Fringe Interview Now Live
Hey spacers and scalawags, sorry we didn’t have an
update for you in September. Was trying to hold off
for the interview done in October, which is now online.
Here’s where it’s located:
http://www.fringespace.org/index.php?name=PNphpBB2&file=viewtopic&t=242
There’s new pictures of the updated ship series after we made
improvements to the textures, and some info on where we’ve been
and where we are headed.
Enjoy ^_^
Little Big Update
Well folks it’s been about a month since we had an update. Sorry to have
kept y’all waiting. On the bright side we’ve got a super size picture update
this time around for your ocular pleasure.
First off here’s Carl’s new Sappers, textured and ready to go:
Next I’d like to say that we’ve got the whole ship rigging issue
figured out. I’m also writing a tutorial so that when it comes time to
have fan made ships or campaigns, you won’t have to go through
all the troubled we did.
Out of this though we do have some things gradually getting in game.
Such as the Fenris Bouy:
First time it got in game, the scale was way off and the bouy was
the size of a small moon!
Later tried some tests to see if we could cause some lag. With 62
bouys shoved together, we were still getting about 60 fps, so no lag.
Also have the Archangel:
…and my favorite pic:
Also the Orion:
Do note that we may end up doing some more tweaking to the
textures, since the rendering quality is different between our
modeling programs and the game itself.
For Tachyon itself, our Saturday games seem to have reduced
their activity, but the Sunday games have picked up around 1:30 PM
Eastern Time (GMT -5). We’ve had 4 and 5 players in regularly lately.
Here at FringeSpace, we’ll continue working on getting vessels in
game and should have some more news shortly.
Thanks for your continued support.
Instruments of Destruction 3 & Steam
Sort of a little update here…
First off I’d like to show off Carl’s latest weapons:
Tiger & Sunspot Missiles
Tesla EMP (minus glows) & Swarm Missile salvo
In addition, I’d like to make mention that evidently Novalogic
has licensed Tachyon to sell on the Steam service. Steam is most
well known for being a part of Valve, and games such as Team Fortress 2,
Portal, Half-Life, etc. Besides being featured on Steam’s main site, Joystiq
and some other games news sites have picked up the story and there’s a bit
of a surge in pro-Tachyon comments.
Evidently like GameTap, they’ve got the downloadable version of the game.
There’s been a few players dropping in the servers lately, so be kind – rewind,
and try to teach them some basics should they not know how to get setup.
I believe it’s only an introductory price, but Tach is currently $8.99 on Steam.
See here for more details: http://store.steampowered.com/app/32760/
They also have a forums section for Tachyon Steam users.
Instruments of Destruction 2 & Notice
Hope all you spacers had a pleasant month of May.
Got a couple things to discuss and some new toys to show off
this time around.
::: Challenge :::
First off I’d like to announce that we are establishing a schedule
for Tachyon games, in which we hope to further facilitate players
to meet up with each other.
Tentatively, if you’re up for a game, there should be people
online Saturday or Sunday, 8 to 10 PM EST (that’s GMT -5 time zone
for those outside the USA. No one of course is require to be online
at those times, just that you’ll have the most likely chance within that
time bracket.
DarkRaven also has also thrown down the proverbial gauntlet with
a statement squarely aimed at veterans:
“I am also issuing a challenge to all the old timers who just seem to talk and
talk but do not show up. Lets see if you are as good as you talk…”
So get your stick out of mothballs, clean yer’ rust bucket’s windshield,
and bring a body bag. This could get ugly fast.
I’m considering putting up a permanent server like NB Overkilled has,
but this will depend on many things coming up.
If you’d prefer another time period, or have a suggestion, please leave a
comment in this thread: http://www.fringespace.org/index.php?name=PNphpBB2&file=viewtopic&p=1389#1389
::: Our Status :::
Secondly – I’d like to explain some of the reasoning behind our
lack of updates.
As most folks are either experiencing or are aware of, the US economy
took and continues to maintain a nosedive. Thus leaving jobs and
stability a rare commodity.
