Topic: Bashfest - WIP

[Shadowfleet]

When Wicked Zombie released the Tiburon Class my wheels started turning. I liked the ship but I liked the warp engines even more.
I had some spare time this weekend so I got busy bashing and came up with my own private little fleet based on his awesome designs.

Once I was done I realised I'd need some cool little fighters to go with them -- Pepperman released the Interceptor and Javelin recently
 and with a little tweaking -- I based the Warpfighter Mk2 and Javelin Mk2.

WZ and Pepperman, I'm afraid my creativity is linked directly to your talent. Without it, I couldn't have had my little bashfest.

Can I release to the public at large?

[Shadowfleet]

Thanks FW. I shouldn't have missed the fact that you redid the textures for PM. They look great.

[Don Karnage]

i like the version with 3 warp engines, the one with 4 warp engines is also cool, keep the great work man 

[GotAFarmYet?]

As for WZs' Permission you will need to E-mail him Directly, he might see the thread but it is the best way to go about it.

[Klingon Fanatic]

 

Nice!

KF

[Shadowfleet]

Thanks for the input folks. I'll see if I can tweak the Warpfighter nacelle when I finish tweaking the textures to make it look better.

DK, all of the starship designs are Wz's and can be downloaded from his website at Demon Renegade Studios. I just changed out all the Warp nacelles with one of his most recent designs and tweaked the struts and textures as need to meld the parts. Credit is ALL his. I just really liked the Tiburon Warp engines and thought they'd unify these ships into a cool little fleet. The BR starfighter mesh was originally by ATX from ATX Buoy (Xwing alliance mod site)and I've bashed it before with some of WZ's pieces and parts as the Warpfighter Mk1. The Javelin was made by Pepperman and I used his warp nacelles plus some tweaks to customise it.

I want to emphasize, I am just a basher. I see pieces and parts and beg and borrow to put my woeful ideas together. The modellers deserve the credit and I thank them for letting me have fun.


Pepperman has given me his gracious approval and FW has cleared me to use his textures. I've emailed the most revered dead man and haven't heard from him yet. No worries though, I'm sure he's just busy right now. Besides, I'll need some time to finish the tweaks before I release. Here are some tweaks that are causing me issues...

I'm having trouble applying illumination maps. Is this something SFC does automatically if you include the illum tex in the folder. For instance, if a uv mapped texture is named saucer.bmp and I make an illum map called sauceri.bmp, does SFC do the illumination magic all by itself OR do I have to map the sauceri texture to the same polies -- I can't figure out how to do that... I'm not always the master of the obvious so any help is greatly appreciated.

How do I make all the parts I've meshed together one mesh? Sometimes the mod file is not viewable in the viewer or in game and I think having multiple meshes before export is the issue.

Finally, I'm using 3ds Max v3, and for some reason when I try to export a break mod it no workee! Any tips or tricks?

KF, I'm not really doing requests right now but if I decide to get into Klingon ship bashing, I'll give you a holler

[Shadowfleet]

WZ gave his permission so now all that's left is the tweaking.  THANKS!!!!!!

No one has sent me info on my issues fomr the previous post. Anyone, Anyone, Bueller?

[Shadowfleet]

Thanks FW. I needed the help. Tweaks continue. For one thing I couldn't get the warp nacelles right on the warpfighter with straight bashing -- so I made my first sub model. New bussards for the warpfighter nacelles I bashed from WZ's Tiburon.

Here's a little update on the Warpfighter Mk2



Whatcha think?

[Geks]

Angry looking little ship

Worf ----> "Little??"

Lol.... good job man, like the new weapons too 

[Scottish Andy]

It looks very nice, but I'd say remove the Gatling-lookalikes. This isn't Space Battleship Yamato. Trek doesn't do gun turrets. I do like the wing missile/photon pods, though. A flowing and graceful fairing into the actual fin itself.

