Ferrius' Workshop

Discuss the Wing Commander Series and find the latest information on the Wing Commander Universe privateer mod as well as the standalone mod Wasteland Incident project.
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Ferrius' Workshop

Post by Privateer Ferrius »

Privateer Ferrius' WCU Workshop

I've decided to consolidate all my different projects into one thread so as to not clutter the WCU forum with a bunch of different threads. In here you will find updates, music, and screencaps of my latest projects.

These projects currently include the following:

(1) Privateer Model Retexturing
I am redoing the textures on most if not all the Privateer Remake ships. Especially the Kilrathi ships, which had marking which were not very consitent with the Kilrathi from the Kilrathi Saga games (wc1-3), which I consider the definitive canon for Kilrathi markings.

Currently I am working on the Demon and the Dralthi.


(2) Wing Commander 1 Soundtrack
Whereas the original Wing Commander soundtrack is in MIDI, I am working with Klauss to make an orchestrated version of the Wing Commander soundtrack for inclusion in the WC1 remake.

I have completed the Wing Commander theme and the Debriefing theme.
I am currently working on the Clash battle theme and Victory Fanfare.


(3) Interface Reskinning
I think we can all agree that the current WCU interface needs some work. I plan to redo the WCU interface with some much higher resolution graphics. This include the bases and the computers, but does not include the cockpits.

This particular project has not yet started.


(4) WCU Installer
I am working on making a Win32 installer for WCU and it's mods using NSIS, and scratch-programming a Linux installer using the SDL and lib-glade. The Win32 installer will probably be forthcoming much sooner than the Linux one.

The WCU Installer is on hold until I can get WCU working properly, and thereby archiving properly.


(5) WC1 Character Models
At some point I will be using Milkshape to model the WC1 era characters for ingame.

This project has not yet started.


This post will be edited in the future to reflect changes and progress in my projects. Following posts will include the music, screencaps, programs, et cetera.
Last edited by Privateer Ferrius on Mon Apr 10, 2006 10:53 pm, edited 5 times in total.
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Post by Privateer Ferrius »

Dralthi mk. 1.5
Here's the Dralthi for those interested. Currently only the top tex has been redone.

Image
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Post by chuck_starchaser »

For the installer, what would be really cool is an installer-making script; a YAII (Yet Another Installer Installer :)), that spiritplumber could use at any time, and it would get rid of all the files that aren't necessary, check for things like vegastrike.exe and vegastrikeR.exe having the same size and date, etceteras.
Hey, maybe it could traverse the folders looking for png's and turning them into jpg's, too ;-)
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Post by Privateer Ferrius »

I guess you don't know what a script for NIS is. Which is to say, basically a more complex version of what you exactly described :mrgreen:

Any thoughts on the Dralthi?
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Post by chuck_starchaser »

Sorry, I haven't seen a Dralthi in a long time; I'd need side by side comparison shots; I haven't actually played PR or WCU for months; I only launch the game now and then to look at or do something specific. Can't remember what they looked like. I'm not sure what "top tex" means, either. You mean like the paint-job? Is that actual Kat alphabet writing?
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Post by Privateer Ferrius »

The old Priv models are split into top and bottom textures. And yes, it is actual Kalrathi writing.
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Post by klauss »

Uh... don't do scripts if they're not at least inspired in original Kat symbology. I think there are plenty sources of kat symbology over the net... use them - they're a big part of the Kilrathi look.

sample 1
usage description
Kilrathi Font! (note, though, that this one comes from the movie - which isn't quite applicable here, games use a quite different style)
another kilrathi font (not sure which version)
Last edited by klauss on Tue Apr 04, 2006 5:45 pm, edited 1 time in total.
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Post by Privateer Ferrius »

klauss wrote:Uh... don't do scripts if they're not at least inspired in original Kat symbology. I think there are plenty sources of kat symbology over the net... use them - they're a big part of the Kilrathi look.
That IS the Kalrathi script.
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Post by klauss »

