Sunday 3 November 2013

Ship Graphics

Sorry for it being such a long time since the last Galaxial development log. The game is still very much in development and will be released. (but please don't ask when!) :)

The last few months I have been working hard on creating new ship graphics content for the game and just generally tidying up the engine, fixing bugs, optimization and polish so that its ready for the next stage of development. (AI)

Ship Screenshots

I have a few screenshots to share so you can see the new graphic style for ships. Very pleased with how much improved they now look compared to the older ships. Have had a lot of practice using Adobe Illustrator since then!

I'm not sure on the exact numbers yet, but the plan is to have roughly 4-5 ship designs per class (Frigate/Cruiser/Battleship etc.) More will likely be added over time once the game is released. There is a huge amount to make, so I'm having to spend a lot less time coding while being in artist mode.

(Dreadnaught. The largest class of ship that will be in the game )

(Battlecruiser showing one of my favorite color customization combinations)

 (Few of the smaller cruiser sized ships with darker hull and green trails!)

(Transport ships near some wreckage!)

Customization

The color customization options for ships are now slightly different than before because of the new way they are created.

Ship hulls can only be various shades of black/grey/white. There are no limitations for the colored panels which will use your faction/team color of choice.

The turret lights which become more visible as you zoom out, use faction relation colors. So enemy ships will show red turret lights, blue for allies, white for neutral and green for the player. Colorblind settings are also available.

Turrets

You might have also noticed the new turret graphics, although only one type is shown in the screenshots. There will be unique graphics for all the weapon types (Artillery/Railgun/Laser/Missile Launcher etc.) and they come in 3 sizes (Small, Medium, Large)

Each ship can only fit a certain size of weapon and it should be clear the amount of firepower enemy ships have just from looking at them.


You can also follow me on Twitter for more regular updates about the progress of the game.

35 comments:

  1. No it wont be possible to use logos on ships.

    Disqus is much nicer!

    Had a bit of trouble importing old comments from blogger though. It didn't preserve the reply order so had to re-post some things manually. That's why some of the old comments have strange dates.

    ReplyDelete
  2. Awesome, cool!

    Yeah, definitely much nicer, I got a notification that I got a reply. :)

    Well, future posts going forward are all good though, so that's what's important.

    ReplyDelete
  3. Wow :) Those ships looks really great :)
    How many types of ships are You planing to do? You know, like "fighters, frigates, destroyers, cruisers, battlecruisers, dreadnoughts" and so? Also, will there be carriers and fighters?

    ReplyDelete
  4. At the moment there are (smallest to largest) Fighter, Frigate, Destroyer, Light Cruiser, Command Cruiser, Heavy Cruiser, Light Carrier, Miner, Transport, Battlecruiser, Battleship, Carrier and Dreadnaught.


    The ship types are close to final but very possible they could change slightly or more added, depending on the amount I can make.

    ReplyDelete
  5. Justsomerandomfag3 November 2013 at 17:23

    That's great progress right there! And welcome back! I've been checking this blog weekly hoping for new updates :D

    ReplyDelete
  6. That is more than I hoped there will be. And to think that each clas will have like 4-5 ships in it... Impresive.

    ReplyDelete
  7. Great art job no doubt, but Stuart you have thinked about including a bridge on the top of medium,large ships?

    ReplyDelete
  8. I don't really want to add extra small detail to the ships, as they are getting more difficult to make and taking longer than I had originally planned.

    ReplyDelete
  9. Ricard Rovira Cubeles5 November 2013 at 19:26

    I had been following the development of this game since a year or so, and was afraid its progress was halted by something. Now i'm afraid there won't be any game soon that can compete. And I like to swich between two masterpieces at least...

    I see some inspiration may come from eve online, am I right? Some time ago you mentioned some counter-counter equipement... the configuration of ships... turrets... looks like eve online. I like it. I've always wanted a game as detailed as eve but with a wider control scope. At least more than one ship at a time. Your game sounds fantastic. And keeps looking greater every post, too.

    I daydream about someday, somehow, doing some game like this. It'll take some time. But what does not? Big dreams like this even more.

    I wish you luck and not many tedious days in your hard path towards the completion of this piece of art :D

    ReplyDelete
  10. Yes, EVE Online was a big inspiration for the combat, ship fittings and module system.

    However there are currently a few things that I feel are a bit too similar to EVE, which will be changed to something more unique before release.

    ReplyDelete
  11. Good to hear that - I like to feel that I have to deal with something more unique :) Am I also right to gues that Sins Of Solar Empire is another big inspiration? Graviti wells, one planet per system, simplificated colony control.

    ReplyDelete
  12. Yes, Sins of a Solar Empire was an inspiration for the game also. Colonies will be a lot more complex however.

