Meet Me Midway (February 28, 2007)

[Enoch]

You cant set aside $10 from your beer money to afford a X-Box Live game?

The game is no problem. The X-Box 360 now there is the problem.

 

[Taser8]

I have to confess that my first thought on seeing the new image was that the Midway had collided with the Cygnus from the movie "The Black Hole" (http://www.30doradus.org/spaceships/images/cygnus.jpg)

 

[gwydion]

Quick question, do we know if this is the Midway from Prophecy or simply another model of the same design?

 

[Bandit LOAF]

Another model of the same design (remember that there were to be ten of them).

 

[Capn Johnny]

well.. I'll say this.. its not FUGLY like the rapier in WC:TRBM

I don't hate it.

 

[Mav23]

So no actual name for the ship yet? All we know is that it's a Midway class?

 

[Bandit LOAF]

No name has been given to the ship.

 

[Vinman]

well.. I'll say this.. its not FUGLY like the rapier in WC:TRBM

I don't hate it.

TRBM... should I ask?

 

[Bandit LOAF]

The Really... Big... Movie, I assume.

 

[Pedro]

Recently checked its imdb score, 3.5, ouch that's a tie with the super mario movie.
Still we should be thankful it beats out street fighter, now there was a movie that deserved every last bit of its poor reputation.

 

[Bandit LOAF]

It's good to keep in mind that the people voting for a movie's rating at the IMDb are the same people who post to the IMDb message boards asking Lindsey Lohan to go out with them.

I'm not saying that the Wing movie is any good... but the active IMDb userbase is universally awful.

 

[DaBrain]

Hmm... When you design spaceships, one of the first things you'll have to learn, is to never add useless detail to the mesh.

I know how tempting it is to create a rather simple base structure and just add things the hull, but it's not the 'proper' way of doing things.
Attaching objects also isn't good for the game performance. (There are exceptions... some round objects just need to many extra polygons in single-mesh form.)

Anyway... I don't like the 'new' design very much. There is just too much 'stuff' on the hull. Nothing that looks like it really belonged there.

However, the main hull plate texture looks nice and I like the fact that the ship isn't that that bright grey, like the original Midway was.
That was my main problem with the Midway in WCP.

The red doesn't look bad, but I don't think that Confed would ever change their color theme to red.


I have to admit that the Midway isn't one one my favorite ships anyway.
The WC3/4 ships were just more... unique, yet also more credible.

I remember a really good essay about the basics of space ship modelling. Maybe I can digg that up again.

I hope I'll find the time to get done my current work myself. Maybe I'm worrying too much about others.

http://www.scifi-meshes.com/forums/3d-wips/12936-bolitho-class-corvette-bsg.html

 

[Bandit LOAF]

Once again, the various objects are part of the gameplay.

 

[LeHah]

Hmm... When you design spaceships, one of the first things you'll have to learn, is to never add useless detail to the mesh.

Because you're the ruler of all such things?

Tell me - where is the line drawn for "useless detail" because I'm looking for a good laugh.

I know how tempting it is to create a rather simple base structure and just add things the hull, but it's not the 'proper' way of doing things.

What are you going on about exactly?

I assume you think that this is the original Midway file. I'm not quite sure. Please explain.

Attaching objects also isn't good for the game performance. (There are exceptions... some round objects just need to many extra polygons in single-mesh form.)

"Attaching things to a model is not good, except when it is!"

Anyway... I don't like the 'new' design very much. There is just too much 'stuff' on the hull. Nothing that looks like it really belonged there.

So, wait. You go from complaining about how to model, reverse it and now you're back on the subject?

The red doesn't look bad, but I don't think that Confed would ever change their color theme to red.

If you said the word "internet" thirty years ago, most people would think you were crazy. Things change in thirty years time.

I remember a really good essay about the basics of space ship modelling. Maybe I can digg that up again.

Five will get you ten that the people working on Arena would laugh you out of the room. They're paid professionals working in the gaming industry - who are you again?

I hope I'll find the time to get done my current work myself. Maybe I'm worrying too much about others.

And maybe you should have linked us to a site that doesn't require registration to view what you're doing?

 

[Pedro]

Five will get you ten that the people working on Arena would laugh you out of the room. They're paid professionals working in the gaming industry - who are you again?

Lets be fair now, I sincerely doubt the artists would have gone in that direction if it wasn't required by the gameplay mechanics, but if my opinion doesn't count I'm sat next to two 3D artists, I could ask them for a more informed opinion tomorrow.

It does look silly, probably far more so as I'm so familiar with the original design.

It's all the spires that really do it, they look flimsey on what is supposed to be a battleworthy carrier, and serve no apparent purpose.

