The Ur-Quan Masters Discussion Forum

Time to gauge some enthusiasm for this before we get too carried away with story ideas. Registration of interest is based on the assumption that a kick-ass story line will be developed that will get people excited.

So along with choosing one of the above, please back it up with what exactly you might want to do, and why you think you’re the person for the job. Feel free to (very) briefly describe a new alien race, new ship etc.

As far as writing goes, I envisage one or two people having responsibility for the storyline, and briefing the writers on what needs to be achieved in the dialogue. The writers then have creative licence as long as the plot is not deviated from. The writers can of course make suggestions for the storyline if it makes the dialogue cooler

I’d be very pleased to know if your involvement would be dependent on whether the game was a mod, or a brand new construction.

I know little of game development but I envisage the following roles:

Leadership Team (LT)

These people re in it or the long haul and need to be committed. However, I see this as a community project, and if someone drops out they can be replaced. It will be no-ones “baby”.

Game designer (1)
Overall responsibility for the project. Makes the final call on disputed issues.

Story developer (1 or 2)
Responsibility for the plot development and dialogue. Can also be a game designer

Chief programmer (1)
Overall responsibility for programming. This person decides whether things are actually possible or not and has to make judgements on balancing coolness with time required to achieve said coolness. Probably the most important person with the biggest workload

Art director (1)
Submits ship/alien designs, and other contributions to the leadership group

Other (1-2)
Perhaps 1 or 2 of the below who make major contributions and would be an asset to the decision making team

Contributors

These people are happy to contribute as required by the LT. Possibly people with a little less free time on their hands.

Dialogue writers (4-6)
If it’s anything like SC2 then 95% of this will be conversation with Alien races

Programmers (4-6)
Ease the workload of the technical director

Graphics artists (4-6)
Supplies the Art Director with designs for new ships, aliens, etc, and re-masters of the old ones

Extra reviewers
In addition to the above who would like to provide constructive input into ship/alien designs, and dialogue.


What have a missed? If someone has a better idea of what kind of people are needed and what they should do, sing out. But please, only sing out if you know your shit.

Taking on board Lachie Dazdarian’s post over at Starbase Cafe, if someone out there has made a start on this kind of project then we’d like to hear from you. Otherwise, we’re starting from scratch. It might well take some initial creative ground work to fire people’s enthusiasm. But we’ll get there.

I answered #1, but I could not get involved until I have an understanding of C++, which I will learn next year. So I would probably be stuck with #2. ;D :(

Cedric: You know that poll isn't going to tell you anything useful, right? We're going to get middle schoolers voting themselves as lead designers. I would go so far as to say this thread itself is a bad idea and that you need to reign yourself in.

HIGH SCHOOL, thank you very much! :P

The concept should be fully developed before anything else is put into motion. You need something concrete to present to people, so they have a clear understanding of what is wanted, or it'll turn out to be a mish-mash of things. It's not a bad idea to do this, but it's not time just yet. Shiver's right, rein it in for now. :)

Killjoys!

Well, then I’m not quite sure how to progress. How should this idea be made concrete?

Should someone write a semi-complete story line and present it to a bunch of SC luminaries? Or perhaps someone needs to create some graphic images for everyone to coo over?

I’m happy with whatever approach works, but please offer some alternative strategy if you don’t like mine. I’m not pretending to get it right, but I’d much rather here “this is how we need to do it” rather than “that’s a bad idea”.

It’s much more constructive to focus on what works rather than what doesn’t. This attitude will be especially important in the development of the game.

Keeping the discussion going throughout the forums should be good enough for now, I guess? I don't really have all the answers. We need to attract talent, but I'm not really sure how to do that. I'm sure there are plenty of talented people out there who like Star Control and would enjoy making their own game. That's how The Ur-Quan Masters got started.

My advice? Keep the story ideas topic open. Let the brainstorming happen. It'll come naturally, don't force it until there's something concrete.

