Graphical improvement mods?

[Dauvin]

I've already done a few searches on this, and havent found anything useful, so I thought I'd ask.

Are there any mods out there that improve the qualitiy of the graphics out there? Like how when you're viewing a ship, and as you get farther away, the model gets simpler and simpler? Something to stop that, or is what im talking about not possible due to engine issues?

Also, while browsing around, I found a few 'alternative' space rts games mentioned, namely Project Earth, Eve, and ORB. Are there any others? You can play thru HW and Cata only so many times before, well, it gets kinda boring.

[CruiserCarrier]

Yeah, I have to agree. Cata is actually more enjoyable for me (please, spare me) simply because of time compression. HW BADLY tests my patience. The interface is also slightly more sloppy compared to Barking Dog's version. However, bugs are apparant in numerous occasions. That's probably the biggest drawback. HW had its share of bugs too, but they weren't this numerous or bad.

It's insane the amount of upgrade notices you get after subduing the Raider Outpost. How the heck a bug THAT massive got into the final product I wouldn't know.

As for graphics, I don't think any upgrade the textures or models. However, I have heard of some scale mod, but I doubt that's what you're looking for. If you want some sort of texture pack (like in Blue Shift), there isn't one. However, it would be a good addition for the community, Relic.

*Hint, hint*

[JargonFilter]

yes it would, and while they are at it, they could add pixel and vertex shaders and give us better backgrounds. oh heck, just give us hw on the hw2 engine . no, just give us HW2 .

--pimpster

[ÜberJumper]

I'd rather have Relic work on HW2 than put out an enhanced textures pack for HW.

Oh, on a side note, you should be able to turn off the LOD scaling that happens by clicking the "Full Detail" Checkbox... I'm pretty sure that disables the LODing of the models (and is a big performance hit on slower systems).

All in all, I find that HW stands up pretty nicely when running at 12x10 or higher with Anti-Aliasing on. Damn pretty game even after 3 years.

[Koloth]

Actually, from my experience, clicking the full detail option will not fully disable the LOD system. It is fairly easy given time, Big viewer, and notepad to edit the proper files to completly disable LOD. The first step is to open the homeworld.big file in Big viewer and extract all of the .lod files from p1, p2, p3, r1, r2, derelicts, traders, and resources folders. Then open up each file. They will contain a series of lines such as:
pMeshFile2 missile\Rl0\LOD2\missile.geo
you want to change that line so that it says this instead:
pMeshFile2 missile\Rl0\LOD0\missile.geo
[bold added to emphasize the change]
If you complete this change for each line n each of the LOD files, then LOD will be disabled for all of the objects in the game. This process is a royal pain. If I had somewhere to upload files, I could post the files already edited so that all that would need to be done is to extract the files into the Homeworld directory.

Hope this was at least theoretically helpful.

~Koloth

[Earth-Command]

To be honest I would love to see a pack released with better graphics for HW.

It ain't gonna happen, but it would still be nice.

[CruiserCarrier]

If indeed such a pack would be done, it should also include some bug fixes and other additions. What was that kind of stuff called again? Starts with a "p" I think.

Also, Epic is releasing several 100MB expansion packs for UT2003, I don't see why more companies are doing this. Heck, I wouldn't complain about that

BTW, if such a pack is done, Cata should get one too to be fair Then again, their bug fixes would need more work:P

[Ash]

anisotropic filtering does wonders for homeworld, especially at higher resolutions

[Fox McCloud]

Im suprised no on has already done it, i mean many other games someone releases a mod with just graphic improvements, like on ships and textures. Weird

[JargonFilter]

yeah, like counter-strike's fusion pack mod. greatly improves the graphics, especially on the guns. The guns on the fusion pack mod i have are more detailed than any game out there right now. and believe it or not, when i am running the fusion pack, i have to lower the res to 800x600 or 1024x768. and usually i can run any half-life game completely maxed out on my comp (no, that isn't surprising is it?). shows you how much detail they packed into it, no?

anyways, if any modder out there could create a hw graphics enhancement pack that would be great.

--pimpster

[Fox McCloud]

I have fusion, or had since they started charging, and i had mine at 1280x968 i think it was and it was fine. But yes, there are so many changes to the guns by people and so many packs, yet for homeworld all you seem to get is mod from different universes or changing it completly, not actually improving the game models itself :/ I mean you can do hte textures, ive seen B5 models with very nice and fine textures, good enough to see the plates ! whereas the HW textures are dated and pixelated. Some modder could easily remake a ship, and redo textures, cant be too hard if theyre making blooming omegas with rotating sections for B5.

Anywho

[TON_Viper]

Well, what would be the motivation? I mean, you haven't seen anyone improve the original Half-Life models either, besides Gearbox software, who were making them anyway for Blue Shift.

Whereas the models for various mods get improved from time to time on a more or less regular basis...

[SvK]

Well, SW:NR's improvements are getting irregular.

[No Surrender]

You know what would be the best graphics improvement? build all the 'Shan and 'Dan (hey, that rhymes) ships, take photos of their hulls and turn'em into textures!!!!

[Bertrum]

Originally posted by No Surrender
You know what would be the best graphics improvement? build all the 'Shan and 'Dan (hey, that rhymes) ships, take photos of their hulls and turn'em into textures!!!!

homeworld: max payne? :dolt:

[Fox McCloud]

What >? ??

Wher you get max payne from using screenshots to make a texture ? Actually not a bad idea as you could touch them up, make it flat and apply as texture lol.

[The5thElephant]

Just wait for HW2 people. I bet the textures on the ships are gonna be bump mapped and reflection mapped and this mapped and that mapped and its gonna be pretty as friggin hell. But they better make some cool explosions. I got tired of HW explosions even though they were better than many game explosions (ORB has the same damn explosions every time aarrgghhhh).

[JamesX]

I think they should release HW1 with the HW2 Engine. Even if it is re-released as a $30 expansion for HW2, I would still put down money to buy it.

[JargonFilter]

amen to that

[Cleron]

I was working on some thing like that not to long back i still got it on my comp all ships Smoothed to the second load a few weapons tweaks aka more like cat longer thiner beams with fire effects like in cat revised weapons for the P2 race fixed a few bugz altered a few stats aka Cloak fighter build time Jeez 45 seconds i may as well build a heavy or multi vett etc aint half finished probably never will, too little intres and theres still a heapof work to do and in the end ?? its not that big of a diffrence.... ohh complet smoothing on some ships witht he right colours look great wrong colour makes some of em seam too smooth.

[ÜberJumper]

Holy cut down on the sugar there Cleron!

Try that again with some proper punctuation eh.

[Cleron]

You try writing at 4 am in the moring :P

[TON_Viper]

10 to 1 that the first few months after the release of HW2 will see a more or less complete mod featuring the original HW ships (Assuming the formats aren't too different and that HW2 is as moddable as they're promising).

[Mr Tyranny]

10 to 1 that the first few months after the release of HW2 will see a more or less complete mod featuring the original HW ships

It's a possibility.

[JargonFilter]

it better be a good one...

--pimpster