Open Source TC

Project: Destination Unknown. Interesting. Why not?

Re the deadline for storyline ideas: I say hold the phone. The project was only announced yesterday, and we're still in the preliminary-preliminary stages of the thing. I say we should give it another week or two before we pool together the ideas we have and decided which one/s is/are the best for the TC. It'll give other members who may not have a chance to drop in as often as us a chance to slip in some ideas.

This post has been edited by JacaByte : 16 October 2008 - 09:36 PM

@0101181920, on Oct 16 2008, 08:23 PM, said in Open Source TC:

I don't see it. What's it called?

Look for Void TC.rtf

I hadn't added it to dropbox when I made the post. It is 4 pages of one quickly-typed scenario idea. It has been a pet TC of mine for a few months, but hasn't gotten much attention on account of a bigger pet TC. I have a few more specific ideas for factions, tensions, planets, etc. that I've not included in the writeup. They'll come out as we discuss Void TC, if we discuss Void TC.

On principle, I think picking a name, other than a working title, is a pretty silly thing.

A Monday deadline seems a bit quick in my eyes. I'll surely think of another TC idea in a week though. Next Friday, perhaps?

Werhner

This post has been edited by Werhner : 27 October 2008 - 01:34 PM

Ah, found it. Interesting.

I guess I'll relent and change it to next Friday, should we take that long. I really don't want to spend too much time coming up with a general concept for a scenario. Details such as backstory, factions, etc. can always be worked out as we go and elements can always be changed. If we spend too much time choosing a scenario, we'll never get anywhere.

Anyways, I'm not concerned about a name right now, one will come up eventually. Destination Unknown works for a working title, but we shouldn't really be concerned about the TC's final name at the moment.

Actually, minor revision suggestion for the project title. Destination: Unknown. It just sounds cooler. And I agree, we'll (or you will, I probably won't be so involved in that section) be fleshing it out as we go. We don't need the whole thing written now.

i have worked with LNSU on a TC based on a seperate community we both are involved in, and if we get approval i think that a sizeable portion of a TC could be provided *note- its been so long since discussion has been had with this TC, im not even sure how far it got. i know we had a playable game, but there was no polish on it.)

and this is kinda making me want to bust out the ol' editor and start crackin at it again.

@werhner, on Oct 16 2008, 11:34 PM, said in Open Source TC:

Look for Void TC.rtf

I hadn't added it to dropbox when I made the post. It is 4 pages of one quickly-typed scenario idea. It has been a pet TC of mine for a few months, but hasn't gotten much attention on account of a bigger pet TC. I have a few more specific ideas for factions, tensions, planets, etc. that I've not included in the writeup. They'll come out as we discuss Void TC, if we discuss Void TC.

On principle, I think picking a name, other than a working title, is a pretty silly thing.

A Monday deadline sounds a bit quick in my eyes. I'll surely think of another TC idea in a week though. Next Friday, perhaps?

Werhner

Void TC is actually a name for another TC which may or may not exist. I'm not really supposed to mention it, but it is pretty cool.

@robtom: Do you still have your enigmanova files? the aresaxis.us/enigmanova was taken down, and I lost my copies.

Looks like you were concerned about the title. As far as I've heard about game developments, they usually come up with a name, but they're mostly referred to "Codenames", a temporary name that a developer uses to identify the project until they eventually come up with an official name that best reflects what the game is all about. Of course there are rare cases where codenames do end up becoming the official title. For example, Marathon.

As for the story and plots. I agree that the deadline should be extended. Coming up with a plot takes more work IMO. You first have to develop a background story, a history as how the current scenario came to be about. Only then do you actually start working on plots. If this is going to be a TC, then it's likely there will be more than one major strings depending what the universe is going to be like, and then down the line, you have subplots and minor strings. I say this is something to consider.

Might I suggest some kind of version control?

Notice: I've added my own progress log and donated a graphic of Earth that I made in the past, because I thought the one in the seed looked cruddy. I don't know how it looks in game, so bear with me.

I have the greatest enthusiasm for this project. I've got a few scenario ideas that have been floating around for a while. Dr. Trowel helped me with an idea for an alien race that could be interesting. In a nutshell the race has a larval stage where they are highly mechanical and build things. At a certain age they metamorphose into a mature form that's immobile, but extremely good at abstract thought and always quite brilliant. I've got a few other scraps of ideas that range from wacky to cliche. What direction do you want to go with this thing?

