As our work on the 2nd milestone is in progress, we have also decided to advance the games art concepts. We already have a 3d view with basic logic, but the current model we are using is not representative of the fighter model from the dogfight milestone. We decided that it’s time to replace it with something more fitting.
We’ve searched the usual places offering free and paid 3-D models for game development, but we could not find a design that fit what we had in mind.
Our requirements were more specific than we initially thought. To satisfy our high standard of realism in the game, we wanted the design to portray a small (1-2 seats) ship that operates only in space (so, no wings), heavily armored, armed with the chaingun weapon system. However, most of the fighters we found were either a combination of an atmospheric fighter jet with a spacecraft(e.g. the Vipr), or something too deep in the realm of high sci-fi (e.g. the Starfury).
Our efforts lead us to the understating that in order to have a model that will answer all of our requirements, we will need to design one for ourselves. We approached two talented concept artists and started the process of creating our ideal space fighter.
The image below is our first round of concept art. None of the models in that collection are exactly what we wanted, but it certainly helped us refine our ideas. How will the cockpit look? Is there a reason for the canopy to be transparent? How would the location of the thrusters affect the flight? Should the weapon be wholly embedded in the hull? And many more questions that we will need to address in the 2nd round of the concept art.