All right, I'll reopen it.

Although surely you see the dilemma

I can provide Music, Graphics, Script Writting, Sound Effects, Game Design and Beta Testing. I Can't program really though, so I can't help on that field :(.

It's great to see someone taking on this project, do you have a website yet for it?

Number two, since even though I program fairly well, I'm probably not good enough to design something presentable (a prototype that can be used in the future) from the bottom up, seeing as I completely suck with the graphics side of things...

Jaychant: I doubt you'd be capable of providing 'the project' with any significant programming, even after learning how to code, since programming isn't really coding (you'll need some "experience" with projects, too, to get an understanding of how things work).



Now, as for the best thing to do now with the project, here are some of my tips:
*NO NON-SC2/SC1 NEW ALIENS or an active participation of aliens you never met in SC2/SC1 (Keel-Verezy, etc.).. Do want Black Spathi though.
*Not too much discussion about pointless tiny gameplay ideas.
*Keep the gameplay and style like that of SC2. Everyone here likes SC2, so going away too far from that means people might dislike it a bit more.


Now, what *SHOULD* be done:
*Programming: a small prototype of a "general SC2-like engine". And I'm not talking about Melee here.
*Story: define the 'baseline' of the sequel: what will have happened inbetween SC2's ending and this sequel? Will the Thraddash live? Ilwrath? Will the Androsynth make an appearance? After that, a small story can be drafted and agreed upon.

As far as a website is concerned: don't bother. It's not needed at all unless there's some serious things going on. A wiki could be useful though, but only after something serious has been done.

Thanks for that Megagun

Yes maybe the best way is for someone to develop a background story and situation evocative enough to attract people.

That way at least exciting plot details dont need to be revealed.

Reading all this makes me really want to make my own side-story, smaller SC2 universe game. We need more than just Fibs & Brags.

I wish I wasn't side tracked by other projects.

That's why I said I would probably be stuck with #2. But if I can, I would like to provide some significant programming. #1 is my preference, and #2 is sort of a fallback.

Ultimately, what you need are interested and skilled parties. As its your idea, I think you oughta take control at the helm, at least at startup.

From there I think perhaps the best sequence would be:

Develop and refine the story and finish the writing. Find a few people who can emulate the style of SC and start developing the plot, and then the dialogue.

Once a solid plot is developed, you could find some programers to start work on the Mod, creating the things you need.

Finally, youll want to get in some art people to do the visuals and audibles.

Then open it up to testing. So rather than advertising all the positions you need, start with getting some writing done.

Where's "All of the above"? :P

Actually, I'll probably be too busy with other things. Would probably help with the code a little if this thing ever got off the ground.

Although I'm pretty much new to the UQM forum,I belive I could be of help story wise because I really love storytelling. I read lots of books, good books (not just SF), and I love reading in general; on the other hand I played a decent amount of games, RPG being my genre of choice, and I am an experienced gamemaster (started in d20 and then moved to other systems, mostly homebrew). And I LOVE LOVE LOVE UQM, almost as much as zarla does...if that's possible :) That's why my answer is #5. If I can help in any way with ideas, dialogs, background or plot just say it.

EP, your short storyettes (http://eli.cedarswampstudios.org/stories) are pretty good (if a little underdeveloped). Here was I thinking that you were a one-dimensional code-fiend (and melee master). By the way, I'm not sure you can be too serious. SC2 is a serious story (punctuated by humour). I reckon you'd do a great job of providing written material AND programming.

Death999's fanfic stuff (http://forum.uqm.stack.nl/index.php?topic=4032.0) shows he's pretty good too, although dialogue script is a different to prose.

If this gets off the ground, call me when you need some dialogue done or if you're planning out the storyline, I can help out with these as well as ideas/direction although this depends if I'm busy or not.

I'm impressed that a few people have actually chipped in with other things than story and writing. If you get enough of those and a project manager you might at the very least get some sort of small demo and proof of concept off the ground.

