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Babylon 5: I've Found Her 1.0 FAQ
Alpha-1
Elite RangerGermany
Babylon 5: I've Found Her 1.0 FAQ [child connections and other stuff.
Then we convert the .was plus .ase file to a .flm file, which is the mesh format used by the engine.
File format description is TOP SECRET.
Q: How are you doing your planets?
Are they flat "billboards" on the starfield, or do they exist in the 3D environment in some manner?
A: All backgroungs (except for the starfields) are just 3D models (in flm format) visible from the inside (geometrical center).
There are few ways to model the planets - you can make them as spheres with thousands of polygons (and rotate them!),
you can model the whole planetary system and rotate suns/planets/satellites as you wish.
Or you can take a good quality texture and put in on 2 polygons, as we do now.
The only thing to remember is: background is background. You cannot reach these planets, they're infinitely far away.
(Henrik: We make planets as simple billboards rendered without Z-buffer. Res of planet map is 512x512 or 1024x1024.)
Q: The Aplha test uses 2D explosions. Will you change the explosions to 3D?
A: We use exactly the same tecnique as Netter Digital used when they made explosion EFX for the show.
To simply put a 2D image sequence as an explosion. When Oleg get the particle engine up and running,
we will probably add particles to the exposion, but for now, you have to settle with 2D explosions...
Q: Will the particle engine ready for the demo?
A: Unlikely.
[b]Gameplay[/b]
---------------
Q: Will there be 3D Cockpits?
A: Yes, there will be 3D Cockpits in the final release but not in the demo.
Q: Are going to give the ships in the game rotating sections?
A: Yes, all ships behaviors will be canon.
Q: Let's say i want to dock into a rotating section (like B5 docking bays).
Will i have to rotate the fury myself or will there be a Match Rotating Speed command?
Will there be a manual docking procedure?
A: B5's central computer will match your rotating speed with the station and dock you automatically.
However, you can always try to perform manual docking...
Q: Will there be Hyperspace flight?
A: Yes, there will be hyperspace flight, but in limited directions. You can check out some hyperspace images at the IFH Screenshot Section.
Q: Will i be able to fly up to a jumpgate, activate it fly on in and select which star system or jump gate we want to go to?
A: No, you won't be able to choose Jumpgate destinations. At least, not in the first release.
Q: ...and I assume that we'll be able to get lost in the "Hyperspace Drift"?
A: Sure, why not?
Q: What ships have you implemented so far?
A: New ships are added all the time. Go to the TechRoom to see the currently available ones.
RENDERER:
You will see the following ships in the demo:
EA Omega-class destroyer
EA Nova-class dreadnought
EA Starfury fighter
EA Asimov-class liner
EA cargo freighter
Belt Alliance ZPH 45e20 Zephyr-class aerospace fighter
Narn G'Quon-class heavy cruiser
Narn transport
Narn Frazi-class heavy fighter
EA Jumpgate (4 trusses)
Narn Jumpgate (3 trusses)
Q: Will the Thunderbolt Starfuries be flyable?
A: IFH storyline takes place in 2254 and there are no Thunderbolt Starfuries yet built in that year, but Thunderbolt will be flyable in custom/"historical" missions.
Thunderbolt won't be in the demo.
Q: Will i be able to fly Vorlon Fighters or Transports in the Final Game Release?
A: No, you won't. But, you will have mission editor.
Q: I've seen an image of a Shadow Cruiser in the IFH Screenshot Section.
Does the Shadow skin move like in the show?
A: Yes, the Shadow Cruiser has an animated organic look.
Q: Will i be able to target and destroy individual systems of captal ships like weapon turrets, engines, reactors, etc.?
Will there be a "hit sensitive" system for example hitting a wing of a starfury would do less damage then hitting the cockpit or the reactor in back of the cockpit?
A: Yes, there will be both.
Q: Will i see any damage effect when i fire at a ship?
