Tell me watcha think!

(url="http://"http://www20.brinkster.com/greenmonster/Plugins/c.html")http://www20.brinkst.../Plugins/c.html(/url)

Do you guys think it's too ambitious?

I need suggestions for it, specifically: a more concrete plot. Right now, it's the Brittish Empire versus the Pirates.

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(url="http://"http://www.webanimag.com/ayb/")All your smurf are belong to smurf!(/url) )( Generic (url="http://"http://ww.evula.com")EVula(/url) link )( { (url="http://"http://www20.brinkster.com/greenmonster/index.html")s p h e r e(/url) - soon to be complete!

Actually, I love it! Especially because I am doing something similar. But what I want to know is what you are using to make those islands...

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!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!thump

fell over

wow!

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Shemsu Hor.

Quote

Originally posted by Mantaray:
**http://www20.brinkst.../Plugins/c.html

Do you guys think it's too ambitious?

I need suggestions for it, specifically: a more concrete plot. Right now, it's the Brittish Empire versus the Pirates.

**

Wow. That'd be cool if you're able to pull it off.

Plot? Why ruin it with a plot? Just kidding. Try focusing on maybe the ocean battles of the American Civil War, or perhaps the time of the privateer. You could have trade routes for sugar and slaves and things, and have companies that give such missions. Perhaps you're a captain in the British navy and you're trying to build up a reputation. Try to research what was happening in the area during the era, and pick something interesting from that point in time to base a story thread on.

Matrix

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"Nothing is fool-proof to a sufficiently talented fool."

Matrix, are you still working on your gundam plug?

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(being remade better than ever!)

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Originally posted by SpacePirate:
**But what I want to know is what you are using to make those islands...

**

Bryce 5. It took me forever to get the angle right. The sprites'll be rendered at a 50ş angle, like the islands; because I need a change from 45ş, which I'm sick of.

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Originally posted by what_is_the_matrix:
**Try focusing on maybe the ocean battles of the American Civil War, or perhaps the time of the privateer. You could have trade routes for sugar and slaves and things, and have companies that give such missions. Perhaps you're a captain in the British navy and you're trying to build up a reputation. Try to research what was happening in the area during the era, and pick something interesting from that point in time to base a story thread on.

**

Originally, it was going to be based in 1750-ish, so I could work in the Revolutionary War. But then I found out that the Clipper was introduced in 1840-something, and I knew I needed one of those things.

Right now the Governments are American, Merchant, Brittish, Pirate, and Smugglers. Maybe Spanish ships too... <cryptic grin>

Man, I always wanted to say that. So much so, I'll say it again! <cryptic grin>

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(url="http://"http://www.webanimag.com/ayb/")All your smurf are belong to smurf!(/url) )( Generic (url="http://"http://ww.evula.com")EVula(/url) link )( { (url="http://"http://www20.brinkster.com/greenmonster/index.html")s p h e r e(/url) - soon to be complete!

Now that is what I call impressive. A few random ideas that came to me, looking at your image:

  • It looks like you're using a negativew murk value to make the stars invisible. While this looks good, imagine how great it could look if you replaced the star sprites with wave sprites.

  • Using animated spöbs (like the hypergates and wormholes) and animated shďps (like the Auroran cruiser) to attach moving waves to all your sprites would look good too.

  • Unless you've already figured out what shields will be, I should point out (as I'm not sure it's mentioned in the Resource Bible) that you can apparently make the shields bar go away by giving it zero width and zero height. I would think doing this, giving all your ships zero shields, and focussing on armour would give the most authentic results. Of course, I suppose you could have shields be a special type of armour that only some ships have, or just a second layer of armour, or something like that.

  • 'Gold' might be a better currency than 'Pounds', since it's universally accepted, even by pirates and the like. Also, I have a feeling 'Pounds' will make many non-British people think of weight rather than money, and since tons are present in the EV series, confusion could ensue. Unless that's what you wanted to happen. 🙂

Quote

Originally posted by Mantaray:
**< cryptic grin>

Man, I always wanted to say that. So much so, I'll say it again! <cryptic grin>**

Fun, isn't it? 🙂

Edit: Do you want an upcoming plug-ins listing for this on (url="http://"http://www.ev-nova.net/")EV-Nova.net(/url)? Let me know the details if you do.

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David Arthur
(url="http://"http://davidarthur.evula.net/")davidarthur.evula.net(/url): MissionComputer and the Talon plug-in
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(This message has been edited by David Arthur (edited 08-13-2002).)

Ya know, Europeans weren't the only ones who sailed the sea. During 1400 ~ 1600's, the Chinese Ming Dynasty sent out many scout and warships to explore the world. Originally it was assumed that one of the expeditions led by Zheng He only made it to the Southeast Asia and India, but recent discovery (BBC had a report on it a month ago) showed that Zheng He made it all the way to the Americas and Africas. Also, there were many battles on the sea between China and Korea & Japan.

Anyway, it's your plug-in and you can focus on whatever you want. I just wanted to let you know that just because the American education system is Euro-centric, you don't have to be 🙂 Besides, the more factions the more interesting, right?

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Quote

Originally posted by David Arthur:

  • It looks like you're using a negativew murk value to make the stars invisible. While this looks good, imagine how great it could look if you replaced the star sprites with wave sprites.

  • Using animated spöbs (like the hypergates and wormholes) and animated shďps (like the Auroran cruiser) to attach moving waves to all your sprites would look good too.

Yup, I'm gonna do that. The image is a mockup, the real thing should look a bit better. Right now, as a matter of fact, I'm drawing the replacements.

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Drools
Yum
Looks good

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Wow, someone's actually doing one of the things that is talked about non-stop on this board but never actually gets tried. And it's actually a working plug, not a bunch of therotical babble. Good for you, Mantaray.

