Take This Localization Code and Shove It!

Yeah, that’s right. Shove it in the “done” shelf! I’m finally done with all the localization code, put the final touches on tonight. I’ll write up usage later, when it’s closer to a public release.

Mod Makers: Keep Working on TW1? Move to TW2 Immediately?

I’ve seen this question a few times now. The only real answer here is “Do what you think is best“. But if you want some unsolicited advice (the kind I specialize in), then I would suggest you can do both if you want. I can’t tell you yet what the animation (.anm) format is for TW2, and I can’t tell you what the physics files will look like, but your 2D and 3D artwork is going to work as is in TW2, so you won’t lose anything by continuing to build up artwork for planes. I wouldn’t spend any time on terrain if it was me, unless if it was to build ground clutter 3D objects. Time you spend on scenarios is not going to be easily leveraged for TW2, but we’ve got some time before TW2, and new scenarios are always appreciated by the players. But while you’re working on TW1 stuff, now is a good time to start preparing for TW2.

First Steps for Moving Your Mod to TW2

There are 2 things you can work on right now, without knowing any more about TW2 than you already know:

1. Gameplay Design – Ask yourself: what happens when a player logs into my server? What does he do? Does he get right into a plane? How many teams are there? Are there missions? Are planes limited to historical “sides”? Is it a free for all? Are there older generation planes mixed in with later generation planes? Is there a ground war? Can players affect the ground war? How? How do you win or lose the game? What happens when you die? All these questions you need to start asking your team now, if you haven’t already. Forget about what you could do in TW1. Ask yourself what you want to do, if you could make the rules. Because in TW2, you ARE going to make the rules. Or copy them from a fellow mod team (you lazy bastige).
2. UI Design – In TW 2, mods have their own UI. What your UI will look like is part art (or lack thereof, if your idea of a perfect user interface is one based on a UNIX command line), and part function. You need to decide on a theme, colors, etc etc, but beyond that, you need to know what your game design is, or you won’t be able to make a UI that meets your needs. You can make your UI 3D if you want, you can make it 1980s arcade retro, but however it looks, it needs to support your game play. It’s worth investing some time and thought here. 

Anyway, those are my recommendations for mod teams trying to decide on a course of action. Note to TR Dev Team: We really need to get started on a UI. Not graphics, but how we want players to interact with it, in relation to our Zones campaign. Will post on dev team forum.

TW2 Q & A: 1 km Long Spaceships

On a previous blog entry, Vermillion Leader (friend of Imperious Leader? Inquiring minds want to know) asked if there were any issues in making a spaceship for TW2 that was 1 km or longer in length.  I asked Sick about that, and his answer is:

no issue at all. in fact, rock the [beep!] out!!! i suggest a 100 km long space ship :)

I asked him if the code that reduces poly count of objects rendered far away would affect a ship that was basically near and far to you at the same time, and he said no, because that code is actually based on the size of the object on the screen, not it’s proximity to you. So, A) we should pitch in and buy Sick a shift key or two, and B) mega spaceships seem totally do-able, can’t wait to see them!