Weekly Updates

#1
Welcome to Freespace 2: Halo!

FS2H is my attempt to recreate the Halo universe using the Freespace 2 engine. Most of the work on the project was done from the summer of 2004 to the beginning of 2007. From there I began finalizing game elements and doing things that would "make it my own." These last steps appear online as my weekly updates, which will be displayed under this subject heading.

Read, view, and enjoy. And if you have any comments, questions, or general remarks, feel free to post a topic in this section of Sectorgame.

Thanks to Hunter for giving me my own section and webspace!

Week 1 (3/22/07)

#2
“If I have seen a little farther than others, it is because I have stood on the shoulders of giants.”
-Isaac Newton

1616 hours, March 22, 2007 (Military Calendar) \
Sol System, Planet Earth \ FS2H Main Office

I’ll start off by asking the question: Have you ever wanted to pilot a UNSC ship and blast away the bad guys?

If you answered yes, or are curious all the same, then I am delighted to bring you the first weekly update of FS2H. What started out as a spare-time hobby has evolved into a total conversion modification. It has taken me almost three years to compile tools, learn how to use them, and crank out models and textures. (Three years? Well I’ve done this project with an army of one, and I have a new found appreciation for video game makers. I’ll never complain about spending $50 for a game ever again!) I used every resource I could find on Halo ship specifications; in 2006 Stephen Loftus made it easy. Reading the books gave tons of ideas and information as to the inner workings of the UNSC (I heart Eric Nylund). And the fans at H.B.O. had a lot of things to say about the spacecraft in the forums. But I digress…enough development talk.

FS2H is a space-based combat simulation based on the Halo universe. The original game, Freespace 2, is the best game of its kind in my opinion (sorry Wing Commander fans). And thanks to a large source code modding community, FS2 is now a very good looking game. It’s a nice platform for this.

In the current outline, FS2H will be split into four Chapters. The first will cover the years before Halo: Combat Evolved during the biggest insurrection in the current Halo timeline (unless you count the united rebel front mentioned in Ghosts of Onyx). Glorious human-on-human action as you join the ranks of the first generation of pilots to fly the infamous Longsword. Chapters 2 and 4 are mostly thought out already, but two things in the last few months have thrown snags into my plans: Halo 3 and Halo Wars. Chapter 2 was to be during the 27 years the UNSC fought the Covenant before the first Halo, but Halo Wars promises to fill in some if not all of that history. I don’t want to step on any toes, so I may tailor Chapter 2 to align with Ensemble’s storyline. And Chapter 4 would, of course, be after Halo 3. But that’s the problem…there may not be a universe left after H3. Finally, Chapter 3 will be, well, Top Secret. It’s my biggest surprise, so you’ll just have to wait and see.

Currently I have 62 ships modeled, textured, flying and shooting at one another. The models pale in comparison to, let’s say, Infinityloop’s Pillar of Autumn. But the point of the game is to have fun, not just ogle a great looking model, right?

I estimate that the game is currently at 80% complete. Expect a teaser trailer and a playable demo in the near future. I will be working hard to churn out missions and make a final build. I am aiming for Chapter One to be playable and online by summer. More updates to come…

…but first:
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-Devrous

Week 2 (3/28/07)

#3
0349 hours, March 28, 2007 (Military Calendar) \
Sol System, Planet Earth \ FS2H Main Office

And so begins the second weekly update of FS2H…

Ok, so I jumped the gun by about a day. I’ve been too excited to wait for a full se7en!

Last week’s post was a primer, and I posted only a single image. This week I delve into a longwinded exposition of legendary prose. Or I could just talk about the game and post a bunch of pictures for effect. But I don’t want to bore you, so I think I could introduce the Tech Room. Aw, heck…how about all three?

First Things First

I'd like to start out by saying that I am first and foremost a Halo fan. And one of the things that I believe sets Halo apart from other games is an active community determined to expand both the game itself and the Halo Universe. As such, it is inevitable that several people may have the same idea or train of thought. I assure you that anything I present here is original (or a sort of “shout-out” to something I think was awesome), yet inspired heavily by the games, the books, and the fans. If I use someone else’s work purposefully, I give credit where it is due. If by some chance I use a similar idea, or forget to ascribe to the person I borrowed it from, bring it to my attention, but don’t flame me…pretty please. I’m only human.

