Can Someone Make This Mod?(need A Team Apply Here)

PhillyharperPhillyharper Join Date: 2003-09-08 Member: 20661Members
<div class="IPBDescription">....Cory Strader says it can be done</div> I emailed Cory Strader about custom textures of Skins for the game, mainly concerning the skins of the marines. Basically, i was asking if he was working on a small programme and server side mod that would alow for "custom" Marine Skins. What im trying to say here is, Cory said that he thinks it is possible to make a mod that would allow for the colours in the Marine textures to be changed, hence giving everyone their own identity in the game. Understand where im coming from? Like the Wrestling Style game "create character" option but a lot simpler.

Basically, he said Flayra wouldnt mind and nor would he, and that if i can get a team together to do it, then go for it.

The mod would have to be simple enough so that you wouldnt have to "load" the custom skins up onto the server at the beginning of each match, but rather load up a "tickbox" set of presets, like Cascading Style Sheets in HTML. Also, the mod could allow for people to make their own logo, (like spray tags) and have them imprinted on the back.

There may be problems with lag and server CPU usage, but this would be an awesome mod that would allow for a more personal and cinematic experience in the game. You could get to know what ure buddies look like, so you could stick with them, etc. Would also help comm identify who is doing well and who isnt etc.

Who's interested in making a server side mod coupled with a simple design program?

Team starts here.
Thankyou - Please

Yekemesh!
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Comments

  • Mr_JeburtOMr_JeburtO Join Date: 2003-08-29 Member: 20340Members
    omg ive had this idea for ages but i never knew it could be done!

    wow i'd love to help u but i have no idea how. plz some people help with this.
  • JezpuhJezpuh Join Date: 2003-04-03 Member: 15157Banned
    Ok, I really like the idea. But what are some required skills?
  • JamilJamil Join Date: 2002-11-02 Member: 4829Members
  • PhillyharperPhillyharper Join Date: 2003-09-08 Member: 20661Members
    edited November 2003
    Well basically we need someone who can code, and code Dlls, because i think they will be needed. We also need Skin artists willing to contribute their works. We will also need someone who understands the HL engine inside out, and how to mod it.

    I think, in basic pseudo - code, this is how the program would work. Like Cheating death, it would have to be a third party mod, possibly aswell as a server side mod, like lerklift skulk attatch. You design your skin in the program, (using a set of presets so the skin does not have to be loaded each time) and then you save your skin, and leave the small program running while you play the game. This program then alters the skins/model of anyone else who is using the program.

    This is one way of doing it, can anyone think of any other way of doing it? Please Post here, until a basic idea forms and people can get to work on it.

    Thanks
  • BrigadierWolfBrigadierWolf Join Date: 2003-05-30 Member: 16876Members, Contributor
    edited November 2003
    ID definately be willing to work on this, sounds like It could be really cool.
    Just lemme know what you need as far as Models and textures go.
  • PhillyharperPhillyharper Join Date: 2003-09-08 Member: 20661Members
    Well good, what are your particular skills? Skining? Modeling? Programing?

    Lets get this ball rolling as soon as possible. The program in which you deisgn your character, could just use the simple HL Model view so we wouldnt have to code that. I was also thinking, that new Skins and textures could be added to the presets all the time, and someone could screen them before they go in, that way the program could update each month with new skins keeping the Models and Skins interesting! This would be so good if we could get it going.

    Please muster up some interest! Can someone get a website or use an already made website where we can post our progress?

    I as project leader, name this project, Free SKin!

