Hello ladies and gentlemen, my name is CB2001 and I am needing a little bit of help. I am a fan of "Battlestar Galactica" and I am working on a machinima comic book fan fiction series with the use of "The Sims 2" (amongst other games) called "Battlestar Galactica: Odyssey". Before I explain what the series is about, I'll post my request for what I need. A part of the series takes place primarily on the Cylon Occupied 12 Colony planets of Picon and then Tauron. So, as you guessed, I've got to have some of the human Cylon models (minus the Final Five). Below I have listed is what I have and what I need. Items listed in red are what I definitely need. Basically, this is going to be an open "casting call" for these Sims and items. Any help is welcome and if you are Simmakers, Lot Builders or Outfit makers, if your items are used, you will be credited for the use of it.

What I Have:
Model 6 Cylon/Caprica/Gina/Natalie/Head Six (The Sim for the Model 6 is perfect enough for the series, no need for others or better versions. The one I have is from Mod The Sims 2, which was part of a two-pack with a Gaius Baltar Sim)
Model 8 Cylon/Boomer/Athena (The Sim for the Model 8 that I have is okay, but a better version of the Sim, one that looks closer to realistic, would be preferable because of how "cartoony" the Model 8 Sim I have looks while doing chat animations. If one not available, than I will proceed to use what I have until one becomes available)
Model 3/D'anna (This sim is actually a Lucy Lawless as Xena Sim (pictured below), but after some modifications, it brings the Sim closer in appearance to Ms. Lawless. May not be necessary, but improved/ accurate versions of D'anna/Lucy Lawless Sims, as seen in Season 3, are welcome to be seen for possible use instead).

What I Need:
Sims:
Number 1/Cavil (You have no idea how hard it is trying to find any Sims of Dean Stockwell. You'd think a "Quantum Leap" fan would have made one by now.)
Number 2/Leoban
Number 4/Simon
Number 5/Doral (Actually, its not surprising that I haven't found any of these three Cylons)

Misc:
The Opera House Lot (I actually need a close to accurate, as possible, lot of the interior of the Opera House seen in the visions throughout the show. This will actually be important to the series.)
Colonial Fleet Uniforms/Flight Suits (This will be for later on in the comic series, but I am going to need Uniform Blues, Uniform Grays and the Flight Suits {both Viper and Raptor types}, with helmets. If there are none, than I need pictures of the uniforms in decent lighting so that I can try to recreate them down to the accurate color).

Now, you're probably wondering about the machinima comic book fan fiction series.


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If you have not seen any of the old and new Battlestar Galactica TV shows, then I highly recommend you avoid going any further than here. If you have met the requirements, please let me know what you think. Of course, this is a BSG board, and it's safe to assume that everyone here has seen every episode thus far. This warning is just for newbies.

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Title: Battlestar Galactica: Odyssey
aka Battlestar Galactica: Born to Run (Working Title)
Format: Machinima Comic Book Fan Fiction Series
Presented in: PDF File Format
Premise: A group of survivors on Picon, starting off as prisoners of war, escape their prison and try to avoid being caught again by the Cylons. However, the Cylons are not the only problem they have to deal with.
Games/Programs Being Use to Make It: "The Sims 2" (with "University", "NightLife", "Open for Business", "Pets", "Seasons" and "Bon Voyage" Expansion packs) and "The Movies" (with "Stunts and Effects" expansion pack), "Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas", "Need for Speed: High Stakes", Adobe Photoshop Elements (commercial, photoediting), OpenOffice (freeware, writing) and PlanetWide Games' "Comic Book Creator" software (commercial, comic book creation).
Games/Programs Being Considered for Use: "Homeworld 2" (to use BSG: Fleet Commander mod), "Orbiter" (freeware), "Celestia" (freeware), "Battlestar Galactica: Beyond the Red Line" (freeware), "CityLife", iClone (commercial), The Gimp (freeware, photoediting). Other also being considered.

Status Thus Far:
Due to several problems in the past, I've had to reconstruct some "set" lots, one of them happen to be the interior of a "Containment Area" and John Coba's apartment (which you can see pictures of down below for a "tour").

One of the major setbacks is finding good Sims of the other actors/actresses who play Cylons (excluding Tricia "Six" Helfer and Grace "Eight" Park). One setback that was originally included was trying to find a Cylon Centurion for "The Sims 2". But thanks to earendil over at ModTheSims2.com, she has created a Cylon Centurion that will be featured within the series.