While I eagerly await your success, I simultaneously prepare a mourning ritual for your demise. Here's my tip:

Set a goal you can reach.

How about instead of creating a 'true' sequel to Star Control, we create a 'spirital' successor (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Spiritual_successor) to it; our own universe, yet with a similar feel to it, in the same way as Supreme commander (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Supreme_Commander) is the spirital successor to Total Annihilation (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Total_Annihilation)...

A spirital successor gives us more leniency about what we're doing, and it prevents mistakes like people misrepresenting existing alien races. Additionally, we could change the gameplay, or even 'distill' the core gameplay (that of conversing with aliens, I'd say) and change it into something perhaps easier to maintain and create; a game a bit more like Solar Winds (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Solar_Winds), but where the player gets given more freedom of choice (both Solar winds games were pretty linear)...

It is only fair to mention that, a few weeks ago, I was playing with the thoughts of developing a game like that myself, where I'd basically write an engine, an insanely short backstory, place stars and planets, place aliens, give those aliens characteristics, write/use a simple scripting engine for the dialogues and quests, and then -by means of contests, perhaps- ask players to create seperate quests that take place inside this universe. I would use the graphical media of UQM and some stuff by the Tyrian guy (which is in the Public Domain) to make things rather easy on the graphics side.

On the other hand, a 'similar game' in a different universe might kill off exactly what made SC2 nice: the combination of all those different alien species.

Megagun's input is IMO the best in any of these fan sequel threads so far. Listen to him, people.



I'm a little afraid of what a fan game could do to the SC2 aliens' dialogue. Maybe a Star Flight / Star Control game with its own story would be best.

Personally, if someone would call his/her game/project a SC fan game, I expect SC content. So I would prefer seeing more people diverting effort into projects featuring SC universe/races/events in various forms (any, really), than games featuring some mechanics of SC and totally new universe. Then it just becomes another space faring game.

I wish I didn't started with my Star Control Melee like project (really hot about it). I think I would pick a game in SC universe immediately seeing the current state of SC community projects. When I was here several years ago TimeWarp was in full development, Fibs & Brags popular, and my programming skills very poor, so I didn't think much of personally trying. But, life is long. I have time. ;)

Megagun's idea would alleviate a lot of the potential conflicts, but would it make SC fans as enthusiastic? I mean it's the sort of project that can gather a lot of people, but would those people necessarily be SC:ers rather than just a random group of sci-fi people?

Best idea so far.

You can make easter eggs and tributes to SC throughout if you wanted as such, but it would otherwise be under our direction and the races we create. Besides, I don't know how TFB might feel if a fanmade SC was floating around on the internet. Granted from what I've seen of them they're really nice chaps who could support what you are doing but keep in mind your interpretation is different from their vision initially planned.

I'd say leave SC to the guys who made it, that way we can't go wrong (and in case TFB do get a sequel out of the door) and then our spiritual successor game will be something we can release with our own ideas and influences. We also have the freedom to mess around with the combat mechanics so that it can be something unique as well, like taking a look at Weird Worlds' combat mechanic for large battleships and such as an example of a SC influenced game. Who knows the potential it could gain released on the internet if it is a success.

These are the sorts of fun things people can do:
•   Make a space adventure game
•   Rock climbing
•   Make a Star Control game from scratch (sequel like Timewarp – with fancy graphics)
•   Make a mod of UQM (sequel or other…)

They’re all worthy projects. Personally I’m not interested in options 1 or 2. In fact they should really be addressed in different threads.

I want to make a Star Control game, preferably a sequel, but could be just an offshoot story. Option 4 sounds the best to me as to the best of my understanding it will be a LOT less resource intensive than option 3.  Please do convince me otherwise if you know more about this.

Sadly I possess none of the skills required to do any of those options by myself . I will now go away and try and write a story, set post-SC2, with the intention of it being a mod in the hopes that I can attract people to help me..