    ReplyDelete
  13. Complex, but not complicated I hope ;)
    And how are You planning to make diplomacy? Will there be any at all? Will it be just peace/war? Or something more expanded? Will there be some kind of relationship system like in Sins?

    ReplyDelete
  14. Colonies shouldn't be too complicated or require much micromanagement.
    I haven't started working on diplomacy yet, so not sure how it will work exactly. I plan for it to be dynamic with varous options (treaties, demands, trade etc.) but will see how it goes... don't want to promise anything just yet :)

    ReplyDelete
  15. I also really like how relations/diplomacy works in Crusader Kings and Europa Universalis games. So some inspiration might come from them. :)

    ReplyDelete
  16. Nice game you're making! I have some suggestions:
    - Adding 'adaptive difficulty'; it basically means that the game gets easier/more difficult depending on how you're doing. For instance, when you start colonizing your first planets, the game is easy. Once you control about 1/4 of the galaxy the game is normal difficulty. When you control 3/4 of the planets, the game gets pretty hard, so you don't feel overpowered late game.
    - Perhaps it would be cool if a planet with a huge population would look a little like Coruscant from Star Wars. Doesn't really change the gameplay, but looks fun :)
    Anyway, good luck and I look forward to playing your game!

    ReplyDelete
  17. Limiting player power in a sandbox game is a very difficult problem to solve! :)


    I would rather not have any 'adaptive' difficulty (handicap, bonuses) or unfairly increasing the intelligence of the AI as the game progresses.



    There will be other ways the game gets harder as your empire grows. For example AI players forming coalitions against you if your becoming too large and powerful. Planet inefficiency's from running a huge empire. Income, food, corruption, dissent etc.



    There will be some other difficulty settings you can choose before a game starts but they wont change depending on how you are doing.



    The planet graphics change as the population increases, but only the area surrounding the colony: http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-aV00ndkwOEk/Ub726p-QgTI/AAAAAAAAAsc/tVPuIjd3l50/s1600/ColonyPopulation.png
    Will probably do some further work on this soon to add more variation.

    ReplyDelete
  18. I like your way of making the game more difficult as you progress! Something I'm curious about is if colonies on every type of planet look the same. For instance, will a temperate planet which is able to support a huge population have the same surrounding area when it has a max population as a lava planet with max population (those should be smaller)? Also, will you be able to trade with AI players? I've read that you could give other empires stuff to improve your relations, but can you trade?

    ReplyDelete
  19. Yes, at the moment the surrounding areas look the same for all planets. The colony graphics expand when the population reaches 20,40,60 and 80% of the maximum the planet can support.


    It's low priority for now, but I am considering re-designing the population graphics to use a modular system for variation, adding color customization support to them (like the ships) and fixing the size issue you mentioned.



    Trade is planned but not added yet. Would like it to be fairly simple. There are many rare strategic and luxury resources but will only need 1 source of each to gain the benefits (like the Civilization games) If you have more than one of a resource then it can be used in trade.

    ReplyDelete
  20. Thanks for your quick reactions; I look forward to playing Galaxial!

    ReplyDelete
  21. Hey! :) I hope everything is going good both - in game development and in everyday life :)

    I am courious how You will implement research. Well, to be honest I am almost sure there will be some kind of research tree (nearly every game that have research does have one). Also I am almost sure that empires will be generating some amount of research points, as I can not think about other ways it could be implemented. But it can work in many diffrent ways - in some games (for example Distant World, Civilisation series) You select certian technology and it is researched when You accumulate needed amount of research points (they are not always named "research points", but it does not change what they are). In other games (for example Hegemonia: Legions of Iron) You first earn Research Points, and than buying aviliable technology using those research points as money. And lastly in some other games (for example Sins of Solar Empire) research points are not used to research new technology, but to decide what technology level is top limit (certian technologies need You to have 3 civilian reserch points, while others will require 5, 6, or even more). So... Which way will Galaxia go? :) Or will it be some kind of mixture? Or something completly diffrent?

    ReplyDelete
  22. Hi, It is not fully implemented yet but it will quite different.

    Research facilities can be built at colonies to generate a steady stream of "data". The research data then has to be transported by ship to your empires capital before it can be spent on new technologies and projects. Your capital planet can be moved, but is expensive.

    Not sure if the actual projects will be instant or take time to research.

    The idea behind this is so there will be some planning, logistics and ship escorting involved.

    Research data will also be used to build the very highest quality (prototype) ships and modules. So will still have a use even if you run out of technologies to research.

