Vince T's X-Wing HQ Blog

Here it is, the next of the XQ-Platforms! The prototype for this model has laid dormant for over 15 years. The station comes with a custom hangar and 4 subtly different hangar maps to match the faction of your choosing. You can check out more details and screenshots here !   Note: Since the XWA Upgrade Team has moved away from individual installers in favor of cummulative update packages, I have now also retired all individual XWAU Downloads  on my site. This does not impact my other creations.   XWA Upgrade Mega Patch 2020 Update 1 Released The XWA Upgrade has released the first Major Update to the Mega Patch 2020! Along with the XQ2 Platform this Update contains new releases, updated items and bug fixes, all rolled into one package. The previous Fix Pack 1 is also included. Special Effects v1.5: Blue Max has updated and improved on areas of his great Effects package with new procedural shaders for Lava and Explosions. New materials and shaders for the Death Star mi...

Merry Christmas everyone!  It's this time of the year again and Santa Vince's got some goodies for y'all!   It's been exactly 10 years to the date since I've originally released this model as the last of my custom Star Destroyer models. Well now it'll be the first in a line of updated releases. While the model itself is mostly the same it has received a number of updates and improvements: Combined separate hull textures into HD maps Numerous other texture improvements such as toning down some too noisy panel lines, adjusting the number and size of windows to a realistical level Added a reactor bulb Replaced the old engines with new ones, borrowed from the Victory Star Destroyer Removed one gun turret from a really weid position below the bridge Added missing hangar hardpoints Added .ini and .mat files   Added a LOD Along with this release I have also started updating my other models, improving textures and fixing bugs. And new releases are to follow in the comin...

  The wait is over! The XWA Upgrade proudly releases the XWAUP Mega Patch 2020   After months of hardship, development, testing and bugfixing, it is finally here: The newest all-in-one XWAU 2020 patch! The "XWAU 2020 Mega Patch" is a total remake of our old Craft Packs from the ground up. It contains ALL the previous 20 years of releases in one installer. It's all been bundled into a brand new clever installer by DTM and JéreémyaFr. Now there are only a few simple choices it will guide you through that you need to install it and run the game. No more need to download 42 different installers. As part of the pack you get Babu Frik's Configurator, a new program which is accessed from the Game Launcher and allows you to change the game to your liking. You can choose variation versions of the available models, configure the graphic effects and toggle the different options for VR or TrackIR and more. All the choices from the previous XWAU individual installers and more hav...

  The XWA Upgrade and I proudly present: The XQ-1 Platform It's about time I got to work on these! Those who've been following my WIP updates may have seen some early model shots of this station and its sisters. Well here it is, the first of the five remaining XQ-Platforms, ready for you to enjoy! The stations comes with a bunch of new features: 5 Flightgroup colors: Along with the 4 regular color choices, there's a fifth Bonus Flightgroup representing Outpost D-34 from 1998's TIE Fighter Collectors' Edition. This verion is generally brighter in tone as the regular flightgroups and features red and blue markings as well as the Designation "D-34" written ontop in aurabesh letters. Custom Hangar: Thanks to new possibilities in Hangar Setups, you can now have several craft setups for a hangar depending on IFF. Ace Antilles made a whapping different setups for Rebel, Imperial and Neutral environments. And yes, there's more where that came from .... Updated...

  Today I'm announcing two new features for this website. The evolution of VXHQ  The First is an Evolution/History of this website and its various iterations. Believe or not, this is by now version 7! This page actually came together because I was looking for something else and stumbled over some old snapshots from earlier versions. So on this new page you'll find the somewhat parallel evolution of both VXHQ and The Bluephantom website through the course of 17 years.   Blogger-News-Archive Alright, so the new blog function is great and all, however, I didn't see myself carrying over 60+ ancient news posts from 2003 to 2015, therefore I've now found a suitable workaround. I've now set up a blogger account which allows me to post the old news fairly quickly and without much hassle. Those posts I can then include into this website via a special Blogger widget. So if you're ever feeling nostalgic and want to check out what I've been up to in 2006, check it out!

  "WHAT? No more WIPs? How can you do this? I hate you!" Alright, hear me out! Yes, I'm closing down the Workbench Section but the WIPs will remain. As of now, every ship has a singular profile page, this goes for new WIPs as well as remakes of existing ships. Now, the latter are the thing: Since right now they were linked to from two different pages, the whole thing was a bit redundant and a slight mess to administrate. Therefore, from now on my various WIPs will be featured directly under their respective theme section and will be flagged as WIPs accordingly. So, for example All available XWAU Downloads as well as all respective WIPs will be featured directly in the XWA Upgrade section, same for the Blue Phantom, Episode III or Standalone models. This should make the site less redundant and make things easier for me to keep updated. I will still be posting workbench spotlights of selected Models, using the blog system.  So, down the line, nothing's lost and all is...

On August 14 2000 the XWAU released it's first big update: the Rebel Fighter Patch . The actual website was around for a little longer but this was the first XWAU milestone you could say. Many talented people have contributed to the XWAU over the years and 20 years on we are still here! Because this anniversary seemed too good to pass up the team put together this week of celebration. All of the previews and more I have posted this week are now live and in the Downloads page for you to enjoy. Imperial II-class Star Destroyer v2.0 This Starship has been a while in the making and many hands have been hard at work on the Opt. Originally converted from SW Galaxies by Driftwood, DTM tuned it and added cool Flightgroup colours. But, this wouldn't be a Star Destroyer with me getting my hands dirty on it, at least a bit. So I chimed in and did some overhauling of my own, improving various bits and pieces here and there to make it more screen accurate where possible. The new model feat...

