@Koobalt
Sent you a pm with the link to the corrected GVrahn. Thanks and sorry it took so long

I haven't had any replies from my sources as to the AI research. I'll keep trying but so far I've got nothing.

boshimi336,

I suspect it will take time running itterations before the tech coding secrets are unlocked, which means the more people trying itterations and sharing the methodology and results will crack the code faster. Worst case we are stuck with the provided techs. What remains to be seen is how easily the data in the provided tech files can be altered before the AI goes all wonky.

Darvroth

That indeed is a very good question

Speaking as a member of the potentially new and fresh target audience, I'd plead for an early release of what works rather than trying to rush making the AI work with the altered tech trees

Okay, that's pretty much just because I only found this mod after Diplomacy had been updated, so call it a skewed perspective, but a few my friends and I are champing at the bit to play this. First time I saw the Kol class I thought it looked a bit like an EA Hyperion...

Anyway, since I'm on, I should add my voice to the chorus of thanks for taking the time to put this together! I never seem to have enough time even to relax in the evenings, so have immense respect for those who work and (i) study, (ii) volunteer or (iii) mod

Peace,

+CC+

Thanks, and yes, I think I will release soon if we don't get everything to work. Perhaps a 4.199alpha-interim-dev-test version

I'd like to throw out a suggestion: release the current ships with a default Sins techtree now, and push back the new research tree to a future release after (hopefully) the AI research code is figured out.  The ship models themselves are absolutely excellent. 

As far as temporarily using a default tech tree, why couldn't we just make it look like a Babylon 5 theme?  I highly doubt the AI pays any attention to the icons and english.str descriptions when it decides what to research (it probably looks at the filenames though, so keep those the same).

Release the mod! Most of us would gladly play the mod even with a somewhat lacking tech tree. Heck I loved to play the mod even in the earliest stages. I mean, who can turn down a chance to blow up EA ships with a Minbari fleet or to tear up a planet with a well placed Shadow bombardement? I know I can't.

I even started thinking about downloading a pirated version of the game (I already own a copy of the retail version) just to get to play the old mod again. My addiction is (almost) forcing me to pirate... and I'v heard that can lead to wierd symptoms like growing a beard and wanting a parrot... Save me dear modders!

I can.  I would much rather take down a Minbari fleet as the EA by swarming it with masses of expendable corvettes and LCV's.

Some people just love to swarm, others to crush the swarm with huge and superior ships. "Each to his own" or how the saying goes.

Heh, I'll defeat you all with my Narnages!

But not forget the proud Centauri and their deadly fast Vorchans!

From the 'Modders Get An Answer Thread' thread:

Progress however slight is closer to the goal.

Darvroth

Good to hear!

I was tempted to make a Season 3 "Z Minus x Days" joke but figured that might be construed as hassling y'all.

Instead, allow me to leave you with the words of Citizen G'Kar:-

"What we perceive as mod is a byproduct of our search for mod."

Oh and you can keep your Vorchans. Battlecrab for the win!

Oh yeah, I meant to ask: I don't suppose the O'Neill class is the starbase for EA? Or whether any of the Babylon stations show up in some other way, like as a special planet or something?

>>Edit<< Just read that they will be a buildable diplomatic starbase... are they in the current release or a future project? Just out of interest

A funny remark from Babylon 5 is never perceived as harassment!

We do understand the difference between being funny and being a jerk (I believe)

Nicely said, though what do you want to say by this?

Not in yet, e do not have a finished Babylon 5 model. as soon as we have it will be in!

Dude, I have *no* idea what my version of the G'Kar quote meant. I just thought it sounded good. Er.. lemme see... maybe... we only find a mod because we're looking for one? Jeez. The original was so much more profound.

Cheers for the heads up on the station. Man, I wept like a child when B5 was destroyed in SIL. Not sure how I'd react to seeing it getting totalled in SINS

There are some mods out there where the modders are getting rather tetchy about the remotest hint of badgering, so I wanted to tread carefully in case I ended up giving away the homeworld.

Anyways, best of luck with the rest of the 4.19999 pre alpha interim dev test temporary stand in locum surrogate thing Will keep checking back daily

I am the guilty one... have made the 3D sketch a few months after these topic was started, almost 2 year ago... but have never find the time to finish it...

For the curious, a screenshot of the sketch below...

The actual poly count is very low, like 3-4 fighter/bomber... someday, i will finish it... hope before 2225

Have made these post only for show that i continue to follow the mod and don't forget the team... real life can be a real b!tch sometime... and that Tobi is not responsible for ALL the delays with the mod...

I have only one more special project ( animated organic ship using chained particle effects ) to finish before i begin work on the numerous models that i have already begin for the B5 mod...

Well, there is a bright side with all these delays... my skill improve with time...

Hehe but I am responsible for not releasing what we have because I always want too much (perfectionist with lack of time). Yes, real life is keeping me mightily busy too. I worked till 2.30 am in the morning yesterday.

Thanks for still being around! Keeps me confident we can go the whole distance.

Funny quality remark

Idiot remark

We can distinguish!

Already looks wonderful!! And you have lots of polygons left for detail or more roundness. Thanks alot (Just for being here)

At least five nights a week, I find myself working on the Mod - from 10:00 PM til 2:00 AM - when I'm finished with family duties.  Sometimes I get a lot completed.  Sometimes I play the game just to see how my changes are working out.  Sometimes I start too many things at one time because I believe this task is harder than that task.  I try to write down my ideas, goals and research.  I have hundreds of written pages   and when I go back, I realize something was ignorant or something never would have worked.  There's been lots of brainstorming  (written) and the easiest way has never been an option. 

