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As one of the beta-testers of Tim's upcoming plug-in, I feel it is my duty to inform you of any updates. Tim has finished outlining all of the missions for BOTK, and just finished the missions for the Subnebula Cartel. He just need to finish the K'rali and Darksider missions, and the beta will hopefully be ready for downloading for myself and a few other testers around the end of July. Tim is aiming for a public release by the end of August.
Here's a quickie outline from Tim himself:
Quote
...in this plug (as opposed to EOC) there is much more emphasis on character development of the player and those he interacts with. This time around, you play a veteran spacer in his early 40s who has recently resigned his commission as a bridge officer for ConEx after one too many near-deadly encounters with pirates and is actively seeking out a relationship with the mainstream pirate guilds, having decided there is no real future in legitimate business. It's all very different from the first instalment...and MUCH more challenging! Believe me, some of the missions are going push your skills to the breaking point.
Be patient, everyone...it's coming!
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(This message has been edited by -esw-dragoon_77 (edited 07-26-2003).)
Tim asked me to tell you the story text, so here ya go:
**What should have been the Golden Age of humanity has degenerated into disaster as the galaxy is slowly torn apart by the ravages of endless civil war.
For generations, the Great Expansion saw the human race move far beyond the confines of Sol where dozens of uninhabited new planets were discovered and colonized, their rich reserves of natural resources yielding unprecedented wealth and prosperity. It was not long until the Terrans made first contact with the Brox, a humanoid race of engineers and artisans. Their homeworld of Zarbroxx and its colonies were alive with mineral extraction and heavy industry which certain members of Earth's ruling council eyed with envy. After six months of peaceful coexistence, Terran warfleets entered the Brox home system and unleashed a truly devastating assault, eradicating most of the Brox's pitiful militia.
Faced with such overwhelming odds, the Brox quickly surrendered and became little more than servants to their human overlords. It did not end there, for as Earth's deep space probes and science cruisers moved deeper into unexplored space, three new races were met: the Hunn'sta, a peaceful agrarian tribe; the Calan, a semi-amphibious people; and the Sauridians, a reptilomorphic race of hunters. The first two were quickly annexed, their technology no match for the brute force of the Terran military and it was not long until their homeworlds of Hunn'stach and Calanar fell to defeat, in addition to their support colonies. Whilst the Sauridians fought long and hard, they too were unable to hold back the seemingly unending waves of Terran warships and starfighters.
The political and military leadership of Earth dubbed its systems and captured alien territories the Terran Star Empire, with the ubiquitous Colonial Navy at its call and for years the Empire punished everything it saw with an iron fist. Dissension of any form was not tolerated and those who dared question the authority of Central Command were made examples of in ways few would forget. However, over time, a rebellion began to take shape. Tiring of Earth's brutal rule, a small band of Brox guerillas set in motion a series of hit and raid strikes that would ultimately drive their Terran masters from their world. As word of the apparent Brox victory spread, the entire annexed outer rim of Earth's holdings became alive with rebellion. Those who were once slaves took whatever weapon they could lay hands on and fought back. Taken by surprise, the Empire's forces withdrew to the relative safety of their own territory and prepared for a massive counterstrike. Realizing that they were no match for the Colonial Navy's warfleets on their own, the peoples of Zarbroxx, Calanar, Hunn'stach and Sauridia formed a military alliance that would be known as The Weave. When the Colonial Navy returned, they were met by an organised resistance boasting powerful new technologies and a new found confidence. While the Empire took substantial losses at first, the introduction of lethal new fleet craft such as the Sceptre class missile cruiser and Nemesis class heavy dreadnought have forced The Weave to go on the defensive once again as Empire forces push ever deeper into Weave space.
Over the past few years, very little has changed.
The Weave Alliance continues to battle a seemingly hopeless campaign against recapture by the unstoppable Colonial Navy.
The Sauridian Freehold is fighting not only to keep the Empire from once again occupying its homeworld, but has embarked on a ruthless campaign to take the nearby independant Olympus system, forcing the Olympians to battle for their very lives.
And the mysterious Artemis Group watches over it all, its motivations unclear.
The only true victors have been organised crime as both Empire and Weave policing forces have suffered considerably, with their personnel and hardware being continually seconded to the front lines. Numerous new pirate factions have risen to infamy as they stake out their claims and territories to the lucrative drug dealing and arms running opportunities that now permeate the universe like never before. These pirate brothers-in-arms, friend and foe alike, consider their frequently loose associations to be a brotherhood unto themselves. Armed with some of the most powerful ships in production and a new generation of purpose-built weaponry, spacers refer to these gangs as "the brotherhood of the Kestrel".
