Macross MMO

[vsim]

MMO would be interesting, but difficult to implement, of course I've been thinking about it .

I do, however, lead a project attempting to simulate the various Macross craft, and, obviously, move into multi-player. But development is slow of course, hehe.

I've got several developers helping out, but very few of us get any serious hours to devote to the project (read >2 hours a week, tops, lol). BUT, I have got a good VF-1 model started (fighter mode, no others yet, sorry, I'm trying! lol). I'm basing the models on real world physics/aerodynamics, etc., since it's my area of expertise. So it'll be as real as I can fake it .

We should have a windows binary coming out soon, I'm hoping in the new few weeks. I'm trying to get a simple HUD done soon and also trying to fix the VF-1 aerodynamics, they got messed up some when I did a major overhaul of the F-14 aerodynamics. And yes, the VF-1 is aerodynamically similar to the VF-1, I've had this argument before, hehe. Size is more or less irrelevant to the way the aerodynamics are built up. And yes, I realize that FlightGear and X-plane are out there, before I get hit with those questions, but they don't do everything I need, and aerodynamics aren't that hard.

So shoot me e-mails and keep bugging me to get stuff done, lol. Right now it builds under windows (latest CVS version, no package has been made yet) and has a really crappy HUD, i.e. 3 lines that rotate but don't pitch as the aircraft does. I'm having to learn OpenGL to do this as I go, WHEEEE! And yes, my close friends think I'm nuts for doing all this.

And sorry, no weapons yet either. After I get this next release out, I'll try and find out if people want network play/weapons first, or gerwalk mode. Don't even talk to me about Battroid yet, that's gonna require some serious work to fake.

BTW, the screenshots on the website aren't in the game, Dan did them for us several years ago and we just now have a graphics engine that we can pull models into (Open Scene Graph). So sorry for the teasers.

Valkyrie Simulation Project

Oh yeah, and it's FREE (*cough and worth it*).

Jason

[Goshawk]

*drool, drool* AGGG now my keyboard is soaked. ROFL

man that is an awsome job, all I can say is WOW

Edited May 10, 2005 by Goshawk

[promethuem5]

Wasn't there an RT pen and paper RPG? Does anyone know what that was like and if it could even remotely be used as the basis for an MMORPG?

[fmac]

BTW, the screenshots on the website aren't in the game, Dan did them for us several years ago and we just now have a graphics engine that we can pull models into (Open Scene Graph). So sorry for the teasers.

Valkyrie Simulation Project

Oh yeah, and it's FREE (*cough and worth it*).

Jason

I like the choice of openscenegraph as a graphic engine. It's a wonderful, proven and stable engine. And the code being free totally rules

[Prime]

Valkyrie Simulation Project

Simply outstanding!

[vsim]

Thanks guys, sorry it's not much yet, feel free to bug me on the e-mail address on that website and tell me what you want to see! I'll get more motivated if people start running it and telling me what they like/don't like, etc.

Open Scene Graph is not "totally" stable, hehe. I can be a little problematic at times, and the documentation could really use some work, but I have a friend who has some experience with it, so I bug him for help, hehe.

I've got my main development machine back up and running with a new compiler last weekend and have to get some configuration issues sorted out, then back to HUD programming I go.

I'll try and make some posts when progress is made. Last time I posted on the MW forums about this was probably several years ago and we didn't really have anything to show. Now we have a little bit.

Just out of curiousity, how many people here are interested in a simulation (i.e. physically realistic to as much a degree as possible) type game of Macross vehicles vs. arcade (VF-X, etc.) style? I'm obviously pro simulation . Although it is painful to implement at times, the VF-1 model isn't messing around, I'm still developing a real control law for it. I.e. all of the surfaces, engine thrust vectoring, etc. should move realistically since the aircraft is actually using them instead of just making them look nice. Just curious what you guys think..of course it's too late to go back now

[evirus]

well i suppose that all depends on how the game is played... there once was a game... simguild... hundreds of players in one game... old ww1 air combat sim pretty basic but pretty fun... MMO dosnt have to mean MMORPG

[Skull Leader]

Wasn't there an RT pen and paper RPG? Does anyone know what that was like and if it could even remotely be used as the basis for an MMORPG?

Yes there was (produced by Palladium Books). The rules/stats were "ok" for the casual gamer, but a diehard fan with a little common sense will find all kinds of inaccuracies here and there (I.E. they called the Oberth class battleship a one-man space fighter). I don't think it would be a very good basis for a MMORPG simply because of the time it takes to resolve combat under Palladium's universal rules.

