Small team big game

[pervert]

Why does HTC allow people to skin for them and not do things like 3D modelling to be included in the game? Not that I don't apprecate the work HTC do but it seems to be an impossible task to update all the planes plus add new planes etc and the team is very small.

I don't do it myself but surely theres people who play this game who have are talented enough to design a 3d model that fits a strict criteria laid down by HTC that is worthy of being included in the game?

[Skuzzy]

The amount of time it would take to verify a model makes it prohibitive for them to be done outside of HTC.  There is lot more to it and just making a 3D shape.

[Krusty]

Doesn't the software suite you use to build the 3D models in their entirety run many thousands of dollars?

[Skuzzy]

I have no idea what the cost is, but it is up there.

[guncrasher]

can we at least model the sheep?  shouldnt be too hard to verify.

semp

[Shuffler]

$14.95

[Volron]

My estimation on the price of the software used by HTC would be around the 8k margin.

[Krusty]

They came out and said it once or twice, on one of the many times this has come up. It's not 3DS Max or something consumer-level. It's professional level software.

[ImADot]

And does it really matter how much the design software costs? HTC already said it would take as much time (if not more) to check people's work than to just do it all themselves to begin with.

Players can already create terrains, terrain objects, skins, sounds...leave the actual vehicle/plane modelling in-house.

[ink]

modeling is extremely time consuming and a Big PITA, I have done a lot of it with Blender which is a awesome free program that you can do everything from start to finish..even to the animating ..but man it is a frustrating endeavor....making a skin is one thing, but to model something....whole different story.

I want to get out of tattooing and do 3D modeling, been working towards that goal, but sometimes it is just so frustrating...hell just trying to UV map something is a lesson in patience 

[nrshida]

Skuzzy, if you issued a set of strict instructions and requirements it might be a way to tap into an enthusiastic pool of creative people who essentially contribute their time and energy for free. I was on the point of volunteering to have a bash at the Westland Whirlwind actually. I use Solidworks myself, but have no idea what scale you fellows use and what your requirements are. I assume you use a set of STL models for each aircraft?

I appreciate the idea of allowing customers to contribute models opens the Pandora's box of: 'I made a Grumman F8F Bearcat model, and HTC won't approve it' sort of thing. But you do set the requirements for and approve skins already, so you could easily retain control of game content.

[pervert]

Very true shida, people like greebo and recently cactus are top notch skinners, would never have them if they weren't given the avenue to show their work.

[Skyguns MKII]

i kinda agree. Hitech has a lot on there hands and could use more helpers...

[nrshida]

Well look at the controversy over the recent pole, where the Meteor is obviously going to win  It is true that there are a lot of holes in the plane set and probably more deserving additions to be added first (and of course HTC might be doing that without telling). Ideally the Early, Mid War and AvA arenas should all be as populated as the Late War arenas, all the time, and scenarios would be all the more richer without the substitute aircraft. We can all probably rattle off a dozen aircraft which AH should really have already, the He111, The Ki-43, etc. etc. That whole lot would have to be worked through even before we could consider some of the rarer and yet still interesting aircraft, small numbers fielded, all of the combatant countries represented etc.

It is painfully slow process however, people get frustrated waiting over ten years for their favourites and the whole community is bickering over what should be added next, competing for a finite resource. As far as I know player contributions have never so far extended beyond Skins and Soundpacks.

There is a huge fan base here who want these planes and more than willing to do as much research and gather all of the information and photographs necessary, even going to any museum in the world and taking the time to make detailed shots, ask questions, gather documents and so forth. Creative aircraft fans, sticklers for the minutest detail, painstaking researchers and people who would voluntarily donate many hours of careful work for free to make the whole game richer for everyone.

Speaking personally for instance, I would much rather spend my hours making the 3d models for an Aces High version of the Westland Whirlwind (for example) than building a super detailed plastic scale model of the same (and I have considered doing that). It'd still be an enjoyable creative process, would be more useful to me because I'd one day get to fly the simulated version in this great game and finally it would be more useful to other players who could use it too.

Presuming HTC has no objection to having an even richer plane set, why not discuss possibilities to tap into this huge resource?

[guncrasher]

if anybody has the 8k bucks to buy the software, perhaps they should contact ah and try to get a job.

semp