SH3 Developers are Looking for Mods.

Beery · Joined: 09 Nov 2004 Posts: 2817 Location: Boston, MA, USA

The developers have sent word through the Subsim.com grapevine that they are putting the call out to the mod community for high-quality mods and 3D models for possible inclusion in a future version of the game. Here are the restrictions for 3D models:

For ships and planes, these are the restrictions:

Battleships - 35,000 poly

Destroyers - 25,000 poly

Merchants:

- 10,000 poly - small

- 15,000 poly - medium

- 20,000 poly - large

Planes - 3,500-4,000 poly

It's important that all the work should be done by the community. All submissions must be the mod-maker's own work - please do not use copyrighted work or models found on the internet. The developers will add the best models in the game and the mod-makers will be added to credits in the special thanks section. Details of where to send the mods will follow.

The developers hope that everyone will enjoy this task for the community.

iambecomelife · Joined: 11 Apr 2005 Posts: 1047

I couldn't model a 3d cube if my life depended on it; however, I HAVE been adding a lot of custom merchant skins for inclusion in the game.
The problem is that some legal issues might come up with my work. Some of the companies that I am including in my mod (Esso, Matson, P&O) are not yet defunct. My understanding is that it wouldn't be legal to release mods including such brand names without permission if one intends to make a profit from them. I guess my upcoming mod will have to stay strictly as a free, third-party addition.

Beery · Joined: 09 Nov 2004 Posts: 2817 Location: Boston, MA, USA

I urge the makers of the following mods to get these mods submitted for consideration:

Navigation Map Cleaner by Tikigod.
Realistic sun graphic mod by Gunmod.
Less visible shortcuts bar mod by TimeTraveller.
Slide-out fuel/air/battery/CO2 gauge mod by TimeTraveller.
Small moon mod by Ailantd.
New wake graphic by Ailantd.
Navigation map tools mod by Jiim.
Readable compass dial mod by Ripbud.
Detailed Bearings mod by Jace11.
Flotilla mod by me.

If anyone on the development team is reading this, I think these mods are all essential for both casual and hardcore players alike. They all make the game better for everyone. I feel it would make the game so much more playable and interesting if everyone had access to these mods. I have copies of all these mods, so if developers are interested I can send them on. I'll definitely be submitting my Flotilla mod for consideration, as it simply extends 2nd Flotilla's availability back into 1939.

iambecomelife · Joined: 11 Apr 2005 Posts: 1047

Jace11 · Joined: 16 Mar 2005 Posts: 1091

Interesting stuff.

They probably recognise how succesfull IL-2 was in incorporatimg 3rd Party work. You can't argue with that. Pacific fighters has a lot of 3rd Party stuff.

One possible problem with this is that people will do great work on things that are largely irrelevent. When you have a limited number of people who are any good at this kind of thing you can't make them work on things they don't want to. In IL-2 they had people working on Bearcats, Shooting stars, Zeros, Flying wings and god knows what other weird stuff before we got all the German and Russian Planes. Loss of direction, the need for new maps to incorporate the planes then followed.

I guess its up to the 3D people whether they make a Yamato a Gato or a Deustchland first. I know which I'd prefer.

Beery · Joined: 09 Nov 2004 Posts: 2817 Location: Boston, MA, USA

Beery · Joined: 09 Nov 2004 Posts: 2817 Location: Boston, MA, USA

Nilas · Joined: 03 Apr 2005 Posts: 115

Jace11 · Joined: 16 Mar 2005 Posts: 1091

Hey, do you think this means that they plan on a long term series of patches like in Il-2. It would be pretty suspect if the community made 10 ships and the devs put them on an expansion disc. That may create problems. The only real way the could do this is by long term patch support? Anyone know?

Sulikate · Joined: 29 May 2004 Posts: 610 Location: Goiania, Brazil

I think I'm in. It would be nice if the devs could specify better what models they need, but I'll attend the call whenever it comes, and model the future of SHIII! Argh

(or IV)

Beery · Joined: 09 Nov 2004 Posts: 2817 Location: Boston, MA, USA

darkdrone · Posted: Wed May 04, 2005 9:12 pm Post subject:

while making skins. mods etc can be fun and rewarding. laying down nearly 800 dollars (australian) for 3dsmax6 and then learing how to use it:huh: ,i know my pay check isn't that big, unless there intending to release some sort of freeware/shareware to the moddellers?

gonzman · Posted: Wed May 04, 2005 11:09 pm Post subject:

The more goodies sent in the merrier for us!

And for the devs, considering that's less work they have to do !

LukeFF · Posted: Thu May 05, 2005 1:50 am Post subject:

gouldjg · Joined: 17 Mar 2005 Posts: 959 Location: Manchester UK