[Goshawk]

Yes there was (produced by Palladium Books). The rules/stats were "ok" for the casual gamer, but a diehard fan with a little common sense will find all kinds of inaccuracies here and there (I.E. they called the Oberth class battleship a one-man space fighter). I don't think it would be a very good basis for a MMORPG simply because of the time it takes to resolve combat under Palladium's universal rules.

Oh man I totally forgot about that lol! I remmber there used to be so many mistakes.

The thing that i would want most is awsome graphics and not the "cartoony" sence that a few games have, which means more time in development, but to me it would be worth it, you could choose from the diffrent races, level up in the craft you want and Im sure everyone will agree there be a ton of Valk pilots. Ok so there are more to shoot down for the Zens and Meltrons .

Over all it would be interesting to see if it can be done and what it would look like.

[JB0]

The thing that i would want most is awsome graphics and not the "cartoony" sence that a few games have, which means more time in development, but to me it would be worth it,

But, but...

I LIKE cartoony graphics.

That was one of Robotech: Battlecry's best features, IMO.

[Goshawk]

Now, why did I have a funny feeling you would say something like that JBO?? ROFL

[vsim]

The thing that i would want most is awsome graphics and not the "cartoony" sence that a few games have, which means more time in development, but to me it would be worth it,

But, but...

I LIKE cartoony graphics.

That was one of Robotech: Battlecry's best features, IMO.

lol, yeah for cartoony graphics!

Actually, it could probably be setup so that each player can decide if they want cartoony or "regular" renderings. I believe the renderer can actually be changed so that it "converts" regular into cartoon, although I'm not sure how well it works.

[Prime]

The thing that i would want most is awsome graphics and not the "cartoony" sence that a few games have, which means more time in development, but to me it would be worth it,

But, but...

I LIKE cartoony graphics.

That was one of Robotech: Battlecry's best features, IMO.

Ah good. It wasn't just me.

[JB0]

Now, why did I have a funny feeling you would say something like that JBO?? ROFL

BECUZ I AM HARDCORE OLDSKOOOL YO!111111

[JB0]

The thing that i would want most is awsome graphics and not the "cartoony" sence that a few games have, which means more time in development, but to me it would be worth it,

But, but...

I LIKE cartoony graphics.

That was one of Robotech: Battlecry's best features, IMO.

lol, yeah for cartoony graphics!

Actually, it could probably be setup so that each player can decide if they want cartoony or "regular" renderings. I believe the renderer can actually be changed so that it "converts" regular into cartoon, although I'm not sure how well it works.

Remember, online games don't send graphical data back and forth.

Just the information your client needs to assemble what everyone's character looks like from it's own models. Just make 2 diffrent sets of everything, one for realistic texture-mapped graphics and one for cartoony cel-shaded graphics. From there, it doesn't make SENSE to send a bit saying if it's cartoony or realistic, because having a mix would destroy the game's environment totally.

So it'd be a simple matter of picking what set you want to see and there ya go.

[vsim]

Remember, online games don't send graphical data back and forth.

Just the information your client needs to assemble what everyone's character looks like from it's own models. Just make 2 diffrent sets of everything, one for realistic texture-mapped graphics and one for cartoony cel-shaded graphics. From there, it doesn't make SENSE to send a bit saying if it's cartoony or realistic, because having a mix would destroy the game's environment totally.

So it'd be a simple matter of picking what set you want to see and there ya go.

No, actually, it's even easier than that..what I meant is that the rendering program itself can convert the model into a "cartoony" looking model. There is a demo with Open Scene Graph that does this. Basically, it just does solid shading and emphasises the edges. The "cartoon" renderer uses the exact same model, it just changes the way it is drawn. I'm not sure exactly how this works, I just know that the renderer itself on the client side is responsible and that it works with the same model that the normal rendering routines use.

[JB0]

Remember, online games don't send graphical data back and forth.

Just the information your client needs to assemble what everyone's character looks like from it's own models. Just  make 2 diffrent sets of everything, one for realistic texture-mapped graphics and one for cartoony cel-shaded graphics. From there, it doesn't make SENSE to send a bit saying if it's cartoony or realistic, because having a mix would destroy the game's environment totally.

So it'd be a simple matter of picking what set you want to see and there ya go.

No, actually, it's even easier than that..what I meant is that the rendering program itself can convert the model into a "cartoony" looking model. There is a demo with Open Scene Graph that does this. Basically, it just does solid shading and emphasises the edges. The "cartoon" renderer uses the exact same model, it just changes the way it is drawn. I'm not sure exactly how this works, I just know that the renderer itself on the client side is responsible and that it works with the same model that the normal rendering routines use.

It doesn't apply texture-maps, and then it cel-shades the model.

But it'd make more sense to have a seperate set of models explicitly designed to look good when cel-shaded, IMO.

If nothing else, you'd need a new set of texture maps to provide new detail.