However, if folks can demonstrate that a flash new Timewarp-like game is actually not much more work, then I’m open to that. Maybe I could steal some of the stuff already done for Timewarp and save a bit of time

People should be said the hard truth that game design is a painstaking and challenging process and that even completing a polished small game is rather difficult.

Then it will never get off the ground, the maker has to have main skills in other things (usually coding, as it keeps the team together), what happens here is "I want you to do my mod/game/sequel in my image". In the C&C modding community we get tons and tons of stories written for potential mods, the most insulting requesting tons of people and nothing in return from the main director. Also, why bother with that when the coder you're potentially hiring has an image of what they think should be a true sequel, and they do it without you, eventually getting another writer who agrees with his own image and helps him instead? They'll be one step ahead of you, and better equipped.

Modding is a big commitment, you're starting off as every other person starts off in modding with big ideas, but what you need to do is find a particular skill (coding, art, 3d modelling) and stick with it by honing your skill in one niche. Writers such as myself pitch ideas to mods to enhance them, plus as a writer you work with the team, not as the team leader.

Listen to Lachie, Game Design is a process that takes hours of time in debating, direction and so forth. For example, how does the game balance with 4 faction sides in the game? How does the economy work generally? Would an advantage in economical resourcing be a benefit to one faction or a negative one? What would the combat be like and if you have racial bonuses how do they affect the main balance? etc etc. These things are also subject to rapid change when you think "no wait, it should be like this instead, because it has X amount more realism or X amount more relevance to the plot".

To me this would be a fine scenario as something would get done. It doesn't have to be me that does it.

I won't argue with anything you've said. But either I can do nothing and hope someone else does something, or I can try something myself. If nothing else I've managed to get a fe more people posting their thoughts on game making. I'm happy with that.

You're right, it's not reasonable for me to expect everyone to jump and help me based on nothing tangible. Just got to make somethign tangible! Sounds like my only real hope is persuading my brother (http://forum.uqm.stack.nl/index.php?action=profile;u=2121) to help me out. He likes StarCon, sci-fi and is a programming whiz.  If we can get some kind of demo set up we might be in business.

I think something will come out of all this discussion. There's the resource out there to make it happen, whoever it is.

Hi
I have been toying with this idea for a few days now.
Here's small tech demo of melee for this project (nothing very special yet):
http://zepi.kapsi.fi/test.zip (http://zepi.kapsi.fi/test.zip)

There is loads of stuff missing, like camera behavior, weapons, background stars etc.
Currently asteroids, planet and ship are in. Use arrows for moving and Z/X for shooting (though it does not shoot anything yet, just uses battery)

This is done with C++ / SDL / OpenGL / Lua
I use Lua scripting and XML for UI, kind of a same way that WOW does. I think that most of the conversations (story development) could be done with scripts easily. Which would make the game quite easy to develop even for a non-programming guy. Let's see... Maybe even lots of the ship stuff can be done in scripts.

It seems to be quite easy to replicate melee in some level.
Prob I'll try solar system exploration and conversions quite soon.


I have bunch of questions:
- Does anyone know where to get low-poly 3D ship models of star control ships? Anyone interested modelling one or two?
- Where to get (very) technical details of ship specs? Like turning rate, movement speed, acceleration, crew, max crew, battery, weapon reload times, etc etc. If values are in pixels/frame it is okay, I can easily convert them to units/sec
- Where I can get information how melee camera works?

Some info about me:
I mostly lurk on the forums, that's why you probably haven't seen me. I am coder with around twenty years of experience ranging from C64 assembler to high level languages. Currently developing hardware drivers in a mobile phone company.
Downside is that I might not have too much free time, my regular programming work takes away quite a lot of time from projects like this.

Hey Jaenis, I ran the exe file, a menu with two options "start" and exit" appears, I click "start", the window closes and nothing happens

Hah, great start ::)

Could you open stdout.txt file and check is there any "Error: " lines?