[CC22]

It does - look at Chakotay's Marquis ship - which is a Fed design, and the BofP. In some cases I think its fine, but I do agree what with phaser strips it seems something of an anachronism... looks cool tho eh 

[atheorhaven]

Gotta love the Starfighter.. all you need now is Tweakie! 

[CaptainTombs]

those two bottom ships in the left look pretty bad ass any more piccies of them ?

[Shadowfleet]

Here’s a small update on the Warpfighter and the new fleet I’m working on. I’ve decided to take a new route on the fleet and take a section 31ish slant -- more story later but the models will be darker and a little more sinister for feddies. 

Once again – I’d like to emphasize that I am not the original author, of any of these ships. WZ is responsible for most of the ships I’m bashing. ATX is responsible for the Starfighter mesh. Pepperman made the Javelin. And I borrowed a few of FW’s textures. The only thing I’m doing is bashing by tweaking textures and mixing up parts or altering meshes slightly. Thanks again to the original authors.

I’m sorry there is not more of an update but I’ve been busy with real life and my gonkulator takes second place to family and work.

But without further adieu – Here is the nearly finished cap ship in my “Dark Fleet”. I call her the “Dark Sorcerer”. I may release her with original textures as well.


I’m almost done with the Warpfighter but it has evolved into a triple release – The Mk2 alpha and bravo and the Warpfighter Mk3. Three images with different perspectives so you can get a feel for what I’ve done.

Mk2 Alpha – Quick little bird with mini-quantum torpedoes for armament


Mk2 Bravo – looses some speed but adds pulse cannon to it’s armament


Mk3 – same speed as Mk2b but gains phasers and extra sensor pods for recce missions. May even get a cloak…


I recently found a video tutorial by Joker that solved most of my texturing and illumination issues – Thanks Joker! It was an oldie but a goodie. I’m glad I downloaded it years ago in anticipation of the fact that I might start modeling someday.

Also, Thanks to ImageShack for Free Image Hosting

All four meshes above are complete to include textures – now all I have to do is HP/DP, convert to mod, and beta test. At current rate, I’m hoping to start trickling out releases in a few weeks.

[darkthunder]

That Excelsior variant looks awesome. Gotta have that ship

[Scottish Andy]

Those starfighters are absolutely stunning, and the Excelsior looks great too.

[Star Dragon]

Damn, I'd love to get a hold of your mk2 alpha and mk3 warp fighters...  In my fic eventually Feds are one of the main magnet universes and the resulting big tech exchange/upgrades churn out some rather unorthodox/innovative hybrids such as what you posted.

For BR, I'm altering the Pendar/War witch episode so that the black hole leads to my big conflict. Buck, Wilma , and Tweekie (with Doctor Theopolis) are in their Thunder Fighters. (Tweekie: "Bedee bedee bedee, eat lead suckers"   Theo: "Lead, what lead? Tweekie what are you talking about?") 

There is one part of the ships that strikes me as lacking in esthetics, the rear end cap. The angled sharp crevice sems kinda harsh and a little detracting from the overall look imho. I don't have a suggestion now, but I think it needs a slightly diff look for that part maybe something more rounded/shorter with a more flowing feel.

 

[Starforce2]

How about a Miranda, Saladin or Akula? Or Perhaps even a Stargazer?

[Shadowfleet]

Sorry it's been so long without an update - I had some issues. I will be releasing 3 cap ships - Sorcerer refit, Midway refit, and Carolina refit - in a new thread entitled "Shadows of the Federation".

Modelsplease - you've helped me before - if you read this, can I send the Warpfighters your way for some conversion help? I also have a station bashed and ready for conversion. I've failed each time I try to illuminate them. I can convert minus ilumination, but SFC 3 ships look so much better illuminated.

[Don Karnage]

well shadow, when all the kitbash you made are available tell me, i want them all

great jobs

thanks

[Klingon Fanatic]

Shadowfleet,

Are the planet textures available that are in the background of this picture?



