RELEASE - Dark Children (TBP)

[Vidmaster]

THIS IS YOUR PURPOSE...         ...AND IT COURSES THROUGH EVERY CELL OF YOUR BODY.

Mirror 1:  http://proxima-fleet.com/files/download.php?id=9    (thx to Primus)

difficulty problems? ->  http://www.hard-light.net/forums/index.php/topic,52253.0.html

A word from the fredder:
Originally, it was a small idea about a FEATURE. Then I thought: Hey, make a campaign that features this FEATURE  . I started doing the script and ended up with a trilogy. Next step was the fredding and I managed to create what I wanted with some help of FUBAR. And after countless breakdowns, psychic problems and cutting out two missions, it is finally here. And it was such a pain in the ass to make, that I won't do the other parts. This does not hurt the campaign, since there is almost no backstory and the sequels would just change the point of view.

Now what the hell is this?
You are looking at a very experimental mini-campaign. And you will probably dislike it. And you know what? WRITE WHY! I made this stuff to start a discussion about never-been-done before stuff. So if you don't like it, TELL EVERYONE!
Enjoy 40MB of killing sprees, blood shedding, living being murdering and domination of evil. Or not? Find out!   And of course, I won't tell you more. Download and find out or not.
 
What NOT to expect:
A backstory. The Fortune Hunters. Good writing. A polished experience. Nonlinear stuff. B5 fans who know the show by heart will rejoice because of recreation of two big show battles (even if they are mostly BoE) but for the rest...              ...well just kill everything that's hostile 

What to expect:
Two easy and three very difficult missions. FULL VOICE ACTING! - done by the professional voice actors me, myself and me  . Some new and innovative design concepts, like jumping into and out of Hyperspace during missions and of course the FEATURE 
 
How to install:
Download and drop the .vp file in the TBP directory. The mini-campaign has been designed for use of the soon to be released 3.4b or IP's jumpeffect fix, but you do not need them to enjoy Dark Children.

Have or not have fun!                                 - Vidmaster

Report any bugs immediately and write them HERE, so I have to face humiliation and won't do these again.

EDIT: Again, if you play it, write your opinion here, especially IF YOU DO NOT LIKE IT!

EDIT2: I forgot the following: For the full effect, play with a complete blood-red HUD 

[maje]

Not sure if this is a bug or not, but you might want to alter mission 4.  It's not fun if the time your allotted is less than the time it takes your guns to reload and you fail.  A few other game-balancing issues annoy me, but it might be more that my piloting 'skill' is in question.

One last thing, some of the briefings have no VA.

I DO like the concept, in fact I liked it so much that I was going to incorporate it into a campaign, though um, ah, let's say tables will need to be readjusted to make battlecrabs flyable.

As for your FEATURE, I can understand keeping it spoiler free in a forum post, but it might do some good to explain just what the hell it is in the actual training mission.  I *THINK* I know what it is, and would say it should be used, albeit it should affect the enemy, not you.

One last thing, since Shadow ships, Vorlon ships, and Whitestars all use organic hull armor that regenerates over time, maybe something can be instituted that you ship can repair itself over the course of time in a mission.


*EDIT* Sorry, I'm an ass.   There were other things I wanted to mention, though these are all good.  The inclusion of hyperspace was really fun and enhanced the experience.  Also, you did handle the idea of the Shadows well what with the communications and such.  It felt alien and creepy, yet natural at the same time.

[Vidmaster]

no voice-overs? DAMN! The files are all there...   ...maybe a typing error? Which ones? (There were some problems with the .vp, maybe it's also related to that).

About M4: It IS definitely possible to kill the whole wing, even if one OR two shots miss. Use the FEATURE and keep in mind that nothing keeps you from activating it right again

About table adjustments: The ship is FLYABLE and when you get the hang of it, it's awesome. Problem is you really have to get used to it. TIP: Auto-Speed-Matching can be your friend (although I never use it). I tested this for so long, I cannot fly a Starfury anymore 

About balancing issues: I managed to beat the thing on hard, but there is no deny that this is NEITHER an easy NOR a balanced campaign. Mission 1 and 2 are supposed to be training missions, the rest is hard.

