Battlezone Remake? Calling all BZ Fans

[bigbadbogie]

i would be the spearhead of its community project - if it was as easy to mod as bz2

[Feared_1]

Can I get your company's website please?

[Angstromicus]

I can do visual effects (not sound effects, just visual). Also I have limited knowledge in C++. Though, considering how many years it can take to get a game completed, I'll be a full-fledged beginner programmer (maybe intermediate if I really try ), in about two to three years max.

[Avatar]

Very interesting write-up frozenfire, I like your analysis of which companies provide good modding tools and why...  right on the money.

But this:

And I do not believe HOVERing is a core aspect why BZ2 players are still playing. I believe it's simply the combination of FPS with RTS with customizable weapons.

This is not a flame, but as the old man around here let me tell you a little something about the psychology of BZ players, going back to Battlezone I and the launch of Battlezone II.

Battlezone I was primarily a DM game.  The DM sessions outweighed the Strat sessions 10 to 1 (conservative estimate, I wasn't there 24 hours a day).   DM's were always running, almost always full, and Strat games started up each evening between the few dozen players that played Strat.  At the time there was nothing that gave you the freedom to fight like BZ did.  Hovercraft were new and exciting, as were aliens, spacesuits, being on other planets, and while Quake was fun it didn't hold a candle for us compared with cruising around planets in hovercraft.

Strat was OK, but there was a lack of tools for communication, the network model made it impossible to kill players with high pings, and getting a public game going was frustrating even with the lobby.  Because of this we generally played strat amongst ourselves, with people/pings we knew worked well together.

Battlezone II  was launched with a different focus.  Team Strat was the central game type, and the first six months all we heard were the DM Clans complaining, despite being urged to try Team Strat.  In a short time they virtually all left, as they weren't happy with BZ2 physics, look, feel, gameplay, or the focus on Strat.

Many of the players that had been die-hard BZ1 DM players tried BZ2 Strat with us, but they didn't even know how to build a building, or gather scrap, or command wingmen, and they really didn't want to know.  They just wanted to get in a ship and go kill things.  This same attitude prevailed when BZ2 first started, as it seems to me all I had as a Commander was a bunch of guys standing in base going "need a ship" over and over.  Without the automatic respawn of a DM ship for them they were lost, and hated having to ask for another ship when they lost theirs...

I've written volumes on the way that an FPS/RTS hybrid must cater to both player types, but the common element is that the vehicles must be FUN to fight in.  After that you have to let DM style players have their fun, while allowing RTS style players to have theirs.  It sounds like you and your company have some very good ideas, just don't discount the importance of providing both player types with what they need to become addicted to your game...

-Av-

[frozenfire]

I can do visual effects (not sound effects, just visual). Also I have limited knowledge in C++. Though, considering how many years it can take to get a game completed, I'll be a full-fledged beginner programmer (maybe intermediate if I really try ), in about two to three years max.

got your PM. I"ll mail you shortly to ask you a few questions to determine your level of involvement

[frozenfire]

Can I get your company's website please?

PMed you in your MSN.

[OvermindDL1]

People have mentioned wanting knowledge in C++ here, but you (frozenfire) I can not find an immediate reference to, did you need programmers or not.  Or better yet, can you give a simple list of exactly the things you want done?
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[frozenfire]

People have mentioned wanting knowledge in C++ here, but you (frozenfire) I can not find an immediate reference to, did you need programmers or not.  Or better yet, can you give a simple list of exactly the things you want done?
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Yes we do need programmer. 3d Artist ( someone who can model, animate and texture ) , and level designer and maybe sound engineers if exist. If not we'll just rip any good LEGAL tracks/SFX anywhere we can find, since this is not a commercial project.

The reason I am not specific is because, like I said, this is a prototype, any engine is acceptable as long as the core game mechanics is shown. Therefore, I do not specify either language is because I don't want any of you guys to feel that "Oh I don't know that one, so I'm out ".

That is why, I ask, any of you want to volunteer to be in this prototype in a general way . So I can get response that sound more like:

"Oh I can model, I'm interested in this, what can I do for you?"

"Oh I can programme in C++, let's use this or that engine"

"Oh I can't do nutz, but I can draw nice concepts, what can I do for this project?"

Ah... then we can work something out

But so far generally. I think C++ or C# would be good. But then again, if you're very good in another language, we can still discuss.

Recommended Engine would be

3D Game Studio
Neo-Axis ( http://www.neoaxisgroup.com/description.htm )
Visual3D ( http://www.visual3d.net nice engine but no documentation...but only if you can figure out how it works)
Leadwerks ( http://www.leadwerks.com/  quite light, has a nice world editor u can download from same page)





Actually. Our company is trying to limit the staffs that are doing this prototype so that most of them can be channeled to our other outsource project.

[General BlackDragon]

Well, I can model (kinda new) and I can make VERY basic textures...but i'm still kindof new at it. But practice makes perfect

I'm good with making simple sounds, maybe some silly voices too...

And, I'm really good at making things in BZ, odf files, the weapons, the shell interface, etc...Getting better with photoshop.

Programs at my disposal: 3ds Max 7, Photoshop 7.0, Notepad, 3d exploration, Gmax, Goldwave.

Animating models, I can do it in max, but i havnt been able to export them to xsi, so for xsi models I write the animations in notepad. 

Not sure how usefull I can be, but I hope to help a little bit. (might get a foot in the door at a career even)

[bigbadbogie]

Animating models, I can do it in max, but i havnt been able to export them to xsi, so for xsi models I write the animations in notepad. 

WF made a good tutorial on how to export animated models from max into xsi:

http://www.bzuniverse.com/forum/index.php/topic,7315.msg115757.html#msg115757

[Warfreak]

The tutorial is kindof bogus for "puny" screens, I ahve an updated version if you want..........

ANYHOW, as i said, i can model and can follow concept art pretty well, so if you ever want anything from me, models will be it.

[frozenfire]

General BlackDragon and Warfreak.

please mail me at chiean2000@yahoo.com thank you.
I mean mail me some of your work. JPEG would do.

[Nielk1]

You could try the Source Engine. It's primarily a physics engine with FPS code, but that can be greatly modified. Also, you are making a human heavy game (FPS). Source Engine Mods (they call em mods but they are really entire games on the engine) can sometimes make real money. "Garry's Mod" used to be free and now, thought STEAM, he actually sells the 'mod'.

I can model, and would be glad to help, but I must warn you I normally throw out about 24 in every 25 models as 'not good enough'.

If you go with the SOURCE engine, I don't know how to get models in there. I know there are visual models, physics models, collision models, and all that stuff. I don't know about the 3Ds, but Overmind has a lot more experience with the SOURCE SDK then I do. That being said, I don't know how much experience he actually has.

[Warfreak]

Alrigth, let me find some of my stuff lying around, i have four or five good models, unskinned sadly.......

[General BlackDragon]

I email'ed what I sent. The pics are orderd in the same order that I made the ships, so you should see some nice progression

Sorry I'm not very good at textures, I just havn't spent much time on them.