Alpha Centauri 2

Sid Meier's Alpha Centauri & Alien Crossfire => The Theory of Everything => Topic started by: UniversityBase on July 10, 2025, 08:47:44 pm

Title: University Base (A SMAC/X Series)
Post by: UniversityBase on July 10, 2025, 08:47:44 pm

Hello everyone!

Last year, for our favorite game’s 25th birthday, I released the first episode of a SMAC/X based series, University Base.

It would be a shame if the series didn’t have an official thread over here :) I’ll update the thread with future episodes as they are released.

UNIVERSITY BASE

Season 1: Planetfall

S1E1: "Alpha Centauri"

S1E2: "Fractured Unity, Part 1"

S1E3: Fractured Unity, Part 2

TBD (autumn 2025)

S1E4: Fractured Unity Part 3

TBD

S1E5: Making Planetfall

TBD

S1E6: Personal Effects

TBD

Here's the series' official YouTube channel: https://www.youtube.com/@UniversityBase (https://www.youtube.com/@UniversityBase), and here's a behind-the-scenes/special features channel: https://www.youtube.com/@PlanetaryArchives (https://www.youtube.com/@PlanetaryArchives)

Please enjoy! Oh, and have fun catching all the deep-lore easter eggs ;zak;

Title: Re: University Base (A SMAC/X Series)
Post by: MysticWind on July 11, 2025, 09:37:58 pm

Thanks for bringing University Base to AC2! (I had suggested on Discord you make a thread about it.) Your videos are truly labors of love and every frame shows the effort you've put into them, what a fascinating character study of the good academician.

Title: Re: University Base (A SMAC/X Series)
Post by: UniversityBase on July 12, 2025, 10:01:31 am

Thanks! Can't wait to show you Chiron’s vistas from planetside :)

Title: Re: University Base (A SMAC/X Series)
Post by: Lord Avalon on July 13, 2025, 02:45:13 pm

Good stuff!

Title: Re: University Base (A SMAC/X Series)
Post by: UniversityBase on July 13, 2025, 07:16:23 pm

Thank you :)

Title: Re: University Base (A SMAC/X Series)
Post by: UniversityBase on July 17, 2025, 02:23:28 pm

Here's a quick look behind the scenes of Fractured Unity, Part 1.

This featurette focuses on the visual side of the process. I plan to create more videos that will detail other parts of the process. If there's anything specific you'd like me to cover, just ask, and I'll add it to the to-do list 🙂

Back to work on Fractured Unity, Part 2...

Title: Re: University Base (A SMAC/X Series)
Post by: Green1 on July 17, 2025, 08:30:15 pm

I am just here to say that this is awesome.

I have also heard of projects that are trying to AI upscale the old secret project videos with modern tools. And while I am not a modder, I think could lead to interesting things for this old game or a true fan made open source successor.

I recently got my degree in Drafting/Design. Worked for a maritime company for a bit but am sidelined with cancer. However, I think with my training I could probably make sense of Blender now and I have always been fascinated by Blender work.

Title: Re: University Base (A SMAC/X Series)
Post by: UniversityBase on July 17, 2025, 09:59:54 pm

Thanks!

AI upscaling is all the rage right now in various communities, and it can really produce amazing results if you start with reasonably clean material. At the moment, SMAC/X videos seem to be right at the threshold where you can get a semi-decent result, but it’s not quite at the point where it works wonders.

I might recreate a few of the videos during the University Base run, from scratch, of course ;) Depending on free time and life stuff, it could be a nice creative challenge.

Oh, and Blender is such a joy to work with. The team behind it seriously rocks, and the whole community is pure joy. I wholeheartedly recommend diving into it, 3D artistry is a wonderful creative outlet. Speaking from experience, obviously :)

Regarding the sidelining… I’m sending you all my best wishes and hope your treatment and recovery are going well.

Title: Re: University Base (A SMAC/X Series)
Post by: Green1 on July 17, 2025, 11:19:41 pm

I should do okay. If anything it gives me time to think about the path forward to take. Makes you reevaluate what matters.

I lost access to AutoCAD (plus it's insanely expensive). Blender seems to be a great jumping point.

But I was looking at one video in particular:https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OhwqRnXC4hc (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OhwqRnXC4hc)

The Cloudbase Academy.

AI upscaling would be HARD as this was in a resolution that could run in small screen on old (even at that time) P1s. But the scene could be remodeled.

Title: Re: University Base (A SMAC/X Series)
Post by: UniversityBase on July 18, 2025, 08:31:09 pm

I agree, doing everything from scratch is the way to go.

Also, The Cloudbase Academy video would be super fun to recreate with all the Top Gun-like SMAC/X action :)

Title: Re: University Base (A SMAC/X Series)
Post by: Green1 on July 20, 2025, 11:42:28 pm

I watched the behind the scenes video.

Your scene renders are very good. Still in uncanny valley with some animation, but then again a lot of the better tools are proprietary and have a complicated interface.

Your renders and textures are NICE. I am in envy.

One channel I watch that does things simular to you is Yarnhub. https://www.youtube.com/yarnhub (https://www.youtube.com/yarnhub)

I remember hearing somewhere they do animated deep fakes of the original historical figures from WW I to Gulf War to where it looks like them in the photos. And it will sometimes cut to the real photo in a few of them. Facial animation and everything.