    I might change that later tho! lol, but for now its the Free SKin project.
  • -Drake--Drake- -dn ʎɐʍ sıɥʇ- Join Date: 2003-04-02 Member: 15125Members
    well this sounds to good to be true

    custom model would be cool
  • BrigadierWolfBrigadierWolf Join Date: 2003-05-30 Member: 16876Members, Contributor
    Well, Im a modeller/skinner/animator.. Just have a quick look around the forum and youll find plenty of my evil, horrible brain spawn... Umm.. I mean models.. yes.. models.
  • sheena_yanaisheena_yanai Join Date: 2002-12-23 Member: 11426Members
    a mod for a mod (°_°) ... now this is something cool <!--emo&:p--><img src='http://www.natural-selection.org/forums/html/emoticons/tounge.gif' border='0' style='vertical-align:middle' alt='tounge.gif'><!--endemo-->
  • TwiggyTwiggy Join Date: 2003-06-29 Member: 17785Members
    Philly, if you want FTP hosting, tell me and ill give you an account <!--emo&:)--><img src='http://www.unknownworlds.com/forums/html/emoticons/smile.gif' border='0' style='vertical-align:middle' alt='smile.gif'><!--endemo-->

    (my isp gave me 6 accounts so <!--emo&:)--><img src='http://www.unknownworlds.com/forums/html/emoticons/smile.gif' border='0' style='vertical-align:middle' alt='smile.gif'><!--endemo-->
  • PhillyharperPhillyharper Join Date: 2003-09-08 Member: 20661Members
    Ok then! Lets get the ball rolling! This is great! Right, first things first, anyone who knows Biege, the "newbie" skiner, whon is actually pretty awesome, let him know about the project. I will try and set up a website, with a .tk extension.

    Twiggy, will your ISP cover us for basic hosting? or will it only be for FTP? Please let me know, everyone who is interested in the project for the minute pls post here. This will also let people know that the project is underway and will generate more interest.

    (just had a thought, www.freeskin.tk may just sound like porn, ahh, www.projectfreeskin.tk doesnt! Jobs a gooden)

    Secondly, i for one have no idea how to work IRC, so anyone who does, who is interested, could you set up an IRC channel, #projectfreeskin on quakenet? Sound ok? Im no good with IRC, just know how to chat on it! <!--emo&:)--><img src='http://www.unknownworlds.com/forums/html/emoticons/smile.gif' border='0' style='vertical-align:middle' alt='smile.gif'><!--endemo-->

    Third thing to do, all you skinners who are texture and adobe literate, design some Free Skin logo's and post them here, we can all decide which one is best for a vote. This "mod for a mod" as sheena puts it, is going to be the peoples mod, so we can all contribute.

    Fourthly, if you're still interested after all that, tell your friends, anyone who is god in the HL engine, anyone who is good with server modding. And does anyone know how to contact Dave Kircher? (designer of lerk lift and all those other server mods)

    Any suggestions or any news etc all for the moment, post back here. Soon enough the NS community will be as diverse as the real world!!!
  • TwiggyTwiggy Join Date: 2003-06-29 Member: 17785Members
    i dont really know what it will cover, sorry.. (the company has been bought, so there is no support anymore hehe)

    but ill PM you the logins and stuff, and see if it floats your boat <!--emo&:)--><img src='http://www.unknownworlds.com/forums/html/emoticons/smile.gif' border='0' style='vertical-align:middle' alt='smile.gif'><!--endemo-->
  • DrfuzzyDrfuzzy FEW... MORE.... INCHES... Join Date: 2003-09-21 Member: 21094Members
    ooo i like this idea, too bad you cant use models since their too big of a file size to be downloading 20 of them at a time. Think of the wee 56kers <!--emo&:p--><img src='http://www.unknownworlds.com/forums/html/emoticons/tounge.gif' border='0' style='vertical-align:middle' alt='tounge.gif'><!--endemo-->
  • PhillyharperPhillyharper Join Date: 2003-09-08 Member: 20661Members
    Fuzzy, they wont have to download them, because they will have them all on their PC already in a series of presets. All they have to "download" is the code that tells their FreeSkin Client how to draw the skin. There will be no downloading invovled!
  • SupernornSupernorn Best. Picture. Ever. Made. Ever. Join Date: 2002-11-07 Member: 7608Members, Constellation
    Why do i keep getting the vision of a Squad of Pink marines wandering about <!--emo&:p--><img src='http://www.unknownworlds.com/forums/html/emoticons/tounge.gif' border='0' style='vertical-align:middle' alt='tounge.gif'><!--endemo-->

