Post by rotary on Apr 6, 2011 20:24:34 GMT -5
Hey guys,
As some already have seen in another topic, I brought up the idea to rebuild HardWar, wondering how it was living among the fans, but I didn't give much more details about it. However, via this topic I hope I can inspire people or at least get a better idea of the slumbering wishes among HardWar-fans! One note though; since I can't view the old forum, my idea might be a copy from someone else, without me knowing it, sorry if that's the case. Don't worry, I don't mind critics!
Ok, the idea's I had..
Until now, most efforts (AFAIK) have been trying to build own engines, or use the original one. I also get the strong idea that modding is only possible for a few skillfull guys, knowing the ins and outs of the original version using HEX-editors and stuff. Therefore I thought it would be good if there was a remake that would be flexible enough to support easy modding of important parts. Heck, why not even support building in-game! What is the basic idea?
Build the main-frame with Blender 3D:
Blender 3D is an Open-Source creation suite for 3D applications. It has a built-in physics engine (Bullet) which can be used (or not). It can create 3D models, animations, texture mapping, rendering, etc etc. It can also import models from some external modeling-programs, making it more flexible for people to create models.
Blender uses python for its logic. Python is also Open-Source, so everyone can do its magic with it. It is object-oriented, a bit less user-friendly than .net (at least, when used within Blender, since it does not give suggestions, only shows where it gives errors in the script). Ofcourse you cannot reprogram the physics engine itself, anything within it can be manipulated by logic, from changing/creating variables, applying forces, torque, vectors etc, destroying/creating objects, changing meshes, textures, materials, lighting, etc, but also the AI's, faction-strategies, economy-rules, physical properties, missions, you name it. You can literaly create a world from scratch, just with logic.. All you need is this main-frame to run it! This shows how powerful modding becomes, making it available for the public; where Remakes start and end.
Of course, it is much easier to create a basic world within the main-frame, so I suggest to keep it there, since it is still editable via logic (remove/edit/create), and gives a more solid ground to work with.
The nice thing from Blender is that it can eventually use external files for its models and scripts. This makes it quite flexible for other users to cooperate. This way everbody can work on models on its own pace, and models can easily be updated or imported. For the modeling you can eventually use other modeling-software, but in Blender you can store additional data (price, resources, type of product, eventual restrictions, etc etc). Therefore those models have then to be imported to Blender to add the data, and save it. Of course modeling it in Blender will save the exporting/importing troubles it could give, but Blender does have built-in ex/importing of 3DSMAX, X3D, Stanford, COLLADA, and some more.
Besides the build-up of the game, for modding I suggest using JSGME, since this supports easy switching on/off of individual mods, without loosing the original files. This way people can bring their mod as a MOD-package, which can be either dis- or enabled by the user.
--------------
So far for the intro Now for some more practical parts. Ofcourse I am a human, and I know a few, and initiatives like modding and game-building take time and efforts, which can (actually, will..) loose its interest for some working on it. That's exactly the reason why something Open-Source and moddable parts should be used, to make it easy to pick up for newcomers, not to let it die with some1 getting married, getting a child, finding another hobby, getting bored or getting another job, because this WILL happen in time. If we make it possible for a regular player to implement stuff like models, it will greatly boost community support, and in the end, that's the fuel.
Well... A lot of talk, enough for today at least. Just spit out what you think of it. I'm having exams in 1,5 week, so am very busy, but I will definitely follow the thread, and respond when I have time. If you have a better suggestion for use as a Main-frame, or anything else, beat me! All valuable tips are welcome.
Greets, Rotary
As some already have seen in another topic, I brought up the idea to rebuild HardWar, wondering how it was living among the fans, but I didn't give much more details about it. However, via this topic I hope I can inspire people or at least get a better idea of the slumbering wishes among HardWar-fans! One note though; since I can't view the old forum, my idea might be a copy from someone else, without me knowing it, sorry if that's the case. Don't worry, I don't mind critics!
Ok, the idea's I had..
Until now, most efforts (AFAIK) have been trying to build own engines, or use the original one. I also get the strong idea that modding is only possible for a few skillfull guys, knowing the ins and outs of the original version using HEX-editors and stuff. Therefore I thought it would be good if there was a remake that would be flexible enough to support easy modding of important parts. Heck, why not even support building in-game! What is the basic idea?
Build the main-frame with Blender 3D:
Blender 3D is an Open-Source creation suite for 3D applications. It has a built-in physics engine (Bullet) which can be used (or not). It can create 3D models, animations, texture mapping, rendering, etc etc. It can also import models from some external modeling-programs, making it more flexible for people to create models.
Blender uses python for its logic. Python is also Open-Source, so everyone can do its magic with it. It is object-oriented, a bit less user-friendly than .net (at least, when used within Blender, since it does not give suggestions, only shows where it gives errors in the script). Ofcourse you cannot reprogram the physics engine itself, anything within it can be manipulated by logic, from changing/creating variables, applying forces, torque, vectors etc, destroying/creating objects, changing meshes, textures, materials, lighting, etc, but also the AI's, faction-strategies, economy-rules, physical properties, missions, you name it. You can literaly create a world from scratch, just with logic.. All you need is this main-frame to run it! This shows how powerful modding becomes, making it available for the public; where Remakes start and end.
Of course, it is much easier to create a basic world within the main-frame, so I suggest to keep it there, since it is still editable via logic (remove/edit/create), and gives a more solid ground to work with.
The nice thing from Blender is that it can eventually use external files for its models and scripts. This makes it quite flexible for other users to cooperate. This way everbody can work on models on its own pace, and models can easily be updated or imported. For the modeling you can eventually use other modeling-software, but in Blender you can store additional data (price, resources, type of product, eventual restrictions, etc etc). Therefore those models have then to be imported to Blender to add the data, and save it. Of course modeling it in Blender will save the exporting/importing troubles it could give, but Blender does have built-in ex/importing of 3DSMAX, X3D, Stanford, COLLADA, and some more.
Besides the build-up of the game, for modding I suggest using JSGME, since this supports easy switching on/off of individual mods, without loosing the original files. This way people can bring their mod as a MOD-package, which can be either dis- or enabled by the user.
--------------
So far for the intro Now for some more practical parts. Ofcourse I am a human, and I know a few, and initiatives like modding and game-building take time and efforts, which can (actually, will..) loose its interest for some working on it. That's exactly the reason why something Open-Source and moddable parts should be used, to make it easy to pick up for newcomers, not to let it die with some1 getting married, getting a child, finding another hobby, getting bored or getting another job, because this WILL happen in time. If we make it possible for a regular player to implement stuff like models, it will greatly boost community support, and in the end, that's the fuel.
Well... A lot of talk, enough for today at least. Just spit out what you think of it. I'm having exams in 1,5 week, so am very busy, but I will definitely follow the thread, and respond when I have time. If you have a better suggestion for use as a Main-frame, or anything else, beat me! All valuable tips are welcome.
Greets, Rotary