From a story standpoint, the serie's overall run will be five "seasons". I have "Season 1" and "Season 2" plotted out and ideas on what to do for "Season 4" and "Season 5" (the only problem I do have is figuring out what to do for "Season 3"). Update Note: I have been restructuring the comic "seasons" by figure out how many comics per "season" there would be. originally, it was going to be 9 comics per "season", but I have restructured some of the stories that would have been in "Season 2" to "Season 1", and some from "Season 3" to "Season 2" and so on. So, the comics may be either 14 or 15 comics per "season" or a little bit less.

Also, thanks to Rag Tag Fleet and some of the users over at Orbiter Hanger, several BSG related ships have become available, which means that for "Season 4" and "Season 5", my initial idea of involving another surviving Battlestar, the Battlestar Athena (which will have the same exterior as Galactica, but a different interior), more possible.

I have been looking around for a place where the website can be hosted, as well as the comics for the series. So far, GooglePages has been considered as a major possibility, but still not sure. Any suggestions would be welcome, especially for web hosts that can support graphics heavy websites.

Hope you enjoy the pictures. Some of these pictures are early test ones. I haven't done any recent ones, primarily due to the problems with the game that I've had. Once I get everything fixed, more will be created and posted.

----The Prophecy----

This is the prophecy for the comic series, which may serve as the image for the splash page for the series website.



----Early Test Shots-----

Below is an attempt at recreating the proper "nuked out" appearance using a screencap from "The Movies" and Photoshop Elements. I have long since perfected the problem, seeing that the color is actually suppose to be orange, not yellow.




A couple of shots of the cast (at the time, not finalized, but now they have. Also switched out a couple of them, so some here may not be the same ones used in the series).





Below is a shot of John Coba (base model Jake Gyllenhaal) and Kate (base model Grace Park). Note: Jake Gyllenhaal Sim picture has been replaced with a better one and I am also looking for a better Grace Park sim to replace the one I am currently using.



Below are Sims of Rollin and Selena Phoebus (base models Vincent Cassel and Monica Bellucci). Note: The Monica Bellucci Sim has been replaced with an improved one.



Below are Sims of Fred Cryas, Capt. Elle "Sheba" Malfi and Renta Norme (base models Keifer Sutherland, Sandrine Holt and Don Cheadle). Note: I'm considering on changing Renta's name to Glen Norme.



----Pages from "Test Comic"----

Not too long ago, in order to experiment with the Comic Book Creator program, I created a comic to test out the program by using screen caps from the first two seasons of the show and from in-game screen caps for two sequences. Below are two seperate pages. The name of the comic was "All We Left Behind", telling a story about Laura Roslin and being haunted by the memory of a relative of hers.





------A Tour of A Interior Set-----

This was made back before my computer had crashed on me, which lead me to start reconstructing my sets. The character giving us the tour is Kate, the Model 8 Cylon who is one of the characters in the series.








-----Work in Progress-----

Some recent shots of exterior "sets" under construction.

The shot is of the "Containment Area" exterior lot. This was the first version of the exterior lot is the first picture. The one that will be used in the comic series is the final picture. The interiors will be constructed in a separate neighborhood in the game.





This right here was originally what I had hoped for the story, but since it doesn't make sense about why there'd be a huge lot there, I decided to find some way to fill it in. The arrow points out to another exterior lot that was constructed and has importance in the first "season".




Below is a shot of the cityscape that is across from the "Containment Area".



The following pictures of the lobby for John Coba's apartment building, still a work in progress:







--------Modified Sim of Lucy Lawless---------

As mentioned before, I took a Lucy Lawless as Xena Sim and modified it to bring her appearance closer to Ms. Lawless on the show. I have change the eyebrows and changed the curve of the corners of the mouth to see if that helps make her appear "less evil" (quoting a user from another forum). Below is of the Sim before the small changes.



--------------The "Cast"----------
Below is a current listing of the "cast" of characters in the overall run of the series. This list is subject to change and there are several actors/actresses I am considering for models, but have not yet decided on who will be used as the models for characters. Below is what I currently have, and there may be more characters added as the series progresses. And I also am always looking for others for potential character models.

