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Author Topic: The Ur-Quan Masters 0.8.0.83 MegaMod has been released  (Read 12355 times)
JHGuitarFreak
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Re: The Ur-Quan Masters 0.8.0.83 MegaMod has been released
« Reply #15 on: April 15, 2020, 12:28:42 am »

I can definitely look into all of that. Some of it sounds feasible right off the bat but others will need a more in-depth look.
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Re: The Ur-Quan Masters 0.8.0.83 MegaMod has been released
« Reply #16 on: June 02, 2020, 12:09:57 am »

There's some serious attribution errors here. The project clearly needs to be labelled as a fork of UQMHD, because that's what it is.
No-one has done more work on this than Damon, and that includes you, and me.
Seriously I don't know where you got your credits.txt, but it's not based on anything in a repo.
Please re-include the UQMHD section from this one:
https://sourceforge.net/p/urquanmastershd/git-new/ci/master/tree/content/base/cutscene/credits/credits.txt

and just put your section at the top. You've earned it. But you haven't earned the right to deprive others of attribution.
I'm not listed in your remixes or programming sections, for example. Half the bugs you initially listed as fixed were fixed by me and re-ported back into the UQMHD codebase.
That's a matter of public record.

Additionally, I think putting yourself at the loading of the game, and removing all Project 6014 references from the opening is just kinda an ugly egomaniac type of move. You didn't earn it.
Other than that, I quite like what you've put together - it's good that there are updated packages for all platforms.
« Last Edit: June 02, 2020, 03:34:35 am by metamorphosis » Logged
JHGuitarFreak
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Re: The Ur-Quan Masters 0.8.0.83 MegaMod has been released
« Reply #17 on: June 02, 2020, 09:58:52 am »

I was actually already planning to replace the Logo slide.

This is the logo screen I was going to switch to:

To mimic the Accolade logo somewhat.

Or I would just remove it entirely so it goes straight to the splash.

Because my "Serosis Presents" screen was really bugging me exactly in the way it bugged you.

As for the credits... Whoops.

Recently I've aligned them to what McMartin did for the upcoming v0.8.0 but you're right that I left a bunch out.
Not on purpose. I'm not a total dick.  
Hell, before I had contributors I completely ignored the credits.txt

And if you're talking about this:


That slide is not going back in.
The current goal of the MegaMod is to make HD look as Vanilla as possible given the current UI constraints.
So anything that deviates from Vanilla look and feel is getting tossed and replaced as part of the ongoing progress, when possible.

But I'll definitely get on the credits and make sure the vanilla HD-mod set is put in.

EDIT:

While fixing up the HD-Mod credits to fit the new v0.8.0 style I noticed Kwayne was never attributed for his art contributions.
So I'll just add him in.

UPDATE:

Credit and Logo changes are in.

ADDENDUM:

For the record I mean to revert some of the visual changes I've made as well.
Like for the Splash and Main Menu.
Currently in process of recreating the Splash in HD and I've already completed the Vanilla main menu in HD.

EPILOGUE:

Next time you have a problem with something I'm doing, make a Github issue about it. 
I'm just one guy doing this as a hobby with the help of some friends, I don't need anybody's drama.

I'm always listening and I always respond in kind. I have no idea what made you think you could fucking talk to me that way.
In the future, speak to me as an adult and I will do the same for you.
« Last Edit: June 02, 2020, 05:32:44 pm by Serosis » Logged

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Re: The Ur-Quan Masters 0.8.0.83 MegaMod has been released
« Reply #18 on: June 03, 2020, 03:00:30 am »

I think I did speak to you as an adult, and I think (initially) you responded in kind.
I didn't mean for you to beat yourself up about it, that's for sure, it was just like "hey... come on".
Having been on the receiving end of being called out for lack of attribution in another project, I can see how you'd take it that way, even if I didn't mean it that way.

At any rate, I think we're on the same page, and you didn't mean any harm. For sure, I'm happy to submit stuff through the github thing in future.
The project 6014 thing was just for me, an acknowledgement of where most of the HD work came out of, but I have no problem with your reasoning on that front, and the new logo looks nice-

Anyway, to make up for it, here's a list of things I like/am neutral about:

For:
* Better star rendering, closer to original
* The original drawing scans for the opening/exit credits - in some places I like the redraws more, but as a whole, they work better and are more detailed. Where did they come from?
* Proper install packages for all platforms & downloading options ala UQM vanilla - kewl
* Ongoing bugfixes/development


Neutral:
* Personally prefered the HD URQUAN MASTERS logo, but I get that you're going more toward vanilla.
* Ditto Menu screen.
* Your redraws of the main game interface I think are better for newcomers, they look more modern - I like the HD originals because of nostalgia, predominantly. Both are good.
* Feel somewhat queasy about the inclusion of cheats? But I guess by modern standards some things in the game are kinda harsh, like the time limit.