In our case, here’s how we stand:
RK – has been “on leave” for both job, family, and education since
about July of ’08. Nothing much changed here. He’s not dead and still
posts and checks in about the time we start to wonder if Baron Hajod caught him.
Carl – still pluggin away at models. His job has forcibly required
more from him and he’s had to battle a computer virus which ate some of the
more recent stuff he’d finished.
Nutri – still available for working on audio and music. Most recently he’s
been able to complete out most of what we needed for the Wells Cargo test mission.
Backslash – Got hit by a megavirus and pretty much wiped out all his
computers. Also still around and trying to get back up running.
Sonic / Killjoy – Job situation managed to settle down some, but of course
it requires more time. In the process of moving houses.
Megaman / 5XL – Haven’t heard from in a while. Anyone want a
bounty contract? We’d prefer “alive” if possible, no desentigrations.
JGZ – What business I’m related in, has been very up and down week by week.
Some times it seems good and others you wonder if you’ll be in bankruptcy
tomorrow. My primary laptop PC, keyboard died on it, and then it caught
over 20 viruses. Got a new laptop for a month, returned it, then built a
desktop. Currently looking for a cheap laptop. So my files
have been displaced all over the map. Looked into taking some college
courses on game design and artistry, but just don’t have the income to
manage it right now.
So in a nutshell, that’s why we’ve been sidetracked since about March.
Technically, things started getting tough in September, but as you can
see we’re still around and pressing forward as we each can.
Main reason I do these kind of updates, is that I know as fans, you all
like to know there’s progress still being made. There’s legitimate
reasons for the delays, and we hate delays every bit as much as you do.
So take comfort in knowing we’re still on the right track, with goals in mind.
::: “We Need Bigger Guns” :::
So enough with the mushy stuff, how about some eye candy!
Here we have the newly textured torpedo weapons from Carl:
Please note that we’re not sure if the electric green is better than
blue right now. It’s something that can be changed if it becomes an issue,
so don’t be too concerned if “that’s not right!” popped into your mind.
Plus we have the new textured Bora lasers to pair with the earlier Galspan set.
Thank you for your continued support, and we hope to see you
in some weekend games soon.
Instruments of Destruction 1
Got a big update in terms of pictures to show off…
Carl’s been working on the weapons models and has them finished off.
Now the texturing has begun.
If it seems like these are low poly (less detailed) it’s because they
don’t have a texture yet (see below). Plus with having lower poly models,
that means you can have many more weapons on screen, more players, more
AI ships, etc… without as much slowdown on your hardware.
In reality, evereything being made is of a higher poly standard than what
was used in Tach. So on with the show and tell…
Click on the images for a larger view.
All the basic weapons except for the plasma and helios rockets.
Sappers.
Plasma rocket.
Helios rocket.
Missiles and torpedoes.
Misc weapons (railgun, chatter cannon, emp projector etc).
Bora lasers.
GS lasers untextured.
GS lasers textured 1.
GS lasers textured 2.
That’s all for now folks. Should have some more weapons updates
with the textured versions soonish.
How do you spell awesome? C.a.r.l.
Fresh off the Tachband, we’ve got a special treat courtesy of
Carl… he’s really outdone himself this time.
We proudly present the completed Fenris Observation Tower.
Go on, click those images for a better view… you know you want to.
…and in the Fenris gate corner
We have the Fenris Bouy, all decked out and scuffed up by Carl.
Ain’t she a pretty piece of polysteel?
Concerning that gameplay video I mentioned I’d be putting up a
while back, still haven’t managed to get one. Mainly because I’d like
to get the HUD in place, and FRAPS seems to have developed a major
problem so I’m looking into other recording app options.
We’re in the process of tweaking all the weapons and I’ll probably be adding a couple more from Tach to the set we already have.
Nutri’s been getting the Voice Actor clips in and we’ve just about got a
full mission acted out.
That’s about all I can comment on for now. Short but sweet. Quick and dirty,
to the point… you get the idea.
Little Update & Notes
Sorry about being a tad behind on the update folks,
lots of stuff keeping us occupied.
First off Carl’s posted hi final shots of the Fenris tower and
he’s already working on the skin for it.
