RELEASE: Relive the Glory Days with New Autopilot Feature

Tolwyn · 03-01-2007, 12:16

The Wing Commander Saga team is happy to announce a breakthrough. We have finally found a way to implement Wing Commander-style autopilot sequences in Saga. Gone are the days of long, time-accelerated trips. Now, Saga has the ability to offer the flyby sequences that were a central part of the Wing Commander ethos, offering a much shorter wait time between nav points and also a cinematic flair that has always been a trademark of Wing Commander.

We have decided to make something special to showcase this new feature. We have created a loose remake of the first two missions in Wing Commander 3. Our demo package features the original voice-overs of Mark Hamil, Jason Bernard, and the other classic WC3 actors who were highlighted in the first two missions. Briefing and launch sequences are also included. You can grab the package here.

To install the WC 3 Autopilot Tech demo, unrar the file into the Prologue folder. Then, from within the game, go to the campaign select screen, select Autopilot Tech Demo, and then start the campaign by hitting the continue button.

We have also put together a video clip showcasing the new flyby sequence. You can get it here.

mustanger · 03-01-2007, 12:36

I've been loosely playing with the FRED program, and am wondering if this will be hard to implement in custom missions (I assume it is somehow scripted for each autopilot trip), and also if you will release the scripting so that fan made projects can take advantage of the quick autopilot?

Thanks for your hard work on the mod, it rocks.

Tolwyn · 03-01-2007, 12:49

Well, the amount of scripting depends on the number of ships involved. I'll release a tutorial how to implement the autopilot in not so distant future. I hope, that we'll be able to implement a few additional scripts, that will make the whole process a bit easier.

For a quick mission, you can simply take one of mine Wing Commander 3 missions and modify them. As long as you stick with two ships, there is no need to modify autopilot scripts.

Stone48420 · 03-01-2007, 16:29

Very cool stuff it looks as close to wing commander 3 as possible without actually playing wing 3. Any chance on seeing some of those other models you guys made in game. Like the morningstar,rapier, any of them just kinda want to see more fighters in there. Maybe we could get another peak at that confederation dreadnought ya got hidden some where.

Vinman · 03-01-2007, 17:04

Quote:

Originally Posted by Stone48420

Very cool stuff it looks as close to wing commander 3 as possible without actually playing wing 3. Any chance on seeing some of those other models you guys made in game. Like the morningstar,rapier, any of them just kinda want to see more fighters in there. Maybe we could get another peak at that confederation dreadnought ya got hidden some where.

Confed Dreadnought? Do you mean TCS Kennedy, or did I miss something? I'm hoping its the latter!

This is great news, I mean, I could deal with the prologue autopilot system, but anything that brings the game closer to the standard Wing Commander experience will be good to see.

Thanks for keeping the file size down to a manageable level. Is this roughly the size of future episodes?

Sphynx · 03-01-2007, 17:09

Oh, this isn't actually an episode, just something we put together for fun. The full game will not have an episodic release, but will include the whole full campaign.

As far as seeing other ships, you'll see. Just give it some time.

Vinman · 03-01-2007, 17:39

Quote:

Originally Posted by Sphynx

Oh, this isn't actually an episode, just something we put together for fun. The full game will not have an episodic release, but will include the whole full campaign.

As far as seeing other ships, you'll see. Just give it some time.

Oh, neat! How big is the final download going to be, around a gigabyte?

Sphynx · 03-01-2007, 18:27

Probably.

Howard Day · 03-01-2007, 19:40

There are only two things that bug me. And they're pretty minor. The first is the direction - All the autopilot scenes I remember from the original WCs go from left to right, not right to left. I've probably forgotten some autopilot sequences, but I definately remember the majority of them facing the other way.
The other bothersome thing is the lack of a flyby sound - something else all the other flybys had. The ships just have this sort of generic rumble that plays the whole way through. I kept feeling like I was missing something important.
Still, Great work, and I'm glad you got it working!