But it looks like it's the movie version:

sample 1 (WC1)
usage description
Kilrathi Font! (note, though, that this one comes from the movie - which isn't quite applicable here, games use a quite different style)
another kilrathi font (not sure which version)
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Post by Spaceman Spiff »

klauss wrote:But it looks like it's the movie version:
How do we deal with this canonwise? IIRC, the movie is settled befor WC1?
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Post by Privateer Ferrius »

The thing is, the canon doesnt deal with it. As all those links Klauss posted show, there isn't one set 'canon' for kilrathi writing. I use a movie-ish approach simply because it is the one that actaully had enough thought put into it to be soemwhat of an actually viable language. Tolkien the WC writers weren't, but it's the only one with enough tools to actually be used as a form of communication.
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Post by klauss »

Well... I'm quite biased.
I don't respect the movie much.
They didn't make a sci-fi movie, they made a submarine movie.

But... if there's the option of using proper WC1-5-styled glyphs, I'd say they should be used for all the games (they don't change much - only the movie did such a complete redesign of Kat writing).

Though I couldn't find any WC1-5-ish font (well... there's that last link... but I couldn't try it yet)... so we may not have much choice: either draw them by hand, or use the Movie font.

<div style="professionalism:1"> perhaps this would be a situation in which asking over Crius.net would be beneficial - perhaps they know of WC1-5-ish font resources</div>

On another note... the encyclopedia at wcnews does say that it is one of many forms of writing - so I guess using the Movie's font would be "legal" - I just can't associate it to Kats.
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Post by Privateer Ferrius »

I didn't like the movie much either, but it's a logical fallacy to say the quality of storywriting or acting affects the quality of the language they constructed in it for the Kilrathi ;)

Personally, I want a language used in game to be an actual viable language. I suppose one can call that a desire for realism. Something used for communication should be vialbe to be used towards that end.
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Post by klauss »

Privateer Ferrius wrote:I didn't like the movie much either, but it's a logical fallacy to say the quality of storywriting or acting affects the quality of the language they constructed in it for the Kilrathi ;)

Personally, I want a language used in game to be an actual viable language. I suppose one can call that a desire for realism. Something used for communication should be vialbe to be used towards that end.
P.1 = I know - it's just an emotional reasoning (not rational). Game stuff == "True" WC. Movie stuff == "Paria" WC.

P.2 = Good point. Mighty good point. We might want to actually use kat writing at some point, with meaning.

PS: edited previous post - check it out.
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Post by Privateer Ferrius »

I saw that just after I posted my previous post. Heh. :P

Personally, I think the best solution would be for all or some of us to sit down, get all the different forms of Kilrathi writing, and find the similarities and common constructs to construct a 'real' Kilrathi language.
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Post by klauss »

While searching, I've found stuff suggesting that some work like that is already being done by Crius people. But it's not complete.
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Post by Privateer Ferrius »

Personally, I'd rather have us do it ourselves. For a few reasons:

* We could use a teambuilding kinda exercise here. We're kinda all of doing our own thing. We could use something to collaborate on.

* I kind of doubt the quality of the work being done there in terms of a viable language. They're making it consistent from what I've seen, but not into a viable language with phonetics and other language constructs.

* I don't intend to use any other projects' work. (other than VS, obviously ;) ) Especially Crius. Personal bias there, but if that's what you're going to use, then I'll simply make Kilrathi models with WC1 text or something. I have enough enemies in my life, and I don't need the likes of some of the people there. (Funny, a community like that, since if Richard Garriot or Chris Roberts posted there, they'd upset a lot of people.)
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Post by klauss »

Good points. But I don't know enough to contribute much... and I fear most of us are in the same situation.

And... in the meanwhile (such a thing would take quite some time)... I'd say something temporary is in order. If that can be WC1-ish text, better. I've been working on preparing the SVN version of the repository, and it's kinda complex, but once that's done, I'll set up an "original artwork" tree so that original sources can be dumped there (ie .xcf) and work can be carried out there, that way we can always go back to the source, change the text layer, and have a new texture (VS' repo made the mistake to omit such a place, and now a lot of the artwork is like "frozen" because it's either redoing it or leaving it as it is).
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Post by Privateer Ferrius »

Really, no offence, but some education in the WC canon could do us all some good, myself included. If were going to develop a good Wing Commander game, then it would do us all some good to learn more of the canon, and I think that this could be a valid, good, and useful project towards that end.