'fraid it doesn't run here either.  I don't have a working sound driver at the moment so that's almost certainly the issue.  Here's stdout.txt:
A window briefly pops up.  It writes the files: stdout.txt, settings.xml and ZipList.txt (which is empty) and then closes again.
Hope this helps...

Check yer PMs.

The Ultranomicon (http://wiki.uqm.stack.nl/Main_Page) knows all.  You may have to dig a bit but all the ships stats are in there.  The list of ships (http://wiki.uqm.stack.nl/List_of_ships) is probably a good place to start.

Too find out precisely how the camera works you'd need to check the code out (or maybe meep-eep or someone familiar with it could summarise).  Personally I'd re-invent it - as long as both ships are in the frustum and the zooming isn't extreme it's probably fine.

Great, thanks dragon, that Ultranomicon page looks to offer all information that is needed :)

Also, could you try and modify settings.xml (just open it on some text editor) anb disable audio from there like this:
Changed the code in a way that if audio is missing, it just silently fails to "audio disabled" mode. (not yet released anywhere)

Cool, it works fine now - battered the planet with my ship for a bit ;). 

As an aside: when hovering over the start button with the mouse it selects exit.  This might be Cedric6014s issue?

Great, you got it working  :)

And about that clicking... That has to be Cedric6014s issue (I hope ;D)
It was a bug in one of UI XML files, mouse clicks went to wrong element... Using enter and arrows in menu gets around this.

Table of ship properties (http://wiki.uqm.stack.nl/Table_of_ship_properties) might save some time :)
Also, there's this page (http://wiki.uqm.stack.nl/3D_Models) but it's a bit empty ;D

While I'm here I might as well mention that I'm happy for any project to use the stellar backgrounds I've worked on for Dragon's SC1 remake, examples in this thread (http://starcontrol.classicgaming.gamespy.com/forum/index.php?topic=1660.0) and I'm happy to fiddle with them and generate more. I can also make clusters of points and am working on nebula generation . . .

Well, it sounds like you have your resource. With your brother coding you should at least be able to produce some small proof of concept. A few helpful suggestions. Bear in mind that I've never worked on any kind of game project. My profession is in a project based industry, where projects can vary from the small 80-hour type to the fairly large 50 000 hour type. SO I can only give advice on general project management, which tends to be a lot harder than people imagine.

It might help you and your brother along if you attempt to create something less demanding first. Do a small game based in the SC universe, reflecting a part of the story you're writing. Then do a slightly larger one. With each project, you'll learn a lot about managing a project and it's resources. And for every completed project you may well attract new resources. Coders and artist who don't want to put work into something that may never be finished could be more prone to working with someone who has shown himself capable of actually producing something.

Of course this means that you have a much longer road to walk. Instead of just making a new SC3, you need to start off with much smaller things and work your way up. On the plus side, we'll get some smallish SC games pretty much straight away while you work out how to make a great sequel.

But this is all just a suggestion. Do what you think is best.

This is all very cool but I wonder if you should start up a new topic for it? It might not get as much attention as it otherwise would if its buried in this one. Meep-Eep is it in your powers to cut out these posts and make a new topic?

Jaenis, I know your intentions are good, but I've seen too many programmers rushing into game dev projects without prior experience in such.

To me, programming part of a computer game was always the easiest, or to say it better, the least challenging. Of course, this depends on the game, but it’s usually the case unless you are making something in the style of World of Goo. The only thing I see as challenging in a SC-like game is AI, and maybe some procedural world generation code, if a specific game would feature it. To build a skeleton of majority of games is relatively easy. But to create a real game out of it...now that's a challenge. Just an advice from an experienced game developer.

I agree about the AI part. I recently finished my first non-random AI, which is Mario that stomps goombas. As simple as it is, it took over 100 lines of (GML) code without including the 40 lines of comments/empty spaces (totaling almost 150 lines of code). And still, it's not perfect. Now for a complex game like SC, that's a completely different story. You have to account for several factors, some of which are still not accounted for (or at least, not very well) in UQM's AI.