Tolwyn · 03-01-2007, 22:28

Quote:

Originally Posted by Howard Day

The other bothersome thing is the lack of a flyby sound - something else all the other flybys had. The ships just have this sort of generic rumble that plays the whole way through. I kept feeling like I was missing something important.

It is possible to play a sounds, we are yet to include it into the game though

Quote:

Thanks for keeping the file size down to a manageable level. Is this roughly the size of future episodes?

Yeah, I put these two missions together for fun, while working on Hermes missions

The final release will be probably around 1 GB, it is difficult to say at the moment, as none of the movies and only part of the voice acting is included. Right now, the download size is around 450 mb.

Chicken · 03-01-2007, 22:48

I'm impressed with autopilot flyby.

First off as Howard pointed out, it's missing the classic flyby sound. Secondly, I almost forgot I wasn't playing Wing Commander 3.

Magnum · 03-02-2007, 05:32

This was really excellent. The minor differences between this and the original are totally trivial compared to the accomplishment of actually getting autopilot as far as I'm concerned. Keep up the good work.

Starman© · 03-02-2007, 06:10

Quote:

Originally Posted by Howard Day

The first is the direction - All the autopilot scenes I remember from the original WCs go from left to right, not right to left. I've probably forgotten some autopilot sequences, but I definately remember the majority of them facing the other way.

Indeed, escpecially in WC4 when I remember correctly. WC3 had more of both (also if I remember correctly, it's been a while since I played it). Good thing is, in our version we can set the camera to the mission designers wish, which allows a little more variation of those sequences.

Quote:

The other bothersome thing is the lack of a flyby sound - something else all the other flybys had. The ships just have this sort of generic rumble that plays the whole way through. I kept feeling like I was missing something important.
Still, Great work, and I'm glad you got it working!

Yeah, i miss this one too

But like Tolwyn said, this is currently being worked on. Adding the sound is a work of a few seconds, but there is a small problem with the freespace engine sound. It's there, though not very loud. If we can time it correctly, it should be possible that the scripted sound will overlap the freespace one, then everything will be fine

Tolwyn · 03-02-2007, 06:49

Quote:

Originally Posted by Starman©

WC3 had more of both

correct

Vinman · 03-02-2007, 10:06

Quote:

Originally Posted by Howard Day

There are only two things that bug me. And they're pretty minor. The first is the direction - All the autopilot scenes I remember from the original WCs go from left to right, not right to left. I've probably forgotten some autopilot sequences, but I definately remember the majority of them facing the other way.
The other bothersome thing is the lack of a flyby sound - something else all the other flybys had. The ships just have this sort of generic rumble that plays the whole way through. I kept feeling like I was missing something important.
Still, Great work, and I'm glad you got it working!

I thought they went right to left in Wing Commander III

By the way, great job with the video compression, I didn't even expect there to be videos, judging by the file size, and the videos looked better than they did in WC3!

Tolwyn · 03-02-2007, 10:24

videos are from WC3 PSX compressed with the OGG Theora codec.

03-25-2007, 00:12

The autopilot demo is awesome.
With all the videos and stuff, it almost makes you wish for a complete WC3-Remake... ;-)

Mace · 03-25-2007, 15:41

This feature was needed, good job!

Houkiboshi · 06-10-2007, 17:42

Ahh, the good old days...

This gave me an idea... Would anyone be interested in a WC3 remake?... the old videos with the "new" missions

mustanger · 06-11-2007, 14:55

I would

I can't play my old Wing 3 or 4 anymore (cuz I have a PC now, not a Mac), and I sure do miss those old missions.

ChrisReid · 06-11-2007, 15:35

It's not too hard to find copies of the PC versions of WC3/4. There's one about to end that comes with the official guide and has no bids at $5 http://cgi.ebay.com/Wing-Commander-3...QQcmdZViewItem

Houkiboshi · 06-11-2007, 18:13

Quote:

Originally Posted by mustanger

I would

I can't play my old Wing 3 or 4 anymore (cuz I have a PC now, not a Mac), and I sure do miss those old missions.

