Blue Shields, Will Fleet Ops Have Them?

posted on August 6th, 2005, 8:24 pm

Ok simply, we have blue shields. They have been around for awhile now, but since most projects involving them have become either begun to stagnate or have even cancelled (including my own) I've thought that maybe Fleet Ops can have them after all.

If you want them, just ask and I will talk to the rest of the original team to see if they are ok with this. In case you have doubts, I'll post some screenshots simply of them working. If Doca or Optec decide that they want the shield sod, they can email me: draconis.sharp@gmail.com

posted on August 6th, 2005, 8:34 pm

the shield texture could use a little work but it would be kick *** if fleet opps had them.

posted on August 6th, 2005, 8:41 pm

yeah i think its a bit bright, tone it down a bit and with some cool shimmering effect it'll look cool

posted on August 6th, 2005, 8:43 pm

The Fleet Ops team can edit the textures to their liking. I never got around to changing them myself.

[Cpt Ryan]

posted on August 6th, 2005, 9:27 pm

Last edited by Cpt Ryan on August 6th, 2005, 9:30 pm, edited 1 time in total.

even with its current faults, (really only nit picks) its probably the best shield texture i've seen for the feds . question, after seeing the bottom pic, i can't tell, is this a skin-tight shield? if not its definatly the closest to it that i've ever seen.

i doubt doca & optec will want them (but shut my mouth if they do) cos they want fleet ops to be their project, its something they seem to take great pride in, but it would be cool if this was in fleet ops

oh yeah forgot to ask, is this shield pack available to download, off A2 files for example? or is this just part of a wider project, that hasn't come to fruition, & your now organ donning bits and pieces off.

posted on August 6th, 2005, 9:32 pm

I think Cpt Ryan is right about the FO team wishing for this to be a unitary project. The shields do look very nice.

posted on August 6th, 2005, 9:37 pm

It isn't available for individual download yet. It is included in several large projects at AFC; I don't think they are enthusiastic about letting Fleet Ops have them. I've corresponded with the one who actually created the sod in the first place, and I don't think he's fond of Flops getting their hands on it. Even if I don't give the original sod, I may still show them how to do it.

posted on August 6th, 2005, 9:45 pm

Hi draconis_sharp!

Thanks for your offer but (as you can also read in the features request subforum) we already tried blue shields for v3 but did not like them, cause you can no longer see the status of your starships easily, which is very important for larger fleets - at least in our opinion ^_^ Plus - at least as far as we developed this topic ourselves - its not possible to provide race specific shield colors. And I'm sure our hardcore non-federation fans would kill me for blue shields so the damage-indication color is somehow "fair"

To announce a new feature at this point: You will also get new shield effects (still the damage-indication-color but with a better animated noise field and movie like hit effects) in v3. They have not been shown on screenshots yet so you have something to look forward to

I like your shieldeffects, exspecially the wave effect on it. Another good module for future Armada2 Mods! Maybe somebody discovers a way to make the color race specific, but so long i think we will stick with the damage-indication.

Greetings,
Optec

posted on August 6th, 2005, 9:49 pm

Yes, race specific shields would be a problem I'm afraid. It may yet be possible, but not much more has been done to research them.

P.S. I suppose you made your newer ship selection boxes in a similar way, with a sprite attached to a sod?

posted on August 6th, 2005, 9:51 pm

yep, the new selection marker is made with sprites

posted on August 10th, 2005, 2:06 pm

I really wish it were possible to have the color race-specific. This would be so beneficial. If there is a will, there is a way, just that we don't know what that way is yet, sadly. As for showing them how to do it, that could be possible. Since I created it, if anyone wants to show you how that's done, I would be able to at least direct you in the right direction. Actually, I can describe it in one sentence - the shield is a sphere with sprites on it - now there are two sprites - one has an explosion above the shield hit so that it gives the look of detonation of ordnance. The rest of it can be figured out without any crazy noding or coding (or as I'd like to call it, conoding).

I'm working on new ideas all of the time as far as the shields go. I believe it just might be possible to get hit sprites worked out so that a shield pod, when hit, would appear as a shield hit. When destroyed, no explosion would be seen and no parts would fly around - I can do that part. The hit sprites - that's where it gets tricky. You have to make sure the sprite you edit is not used in other effects, as adding explosion sprites to expand the list of explosion (hit) sprites isn't possible yet. Explosions are easy to add, it's just the idea of adding hit sprites that is not yet possible.

Though you have tried the above already, it's good to see that my work means something, and that's always good. As for any other requests, please make sure that you send me a private message and maybe I'll be able to help if not too busy, which I've been a lot lately.

posted on August 10th, 2005, 2:29 pm

We want to use them in Twilight anyway and if you can make them even better great I have got some ideas on the subject but I can't do them as I don't model.

[Optec]

posted on August 10th, 2005, 3:07 pm

Last edited by Optec on August 10th, 2005, 3:08 pm, edited 1 time in total.

Yep Elrond, you are right. Damage visualisation - something which should be realy important in a RTS game in my opinion - is one of the weakest points of Armada2. I fear that, without the sourcecode, race-colored shields won't be doable. Maybe you can at least try something for the borg (green or not that much visible shields), cause models use the borg node to display assimilation stuff, maybe you can make a modification on the shield sod this way too, also i'm not sure if the shield sod itself even is considered the property of a team. i think it does not call any odf functions and is therefore relatively "unmodable", sadly.. :cry:

The new FO shields work similar to the old ones, just with better animation, texture and a few new glow effect

posted on August 10th, 2005, 4:01 pm

Borg dont need shields just give em more hull HP and faster regeneration

posted on August 10th, 2005, 5:23 pm

Borg dont need shields just give em more hull HP and faster regeneration

always have hated that in mods. tend to get overwhelmed by the ai teleporting onto my ships. >>