Hi everyone.  I'm a musician and even though there seems to be no need for one I'd like to be involved :]

Hi TheMisterCat.

Can you compose? There will be a need for music tracks for 5-8 new alien races

Unfortunately, a Melee engine is *not at all* what a project like this needs, unless the sequel is based on Star Control 1 instead of Star control 2. You see, Star control 1 took the Space War game, expanded on it with way more ships, and then build around that melee engine a strategy game...

Star control 2, however, seems to do it slightly backwards (even though history tells us that it was still a result from a melee engine); there's this giant epic space adventure engine, and the battles inside that epic space adventure are handled through a melee engine. The adventure part is way more important than the melee part; thus, a SC2 fanmade sequel project should start with the core: the conversation and "space exploration" parts; preferably, you should start with the conversation parts..

Another reason for why you shouldn't start with the melee engine is this: if you start with a conversation/space exploration engine, and notice that no-one seems to write for the project, you can blow the project off quickly. If however you start with the melee engine, you might spend a few months developing that, then continue on the conversation/space exploration engine, but by then people won't be motivated again and there might never be a game as a result; yet you still 'wasted' a few months on the melee engine (even though -I know- you can reuse your melee engine in an entirely new project)...

Perhaps *THIS* is why the Twilight project never succeeded. As far as I know, it was always just a melee engine; I don't think I've ever even SEEN a conversation engine, and by the time they should've started working on it, the community was pretty divided already anyways due to disagreements on how the melee engine should be dealt with (or so I can assume?)..

ON THE OTHER HAND, you *do* seem to be the most experienced programmer here, so if you want to work on this project and develop it, you might want to take a leading role and use your own ideas about the development of this project. :)

Hehe, I know that
I just made a small melee engine so I can get ships/items moving in a space and detect collisions between them. And you need that in solar system exploration in story part. So that's why I started with melee. It currently supports different ship models quite nicely, all the special parts and all weapons are missing, but it is not yet relevant.
(and melee is fun to make ;))

On the exploration front I can currently procedurally create star system and you can fly around it. Entering the planet/moon display is next on list. When that is working one can "enter the planet" where the conversations stuff is going.

So, basically not too much process in the visible thingies front. Had a few major bugs in 3D model loading stuff which had to be fixed, what took time.


And, thanks for the Dragon for your models, those are great!
Thanks!

That page was great, all info in a nice format with explanations.
But seems that Ultronomicon doesn't know all, where is the weapon data? Like what is the speed of Earthling Cruiser missile, how many frames or seconds it flies? How far does the Vux laser reach, speed & life time of limpets, etc etc.
Weapon damages and behaviors were explained in here (http://wiki.uqm.stack.nl/Weapon), but some relevant info is still missing.

Whilst a melee engine is not all (not by a long shot) it's probably a good half of the fun portion of SC2.  Unfortunately as you've pointed out everyone concentrates on it to the exclusion of the adventure half.  Aside: Hopefully the time consuming and tedious parts (flying between systems and mining planets) can be toned down.

I'd suggest that in a sequel the concept of a melee engine be a little more open ended.  ie:  Transitions from solar system exploration to planetary flight to actual fighting should be seamless.   Dialogs between planets and ships should pop-up within this flying view.

But it's such a good catch phrase (and like all good marketing should pay no attention to reality ;D).  Some of the stats you're just going to have to eye-ball.  Specifically for the human missile I think I have seen it somewhere around but can't find it anymore.  All part of the fun...

No prob, glad they're useful :).

[EDIT] Also I think that the Koh-Ah spinning blade can take 8 crews worth of damage whilst it's flying and 4 whilst it's tracking.  I can't remember how I know that though...