Main Cast "Season 1"
"The Survivors"
Keifer Sutherland as Dr. Fred Cryas
Don Cheadle as Glen Norme
Jake Gyllenhaal as John Coba
Grace Park as Kate/Model 8 Variations
Sandrine Holt as Capt. Elle "Sheba" Malfi
Monica Bellucci as Dr. Selena Phoebus
Vincent Cassel as Rollin Phoebus

The Cylons
Tricia Helfer as Juno (Dark Haired Six in Black Dress, seen in Season 3's episode "Torn")/Model 6 Variations
Lucy Lawless as Model 3 Variations (do not know if I will feature a "head leader" three or not within the series run, but have considered it)
Dean Stockwell as Cavil Variations
Rick Worthy as Simon Variations
Callum Keith Rennie as Leoben Variations
Matthew Bennett as Doral Variations

Characters Coming into Cast in "Season 2"
Thandie Newton as Cassiopeia
(Role Unassigned) as Lieutenant Brett Xenop
Jensen Ackles as Spartan Cadet Dennis Leniday
Franka Potente as Spartan Cadet Electra Collins
(Role Unassigned) as Spartan Cadet James Dillon
(Note: There may be more characters included in the group of survivors from Tauron, bet it more Spartans or Civies)

Characters Coming into Cast in "Season 4", after introduction of the Battlestar Athena:
Jane Seymour as Commander Serina Larson
(Role Unassigned) as Adam Larson (Serina's son)
(Role Unassigned) as Colonel Troy Wellington
(Role Unassigned) as Dr. Salik
Natalie Mendoza as Agave
(Role Unassigned) as Halie
(Role Unassigned) as Andromeda
(Role Unassigned) as Ione
Shannyn Sossamon as Sibil
(more to possibly be featured)

Actors/Actresses considered for Models of Characters (Be they main and guest roles)
Kurt Russell
Natassia Malthe
Dirk Benedict
Gong Li
Michelle Yeoh
Clive Owen
Cillian Murphy
Steve Railsbeck
Mimi Rogers
Josh Hartnett
Bruce Willis
Denzel Washington
Kevin Spacey
Emile Hirsch
Harrison Ford
Elias Koteas
Dennis Haysbert
Linda Park
Mark Rendall
Anton Yelchin

That's about it for now. If anyone has any questions, feel free to ask. Hope these catch your interest.

Hey everyone! Sorry for taking so long for new updates, but I've been rather busy. I've got some good news and some ongoing questions I'd like to ask you guys (feel free to chime in with your two-cubits).

First off, I've got great news. I've found a Simmaker who is working on some BSG Sims and she is willing to not only make the Significant 7 Cylon models I need, but will also allow me to use them in the series. The Lucy Lawless Sim I originally selected to be used for the comic will be replaced with a new one by her. So far, for the Cylon Models she has done, she has a D'anna and a Sharon done. Honestly, I feel both look closer to the actresses than the previous Sims I found of these two and plan on going with them. And I have sent pictures for her to do Leoban next. Let me know what you guys think of the D'anna and Sharon:

D'anna: http://v7images.ibibi.com/1177/1177876.jpg

Sharon:
http://v7images.ibibi.com/1180/1180515.jpg

The Sims Resource Page for hehthur (the user making the Sims): http://www.thesimsresource.com/members/hehthur/

Note: She also has a Helo, a Dualla and an Apollo she's done. All of them are available for download if you want to go with them.

I apologize if this has been mentioned before, but I've found quite a lot of Sim pose objects that have opened up a wide possibilities of Sim poses that may be able to use in the comic series.

I'm still putting on finishing touches for the first story in the comic series. I've just got to make sure if I want to include Kate's side of the story in the first story or wait for the second comic, which she shows up again in. I'm also trying to decide to have Selena and Rollin leave their home and then be caught, or to attempt to leave the planet and get caught. Also, trying to decide on how Glen Norme gets picked up. I may have to change Sheba's story a bit, since I've discovered that Cavil didn't just put Ellen on the Rising Star, but stayed with her during the events in "33" (I saw this in a special 30 second preview on the Sci-Fi website). But, needless to say, the series will be coming really soon.

One of the big questions I keep asking is this: "For the Battlestar Athena, will I have her be the TOS Galactica or the new Galactica design?" I definitely need some help here and an opinion: Should I go with the TOS Galactica design for the Athena or the new Galactica design for the Athena? I will admit, I have had one user send me to a couple of websites for designs of RIS BSG inspired vessels, but those models aren't available for the "Orbiter" space sim (to which someone has offered to help out for space shots, though as cool as it would be to have a different design for a Battlestar, the odds of getting a 3-D model to be converted over for the sim may be difficult, while the TOS Galactica and RIS Galactica are already available).