Sweet... It'd be nice... I volunteer if you ever need a beta tester he he

Lance Casey · 06-18-2007, 15:13

yo mustanger thats a SWEET idea i was never able to play 3 or 4 of wing commander cuz i was never able to buy them and i would so luv to see a remake of those
the same missions with the new tech that would soooo sweet!!!

Shades2585 · 06-18-2007, 18:10

Quote:

Originally Posted by Houkiboshi

Ahh, the good old days...

This gave me an idea... Would anyone be interested in a WC3 remake?... the old videos with the "new" missions

I think WC3 and WC4 would be grate to see redone with the WC3 3DO (?) movies and the wc4 DVD movies. With Sage already having most of the ships completed life would be a lot easies for a team who wished to do it. That is if Saga doesn't do it first.

Or is willing to share it with a team willing to try it.

I would play it though.

P.S. Is the WCSage site down I can't seem to get to it? Did it move and I miss the notice?

Houkiboshi · 06-18-2007, 20:22

Quote:

Originally Posted by Shades2585

P.S. Is the WCSage site down I can't seem to get to it? Did it move and I miss the notice?

They seem to have some trouble with it, but they already have a backup here: http://web122.cologne146.serverspot.de

Shades2585 · 06-19-2007, 02:44

Thanks Houkiboshi.

wankski · 08-11-2007, 06:15

YEP def interested in a wc3 or 4 (or pref both!) remake.... loved saga prologue... waiting in anticipation for the full campaign !

cheers guys, u never cease to amaze me !

Kevin Caccamo · 09-21-2007, 15:42

So now will the game auto-generate the autopilot cutscenes for you? That would be really cool for people who want to make custom missions for WC: Saga but just don't have the patience to direct the cutscenes themselves via FRED. It just takes a long time to find all the SEXPs you need to call to make the cutscene, and then stop the cutscene.

Tolwyn · 09-21-2007, 23:41

Well, in theory yes. We are still using scripted autopilot because it is much, much more versatile. I'll be releasing a mission to accompany the WC4 package fairly soon.

Iceblade · 02-24-2009, 00:16

I can't seem to join Vagabond in the second mission of the WC4 autopilot demo. I am clicking 1, but it isn't working.

Tolwyn · 02-27-2009, 02:53

As far as I am aware, a common keyboard is required for the key-pressed event to work properly. Dworak keyboards, num block, etc will not work.

Iceblade · 02-27-2009, 06:42

Well, all of the other keys work properly and I even set the control for number 1 (at the top of the keyboard as opposed to the numpad) to nothing in the control config, but it still doesn't work. It shouldn't be a problem with it being wireless as all of the other keys function normally even the number 1 when it was bound to a control (attack my target originally). Is there some other key I am supposed to press beforehand before it will recognize my choice?

03-01-2007, 12:16	#1
Tolwyn Brigadier General Join Date: Sep 2002 Location: Luna Starbase Posts: 1,291	RELEASE: Relive the Glory Days with New Autopilot Feature The Wing Commander Saga team is happy to announce a breakthrough. We have finally found a way to implement Wing Commander-style autopilot sequences in Saga. Gone are the days of long, time-accelerated trips. Now, Saga has the ability to offer the flyby sequences that were a central part of the Wing Commander ethos, offering a much shorter wait time between nav points and also a cinematic flair that has always been a trademark of Wing Commander. We have decided to make something special to showcase this new feature. We have created a loose remake of the first two missions in Wing Commander 3. Our demo package features the original voice-overs of Mark Hamil, Jason Bernard, and the other classic WC3 actors who were highlighted in the first two missions. Briefing and launch sequences are also included. You can grab the package here. To install the WC 3 Autopilot Tech demo, unrar the file into the Prologue folder. Then, from within the game, go to the campaign select screen, select Autopilot Tech Demo, and then start the campaign by hitting the continue button. We have also put together a video clip showcasing the new flyby sequence. You can get it here. __________________ Wing Commander Saga \| WingCenter

