Plugin Stories

Well are we aware, that making an ares game out of an already existing fictional universe is much easier, and will probably result in a more cohesive story, and gameplay. Here are some universes out of good books that I have read:

The Foundation (Isaac Asimov)
Dune (Frank Herbert)
The Gap Series (Stephen Donaldson)

Ugghh... only 3, yet there are much much more. If anyone can think of a good book they've read with a space-set storyline, then post it's name and author here. I will promptly investigate it.

At the moment, I'm paying serious attention to the Gap Series, which present a fantastic forum for ares-style warfare.

Hitchhicker's Guide to the Galaxy (forgot author's name)
It'd be great for a humorous plug.

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"Thou shalt not be a loser."
(url="http://"http://www.MSPlugDevelopment.n3.net")www.MSPlugDevelopment.n3.net(/url)
Reviews are appreciated.

Heh, possibly Mag.

After I've finished SETR, does anyone want to work with me on a Foundation/Gap plugin?

Not really, because as you know I'll start working on a Dune plug once M:Inv is finished.
😉

Also,
The Lensmen Chronicles (E. E. "Doc" Smith)
-One of the earliest books of its genre, I believe. Released through the 1940s to early 1950s.

Hmmmm, there are Star Trek/Wars books but that should be considered under TV Series/Movie and ASI already has dibs on ST

Let me think of my collection of books.

Nope, if there's something else that would work well I haven't read it.

I'd like to see a Northworld conversion (David Drake) but that involves ground units, which are a pain to code in, even though not impossible.
(And yes, they have to be WALKING ground units)

--Oh yeah, not a book but Shockwave (Command)

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What others can travel so far into so many universes yet remain so deeply rooted in their own?
(url="http://"http://marathon.invasion.tripod.com")M:Inv(/url) and the (url="http://"http://pub61.ezboard.com/bmarathoninvasion")M:Inv Webboards(/url)

(This message has been edited by Pallas Athene (edited 06-17-2001).)

Using other people's stories???
For me, writing the sucker is the funnest part!

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Formerly-Rampant Human-Coded AI

Hmmm, the Dune plug I'm thinking of is set pretty much before any of the series came out. It runs slightly into House Atreides and House Harkonnen, but it's over before Dune (The first book) starts.

I don't have a storyline, and I'm planning on a fully cohesive one. My plans are much different from a "standard" plug

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What others can travel so far into so many universes yet remain so deeply rooted in their own?
(url="http://"http://marathon.invasion.tripod.com")M:Inv(/url) and the (url="http://"http://pub61.ezboard.com/bmarathoninvasion")M:Inv Webboards(/url)

Quote

Originally posted by Fleet Admiral Darkk:
**Using other people's stories???
For me, writing the sucker is the funnest part!

**

Marathon Invasion?

sigh If I had the knowledge to combat ResEdit, I would probably be making SETR for EV.

(This message has been edited by Count Altair El Alemein (edited 06-18-2001).)

sigh If I had the knowledge to combat ResEdit, I would probably be making SETR for EV.

You can wait 'till nova comes out and use the editors they're making for it...

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"Thou shalt not be a loser."
(url="http://"http://www.MSPlugDevelopment.n3.net")www.MSPlugDevelopment.n3.net(/url)
Reviews are appreciated.

Uh, go to the Marathon's story page. Nobody knows anything about what we're covering except Bungie, who will talk when the sun turns pastel. M:Inv is about 90% made up by us.

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Formerly-Rampant Human-Coded AI

I assume you've done some hefty browsing of the Marathon Story pages at bungie.org, of course.

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Sundered Angel ,
The One and Only
Ares Webboard Moderator, and all-around Nice Guy

I've practically memorized all the wierd theories.
It's not that helpful, though.
Even they don't have any info on the Vylae, the Nebulons, and not too much on the Nar.
Of course, there's very little solid on the Jjaro, but quite a lot of theory.

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Formerly-Rampant Human-Coded AI

That's fair enough. Volumous as information on Marathon is, it's mostly centred around the Humans, Pfhor, and S'pht. Still, no doubt you found some interesting ideas to toy about with there.

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Sundered Angel ,
The One and Only
Ares Webboard Moderator, and all-around Nice Guy

Well, I was thinking it'd be kind of cool to have ranking systems for each race, just an idea off the top of my head. S'pht are generally equal, but Humans have Navy Ranks, and the Pfhor have Willful/Aggregate/others.

Also, about the Pfhor, let me just say that you won't like Orbital Platforms.

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"Once, just once, I'd like to be able to land somewhere and say, 'Behold, I am the Archangel Gabriel.'"
"I fail to see the humor in that situation, Doctor."
"Naturally. You could hardly claim to be an angel with those pointed ears, Mister Spock. But say you landed someplace with a pitchfork "

Aggregate = Pfhor hunters >= pfhor warriors
Willful = Enforcers, hunters
Commanding = The upper levels of the pfhor beuracracy I think.
Oversight = High Admiral Tfear mentions 'an intelligence so vast it covers the span of the pfhor, and to those privileged to serve her, appears insane'. Like an overmind I guess.

I'm not sure if the Pfhor have a seperate rank for the enforcers... High Admiral Tfear is definately of the Commanding rank.

Expanded a tad...

Conditioned = Slave races, demoted Pfhor
Aggregate = Most Pfhor warriors
Willful = Enforcers
Attentive = Most commanding officers, station commanders, etc
Imperial = Unknown, hardly mentioned
Command = High-ranking officers (Admirals, or equivalent)

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Sundered Angel ,
The One and Only
Ares Webboard Moderator, and all-around Nice Guy

There are many levels to those ranks. I believe there are at least first and second class for Willful and Attentive, check the MI terminals.

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Formerly-Rampant Human-Coded AI

While those scenarios would be interested, the fact is those books are based on travels, adventure and discovery. Ares was made as a war-game, and so it would be hard to find one that would fit seamlessly as a plugin.

I've read Larry Niven's Ringworld books, and have pondered that a plugin based around the Human/Kzinti wars would be quite fitting for the Ares Engine. It would even have a fatal in-game plot twist, such as the Puppeteer's delivering superlight drives to the Earth colony.

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Time is the best teacher, yet it kills all of it's students.

That will always be the problem with converting someone else's universe to Ares. With some exceptions, they focus on completely different details to the starships of the various races, so it would be difficult to create a space warfare game based on them.

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Sundered Angel ,
The One and Only
Ares Webboard Moderator, and all-around Nice Guy

Well, the Dune plugin I'm thinking of has, as I said, almost nothing in the scope of the books. It's more focused around the concept of "Kanly," and not even accurately to that. Kanly is a form of warfare between houses designed to minimise civilian casualties, and there aren't any planned restraints in my plug
The plug is more of a way to show of my Hera skillz :p, and it's rather restricted in options because of the complexity.

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"Once, just once, I'd like to be able to land somewhere and say, 'Behold, I am the Archangel Gabriel.'"
"I fail to see the humor in that situation, Doctor."
"Naturally. You could hardly claim to be an angel with those pointed ears, Mister Spock. But say you landed someplace with a pitchfork "

Who was it that said there are only 13 basic stories in the world? The same holds true for making plots for an ares scenario. All you can do is mix and match bits to make it sound original.

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'Captain, we've just lost the bridge shields.'
'Hmm... sounds like we're in trouble.'
'No sh*t sherlock.'