I won't commit to doing any coding at this point, but I do know my way around Mission Computer if it comes to that. I'd be willing to do some landing pictures and maybe a few ships. I'll do writing too. And I'll try to test, even though Nova doesn't play well with my iMac.

@prophile, on Oct 17 2008, 02:09 PM, said in Open Source TC:

Might I suggest some kind of version control?

There will be a main file(s) that'll be updated periodically with the up-to-date content.

Anyways, went ahead and put Jaca's graphic into the seed. The graphic in the seed was just one laying around from the old shipyards and such. I think it was meant for EVC or EVO.

For the Void TC, it's an interest concept, but too similar to the one I just walked away from for my tastes. If we were to do it though, I'd suggest also including the option to play as those outside the pocket.

This post has been edited by JoshTigerheart : 17 October 2008 - 05:44 PM

Remember the ability to have the player start in random systems based out of the char resource? Maybe that could be used to govern which "pocket" of space the player ends up in, and allow him/her to play a regional storyline as a result. Of course, that could be both a blessing and a curse, as storyline availability would be based around the players' location.

@jacabyte, on Oct 17 2008, 03:51 PM, said in Open Source TC:

Remember the ability to have the player start in random systems based out of the char resource? Maybe that could be used to govern which "pocket" of space the player ends up in, and allow him/her to play a regional storyline as a result. Of course, that could be both a blessing and a curse, as storyline availability would be based around the players' location.

Good idea, although there are also other sources of randomness just in case we need, say the player to start with some kind of introduction.

destination unknown is the name of a song. attempt not to look at the screen while you listen to it. the link is http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oWLlFVmiMrg...feature=related

on the topic of ideas i have had this idea for a TC a main government and a rebel group. but the main thing for this TC is the combat system you have giant carrier ships 1 1/2 by 4 inches and destroyers would be very good against carriers but the fighters released by the carriers would be able to beat the crap out of the destroyers. so the carriers would have a lot of fighters and not many weapons lots of shields/armor. destroyers would have lots of REALLY powerful weapons
but not much point defense power so they would be very weak against a horde of fighters. and fighters, a horde is good against everything, but one fighter sucks.
I hope you like my idea.

@nonconventionally-creative, on Oct 17 2008, 05:14 PM, said in Open Source TC:

Good idea, although there are also other sources of randomness just in case we need, say the player to start with some kind of introduction.

Heh, introductions from different regions of space would be interesting. I think I could use a modified version of the method I'm using in CTC-C to split the intro in two just to achieve that effect; it's a possibility.

This post has been edited by JacaByte : 17 October 2008 - 06:24 PM

Regarding char start locations, why not make it so that the storyline depends on where the player picks up the first mission, or which mission it is based on location, but make it so that the location of the player only makes it easier for that storyline to be picked up, not a locked-in-option. Give the player some time to build up cash and explore by limiting the first story missions with crons until a few months after the game starts.

Here's what I picture: Destination Unknown should be playable at every stage. That is, any content you add shouldn't crash the game, and shouldn't conflict with what's already there. Make what you need, or make placeholders and ask for improvements.

You have a seed system, Sol.

Now people start developing their own systems and connecting them to the existing ones.

In general, you alter other people's systems as little as possible unless they request otherwise.

As people need to, they'll make ships, dudes, spobs, and other resources. Descriptions should be made "as needed". Small missions are likely pop up everywhere, with mission strings to come later.

Now with just a few guidelines, this project will grow "freestyle":

- New governments should be agreed on by general consensus

- Jump routes never cross (unless by general consensus)

- Max of 6 jump links per system (ditto)

- Max of 4 planets per system (ditto)

- Any wormholes/hypergates must be agreed on by general consensus

- Make every resource self-explanatory (ie. don't try to "hide" stuff from other devs)

- Use unambiguous resource names: FACTION TITLE CLASS (ie. Human Fighter
Shipyard Image, Imperial Laser Cannon Weapon, Alien Rush Delivery Offer Text)

I picture a sort of Wiki-esque "self-policing" whereby the universe will be made self-consistent (for example, no more than one planet is the birthplace of humanity).

Once this takes wing and there is a decent-sized human space, possibly with multiple factions, a second "seed" system far from human space could be planted for the development of an alien race. That way every species will "migrate naturally" from its homeworld, until they bump into each other. Then wars or trade or technology swapping storylines can start. But we're not there yet. Right now I think the "one system at a time" approach will yield a good human sector of the galaxy.

I can make up system and planet names.