03-01-2007, 12:49	#3
Tolwyn Brigadier General Join Date: Sep 2002 Location: Luna Starbase Posts: 1,291	Well, the amount of scripting depends on the number of ships involved. I'll release a tutorial how to implement the autopilot in not so distant future. I hope, that we'll be able to implement a few additional scripts, that will make the whole process a bit easier. For a quick mission, you can simply take one of mine Wing Commander 3 missions and modify them. As long as you stick with two ships, there is no need to modify autopilot scripts. __________________ Wing Commander Saga \| WingCenter

03-01-2007, 16:29	#4
Stone48420 2nd Lieutenant Join Date: Apr 2006 Location: Michigan Posts: 138	Very cool stuff it looks as close to wing commander 3 as possible without actually playing wing 3. Any chance on seeing some of those other models you guys made in game. Like the morningstar,rapier, any of them just kinda want to see more fighters in there. Maybe we could get another peak at that confederation dreadnought ya got hidden some where. __________________ I mean you no harm.

03-01-2007, 17:09	#6
Sphynx Major Join Date: Jun 2004 Posts: 516	Oh, this isn't actually an episode, just something we put together for fun. The full game will not have an episodic release, but will include the whole full campaign. As far as seeing other ships, you'll see. Just give it some time. __________________ What we perceive is more a representation of our current identity rather than of our environment. "Love is opening up space for the existence of another." -Humberto Maturana

03-01-2007, 18:27	#8
Sphynx Major Join Date: Jun 2004 Posts: 516	Probably. __________________ What we perceive is more a representation of our current identity rather than of our environment. "Love is opening up space for the existence of another." -Humberto Maturana

03-01-2007, 12:36	#2
mustanger 2nd Lieutenant Join Date: Feb 2007 Posts: 128	I've been loosely playing with the FRED program, and am wondering if this will be hard to implement in custom missions (I assume it is somehow scripted for each autopilot trip), and also if you will release the scripting so that fan made projects can take advantage of the quick autopilot? Thanks for your hard work on the mod, it rocks.

03-01-2007, 19:40	#9
Howard Day Pioneer Art Monkey Join Date: Oct 2002 Location: Eugene, OR, USA Posts: 773	There are only two things that bug me. And they're pretty minor. The first is the direction - All the autopilot scenes I remember from the original WCs go from left to right, not right to left. I've probably forgotten some autopilot sequences, but I definately remember the majority of them facing the other way. The other bothersome thing is the lack of a flyby sound - something else all the other flybys had. The ships just have this sort of generic rumble that plays the whole way through. I kept feeling like I was missing something important. Still, Great work, and I'm glad you got it working!

03-01-2007, 22:48	#11
Chicken 1st Lieutenant Join Date: Jan 2005 Location: In a land far far away Posts: 296	I'm impressed with autopilot flyby. First off as Howard pointed out, it's missing the classic flyby sound. Secondly, I almost forgot I wasn't playing Wing Commander 3. __________________ Yessir, I think I'm back.

03-02-2007, 05:32	#12
Magnum 2nd Lieutenant Join Date: Feb 2001 Posts: 131	This was really excellent. The minor differences between this and the original are totally trivial compared to the accomplishment of actually getting autopilot as far as I'm concerned. Keep up the good work.

03-02-2007, 10:24	#16
Tolwyn Brigadier General Join Date: Sep 2002 Location: Luna Starbase Posts: 1,291	videos are from WC3 PSX compressed with the OGG Theora codec. __________________ Wing Commander Saga \| WingCenter

03-25-2007, 00:12	#17
Luxo Guest Posts: n/a	The autopilot demo is awesome. With all the videos and stuff, it almost makes you wish for a complete WC3-Remake... ;-)

03-25-2007, 15:41	#18
Mace Colonel Join Date: Jul 2004 Location: Netherlands Posts: 1,060	This feature was needed, good job!

06-10-2007, 17:42	#19
Houkiboshi Captain Join Date: Sep 2006 Location: Caracas, Venezuela Posts: 329	Ahh, the good old days... This gave me an idea... Would anyone be interested in a WC3 remake?... the old videos with the "new" missions __________________ "Humans say Hell is paved with good intentions. Why? Do they think there's a shortage of bad ones?" Karm'Luk P'an Ku

06-11-2007, 14:55	#20
mustanger 2nd Lieutenant Join Date: Feb 2007 Posts: 128	I would I can't play my old Wing 3 or 4 anymore (cuz I have a PC now, not a Mac), and I sure do miss those old missions.

