And another year passes . . .

Slight WIP shot...
WIPLaunchbay2.png
WIPLaunchbay2.png
 
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And an update:
WIPLaunchbay4.png

Trying to make the ship more readable against the background, and make the whole thing more consistent with the rest of the art style of the game.
Thoughts?
 
Howard Day said:
And an update:
Trying to make the ship more readable against the background, and make the whole thing more consistent with the rest of the art style of the game.
Thoughts?
Click to expand...
That's a lot of lights... and a lot of pipes all over the ground, most probably filled with potentially explosive stuff :p.

I think you may need to give the fighter a colour scheme that contrasts more with the hangar - or vice-versa, of course. It may also help to darken the corner behind the ship (on the left), because that's where they blend together the most.

By the way, Howard, I hope you're not one of the 520 employees who just lost their jobs at Zynga. 18% of the workforce... ouch!
 
Okay, here's an update!
here's what you'll be able to see (this will move around a bit, and parallax)
WIPLaunchbay8.png

Here's the whole thing:
WIPLaunchbay9.png

And here's an empty bay:
WIPLaunchbay10.png

The different ships will swap through as you select them.
Thoughts?
 
It looks gorgeous!

One thought on the lights. The light pattern on the floor suggests there's a light source above the ceiling and the light is shining down through rectangular holes. In reality, I'd imagine the designers of the light fixtures would build them so the light spreads out. Basically, the floor is pretty dark considering how many lights there are! :) I'm not worried about the big shadow from the crane/umbilical device, just the open space.
 
That is an interesting observation Chris, there does appear to be parts of the ceiling that light is passing through unimpeded.

As a suggestion, you need to increase the contrast ratio between the background and the ship. To do this, you need to dim your lightsources in the background some, and make the spotlight on the ship a "hard" light. This means directional light, with harder shadows.

Another technique used to highlight foreground subjects is to "rim light" with lights from low angles, slightly behind the subject, angled toward the camera. These lights produce a light rim around the edge of the object, emphasizing separation.

BTW it's looking amazing!
 
Chris Reid: You're absolutely correct! I know the lighting would spread out more - the main reason I did it is because it looks interesting. :P I'll bring that back down to a more generalized lighting feel.
jlav: Yep, I agree. I was already using some rim light (you can see it on the bottom front part of the nose of the copperhead) but I think most of the problems have been solved. this is what it'll look like (or close to it) in game!
http://www.hedfiles.net/WOSN_Alpha/STNBay.html

Also, I've taken a page out of Klavs book and put some 3d prints up for sale!
http://www.shapeways.com/shops/HMEmporium
While I am well aware that none of my designs are anywhere near as iconic and awesome as the Wing Commander ones, I still thought it could be something people might want. They're right about the same cost as Klavs Fighters, and a good size (about 4.5inches long). I'll post pictures once I get my first run of prints!
 
I got my models today! I have one more, the Alien medium fighter on the way.
IMAG0230.jpg
IMAG0227.jpg

There's also a brand new build out on http://www.wingsofstnazaire.com! There are a bunch of improvements, waves of enemies, enemies fire at you, there's a new external camera (hold Tab or joystick button 4). As always hit F10 to open up the options dialog!
Enjoy, and I'd love any feedback you have.
 
Howard Day said:
Chris Reid: You're absolutely correct! I know the lighting would spread out more - the main reason I did it is because it looks interesting. :p I'll bring that back down to a more generalized lighting feel.
Click to expand...

Yeah, the most important thing, of course, is that it all fits the style with the game. I just said something because the building I work in has an almost identical set of ceiling lights, equipment and scenery, and it's much better lit. :) (my office window is the one just underneath the "G7" on the middle left)

8e566f5a-e34b-44d6-ad48-8036e0753b9f.Full.jpg


And actually the latest trend in places like these is to paint the walls/floors stark white to reflect even more light, although you don't see this really used in scifi. (same building as above)

p-8i-final-assembly.jpg
 
Chris... dude, that is just about the coolest workplace I've ever seen. :D And i really appreciate the pictures, too! So, oddly enough, the lighting brightness isn't as different as it might first appear - the ground being so bright very much helps bounce that light around, but that's a professional working environment! What about warships? Here's a couple examples I've found:
800px-Minsk_hangar_deck_1.JPG

hangardeck1.jpg

They're much darker. but still not as dark as my hangar, I totally admit. I will brighten it up. :D

So! Over the weekend we added an orbit camera to the game, and last night I fixed a ton of issues and brought the games performance back to stellar levels.
WOSN_Orbit1.gif


We've got a new intro/logo and lots of new music and content! Our website now also features downloadable copies in Mac/PC and Linux format. Check it out!
http://www.wingsofstnazaire.com

Oh! and I also received my 3d-print of the Alien Medium fighter (the Dfhertas). It turned out quite well!
IMAG0289.jpgIMAG0279.jpgIMAG0275.jpgIMAG0268.jpg
 
I am super excited to see this shaping up, and I am especially in love with the look of the game: the neon-drenched color palette and general design of the ships looks fantastic. Are there plans at this point for multiplayer or is this the "just get this thing off the ground" stage at this point?
 
Six-Gun-Slim: Thanks! The primary release will be multiplayer, with the story mode coming later!

And, look...We added missiles!
missiletest.gif

Enjoy!
 
wow.. a ton of stuff has been happening with this project.. I guess I should check up more often... Lookin' good, Howie!
 
Hey Howard! I just listened to your interview on The Space Game Junkie Podcast. Excellent work! Unfortunately, I don't own a computer that can run the Unity engine at the moment (mine's nine years old!), but once I build my Star Citizen box, I will definitely have to check this out further. It sounds like you are building in the fun!

EDIT: I just wanted to add a big thank you for branching story lines, probably the biggest innovation of the Wing Commander series!
 
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