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The Centaur Project

" We closed the door on the Shivans, but they know that we are out here. "

( Admiral Crowe )

This page is about my first Freespace2 campaign "The Centaur Project". The planned scope would be 25 missions with voices, 14 new ship models, several new weapons and maybe music. The campaign follows the GTVA versus Shivans storyline so the idea is perhaps not too original, but for me that's what FS2 is all about. With a staff of three, all busy with other duties, hobbies and life, the progress is relatively slow. Release date ? Chapter One - The Duke and The Emperor and Chapter Two - The Zone has been released in 2005 and 2008. To be continued soon !

The Story

Techroom

Starmap

Headquarters

Download

News:

07.11.2009
The last version of TCP have been tested with FS Open build 3.6.10. final and the related mediavps. It works well using the FSO patch provided on the download page, see the link below. It is important to follow the readme with the installation, and to create a new pilot before starting the campaign !

24.06.2008
A NEW RELEASE ! The Centaur Project continues with CHAPTER TWO - THE ZONE ! Download link is right (I mean left) here in blue.

With both Chapter One and Two packaged together in one VP file, this new installment of TCP now features:

- 18 missions with voices, in a branching structure (the player's actions will affect the next missions).
- 1 bonus mission (not part of the story)
- 8 new ships (4 capital ships, 3 fighters, 1 installation)
- Several ship models from the original game, with corrected dock points and path data
- 5 new weapons (both fighter and capship weapons)
- Squad Logos
- Command briefing animations
- Missions of Chapter One have been updated based on player feedback

TCP was primarily created for and tested with the ORIGINAL RETAIL Freespace2 engine, but it can also be played with Freespace Open release 3.6.9 final, using the patch
that is provided on the download site.

Instructions for installation are also included in the package, see the TCPreadme.txt file ! Help is always available on the FORUM.

You can read the background story of The Centaur Project and take a look at the new ship models through the above links of this page. The project is to be continued with the third chapter that concludes the story, check back for updates.
Peter Grunt 2008

09.05.2005
YES ! After 4 years of (almost continuous) hard work, we finally got there. The first part of the MOD and campaign, CHAPTER ONE - THE DUKE AND THE EMPEROR has been released ! This chapter introduces the final stage of preparation for the 3rd encounter with the feared and mysterious species, the Shivans. The player starts off again as a rookie amongst the thousands of young and unexperienced pilots of the rebuilt GTVA fleet, on board the GTD Aquitaine ... But no more spoilers, go see it for yourself ! The MOD is downloadable through the link above.

TCP - Chapter One features:

- 3 new capital ships
- 1 new capship weapon
- 7 missions with voices (thoroughly tested with the ORIGINAL Freespace2 engine)
- Command briefing animations and other artwork

Instructions for installation are included in the package, see the TCPreadme.txt file ! Help is always available on the TCP BB.

You can read the background story of The Centaur Project here. The next chapter is of course planned (as always), check back for updates, and see the new ships and technologies awaiting to be launched, in the Techroom.

I wish to thank to my family for their patience during the countless hours I have spent with making the MOD, to stepanshuk and Laibon for their fresh ideas and contribution, and to all the visitors of FSCult, who dropped a few lines of support in the past years !
Peter Grunt 2005

13.03.2005
I've finally resurrected the project after the long break. Though things got really messy in real life recently, it would be a shame to waste all the work done until now. I have completed two more missions and it is now 7 in total. It pretty much embraces a separate section within the story, so I decided to release it as Chapter One. I only need to make a few command briefing anis, the base of which is mostly done, and to improve some of the first voice files I made. I'll try to do the final touches before the next anniversary of FSCult in May (2005 :). Ahh, and Headquarters has of course been also updated ...

22.11.2003
The last few months were spent with 3D graphics and animation. As a result, the Intro Movie for TCP is done, it can be downloaded at the link. I've put a great deal of work into this. I wanted to create a 3D world in MAX, which can then be used for Command Briefing anis and other artwork as well. The mission factory can now be started up again. The progress will be displayed in Headquarters (one entry = one new mission finished). That's all for now.

