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Hello all you happy EV Dev peoples . . .
I would like to happily announce the inception of a brand new TC for EVN . . .
pauses for dramatic effect . . .
Being the HUGE Robotech geek that I am, I have always seen Escape Velocity as a ripe opportunity to create and explore the exciting universe presented in Robotech. I am aware that there were plans Robotech plug-ins for the first EV, but since then I have heard nothing of any plans for EVN (please correct me IF a Robotech group does in fact already exist). In any case, this plug-in would ideally be a complete TC of EVN and would include the many assorted Robotech races and factions all the way up through, and possibly beyond, the Invid invasion.
The main problem that I am presented with in creating a plug-in of this magnitude (and in fact anyone who would take on a TC) would have to be the fact that I am only one person . . . I have already begun work on constructing the models for the graphics for the plug-in and have quickly realized that my strength does not lie in editing resources and coming up with fantastic plots and missions. I would therefore like to make a plea to the EV developing community for aid in the creation of this project . . .
If you are interested please send me an email letting me know how you would like to help out . . .
(url="http://"mailto:antonpn@mac.com")mailto:antonpn@mac.com(/url)antonpn@mac.com
Ooh! Ooh! Ooh! I'm interested!! Pick me! Pick me! Pick me!
Ok, so I've got a thing for anime, but who cares. They usually have great ship designs, and terrific plot lines. I'm glad that you're doing graphics, because I'm getting bogged down by graphics requests, but resources are cool. I can do them.
Matrix
------------------ "Nothing is fool-proof to a sufficiently talented fool."
Wonderful!
It's great to start to see some interest in the plug. I was starting to worry that maybe there was no interest in Robotech on the board . . . or maybe that I was starting to show my age a bit.
Please send me an email and we can try get this ball rollin' . . .
How do you think you will handle the mech variation of the jet? I have several ideas, but wonder what yours was.
------------------ THE HAND OF GOD...has a devil puppet. (url="http://"http://homepage.mac.com/arcangel_c/PhotoAlbum2.html")Rogue Thoughts(/url)
Quote
Originally posted by ArcAngel Counterstrike: **How do you think you will handle the mech variation of the jet? I have several ideas, but wonder what yours was. **
That's an interesting question. It's not as if it diminishes my want of a quality Robotech plug.
And correct me if I'm wrong, but wasn't the 1A tan and white(not that blue and white isn't cool)?
This is something that I've thought about quite a bit . . . . because, HEY , what's Robotech without the robots / mecha anyhow? Right? I've nosed through the shan resource a little and here is what I feel might be possible with the current EVN engine . . .
- the method that I thought might be cool for introducing the transformability would be to use the extra sprite frames to animate the mech transforming using the fold/unfold flag. The veritech would transform into battloid (mech) mode right after you emerged from hyperspace and would change back to a fighter / aircraft when you folded out of a system. . . .
PROS - 1.) You get to use battloid mode and fly around in a giant mech blasting battle pods left and right in a glorious orgy of destruction. =D
2.) You would actually get to see the transformation happen, which would be really cool to watch especially if a whole squad came out of hyperspace and transformed at the same time.
CONS - 1.) You don't get to fly the fighter around in it's aircrafty form, which IMHO is just as cool as the battloid. . . . well. Maybe not quite as cool.
1a.) Coupled with the fact that you wouldn't be able fly the fighter, the cool bank thing that EVN does wouldn't be able to be used because the sprites would be taken up by the animation. This could also cause problems with the engine-glow sprites since the engines wouldn't be in the same place all the time.
2.) It might be taxing on the engine to have so a whole lot of frames of animation for the transformation (36 x 9 or 10 frames). Not to mention the amount of work that would go into animating, rendering out and organizing all of those frames. Although I do have plans that might make this not too much of a bitch, if I wanted to create all of the transformable mecha (alpha and beta veritechs and the ones seen in Macross Plus) this chore gets multiplied a bunch of times . . . Not that I wouldn't want to do this work, but it would mean that everyone would have to wait quite a bit longer for the plug to be released.
- The only other ways to handle this that I can think of would be to have the ships be all one way or the other. This would obviously make everything much more simple and would alleviate the problems with engine glow. This would also leave sprites open for the banking thing.
If anyone has any other ideas or things that I probably overlooked in my hasty jaunt through the bible/resources please feel free to chime in at any point , , ,
Maybe I could start some sort of poll as to whether or not being able to fly a mech would be important or not to people who would want to play the plug . . .?
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(This message has been edited by uthuan (edited 05-23-2002).)
Yeah . . . you're right for the most part. Normally the VF-1A would have a pretty dull and drab paint job, but I was interested in getting a paint job similar to the veritech that Max Sterling flew in the TV show which was a VF-1A (which he prefered for some reason). Actually the only difference between the different veritech models for the first generation (Macross) was basicly the difference in the heads of the battloids . . . .
VF-1A - for general inlisted
VF-1J - for low ranking officers up through lieutenant
VG-1S - for squadron leaders, commanders, and squadron captains
What I could see is a separate ship for each position. You buy or launch fighters depending on what your preference of attack is. Fighter: Fast, inertialess, has banking. but slow to turn. Fighter/mech: slower, as inertia, no banking but has animation to full jet when jumping. Faster turn. Mech: Slow, as inertia, animation to full jet when jumping. fastest turn.
