It's a 2d game with 3d space somewhat (the geometry is 3d in a way), but it's sprite-based so yeah.

I'm not a very skilled modeler, if I attempt any kind of mechanical units for this it will be my first time trying it.

alffla

Hong Kong20321 Posts

June 01 2010 03:43 GMT

#22

holy shit this is crazy insne long and detailed lol

mad props althuogh im not a modder D:

IskatuMesk

Canada969 Posts

June 01 2010 09:33 GMT

#23

I realize modders are a extremely tiny minority (not just on TL, but everywhere, we're a dying breed mang), but hopefully should be interesting anyway.

IskatuMesk

Canada969 Posts

June 02 2010 00:32 GMT

#24

Out of curiosity, is there any other specific subjects you guys might be interested in?

I am writing out the GEC for a potential Starcraft 2 project (should the editor get fixed) which touches a lot on specific game design methodology I use, would you be interested in that as well?

Symmetry

Canada294 Posts

June 02 2010 00:35 GMT

#25

I'm interested in pretty damn well anything you write

IskatuMesk

Canada969 Posts

June 04 2010 00:20 GMT

#26

Have you guys had a chance to read the article? Any comments or criticism, perhaps?

bmml

United Kingdom962 Posts

June 04 2010 00:29 GMT

#27

Holy shit, I cannot wait till I have enough time to read all this.

d3_crescentia

United States4054 Posts

June 04 2010 02:03 GMT

#28

I was a dabbler - did some custom mapmaking/campaigns and played with Arsenal when I saw what cool things other people were doing, though thankfully I was never the type to barge into forums and blow a lot of wind about my current mod project. I had some ideas for a mod a long time ago, but I never acted upon it since I didn't have the dedication or self-discipline to create something I know I could feel good about.

On June 01 2010 18:33 IskatuMesk wrote:
I realize modders are a extremely tiny minority (not just on TL, but everywhere, we're a dying breed mang), but hopefully should be interesting anyway.

As you said in the beginning - modding takes a LOT of time and knowledge, and since it's usually a one-man job it's pretty taxing. If you don't have the passion and discipline to do make a solid mod then obviously there won't be very many modders. =/

ieatkids5

United States4628 Posts

June 04 2010 02:12 GMT

#29

i have no experience whatsoever in this field, but i'm so glad you wrote this epic guide. it caught my eye and i got more and more interested as i kept reading. really really cool stuff.

IskatuMesk

Canada969 Posts

June 04 2010 06:14 GMT

#30

d3>

What also contributes to the death of modding is that mapping is much more inviting now than it was when I started. Hardly any people in Warcraft 3 even know what a mod really is, they are under the impression that maps are mods because they don't have anything else to go by except for stray projects, the majority of which have never been finished (Heart of Storms, Dawn of Chaos, both really promising if they ever got finished...)

With Starcraft 2 that gap is going to be even bigger.

But all that really means now is that this information can instead be applied to mapping, campaign, and game design projects in general.

Luddite

United States2315 Posts

June 04 2010 07:14 GMT

#31

Why do you bother putting so much work into these projects when you're not getting paid and very few people are going to play them? to be honest they just look like you found a way to hack the starcraft code and force in some graphics that don't belong there at all. What about trying to make an original game, so that you wouldn't be limited in what you can do?

IskatuMesk

Canada969 Posts

June 04 2010 08:01 GMT

#32

I have no desire to ever work in commercial projects of any kind. Nor do I care about popularity or fame. I mod only for myself, and all projects future will be private.

Also, being able to mod in no way prepares you to make your own game in any way skill-wise. You need mastery of programming to even begin to attempt that, not to mention a very strong grasp of 3d modeling, where my 3d skills are rudimentary at best.

Starcraft is not the only game I've modded (and I'm retired from it, since 2008), I go where ever the wind takes me, and it won't be to the industry.

Understand that my life is totally different from yours. I do not work or go to school or anything of the sort. This is my life. I do what I do to enjoy the passage of time, little more.

Islandsnake

United States679 Posts

June 04 2010 10:58 GMT

#33

Its a shame any future projects of yours will be private =/

I enjoyed reading this, and as always would be interested in anything else you wanted to write/contribute.

Geez some of those starcraft models look really impressive. The only Mod I ever played was STF back in the day, it was pretty fun! I miss those days

Seems like you have alot to say about sound and music, I enjoyed those parts the most ;D

sob3k

United States7572 Posts

June 04 2010 11:16 GMT

#34

If you could somehow manage to make a sound pack for SC2 that actually sounded professional that would be really amazing....you seem quite capable in the audio design department. Not sure if blizzard will ever allow such a thing, but if you could sneak it in somehow....

current sc2 sounds are downright shameful, I bet 50+% of users would be interested in running a decent replacement pack.

IskatuMesk

Canada969 Posts

June 04 2010 12:07 GMT

#35

I was considering getting some of the guys together and doing a Protoss pack at the least. It wouldn't be too hard for me to make some zerg sounds and use some sounds from other games and my library of commercial junk to mix something together. I'll consider it for a future project perhaps, but not for a while yet as I am just too busy right now.

Thrill

2599 Posts

June 04 2010 12:31 GMT

#36

Modding = physical PC modifications in my world ;D

IskatuMesk

Canada969 Posts

June 04 2010 12:33 GMT

#37

On June 04 2010 21:31 Thrill wrote:
Modding = physical PC modifications in my world ;D

I imagine you mean stuff like custom heatsinks and such for GPU's, right? Yeah, I do a bit of that. Not so hardcore as most individuals would, though.

Xeofreestyler

Belgium6775 Posts

June 04 2010 12:50 GMT

#38

I believe creativity to be the talent that lets one deconstruct existing structures of information and rearrange them into new meaningful structures, something that can be applied to an infinite number of cases, but the method is of course strictly personal for everyone

What I'm trying to say is: you're a cool dude in my book

myopia

United States2928 Posts

June 04 2010 20:22 GMT

#39

We need people like you making our SC2 custom games // mods. Don't quit // die on us.

Grend

1600 Posts

June 05 2010 18:00 GMT

#40

Hi there Iskatu, nice writeup.
I`m a fellow modder, and have been doing quite alot of sprite work recently. I have done quite a few complete reworks of sprites by redrawing them by hand. This is quite time consuming, but I like the process as it appeals to my taste of playing around with bits.
Some examples:
Steam Punk version of Axis and Allies:

Cold One Rider from Warhammer

I notice that you apparently mostly make 3d models and then animate them, and then you make them into sprites? If so, what kind of a set up do you use to make this process as effective as possible?

What is your current project/projects?