User blog:C3PO the Dragon Slayer/Avian Hunt: November 23, 2007

November 23, 2007
It is now time to post the first screenshots of the raw Avian Hunt models. Though I have several others, today I'll showcase my three favorite designs.

The models are made in a 3D modeler called "Blender." This is a free-for-download tool that is very useful for creating 3D models of things you might want in Game Maker. It is capable of exporting Wavefront files, which are converted into Game Maker models by GM MODEL PLUGIN 1.0. I have not added textures to the models yet, so please pardon the general grayness of the models. Using a combination of UV mappers and Model Painter from Yoyogames, I will make detailed textures for the models, which will then look very realistic for a Game Maker program.

The first model I'd like to share is the YT-1300.



This ship is the kind the Millennium Falcon is created as. You'll notice that the finer details, such as the radar dish, the sensor array, etc. are not on the model. This is because in Avian Hunt, these are optional items that can be purchased to customize a ship. They are added on to the model in-game, and only if you buy the items. The 1337 N00B5 steal a large collection of these ships from a Coruscant-based factory and refurbish them to use the YT-1300's cargo holds to carry a large armament of proton torpedoes.

The second model is the familiar Jedi Interceptor from Revenge of the Sith.



This ship is used in great multitudes by the 1337 N00B5. Fast, agile, and capable of taking stands against ships large and small, the Eta-2 is a balanced craft that is useful in many ways. No wonder the Jedi liked them! Several different textures will be made for the Eta-2 to show the various color schemes that are seen throughout the movie. Changing the color scheme will likely be an optional feature in Avian Hunt to further customize units.

To offer some insight as to the role this ship will have in the game, I'll tell you right up front. Unlike most games, the Eta-2's role is the same as its role in G-canon. It is equipped with laser cannons of moderate intensity and ion cannons for disabling shields on large ships. It is fast as an interceptor and able to easily evade turbolaser fire. It has a large store of "boost," which allows it to barrel roll for a long time and while doing so deflect laserfire (kudos to Star Fox for that idea) and confuse missiles (G-canon). Stripped of all items save the astromech, the Eta-2 is the fastest, most maneuverable ship in the game. Careful, though; it has a very limited hull strength.

The third model I'll present is familiar to those who played The Clone Wars and Battlefront. It also appears in some Clone Wars cartoons, though I haven't watched them.

Yes, that's right, it's a tank. Tanks are playable in Avian Hunt. The TX-130 tank is seen in the Republic, the Empire, and the 1337 N00B5 forces. It is a well-balanced fighter tank, with a large payload of concussion missiles, medium laser cannons, and speed so great it might as well be an aircraft. The Confederacy of Independent Systems was so jealous of this tank that they made their own cheap copy called the Ground Armored Tank (GAT). The GAT will also appear in Avian Hunt.