    Hopefully that sounds fun! Let me know if you have any suggestions. :)

    ReplyDelete
  23. Very good game, fantastic graphics <3

    ReplyDelete
  24. Oh! :) That do sounds interesting :) And I love idea behind data transporting :) Looks like player could be able to slow other empires research speed by pirating those data transports :)


    Hmm... If those data transports would be kind of rare thing (carrying lot's of data at once but not ofthen) it would be nice to have some % chances to let other empires to learn about it - it could be counted as inteligence agency's work or simple lick of informations. If it will be opposite there is no need to this, as one can litelary at any time raid few system and be sure to meet few of such transports :)

    This could be one of diffrences betwen certian empires - some will prefer sent data once but in big quantities, other will rely on many amount of transport, and another would not need to transport it at all...

    Anyways, this approach is very interesting and brings a lot's of possibilities both for game developing, and later for players :)

    Also I feel it will be great to have to use data to build prototypes and most advanced tech components :D No more sudden research stations scrapping once all tech are done :)

    ReplyDelete
  25. So we will be able to choose and desigh ships which will take a role of transports? That is cool! :)

    And out of curiosity... Will there be possible to board and steal ships from enemies? If yes, will it be possible to steal transport with data onboard? :)

    ReplyDelete
  26. Yes, you can choose. There are no restrictions on the ship types you can use.

    There will be specialized transport ships available that get bonuses to cargo capacity, but they will be more suited to transporting the 'bulk items' (ore, resources)


    The same also applies to mining. At the beginning of the game you could design a small frigate with mining laser modules for mining, until you can research the specialized mining ships.

    ReplyDelete
  27. All this sounds great! :) Once Galaxial will be ready, Sins will become obsolete :D At leas in my book ^^

    ReplyDelete
  28. Hey! I got another question ;) I know, I know - I am troublesome :P But still I will ask it anyway ;)

    How will game handle Empires inthernal politicks? To be precise - will there be any kind of goverment system to choose from? If yes, than will it be possible to change them as game goes? Or like in MoO2 it won't be possible once choosen at begining? Or maybe there will be system of goverments but it will be always set for each empire depending what nation/side/clan/faction we will be playing? :) Or maybe simple - no, politicks has been shoot dead long time ago for being useless and there is no goverment system? ;)

    ReplyDelete
  29. Hi, Thanks for asking this! Governments are not something I had really considered before. ;)



    I think it could be fairly easy to implement and would fit together well with the way factions are going to work. (cant share any specific details on this just yet)



    They would need to be fairly basic. For example each government type just having a few bonuses and disadvantages that will affect your empire. But its unlikely I will be able to add leaders or elections for them.

    ReplyDelete
  30. You are welcomed! :) Asking hard and wierd questions is my speciality (afther all I am teacher) :) So You can expect them from time to time :)

    To tell the truth I was also thinking that puting more complex things as internal elexions would be a bit too much for a game like this (I mean - it would be great, but this would also be propably very hard to add and make it working without problems, would make development a lot longer and I can bet there would be more problems, and let's face it - this game is mostly about space battles and not internal politicks). But simple bonuses to statisticks (+15% to research - 25% to production etc) would be good :)


    I must say that I am very glad that You are saying that it is possible to have :) If You will add it to game, please - do not forget that democracies do not like dictatorships etc, so they will not only have inthernal influence but also set small shadow (or light) on betwen empires relations :)

    ReplyDelete
  31. These are the government types I am considering adding so far:



    Constitutional Monarchy
    Corporate Republic

    Constitutional Republic
    Dictatorship
    Democracy
    Despotic Monarchy
    Ecotopia
    Stratocracy (military and state the same, like Sparta)
    Technocracy
    Trade Republic


    Each will have natural friends and rivals which affects relations slightly.



    I wont say the advantages/disadvantages to each at the moment as they will likely change.

    ReplyDelete
  32. Ha! :D A little inspiration from Civilisation Call to Power? :) I would say that I am missing communism ;) But man... It is a LOT of goverment types :) Lot's of chooises :D Great! :) And interesting idea to provide many forms of one type of goverment (constitutional republic - corporate republic) :) Very interesting :)

    ReplyDelete
  33. Hehe, yeah Ecotopia was "borrowed" from CTP, it was a more suitable name for the similar one I was originally thinking of. Also Corporate Republic from Robocop (OCP) :D

    Not sure about Communism, it just seems weird to include in a fictional sci-fi game for some reason because I immediately think of USSR and China...

    Could maybe rename it to "Proletariat Dictatorship" which is basically the same thing?

    ReplyDelete
  34. Haha :D Corporate Republic is also from CTP :D


    As for communism I actually was thinking not about it as exacly "Communism" but something which would be along those lines of ideology ;)


    Proletariat Dictatorship is definietly a way to go with it :) But than I would highly reccomend changing Dictatorship into Autocracy (which is also eventually the same thing) ;)

    ReplyDelete
  35. Just found a more accurate list: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Form_of_government#Forms_of_government_by_associated_attributes
    So there could be a few more changes yet...

    ReplyDelete