Author Topic: Tangents [RELEASED: 1]  (Read 13840 times)

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Offline Ransom

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Tangents [RELEASED: 1]
From the original thread:

Yeah, how about we get a basic template for a mission [or small campaign], doll it out to the community, and just let people go off on tangents making conceptual missions, as much FS2 missions as unique works of art. Y'know, something like the infamous YMCA we all know an love.

[...]

I based the idea off essentially Mr. Squiggle, if you get my meaning. You pick up something generic, and use it to create something unique.
'Tangents' is a collaborative FREDing experiment in which a set of simple, open-ended criteria for a mission is supplied, which participants then use as a basis for their own conceptual missions or micro-campaigns. Aside from these guidelines, there are no limits as to what the mission entails; creativity is encouraged, and because each FREDer works independently this criteria inevitably splits into entirely seperate tangents.

Guidelines:

  • This message must be displayed at some point during your tangent:
    - "Did you have any idea what you were getting into when you volunteered for this assignment?"
  • The following three names must be present somewhere within your tangent. How and where they appear is entirely up to you:
    - Vale
    - Scorn
    - Wraith
  • Tangents may be a single standalone mission or a micro-campaign of up to three missions.
  • There's no limit on how many tangents a single participant makes.
  • Mods are allowed so long as your tangent remains entirely self contained in a VP, using modular tables.

For the sake of clarity, there's no 'sign ups' or anything. If you want to be involved, just get started on your mission. Good luck!


Released tangents:

Blaise Russel / Ordinary Day
« Last Edit: September 15, 2006, 01:20:37 pm by Ransom Arceihn »

 

Offline Mefustae

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Re: Tangent Campaign Preparations
We need an idea that's sufficiently detailed enough to give structure, but general enough so that one may still be excessively creative.

An example might be a three-mission strike on a Shivan supply-depot without real details on how it's done, what resources are used, etc. So, theoretically, you could bring in GTVA-man striking against a depot guarded by Count Shiva, that's the kind of creativity this thing should be aiming for.

But at the same time, we don't want to stifle the chance to go completely off-the-wall, like using an intricate ballet of ships entering and exiting subspace to create a big smilie-face to scare away the Shivans... or something.

Just throwing ideas out there.

 

Offline Ransom

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Re: Tangent Campaign Preparations
I don't think it's a good idea to specify the number of missions. A single mission requirement is something people can look at and think 'Sure, why not?' Whereas a three mission campaign requires a bit more commitment, and I think that might be detrimental to the whimsical nature of this project.

Regarding the premise itself, I think the most important thing here is the wording. The Shivan depot idea could work well if certain things aren't specified; perhaps something as simple as 'A Shivan supply depot is under attack.' It allows for plenty of freedom, but it'll still mean there will be a familiar anchor in each tangent in the form of the Shivan supply depot. I'm not sure if you're looking for a little more structure than that, though.

Also, it'd be nice if we could get a show of hands. Just how many people are considering contributing to this project once it gets off the ground?

 

Offline NGTM-1R

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Re: Tangent Campaign Preparations
* ngtm1r raises hand.
"Load sabot. Target Zaku, direct front!"

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Offline karajorma

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Re: Tangent Campaign Preparations
I'm in. It will have to be after BSG's Demo is out cause all my FREDding time is going into that but I should be free about the time this starts being worked on. :)
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Offline Kosh

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Re: Tangent Campaign Preparations
I'm in. It will have to be after BSG's Demo is out cause all my FREDding time is going into that but I should be free about the time this starts being worked on. :)


What about MG? :p
"The reason for this is that the original Fortran got so convoluted and extensive (10's of millions of lines of code) that no-one can actually figure out how it works, there's a massive project going on to decode the original Fortran and write a more modern system, but until then, the UK communication network is actually relying heavily on 35 year old Fortran that nobody understands." - Flipside

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Offline karajorma

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Re: Tangent Campaign Preparations
Shouldn't take me that long to make a single mission. :)
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Offline Nuclear1

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Re: Tangent Campaign Preparations
I'm in. This sounds like an interesting idea.
Spoon - I stand in awe by your flawless fredding. Truely, never before have I witnessed such magnificant display of beamz.
Axem -  I don't know what I'll do with my life now. Maybe I'll become a Nun, or take up Macrame. But where ever I go... I will remember you!
Axem - Sorry to post again when I said I was leaving for good, but something was nagging me. I don't want to say it in a way that shames the campaign but I think we can all agree it is actually.. incomplete. It is missing... Voice Acting.
Quanto - I for one would love to lend my beautiful singing voice into this wholesome project.
Nuclear1 - I want a duet.
AndrewofDoom - Make it a trio!

 

Offline Blaise Russel

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Re: Tangent Campaign Preparations
Sure.

And less structure, the better. I want to go off on a tangent so tenuous, it doesn't even make sense.

 

Offline Ferret

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Re: Tangent Campaign Preparations
I'ld love to make something with this.

 

Offline Mefustae

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Re: Tangent Campaign Preparations
I don't think it's a good idea to specify the number of missions. A single mission requirement is something people can look at and think 'Sure, why not?' Whereas a three mission campaign requires a bit more commitment, and I think that might be detrimental to the whimsical nature of this project.
Very good point, let's have a limit of three missions for the people who want to make something larger, but also to prevent people from going overboard.