The Vision of FS2H So Far

Why did I make FS2H? Because I, like most of you, am intrigued with space travel. The concept is a driving force in my life, and the reason I chose Engineering as my college degree path. And I, like hopefully all of you, love the Halo Universe. There isn’t much information on the UNSC Navy, especially in the games. Eric Nylund (all hail!) did a terrific job describing space battles, but he showed greatest aptitude in describing the inner workings of the UNSC and human technology. I used most if not all of the UNSC space-faring elements he portrayed in his three books. My goal is to expound on his and Bungie’s work. Trust me when I say that I felt butterflies in my stomach the first time I flew a mission above Reach and zoomed past dozens of space docks, transports and capital ships; a feeling I hope I can recreate when you eventually play FS2H.

Secondly, I made FS2H because Freespace was basically a first-person shooter--IN SPACE! The only difference is that you can move in any direction, and move very quickly. Just imagine the Longsword you’ll pilot. Now imagine Master Chief with a crazy thruster pack, missiles instead of grenades, and a huge freaking gun. They’d be just about the same.

TECH ROOM

C709 Longsword
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The C709 Longsword Heavy Interceptor is the UNSC's main singleship. Fast, maneuverable, and armed to the teeth, the Longsword is a threat to any vessel that underestimates it. The C709 sports two 110mm autocannons, two 120mm ventral guns, and two banks of AGSM-10 Maverick missiles. The Longsword may also carry several Moray mines or small SHIVA nuclear missiles.

More Info:
http://nikon.bungie.org/misc/sloftus_longswordtour/

D77-TC Pelican
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The D77-TC Pelican is the UNSCs main dropship. Capable of exo- and endo-atmospheric flight, it is a versatile workhorse within the fleet. The Pelican's engines can swivel, allowing the vessel to hover. Pelicans can carry twelve marines and their gear into battle quickly. There is also a rear docking clamp, allowing the Pelican to carry a Warthog or Scorpion to the front lines. In space actions, the Pelican may be used as a support ship or boarding craft. The Pelican is armed with a 70mm chaingun and sixteen Anvil-II missiles.

More Info:
http://nikon.bungie.org/misc/sloftus_pelicandropship/

E205 Rapier
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The E205 Rapier is the Longsword's predecessor. While it has the speed and maneuverability prized by fighter pilots, its lack of armor and effective weaponry make it a second choice at best. The E205s have been retrofitted to use AGSM-10 Maverick missiles, but its small size limits capacity. Other than its speed, the only noteworthy part of the Rapier is the refire rate of its 70mm cannons.

B105 Claymore
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The B105 Claymore Bomber was designed to take out enemy capital ships. By the time the UNSC colonization effort began, capital ships were plentiful. Fightercraft were yet to be developed, and the few opposing factions of the UNSC devised a plan to build a fleet of bombers to cheaply and effectively counter large vessels. The Claymore was highly feared by the UNSC until the Rapier was designed and implemented. Since then, the UNSC has conquered those factions and incorporated the bomber into their fleet, though most view bomber warfare as 'dishonorable.' The Claymore carries three missile banks and a pair of cannons. Their loadout ranges from small SHIVA's to Hellfires to even a small number of Archer missiles. They require fighter escort to effectively take out targets, but their thick hulls give them a high survival rate in engagements.

D909 Broadsword
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The D909 Broadsword Heavy Bomber is the most heavily armed singleship in the UNSC. The Broadsword has two pairs of engines for unmatched acceleration, and it can make a full run with afterburners at speeds only paralleled by capital ships. The D909 has two 120mm autocannon pairs to make short work of enemy fighters. It can hold any missile munition, including nuclear missiles and mines. Broadswords are easily out-maneuvered by interceptors, but their massive payloads make them perfect for attacking enemy capital ships.

CLASSIFIED
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END TECH ROOM SESSION

In Parting

I hope you have enjoyed reading this post as much as I enjoyed making it. Next week I will be addressing several questions submitted to me via email (there is always room for more!) and showing off a few in-game shots of the human forces. Also, I may end up posting a mid-point update in a few days if I get twitchy and can’t contain my enthusiasm.
Until then, peace and see you next time.

Week 3 (4/4/07)

#4
“And until recently, the Flood has not stirred,” said the hologram.
Ucos Mantrinoee asked, “Why, then, did the blessed Forerunners leave us?”
The display read >>INQUIRY RESULTS: NO MATCH<<
The other Sangheili looked to the floor, either disappointed or ashamed.
“However,” replied the hologram, “there are very few reasons why an advanced race would simply self-destruct, even when one factors in the Flood. Regardless of how, the fact remains that, eventually, civilizations collapse, get replaced by larger and more dynamic ones, or destroy themselves. And in this case I may point out that their weapons of mass destruction were activated, and that they did in fact die. The most pertinent question I would personally like answered is whether or not the Reclaimer activated the rings by Forerunner order; or an even more chilling prospect, did they act alone, perhaps misguided by someone or something?.”