Tiring of the increased dangers of life on a merchant freighter, you have just resigned your commission as first officer on a Consolidated Express secured freighter after one too many near-lethal encounters with pirate guilds and purchased your own ship, a sturdy Kevlar class armoured shuttle. Leaving a life of legitimate business behind and blindly determined to forge your own personal path to glory, you head out into a universe writhing in absolute chaos. There are many choices that tempt you -- the relatively easy life of an independant pirate, with accountability to no one but yourself; an association with the noted Subnebula Cartel; the violent allure of the Darkside Faction, or perhaps even an allegiance with the mysterious and dangerous K'rali Syndicate? The decision is yours to make, but beware: in a time of near anarchy and golden opportunity, friendship and trust are fast becoming the rarest of all commodities...**
And the latest words from Tim:
I've been on a mission-writing roll the past few days and am now halfway through the K'rali missions... rest assured things are REALLY getting down and dirty as both the Subnebula Cartel and Darksiders turn the heat up on the Syndicate to full boil. I'm especially happy with the way the Saur missions are going - so far it's the perfect mixture of action, pathos and dark humour. Hey, what more could a pirate plug hope to offer?
So you fight against the Sauridians? Do you fight against Weawe/ Empire?
------------------ I am eager to try to answer mission questions
There are three ways to play: the Subnebula Cartel, the K'rali Syndicate, and the Darksiders, and there are many detailed side missions for the Weave, Saurs, Empire, Non-Aligned Worlds, and Artemis.
Many minor missions? Well, I think it might be a good thing to list them out on this web boards while listing the major in the read-me.
------------------
I don't know many of the missions; I have text from some of them, which I'll post sometime. For now, here are the planets and stations under the Darkside Faction's power:
DARKSIDE PORT: The Darkside Faction is a loose knit coalition of assassins amongst whom are some of the most savage and psychopathic pirates in the business, so much so that they tend to be shunned by other factions. This station is their hangout of choice, but watch yourself... more than one visitor has been found floating in space, minus his valuables and one or two extremeties. The Badlands are an ideal location for this bloodthirsty group, and they are notorious for taking advantage of local sensor interference to launch devious ambushes.
POINT HAVOC: This small colony was established by the Darkside Faction on a world that's just as cold and unforgiving as its inhabitants. Point Havoc is used primarily as a planning and tactical retreat, with most of the action taking place at the station in orbit. Darksiders frequently bicker amongst themselves and those who fall out of favor with this faction usually have their deaths planned here, so the colony has a rather morbid reputation; indeed, many refer to this place simply as "The Abattoir".
THE ROCK: This heavily secured and armoured colony is run by the Darkside Faction, the most feared and dreaded pirates known. This is where many of their most influential members are suspected to live, in bombardment proof bunkers deep beneath the moon's crust. Visitors are hardly welcome here though newbies often stop by looking for mentors amongst the veterans who maintain their hideouts or headquarters here.
NOTE: The Rock is the territory of Ryan Carter, my in-game avatar. He's the regional boss and answers only to Darkside leader Juan Lopez. 'Twould be healthy not to piss me off
MORBIDAR SENTINEL: The Darkside Faction established this small yet massively armed sentinel as a first line of defense against any incursion, as the fortunes of the faction and its allies are stored at the depository that lies beyond this system. The "Dark Dragons", the elite of Darkside shootfighters, are stationed here and as a graphic warning to any potential aggressor, the promenade is decorated with the freeze dried remains of enemy bridge officers who have met their demise in battle here.
NIDHOGG DEPOSITORY: According to Norse legend, Nidhogg was the dragon that carried corpses to the underworld and this massive structure shares a similar grisly reputation. This sprawling deepspace starport was established by the Darkside Faction as a highly secure depository for stolen goods and ill-gotten fortune, and rumour has it that the value of loot banked here is worth literally billions of credits. However, no one has the balls to even THINK of raiding this place, considering the nature of its clients.
I'll try to give semi-regular sneak-peaks in this topic, so keep checking back.
(This message has been edited by -esw-dragoon_77 (edited 07-17-2003).)
Do you think it'll be possible to play and understand what's going on in BotK without having played the previous Empire plugs?
I realize this is going to be a great plug, but I'm not sure if the other Empire plugs are so great, and I don't want to end up wasting my time palying them.
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BOTK is a follow-up to Empire of Crime, but I don't know how they'll fit together. I'll ask Tim in a little bit, but I would still suggest playing all of the plugs in the Empire series. You don't have to play the first one, though, because, as far as I can tell, all it did was replace a lot of the ships and weapons and kept the original storylines. For now, here are the Darkside Faction's 'D'-class warships and exclusive weaponry:
DERVISH CLASS ATTACKSHIP: The Darkside Faction's Dervish class attackship is the workhorse of this extremely dangerous pirate guild. Its bulky, modular design allows the ship to absorb a tremendous amount of punishment, making the Dervish an ideal choice for risky convoy raids and hijackings. Standard equipment includes pulse weapons, guided ordinance and this faction's weapon of choice, the shield leech. Anyone can purchase the Dervish provided you have the credits, though whether you live long enough to leave the shipyard is another story altogether.
DEMON CLASS ATTACK CRUISER: Of all the hostiles a captain can encounter in The Badlands, few are more feared than the Darkside Faction's deadly Demon class attack cruiser. Purpose built to cripple the best convoy escorts and overcome system defenses, there are few warships that can match the Demon's superb combination of heavy weaponry and agility. A flight deck of starfighters only adds to this ship's formidable offensive matrix though like its smaller cousin, the Dervish, this ship carries a standard shield leeching net.