About the FEATURE: Why should it affect the enemy? It's there to allow for absolute precision aiming and it does very well, BUT AGAIN you have to get used to it first. Ask FUBAR (since Draco, the second tester is not registered in HLP)! After you learn how to use this correctly, you can become the absolute killing machine.
Spoiler:

I personally refer to it as "Spacebar-Event" or "Reflexes". It's bullettime, not a superspeed-mode. You are increasing you brain activity and you have a lot more time to react to stuff and to aim perfectly.

About regenerating hull: THIS WAS IN THERE AT FIRST but I cut it. Made mission balancing impossible when at high rates but had absolutely no practical use when at a low rate. Additionally, it was to Halo-style and along with the FEATURE and even an alternative version of the FEATURE (which was supposed to be in The Killing of Worlds), the campaign was on the best way from being innovative to being nonesense.

About integrating the DC idea into other campaigns: You're the second fredder who announced this  . Shows me that DC has fullfilled its purpose (not being good, being different). Go ahead. If you need the voice, I'll do it.

EDIT: You thought about it. Thought about fredding different stuff. That's all I wanted to achieve. Thanks maje!

[karajorma]

*is intrigued*

I'm going to have to take a look.

[FUBAR-BDHR]

First half dozen times I tried it I thought it would never work.  After getting the hang of it I was able to beat all the missions on hard.  It does take some getting used to that's for sure.

[emi_100]

EXCELENT!!  sometimes i feel like a real lord of destruction, like a real Shadow 
i love it!!!!!  specialy the motion slow thing, good one!
amagazine work!  congratulations! 

.... there is a problem in mission 2, when the last two q´quan form the jump point and they try to jump a bug appear    and the game crash!! 

help!

[IPAndrews]

I'm going to have to take a look.

It's worth doing. This is very imaginative stuff and expertly put together. In spite of what Vidmaster says I would highlight this. It's a great piece of FREDing and deserves some attention.

[Vidmaster]

thanks, pal.

emi_100: I do not get any crash. I did not get reports about crashing from the testers either. Try downloading IP's jumpgate fix, that's the only thing I could think of:   http://www.hard-light.net/forums/index.php/topic,50861.0.html

[IPAndrews]

Try downloading IP's jumpgate fix, that's the only thing I could think of:   http://www.hard-light.net/forums/index.php/topic,50861.0.html

I would recommend downloading TBP 3.4b instead.

[Vidmaster]

oh yeah, sorry. You posted a release, I forgot. DOWNLOAD TBP3.4b EVERYONE!

[karajorma]

Okay, I played the first 3 missions and I'm sorry to tell you this Vidmaster but I'm highlighting it.

Definitely worth playing, mini-campaign or not.

[NGTM-1R]

I'm not sure mission...four is it? is actually beatable, the whole bullettime thing doesn't seem to last long enough for it to be practical. You can get off five shots, six if you're quick very quick, but the Nials absorb two each, and there are four of them. The math doesn't quite add up, y'know?

[FUBAR-BDHR]

It's beatable your just not "concentrating" hard enough.   

[Vidmaster]

nothing prevents you from pressing spacebar right again 


@FUBAR: I think I found out what's causing the Nial's engines to be NOT protected. I make sure I'll fix it.

[Vidmaster]

the only thing that troubles me is that there are about 100 downloads up to this point but only 3 people who posted something (and did not know it before) 

[karajorma]

I'm having joystick troubles so I gave up after mission 3 (It says a lot that I was willing to play that far on mouse and keyboard. I hate playing on mouse and keyboard.)

[NGTM-1R]

nothing prevents you from pressing spacebar right again 


@FUBAR: I think I found out what's causing the Nial's engines to be NOT protected. I make sure I'll fix it.

Really? Every time I've tried that it hasn't worked. I was convinced you'd included a cooldown timer on it somehow because attempts at repeated use hadn't worked in previous missions.

[Vidmaster]

you may only press it AFTER the time has returned to normal, check the bottom right corner for that.

[darkmaster]

Finally I finished it. Well, it's great, just a lack of storyline and I don't want my mind creator to be killed in the last mission 
In the last mission, why didn't you let the two cap ships fire something? It's weird that the 2 mothership stand aside and let those fighters finish them.

[Vidmaster]

the first one gets killed right away, the second one after a minute or two and Mind fires a few shots.
If you look at the episode it's based on, it's not very different there.