- Excerpt from The Ones Before by Devrous

----------------------END OF RAMPANCY----------------------------------

0523 hours, April 4, 2007 (Military Calendar) \
Sol System, Planet Earth \ FS2H Main Office

As promised the FS2H Weekly Update is back. I’ll be answering some of the questions asked about FS2H and throwing out what it will and will not do. Dangerous territory, but ultimately needed. Remember that it is still in development and your ideas or requests can still make it into the game. So feel free to tell me what you think would make FS2H awesome for you. So, strap yourselves in for the Q&A. Some of the answers are simple, and some are almost essays in themselves. ENJOY!

FS2H Q&A

Q: When will FS2H be released?
A: That’s a tough one. I’m aiming for a teaser trailer to be released soon, and after that I’ll be putting together a demo version so people can see what it is basically all about. Expect the demo sometime in May. Of course, I’m not sure if I’ll be able to host it here or not *pleads to Louis* As for the actual, full-fledged version? My goal is before Halo 3 comes out. I have no illusion that someone would rather play FS2H than Halo 3! But my goal is to have the full version, complete with Chapter One, to be ready sometime during the summer.

Q: Will we need a copy of Freespace 2 to play?
A: Nope! FS2H will be stand-alone. No CD required. But I would suggest playing through Freespace 2. For one it is a good game, and secondly it would give you a superlative grasp on the controls. I’ve found that (from the few people who have tested FS2H for me) those who’ve already played Freespace had to kick up the difficulty to be challenged as much as first-time players.

Q: How big will the game be?
A: Not sure yet. Ballpark range is from 260MB to almost a gigabyte. I’ll get a more definite figure as we get closer to the release date. The demo should be really small, though; about the size of a Halo 2 cutscene.

Q: Will we see FS2H in the high-res goodness of FS2Open?
A: Yes. I am currently using FS2Open 3.6.9 build. It’s been the least buggy for me so far, and it looks great!

Q: Will we be able to have in-atmospheric battles?
A: That one is TBD. Not in my original plans, since in-atmosphere skyboxes didn’t exist when I started. It would be cool, and fans of modern air combat sims would surely get a kick out of flying a SkyHawk to shoot down Banshees. We’ll just have to wait and see.

Q: Did you make all the ships models or did you just port them from the Halo games?
A: Every single model was handcrafted using Blender by yours truly. The Longsword and Pelican I managed to get accurate almost down to their last vertices. The others are either my best-guess from watching the Halo 1 and 2 cutscenes, my imagined designs for the ships described in the books, or completely original.

Q: Will I need a joystick?
A: Yes and No. You could just use the keyboard, but you’d be a sitting Grunt for all but the oldest and most weak fighters you’ll face. A keyboard just doesn’t give you the dexterity, unless you’re just THAT good around the keys. Not sure if using a mouse would work, though. Hmmm…

Q: What’s the third chapter about?
A: Haha! Nice try:-P

Q: Will we be able to play as the Covenant?
A: Though I feel a pang of regret every time I blow a Longsword to atoms, you will be able to fly the Seraph. The exact means of “how” or “why” is part of the big surprise, however. I’ll also go ahead and say that there is a ship you’ll pilot later that is neither Human or Covenant…

Q: Will there be any “dagger” or “knife” fighters?
A: Yes, there will be fighter fighters, not just fighter/bombers and interceptors. You’ll be able to pilot a very wide array of spacecraft. You won’t be stuck just using the Longsword. Most missions will give you a choice of which craft you’ll pilot, and the ships most often available are the Longsword, a few true fighters, and sometimes bombers. Also, as of this posting I have 63 ships modeled. Most are human, 11 are Covenant, and three are neither; plenty of ships to choose from.

Q: In Freespace 2 you couldn’t pilot capital ships. Will you be able to in FS2H?
A: Freespace 2 capital ships basically were turret-monsters that shot at each other. In the Halo Universe, UNSC capital ships are, more or less, big flying guns with engines! So, yes, you’ll be able to fire off some Archer missiles and pound a Covie cruiser’s shields with MAC rounds.