I have finally redirected the original URL https://vince-t.com from the old website to this one and made it the site's primary domain. The link vxhq.net will continue to redirect to the new link. If you have this website bookmarked or are linking to it, please update your links accordingly. In addition I have set a number of subdomains for the various sections of this site: https://xwaupgrade.vince-t.com or https://xwau.vince-t.com https://bluephantom.vince-t.com or https://bpc.vince-t.com https://workbench.vince-t.com or https://wip.vince-t.com https://episode3.vince-t.com https://standalone.vince-t.com

  The Blue Phantom update release run continues with the XT-30 Piranha The next BPC ship to be ported over form the old website is the XT-30 Piranha. Along with updating the readme file I've made some tweaks to the ship itself: - Fixed some shading errors - Created all new .mat files for Base, Exterior and Cockpit model - Created an .ini file - Updated the cockpit screen textures, sort of as a lead-up for a possible Dynamic Cockpit - integration at a later point. So that's about it for now. Now get out there and have fun!

Out of the blue I have some updates for you!   Executor-class Super Star Destroyer v2.0 This one came out of a troubleshooting effort, as with one of the newer hook versions, certain ships would no longer appear in the CMD when targeted. To counter this, I provided this one with a LOD model, which it had long been missing because of old texture limits. Aaaand while I was at it, I did a few moe things. Combined main hull textures into HD maps. Added a LOD model, updated INI file to load LOD into targeting screen Updated Flightgroups: Default, Imperial, New Republic, First Order, XWA Upgrade Added a material file.  But we're not done yet! ATR-6 Assault Transport v2.1 This is just a minor update. I spotted some issues with the color of the engine glows, so I updated those the way I actually wanted them. Fixed some texture illumination bugs Fixed engine glow colors Added a material file So that's it for now. Now get out there and have fun! ...

The first of the Blue Phantom-themed OPTs to receive a 2020 update!   Following the re-release of the TIE Revenant, I have started to update my various Blue Phantom-themed ships.  First to go is the XT-1 Viper . So here's what's new: Fixed some shaiding errors Created all new .mat files for Base, Exterior and Cockpit model Created an .ini file, UPMF ships now finally get blue lasers like they're supposed to. Tweaked some stats, for its age the Viper was astonishingly fast .... So that's about it for now. I'm sure I'll be making a re-release of it some time, but for now enjoy some nice old-school vibe. That's all, now get out there and have fun!

  The former TIE Reaper has been renamed TIE Revenant and Released with a few new goodies   It's been a while since I wanted to update this ship and with the VSD v2 done I finally got around to it.  This is not an actual model update - that one's somewhere on my long toDo list but it's a stat- and info upgrade. First thing, I've changed the name. With Disney introducing a canon TIE Reaper Troop Transport in Rogue One, I wanted to keep this ship distinctive. And after some deliberation went for the name TIE Revenant. Secondly, I've added some material files, so, if you're using Blue_max' effects patch, you'll no longer have bump mapping on glass elements or cockpit screens. Thirdly, I've tweaked the ship's stats. While it's still faster than your average TIE fighter, I've reduced its speed from 120 to 110 MGLT and dialed its maneuverability down to be somewhat on par with that of an X-Wing. Next, to compensate for the nerf...

  Happy Star Wars Day from all of us at The X-Wing Alliance Upgrade Project!   In 2000 the XWAUP released its first upgrade the Rebel Fighter Patch. TWENTY years later and we are still going strong! Members have come, gone and come back again but there are still amazing old and new talented people working to improve X-Wing Alliance for you. XWAU Victory-class Star Destroyer The Victory-class Star Destroyer returns in never-before seen detail! This iconic imperial warship has received a complete visual and functional overhaul and comes loaded with new features and goodies. 6 Flightgroups: Default, Crimson Command, New Republic, Old Republic, Old 'n rusty, Damaged. Working S-Foils: The ship will now open its wings as it emerges from Hyperspace and close them before jumping out. Custom Hangar OPT with two launch variations: Ground or TIE racks. And yes, the Victory II will be coming in the future.   TIE Fighter Dynamic Cockpits v1.0 DTM and Darksaber have released the n...

 XWA Upgrade's blue_max has released his amazing VR and graphics mod in a neat package. The current version 1.1.2 includes: - New high-res generated Hyperspace animations - New shader effects (bloom, SSAO, SSDO) - Dynamic Lighting from Lasers - VR / TrackIR support. - Cockpit inertia Also, in addition, DTM has released his first batch of upgraded Fighter Cockpits, now supporting Dynamic and Active Cockpit. This package includes: - A-Wing - X-Wing - Y-Wing Check out both releases over at the XWA Upgrade Website !

Our very own DTM has put together a fantastic video showcasing the phenomenal evolution of XWA since its release in 1999. The footage you see is 100% authentic, unedited ingame magic and one of the reasons, why we still keep at it after all this time.  Enjoy!  

Phew! That was a treat. Finally completed properly mapping all the tiny bits of the trench details from front to back. Now to put the same amout of work into the superstructure ... yay -_- Also remodeled some hangar bay details and finally got around to remodel the so far low-detail tractor beam projectors, which were placeholders, left over from Matt's never released ISD2. Meanwhile work on the actual textures continues and they're starting to look way less blank as I progress. But wait, there's more!  First go on the new VSD-2 OK, here we go! Let's start by taking the VSD1 wings, moving them a bit further inward to make the trench inbetween a bit wider. Next I took some more time to make some serious changes to the new closed wings. I've moved away from the ribbed look which they had on the VSD1 and made them look as being actual protrusions from the hull, adding some greeblies etc. Also changed the engine layout from 2/2 to 3/4. Now to rework the housing...