Flying Samurai - free project seeks help (includes video)

[JanBenes]

Hi,
me and 3 other programmers have been working on a (free and probably to be open-sourced when done) WW1 flight simulator for about a year now and are seeking help with some non-programming aspects of the game.

First of all, you might see a video and a few screenshots of the game at FLYING SAMURAI project. The game is due in April (university project, that's why there's a deadline), if not accepted by the uni, the second try will be 3 months later.

The game is aimed towards realism, and while it's not and probably never will be really realistic, it's definitely not meant to be an arcade game. Currently, it contains career mode and single player mode and 5 mission types (ace dogfight, patrol the front, escort & raid bombarders, squadron dogfight; no further mission types are currently planned). The career mode is almost fully configurable... squadrons, airfields, nations, sides (Allied vs. Entente), pilots, airplanes, map, front, awards, ranks... all of that is configurable, and where it makes sense, a time dependency has been introduced (pilots get assigned to different squadrons, airfields may change locations, front might move; although, currently, pilots only have one default airplane for the whole war). We're currently working on AI and a network mode (LAN, but will try our best to make it fast enough for the Internet), also working on improving and finishing other aspects (menu, career, graphics, etc.). There is joystick support and there's is a huge, continuous, terrain (500x400 km)

We are seeking the following:

1. flight model testers - we've developed a physics model, but some of it's parameters need to be hand tweaked. Since none of us has ever really played any hard-core simulations, we don't know how the airplanes should really feel. About 5-6 parameters for each airplane (!) need to be tweaked. Other feedback possible, but the guy who wrote the physics module is busy working on AI now, so there are chances we won't be able to make any major changes.
2. historians - we need to fill the database with information; the database is currently in XML, meaning you'll be working in a text editor, no specialized editor ready; examples for all possible data inputs will be ready, so you can copy/paste and just adjust what's wrong. Basic knowledge of databases welcome (entities (airplanes, pilots, etc.) are indexed, you'll need to cross reference, ie. pilot 11 flew airplane 25 etc.). We'd like to find somebody who'd like to define the airplanes (might configure all the airplanes that existed, those without a 3d model just won't be in the game, but if the model gets added later, it will work "out of the box"), pilots (same), squadrons & airfields (including positions, or a good guess), front positions, awards (including criteria), ranks (including criteria).
   
3. blueprints research - we're seeking a few blueprints for modeling, especially bombarders (we have more fighter blueprints than we will have models; can provide a list of intended bombers)
4. pictures & photos - again, for easier modeling, pictures of airplanes or their models (!) would be helpful (can provide a list)
   
5. texture artists & 3d modelers - don't think I'll find anyone here, but check the website or ask here or on the e-mail, we could really use some help with this!
   
6. beta testers - for beta testing, doesn't mean playing, might be tedious and boring, need to fill out reports, might need you to check certain features on request, etc.

Also, we won't have time to implement any feature requests - the schedule is tight; but you might still post them, we'll put them in our TODO list and somebody might take a look at that at some point in the future.

The possible problems are: 90% sure no rivers; physics engine untested by anyone outside the current team; no landings/take offs (they are there, but don't feel real and too little time to fix that).

We welcome anybody who is willing to put in some work; don't be afraid to ask if not sure; opinions welcome

thanks and hope to hear from you soon, Jan

[LewisS]

What makes you so sure there isn't any 3D artists here? or FM experts?

[JanBenes]

Hey Is there more where that came from?

[LewisS]

Sure, but I gotta warn you, a lot of it is prewar, experimental, and early war stuff.

[JanBenes]

Interested in the early war stuff mainly (or anything that actually flew in the war; no harm in integrating all of them, but not gun => less fun); would you be willing to adapt it to our specs, namely segment the ailerons, propellers, rudders etc. and define their axes? I assume the unwraps and textures are ready, since you've got it textured already. What software are you working in (is it Blender?)? Also, how many triangles per model are we looking at? Thanks, anxiously awaiting your answer !

[Chock]

Yup, you'll probably be surprised how many 3D modelers there are on this forum.



That's a DH4, in suitable format for FS9 at the moment, still currently in the process of being built, but let me know if that is any use to you.

Al

[JanBenes]

Hi,
I'd need to see a bit more, a good guide line is ~4000 triangles (say how many you've got). Other than that, yes, we'd be interested! Could you post some more pictures?

PS: I will be offline until Monday

[LewisS]

As a guideline most of my unanimated FMS models run any where from 1200 to 5000 polys, I generally don't triangulate the polys if I'm importing to directX .X format. Of course I do animate the TW models and they get considerably more interior details. I have to wonder though why do you create damage polys when alpha overlay mapping can be swapped in?