I agree with manticore. I didn't even notice the energy bar the first 200 times I drooled on the picture... umm, I mean the first two times I looked at it... heh heh... heh...

Anyway, far be it from us to tell you how to do things with your TC, but it would be a little easier if you enlarged the energy bar a bit. At the very least, point out where everything is on the HUD in the documentation.

I can see why people might miss it, but I think it'll stand out more in game, when it's in active use. And if you're looking for it, it isn't too out of the way.

However, I'm curious. Will it drain upwards or downwards? I can only get the bars to shrink in towards the top in MC.

This post has been edited by Technomancer : 28 February 2010 - 03:37 AM

Don't worry, there's a reason the energy bar is side-lined the way that it is. Almost every ship function in the TC runs off energy. Artillery weapons, impellers, special defenses; you name it. However, to counter this, every ship has immense power generation abilities. The Alexander carries 1600 units of fuel, but it can regenerate the entire supply in about a minute. Each firing of its Nichron "Annihilator" artillery batteries uses up 400 units of fuel, but they hit extremely hard. Attempting to volley more than four shots though, will find the player struggling to sustain an acceptable rate of fire, forcing them to fall back on chemical systems, like missiles, or low-power defensive weapons, at least until the main reactors can recharge. It means that although the heavier weapons in the game pack a gigantic punch, they can't truly be fired indefinitely with abandon. No typical "spray of bullets" like I would always do with blaster fire in Nova. You really have to think strategically, and make every shot count. It also means that ships of smaller classes, the largest holding 300 units of fuel, can't be forced to accept the use of artillery weaponry normally reserved for massive battleships, even through the use of mass expansion and whatnot. All ships have fuel regeneration though, and many have multi-jump engines, so for regular travel, you won't need to even worry about watching the energy bar.

Basically, the energy bar is there simply because most people will want to see if they have power to fire, more than if they have power to jump. If almost any portion of the bar is white, then you know you can fire the big guns. It doesn't have to be large and precise, because if you can fire the guns, then you also know you can jump out of the system if needs be. I also positioned it where it is, because you'll notice it is conveniently located right below the secondary weapon indicator, so you can check with lightning speed which big gun you have selected, and if you have the power to fire it. I may still tweak things a little (the sidebar is still a 27.3 MB photoshop file with more than forty layers) and go for a horizontal energy bar beneath the weapon indicator, but once again I have to ask if its really necessary when it recharges so quickly.

Oh, and by the way, it drains downward.

Sounds like fun! I like the different gameplay style.

This post has been edited by n64mon : 28 February 2010 - 02:19 PM

Hmm... I guess when you consider that style of weapon usage, it really isn't needed much at all. Plus, if the player really needs to see their energy status, they can bring up the player info box with the push of a button. Simple.

I can't wait to see more, Delphi! It looks epic!

You'd be amazed what you can buy for $80 on the internet. I'm now the extremely proud owner of a late-model PowerMac G4, complete with all the original system discs. With OS9 now readily available to me (and ResEdit), I should be able to start work on the Delphi sound effects portfolio. I can't wait to add the "chunk" factor behind these chunky guns. This should be a lot of fun.

Man... I remember when I was drooling over those things.

Gammadon Class Artillery Platform

A precursor to the "Dominant" hull class, the Gammadon was one of the first mega cruisers ever constructed, and remains in service to this day thanks to its still-unmatched versatility on the battlefield. Capable of carrying nearly any arrangement of weapons and systems, the vessel has been used in nearly every role from scout to carrier. With its modular weapon bays, the Gammadon is most easily fitted with a combination of artillery cannons and missile launchers, giving it long range power-projection combined with terrifying screening capabilities, allowing it to outright shred smaller craft that stray across its course with a hellfire spray of missiles.

The Gammadon is unique in that its easily-modified hull has encouraged the production of a refit package that almost completely replaces the engineering section of the craft. The upgrade gives the ship added maneuvering capability and slightly more space for weapons and systems, but reduces the number of offensive hard-points.

Pictured is the vessel in its original configuration.

I'll probably be experimenting with different ship lengths; right now it still looks a little squashed from front to back.

This post has been edited by Delphi : 01 March 2010 - 02:04 PM

I don't see it as squashed so much as sketched. As is, the ship looks more like something someone would draw (very carefully) by hand than something you'd see in a game. Maybe it's the background...

Nevertheless, it still looks awesome.

Well, I really just added a starry background in Photoshop and brought out the contrast a bit. It was just a screenshot from SketchUp. I just wanted to make the demo model look a little nicer than the usual tan on white background.

Also, I ended up stretching the body a bit. It looks a lot better.

A default-texture Gammadon under nichron fire.

The level of greebling you do is quite impressive, I commend you. Is that really how long the nichron bolt is in game? If so, it's pretty imposing. What is the fog surrounding the ship? Is that a shield effect of some kind?

No fog, it's just part of the space backdrop. Let's be honest, space without nebulae is dull. Also, that whole picture of the ship has been scaled up. Take the whole photo, shrink it by about half, and that's roughly the appropriate scale. I just wanted to make a Nova-esque beauty test render. I actually just put the ship on a pink background in Bryce, did a quick render, and threw the rest together in photoshop, using one of the nichron cannon sprites.

However, there is a nichron super-weapon that fires bolts roughly that size, yes.

QUOTE

No fog, it's just part of the space backdrop. Let's be honest, space without nebulae is dull. Also, that whole picture of the ship has been scaled up. Take the whole photo, shrink it by about half, and that's roughly the appropriate scale. I just wanted to make a Nova-esque beauty test render. I actually just put the ship on a pink background in Bryce, did a quick render, and threw the rest together in photoshop, using one of the nichron cannon sprites.

However, there is a nichron super-weapon that fires bolts roughly that size, yes.

Okay, I see. I thought it was an in-game screenshot at first, and I thought that that fog was either a shield effect or some kind of hack to change the background (the prospect of which was highly exciting!). Very cool nontheless, great work!

Now I see, the first picture you shared wasn't rendered, correct? This new one is rendered, and thus looks much better. I love it, Delphi.

Gammadon model, awaiting the decal painting process. The contrast on the hull elements is very high right now, but I use that in Bryce so that I can see the surface definition when aligning texture maps. Added small light elements on the engine struts and the weapon pods.

Also, you can see the primary weapons a lot better in this shot. Those are the big ground-pounder quad guns you see on either side of the primary hull.

This post has been edited by Delphi : 02 March 2010 - 11:21 PM

Whoa!

Wow... Hold on while I find my jaw bone.

I'm so thankful I know my home row keys. That picture blew out my eyeballs.

Jeez! You people are like vultures!

That's okay, I love prompt responses. Glad to hear the praise. I was a little worried the design wouldn't be popular. Here's another test render with a bit of photoshopping, for your viewing pleasure.

Again, no textures have been applied yet; just the base material. I'll get working on the decal layer later.