KF

[Starforce2]

you get these ok'd yet bud? I'd like to port atelast a few to BC as well

[AsYlUm]

Very nice, like what you have done with the fighters too.... 

idea stealing time 

nah, but great work man 

[Shadowfleet]

SF2 - WZ and PM were kind enough to give the permissions a while back - I'm just slow. Please make sure you give them credit on your conversions.

KF - sorry the background is just one I downloaded from somewhere - I've got hundreds of wallpapers...

The releases have finally begun - "Shadows of the Federation"
http://www.dynaverse.net/forum/index.php/topic,163379536.0.html

[Starforce2]

so you've released them?

[Shadowfleet]

  http://www.dynaverse.net/forum/index.php/topic,163379536.0.html

Battleclinic would only take three tonight - I'll try a few more tomorrow.

If you convert them to BC let me know I just got a copy at a second hand store and am itching to try it out. The disks are pretty scratched so I hope it installs okay.

[atheorhaven]

http://www.dynaverse.net/forum/index.php/topic,163379536.0.html

Battleclinic would only take three tonight - I'll try a few more tomorrow.

If you convert them to BC let me know I just got a copy at a second hand store and am itching to try it out. The disks are pretty scrathced so I hope it installs okay.

Something to try (speaking from the same experience).

When I get a CD or DVD that's pretty scratched, I generally get out a tube of paste-based toothpaste (no coloring, no gel, just paste) and coat the reading surface with it.

Excellent instructions can be found here:
http://www.wikihow.com/Fix-a-Scratched-CD

[Shadowfleet]

Thanks for the advice Atheorhaven. I bet it would work but I didn't want to take the chance on messing up a copy of a hard to find game so I went to WalMart and invested $20 on a disc polisher/saver -- it worked great. BC installed fine - now I just need to find the time to learn how to play...

AsYlUm - thanks for the accolades but WZ, PM and a X-wing Alliance modeller - ATX are the real talent - I just bashed. They deserve the real praise. You are "real" talent BTW so, if I sparked your imagination with these bashes, I am flattered. Steal away, model, go forth and prosper.  I can't wait to see the results!

[Centurus]

Now that you've got your disc working, I'd recommending making several backups and putting the original away for safe keeping.  I did that with my copies of SFC3 and BC.

I recommend using CloneCD to make backups of your game disc.  It'll copy just about anything, including security encrypted CDs. 

[Shadowfleet]

Need your help on the next kitbash Connie WIP for Shadows of the Federation. Which do your prefer?

1. Saucer section from WZ's Sorcerer



OR

2. Saucer from the James T Kirk - design by Atolm, model by LC Amaral, and prted to SFC by Dark drone

[Centurus]

I personally like the second ones.  However, that deflector textures looks very familiar.

[rengers]

I like the first one more, I think it fit's better to the rest of the ship

[Shadowfleet]

F9 - you are absolutely right - I couldn't remember where I got this deflector texture. I have a folder where I save textures I think might come in useful later. I tweaked this one a bit and used it as a unifying effect in my shadow fleet. A quick dynasearch of you username and not so quick process of clicking thoruhg all your posts confirms it is from your Chabot Refit.

I apologize and belatedly and humbly ask  for your permission to use it.

[marstone]

That fighter just sparks the memory of the old Buck Rodgers TV series ship.

[Shadowfleet]

The Starfighter was originally designed for use in TOS Battlestar Galactica but the Viper design won out. Universal had it sitting around when they decided to produce Buck Rogers in the 25th century and used it. Boy am I glad - I think it is one of the best sci fi designs ever!

Atrahasis made a low poly version for use in SFC 1 many years ago.

I'll finish the variants above as soon as I can and release wit light and "shadow" textures.

I released the Warpfighter MK1 last year and it is still available for download at battleclinic.

http://www.battleclinic.com/docks/dock/3040-Warpfighter-Mk1-details.html#3040

I used ATX's starfighter as a base mesh then added textures and parts from WZ's Defiant to "trekify" it.