But those guys have like teams of modellers.

Title: Re: University Base (A SMAC/X Series)
Post by: UniversityBase on July 21, 2025, 10:26:20 am

Oh, I agree, there’s always room for improvement. But half the fun of making these is seeing the gradual progress with each episode and learning new things :)

Right now, I’d say the biggest limiting factor is that I’m hand-animating all the body movements. It just eats up so much time, and I’m already doing these in my limited free time. Thankfully, I’ve got an improved workflow set up for the next episode. And thank goodness UE5 has such a solid facial performance capture solution integrated, now that's a life saver!

Those Yarnhub videos are impressive. But yeah, that’s a team of people, presumably working on it full-time.

That said, I wouldn't mind showrunning University Base as a prestige sci-fi drama, in case a high ranking SMAC fan from any of the big streaming services reads this :) Or do an awesome SMAC themed episode for Secret Level, if Tim Miller reads this :D

Title: Re: University Base (A SMAC/X Series)
Post by: Green1 on July 22, 2025, 12:23:14 am

You never know. This place has always gotten tons of lurkers. Some very prominent figures in SMAX/C history. Though people's interest comes and goes like anything else.

It's sad, though, that Windows 11 killed it and only way out is via a patch made over on Reddit or an AI mod that incorporated the fix. GOG and Steam are SELLING these broken.

But, story itself is timeless and a classic in at least the niche section of sci fi. Colonists arriving on an alien planet and it's sentient.

Title: Re: University Base (A SMAC/X Series)
Post by: Buster's Uncle on July 22, 2025, 01:25:38 am

-sisko, a long time ago, called it "A transhuman epic"...

Title: Re: University Base (A SMAC/X Series)
Post by: Misanthrope on August 05, 2025, 02:38:55 am

These vids were a TON of fun to watch.  Thanks for sharing, and thanks for all the effort that went into them!
We all know the script, but seeing it unfold was like getting that all over again, somehow new and fresh.
The casual refs to 'Godwinson' as the spiritual guidance counselor and the narrator's voice being that of Captain Garland was def worth a smile.


 

Quote from: UniversityBase on July 18, 2025, 08:31:09 pm

I agree, doing everything from scratch is the way to go.

Also, The Cloudbase Academy video would be super fun to recreate with all the Top Gun-like SMAC/X action :)

Absolutely!  With tech available now, redoing that entire vid could make it EPIC.  The original always struck me as jerky and grossly lacking in the physics dept.  Use the voiceover, use the ideas, but the flights would DEF be better reconstructed as opposed to merely scaled.  The paths would be great to echo... esp. that gloating spiral after the initial attack... but cleaning up the movements and physics, and possibly some of the flat view angles, would take that vid from interesting to enthralling!
Wish there was a way I could support that.

Title: Re: University Base (A SMAC/X Series)
Post by: UniversityBase on August 05, 2025, 10:06:40 pm

Quote from: Misanthrope on August 05, 2025, 02:38:55 am

These vids were a TON of fun to watch.  Thanks for sharing, and thanks for all the effort that went into them!

Thank you so much :) I’m really glad you’re enjoying the series. I’m currently working on the next episode, and it’s gonna be fire ;) 

Quote from: Misanthrope on August 05, 2025, 02:38:55 am

Absolutely!  With tech available now, redoing that entire vid could make it EPIC.  The original always struck me as jerky and grossly lacking in the physics dept.  Use the voiceover, use the ideas, but the flights would DEF be better reconstructed as opposed to merely scaled.  The paths would be great to echo... esp. that gloating spiral after the initial attack... but cleaning up the movements and physics, and possibly some of the flat view angles, would take that vid from interesting to enthralling!
Wish there was a way I could support that.

I couldn’t agree more! Without spoiling too much, I love SMAC’s planes, and there’s some exciting aerial action coming in future seasons (though not yet in Season 2).

Title: Re: University Base (A SMAC/X Series)
Post by: Buster's Uncle on August 13, 2025, 04:43:26 pm

Keep 'em coming.  ;b;

Title: Re: University Base (A SMAC/X Series)
Post by: UniversityBase on August 14, 2025, 08:59:39 pm

Will do ;) So far, I'm ahead of schedule on the next episode, and it's coming along nicely. The fall premiere is firmly in sight.

Title: Re: University Base (A SMAC/X Series)
Post by: UniversityBase on August 28, 2025, 10:02:40 am

Here’s a look at the (re)design of the U.N.S. Unity.

The video covers the original design as seen in the game’s media, gives an overview of some of the design decisions I made for this new version... and even includes a short nerd-rant about the canonical details of Unity's launch date at the end 😅

Title: Re: University Base (A SMAC/X Series)
Post by: Geo on August 28, 2025, 09:08:46 pm

Well done video. I think my most favored part of the redesign is the section with the supply pods, ready to 'scatter' at command.

Title: Re: University Base (A SMAC/X Series)
Post by: UniversityBase on August 29, 2025, 01:57:21 pm

Thanks! I just had to feature the supply pods in the design, they're such a huge staple of the early game. Really glad you noticed and appreciated that detail :)