Q: Wouldn’t balance between human and Covenant forces be a major issue?
A: Indeed it is, and was a central problem I knew needed to be carefully thought out in order for the action in-game to be believable and accurate. According to the books, the general ratio is 3:1 in capital ship combat. Commander Keyes, while aboard the Iroquois, thinks to himself that four Covenant frigates would be an even match for seven UNSC destroyers—definitely not 3:1. However, he was comparing four frigates to seven destroyers (FRIGATE < DESTROYER). All of this information made capital-ship combat easier to balance. Fighter combat was trickier. The Seraph is purely a fighter and is roughly 24m long. The Longsword is a heavy fighter/bomber/interceptor, and is 64m long. To equate this with today, the F-22 Raptor in the USAF is about 19m long and the B2 bomber has a 52m wingspan. Ammunition capacity is much greater for the B2, the larger vessel. If stealth was ignored, we put them in space with (no need to produce lift), and armor plates were slapped onto the airframes, The B2 would outgun the F-22 with superior munitions capacity and could survive a lot more punishment due to heavier armor. The F-22, however, would outperform the B2 in agility, and would most likely win a battle if there were no missiles involved. After all of this, could we say that we would need seven Longswords to equal four Seraphs? I think not. In Eric Nylund’s First Strike, we see Longswords battling Seraphs. The way I interpreted the scene is that the three Longswords that left Bravo One to engage the “swarm” of Seraphs were probably successful in at least taking them with them, if not tying them up for a good length of time before being destroyed. The verbage used a few paragraphs later suggest a dozen new Seraphs diving towards Bravo One, and Knife Two-Six makes a futile attempt to engage all twelve. *takes a deep breath* I made several assumptions from all of this information. A Longsword carries four ASGM-10 missiles and each should be able to destroy a Seraph or in the very least severely damage it. If the “swarm” was a dozen or less, the opening assault by the three Longswords would have quickly neutralized them. But since he uses swarm once and then a dozen later, I assume he means more than twelve. The 110mm and 120mm cannons probably dish out a good amount of punishment, but you have to hit the annoyingly-agile alien fighter to do any damage! So for fighter-based combat, I’d say that the human forces have built a better ship by far. Keep in mind, though, that the Longsword is much, much bigger, and that the ASGM-10 missile is enormous compared to man-portable rockets. HOWEVER, the Covenant still have the advantage in sheer numbers. *WHEW!*

Q: Will you have your own website?
A: In due time. As of now I am at the good graces of one Louis Wu. (THANKS!)

Q: Will there be original music or a bunch of spliced-together Halo clips?
A: I’ve been a band nerd for 13 years, and I love creating new things. With some help from local talent and Halo fans everywhere, I’m aiming for a good mix of the best music on Earth, a.k.a. Marty music, from the Halo 1 & 2 soundtracks, fan-created tunes from m.p.o., and some original work by myself and a few local Halo fans that happen to be pretty handy with a guitar and keyboard.. I’ve emailed Edgen, who has done fantastic halo-based pieces, to see if he’ll let me use a few of his tunes, for example.

I tried to answer all the questions either emailed to me or put as replies in the forum posts. If I missed a question, or if you have some new ones to ask me, feel free to email me any time. If I get enough new ones I’ll make a second Q&A post later.

Another week gone by, another update written and posted, another homework assignment put off. But before I leave I’d like to show off a few shots of some of the UNSC ships in orbit around a familiar object…
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This should look familiar…
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And if you ever followed the First Strike mod Crispy Spartan had going about a year ago, here’s something you may recognize
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Shout-out to “Chaos” of the former First Strike Mod for Halo PC – His original artwork inspired my Orion Frigate

Drool. Debate. Eat at Sonic. Enjoy.

Peace and see you next time!

Week 4 (4/11/07)

#6
1. When a distinguished but elderly scientist states that something is possible, he is almost certainly right. When he states that something is impossible, he is very probably wrong.
2. The only way of discovering the limits of the possible is to venture a little way past them into the impossible
3. Any sufficiently advanced technology is indistinguishable from magic.
Arthur C. Clarke’s Three “Laws” of Prediction

----------------------END OF RAMPANCY----------------------------------

0310 hours, April 11, 2007 (Military Calendar) \
Sol System, Planet Earth \ FS2H Main Office

Guess who?

If you guessed Devrous, you get a cookie. If you guessed Halo 3 Beta, I’m sad to disappoint. If you guessed otherwise, well...just read on, man.