A: We have planned to add decals that give you the illusion that you have damaged the hull of the ship. [Example]
Q: Will there be interceptors to shoot down plasma/pulse cannon fire?
A: Yes, interceptors will be in the game.
Q: Will be a possibility to fly over planets?
A: No.
Q: Where you can create your own multiplayer scenarios? Will there be another program that does this? Or is this not planned at all?
A: No multiplayer in this game. I'm sorry, gentlemen.
Q: The Rate Of Fire (ROF) in the Alpha Test was very slow. Will the ROF in the Demo/Final Release be more realistic?
A: The Rate Of Fire for the Demo has already been modified.
Q: Will there be different squadrons of Starfurys with different Wingart for each one or just the one model?
A: We have discussed the posibility of adding decals to the fighters, but only for each squadron leader.
Q: Will there be Voice in the mission? Something like briefings and other voices?
Alpha 1 talking Beta 3 and so on?
A: Yes.
Q: What will the structure of the missions be like?
I mean will there be multiple jumps (obviously via Jump Gates), and how will the story be told (in game, mission briefings, cutscenes etc.)
A: The game is mission-based. One mission on one location, no "free travel" like in ITF.
That's because our game has RIGID storyline that can be variated only in minor details,
like "if-you-did-not-destroy-this-ship-its-gonna-show-up-later-and-kick-you-in-the-whatever"...
There will be briefings and debriefings, of course. But the whole story cannot be told in the briefing so we gonna need cutscenes.
Q: What missions and menus will be in the demo?
A: The demo campaign takes place before the main IFH campaign, in early 2254.
It includes 5 missions and explains something important about IFH pre-history.
For example, why and how Alpha squadron lost its commander and why Kelley has taken his place.
Q: Will you put a rank heirarchy where we can get promoted and take command of cap ships?
A: No, our hero is just a squad leader.
------------------
[img]http://www.tgu.org.uk/users/jam/tb1.jpg[/img]
----===[[url="http://mods.firstones.com/ifh/"][b]Babylon 5: I've Found Her Freeware Project Web-Site[/b][/url]]===----
[This message has been edited by Alpha-1 (edited 11-22-2001).]
Then we convert the .was plus .ase file to a .flm file, which is the mesh format used by the engine.
File format description is TOP SECRET.
Q: How are you doing your planets?
Are they flat "billboards" on the starfield, or do they exist in the 3D environment in some manner?
A: All backgroungs (except for the starfields) are just 3D models (in flm format) visible from the inside (geometrical center).
There are few ways to model the planets - you can make them as spheres with thousands of polygons (and rotate them!),
you can model the whole planetary system and rotate suns/planets/satellites as you wish.
Or you can take a good quality texture and put in on 2 polygons, as we do now.
The only thing to remember is: background is background. You cannot reach these planets, they're infinitely far away.
(Henrik: We make planets as simple billboards rendered without Z-buffer. Res of planet map is 512x512 or 1024x1024.)
Q: The Aplha test uses 2D explosions. Will you change the explosions to 3D?
A: We use exactly the same tecnique as Netter Digital used when they made explosion EFX for the show.
To simply put a 2D image sequence as an explosion. When Oleg get the particle engine up and running,
we will probably add particles to the exposion, but for now, you have to settle with 2D explosions...
Q: Will the particle engine ready for the demo?
A: Unlikely.
[b]Gameplay[/b]
---------------
Q: Will there be 3D Cockpits?
A: Yes, there will be 3D Cockpits in the final release but not in the demo.
Q: Are going to give the ships in the game rotating sections?
A: Yes, all ships behaviors will be canon.
Q: Let's say i want to dock into a rotating section (like B5 docking bays).
Will i have to rotate the fury myself or will there be a Match Rotating Speed command?
Will there be a manual docking procedure?
A: B5's central computer will match your rotating speed with the station and dock you automatically.
However, you can always try to perform manual docking...
Q: Will there be Hyperspace flight?
A: Yes, there will be hyperspace flight, but in limited directions. You can check out some hyperspace images at the IFH Screenshot Section.