 

[DaBrain]

Because you're the ruler of all such things?

Tell me - where is the line drawn for "useless detail" because I'm looking for a good laugh.

There is no clear line, but if you want an example, just take a look at the weird 'towers' on the ship.
The general look of the ship is pretty massive. Those parts don't fit into the concept. They look fragile and don't follow the form of the ship.
They're really standing out.

What are you going on about exactly?

I assume you think that this is the original Midway file. I'm not quite sure. Please explain.

Now I'm confused to. The original Midway, would be the one from WC5, wouldn't it?

I just like the darker look of the 'new' one better then the bright look in Prophecy.

"Attaching things to a model is not good, except when it is!"

Yes. It's a difference whether you attach objects as a style, or just when it really saves performance.

So, wait. You go from complaining about how to model, reverse it and now you're back on the subject?

Those were some common rules for movies and games.
Read some books about the Star Wars ship design.

If you said the word "internet" thirty years ago, most people would think you were crazy. Things change in thirty years time.

Of course they do. Red just isn't the right color for the Confed imo.
The Confed can use all of the 'cold' colors.

The bad guys use red.

Five will get you ten that the people working on Arena would laugh you out of the room. They're paid professionals working in the gaming industry - who are you again?

I know what I'm talking about.
Also my comments will make sense to game developers.

They might find it unfair though. You have to speed up things when you're on a time limit. And you're always low on time.

In the end the player doesn't care about that though.

And maybe you should have linked us to a site that doesn't require registration to view what you're doing?

I can give you a link to a page that doesn't require registration, but you won't find any pictures there...

But seriously, scifi meshes is a huge community and very well known. There are a lot of Wing Commander fans there too. If you're not registered there yet, you probably should.

 

[Dyret]

It's all the spires that really do it, they look flimsey on what is supposed to be a battleworthy carrier, and serve no apparent purpose.

And the big stupid balls on top of the star destroyer did the first time we saw them?

 

[NinjaLA]

and *ghasp* guess what the purpose of those Destroyer balls was... IT WAS TO BE BLOWN OFF BY AN X-WING!

are you really trying to say that it would be better if the things you are supposed to blow up/defend weren't clearly marked as such so you could spend 20 minutes uselessly shooting at things that don't need to get shot up?

So sorry, Brain, that argument just doesn't fly.

 

[DaBrain]

And the big stupid balls on top of the star destroyer did the first time we saw them?

Well... I know they're the 'deflector', but actually they are really out of place there.

I consider them to be a flaw in the ISD design. It's an old movie.

I don't know for sure, but I bet there is nothing like that on the ships in Episode III, or they at least covered it up better.

are you really trying to say that[...]

No.

 

[LeHah]

It's all the spires that really do it, they look flimsey on what is supposed to be a battleworthy carrier, and serve no apparent purpose.

Because, you know, having things on a ship make it *not* battle worthy?

There is no clear line, but if you want an example, just take a look at the weird 'towers' on the ship. The general look of the ship is pretty massive. Those parts don't fit into the concept. They look fragile and don't follow the form of the ship. They're really standing out.

Boy, I'm so glad you're here to tell us these things {/Han Solo}

They obviously are there for a reason - which I have no doubt will be explained at a later date. It could be fortifications or pirates or any bazillion other ideas. Hell, could be the Borg for all I know - but EA is well aware of the fanbase and I sincerely doubt they'll overlook explaining the reasoning behind the refit.

Yes. It's a difference whether you attach objects as a style, or just when it really saves performance.

So, you're assuming that they're putting things on the ship to reduce the game's performance?

Those were some common rules for movies and games. Read some books about the Star Wars ship design.

Thats a rather inane defense. If thats the case, then the only ships we would have in science fiction would be X-Wings, Headhunters and Tri-Wings.

Of course they do. Red just isn't the right color for the Confed imo. The Confed can use all of the 'cold' colors. The bad guys use red.

The bad guys being...? This is thirty years after Prophecy. I assume you mean the Nephs?

I know what I'm talking about.

Thats about as astute a statement as "I'd stop lying to you if you'd believe me!"

But seriously, scifi meshes is a huge community and very well known. There are a lot of Wing Commander fans there too. If you're not registered there yet, you probably should.

I've seen a lot of other websites. I generally don't like the look of the internet since 2000. I'll stick to here, where there is a "no jerks allowed" policy written on the wall. (Not that you're a jerk - but that the internet *is* full of them.)

I bet there is nothing like that on the ships in Episode III, or they at least covered it up better.

Yeah, they just let an eight year old blow it up instead.