A Plug-In Idea

I was thinking that it would be really cool if someone made an EV or EVO plug-in that combined the two galaxies. I have experience making plugs so if anyone wants to help me make this plug, I have some ideas to fix some problems that would arise from the double galaxy.

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Wedge Antilles

E-Mail:
wynn4@earthlink.net

AOL Instant Messenger:
Greg Halcyon

Website:
http://GregHalcyon.homestead.com

Oops...what I meant to say is that I have no experience making plug-ins so help would be appreciated.

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Wedge Antilles

E-Mail:
wynn4@earthlink.net

AOL Instant Messenger:
Greg Halcyon

Website:
http://GregHalcyon.homestead.com

Well, I'm not too sure if both galaxies can be combined, since it would probably go over the max number on, well, pretty much everything. Planets, systems, missions, ships, weapons, outfits... There would be too many. However, if it was a plug that combined them by using 2 different plugs (ie: one for the EV stuff, one for the EVO stuff), and had some sort of "universal cataclysmic event" happen to cause the 2 to merge, that would be cool.

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EVula
evula@home.com
http://evula.cjb.net

EVula wrote:
**Well, I'm not too sure if both galaxies can be combined, since it would probably go over the max number on, well, pretty much everything. Planets, systems, missions, ships, weapons, outfits... There would be too many. However, if it was a plug that combined them by using 2 different plugs (ie: one for the EV stuff, one for the EVO stuff), and had some sort of "universal cataclysmic event" happen to cause the 2 to merge, that would be cool.
**

I haven't done the arithmetic, but I doubt that combining the EV and EVO galaxies would max out the number of systems and spobs. Missions, ships, and outfits are another story entirely, EVO uses almost or all of the ship slots, for instance. If it was made a EVO plug (or data file replacement) there might be room for all the missions, but there would be some duplication.

The idea does offer some interesting possibilities, but would be as much or more work than starting fresh. Anyone else think this might be worth pursuing?

I think it's worth pursuing. Except for the fact that I have no idea how to make plug-ins. So, if anyone knows how to make plug-ins and has no current projects, please contact me.

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Wedge Antilles

E-Mail:
wynn4@earthlink.net

AOL Instant Messenger Screenname:
Greg Halcyon

Website:
http://GregHalcyon.homestead.com

Plug-ins are not easy to make, but if all you want to do is create a plug in with all the data ready-made it should be easy.
All you need to do is get resedit, available from (url="http://"http://www.apple.com")www.apple.com(/url), make a new plug in and copy the resources from all the data files and drop it in the plug ins folder.

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Game Addict

(This message has been edited by g-man (edited 01-26-2000).)

Just note on this. If a plug like this were to be made, it'd have to be for EVO only, because EV has lower limits than EVO does.

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<font size="1" face="Geneva, Verdana, Arial" color="808BAD">UE Crusader wrote:
**Just note on this. If a plug like this were to be made, it'd have to be for EVO only, because EV has lower limits than EVO does.
**</font>

Only for missions - max number of other resources is the same for both.

I believe you are right, though, it should be an EVO plug, since much of the EVO technology would be lost if the plug was for EV.

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(This message has been edited by Joe Burnette (edited 01-26-2000).)

Wedge Antilles wrote:
**I think it's worth pursuing. Except for the fact that I have no idea how to make plug-ins. So, if anyone knows how to make plug-ins and has no current projects, please contact me.
**

Uh, doubt that anyone who really knows how to make plugs has no project going - unless he's retired:-)

I suggest you do some more work on the concept. For instance: how will the two galaxies be linked, and what happens to the systems/spobs that are in both? Which galaxy will a player start in, and how will he reach the other - or will there be a single galaxy combining the systems and spobs from both scenarios? Which ships/weapons/outfits will you keep because there is not room for all? What relations will the different sets of governments have with one another?

There is nothing that can't be worked out, but there is quite a bit of work and planning to do.

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Interestingly, this idea has popped up on a couple of other boards too, recently so you might very well be able to find people willing to help. It's actually an idea I've tossed around myself.
Including all the resources from both galaxies would max out a couple of resources, nebulas and ships, most importantly. Fortunately there are several work-arounds, including splitting the plug in two, doing away with extra ships -- like the modified versions of the Arada -- and making the scoutships and shuttles the same. However half the work is already done; Kelaarin's EVC ports all of EV's resources into the EVO engine.

I started working on the other half, once, bringing together all the resources from both universes into one plug universe. My plan was to force the player to fail the TAG mission for Artemis group and then, in the ensuing galactic disaster in which the galactic balence tips, the Rebellion and Confederacy nearly wipe each other out and The Aliens return. In the middle of it all, systems begin mysteriously disappearing. Then something happens, the Navies of the Pirate, Rebellion, Confederacy, and Alien sides are converging on a single system and all disappear themselves. The player returns to Earth to find Stardock Alpha missing and the Confederate Capital replaced by a government that calls itself United Earth. A peek at an UE government map reveals that the Galaxy is much larger than previously thought and includes six new Alien species. It would be the player's task to try and save the remains of the EV galaxy as systems and planets are gradually replaced by the EVO galaxy. Also to find the missing human fleets and prevent the ensuing chaos from handing the Voinians an easy victory over United Earth.

Anyway, those were just my ideas, one possibility for this kind of scenario. I even worked out the mission strings involved in fairly high detail. I thought it was a fun idea and probably a comic one. But anyway, other people look like they're interested in doing it and have the time. As for me, I'm busy with Xianu Override and Tyllarius Arena, not to mention a load of schoolwork, so I can't make it now. I'm sure other people have good ideas of their own anyway. I've just kept this one to myself for a while, and it's fun to share it.

This would be a good project for beginning plug-makers. It doesn't require many new graphics, if any, and allows them to tell a good story. I'd be willing to help anyone who want to get a project like this started.

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Bubbles

(This message has been edited by Bubbles (edited 01-27-2000).)

How much is this max number you speak of?

In the EVO bible the constants are listed:

MaxShipsInSystem 36
MaxStellarObjects 1500
MaxSystems 1000
MaxShipClasses 64
MaxStellarClasses 128
JumpDistance 1000 pixels
MaxWeaponTypes 64
MaxOutfitItemTypes 128
MaxBeamsOnScreen 8
MaxDudeTypes 128
MaxGovts 128
MaxExplosionsOnScreen 16
MaxMissions 512
NumMissionBits 512
MaxCargoTypes 64
MaxPersonTypes 512
MaxShotsOnScreen 64
MaxAsteroids 10
MaxNebulae 4
MaxSimultaneousMissions 8
MaxDisasters 128
MaxFleets 128
MaxMovies 128

Some of the limits are slightly different in EV, slightly lower, but the cross galaxy plug would be in EVO anyway, so these are the limits that Wedge faces.

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Bubbles

Bubbles wrote:
**In the EVO bible the constants are listed:

MaxStellarClasses 128
MaxMissions 512
NumMissionBits 512
MaxMovies 128

Some of the limits are slightly different in EV, slightly lower, but the cross galaxy plug would be in EVO anyway, so these are the limits that Wedge faces.

**

The constants above are the ones that differ in EV and EVO. The EV values are half of these : 64 stellar classes, 256 missions, 256 mission bits (EV cannot use movies.)

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