Minor against:
* Quite liked the faint blue nebula background in sol from HD, which I kept in hdremix but dulled down significantly. Made the initial system a bit less 'dry'. Maybe a custom "milky way" background for sol might be cool? But faint. I haven't played through enough of new ver to see how the new nebulae look - my main change to HD was reducing their saturation/opacity so they were less eye-burny.


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JHGuitarFreak
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Re: The Ur-Quan Masters 0.8.0.83 MegaMod has been released
« Reply #19 on: June 03, 2020, 04:47:17 am »

I only really started get offended at the tail end of it because it took a minute to sink in.
But as long as we're on the same page then the slate is clean.

The original drawings by George Barr came from an article on Ars Technica:
https://arstechnica.com/gaming/2018/12/video-how-star-control-ii-was-almost-a-much-more-boring-game/

While the finished Vindicator on Unzervalt was from P&F's blog over on https://dogarandkazon.com before the whole lot of their blog was purged in the settlement.
I've emailed Paul about the possible release of more of the original drawings but I haven't heard a peep since the settlement.

The cheats are actually the backbone of the MegaMod.
If you can remember I was building Windows binaries using other people's code for the Ship Spins, Time Dilation, and De-Cleansing mods
I slowly started to combine them via CLI and slowly after that into full blown menu options.
From there I went hog wild. Taking all kinds of ideas into consideration.
And, honestly, I find the cheat menu is better at debugging than a single debug key.
I should just call it that. Debug Menu.

I never really liked the original HD-Mod interface. It was always a bit too clip-art for my taste.
And it wasn't until relatively recently that I learned I could do something about it.  
I know I've alienated quite a few over that decision but I'm steadfast in my resolve.

As far as the Nebulae behind Sol. I felt it was better to have no nebula than a fake one.
Like you I'm thinking about overlaying the Milky Way arm as we see it from Earth.
But I need to find the right image that doesn't conflict with UQM's art style.

And your change to reduce the brightness of the Nebulae is what inspired me to redo them entirely.
As I felt the originals were too blotchy, and more importantly, they were background layers.
Seeing stars being drawn over them bugged the heck out of me.

As for the Menu screen I just recently pushed my "redesign".
Which basically amounted to masking out the original 3DO version and then recreating the UQM UI but using a font close to the 3DO version.

(For the HD version I upscaled the background using xBRZ)

And like I said before I'm recreating Erol Otus' UQM Splash but it's going to have a more Kohr-Ah twist to it to keep it in line with my favorite genocidal maniacs.
« Last Edit: June 03, 2020, 04:50:32 am by Serosis » Logged

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Re: The Ur-Quan Masters 0.8.0.83 MegaMod has been released
« Reply #20 on: June 03, 2020, 06:31:36 am »

No worries, sounds like we both came off as a bit aggressive.
I'm not worried about anything I wrote as neutral/against, just sharing my subjective impressions.
If you want any comparitive upscales using Waifu2x (neural net using CUDA) I've got my machine set up for that, usually you get better generative detail from the neural net, while xBRZ does better edge detection. I've done a lot of upscaling with waifu2x, it never fails to impress.
Probably 'cheat' is more informative for newcomers than 'debug' - but either is good.

I think when I was talking about the UQMHD main interface I meant the borders etc, rather than the menu pics - I haven't really compared.


And your change to reduce the brightness of the Nebulae is what inspired me to redo them entirely.
As I felt the originals were too blotchy, and more importantly, they were background layers.
Seeing stars being drawn over them bugged the heck out of me.

Fair enough - I just worked with what was there, it didn't really bug me asides from the brightness and the lack of star systems without nebulae, at the time - hadn't thought about the stars being in front/behind. I mean - that does happen, right? You get stars in front of nebulae.


As for the Menu screen I just recently pushed my "redesign".
Which basically amounted to masking out the original 3DO version and then recreating the UQM UI but using a font close to the 3DO version.

(For the HD version I upscaled the background using xBRZ)


And like I said before I'm recreating Erol Otus' UQM Splash but it's going to have a more Kohr-Ah twist to it to keep it in line with my favorite genocidal maniacs.

Do you mean the opening title screen before the menu? Or the opening cutscene splash?
BTW I was wondering why you didn't go with the redraw version for the title screen - using damon's wallpaper version you could easily edit something higher-detail together for yourself:
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Re: The Ur-Quan Masters 0.8.0.83 MegaMod has been released
« Reply #21 on: June 03, 2020, 12:09:03 pm »

I completely forgot about Waifu2x
I also tried Gigapixel AI but it puts out too much garbage with this particular image.

And I did use Damon's Kohr-Ah for the splash screen, but not the wallpaper version, the in-game version:


Or is that what you're calling the logo?

