Fleet Operations Light

posted on February 3rd, 2011, 6:58 pm

FO already has 3 different texture res for each ship if you want it to be smaller just remove the largest 2

posted on February 4th, 2011, 2:22 am

The most important factors that affects performance are model polygons and textures. You can fiddle around odf files and other things, but they won't make much notable difference.

While textures are relatively easier to modify, hi-polygon models also cause GPU loads during gaming, especialy when you have hundreds of units in a RTS game like fleetops.

posted on February 4th, 2011, 2:49 am

I think you guys scared Chappy into submission

posted on February 4th, 2011, 3:06 am

MUWAHAHA
>:D

posted on February 4th, 2011, 5:21 pm

The texture resolutions won't be any problem.  Reducing the number of polygons on the Borg models will be impossible for me to do.  Unless I make all of the Borg models flat like the were in stock.

posted on February 4th, 2011, 5:28 pm

Flat models (maybe with bump-mapping) probably would be the best way to go.

posted on February 4th, 2011, 6:34 pm

Flat models (maybe with bump-mapping) probably would be the best way to go.

What are these "bump maps" for?

posted on February 4th, 2011, 6:38 pm

They make the ship look 3D without actually being 3D, like the indents between the hull plating on various ships.

posted on February 5th, 2011, 12:22 am

Flat models (maybe with bump-mapping) probably would be the best way to go.

Good idea. Bump mapping also costs some GPU RAM resource, but not as much as polygons. It looks as good as, sometimes better than hi-polygon models depending on how artist made it.

posted on February 5th, 2011, 3:23 am

Okay then.  I'll attempt to build some "flat" models of the Borg vessels and stations.

I'll want to redo the adaption matrix and probe geometry.  Because of the modules being removed, the adaption matrix will build adaptors.  The probe I want to look more like it did in Voyager.

The adaptors will have their passive adaptations replaced with special weapons from the said faction and will have a cloak detection system that can only detect cloaked vessels from the said faction.

posted on February 5th, 2011, 12:03 pm

Wouldn't permission be required for a mod of this type? I mean, you're basically proposing to replace their pride and joy with a nerfed version. Could get messy for MP too.

posted on February 5th, 2011, 12:05 pm

Only for releasing it to the public, the modding itself should be fine.

posted on February 5th, 2011, 2:32 pm

Phoenix is raising a good point. This thread seems to be implying distributing a complete install. The way the modding guidelines read, you have to approach modding FO as changing an already installed copy if you plan on releasing it to the public. So all this talk of saving drive space (which is silly given how cheap storage is) is moot. If you want to remove existing textures from the game you're going to have to instruct the user to do so, which is asking for problems.

Basically, if you want to fall within the guidelines, the only thing TChapman500 will be distributing is files he's actually created (new Borg models and textures for example) or changed (odfs and other text files). The user would then extract these over a copy of a FO install.

posted on February 5th, 2011, 2:36 pm

Of course, you could always have an auto-extractor delete the unnecessary files after, just making sure to still require FO being installed first to do so 

posted on February 5th, 2011, 10:18 pm

Thanks for the idea.

The installer will remove the high-resolution textures and replace them with the low-resolution textures.  Then it'll remove the ODF files and replace them with the new ODF files.  Same with the models.  The old models will be removed and the new models will be put in their place.

I would like some help with the bump maps.