Parallel Universes

Solace

Are there any TC's being developed at the moment involving the use of parallel universes as a main feature? If P.U.'s are just a minor feature then don't bother to write, but I've been working for a while now on a TC and its just occured that if someone else is using P.U.'s as a major part of the storyline etc. then I may have to modify things....
Well, anyone?

Also, anyone know of a map editor that works? One would be very helpful.

Would any object to TC's being released in future using the original Nova graphics, as a 'taster' of the end product? I know from experience that one of the best things about a TC is checking out all of the news landing pictures, ships, explosions etc but, atleast for myself, the gap between finishing all the coding whilst using original graphics and finishing all the coding and enduring the whole process of new graphics can take a very very long time, very possibly half-years. At times I prefer the familiarity of the original graphics to that of, say, Polycon (not to say Polycon is bad, it's a very well done job).
What do you people think? Could you endure a universe whos difference is in the feel completely and not the looks?

Solace

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Your best is good enough

AriosSw

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Originally posted by Solace:
**Also, anyone know of a map editor that works? One would be very helpful.

**

EVONE's galaxy editor works (see the link in my sig). Be on the look for PB2 which includes significant enhancements in pretty much every area. It will be available later this month.

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(url="http://"http://www.ariossoftware.com")Arios SoftWare(/url)
(url="http://"http://www.ariossoftware.com/programs/evone/")EVONE 1.0.0 - the plugin editor for EV/EVO/EVN(/url)

Kate

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Originally posted by Solace:
Are there any TC's being developed at the moment involving the use of parallel universes as a main feature?

Do you mean universes parallel to Nova's, or to ours? I'm not sure if I can help you with the question, curious though.

-K

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Art History = Cool!
...and yes, I'm odd.
"The pigeons are coming! The pigeons are coming!" -Kate

Masamune

I wouldn't mind a TC with Nova's graphics, especially if I knew graphics were coming. Only problem is motivation- if a bunch of people play the plug with the old stuff, and beat the hell out of it that way, they are not going to go play it through again just to do it with the graphics- they might not even bother to DL the new graphics.

So, while I wouldn't mind, I don't think it's a great idea. I'd hold on to it until it was complete. And as a note, if you can get the coding DONE, it should be ALOT easier to recruit 3D artists- greatly improving time-to-market.

Just my 2 cents

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~Charlie

Commander Arashi

Quote

Originally posted by Solace:
**Are there any TC's being developed at the moment involving the use of parallel universes as a main feature? If P.U.'s are just a minor feature then don't bother to write, but I've been working for a while now on a TC and its just occured that if someone else is using P.U.'s as a major part of the storyline etc. then I may have to modify things....
Well, anyone?

Solace

**

I think the idea is robust enough to stand several versions. I've put foreward the idea before of placing at least one "map" (i.e. a number of stars with jump routes between them) that is isolated from the main map and reached only by wormhole or hypergate. This could be the same universe at a different time period, a current-time line parrallel universe, or even a set of dimensions not entirely equivalent; aka a sort of subspace or warp space (re., for instance, "Doc" Smith's "Subspace Explorers" or Jame's Schmidtz's "A Fine Day for Screaming.")

Of course, you might just be speaking of an Alternate History...

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PINKERTON: I am no expert in Ornithology.

Solace

Thanks very much for EVONE, its pretty damn handy

Kate: Well, in a way Nova is parallel to ours as it features Sol, Earth etc. But it's more of a continuation of our universe in that it follows our laws of physics etc.

I'm thinking more of 5 universes or so, some more different than others, that all feature the same core systems (Sol, Centuri etc to symbolise the similarity) but have dramatical changes either in physical properties, histories or just ethos' and politics.

Masamune:Point about the graphics...it's one or the other I guess. I think I just need some reassurance that if I can't get graphics together, people will still play the thing..

Commander Arashi: As I said to Kate, it would be a case of 5 or 6 universes, 30 systems each (but with the same core systems for a feel of familiarty and to 'drive the point home') with one link between each universe. The differences would hopefully be in the physics of the universes, but more realistically just in the historical and philosophical stances. One uni will be in a state of 'Brave New World' no-freedom brainwash, whereas another will be on the brink of an uprising (all the usual ), another at war with aliens, and another at peace and prospering scientifically. And on and on.

So apart from my waffling, I think it'll predominantly be based on alternate histories (because thats about as much creativity I can imagine, designing a whole new set of laws for the universe could be quite tricky )

Ta for the replies,
Solace

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Everything all of the time.

nwa728

(url="http://"http://mywebpages.comcast.net/genea16/Rift.html")Rift(/url), which has been under dev for quite some time now, is based around parallel universes. Even though there aree multiple universes, each one has it's own immense backstory, making them seem like different but intertwined games. On the Rift page, in the story section, you'll find laods of info on the backstory of the first universe. We are not, however, revealing anything about the parallel universes. You'll have to find that one once you play. Rift is ridiculously immense, pushing everything to the limits not because it can, but because for a game of its depth and its multiple universes it needs to. (url="http://"http://www.ambrosiasw.com/webboard/Forum9/HTML/001247.html")Here's(/url) the original topic I posted about it back in '01 when it was a fresh idea. Oh, how far we've come since then...

