Thinking of a SS "true" port to 2007

Aircraftkiller on 23/4/2007 at 02:27

It's 2007 and SS1's been out for like 13 years now, it definitely needs a face-lift for the new generation of gaming. I'd love to start a project to bring it into a new engine (perhaps that open dark engine? if that can be modified to suit what SS1 would need) with a total overhaul of the artwork and levels. I'm not looking to change the appearance of anything besides taking it from low-res to high resolution, so there won't be any pink tractors appearing in the halls of the medical level. :)

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There's some examples of a Flight Deck recreation I made several years back for another game engine. I'd love to work on a proper mod, with a team that has the drive to get it finished. My only problem with working on this is that I'd have a hard time getting it done with art college taking up a lot of my time, but most of my projects are done in class and that leaves me an hour or two per class to work on something in 3DS Max 8 or in Photoshop.

If anyone's interested, let me know; I've had experience leading mods for about three years and worked on C&C Renegade in 2002 as a multiplayer level designer... It'd be really spectacular to get a SS1 total conversion finished.

RocketMan on 23/4/2007 at 05:34

not to burst your bubble...i can see you want to lead a new initiative but why not help ccp get going again...its a better use of resources don't u think?

The_Raven on 23/4/2007 at 11:15

The other problem with such an initiative is with the dubious legal ground of a complete remake. I think of all the ss1 projects we've seen so far, Lanael's Citadel showed the most promise since it was still using the original resources and art assets.

Nameless Voice on 23/4/2007 at 12:40

Not another one?

Hemebond on 23/4/2007 at 13:13

Quote Posted by Nameless Voice

Not another one?

Apparently every FPS engine needs it's own SS1 project.

ZylonBane on 23/4/2007 at 14:54

I think I'd be correct in stating that the biggest obstacle to duplicating SS1 is creating functional 3D reproductions of the game's many AIs. If we could get just one crazy-talented character modeler interested in SS1, that would vastly boost the probability of ever seeing a playable updated version.

kodan50 on 23/4/2007 at 16:36

Well I am making my remake project on Half Life 1 and 2, the one for HL2 can be used on any source game, so all that would have to be done is a type of mod for the Source engine, like Dynostopia, if you got the skills to manipulate Source, then I am in progress of the recreation levels, and if I could get some help on doing more than the levels, then I would be happy to dedicate more time to the project. (Im mapping about 4 hours a day before work, so im not going to stop, and Source would be an awesome engine to use.)

Aircraftkiller on 23/4/2007 at 16:41

If you guys don't want to see it made, that's fine with me. I do have college that takes priority; however I'm not the kind of guy that leads a project that won't go anywhere. I led (http://www.apathbeyond.com) Red Alert: A Path Beyond from being a dead total conversion into being a thriving community within six months after taking the lead in 2003. All I need to get this finished are some people that have dedication and talent. I know I can bring the level designs, objects, and textures to life. I'd like to assemble a couple of code monkeys and some extra modelers that have the discipline to work from established references and not let artistic interpretation take over a proper recreation of a game we all know and love.

So basically what I'm saying is that I need:

1 or 2 coders
1 supplemental texture artist
1 modeler proficient in 3D Studio Max, Maya, Lightwave or an equivilant package; character design preferred

Plus anyone else who's interested in helping. If you don't feel that we'll get anywhere, that's fine; just keep it to yourself. I'd like to see people try to assist than degrade.

Nameless Voice on 23/4/2007 at 17:12

Take a look at CCP.
They have all the levels already (though only one is fully textured - the others wouldn't take that long to do, though.).
You want to know why it's stalled? Because there's no one to fill those levels. They need AI meshes, objects, new textures, and, despite the sheer number of SS1 remakes that appear, no one ever just sits down and builds those models. Instead, they get carried away making a whole conversion project, spend most of their time working on the terrain, and then vanish, never to be heard from again, and usually without having anything really to show for it.
Instead of starting yet another new project, wouldn't it be better to help CCP instead, by making high-poly models and high-resolution textures, which could be used in any other remake that might start up farther down the line?
Admittedly, SS2 is limited to objects with under around 1,000 polies, but considering that the SS1 objects were either insanely low-poly or sprites, that should be more than enough to remake the models, and is already a phenomenal increase in detail.

The main hurdle for CCP is the AIs, and I think that's also the main hurdle for every other project, though for other games the problems would probably be different.
Even so, if someone were to make good SS1 creature models for SS2, I could probably be convinced into trying to force MeshBld to properly convert them into Dark-useable meshes.

And, since you mentioned leadership, that is another thing that CCP needs - someone to go around recruiting new people to the project, and organising all members into actually getting something done.

RocketMan on 23/4/2007 at 17:31

You're dead on NV. And since you say you might be inclined to work on making the meshes usable, let me say that I might be inclined to make some of those meshes. I'd rather see one of these awesome modellers speak up before I do, cuz up until now I've made entirely static meshes (however i'm getting pretty decent at them), but I'm willing to learn how to make AI meshes so....

Aircraft, understand we're all on the same side here really. No doubt you've got proven stamina in leading projects but why not help ccp since its already got a foundation. Its probably the best chance we'll have at finishing a total conversion. :thumb: