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Buda5 chat (v2.0)
Indie
Moderator
I think we should try this again sometime. This time perhaps with more people participating... ;)
btw, we've got everything we need to start writing the campaign. Some special ships are still missing, but we've got all the essentials. However, first I'd like to solve the jumppoint and fighter combat issues for good.
btw, we've got everything we need to start writing the campaign. Some special ships are still missing, but we've got all the essentials. However, first I'd like to solve the jumppoint and fighter combat issues for good.
Comments
While I can't really help too much with the jump point, I did release the Beta for fighter combat a little while back, and I got no detailed feedback apart from Roi.
May I suggest that if we are to get the fighter combat sorted out, you check out the Fighter Combat test (see thread lower down) and see what you think. The only problem I have with it personally is that sometimes the hit after-effects are suspended in mid-air. This I consider a small trade off for actually being able to hit the buggers.
P.S.
we don't ignore you! Buda5 is a love inducive team! here at buda5 we all love one another! :)
EDIT:
OH OH OH OH! i just came up with the name for the explorer campaign.... Buda5: Journey of Shadows. :)
[B]In 2259, a crew of Interplanetary expiditions scientists, under the
[...]
i just came up with the name for the explorer campaign.... Buda5: Journey of Shadows. :) [/B][/QUOTE]
Hehe, where is the video for it? ;) :)
Good idea of the name .. but how it'll fits with the story? (I haven't considered much about it)
As far as fight combat goes, I have a plan to solve the problems you mentioned :)
Good name BTW.
[QUOTE][i]Originally posted by Indie [/i]
[B]However, first I'd like to solve the jumppoint and fighter combat issues for good. [/B][/QUOTE]Did you try new Buda.pkg I made a while ago? It worked just fine with the two tests I provided with it and point works fine in skirmish generator too. Skirmish does have it's own issues but I didn't have any with jumppoint. You just have to remember to start jumppoint task with Task.Detach(start Buda.JumpToJumpgate(....) ); so task won't stop in middle of jumping if task which called jump ends before jumppoint task. However if you notice some issues then tell about it and I try to solve it. Now we only need capital ship jump without jumpgate and probably also exiting to hyperspace (orange jumppoint). It's just that I'm not sure how to do jumping to hyperspace (through gate). Also how we are going to "stop" mission? Does player always go to it's capital ship or what?
For Roi: how you can do that when mission ends you go back to interface without having to press esc and then quit button. Like when I kill all ships in skirmish and I'm alive, I want that it goes back to Gui screen.
[QUOTE][i]Originally posted by Warlord II [/i]
[B]Also how we are going to "stop" mission? Does player always go to it's capital ship or what?[/B][/QUOTE]
Back to capital (explorer ship), back to "wing" cap ships (does we have any at the campaign?), stranded on an unknown planet, on a forsaken wreck and so on .. many possibilities.
[QUOTE][B]For Roi: how you can do that when mission ends you go back to interface without having to press esc and then quit button. Like when I kill all ships in skirmish and I'm alive, I want that it goes back to Gui screen.[/B][/QUOTE]
For the skirmish generator it should be so. Due to all groups are created completely at the beginning of the mission it's easy to script: Write a new task (Detach it from mission handler task) with a schedule function included that proofs if Group.Count (I don't remember the correct spelling of the function) of every Group = 0. When it's true, you should pause the Mission Handler task (with Task.Suspend) or if you want the mission to be finished, destroy it (like I assume for Skirmish Generator, so use Task.Destroy) and put your wanted GUI screen over it (with iGUI.OverlayCustomScreen).
Maybe then the back button doesn't work properly so you have to include an overlay remove (GUI.RemoveLastOverlay), but that have to be tested out.
PS: Could you solve the ship appearing prob with skirmish? Maybe - what I wrote to you - the observations of Aurora could be interesting for the solution.
[QUOTE][i]Originally posted by Roi Danton [/i]
[B]Maybe then the back button doesn't work properly so you have to include an overlay remove (GUI.RemoveLastOverlay), but that have to be tested out.
PS: Could you solve the ship appearing prob with skirmish? Maybe - what I wrote to you - the observations of Aurora could be interesting for the solution. [/B][/QUOTE]Well, I remember trying overlay removing but if I remember right it crashed game or only some black screen appeared. Are you sure all screens between mission and our GUI are overlays?
The word of today is Random :).... Ships appear...or not.
Indie: Before starting to make campaign we really need to make document what's going to happen overall and detailed for each mission. Otherwise it's not going to work if everyone just starts making missions.
[QUOTE][i]Originally posted by Warlord II [/i]
[B]
Indie: Before starting to make campaign we really need to make document what's going to happen overall and detailed for each mission. Otherwise it's not going to work if everyone just starts making missions. [/B][/QUOTE]
Yep. And thats also why I want the chat before we start. We already have some docs about the campaign, but they are a bit out of date.
Buda5: Journey of Shadows - Sounds good and it fits in a way concidering the trip is a miserable experience for everyone involved. Thats one possibility. :)
Oh, and what was that? A fighter combat test? Morte, is it? Are you with the buda5 team too? (j/k) ;):D:p
[QUOTE][i]Originally posted by Warlord II [/i]
[B]Well, I remember trying overlay removing but if I remember right it crashed game or only some black screen appeared. Are you sure all screens between mission and our GUI are overlays?[/B][/QUOTE]
With that I don't have practice experiences ... that has to be tested.
Otherwise you have to use the function:
GUI.RemoveOverlaysAfter( "MISSION SCREEN" ); (don't know the name for that Screen yet)
Due to that everyone of us seems to have much ideas, we really should do a Brainstorming before we begin to work on the campaign.
And b/c not everybody has enough money to travel to a meeting i.e. in New Zealand we should do a chat?
--> Logic, have you find out how chat works with trillian? Then we could chat spontaneous sometimes when we see us at ICQ.
I would prefer at thursday morning around 11am (GMT).
About the time, I would prefer evenings (after 18.00/6pm my time (+2gmt)) because then I'm not getting phone bill but I guess I can come at daytime too for a hour or two if others can't make it otherwise. At weekend anytime is fine, if I'm home that is.
[QUOTE][i]Originally posted by Warlord II [/i]
[B]Now we only need capital ship jump without jumpgate and probably also exiting to hyperspace (orange jumppoint). It's just that I'm not sure how to do jumping to hyperspace (through gate). [/B][/QUOTE]
I think the easiest way is to place an l-point inside the gate, start the opening animation and give an AI ship orders to jump through the point. This is how we did it in v1.0. This is purely theoretical and I haven't tried it yet. One possible problem is that the AI avoids collission with the gate.
Needs testing. And a larger jumpgate.
As for capital ship jumping, I use the old jumppoint script for that in the Escort mission. It works, but the ship comes out out of alignment. We just need to replace the point with a better one.
Only problem in making jumpgate in l-point is blue/red wireframe which can't be removed (at least I don't know how). One possibility would be to make invisible waypoint in the centre of jumpgate.
At first: Sorry to Warlord and Morte that we didn't inform you but as we - Indie, Logic and me - have spoken to each other at ICQ we spontaneous decided to open a Chat session.
The pure protocol is attached to this message (means I did no postwork on it) - so for Sanfam .. it contains MUCH spoilers of the campaign .. and something that isn't suitably for people under 18 :o :D (I don't mean ya Sanfam ;) ).
It contains the overview about the mission of the explorer campaign, about the main characters and some "extras".
Indie meant he'll summarize our thoughts if/when he have time.
1) Sheridan comments that "you would be supremely lucky to see two of her kind in your lifetime" when the explorer ship drops in- it obviously isn't a frequent occurance. The resupply would probably take place in Earth space at a facility. Having it here would also allow the player a first mission as a training mission of sorts to get used to the ship (because they handle quite differently to normal IW2 ships, especially if we use the zoomed cockpit I made). However, the 2nd or 3rd mission could be going to pick up crew from B5 while the ship waits in a different area, giving the chance for the raider attack a possibility (though the Narns attacking is probably more likely since the raiders don't reappear until B5 splits from the EA, probably because the EA stops policing the area).
2) A psi amp isn't exactly shadow style- they hate telepaths. A shadow psi blocker, however, is far more they're style, and psi-corp would be very interested in this. Obviously, since the shadows don't use the artifact in normal service there has to be something wrong with it- like it sends the person using it mad or something similar.
3) The mission where the Centauri betray the explorer shouldn't involve going toe to toe with it but running away- the explorer can't jump for some reason, but luckily the centauri mis-jumped and are out of weapons range. The explorer then heads for the asteroid belt where the Narns are hiding. Unfortunatly the centauri advisor managed to sabotage the Omega's computer banks before leaving, meaning it can't fire or launch fighters. It being closer to the centauri than the Explorer ship, the centauri launch fighters to disable it. You have to defend it while it makes a dash for the asteroid belt.
After this, you could have a mission where you meet up with the Narns, who help you repair the Omega, and you launch a full on assault on the centauri cruiser with the Omega, the G'Quan while the explorer ship in the background provides fighter support.
4) Instead of having the shadows turn up and destroy the explorer ship when you get the artifact, how about a shadow ship jumps in, then jumps out a minute later. Everyone's like "Woah, that was close". On the way back, however, something sinister starts happening to the crew. The artifact is sending them all mad, until the crew destroy their own ship in a fit of madness OR Cataclysm style: The artifact lures a psi cop into it's presence, and devours him. The thing that was the psi cop then runs into another person, mutating him and this goes on until fully half the crew are maddened, mutated killing machines. The captain realises the situation is hopeless and begins to abandon the ship, after which he self destructs it. Or it could become completly under shadow control and escape, maybe turning up later with shadow armour and really cooly mutated. Of course that has striking simularity with Cataclysm, but the idea is a good'un and used many times before. We also know shadow technology has this capability.
Anyways, I reckon the artifact should be destroyed (if it isn't, why didn't EA or Psi-Corp use it) or maybe "Confiscated" by the Vorlons- like they did with Death Walker.
5) If we want to destroy the escort, how about it departs after the centauri attack, and when it comes back, it's got a new crew- and tries to kill you. Clarke wouldn't care about the centauri attacking a few ppl out on the rim, especially if by this time "Severed Dreams" had occurred and he considered the crew of the Explorer and escort liable to join the wrong side.
Have a butt load of ideas as well, so I'd better wait for the chat to say more...
So that would be 4 O'Clock in the afternoon for me... should be alright, but it'll cost me 1p a minute since it's only free after 6 :rolleyes:
Besides it doesn't change anything that radically.
Some notes:
I comment Morte's post only for the part "especially if by this time "Severed Dreams" had occurred". Wasn't in the chat idea that we end campaign to Severed Dreams. I don't remember exactly what was final desicion (bad memory or too late) but here we come to my idea. There was suggestion that player was a Clark supporter and he could in the end choose which side he takes. I think it would be pretty easy to do in scripters view because you just have Global string "player side" and in last mission you check that value and start one of the two mission tasks. Then as Clarks side you could attack Babylon 5 and in other side defend B5. That's just a thought and campaign can be ended in many ways (Indie's mystic..). Anyways it's tempting to end campaign in Severed Dreams battle (imo), not that other ways wouldn't be good. Severed Dreams can also be done as separate scenario and have nothing to do with campaign.
About story persons deaths. Specifically wingmens. It's obvious we want to kill some of them during story but that means we have to keep them alive. How? Pretty hard because currently Starfury is dead from one clear shot from Omega pulse. It's pretty harsh to have mission failed if one wingmen dies and when player finishes mission and in gui he looks "oh one wingmen dead" and thinks "whatever" and goes to next mission. To have continuity story people should be alive after mission even if player doesn't mind much.
I had something else too but I knew I should have done notes while reading log. Now I don't remember anymore and should read log again (which I'm not doing in 2am).
[QUOTE][i]Originally posted by Warlord II [/i]
[B]About story persons deaths. Specifically wingmens. It's obvious we want to kill some of them during story but that means we have to keep them alive. How? Pretty hard because currently Starfury is dead from one clear shot from Omega pulse. It's pretty harsh to have mission failed if one wingmen dies and when player finishes mission and in gui he looks "oh one wingmen dead" and thinks "whatever" and goes to next mission. To have continuity story people should be alive after mission even if player doesn't mind much.[/B][/QUOTE]
He, a good mention. For normal [i]attack[/i] or [i]defend[/i] missions we could do it like in X-Wing .... the pilot ejects on destroying the StarFury and then a rescue shuttle comes from the explorer to pick him up. That wouldn't work with [i]hide and salvage[/i] missions but for that we'll find another way
... we should clear out that in the chat due to forum isn't good for quick discussions.
@Morte:
4)
Idea with the mad crew sounds fine but isn't relizeable that easy in a space sim .. have to do with a video ... I don't have to say more ;) .
The EA and Psi doesn't use the artifact b/c player recognizes the danger comes from it so he "beam it up" to hyperspace (with the infos he'll find on the wreck) ... or we make it as a branch with different possibilities at the end of the campaign.
5) @Destroy of the Escort: Like I said, this happens in my single mission of the Mission Packet so don't mind. We only have to clear out, which characters are on the escort so I already use the same names in my mission.
Edit: We'll use ICQ. (despite the bugs)
Edit: Changed time to 18:00 GMT - suits Roi better.
Buda5 chat summary
July 24th, 2003
Indie, Roi Danton and LogicSequence participating
Very short campaign plot summary: An exploration group is sent to search and recover an ancient shadow artifact. At first, only the command staff and IPX people know the true nature of the mission.
The Exploration group is: Explorer ship and a single escort (omega class?). The Psi corps mothership idea was dropped. If the corps have their own ship it will follow in secret.
The artifact: It was suggested that the artifact is a psionic amplifier which enhances a telepath's abilities. The shadows don't have powerful teeps since the vorlons know more about the subject - hence they created a psi amp to improve weaker teeps.
Another possibility was psi jammer designed to blanket a battlefield and render jamming of shadow vessels impossible.
The artifact is an organic living creature and is relatively small. It was also concidered that it is large enough to be seen in a mission, but this idea was dropped.
Regarding the primitive aliens: They don't have jump engines and use slug throwers as weapons. In every way they are inferior to earth tech, but there are a lot of them.
Hulk object discovered prior to destruction of explorer: This is a long abandoned ancient firstones freighter. It does not function initially. The shadows cannot scan through it's hull so it will serve as a good hiding place.
Branches: There will not be major branches in the campaign that lead to different missions, but in the final mission the player can choose what he does. There will also be dialogue options that have some impact on how certain missions go.
Characters: The player is an eartforce loyalist who believes the party line initially. In the end he has the chance to switch sides. He starts out low yet advances to wing leader as the campaign progresses.
IPX staff head: Similar to the IPX lady in Thirdspace. Very ambitious - won't let anyone stop her from getting the artifact. Very determined. Too smart and cunning to die so she'll survive the campaign.
PSI corps rep: Friendly and polite on the outside yet has sinister motives within.
Wingmen: Chilhood friends from nebraska were concidered too corny. :) Player doesn't know much about his wingmen, but they get to know eachother become friend over time.
"Scoring system": Ethics, greed and loyalty point system was mentioned, but it was concidered too hard to implement. Perhaps player choices only have impact on final mission.
Other: A "fasten-zip" conversation during a transit flight will be included as an in-joke. :)
Sex: Unfortunately, there won't be sex scenes in the campaign. :)