SJB Weapons Pack

[Zadoff1880 0]

Any chance that you could tell something about ur addonmaing plans AFTER the SMG pack is done?

Or it's classified info?..

[Jackal326 1158]

I'll continue work on the other weapon packs (most likely the Pistol pack will be first, as I've already made progress on a few of the pistols). Then it'll be the Assault Rifle pack and/or the sniper-rifle pack.

[PSYCHOSIM 0]

Sounds good, how's the SMG pack progressing, sounded like your just top and tailing it from your previous comments?

[Jackal326 1158]

Sounds good, how's the SMG pack progressing, sounded like your just top and tailing it from your previous comments?

Still mainly just the inventory images that need doing, but I'm working through them. Real-life is causing most of my projects to take a back seat, but hopefully this weekend I'll have more time to put some work into rounding the pack off (thats NOT[/i] a release date).

[Zadoff1880 0]

I'll continue work on the other weapon packs (most likely the Pistol pack will be first, as I've already made progress on a few of the pistols). Then it'll be the Assault Rifle pack and/or the sniper-rifle pack.

Ok, that's a good news. Best wishes to you.

[PSYCHOSIM 0]

Don't worry mate, I wasn't pressuring for a release date, just looking forward to your packs!

Good things come to those that wait as they say.......

Keep up the good work.

[Jackal326 1158]

Just a quick update on the REDUX Mercenaries:

CLICKETH MOI

Anyway, the SMG Pack should hopefully go out to my BETA testers tomorrow or monday. It'll be a private BETA, and no I don't need anymore testers thanks Just to let you guys know where things stand, and to give you a quick preview of the updated Team-Leader and the Grenaider (minus the stupid Nam era helmet and Lucky Strikes BIS gave him originally).

[Jackal326 1158]

Another update on the Mercs.

Click me.

I only have the sniper left to make-up, I'm still undecided as to whether or not I should keep the cowboy hat. I like it, but I think its a touch unrealistic

Anyway, the beta of the SMG Pack is going well, just a few issues need resolving and the remainder of the inventory images need creating (the most painstaking procudure ever, its worse than coding).

[sv5000 127]

Hey, they look cool

[CameronMcDonald 146]

Excellent - can't wait to get a look at these subbies.

[PSYCHOSIM 0]

Wow, great mercs.........

And with the SMGs being beta tested my anticipation grows.

[Zadoff1880 0]

I know you want to save some VRAM, and try not to use too many textures for one model, but... r u sure that it was a good idea to add foldable stocks from MP-5 to your HK-53?..

[Shadow NX 1]

Love the mercs but how big are the chances that they will also be released with the original heads?

I guess rather small, would have been a nice idea to have these replacing the QG mercs and replay the campaign with these more realistic guys.

At least the Tom head model would be neat to have a bearded guy that would fit well to the contractors idea.

[Commando84 0]

love the mercs, i have a few sugestions, could you maybe add a merc medic and a merc AT trooper and they would be almost complete.

[Blackbuck 9]

I know you want to save some VRAM, and try not to use too many textures for one model, but... r u sure that it was a good idea to add foldable stocks from MP-5 to your HK-53?..

Huh? The HK53 uses the telescoping stock of the MP-5 IIRC And knowing jackal the textures should be the same colour and scaling so why should that be a problem.

With regards to the mercenaries I think he is doing them but I'm not sure.

[Jackal326 1158]

The HK53 uses the majority of the textures from the MP5 anyway (well, as they're all one texture, there we go).

As for the Mercs, I only plan to include units inline with those included in Queen's Gambit (i.e. Sniper, Team-Leader, Repairer, Engineer/Demolitions, Machinegunner etc) - basically, the only other unit I plan to include is the ones pictured in my last post, plus a sniper which I haven't got around to sorting out yet. Also in regard to the Mercs, I don't plan to include the units with the "special" Merc heads, only with the default "osobnost" heads, which is how the original units started out.

[Zadoff1880 0]

I know you want to save some VRAM, and try not to use too many textures for one model, but... r u sure that it was a good idea to add foldable stocks from MP-5 to your HK-53?..

Huh? The HK53 uses the telescoping stock of the MP-5 IIRC And knowing jackal the textures should be the same colour and scaling so why should that be a problem.

Well, yes, in real life, but the CS model that was imported had a different foldable stock, and the one added from some Mp-5 looks a bit shorter... It's ok, not that much of a problem.

& you might want to have a look at the RH's thread where he had shown a WIP pic of the Hk53 with a foldable stock (& without any major alterations). BTW, I know that many players (including myself) experience some slowdowns when using RHS HInds (that have many-many textures), but what happens when you use a firearm with tons of texutres? Will it affect the performance, I wonder?

[CameronMcDonald 146]

Is that a rhetorical question?

Seeing as Sam was one of the first to work with the VRAM-saving method of combining textures, naturally I think we'll see his SMGs optimised very nicely... talking 1 - 3 textures per weapon, perhaps an extra one or two for the optics if needed.

[Zadoff1880 0]

Is that a rhetorical question? No, not really.

It's a difficult question, actually. From the point of view of French deconstructive criticism any question can be rhetorical

I am too damn lazy/buzy to install the O2 to examine RH's handguns, but somethin' tells me that his weapons are not optimized, and they don't affect the performance, at least I haven't noticed anything serious.

[Blackbuck 9]

Smaller amount of frames is my best guess and I haven't modeled for months.

[Jackal326 1158]

I can't comment on the perfomrance issues surrounding RobertHammer's sidearms, as I haven't got around to installing them yet (he's apparently releasing a new version today which I'll be sure to grab). As far as I know, the performance issues some people have reported COULD be related to the use of a lot of textures, it COULD be because they're high-poly, I simply don't know enough to comment.

On the flips-side, a few of my testers have less-powerful computers than myself, not necessarily what I would call low-end specifications, but they aren't on par with my rig; Regardless, they haven't reported anything in the way of FPS loss. This COULD be because I have optimised the models (removed hidden faces, used correct smooth/sharp edges which apparently helps rendering etc.), and/or it COULD be because I have merged the majority of the used textures on a per-weapon basis into one or two larger textures instead of eight or nine smaller textures, which can, as previously mentioned, improve performance.

There will be only one way to find out, and that will be to release the pack and get a more general feedback. This is still a way off, so don't be getting your hopes up. A few issues have arrisen with some of the models, and I'll be addressing them in due course.

[CameronMcDonald 146]

I've taken a squiz into Robert's PBO, and the texturing is fine (well, as far as I can see), for example, the Deagle uses 2 colour textures (and related _nohq/_as textures), so it might have something to do with the models. But anyway, I digress.

On a more personal note, how come I missed out on the beta, Jackal?

[honchoblack 2]

The Mercs look very good, looking forward to them.  I am also delighted that you will be using the default "osobnost" heads, since it will make them more universal useable.  

[Jackal326 1158]

@CameronMcDonald: Sorry mate, kept the BETA to 4 or 5 people, purely for size reasons (its large ~250mb even after Binarizing and compression to .CAB format). Had it been smaller, my testing group would have been much larger (including you I imagine ).

On a side note, just found an awesome model by Hav0c of an AWP/AWM/L96/I am not sure on its designation because it has about 50 different ones. The textures are by Racer445, and I just got done optimising the model and merging the textures onto one larger file. Anyway, just a wuick screenshot of progress and to show-off the awesome looking honeycomb lens shroud I took ages to get looking right:

CLICK ME FOR LARGER IMAGE

[sv5000 127]

Nice looking boomstick. Any chance of a version with a bit of cam work to the stock etc?