I've still got some "sets" to construct, primarily being some empty streets, "Union Central" subway station, a bus/school bus depot and several others for the first half of the comic series. I'm even looking at utilizing some of the lots constructed by other users. I will also get around to installing "Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas", as well as the mods for it in hopes of making some necessary shots as well.

I've come across a site that has allows users to create their own Wikipedia for free. I've considered on opening one for the comic series. But I am not sure about it. For a homepage, I am still not sure of one I can use. I would prefer a free website and utilize a free file host to host the comics.

I know that this is not much of an update, but it's better to have something than nothing. Anyways, submit your feedback when you can.

Well, here's the update. It's not much, but I figured I'd at least attempt to get something out there.

Remember the user I told you about, hehthur, who is suppose to do the Sims I need of the human Cylons? Well, I PMed her over the past few months with links to the screencaps I made of the actors I need for the series. Well, I haven't heard from her in a long while. In act, according to her board profile at The Sims Resource, she hasn't been on since June, when she posted her Boomer sim. And since The Sims Resource doesn't show e-mail addresses, I don't have a means of contacting her other than through TSR. So, I'm pretty much in limbo.

This limbo is beginning to make me wonder if I should proceed with the series. I really want to, but with all the setbacks throughout the five years of development, I'm beginning to wonder if it'll ever get off the ground. I'm also beginning to wonder if I made a mistake by changing the story's medium from typical text based to machininma. Looking at the whole thing, by doing text based, it would have afforded me the option of inviting other users to get involved in the creation of the series and it's entire run. However, by doing it as machinima, it affords me the ability to use the concept of "a picture is worth a thousand words", as I can convey the story through pictures and not have to the problem of finding the right words to describe events as they occur. But the drawback of it is the fact that I cannot invite others to be involved and help expand the story. In short, I'm in the middle of a mid-story-life crisis, contemplating on how and if I should proceed. It sucks, I know... But what else can I do but question my position at the current moment?

That's about it for now. Any feedback is welcome.

A long overdue update:

Before I begin, I apologize for the long period of time in which it has taken me to post some sort of update. It's just film school has been chaotic for the past couple of months and since we're starting the new term today, I haven't had a real chance to get a word in edgewise for an update.

Now, onto the news. Remember that user I told you about, hehther? If not, here's a quick update: I originally commissioned her back in June to not only use her D'anna (Three) Sim and Sharon (Eight) Sim for "The Sims 2", but to also make the four Cylon models I need for "The Sims 2". After that, she sort of disappeared from the forum I ran into her at, I tried to find a way to e-mail her or some sort of other contact, out of concern that maybe something bad had happened. Well, I found she had a YouTube account and sent her a PM back in October. Still, there was no response. However, over the past weekend, I received a PM from her at YouTube to let me know she was alive and well, and the reason for not hearing from her in such a long time was due to her being pregnant and that she was sort of busy getting things settled before the child's birth. She has informed me that she still plans on making the Sims I need if I am willing to wait for it. Since I've waited this long, why not?

What does this mean? This means that, as of right now, the series is still on and a go. However, it doesn't mean that I am not going to be doing anything in the mean time. I have decided to work on a couple of smaller works that tie into the storyline for the "Odyssey" storyline, including a short fic called "Transcript", which is meant to be a chat log between seven models of Cylon on Picon, including a couple of Cylons that show up regularly in the series. I plan on doing some smaller comics dealing with the individual characters of the main group. And I'm still trying to pre-plot some events in the series run (such as the one year jump that occurs in the actual show, if I want to include the cast in the New Caprica setting or keep them aboard a Basestar during the period of time), as well as construct more "sets" in "The Sims 2".

I have also acquired a new useful game mod called "Garry's Mod", which I can use to make some setting shots that the characters can be green-screened onto in addition to green screening them into live action shots (as I have done the test shot for), as well as possibly execute one sequence I have long planned to perform with "Grand Theft Auto San Andreas". All I can say it may be more useful than I expect.

I have acquired "The Plan" and have watched it. Despite it answering some questions, it doesn't address the details I noticed throughout the series run. So, that means these details are going to be expressed in the comic series.

I know, not much of an update. But it is better than nothing.