Another week has gone by, and I’ve been churning away at several elements of FS2H. I’ve put in new weapon effects, new explosions, and all the trimmings thanks to FS2Open. I’d say the game looks at least 117% better than before! And thanks to the new polygon limits, I’ll be able to put in even more detailed ships in the future. But for now, I’m working on getting some action shots so people can get a real idea of what it is they will be playing. Also, I’ve compiled a few pictures of the most asked about topic: the Covenant. I made all the Covenant ships from scratch; no model porting, no downloading someone else’s models. And finally, before I show the goods, I have found someone to host my larger files, so expect a FS2H Trailer soon.

Sit back, grab your favorite snack and a soda…this one will be long...and I mean loooooooooong, filled with much eye candy.

TECH ROOM
Subject: Covenant Ships

Unlike the nice, blocky UNSC ships, which are pretty easy to model as basic shapes, the Covenant ships are, well, A ROYAL PAIN IN THE @#$. They have a lot of curves, and since they are supposed to look sleek, organic, and deadly, it was hard to turn my ideas of what other ship classes may look like into models. Needless to say, I used a lot more polys on these puppies, and I used a cool auto-faceting so the game rendered it as sleek and smooth. Before I found this trick the Covenant ships looked horrible and blocky; I was afraid I’d have to either scratch the Covies or just live with butt-ugly model renders. I’ve made a corvette, frigate, and destroyer based off of the descriptions in the books, as well as taking the basic shapes from the existing capital ships from the Halo games. The battle cruiser and assault carrier were even harder to make. If I deviated too much from the ones shown in the game cutscenes I’d disappoint Halo fans. The Seraph was fun to make, and the U-shaped dropship was actually harder than the dang capital ships. No Phantom as of yet…have you looked at all the curved surfaces on that thing?!?

So, without further adieu, I present to you the Covenant Basic Model Tour. Due to the size of these pictures, I’ve posted only one or two of each as in-page viewable, and the others as links. Enjoy!

Covenant Dropship

http://www.sectorgame.com/halo/FS2H/cov ... p_mesh.JPG
http://www.sectorgame.com/halo/FS2H/cov ... rofile.JPG

Covenant Seraph

http://www.sectorgame.com/halo/FS2H/cov ... h_mesh.JPG
http://www.sectorgame.com/halo/FS2H/cov ... rofile.JPG
http://www.sectorgame.com/halo/FS2H/cov ... _solid.JPG
http://www.sectorgame.com/halo/FS2H/cov ... ph_top.JPG
http://www.sectorgame.com/halo/FS2H/cov ... h_face.JPG
http://www.sectorgame.com/halo/FS2H/cov ... xtured.JPG

Covenant Corvette

http://www.sectorgame.com/halo/FS2H/cov ... e_mesh.JPG
http://www.sectorgame.com/halo/FS2H/cov ... rofile.JPG
http://www.sectorgame.com/halo/FS2H/cov ... _solid.JPG
http://www.sectorgame.com/halo/FS2H/cov ... e_face.JPG

Covenant Frigate

http://www.sectorgame.com/halo/FS2H/cov ... e_mesh.JPG
http://www.sectorgame.com/halo/FS2H/cov ... rofile.JPG
http://www.sectorgame.com/halo/FS2H/cov ... _solid.JPG
http://www.sectorgame.com/halo/FS2H/cov ... e_face.JPG
http://www.sectorgame.com/halo/FS2H/cov ... te_top.JPG
http://www.sectorgame.com/halo/FS2H/cov ... Bottom.JPG

Covenant Destroyer

http://www.sectorgame.com/halo/FS2H/cov ... r_mesh.JPG
http://www.sectorgame.com/halo/FS2H/cov ... rofile.JPG
http://www.sectorgame.com/halo/FS2H/cov ... _solid.JPG
http://www.sectorgame.com/halo/FS2H/cov ... r_face.JPG
http://www.sectorgame.com/halo/FS2H/cov ... er_top.JPG
http://www.sectorgame.com/halo/FS2H/cov ... Bottom.JPG

Covenant Cruiser

http://www.sectorgame.com/halo/FS2H/cov ... r_mesh.JPG
http://www.sectorgame.com/halo/FS2H/cov ... rofile.JPG
http://www.sectorgame.com/halo/FS2H/cov ... _solid.JPG
http://www.sectorgame.com/halo/FS2H/cov ... r_face.JPG
http://www.sectorgame.com/halo/FS2H/cov ... er_top.JPG
http://www.sectorgame.com/halo/FS2H/cov ... Bottom.JPG

Covenant Assault Carrier

http://www.sectorgame.com/halo/FS2H/cov ... rofile.JPG
http://www.sectorgame.com/halo/FS2H/cov ... er_top.JPG
http://www.sectorgame.com/halo/FS2H/cov ... bottom.JPG

The Assault Carrier was not only a monster model; it is the definition of a flying fortress. It’s over 5km long and packs quite a punch. Here is a screenshot of me flying towards one after narrowly escaping a pack of Seraphs.
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To get a true appreciation of its size: see that grayish ship near the tail of the Assault Carrier? That is a Marathon-class cruiser blowing up after sustaining a barrage of plasma and energy projector hits. The energy projector is, at this captured moment, firing at a civilian space station a few miles away. It was subsequently destroyed right after I took this picture.