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Apparently, common sense isn't so common...
~Nick

Weepul 884

Originally posted by Solace:

Are there any TC's being developed at the moment involving the use of parallel universes as a
main feature?

Yep. My TC entitled "The Storm", currently at the pre-development stage (conceptualizing and backstory/story/setting creation) has multiple universes as a central feature. I've had this idea for quite a while...a few years, at least...it's currently on hold until I get some simpler plugins under my belt. Assuming I finish anything, it'd probably be my second project. If I feel ambitious, I'll make its sequel.

Your short blurb sounds very similar in concept to this; 5 (at last count) universes, each being more or less physically the same, except as changed by each one's unique history path (eg. in one a massive energy storm ravaged the systems, leaving the government to make do with barren planets and few resources, leading to incredible efficiency), and each has a different philosophy.

Ideas being an infinite pool, however, that's probably where the similarities between our plugins would end. Granted, it's a big overlap. Do as you see fit...but I claim first dibs.

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Commander Arashi

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Originally posted by Solace:
**

(snip)

So apart from my waffling, I think it'll predominantly be based on alternate histories (because thats about as much creativity I can imagine, designing a whole new set of laws for the universe could be quite tricky )

Ta for the replies,
Solace

**

About what I thought your were saying. Exploring alternate histories is an old and respected activity in the world of letters.

It might be interesting if ship behavior changed (no inertia, weapons suddenly much more effective, etc.) but difficult to implement on the vessle you just flew in. Amusingly, current thinking of physicists is that if you changed any of the base assumptions of our universe by even a fraction...mass of electron, charge of proton, etc....we wouldn't exist, stars would never have formed, and even if we could go there we'd probably die pretty quickly.

What amuses me most about working alternate histories in EV is that in most stories a sole explorer "goes through" and walks around shaking his head at all the ways the new place is different from home. I'd like to see the natural human behavior take over...traders are soon running a brisk activity between economies with different focuses, large study groups are out there looking at possibly solutions to problems at home, others are leading invasion fleets on weaker neighbors...which could include weaker versions of themselves!

Were I to do the thing, I'd be tempted to set it up thus; you begin in the "normal" EVN universe and there is no current knowlege of gates. You do the usual cargo runs and so forth, familiarizing yourself with your "home" universe. Then a mission string that ends with you and an experimental vessle travelling to a strange, new, yet oddly familiar, land. As you return the Chrons and mission bits go mad; within a few months new gates are opened by commercial and military interests, ship traffic becomes significant, other universes are contacted, as others follow (in large numbers) where you had pioneered.

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PINKERTON: I am no expert in Ornithology.

mrxak

I once thought of doing a plug involving multiple universes. I eventually laid the idea to rest though, at least for the time being. I think my idea was quite a bit different than the others I've heard about in the works though.

nwa728

Quote

Originally posted by Weepul 884:
5 (at last count) universes, each being more or less physically the same, except as changed by each one's unique history path (eg. in one a massive energy storm ravaged the systems, leaving the government to make do with barren planets and few resources, leading to incredible efficiency), and each has a different philosophy.

Sounds pretty similar to Rift. There will likely be loads of major differences, so I hope they don't turn out too similar. Race you to finish it first :p.

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Apparently, common sense isn't so common...
~Nick

Weepul 884

Originally posted by nwa728:

Sounds pretty similar to Rift. There will likely be loads of major differences, so I hope they don't
turn out too similar. Race you to finish it first .

Well, I did say I wasn't actually working on making the actual plugin yet.

One thing that may or may not be unique to mine is that all 5 dimensions exist at the same time and they are all visible on the map. The player can move between them at will.

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nwa728

Quote

Originally posted by Weepul 884:
One thing that may or may not be unique to mine is that all 5 dimensions exist at the same time and they are all visible on the map. The player can move between them at will.

I actually haven't decided what to do with this yet(even though it's almost time to implement it either way). I suppose I'm leaning more towards using visbits though...it kind of gives the player the feeling that the old universe has been left behind.

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Apparently, common sense isn't so common...
~Nick

Arion

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Originally posted by AriosSw:
EVONE's galaxy editor works

It doesn't!

I once downloaded this program and created 20 systems with it. Only the systems and the connections, no planets. First of all, the program is unable to remember the RIDs and names I give the systems. It always set the RID back to the one it had when it was created and it sets the name back to "untitled".
So I tried to save it (no save feature, only a "do you want to quit without saving" dialog) and open it in ResEdit to rename the files. And what did I see? 7 of the 20 systems survived, the rest was gone.

There once was a program named TC Map Maker. (Downloadable somewhere from one of the addons sites.) You entered height and width of the map and clicked where you wanted the systems. Then you saved. The result was a text file with the coordinates of the systems you created. Alright, it was necessary to enter all this into ResEdit, but it works (and it lets you work :D).

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I'm desperately trying to figure out why kamikaze pilots wore helmets. -Dave Edison