I'm not saying I need help (hard to synchronize brains over hundreds of miles), but it's a learning experience.  My lack of finishing the research is due to 1) - I want to hear hundreds of OMG's at completion, 2) - I want everything to work as it should, 3) - I want to balance in ways that reflect the racial aspects differentiating a beginning space race all the way to an ancient.   I'm not there yet.    Research - EA - 90%, Centauri - 90%, Narn - 90%, Minbari - 80%, Vorlon - 40%, Shadow - 0% (What? ) entered.  Right now I'm putting in diplomatic pacts - OMG! 

I was away for a while and I promise I'm back for the long haul - barring catastrophe.  I think everything is going well.  This is as much about the Database right now, as the mod.  Without the Database, it would be too difficult.  We are rushing as time allows.  Thanks for being patient.  Soon!

Quoting Everyone - "Hurry the Hell up!"

Reply - "I am!  %#&*!"  <Lights a cig and pours a wee tiny glass - then another> 

Thanks - HotRod    Yes, that's so cute it's sickening!

LOL!!!! I still owe you some inputs but keep finding other life events have a higher priority. I know what could be more important that the B5 mod.....

Darvroth

Sorry, but i will not limit myself by poly count... the 50k limit is a limit of the DOS program called convertXSI.exe ... game engine can handle more, a lot more, without slowdown... wish to see 6.25 million poly onscreen, with a low end graphic card ( nv9600 GS 256 mb ) and without framerate slowndow, go to http://www.love-from-russia.be/g4_swarm-6.25_million_poly.avi ...

My plan for the B5 station is 50k for the fixed part and 50k for the rotating part... but like the model show in the video, very heavy UV optimization with multiple small texture map... the station in the video use 3 time less memory that the PSI starbase... but have a very high detail texture ( http://www.love-from-russia.be/ScreenShot_39.jpg , http://www.love-from-russia.be/g4_01.jpg )... i wish to make each new model better that the previous one released and it will be true with the B5 station... really hope to have the ingame station to look good like these in the series...

By the way, these B5 3D sketch is 2 year old and you have already see it... since, i have made some other that you have not yet see... the B4 station, the "Freedom Station" ( we have speak about it long time ago, it is the station used by "raiders" ), and more... without speaking of the numerous models that you know about who are at various stage and was never delivers...

As about my real "real life", it is good for the mod since i have loose my job ( again )... once the paperwork mountain is done, i will have plenty of time...

Looks very good. Is it still possible to bake AO into such a "patchwork" textureing? Or are you heavily reusing the same texture (coordinates) for different parts?

I know I wont be disappointed upon seeing them.

Sorry to hear that. As much as I do appreciate you having time for the mod I would rather see you have a good and fulfilling job.

@Rodney
You are doing an absolutely fantastic job! Thanks so much.

Well, the case of the B5 will be similar to the g4... the different texture are more related to different object... by example, the g4 body ( 2 rings and neutron star excluded ) is a single .mesh ... these .mesh have two UV map... all the weapons use a UV map and the main body use a second UV map... the model is with low poly turret ( less that 150 tri ) but they are numerous ( more that 120 of them )... in fact, all the weapons count for almost  the half of the poly count of the model...

So, i have made a single turret, UV it, and texture it... merge it with the basic model, duplicate it numerous time and combine all the turret together... same thing with missile pod...

For a AO map, you simply need to keep a single turret ( delete the rest ) and bake the AO on the cl... will be fast since AO is poly related and the piece used will be very low poly... there will not be problem from bad overlap piece like on a global UV map since they are duplicated object and the texture for weapons can be very small ( 512x512 )...

If you really wish the perfection, it is possible to make a low poly version of the weapons and a high poly one... low poly version will be the one used in game and high poly one can be used for create the nm map with the nvidia melody tool ( http://www.nvidia.com/object/melody_home.html ) and use the high poly version for bake AO ( better quality since more poly )...

As for the main body part, not everything is heavily UV optimized... a sphere or surface with low angles variation don't generate AO shadow... but a few "ribs" on a planar surface will... in fact, AO is much needed due o the new method of segmenting/modeling that i use called the binocular method ( can explain later )...

As for mobile piece, XSI made a very bad work for tangent... need to see how your Cinema 4D handle it ( if i good remember the Omega was great with tangent from Cinema4D )... the convert XSI make a mistake when no tangent exist who lead the graphic card to make a wrong shader job... correction is very easy, when tangent is set on FALSE, convertxsi put the U1/V1 value on 0 when infact, the graphic card expect the V1 value to have the handiness value ( -1 or +1 ) needed for calculate soft shadow...

Well, you will see once i begin work on the model... just hope that the B5 station have no more weapons that the max sins limit ( 240 )...

This tool does look promising!! So AO won't be a problem as far as I can see.

As for tangents I think I will need to do them in C4D and then tweak them by hand in XSI (awful lot of work, same as for the omega...)

Damn, you really think I would place 240 Hardpoints by hand? That will be a mamoth project. Sins has a max weapons limit of ?*sides*banks (so you say 15*s*b, I always thought it was 10 or 20)