Q: Will i be able to fly up to a jumpgate, activate it fly on in and select which star system or jump gate we want to go to?
A: No, you won't be able to choose Jumpgate destinations. At least, not in the first release.
Q: ...and I assume that we'll be able to get lost in the "Hyperspace Drift"?
A: Sure, why not?
Q: What ships have you implemented so far?
A: New ships are added all the time. Go to the TechRoom to see the currently available ones.
RENDERER:
You will see the following ships in the demo:
EA Omega-class destroyer
EA Nova-class dreadnought
EA Starfury fighter
EA Asimov-class liner
EA cargo freighter
Belt Alliance ZPH 45e20 Zephyr-class aerospace fighter
Narn G'Quon-class heavy cruiser
Narn transport
Narn Frazi-class heavy fighter
EA Jumpgate (4 trusses)
Narn Jumpgate (3 trusses)
Q: Will the Thunderbolt Starfuries be flyable?
A: IFH storyline takes place in 2254 and there are no Thunderbolt Starfuries yet built in that year, but Thunderbolt will be flyable in custom/"historical" missions.
Thunderbolt won't be in the demo.
Q: Will i be able to fly Vorlon Fighters or Transports in the Final Game Release?
A: No, you won't. But, you will have mission editor.
Q: I've seen an image of a Shadow Cruiser in the IFH Screenshot Section.
Does the Shadow skin move like in the show?
A: Yes, the Shadow Cruiser has an animated organic look.
Q: Will i be able to target and destroy individual systems of captal ships like weapon turrets, engines, reactors, etc.?
Will there be a "hit sensitive" system for example hitting a wing of a starfury would do less damage then hitting the cockpit or the reactor in back of the cockpit?
A: Yes, there will be both.
Q: Will i see any damage effect when i fire at a ship?
A: We have planned to add decals that give you the illusion that you have damaged the hull of the ship. [Example]
Q: Will there be interceptors to shoot down plasma/pulse cannon fire?
A: Yes, interceptors will be in the game.
Q: Will be a possibility to fly over planets?
A: No.
Q: Where you can create your own multiplayer scenarios? Will there be another program that does this? Or is this not planned at all?
A: No multiplayer in this game. I'm sorry, gentlemen.
Q: The Rate Of Fire (ROF) in the Alpha Test was very slow. Will the ROF in the Demo/Final Release be more realistic?
A: The Rate Of Fire for the Demo has already been modified.
Q: Will there be different squadrons of Starfurys with different Wingart for each one or just the one model?
A: We have discussed the posibility of adding decals to the fighters, but only for each squadron leader.
Q: Will there be Voice in the mission? Something like briefings and other voices?
Alpha 1 talking Beta 3 and so on?
A: Yes.
Q: What will the structure of the missions be like?
I mean will there be multiple jumps (obviously via Jump Gates), and how will the story be told (in game, mission briefings, cutscenes etc.)
A: The game is mission-based. One mission on one location, no "free travel" like in ITF.
That's because our game has RIGID storyline that can be variated only in minor details,
like "if-you-did-not-destroy-this-ship-its-gonna-show-up-later-and-kick-you-in-the-whatever"...
There will be briefings and debriefings, of course. But the whole story cannot be told in the briefing so we gonna need cutscenes.
Q: What missions and menus will be in the demo?
A: The demo campaign takes place before the main IFH campaign, in early 2254.
It includes 5 missions and explains something important about IFH pre-history.
For example, why and how Alpha squadron lost its commander and why Kelley has taken his place.
Q: Will you put a rank heirarchy where we can get promoted and take command of cap ships?
A: No, our hero is just a squad leader.
------------------
[img]http://www.tgu.org.uk/users/jam/tb1.jpg[/img]
----===[[url="http://mods.firstones.com/ifh/"][b]Babylon 5: I've Found Her Freeware Project Web-Site[/b][/url]]===----
[This message has been edited by Alpha-1 (edited 11-22-2001).]