Regarding the premise itself, I think the most important thing here is the wording. The Shivan depot idea could work well if certain things aren't specified; perhaps something as simple as 'A Shivan supply depot is under attack.' It allows for plenty of freedom, but it'll still mean there will be a familiar anchor in each tangent in the form of the Shivan supply depot. I'm not sure if you're looking for a little more structure than that, though.
Nah, that sounds good. This project is all about artistic freedom. Although, keeping it that general will make it incredibly hard to have a single message like the one you suggested, as it'll have to be pretty damn general to be as open as the premise.

On that subject, how much deviance from the core subject of 'Shivan Depot under attack' should be allowed in your opinion?

And less structure, the better. I want to go off on a tangent so tenuous, it doesn't even make sense.
That's the idea. The more mind-blowing, the better. :yes:
« Last Edit: August 16, 2006, 06:57:41 am by Mefustae »

 

Offline Ransom

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Re: Tangent Campaign Preparations
Nah, that sounds good. This project is all about artistic freedom. Although, keeping it that general will make it incredibly hard to have a single message like the one you suggested, as it'll have to be pretty damn general to be as open as the premise.
Well, the function of the premise and the message is really just to provide a seed for inspiration and to link the tangents together. The idea with the message was that it would add a bit of depth to the creative process -- that is, more than one dot to connect. But at this point I think simplicity of concept is one of Tangent's strengths, so perhaps it's something to try another time.

Quote
On that subject, how much deviance from the core subject of 'Shivan Depot under attack' should be allowed in your opinion?
Well, so long as there's a Shivan depot and it's under attack in some way, it'd probably be fine. I think the biggest potential for this project lies in creative interpretation of the premise's wording, so I wouldn't want to rule anything out.

 

Offline Ferret

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Re: Tangent Campaign Preparations
I think the one message idea is very good. It makes them all more similar so they're the same theme, but still totally different. Plus it would be very fun to see how it's used. It would make the whole endeavour more interesting.

 
Re: Tangent Campaign Preparations
I am most definitely in!

So how many missions do we want before releasing the first installment (who said we needed to do only one iteration?) It might even be good excercise for the FRED Academy, Kara.  ;7
"You need to believe in things that aren't true. How else can they become?" -DEATH, Discworld

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Offline Nuclear1

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Re: Tangent Campaign Preparations
I think the one message idea is very good. It makes them all more similar so they're the same theme, but still totally different. Plus it would be very fun to see how it's used. It would make the whole endeavour more interesting.

Seconded, for the same reasons. I always like a challenge.
Spoon - I stand in awe by your flawless fredding. Truely, never before have I witnessed such magnificant display of beamz.
Axem -  I don't know what I'll do with my life now. Maybe I'll become a Nun, or take up Macrame. But where ever I go... I will remember you!
Axem - Sorry to post again when I said I was leaving for good, but something was nagging me. I don't want to say it in a way that shames the campaign but I think we can all agree it is actually.. incomplete. It is missing... Voice Acting.
Quanto - I for one would love to lend my beautiful singing voice into this wholesome project.
Nuclear1 - I want a duet.
AndrewofDoom - Make it a trio!

 

Offline Axem

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Re: Tangent Campaign Preparations
A line of dialog out of context allows us to create the context. Attack a Shivan Depot already gives us a context (well a good idea of one anyway), and would give us something like 10 Attack A Shivan Depot missions. IMO they would all have to be ingeniously done to keep the player from getting bored after the 3rd iteration.

 

Offline Goober5000

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Re: Tangent Campaign Preparations
Good point, Axem.

Maybe what we should do is drop the whole idea that it has to be a cargo depot mission, or it has to be a whatever mission.  Let's just come up with a random message, and say that the mission can be anything you want so long as it includes that message. :)

Some suggestions:

"Holy crap!  Command, do you see this?  Something's coming through!"
"I picked the wrong day to join the NTF."
"Naturally.  It's the first rule of government spending.  Why build one, when you can have two for twice the price?"
"Did you have any idea what you were getting into when you volunteered for this assignment?"
"See if you can get into the Lucifer's docking bay."
« Last Edit: August 16, 2006, 09:59:40 pm by Goober5000 »

 

Offline Mefustae

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Re: Tangent Campaign Preparations
Maybe what we should do is drop the whole idea that it has to be a cargo depot mission, or it has to be a whatever mission.  Let's just come up with a random message, and say that the mission can be anything you want so long as it includes that message.
Woah, now this is getting really off the wall... I like it! :yes:

Some suggestions:
"Holy crap!  Command, do you see this?  Something's coming through!"
"Did you have any idea what you were getting into when you volunteered for this assignment?"
I'm liking these two so far, nice and general without any restricting reference to a particular group, but specific enough to definitely create a vague sense of similarity in the submissions.

Let's see some more ideas and, say, have a vote?

 

Offline Ransom

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Re: Tangent Campaign Preparations
Hooray! Suggestions!

I'm all for Goober's idea. I especially like:

"Did you have any idea what you were getting into when you volunteered for this assignment?"
Although by throwing out the premise, we lose much of the sense of connection the tangents would have. So I'm wondering if it would be a nice touch to have, as well as the message, a predefined ship present in each tangent -- or perhaps even just the name of a ship. It'd provide a nice sense of familiarity without imposing any real structure on the missions.

So how many missions do we want before releasing the first installment (who said we needed to do only one iteration?)
Well, I don't see any reason why the entries can't just be released as they're finished. I could provide webspace, incidentally.

 

Offline Ferret

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Re: Tangent Campaign Preparations
So is the idea having a line of dialog and/or a ship name rather than a basic mission template now?
Or is there still a mission template but adding this added similarity.