28.05.2003.
Another half year passed which seems to be the regular period for updates here. As always, we have new ships in store for the TCP arsenal. The GTT Anatis started as a modeling practice in 3DS MAX, and ended as an aggressive Troop Transport / Landing Ship for the campaign. The SI Acridon (an important player of the story) was announced in a "Shivan Installations" thread of the VBB in May, 2001 with the name "SI Arachnia". It only existed as a sketch on paper until about a year ago, when Laibon made a concept model out of it in Truespace. To make it more "FS conform" I completely remodeled and textured it in MAX this year, also using some turreting ideas from stepanshuk, although the original concept has not changed during the past two years. Take a look at these beasts on the Techroom page above. These were our last public models, some more ships are still in the work but they won't be published here.
A brand new section, Headquarters emerged to serve as our "mission meter", giving some more information about the FS universe each time a new mission is finished. The idea was to bring in a "Newsboard at the Project HQ" style story book to give some more info and screenshots about the events leading the campaign up. As you can see, we already have four entries which means four polished, tested, and hopefully bug-free missions have been done with voices. The voices are all mine at the moment, so I'm planning to start recruiting voice actors soon.
I'm now busy with converting POFs to 3DS and rendering in MAX, preparing for some cool Command Briefing animations and other art work to catch the eyes. The first ani with our 3D starmap is done, looks promising. A short intro movie to be released before the campaign is also in the plans (Wooo, I need more hands, more brains, more hours in the day ! Or maybe some more help from outside ? :-)
Well, that's all for now. Keep checking Headquarters, more info is coming !

30.11.2002.
We made quite a progress in the past few months. The official TCP starmap is finally out, see the link above. At last stepanshuk finished the GTD Wotan desroyer model, and Laibon is introducing a new ship class, the GTE/GVE Ehnaton ECM cruiser. See the details in the Techroom and Fan Art pages. In the meantime I completely remodeled and retextured the GTF Carabus, because some new videocards like the Geforce4 did not like the original one. The new model is made of one "low poly" subobject and works flawlessly on all PCs. We plan to finish modeling by the end of 2002 and press on with mission building next year. The story of the missions is drafted already, and the first mission of the campaign is done with voices. It may serve as a reference for further work.
Laibon is actually pouring out new models from his secret lab, but some of them must be filtered out by the ...hmmm... TCP Gods to keep the size within limits. He decided to publish these on the new 3DModels page, go there and download if you wish.

15.04.2002.
It seems that the TCP staff has expanded. We are now three of us working on the project, which may speed up the progress and the new campaign can be more than originally planned. For my part the GTCr Trifid supercarrier model has now been finished. Check out the details in the new Techroom section. Some more renderings and screenshots about the ship are on the way. A new member, stepanshuk introduces a bit of Concept Art about the GTD Wotan destroyer, which is now in the modeling phase (see the Fan Art section for more to come). Some hard discussion about the storyline and the layout of a TCP starmap has already started in the backyard. No new promises about the release date, maybe the fall of 2002 seems realistic ... Stay tuned !

07.15.2001.
The GTF Carabus attack fighter model has been completed. Check out the renderings and screenshots.

05.28.2001.
The SF Scorpion II model is uploaded as a complete MOD package. I played a bit with names again, to move away from the ones already used in FS. The new ship class has been renamed from Centaur to Trifid Class Carrier with ship names like the GTCr Nexus, Guardian and Aldebaran.

05.16.2001.
The Shivan fighter model is now complete. It's been retextured, resized and fully equipped. It was giving me a hard time indeed to figure out how to get those thruster flames work. I also renamed the ship to SF Scorpion II to distinguish from the original Shivan craft of the Great War. New screenshots and renderings about the Scorpion can be find at the links.

04.22.2001.
I have nearly finished the SF Scorpion Shivan interceptor model. It still needs the final touches like shield, thruster and some more mature texturing, but it's already flyable. See here some renderings and screenshots about this deadly insect.

04.18.2001.
I've just finished the storyline which leads to the campaign. Techroom now links to the GTD Centaur page only, but I'll try to put some of my tech ideas and models up there soon.