Of course as you go along the forms, there weapons become more extensive. Like special weapons per form, when always in mech mode, you can hold large beam weapons. In half mech mode, you can have more interesting missile fireing weapons. Its been so long that I'v watched Robotech. I forget many of the special armor and weapon systems of some of the jets. Also I seem to remember a odd helo version of a trasforming mech.
Originally posted by ArcAngel Counterstrike: **What I could see is a separate ship for each position. You buy or launch fighters depending on what your preference of attack is. Fighter: Fast, inertialess, has banking. but slow to turn. Fighter/mech: slower, as inertia, no banking but has animation to full jet when jumping. Faster turn. Mech: Slow, as inertia, animation to full jet when jumping. fastest turn.
Of course as you go along the forms, there weapons become more extensive. Like special weapons per form, when always in mech mode, you can hold large beam weapons. In half mech mode, you can have more interesting missile fireing weapons. Its been so long that I'v watched Robotech. I forget many of the special armor and weapon systems of some of the jets. Also I seem to remember a odd helo version of a trasforming mech. **
Even better, have the different versions be upgrades of one another. Veritech/Valkyrie = Fast, slow to turn, unguided gun, and turreted laser Guardian/Gerwalk = Slow, mid to turn, turreted gun and turreted laser Battleoid/Batteroid = Mid speed, fast to turn, turreted gun and turreted laser.
Did you get my email?
(This message has been edited by what_is_the_matrix (edited 05-24-2002).)
Yes . . . at first I was against it but I'm getting to like the different versions Idea more and more. I think this is the way we will go. It's fairly simple and it makes everyone happy (you get to fly around in whichever mode you like best ). the only problem would be that it will eat up more space this way . . . but I guess that will just have to be an issue for people downloading.
DOH! I just checked it . . . I'll shoot you off a reply right away . . . sorry 'bout. that!
The only potential problem that I see is that there'll be so many ships that Nova won't support them all. I guess that we'll have to play it by ear. If anything, just try to keep the plot of the original Macross, and cut down from there. Plus would be interesting, but in terms of playable space plot, not much happens. There's just a lot of test piloting, and then the battle against the design comp opponent, and then the Ghost (X-9?). Besides, it also has new characters, so it might not be the best idea to have it in (no matter how much I liked it).
I didn't realize that you were new to the board. Welcome!
By god... did you make those graphics? anyways I recall a macross plug being made somewhere a long long time ago, does anyone know if it was ever finished?
------------------ Prepare to be disabled and boarded! (url="http://"http://www.geocities.com/infernomsh")Inferno Studios(/url)
SpacePirate - By god... did you make those graphics?
Yep! Just 'lil old me . . . Everything except for those veritech heads(illustrations from a book that I'm using for reference). And those two little guys are just the tip of the iceberg . . . hopefully! I'm still in need of a few more peoples to make the creation of the plug as quick and painless as possible . . .
I recall a macross plug being made somewhere a long long time ago, does anyone know if it was ever finished?
Yes. I also remember there being a macross plug being created back a long time ago for the original EV . . . It only had a couple of ships as I remember and was fairly incomplete. It may have been finished since I originally saw it though . . . If anyone knows more about this please pipe in !
Hey, I'm back. Email me.
Keith
Good to hear . . . email is on the way . . .
. . . more Robotechy goodness on the way . . .
------------------ (url="http://"http://mailto:antonpn@mac.com")antonpn@mac.com(/url)
Originally posted by uthuan: **. . . more Robotechy goodness on the way . . . **
Why don't you make up a mac.com photo album to show off new and old pics and set up a progress log there? It would be easy to check up on.
We have a website in the works. . . it will be up soon hopefully . . .
Just trying to keep up the interest until then . . .
We're still trying to figure out exactly what's going to be in the plug / how much we think we can cover.
Good call though . . .
You don't mind random ideas do you? I'v been thinking of the fighters more, and how to remake the fancy direction changes some of its versions fight with, such as the Gerwalk and Batteroid reverse thrusts. Mabe give a main or rapid fire secondary weapon a kick of recoil so that when there going slow or statonary, when they fire they move backwards to whatever there aiming at. Even a invisible weapon with 0 damage can be made a reverse thruster you can pick as a secondary weapon.
You don't mind random ideas do you?
No! Not at all . . . We's welcome to listening to any kinda crazy idea . . .
I'v been thinking of the fighters more, and how to remake the fancy direction changes some of its versions fight with, such as the Gerwalk and Batteroid reverse thrusts. Mabe give a main or rapid fire secondary weapon a kick of recoil so that when there going slow or statonary, when they fire they move backwards to whatever there aiming at. Even a invisible weapon with 0 damage can be made a reverse thruster you can pick as a secondary weapon.
That sounds like a great idea . . . I was just thinking the other day that it would be cool if ev had a reverse thrust control for that very reason! I guess there are quite a few ways to work around such things . . .
Thanks for the idea . . . Keep 'em coming!
HEY Matrix - where the heck are you? Have you been getting my email?