DEATHBRINGER CLASS DREADNOUGHT: Whilst the Dervish and Demon make a formidable "tag team" combination in essentially any theatre, the Darkside Faction realised that to breach the heavily defended core systems would require a substantial platform. Personally designed by Darkside leader Juan Lopez, the massive Deathbringer class dreadnought is a simply staggering warship. Regenerative shielding, a tritanium infused hull, heavy weaponry and the terrifying focal point cannon make for an unstoppable war machine few opponents can match, much less counter.
SHIELD LEECH: The favored weapon of the Darkside Faction is this very nasty focused energy net that projects a field of highly charged ion particles towards an intended target. The resulting field interferes with the target's shield matrix by causing it to slowly depolarize and collapse. While devastating to shield systems it has very little effect on armour plate. Still, in the right hands the shield leech is one of the more dangerous weapons used by organised criminal gangs.
FOCAL POINT CANNON: This truly devastating weapons system was the brainchild of Darkside Faction leader Juan Lopez. It directs a burst of highly focused antiparticles contained within a plasma sheath which, upon impact, envelopes a target with highly unstable antihydrogen particles which quickly destabilize and detonate. The resulting damage is absolutely immense though the weapon itself is difficult to maintain and requires extensive monitoring as its drain on internal power reserves is considerable.
Tim has finished the storyline for the K'rali Sydicate (and assures us that we will be begging for more) and this weekend he hopes to start the Darkside storyline.
(This message has been edited by -esw-dragoon_77 (edited 07-18-2003).)
Originally posted by phantompenguin: **Do you think it'll be possible to play and understand what's going on in BotK without having played the previous Empire plugs?
I realize this is going to be a great plug, but I'm not sure if the other Empire plugs are so great, and I don't want to end up wasting my time palying them.**
According to Tim, as long as you read the scrolling text at the beginning, you should be fine. The reason he includes such extensive documentations with his plugs is so you'll be brought up to speed with the storyline, regardless of which episode you start on.
Thing are moving right along. Tim has started the Darksider missions, and, hot damn, they are great. I won't post any of the mission text, though, because Tim doesn't want to spoil any of the surprises. At this rate, the beta will hopefully be ready by the end of the month...early August at the latest. In the meantime, here are the bar descriptions on several Darksider worlds (you can tell I like the Darksiders, can't you?):
DARKSIDE PORT: The patrons of the dingy "Rat Bastard Cantina" are amongst the most violent sociopaths in the quadrant. Indeed, from the look of things it's just a matter of time until blasters are drawn and body parts start flying.
POINT HAVOC: Most of the booths in the "Smashmouth Cafe" are occupied by Darksiders plotting daring commerce raids and the casual murder of their competitors. Sooner or later a gunfight will break out, so you don't stay long.
THE ROCK (Carter's hangout): "The Bloody Nose" is a decrepit bar highlighted by the stench of its unwashed patrons, a selection of the hardest liquor labels you can imagine and a couple of dead bodies ripening in the corner booth.
NIDHOGG DEPOSITORY: "The Frozen Entrails" is the unappealing name of this equally unattractive hole in the wall bar. The wealthiest scum of the galaxy congregate here and the joint is so violent there is actually a hopper for corpses at the far end of the room.
MORBIDAR SENTINEL: "The Dark Destroyer" is a popular hangout for the Dark Dragons, the hotshot Darkside shootfighters who patrol this sensitive region of space. Morbid trophies such as mangled warship debris and even dessicated human remains are mounted on the walls.
Tim's attitude at the moment? "Death Before Vapourware!"
(This message has been edited by -esw-dragoon_77 (edited 07-21-2003).)
Originally posted by -esw-dragoon_77: **"Death Before Vapourware!" **
That's the spirit!
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Thank you, Lord EVula.
Tim has recently added Ryan Carter's ship, the D.S.S. Fisticuffs. Note that that all I asked for was a tricked-out Demon class attack cruiser with some cool-ass weapons. I did not ask for the omnipotence he gave me by outfitting it with 10 enhanced neutron turrets, multiple focal point cannons, three hundred nuclear rockets and 60 (yes, SIXTY) Rapiers.
The mission writing continues. Tim is on mission 20 of 62 for the Darksider missions.
Tim would also like everyone to know that this plug-in is significantly more vulgar that EoC was. Lots of swearing. And death. "Definately Mature Players only!" So, if you're easily offended by harsh language (or your parents are, for the younger players,) this plug-in is not for you.
Tim is now half way through the Darkside missions.
Tim's down to the last 15 missions of the Darkside storyline, which is considerably darker than the Cartel or K'rali strings. The last missions are also loaded with combat, which will push your fighting skills to the limit. Once the last mission is written, he just has to use EV Text Extractor tou check for spelling and continuity, then he has to write all the mission bits, which usually takes about three hours. After that, the beta will be uploaded to a secret URL for the testers to download.
(This message has been edited by -esw-dragoon_77 (edited 08-01-2003).)