Small update on this:

Managed to make all terran ships and race playable, working on shivans for now. Then Vasudans and then performing all the necessary fixes. Still no ETA on this.

Just so you know that you're not alone out here: You'd be my favorite person on Earth if you managed to fix this. Homeworld and Freespace are the two game series of my childhood, the two games that set me off on my passion of space and space warfare. I've played hundreds of hours of the OG Freespace mod for Homeworld 2 Classic, and getting to play a Freespace mod for Remastered would be a dream come true, if you look through the threads you'll find my thread about this mod not working from ♥♥♥♥♥♥♥ 2016, so damn long ago.

I wish I could help, I really do, but I have zero modding skills at all, so all I have left to do is just to cheer you on. But if you'll ever want to talk about the mod and/or the Freespace universe, do hit me up, I'll always be happy to help with the lore or brainstorming

Feel free to reach me out on the Homeworld Universe Discord! I have made some advancements but not that much lately, I got all the Terran ships in and I'm working on the shivan ones RN.

This is an older version video, but showing enough progress! https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ECahGmY8wGY

To anyone else out there that wants to help out or try out our current progress, here is the link to the repo containing the mod:

https://github.com/GuillermoOM/HWRM_FSFC

I second Galis's post in his enthusiasm and support for your work getting this mod back on its feet.

I'm still playing it to this day after I downloaded an older version of the game (before the HODs were drastically modified and broke the mod), following a guide for other HW mods that suffered from similar issues. I was playing the mod for the classic version up to then.

I have a few questions (if you don't mind) but don't take them seriously/as requests (and just ignore them altogether if you want or answer whenever you can/just feel like it. Take it easy):

- Is it possible to implement HLP/FSO's latest MediaVPs on this mod's FS ships? (Like the new skins/textures, unless you don't like them. Which is fine I guess lol.)
- Do you know the Blue Planet mod for Freespace 2? If yes, how hard do you think it'd be to make an Age of Aquarius/War in Heaven mod for HWRM? (I think MatthTheGeek from HLP had started one but it was discontinued several years ago).
- You list ''Proper subspace animation'' under ''What's missing'' in your repository. Do you mean that it would be possible (although understandably hard) to make vessels slide out from the subspace portal at high speed, decelerating afterwards (like in the original game/FreeSpace)? Fun fact: In the latest version of this mod (right when it got abandoned), the Shivan SCv Moloch seems to kinda ''try'' doing that, yet curiously is the only craft in the entire mod to do so for some reason. Dunno if you noticed.
- Neither the HW Classic nor HWRM version of this mod had the AI use subspace other than for important vessels (like gas miners/drop-offs and destroyers) when they were on the very brink of destruction. I didn't notice if it's the same in the base/vanilla game of either HomeWorld versions, but if not, could AI using subspace/hyperspace be possible to implement? I find it lacking for the Shivans' FS-accurate tactics, but within the RTS gameplay of this mod I personally find it passable, even if I think that could have made things more interesting.
- In the HW Classic version of this mod, capital ships could fight both fighter craft and enemy capitals while moving (even if you didn't order them to do so in Move and Attack/CTRL+A mode (and ''CTRL+A'' is from the default key mapping for HWRM since I forgot the one for Classic, if it was different)). Since this mod (for HWRM) did not do this, is that something you could fix too, or might there be engine limitations involved in why this mod couldn't do it either?
- The HW Classic version did not randomize whether you were NTF or GTVA when selecting the ''Terran'' race, but the last version of this mod does. Is it better to enable two separate ''race'' options for that or would you just put all Terran vessels together like in the HW Classic version of this mod? (If you don't keep it randomized, that is.)
- Any chance to implement ''actually slashing'' slash beams? If the engine doesn't allow it, it's okay, but I find this limitation to completely neuter the anti-subsystem properties of slash beams (probably their quintessential trade-off over accuracy and damage) and my only way to compensate for it both in HW Classic and HWRM was by ''trying'' to manually target an enemy capital's subsystems/weapons (although this was extremely awkward to pull off but occasionally did work, depending purely on positioning). Also it just looks cooler :D
- No way to change/select the armament of your fighters/bombers (or even of a capital's turrets) right? (Other than literally bloating the build menus with every possible combination of course). I thought that could have been possible by messing around with the build subsystems's menu but I don't know how expandable or practical that could be (especially of fighter/bomber craft).
- Do you intend to have all destroyers capable to produce all craft of their respective races from both FS1 and FS2 regardless of a chosen time period, like in the showcase video?
- Is it particularly impertinent to add an actual ''GTVA race'' option where you can use both Terran and Vasudan craft? I felt like I'd personally have used it a lot but it might just be me so I can accept it if there isn't tbh (and the Colossus being the only capital capable of producing craft of both races sounded interesting to me, but just saying).

Of course, just unloading all that stuff off if you find anything useful in all of it, but like I said, I don't mean them as requests. And if it's just overwhelming or if you can't answer much, it's fine mate, I'll just keep cheering you on too. Your bare intentions so far alone are more than I could ask for.


Also unlike you, I have limited familiarity with HW and its lore but if I understand yours enough, I think seeing FS ships fighting it out with craft of HW's own races in your showcase video might have given me just a glimpse of the thrill you must be feeling (and just the realization to see ships from two completely different universes in the very same battle map is exciting enough).