06-11-2007, 15:35	#21
ChrisReid Super Soaker Collector Administrator Join Date: Jan 2000 Location: Seattle, Washington, USA Posts: 10,988	It's not too hard to find copies of the PC versions of WC3/4. There's one about to end that comes with the official guide and has no bids at $5 http://cgi.ebay.com/Wing-Commander-3...QQcmdZViewItem

06-18-2007, 15:13	#23
Lance Casey Cadet Join Date: May 2003 Posts: 53	yo mustanger thats a SWEET idea i was never able to play 3 or 4 of wing commander cuz i was never able to buy them and i would so luv to see a remake of those the same missions with the new tech that would soooo sweet!!! __________________ Lance "Iceman" Casey of the TCS Midway

06-19-2007, 02:44	#26
Shades2585 none Join Date: Mar 2002 Location: Florida Posts: 322	Thanks Houkiboshi. __________________ It's not about getting what you want but working with what you get.

08-11-2007, 06:15	#27
wankski 2nd Lieutenant Join Date: Feb 2003 Posts: 141	YEP def interested in a wc3 or 4 (or pref both!) remake.... loved saga prologue... waiting in anticipation for the full campaign ! cheers guys, u never cease to amaze me !

09-21-2007, 15:42	#28
Kevin Caccamo Major Join Date: Nov 2005 Posts: 509	So now will the game auto-generate the autopilot cutscenes for you? That would be really cool for people who want to make custom missions for WC: Saga but just don't have the patience to direct the cutscenes themselves via FRED. It just takes a long time to find all the SEXPs you need to call to make the cutscene, and then stop the cutscene. __________________ AKA KC-1024/Talon 1024 \| Wing Commander Saga website \| Wing Commander Saga Forum \| The 158th Banshee Squadron website \| The 158th Banshee Squadron forum \| Project Leader: Wing Commander: Hostile Frontier \| WC: HF thread at HLP \| Learning to program in Java \| OBJ2WCP Released!

09-21-2007, 23:41	#29
Tolwyn Brigadier General Join Date: Sep 2002 Location: Luna Starbase Posts: 1,291	Well, in theory yes. We are still using scripted autopilot because it is much, much more versatile. I'll be releasing a mission to accompany the WC4 package fairly soon. __________________ Wing Commander Saga \| WingCenter

02-24-2009, 00:16	#30
Iceblade Lieutenant General Join Date: Jun 2003 Location: Mobile, AL, USA Posts: 1,641	I can't seem to join Vagabond in the second mission of the WC4 autopilot demo. I am clicking 1, but it isn't working. __________________ Ultima 9: Forgotten World Bringing you a better Ultima 9 experience http://www.forgottenworld.de/

02-27-2009, 02:53	#31
Tolwyn Brigadier General Join Date: Sep 2002 Location: Luna Starbase Posts: 1,291	As far as I am aware, a common keyboard is required for the key-pressed event to work properly. Dworak keyboards, num block, etc will not work. __________________ Wing Commander Saga \| WingCenter

02-27-2009, 06:42	#32
Iceblade Lieutenant General Join Date: Jun 2003 Location: Mobile, AL, USA Posts: 1,641	Well, all of the other keys work properly and I even set the control for number 1 (at the top of the keyboard as opposed to the numpad) to nothing in the control config, but it still doesn't work. It shouldn't be a problem with it being wireless as all of the other keys function normally even the number 1 when it was bound to a control (attack my target originally). Is there some other key I am supposed to press beforehand before it will recognize my choice? __________________ Ultima 9: Forgotten World Bringing you a better Ultima 9 experience http://www.forgottenworld.de/

Thread Tools
Show Printable Version Email this Page
Display Modes
Linear Mode Switch to Hybrid Mode Switch to Threaded Mode