[marstone]

The Starfighter was originally designed for use in TOS Battlestar Galactica but the Viper design won out. Universal had it sitting around when they decided to produce Buck Rogers in the 25th century and used it. Boy am I glad - I think it is one of the best sci fi designs ever!

Well, glad the Viper design won, they looked better for that series.  But the Buck Rogers starfigter is a awesome design overall.  Bad part looking back, is my preference for which series each of those made it into based on what looks best to my eye, or what I am used to seeing.  Hmmmm.  I think they matched there shows well.

[Centurus]

F9 - you are absolutely right - I couldn't remember where I got this deflector texture. I have a folder where I save textures I think might come in useful later. I tweaked this one a bit and used it as a unifying effect in my shadow fleet. A quick dynasearch of you username and not so quick process of clicking thoruhg all your posts confirms it is from your Chabot Refit.

I apologize and belatedly and humbly ask  for your permission to use it.

I thought I recognized it.  I'm glad someone other than myself and the master who made that texture, GAFY, loves it too. 

Sure, if it works for your needs, go for it.  Just make sure to give proper credit to GAFY since it's his texture.

[Shadowfleet]

It is an awesome texture and gives an eerie 3D effect as the ships turn - it was an easy choice when trying to unify  the ship designs yet set the "Shadows bashmod" apart from the norm. I just tweaked the center a touch to make it look a little more mysterious. I change the credits over at battleclinic to ensure GAFY gets credit.

F9 - thanks for setting me straight!

GAFY - Thanks for the awesome texture!

[Shadowfleet]

I've decided to go with version two - it's a little sleeker and it's a 50/50 vote here. I've emailed LC Amaral for permissions so as soon as I get news. I'll release or go with the alternate design.

Next up is  a scout class reminiscent of the FASA days.... Dark Ranger anyone? The Ranger was one of my favorite FASA ships and she’s needed an update for a while now. WIP pic below open for suggestions, tweaks, and then a release.



Update on the fighters - I'm still having trouble with the illums for some reason. I may have to rebash and reapply the textures form start to finish. They seem to apply fine without any errors but they aren't illuminated in the modviewer or in game... I have to be doing something wrong. I'm also going to rewatch Joker’s old video on applying illumination maps to see if I can find the error in my ways.

Once the fighters are complete I'll go on to the Acerbus Station  - I've been experimenting with several bashes and am whittling it down to a few for you all to vote on. I’m open to suggestions.

[Centurus]

Very nice.  Where did you get those pylons?  They're cool.

[Shadowfleet]

Bashed 'em off pneminic81's original Ranger and just modified the textures. I emailed Rick at what I hope is a current address - if I don't hear back I'll have to try something else.

I got the nacelles from WZ's Valiant. The his Tiburon nacelles just dodn;t look quite right pn the Ranger. He gave me permission to bash away for my Shadowfleet over at his forums. WZ rocks - he not only desgns and buidls awesome ships - makes the best legos ever!

[Centurus]

I don't think you need permission from P81 to use his work, so long as you give him proper credit.  Although I could be wrong since it's been a while since I've had to think about it, but I'm pretty sure he's listed as give credit.

[atheorhaven]

I don't think you need permission from P81 to use his work, so long as you give him proper credit.  Although I could be wrong since it's been a while since I've had to think about it, but I'm pretty sure he's listed as give credit.

Rick doesn't mind if you use his older meshes.. as long as you don't claim them as your own, give him proper credit, and don't try to sell the work.

As long as those are followed, he's been pretty good about it. 

[Centurus]

I don't think you need permission from P81 to use his work, so long as you give him proper credit.  Although I could be wrong since it's been a while since I've had to think about it, but I'm pretty sure he's listed as give credit.

Rick doesn't mind if you use his older meshes.. as long as you don't claim them as your own, give him proper credit, and don't try to sell the work.

As long as those are followed, he's been pretty good about it. 

Thanks for the confirmation!!  *gives Atheorhaven a good strong pat on the back, and hopes he didn't dislocate anything of Atheorhaven's in the process*