Originally posted by EKGFahrenheit:

I have a few questions (if you don't mind) but don't take them seriously/as requests (and just ignore them altogether if you want or answer whenever you can/just feel like it. Take it easy):

1. We are considering using the newest models, but need to finish the current mod before considering upgrading them, also need to talk with the authors of the models for that.

2. BP factions yes! we want to add them, again after wrapping up this and consulting with their authors.

3. The Moloch is able to do it?? Some fellas from the STC mod were able to do something similar, it is really complex since you gotta work with animations and some hacking on the way ships are accessed via code. So I'm gonna leave that at the end. (Already tried doing it but it hurt my brain)

4. It's something I noticed too, HW2 ships tend to do a hyperspace jump (battlecruiser with other ships) towards the enemy, will check on this when I work on the AI further on.

5. Hmm It's got to do with the weapons configs, I think I managed to fix it, tho it also might have something to do with the ship stance (aggressive, neutral, defensive), will take note of that.

6. The Classic version and the RM version were made by different people I believe, so the RM got some additions that I noted. It can be implemented, but for gameplay reasons I haven't thought really on how to do it. (maybe have the Hades as a special ship for the NTF instead of the Colossus and the Iceny as an additional "destroyer"/ builder.

7. Tried to see if slashing beams were possible, there is a setting that lets you slow down weapon rotation when it's pointing at the target, and also saw that some ships need additional "target boxes" to help with accurracy (otherwise other ships would fire at the root of the ship, which could be an empty space lol). It's something that I want to work on later on, still think it might be not possible.

8. Armaments are progressed via research to change the weapons of the ships, which also unlocks new ships. Tho implementing a UI to select armaments would be way too much, lets keep it simple and have fighters get their specific roles (its more eye candy than anything else, really)

9. Yeah, tho with balancing we might need to limit the amount of destroyers to maybe 2. When playing against HW ships its soo unbalanced (and have one supercapital either Hades (Too many beams) or Colossus (Tanky boi)

10. Again, this might be more eye candy than affecting gameplay. But we could see about that...

Thanks for the comments! Left me with some notes to think about that I didn't yet realize.

Originally posted by willywolfy:

Thanks for the comments! Left me with some notes to think about that I didn't yet realize.

For 3, yeah, the Moloch kind of does it but it's just the model visually sliding out of the portal and stopping into its hitbox to fit in it (if that helps clarify, you can see the Moloch's turrets firing from thin air at the positions where they're actually, visually, going to end up being when the animation ends).

For 6, they're the same people as far as I can see on the pages of either mods on Steam. The only difference being that for the Classic version of this mod, there is a third person credited (LittleBlueMan I believe) who does't appear under the ''Created by'' box for the Remastered one. I'm not sure what his contribution to the project was.

For 7, didn't know about the target boxes! I guess that lacking ones might explain why some beams (not just slash ones) shoot at empty spaces depending on the target's angle (for instance, when attacking the Colossus from some angles at its sides, ships just shoot under the bridge or ''neck'' that connect its ''head'' and ''abdomen''. I literally managed to cheat a Sathanas with a Colossus by forcing the former into an angle that'd make it shoot its entire firepower into that empty space until it died without ever properly fighting back lol.)

Also, bonus question:
- There was a kamikaze ability in Homeworld Classic (idk if it's in the base game for Remastered too) though it never worked with any version of this mod, for either Classic or Remastered. I wonder if you considered implementing this ability?


I'm really happy about your answers (especially for BP, for which I was dreaming to get a complete HW mod, although I'm aware you still have things to do before guaranteeing anything concrete about it)! You delivered a lot more complete (and satisfying) answers than I was hoping for.

Glad you found my comment useful!

Originally posted by EKGFahrenheit:

Also, bonus question:
- There was a kamikaze ability in Homeworld Classic (idk if it's in the base game for Remastered too) though it never worked with any version of this mod, for either Classic or Remastered. I wonder if you considered implementing this ability?


I'm really happy about your answers (especially for BP, for which I was dreaming to get a complete HW mod, although I'm aware you still have things to do before guaranteeing anything concrete about it)! You delivered a lot more complete (and satisfying) answers than I was hoping for.

Glad you found my comment useful!

No prob!

The kamikaze option is literally a value set in the "CanAttack" ability, so it was probably disabled or something... maaybe it could be that you also need to set the explotion damage of the ship? there is a way to make a ship do damage when exploding, taking everything around it with them. I'll take a look (Athens kamikaze, amirite?)

Edit:

Apparently you set a collision multiplier value for kamikaze attacks, the explotion damage is just when the ship gets destroyed (tho both can be used)

Anticipating some glorious return of the Freespace mods. Good luck with it, wolfy.

I do have a currently stable version that you can play against Terran race, even with other HW races! feel free to try it out.

instructions in the repo: https://github.com/GuillermoOM/HWRM_FSFC

This is the type of work the Pilots sacrificed themselves for at Capella. just know the GTVA is rooting for you

Add another person that's really glad you're tackling this. This mod was fantastic.

Thanks! sorry for not many updates lately (all of them would be on the repository at github)

I do have Shivans up as playable (no research yet on any race) and left out some vasudans ships still in the works.

By no means I'm abandoning this, so in the meanwhile enjoy what there is!

yearly encouragement post. may the technology of the Ancients guide your work.

Count me in for another yearly encouragement post as well