What I'm going to do with it now is basically the same as Erol Otus':

But with even more Kohr-Ah and less speed blur.
And correct ships. Kinda bugs me seeing a Chmmr and Chenjesu ship in the same fleet.
« Last Edit: June 04, 2020, 01:47:02 am by Serosis » Logged

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Re: The Ur-Quan Masters 0.8.0.83 MegaMod has been released
« Reply #22 on: June 04, 2020, 02:04:04 am »

I decided to go full remaster with the title screens.




And a debranded one:

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Re: The Ur-Quan Masters 0.8.0.83 MegaMod has been released
« Reply #23 on: June 23, 2020, 10:45:53 am »

I completely forgot about Waifu2x
I also tried Gigapixel AI but it puts out too much garbage with this particular image.

And I did use Damon's Kohr-Ah for the splash screen, but not the wallpaper version, the in-game version:

Or is that what you're calling the logo?

Sorry for late reply - no I think we're on the same page about what the logo is.
Looks good - not sure if the vertical blur adds anything to it, but def looks better with the extra details from the wallpaper ver.
Cool! L:)
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Re: The Ur-Quan Masters 0.8.0.83 MegaMod has been released
« Reply #24 on: June 24, 2020, 12:52:06 am »

Why are there gun modules in the middle of the ship?
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Re: The Ur-Quan Masters 0.8.0.83 MegaMod has been released
« Reply #25 on: June 24, 2020, 07:38:20 pm »

Sorry for late reply - no I think we're on the same page about what the logo is.
Looks good - not sure if the vertical blur adds anything to it, but def looks better with the extra details from the wallpaper ver.
Cool! L:)

The blur is there because it's in Erol's title screen as well.

Why are there gun modules in the middle of the ship?

Asked myself the same thing when I was staring at Erol's original design. 
I mimicked everything I could including the things that don't make sense.
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Re: The Ur-Quan Masters 0.8.0.83 MegaMod has been released
« Reply #26 on: July 27, 2020, 11:46:06 am »

Quote from the PoNaF forum:
Quote from: EnderSE15
Not sure if this is the right thread, but playing the Megamod version, the game crashes whenever I enter the Beta Herculis system  (I was going to see what the Spathi/Mmrnmrhm peace monument was about!).   Also, the voice support seems to have disappeared - or do I need to download that separately?

Cool feature that when you're in someone's territory, a version of their theme plays when you're in a star system - although if you haven't yet met that race, that's kind of a plot hole... how would you know you're in their territory if you haven't met them yet?

And, do you need to have Extended Lore on from the beginning for it to work, rather than turning it on then loading a saved game?
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Re: The Ur-Quan Masters 0.8.0.83 MegaMod has been released
« Reply #27 on: July 27, 2020, 01:42:38 pm »

Thanks for looking out, I'll answer over there.
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The Ur-Quan Masters MegaMod 0.8.0.85 is now live!
« Reply #28 on: November 06, 2020, 09:52:51 pm »

Wish I could edit the initial post in this thread.

Quote
Oh God...Please don't let me die today! Tomorrow would be so much better!

I bring you perhaps the largest release yet. So many fixes, added features, and changes.
Too many to list here on this very release description so I'll boil it down to my favorites.

  • SDL2 Support ported over from UQM v0.8.0 by Ala-lala
  • Better controller support for Windows and macOS (and possibly Linux)
  • Replaced all fonts in HD and recreated the Chmmr and "StarCon" font by hand
  • Tightened up the HD graphics even further to match Classic
  • Tons of changes behind the scenes to make the best version of the MegaMod yet

But seriously there is way too many changes to put in this feeble description.
Here's a link to the changelog for a full list of changes
Or if you prefer to read it in web format: http://megamod.serosis.net/Features

Windows XP and Windows Vista support is dropped.
The macOS version *should* work on 10.6 (Snow Leopard) through 10.15 (Catalina).
I have no way of testing beyond 10.13 (High Sierra).
And as before I do not officially support the Android version, it exists as a novelty.

Remember that all optional addon packages can be downloaded at http://megamod.serosis.net/Releases

Old MegaMod saves will not work in this update.

You can grab the release on the Github release page here: https://github.com/Serosis/UQM-MegaMod/releases/tag/0.8.0.85

Screenshots and comparisons can be found in the gallery: http://megamod.serosis.net/Gallery

Enjoy!
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Re: The Ur-Quan Masters 0.8.0.83 MegaMod has been released
« Reply #29 on: November 07, 2020, 03:02:26 am »

Congratulations!!   Great Job! Grin

As to this being your largest, idk, that release where you, one person, incorporated the HD mod, and brought the whole thing kicking and screaming up to 0.8.0 was a pretty freaking huge. Grin
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