Original boat models.
 

So, we use the large ship model simply because the other boats are hollow on the client, and provide no collision with the players.

So, in my memory, the boats should look like this:

http://i35.tinypic.com/33af2iq.jpg

However, from doing research, I have pics that indicate the large boat was definitely used at some point. The dates are from the file's last modified date.

01/01/99
http://i34.tinypic.com/2ep1yr4.jpg
http://i37.tinypic.com/2a7fx1i.jpg
http://i37.tinypic.com/5e9ttk.jpg
http://i36.tinypic.com/14jub2d.jpg

05/10/99
http://i37.tinypic.com/27y7eds.jpg

Anyone know more about the original boat models? When did this change?

If I recall, I remember the models changing once during the Kunark era, and then once again in Velious.

I could be wrong though..

Also the large boat with the eyes, as far as I know... has always been in the game, just it wasn't used. It sat stationary outside Butcherblock's docks.

As a wizard on live I think I took a boat twice, once to butcher and once again to Velious.

for as long as i can remember (i played from kunark - past luclin) it was always the first boat model, i know this because me and a buddy rolled new toons just to see how far we could travel through the world at level 1, while taking the boat through OOT i was sitting next to the mast of the boat, i suddenly started floating up the mast. i was on the phone with my friends and he told me i was still on the deck. once i reached the top i plummeted to my death, my corpse ending up lodged in the boat out of reach. the boat zoned and my corpse was lost to the abyss, i petitioned but decided to delete my toon cause it was just to mess around.

The boat in Erud's crossing (the model you use now for both) was the model for both during beta. The new boat in Ocean of Tears appeared shortly after humans stopped having white sleeves, and that's the boat everyone loves and remembers.

A while ago I actually considered a hack for the boats involving custom zone objects (ala derision's method) with a PERLXS script attached to update the position of the object every 10ms or less. Just make a nice white block that travels along the boat path. You wouldn't have access to the deck below, but you'd have your solid boat and classically dangerous boat.

I thought the little boats were used for getting around Norrath pre-kunark. The big boat was used to get to OT and FV I thought... Wasnt there little boats that took you to the big boat for the Kunark ones? its been so long.

I was thinking about doing something similar, I'm just not good enough. Simulating a deck/walls out of doors or something invisible and solid, that would path with the boat. People said it was too crazy. :P

P.S. white sleeves ftw.


http://i37.tinypic.com/dxeqkp.jpg

I think you may be getting confused. The boat that took you to FV was much larger. In order to get to Kunark from BB Mountains you would get on smaller tall rafts that would take you to the huge boat. In fact, it was much like a city with shops that were never occupied.

I can see why they ditched the white sleeves on the humans lol. They must have removed them right before I started, because I don't remember human's having sleeves.

I think Itchy is right, those were used in beta.

I could be confused I was 16 when I played back then, so a lot of this is almost new to me.

Yeah I am starting to remember how big that boat was now, I can barely recall riding the boat through OOT honestly, maybe once or twice.

Good luck in figuring this out, I am of no help :P