Overview:
Top Antennas:
Bottom Antennas:
Landing Pads:
Been doing a lot of tweaking to the archangel settings lately, getting
one of our alpha maps setup properly, and some weapons edits. Hopefully
if things go well, I’ll be able to make a pre-alpha play video from one of the
test missions soon and have that up for your enjoyment.
Ho ho ho….
Merry Christmas citizens of the Fringe…
Carl’s gone and given us a present early in the form of
an update on some of the new map models we’ll be using
for the alpha testing.
We’re also in the process of acquiring several people to voice
act some roles for use on said maps.
Click on the images for a higher resolution version.
WIP wireframe of the Fenris Bouy:
Fenris Bouy against a Archangel:
The new ECM powerup all finished:
A Fenris Tower WIP shot:
Hope y’all survive the holidays and we’ll see you in 2009.
Can You Supersize That?
An extra thick update w/ half the trans fat:
First off for those who don’t watch the forums, the tournament
ended quite some time ago. We’ve awarded the winners as such
and established a internal forum just for the alpha testers.
*Alphas – Note that you need to be signed in to see it*
Secondly, Carl has finished the base texture for the Star Patrol
Capship!
Click on the images for a higher resolution version.
Thirdly, it wasn’t particularly announced, but we’ve added
Megaman ND to the mod team as our resident map producer.
One of the maps we’re working on for alpha is the Fenris Arena.
We’ve also been able to secure someone to make what we needed
in the way of code to get all the original powerups working for arena,
including a new one or two in there as well.
Lastly, all tournament related threads in the forum have been
moved to the archives section in order to better fit the expanded
forum layout.
Tournament Update 2
For visitors, drop ins, and people that have shown up at the last minute:
There will be an open Arena hosted in Tachyon if you wish
to play. Tournament sanctioned games are passworded and locked
to a certain number of players.
For players and those interested:
Team ——— Player
FringeSpace JGZinv
FringeSpace Backslash
FringeSpace RazorsKiss
FringeSpace KillJoy
Team NB Kodiak
Team NB Overkilled
Team NB Punisher
Team NB Warhawk
Team 3 Rumrunner
Team 3 Werewolf
Team 3 Vandal
Team 3 Megaman
Team 4 Eurofighter
Team 4 Raven
Team 4 Darkraven
Team 4 Tyber Zann
Team 5 Bigbrotherbp
Team 5 Want To Die
Team 5 Jakeslogan
Team 5 Wishmaster
Larkin and michaelh, I apologize but you could not be placed because
of lack of more players and Larkin you only listed you could play
Friday which was not a day we could play the tournament.
After compiling all the times and information it’s impossible for me
to arrange scheduled games due to the time zones and times people can play.
So what we’re going to do is this…
Each team will have to decide amongst themselves on a captain if they wish.
I would suggest everyone using GSC, or at minimum being on IM as
when you can see everyone in the online list you can put a game
together much more easily. If you haven’t already got a GSC account,
it’d be wise to make one. Servers are free and they are hosted on
GSC computers so you won’t get your net connection degraded.
GSC Version 1 can be downloaded here:
http://files.fringespace.org/jgz/GSC.zip
Drop the unzipped contents into a folder and run GSC client.exe, the
program will want to update then you can proceed with setting up your
name. Nothing harder here than making an e-mail account.
Just be online as much as possible, when you find another team online –
play them. You need to complete 4 BW matches and 8 arena matches
over the course of Saturday and Sunday. Post the results of the matches
back here on the forum using a screen shot.
I will be sending out a PM to all registered teams containing the contact
information of the other players so you can try to get your contacts ironed out for Friday.
Tournament Update
This is the last notice being posted to inform people of the Tachyon – FringeSpace Tournament
on November 1 and 2. Please note that the rules for the competition have changed as of today (10/23)
and now include Arena matches with BaseWars. Team size has also been adjusted to function better with scoring and server load.
