RKSL and ArmA2 July 2009

RKSL and ArmA2 July 2009

So much has happened recently that its stopped my blogging efforts dead in its tracks. Work has been difficult to say the least and my efforts to get a tutorial site going has taken up a lot of time. But its going to be worth all the effort in the end (we hope).

First off the question that I've been asked a lot recently, "what happened to the ArmA Impressions Blogs".

Simple answer to that is Patch 1.02. It changed so much that the blogs i had already written were pretty much obsolete. The patch didnt fix everything and according to some people its caused a few more but i didn't think it was fair to BIS to post articles about tings they've already fixed. Its taken a bit of time to go back and retest things and explore other aspects i didnt catch last time. I'm slowly catching up though and the next few articles should be ready this week so you should see more current stuff appearing soon! (ish :) )

Next major project or obstacle? aka Beginners guide to Modding.

This has become something of a crusade for me recently. Those of you that visit the BIS forums will probably know about this but for those that don't here is a short recap.

"The goal is to provide basic entry level information for new people that want to start modding."

Essentially its an open invitation to all the modders ourt there to share their expertise and help the new guys coming into the community to start modding. And to give something back for all the time they've been helped by other members of the community. A few established figures from the community have already begun to contribute. Anyone that wants to contribute is welcome to. We need as much support as we can get and ultimately this will help make the community a bit stronger by helping people get started modding.

Finally, RKSL and ArmA2

Well we're still treading carefully. Exploring the engine and trying to find its limits... and of course having some serious fun in the process. Progress is slow but steady. BIS has changed the ODOL format again so hopefully our previous issues wont re occur

I've begun porting over our existing projects. Its really just a learning process at the moment but we're learning a lot about the new engine and its capabilities. A few things have changed that mean we have some more work to do but on the whole its pretty straight forward process. Some annoying bits have popped up. The behaviour of the RPM animation source has changed which has had some unexpected effects for me. I'm now restricted with some of the planned features eg HUD information and animations I was hoping would port across form ArmA1. Hopefully we can find a way around it without resorting to scripts but you never know, scripting may be the only route left to us.

So far I've just been experimenting but in the last week I've started a concerted effort to port our major projects into the new engine. With some pretty good success:

RKSL Studios Eurofighter Typhoon FGR4

We will be releasing both the F2 and FGR4 versions. I don't plan on making a T1 twin seat at anytime so don't expect one but we will be releasing various international skins at some stage with the appropriate weapons packs too.

RKSL Studios Harrier GR7A/9/9A

Again an older model that's been ported to ArmA2 from ArmA1. I made the original model for OFP but due to work commitments and engine limits it never quite made it into public release. I've recently rebuilt the cockpit and underside for more detail and better poly flow. But it still sits comfortably below 10k faces.

I'm not a huge fan of the BIS Harrier's VTOL mode so it currently uses the X-35's VTOL setup allowing you to hover and land easily on the LHD or Carrier's deck. As with the EuroFighter the Harrier will require the UK Airweapons pack.

RE International versions. I have no plans for any other version of the Harriers at the moment since to do it accurately it would require remodelling various bits of the mesh and changing the UV layout to suit. But im not going to say I wont change my mind later if there is demand.

Please remember all shots are early WIP and there are still some obvious errors and problems to fix. Apart form the stock BIS glass RVAMT there are no materials at all anywhere on the main meshes.

And the UK Air weapons pack.

Currently the pack contains 20 weapons models and various other pylons and pods etc. The pack will serve as a common resource for all our UK aircraft.

More pictures and updates will be available soon.