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My daddy is a Renegade, his name is Hellcat Helian
Wait a second...

::scrapes jaw off floor::

Kudos, man. I wanna see this thing come out. Y'know, I used to have this game, called Pirates! Gold. Really cool. Lots of different ships, cargos, and ports. Only thing I didn't like about it was that you couldn't buy ships, you could only capture them. BTW, I'm an amateur historian, and have always loved that period of history, so if you need some help, just ask. I'll check this thread every once in a while. And trust me, if I don't know, I can find out quickly. Quick hint, it's 'British'. And use Queen's English for the Brit storyline. I can help with that, too... 😄 Hrm. Only problem is how to explain 'hyperspace' and 'energy'... And with pounds, specify pound/ounces/whatever of gold. So this is why you were so interested in gravity and deadly spobs... Scylla and Charybdis... Quite an interesting pair... Very dangerous, indeed... But anyway, I'm good with this period of history, so if you need an advisor or something to that effect, I'd be glad to help, in what little time I have left between school, my own plug, and the other shtuff I'm involved in. Good luck.

(edit)Don't forget the War of 1812...(/edit)

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“You’re only given a little spark of madness. You mustn’t lose it.”
-- Robin Williams

(This message has been edited by spacecowboy (edited 08-13-2002).)

I'm thinking I'll start right at 1750, (mainly because I like the number 7) and move on until the end of the 19th century, so I can work in American Civil War naval battles and the like.

But, yeah, my knowledge is sort of limited of that time period, because all the books at the library are talking about the US Navy. I only found one book, and it's probably got a $15 dollar fine on it by now. I'll never give it back! MUAHAHAA!

🙂

I'll email you when I finish the interface.

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(url="http://"http://www.webanimag.com/ayb/")All your smurf are belong to smurf!(/url) )( Generic (url="http://"http://ww.evula.com")EVula(/url) link )( { (url="http://"http://www20.brinkster.com/greenmonster/index.html")s p h e r e(/url) - soon to be complete!

Well it looks great and I hope that the plug comes out someday, as I have often speculated about how perfectly a "ships and islands" concept would work well on the EV engine. Hyperspace routes could be defined as "trade winds" or some other type of thing. Heck, even cloaking devices could make an appearence as some kind of (very) early submarine. The parallels are aplenty, and I always thought that Matt had boats and pirates in mind when he designed the gameplay to the first EV. Looks like it will be good!

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Twitch: he doesn't say much, but what he does say is better than nothing.

wow.

please do it. It's so cool.
You could do the plot of treasure island...

you know what else you could do sprite wise? you could have the sails billow when you go.

And you could have sea monsters.
and shipwrecks
and ice bergs in the north
and the money could be dubloons

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Adventure Dog: Everyone's favorite little black and white dog.
In a fight for peace, you must fight for equality, not revenge.

(This message has been edited by sparky (edited 08-14-2002).)

How are you going to land on islands?
Make the island itself a dangous spob you touch you die, and have hidden "planets" off near the beach side that you can land at like it was a harbor? then again, AI is dumb...

As for ramming ships, a vary close range PD weapon AI and you will have that will go boom when too close? then again, thats not so helpful as to how well the AI can sail. Again, AI is dumb...

Real cool idea, but so many things the engine cant do that will just make it a "non-space plug nova can't handle".

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(This message has been edited by ArcAngel Counterstrike (edited 08-14-2002).)

I think that since sailing ships don't use power or fuel you should use "food" instead. Sailors do eat after all. I think some steamships were around during your timeline though so if you want to include them they would need coal. Maybe "supplies" would be a better and more generic resource.

I also think that it would be cool if you include the spanish. All those plump tresure galleons would be so fun to pirate, plus you could use the way the British hired pirates like Captain Cook to help them fight the spanish in your storylines.

I have an idea for making ships hit each other realisticaly (sort of) without making the AI ships sink each other. I don't know if the Nova engine will alow this, but you could use AAC's idea about firing an extremely short range weapon, except that it would do no damage other than pushing the other ship back. That might make it very hard to board a disabled ship though. Oh well, even if the ships can sail over each other it would still be a blast to play!

Quote

Originally posted by ArcAngel Counterstrike:
How are you going to land on islands?

Two islands on top of eachother, one with a differant mask and set to be a deadly spob. The AI avoids the deadly part. I've checked.

Quote

As for ramming ships, a vary close range PD weapon AI and you will have that will go boom when too close? then again, thats not so helpful as to how well the AI can sail. Again, AI is dumb...

I think a "repel beam" would work, but I dunno, I'll have to make some ships first...

Quote

Real cool idea, but so many things the engine cant do that will just make it a "non-space plug nova can't handle".

We'll just wait and see. There are ways around every problem in Nova.

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(url="http://"http://www.webanimag.com/ayb/")All your smurf are belong to smurf!(/url) )( Generic (url="http://"http://ww.evula.com")EVula(/url) link )( { (url="http://"http://www20.brinkster.com/greenmonster/index.html")s p h e r e(/url) - soon to be complete!

good attitude.

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Adventure Dog: Everyone's favorite little black and white dog.
In a fight for peace, you must fight for equality, not revenge.

About the deadly stellar thing, you can actually land on one, however, you cannot take off from one (you are instantly killed). Instead, why not make a dock sticking out of the island and have the dock be a separate non-deadly stellar. You could also make a harbor on the island (it would have to be exactly in the middle of the island, but it would work). The problem you come across with the PD repel beam is that it only works on hostile ships. You have to find another way so that all ships, not just hostiles are repelled. How are you going to explain hyperspace jumps?

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