    I really like this idea, go for it.
  • PhillyharperPhillyharper Join Date: 2003-09-08 Member: 20661Members
    Ok the IRC channel is up, its #Projectfreeskin on quakenet. Pls if you want to be invovled get down there and say hello
  • prsearleprsearle Join Date: 2002-11-01 Member: 2365Members, Constellation
    This sounds like it could be interesting. A few questions:
    - Would these "presets" be a set of skins (or skin fragments), or would they be custom models with switchable subgroups (like DarkTruths was going to do, e.g. have a base model and then have a set of grenades/backpacks/armour as subgroups that could be toggled)?
    - Say you join a server where some people have setup custom appearances and some haven't. How do you see them? Do all marines share your own custom look, or does each player get their own custom look and "normal" players get the stock marine?
    - From past experience I'm pretty certain there's no way to change a player's model using only a server-side mod. Therefore a client-side mod would be needed. There used to be a project called cl_metamod, but it seems to have vanished. That leaves us either creating a client-side hook by ourselves or basing it on the OGC source (and whichever one you choose, VAC will pick it up; probably not a problem at the moment). I'll look into how easy either would be; I'd love to give it a go.

    Phillyharper: Dave Kircher can be contacted via the modns.org forums (he goes under the nick "[Who]Them"
  • TwiggyTwiggy Join Date: 2003-06-29 Member: 17785Members
    if you are interested in helping, you are warmly welcome at #projectfreeskin @ Quakenet

    (if you are on another irc server, i reccommend getting a multiserver client, like Hydrairc, www.hydrairc.com )
  • Poodle_StrudelsPoodle_Strudels Join Date: 2003-08-05 Member: 18924Members
    Why not make the logo on the marines back a permanent spray paint or something? Uni-color, small, and somewhat simple bitmap. I do like the preset options though. You guys could even send update to packs to beef up the library! Nice idea, even 56kers can enjoy this custimization!
  • TwiggyTwiggy Join Date: 2003-06-29 Member: 17785Members
    we are planning to make more and more presets, when we get things up and running, but right now we are a bit low on staff =/

    our goal atm is to get staff and get our site fixed.
  • BlackPantherBlackPanther Join Date: 2002-02-11 Member: 197Members
    <!--QuoteBegin--></span><table border='0' align='center' width='95%' cellpadding='3' cellspacing='1'><tr><td><b>QUOTE</b> </td></tr><tr><td id='QUOTE'><!--QuoteEBegin-->Basically, i was asking if he was working on a small programme and server side mod that would alow for "custom" Marine Skins. What im trying to say here is, Cory said that he thinks it is possible to make a mod that would allow for the colours in the Marine textures to be changed,
    <!--QuoteEnd--></td></tr></table><span class='postcolor'><!--QuoteEEnd-->
    Can be done. HLDM does it by changing the skin file to DM_BASE.BMP and using lines 4 & 5 to change colors in the .bmp's color pallete.
    And i doubt Flayra has any say in this kinda thing. Not like he can do anything about it if he doesn't agree <!--emo&:p--><img src='http://www.unknownworlds.com/forums/html/emoticons/tounge.gif' border='0' style='vertical-align:middle' alt='tounge.gif'><!--endemo-->

    <!--QuoteBegin--></span><table border='0' align='center' width='95%' cellpadding='3' cellspacing='1'><tr><td><b>QUOTE</b> </td></tr><tr><td id='QUOTE'><!--QuoteEBegin-->
    Also, the mod could allow for people to make their own logo, (like spray tags) and have them imprinted on the back.
    <!--QuoteEnd--></td></tr></table><span class='postcolor'><!--QuoteEEnd-->
    First problem: Can't do that.