If there are new species in this game, perhaps these species should be drawn from the community? That would enable a greater sense of interaction on their behalf, increasing the motivation to try and spread the word around, perhaps

What about Gaidens aswell? Games that although set in the same universe do not alter witht he main storyline, perhaps secret operations or following a minor character, etc etc? Just firing ideas up here.

I would welcome community contributions.

Folks are free to post/email their ideas on races and ships and even art, sprites and sound files too. It might be a while before I can turn my mind to them,  although Alien characteristics will help fuel the storyline which is still very undeveloped.

Right now I’m building a new star map (which incorporates part of the old). This is actually taking some time.

Once this is done I’ll post a playable demo where you can fly around the new part of space.  You wont be able to do much though as there’s no story!

What about this is taking time? I could help with this, generating point distributions with various properties is a big part of my life ;)

You don't want a random field, I have code that could generate something like SC2's map, with its constellations, and do it in three dimensions if you like.

Hopefully someone familiar with UQM's code will come along and help soon . . .

I'd take him up this - it'd be a lot easier than drawing it by hand and the 3D view looks sweet. :)

First thing I did was move the bottom left 500x400 to the top right.

Next, I generated random stars for the rest of the sector using Excel.

Now I'm cleaning up the stars into nice looking constellations. Only about 200 stars to go!

Would be delighted if you could magically achieve this in no time. My only requirements are:
1) bottom left 500x400 of the old map moved to top right
2) 2D map. This is a mod not a new game
3) Produce the data in an array that I can easily paste into the plandata.c code.
Or just a list of x and y will do

I can help out some with graphics if you have any interest in the stuff I've done.

Damn straight I do. I love the new art you've done for ponaf (that was you right?) I reckon you'd do a bang-up job drawing cock-pits and dialogue screens for new alien races.

As for the starmap, it's now completed. now writing enough dialogue to get a mod demo out for yall to peruse. Will take a bit of time, dont hold you breath

In the mean time though I'm very keen to get contributions on ideas for alien races

The Hyperspace starmap is 2D for a reason. The relative distances in Hyperspace are not equivalent to distances in true space. We can assume that our minds are incapable of understanding the physics and dimensions of Hyperspace.

Is this dead or no? I'd need to see how UQMs graphics work. Are the ships in frames or does the engine just turn one image? What needs to be done graphics wise?

It's not dead, I'm working on this right now.

the graphics are all seperate sprites I think. So for example for one new alien ship design we'd need png files for all 16 rotations, x 3 zoons levels. ALSO we'd need the same for any projectiles coming from the craft in question.

HOw annoying! There's probably a clever photoshop way of doing this easily though.

!!!
Hold! Stop! Before you proceed any further, I strongly recommend you look up how to batch edit. I know exactly what you're going through and it just isn't worth the effort the way you're doing it. Especially once you see what the graphic looks like in game, decide it sucks, and have to re-do all 48 images.

Also, what archive files does UQM use and what program can open them/extract/add files?

Anything that can open .zip files can open an UQM archive. I think...

Works just fine. I know pretty much nothing about the graphical limitations of the engine though. But you're making a new one or overhauling the current one, correct?

Have a look here: http://forum.uqm.stack.nl/index.php?topic=4409.0 (http://forum.uqm.stack.nl/index.php?topic=4409.0)

And more importantly, HERE: http://forum.uqm.stack.nl/index.php?topic=4410.0 (http://forum.uqm.stack.nl/index.php?topic=4410.0)

I'd prefer discussion took place here if poss.

So as you can see this a straight-out mod, using the existing engine. I dont have the expertise to make a whole new game.

I'd be delighted to get ship designs for you. More the better so we've got a bunch to choose from. I think Flagship vessel no1 is in the bag. We now need:

• Flagship vessel no2 (precursor modable vessel ala SC2)
  vessels for new alien races

I'd love to do some alien art. PM me the designs. Flagship.. not so much. I'd rather start small.

Done