Lights, Camera, Action

Now that you’ve seen the Covenant ships up close and personal, feast your eyes on a few in-game screenshots. This mission is a single Covenant Corvette and four Seraphs taking on two UNSC frigates, a scout ship, a corvette, and two Longswords while blasting away at a human space dock. NOTE: The images were converted to JPEG format to save space, so a lot of the high-res quality was lost.

GO HERE: http://carnage.bungie.org/haloforum/hal ... ead=792764

Hope you like what you see. As always, feel free to post replies and email me. All criticism, good and bad, is welcomed.

See you next time!

Week 5 (4/19/07)

#7
When I slay someone with dual needlers I like to yell "YOU'VE JUST BEEN PEPTO-BISMOLED!"

----------------------END OF RAMPANCY----------------------------------

0409 hours, April 19, 2007 (Military Calendar) \
Sol System, Planet Earth \ FS2H Main Office

It's been a heck of a week for FS2H. I've been focusing on some of the other elements of the game, such as music, interface, and level design. In addition, I started voice actor screening last Friday. It wasn't hard to find people interested, so I'll be recording voice tracks as early as this weekend! One more milestone soon to be out of the way.

Music

I love music, plain and simple. So when I decided to add original music instead of just spliced Halo tracks I thought it wouldn't be so hard; just a week or two and boom, music done. I quickly found out that music is much more inspiration, and you just can't force it. I've finished three songs, but I've been working on those for nearly four months. Like I said, inspiration! And with all the other work I've had to do I haven't been as inspired as I'd like to have been.

So, in order to get music in the game in time for the release dates I've set for myself, I've asked some very talented friends to help me out. Together, I hope to have some cool and diverse music in game. Here are a few of the tracks we've laid down so far. And I'll point out that they are prototypes, so they may or may not sound the same come game time.

Fire Away - Devrous
http://www.sectorgame.com/halo/FS2H/music/fireaway.mp3
Battle 101 - Masilius
http://www.sectorgame.com/halo/FS2H/music/battle101.mp3
Dark Space - Devrous
http://www.sectorgame.com/halo/FS2H/music/darkspace.mp3

I've also got a local band interested in making a music track for me. They are writing it, lyrics and all, so I'm waiting to see what they come up with!

If anyone on this site would like to throw some music my way, I'll put it into consideration. If I do use it, I will give you credit for the piece. And if any of you are nervous about giving me your inspirational product, that's ok...I would be too :-)

Interface

Interface is important to a game. It's the "first impression," and you want it to be a good one. Also, it needs to make sense so people can get around the menus without screaming. I tried several main menu screens, some more flashy than others. In the end I decided to make an amalgamation of Halo and space combat sim, so I used the cursor and text from Halo PC, added effects, and then put it into a simple layout with a fan-made backdrop. Credit goes out to Joel Loukus who posted this on HBO years ago. As of the moment I am using this without his permission--I haven't been able to get ahold of him to ask, so if anyone here can find his current email address PLEASE LET ME KNOW! I won't use it in the end if I can't get a green light from him, and I'd really like to since it fits perfectly with the feel I wanted.

Main Menu - DivX, 1.05MB AVI
http://www.sectorgame.com/halo/FS2H/fs2hmenu.avi

Important to the Freespace games was the Tech Room. You could view ships (and their info) that you'd seen or "been given access to" during the campaign mode. I recorded a quick run-through a few months ago, and I'd like to share it. It shows a lot of the models, but with unfinished textures, unfinished models, and lower res quality, since I took the footage before I got FSOpen.

Tech Room - DivX, 5.81MB AVI
http://www.sectorgame.com/halo/FS2H/fs2hships06.avi

And last, but not least, I've been giving thought to what the logo should be for FS2H. Originally, I started with this:
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Recently I changed it and it is more original, more me, and I think has a "spacier" (is that even a word?!?) feel to it:
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Much more dramatic, no?