Full rules can be seen here:
http://www.fringespace.org/index.php?name=PNphpBB2&file=viewtopic&t=149
In addition – at this time I’m expecting around 40 players to show up (word of mouth), however
I only have 11 people registered for the tournament. Registration tells me what if any team preference
you may have, when you can play, etc. Forming teams is extremely difficult without this information.
If you plan on trying to play in the tournament, please register in the remaining week.
Registration is available here:
http://www.fringespace.org/index.php?name=PNphpBB2&file=viewtopic&t=146
If you are unable to access the forum, you can E-mail me the following information:
Game Name:
Clan or Group:
Clan Interest:
Skill Level:
Location:
Time Zone:
Best Times Available to Play:
Voice Chat Program:
I will be posting team formations and play times the night of Wednesday the 29th,
if you don’t have registration by then, I can’t place you in a team unless there’s a last minute hole.
By then e-mail will be too slow and folks will be starting.
Thank you.
Tachyon Tournament & More
Well folks, we’re finally ramping up to the tournament….
a month is liable to fly by pretty quick.
You’re invited to participate in the FringeSpace – Tachyon BaseWars Tournament. Registration is open to teams and individuals,
so bring a “wingman” along if you can. The more who play, the more fun it will be – and all the more opposition to pulverize.
The Tournament will be a tiered event consisting of several teams competing for the grand prize of being in the FringeSpace
Alpha testers group. Basically they who hold the most territory by the final round, wins.
The grand champions will have access to early builds and suggest improvements directly with the development staff, as well
as get a peak on what we’re working on for the future. Basically if you wanted someone to test a update to your favorite game,
wouldn’t it be best to have the best players? Of course there’s always the bragging rights of being the top team…
This has been advertised quite ahead of time to give all clans and groups time to break the rust off their ships and spend some
time training if needed.
You can get more information in the forums.
Last but certainly not least, here’s another update on Carl’s work with the
Star Patrol cap ship.
General Update
Well I’ve spent an entire day updating the site.
Among other things, our gallery is 6 or 7 times
larger than it’s ever been before. So be sure to
check that out…
Down below on the bottom left menu, you’ll find
new links to other Tachyon communities, as well as
a new voice chat status box and link to the voice
server client. Now you can see if there’s someone
online in voice chat. It’s free to use for whatever,
just keep things clean and honorable please.
Several threads in the forum here have been updated to
reflect a status update as to our current progress, and a
general fix-it guide to Tachyon if you’re having problems
is now available in the Support section.
Lastly, yet tonight sometime I’ll be making more forums
specifically for the upcoming tournament. Pretty much that
is next on the agenda for an update and filling in the holes.
Update: Star Patrol Cruiser
As promised, here’s some shots of Carl’s recent work on the
Star Patrol Cap Ship.
Team Activity
Just wanted to make a note for those following along
on our progress – since you might not have seen a lot
going on around these hallowed hangers lately.
Starting back around the end of May, most of the Mod Staff
has been off for personal issues or dealing with summer activities.
However, we are still trying to make some progress during this time:
RK is working on porting/rigging all our finished ships into the game;
it doesn’t sound like much, but that’s one giant leap towards a
playable demo folks.
I’m working with Bax(Backslash) to convert over some FS HUD art,
and I’ll be gradually redesigning (updating) the Tachyon HUDs. Our
goal in the long run is to have a unique HUD for each different ship.
If you’ve got suggestions, I’d be glad to hear them in the forum.
I’ve also got a test cap ship to try and texture.
Speaking of Bax, he’s working on the code that will allow FS2 to
display a HUD Tachyon style since not everything works right off as
one might expect. We’ve also been tossing some weapons effects
and ship function concepts around.
Carl’s been diligently working behind the scenes texturing the
monster that is the Star Patrol cap ship. In terms of surface area,
it’s a project hundreds, if not thousands of times larger than a
typical fighter craft.
Nutri is experimenting with learning guitar and other audio related
compositions at this time. He and I were working on modeling, but
due to some program complications we both have decided to drop
that temporarily in favor of finishing out other pressing projects. I’ve
also picked up a guitar, so you can look forward to some unique
collaborative songs in the future featuring Nutri’s great skills with mixing.