And yes, I do agree that in the meantime a placeholder is needed. I think I will use the movie font for one reason: not many people will like it and thus people will be driven to replace it :mrgreen:
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Post by Spaceman Spiff »

I'd love to learn more about WC Cannon. But hell, if we abstract our own canon and it differs to much from the stuff, the wcnews guys consider to be canon, we'll have the whole bloody discussion again. And the damn thing is that most of the people, who still do stick to wc are organized (more or less) in the LOAF-gang.
Don't say we shouldn't find out ourselfs, but if we end up too far away from them, we should at least consider I we don't go their way.
I, for myself, are still bussy to read up our roadmap and all the stuff... I fear I'm kind of not up to date...
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Post by Privateer Ferrius »

Honestly, I couldn't give a toss what they think. If we make it and it makes sense, and is consistent, and resembles WC canon, that would be more than sufficient. That much said, I'm not going to state my opinion about Crius here. I don't think any of us should either. It wouldn't be fair to them where they have no means te defend themselves here.

I, for one, have a pretty good knowledge of the Kilrathi Saga (wc1-3) canon, but not after that (lost interest really after WC3)

I -strongly- that developing language is both an essential and critical process. It's one of the factors that can strongly decide whether the world is just another cookie-cutter remake, or is a living breathing and well thought-out world. If we can do that, people will play it, regardless.

We can have all the shiny graphics in the world, it doesn't mean an awful lot to people these days. It's the game design that's a critical factor - as it should be.

[edit]: Not to say that graphics are unimportant. But the quality of the graphics should not be measured in polygons, special effects, or how nice the texture baking looks. It should be measured by it's closesness to canon, consistency with other models, and quality of craft.
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Post by klauss »

I agree on everything, ferrius, except that Crius guys, should they feel the need to, can defend themselves - they won't be banned (not by me). But there are other reasons not to get opinionated - decorum for one.

I think getting such a project moving is a great idea, but I'm just juggling too many things at the moment, and won't be of much help, except with random comments and guidelines (like I'm doing now).

I also think too much people on this forum (WCU) is involved in many other projects - not only WCU, but personal too I imagine. People shouldn't spread too thin, or nothing will get done (I should know ;) )
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Post by Privateer Ferrius »

I knwo exactly what you mean on juggling tasks. (*ahem* blatant self-plug to prove point: www.u7feudallands.com )

On Crius, I think it's unprofessional for us to say anything against them, whether it's what we think or not. Yknow what I mean?

Personally though, I'm not saying this particular project should be one, but I do think we could use something GROUP projectish, you know what I mean? Teambuilding and such.

Personally, I work for WCU when I'm spent programming on U7TFL, or like right now, we're caught up because the Exult engine is broke right now, so we can't really work with out stuff :P I like to bounce off different projects (both inside and outside of any single game) myself because it keeps me productive, and also keeps me from getting too stressed. I stress out way easier than most people, and that keeps me relatively lucid :P
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Post by klauss »

Privateer Ferrius wrote:On Crius, I think it's unprofessional for us to say anything against them, whether it's what we think or not. Yknow what I mean?
Xactly. Furthermore, insulting without provocation is downright degrading. Hence I try to avoid it, and encourage others to do so as well. (I know... the provoked enough... but that's in the past).
Plus, I recognize the value of their comunity and sincerely regret that personal differences (or whatever you call it) have to imply the separation of both communities.
But what is, is... and I sure am not going back there (actively, that is - read I may), even though they unbanned me already - I'm a quite proud person, and I can take a hint.
Other people is still in good terms, hopefully, with them - enough for us to get any required feedback/help when necessary - when necessary.
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Post by Privateer Ferrius »

I added WC1 character to my list of projects. Haven't yet done anything to that end however.

Also, I still have yet to get WCU to work.
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