Well, time to go to find sleep (it eludes me these days) and start cracking on voice acting and more missions tomarrow. Hope you enjoy what you see. For anyone just joining, check out the teaser and other weekly updates. Just search FS2H on this site :-D

As always, if you have questions or would like to suggest something to be used in the game, lemme know and email me. I'll be happy to answer. Or just post a reply on the forum. I check it nearly everyday, so if you do post watch for late-night replies.

Peace.
Last edited by Devrous on Wed May 23, 2007 10:43 pm, edited 1 time in total.

Week 6 (5/17/07)

#8
1430 hours, May 17, 2007 (Military Calendar) \
Sol System, Planet Earth \ FS2H Main Office

FS2H is back with a vengeance! After four weeks of tears, dashed hopes, and dollars thrown away, my new computer is finally built and kicking some serious butt. I have finished more FS2H content in the last two days than in the two weeks prior to my computer struggle. Models form, load, texture, and save in a snap. I can actually take in-game movies without massive lag. It takes me half the time to complete a mission, and almost no time at all to load the game itself, so testing has been easier too. All in all, it has been worth the wait.

At this time I would like to dedicate a moment to the one casualty of this new computer crusade. Apparently my old C Drive fell prey to data corruption on part of the disk; the part with every word/excel document I've ever created on it. Ironically, it was one of the few folders I didn't back up before I built my new machine; I thought I'd just pop it in as C Drive on my new machine.

Two novels, about thirty short stories, financial records, random ideas jotted down, most of my FS2H publicity screenshots, and sadly, all of my FS2H roadmap/timeline files. Most of all of the above is still in my head, but there are some parts of these things that will never be recreated. Anyone who has ever lost data can atest to this.

Let us take a moment of silence and remember the good things that once made up 'ol C Drive.
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During my computer-less month, I stumbled across an odd sighting. A friend of mine moved out of their dorm room and gave me the left over supplies so they wouldn't need to take it home in their car. It just so happens that a <b>familiar symbol</b> is on this paper towel. See if you can spot it. (If you are a Bungie fan you'll know)
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Strange, isn't it?

Finally, I'll point out that I will not be enjoying the Halo 3 Beta with the rest of the world. I've spent pretty much all my extra cash on getting this computer to work, so no copy of Crackdown for me. Summer is here, so I have more free time--hooray! Till September 25, I'll be on XBL in Halo 2 or working on FS2H.

Alrighty...back on topic!

Music

Masilius has been cranking away at the music much more than he had led me to believe. He told me today that he's not only done with most of the voice acting, he has finished every musical piece for both the demo AND Chapter One! He said he wanted to surprise me, and he sure did. The few tracks he's let me hear are wonderful, and I'm sure you will love it too.

In addition, I hear his band is about to start practicing the song they wrote for FS2H. They haven't let me hear any of it, naturally, so we'll see how it comes out.

Gameplay
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Creating missions for FS2H have been as hard as making the actual content. Missions must be fun. They need to be full of enough action to stave off boredom, so one can see the problem with making space fun yet realistic. If humanity makes it to the stars in the future, there is still a lot of empty space. Traditional tactics here on Earth are limited. Things like gravity and, well, the ground, make it hard to think about what tactics will be employed in the future. Movies and TV shows like Star Wars, Star Trek (all billion of them), Wing Commander, Firefly/Serenity, Babylon 5, Battlestar Galactica, etc.have different ways of showing space battles. I categorize them into two types: "Sea in Space" or "Air in Space." Anyone who has seen Star Wars: Episode III could tell that it is "Sea in Space." The capital ships barely move at all. They slowly cruise around the battlefield taking shots at one another until they get close; then they unleash hell. But it is like watching a World War II naval battle. Most of the ships have the same 'up-down' orientation and they move amazingly slow. Only the fightercraft move with any grace or speed. Star Trek, on the other hand, is a "Air in Space" example. The ships move around quickly, arching up and down and weaving through one another. Even the capital ships move like sporting yachts.
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What's my point? Unless you were near a larger object, there would be no 'up' or 'down' in space. Space battles could have ships in all sorts of odd orientations, having almost random pitches and yaws. I could see a fleet aligning to the same vectors at first, but once they engaged the enemy they could move at any angle in any direction. This would make it more like submarine warfare, only they could see one another, and they could do flips and rolls since there would be no gravity.