That’s about it really… in short we’re still working, but also trying to
coast through the summer’s blazing heat among other things. I hear
fuel cells are running an average of 200 credits cheaper over
at Alpha Starbase. ~_^
Drop us a line in the forums… let us know what you’ve got planned for the summer.
Visual Progress Report, May
You should be able to see all the ships we’ve got in the works, here.
In comparison to the Star Patrol Cruiser. Cool stuff.
Star Patrol Cruiser.
As usual, click on any of these to see really overkill sized renders. kthx.
It’s kinda scary in this one. Like it’s going to reach out of the render and bite me. Or vaporize me. Or something. Mommy?
Closeups…
Another closeup…
6,475 polies. In the last picture, those 3 little specks are Archangels. Oh, and its 1,511 meters long. No, that is not a typo. I have a fun job 😀
The Phoenix
Another Carl Gonzalez masterpiece.
All the textures are completed, etc. Yet another for the stable – she’s a beaut!
Archangel Inbound
Hey there Tach fans, the FS Team is pleased to announce another excellent model from our lead modeler Carl – the GS favorite Archangel!
Also in the pipeline to be showcased soon is the Phoenix.
To explain our lack of updates a bit, a number of the team members are making lifestyle changes due to jobs, moving, or computer failure(s). Weather hasn’t been all too cooperative either with Internet services dropping off for weeks at a time.
But we’re still working behind the scenes to bring you the very best.
Like postal carriers “neither snow, nor rain, nor heat, nor gloom of night stays these modders from the swift completion of their appointed task” so check back often. Should have a lot of these little obstacles taken care of in a couple weeks.
Tachyon Hosting Fix & Mods Now Available
It took forever and didn’t quite get all I wanted into it. But here’s the finished files:
Tachyon Service Bay 1.0b:
You can download it here.
The No Fog, No Sun, No Lightning patches listed there are compatible with the main fix and mod set.
Please take the time to read the ReadMe.
Enjoy…
~JGZinv
Update Again
Well, it’s been a while, but we’re still plugging away.
We’re recently finished several ships, and have them entirely ingame. I’ll get some shots of those very soon. We have 6-7 other ships at the modeling stage, as you know, but untextured as of yet; namely, the Gar, the Dart, the Demon, the Mace, the Nighthawk, and two Drone ships. Just reminding you! I’m also proud to announce the Poseidon is at model complete stage now, as well – the latest masterful work by Carl Gonzalez, our Lead Artist.
She’s a great ship, and I can’t wait to fly her! He says that the next up will be the reworked Archangel.
In other news, we have the Claymore model in the pipe, as well as several environmental models.
We’d also like to extend a warm welcome to the talented Ed Ainsley (Features Coder), the indefatigable Nutritious (Music and Sound), and enigma (Modeler) to the team – and welcome our good friend Killjoy (aka Sonic) to the team; an old and new friend – and now teammate – of ours.
Just a quick update
I know we haven’t posted much lately – but here’s a bit of info.
First, the *new* Pegasus is completely ingame.
It includes Level of Detail models 0-4, has full color, shine, and normal maps, and is fully rigged and playable.
Secondly, Carl (The Ubermodeler!) has the Posi modeled, and is in the progress of texturing it.
Third, I’d remind you that we have a post on our forums that I keep updated fairly frequently, showing the status of our progress in modeling all of our fighters.
You can find that here.
Here’s a visual update of how far we are, sans the Posiedon. The darker models are ones we’re finished at least the initial LOD on, and you’ll find several of Carl’s textured models in there as well.
Hope you’re liking it, thus far!
Also, please feel free to stop by our chat channel, on Espernet. The information, including how to connect via the web, is on your lefthand side, partway down.
~ RK
More models
Carl’s done it again, boys and girls. Perhaps the most popular, and arguably the prettiest fighter in the game:
The Pegasus
(as usual, click on an image to get a hi-res shot)
1986 polies.
She is drop dead gorgeous, folks. I’m rigging her now.
Next, we have the Nighthawk – she’s only modeled, but I’m sure some textural love will get her looking even better.
2750 polygons.
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