate stuff is welcome, I will continually work on this project, I will not let it die. It is my wish to see Wing Commander thrive, and with this game I hope to achieve that goal, I would like to make it multiplayer comatible, and maybe even in the far off future make it into a fully online game, I don't think it would be feasible but.... I am already designing artwork for the game, so if anyone can donate stuff........ I need cockpits people, lot's of cockpit's I have them for terran wing commander 2 ships, and I can get them for Wing Commander 1 it will take some time though, I would like to get some wing commander 3 cockpits as well as some Kilrathi ones, I would like to use the existing privateer 1 and wing commander 1&2 cockpit's, but I also need wing commander 3 cockpit's I want all the cockpit's to have the same detail level, which means I need to either downgrade the Wing commander 3 cockpit's or else upgrade the wing commander 1&2 cockpits. I have got all the planets ready, I have a mesh of earth and one of Kilrah, any other planets can be created with the Axion planet shader plugin for truespace 4.3 It generates planets quickly and easily. I think that's about it. Anyone who want's to help just e-mail me at Darkmage50@start.com.au

I am deadly serious about this project. If I can get ptogrammers and artists to help me I will go ahead with this. If you think you can help at all, then PLEASE CONTACT ME!