At any rate, when you play FS2H, you'll find that it has a certain amount of flexability on how you choose to achieve your mission objectives. Do you run in, fire on a few enemy fighters to get their attention, and then run back to your capital ship so the auto turrets whittle them to peices? Or do you order your squad to follow you as you loop around and attack from behind? In truth, there is no right answer. Whichever tactic helps you achieve your objective is valid, and the game will not penalize you. As the mission designer, that means that a mission I may think is going to be really hard could end up being a walk in the park to someone who figures out an easier way to blow away the bad guys.

For example, one of my test missions had two Covenant capital ships and six wings of Seraphs engage a UNSC fleet. The player has two nukes as secondary weapons. The captain of the player's base ship will instruct the player to use the nukes to down the shields of the covie capital ships. Instead, you decide to nuke the Seraphs. You get an impressive 18 kills within the first 30 seconds of the mission; congrats. However, the capital ships pound your fleet with plasma torpedoes while the MAC rounds get absorbed by their now full-strength shields. If you instead fire the nukes at the capital ships, you may enable the fleet to take down the capital ships, but you and your squad will be basking in a few thousand plasma bolts as all 18 Seraphs converge on you at once. Tricky, eh?

This kind of decision-making problems are going to be strewn throughout the game, so keep your mind open when you play and never think a mission is impossible. I play everyone of these, and I assure you I wouldn't put it into the final release if you couldn't win (or at least live long enough to complete your objectives).

Gameplay Videos

I figured that I jabbered enough in the last few updates about how the game looks and plays that I might as well kick of my return to the surface with some gameplay videos. I hope they whet your appetite. Oh, and don't mind the whole "www.fraps.com" pasted on the top. When C Drive whent dead I lost my registered copy of FRAPS. So until I get it back the videos have that stupid watermark :-(

Dogfighting clips with Battle 101 rocking out
DivX, 16.46MB AVI
http://www.sectorgame.com/halo/FS2H/cli ... ghting.avi
Gameplay clips without sound
Rearming - DivX, 1.84MB AVI
http://www.sectorgame.com/halo/FS2H/clips/rearm.avi
Killed while Rearming - DivX, 0.97MB AVI
http://www.sectorgame.com/halo/FS2H/cli ... mdeath.avi
Covenant shields in action - DivX, 0.34MB AVI
http://www.sectorgame.com/halo/FS2H/clips/shields.avi
Missiles fired to demonstrate smoke trials - DivX, 0.41MB AVI
http://www.sectorgame.com/halo/FS2H/clips/missiles.avi
Destroying a Mako-class Corvette - DivX, 2.56MB AVI
http://www.sectorgame.com/halo/FS2H/cli ... kedown.avi
A Seraph's shields make them hard to kill - DivX, 1.26MB AVI
http://www.sectorgame.com/halo/FS2H/clips/seraphTKO.avi
Several capital ship battle clips put together - DivX, 10.09MB AVI
http://www.sectorgame.com/halo/FS2H/clips/battle1.avi

Hope these make you claw at the walls to play FS2H!

Salutations

I've think I've done enough damage for one post. I'll be back next week with some definite word on the demo. I had planned on the end of May, but I had a month without a computer, so the date has been pushed back to mid-June. Sorry for the added wait, but at least it is coming soon. As always, thanks for the support, and if you have any questions or comments fire away.

#9
wow...this mod is moving fast. faster than most mods with a 10 person team. and yet it only has two people.

great work. although i would like a little more detail on those uniform textures applied to most earth ships.

#11
The textures are very much not final on a lot of the UNSC ships. For testing I just sort of slapped some textures on them. The installations and the Orion frigate are done, but the other 20ish ships still need attention. But since they weren't going to appear in the demo I didn't make their "beautification" a top priority :)

Also, my attempts at some hard-core UV mapping have failed. I tried using Truespace for UV mapping, but in the forums I saw people saying things things like "for the love of God don't use Truespace!" I now see why...it is a pain. I've downloaded LithUnwrap, but I still haven't got it 100% figured out.

#15
Mmmm...tasty side projects. To be honest, I had two mod ideas before Halo: yet another "after the events of Freespace 2" mod/story, and a game adaptation of the sci-fi series Space: Above and Beyond. The first may never happen, but I am most definitly going to do S:AAB. I loved that series so much I pirated it :D

It will, in a sense, be the opposite of FS2H; fewer ships, but gorgeous detail. If anyone here is a S:AAB fan, by all means start up some models!

But until I'm done with FS2H, that one will be on hold.

And as far as side projects are concerned, I would be glad to help. I can't just spend all day doing 2H stuff...gotta have some spice in life :)
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