Better Textures?

My current plan is to see whether or not Blender's export as Lightwave function will produce a file readable by I-War2. I think I did do something once that successfully got a model into the game, but I don't remember exactly what that process was. I do know that the model was a fixed collider for the Heavy Destroyer, as the ingame collider is too small by, I think it was 50%.
I'm going to hunt down that file and start poking things to find out what I did. I have a veritable treasure-hoard of ancient files for I-War2 that would be utterly impossible for someone else to understand, and are hard enough for me to do so. But I'll blow the dust off my archives and have a look.

Speaking of textures, it's an absolute pity that the game does not support normal mapping. It could look stunning if it did so.

Oh, I just got an idea. I'm going to look into it straight away... :whistle:

--IronDuke

I hope you find something useful.

Speaking of textures, it's an absolute pity that the game does not support normal mapping. It could look stunning if it did so.

Someday... maybe someday we can make I-War 3, and we won't have to worry about these problems.

Well, I have blisteringly good news.
I asked about my idea with the folks on the Limit Theory IRC, and they said it's been done before quite safely, so here goes.

My plan is to do a remake of I-War2 in Unity. However, it would have to draw some of the assets from an original I-War2 installation. Otherwise, maybe a ship wouldn't exist, or something similar to that. The best part with this plan is top-of-the-line graphics, and the ability to throw in as much extra stuff as I want. Including an additional story. (I-War3! :woohoo: )
The only hole I see is that someone could simply identify which files my remake draws from the original game install, copy those files, and put them online. But actually, someone could just do that to the installer for the GOG version of the game, so...

As I mentioned, this has been done before, to even well known games like X-Com. I think one or two of these remakes got a cease and desist, but only one or two. In any case, if it was taken to court (which would be a hilarious waste of money for Atari) they would probably lose, according to the IRC folks.

What do you think of that plan?

--IronDuke

I have a very different plan.

Someday I would like to build my own game engine (with rendering engine). This engine would allow me to make things work exactly as I want them to. Therefore, if you want normal mapping in the game, I can add normal mapping to the game. Considering I have written 0 lines of code for the engine, consider this worth a grain of salt...

I also have a plan regarding copyrights. Atari is really slacking in good game output, especially in the space-sim genre. The Roller Coaster Tycoon series is the best that I've seen on their site. Perhaps they would listen to a beautifully rendered trailer, with its own engine, a fighting chance in the space-sim genre, and a couple of good programmers willing to make a deal. From what I hear, there are quite a few people out there with memories of I-War.

Anyways, it would still be useful to import proper UVs from lightwave for something like this...

If you get into I-War 3 in Unity full swing, let me know. I can probably help with things like new ship models.

Chessking wrote: I have a very different plan.

Someday I would like to build my own game engine (with rendering engine). This engine would allow me to make things work exactly as I want them to. Therefore, if you want normal mapping in the game, I can add normal mapping to the game. Considering I have written 0 lines of code for the engine, consider this worth a grain of salt...

That's hard. And I'm lazy. Bad combination, so I [strike]won't[/strike] can't help with that. But I wish you the best of luck, although attaining the level of skill needed to do that with one person would take about thirty years.

Chessking wrote: I also have a plan regarding copyrights. Atari is really slacking in good game output, especially in the space-sim genre. The Roller Coaster Tycoon series is the best that I've seen on their site. Perhaps they would listen to a beautifully rendered trailer, with its own engine, a fighting chance in the space-sim genre, and a couple of good programmers willing to make a deal. From what I hear, there are quite a few people out there with memories of I-War.

People have been contacting them with requests for permission to make an I-War3 since 2003-4. They have either never responded, or said heck no. Possibly they could be budged a little by a trailer and engine already made, but I doubt it. And the fact that they are slacking in good games is one of the reasons I don't want to attach myself to them. Plus, I don't know what kind of deal they'd want. I feel edgy at the prospect of 'deals' with large companies.

Chessking wrote: Anyways, it would still be useful to import proper UVs from lightwave for something like this...

If you get into I-War 3 in Unity full swing, let me know. I can probably help with things like new ship models.

First point: bah, just gotta make new models. It's entirely possible that the UV's are accessible, but I haven't found them. I never poked the 3d-models part of the game too much. I was more into changing gameplay and such.
Second point: I will definitely let you know. Whatever you are able to help with I would appreciate. A project that size would be hard, although I can use a lot of the default I-War2 assets this way.


--IronDuke

It's all very complicated... I probably should not have brought it up. I brought it up to say that after my engine is made, it would be a lot easier to implement graphics improvements than with the existing compiled I-War 2 engine.

There is a bit more to my plan than I previously mentioned. I base my plan off of Limit Theory. I would use C++ and OpenGL to make the engine. Judging from Limit Theory, it is possible to pull this off in less than thirty years. I feel bad for copying Josh Parnell, but he is the only one who has told me how to make a good game. :S Because of this, I decided that if I make a game, I would not make a space game (except for I-War 3 if possible), but rather a hunting game. Once all of this is finished, Atari may be in a more competitive mood.

That's hard. And I'm lazy. Bad combination, so I won't can't help with that.

Strange, I'm too lazy to learn Unity...

A project that size would be hard, although I can use a lot of the default I-War2 assets this way.

Just for clarification, would the resulting I-War 3 be sellable, according to your plan? It would be a lot easier to complete that way.

Back to the original topic of better textures:
A new model would require new UVs. Even if the model imported correctly, the UVs may not because of the different versions of lightwave. I don't know though. You will have to try it and see.