    <!--QuoteBegin--></span><table border='0' align='center' width='95%' cellpadding='3' cellspacing='1'><tr><td><b>QUOTE</b> </td></tr><tr><td id='QUOTE'><!--QuoteEBegin-->
    There may be problems with lag and server CPU usage,
    <!--QuoteEnd--></td></tr></table><span class='postcolor'><!--QuoteEEnd-->
    Major problem #2. Server will be doing this for EVERYONE... and since NS's CPU usage is already big.. ugh.

    I suggest you learn more about the HL engine and the server/client communication process so you can throroughly think this over.
  • prsearleprsearle Join Date: 2002-11-01 Member: 2365Members, Constellation
    Okay, a small update:

    We've got a small team started, but we still need skinners/graphic artists to help with the website/base skins. We're planning on using a client-hook to implement the custom skins (yes, it will cause problems with VAC, but VAC isn't working yet and I don't think it will be in 2.1). If any coders want to get involved, you're welcome to help.

    The website will be at <a href='http://projectfreeskin.googish.com' target='_blank'>http://projectfreeskin.googish.com</a>. It should be up in a few hours. A team member can usually be found in #projectfreeskin on quakenet IRC.
  • watch_me_diewatch_me_die Join Date: 2002-11-10 Member: 8107Members
    Ideally the server wouldn't need the plugin, the client could just check if any other people in the game are using freeskin and set the skins accordingly. Might be able to fake getting messages from the server to tell the client to change models or something <!--emo&:)--><img src='http://www.unknownworlds.com/forums/html/emoticons/smile.gif' border='0' style='vertical-align:middle' alt='smile.gif'><!--endemo-->
  • ChronoChrono Local flyboy Join Date: 2003-08-05 Member: 18989Members
    you guys might be able to get some ideas from the desert crisis team because in their mod they have a way design your own face in the game so get a email to one of there team members
  • TwiggyTwiggy Join Date: 2003-06-29 Member: 17785Members
    our site, <a href='http://projectfreeskin.googish.com/' target='_blank'>http://projectfreeskin.googish.com/</a> is now up and running for anyone interested <!--emo&:)--><img src='http://www.unknownworlds.com/forums/html/emoticons/smile.gif' border='0' style='vertical-align:middle' alt='smile.gif'><!--endemo-->
  • BlackPantherBlackPanther Join Date: 2002-02-11 Member: 197Members
    <!--QuoteBegin--chrono5454+Nov 27 2003, 02:57 AM--></span><table border='0' align='center' width='95%' cellpadding='3' cellspacing='1'><tr><td><b>QUOTE</b> (chrono5454 @ Nov 27 2003, 02:57 AM)</td></tr><tr><td id='QUOTE'><!--QuoteEBegin--> you guys might be able to get some ideas from the desert crisis team because in their mod they have a way design your own face in the game so get a email to one of there team members <!--QuoteEnd--> </td></tr></table><span class='postcolor'> <!--QuoteEEnd-->
    No, the way the DC team does it, is with a TON of SUB MODELS within their player models which allow thounsands of combinations.
    But everyone has the same file anyway. NS isn't coded that way. THe only sub models that NS has are for the JETPACKS.
  • ChronoChrono Local flyboy Join Date: 2003-08-05 Member: 18989Members
  • LikuLiku I, am the Somberlain. Join Date: 2003-01-10 Member: 12128Members
    That's be awesome. Id' have a picture of me on my back. w00t!

    Get this done please!
  • PhillyharperPhillyharper Join Date: 2003-09-08 Member: 20661Members
    BlackPanther, allthough you are correct about their being only one true submodel, the jetpack, the point is, we the community, are agoing to make our own sub models, and our own skins and textures. Thats the whole point of the project
  • TrilagTrilag Join Date: 2003-10-31 Member: 22156Members, Constellation
    Sure it's a nice idea!

    One question though: it appears you are going for a client-side hook with sparky as a base. Aren't you affraid of VAC issues? It would be a shame to see players banned of secure servers because they use your mod.

    Btw, if you are still looking for a HLSDK coder, I might give a hand.
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