[gman19]

Hello, I'm Andrew Martin (hereby called gman19). Recently, I was thinking about making a mod for FreeSpace 2 that more or less creates FreeSpace 3. I would get a development team together, and produce and release a full mod that added new ships, missions, and campaigns to the currently existing FreeSpace 2. I am very talented with writing in-depth stories, so I would be able to do a background story for the mod, what happens, when it happens, etc. Here's a general setting for what I would like to do:

20 years after the Second Shivan Incursion (the final missions of FS2), the Galactic Terran-Vasudan Alliance is in the process of rebuilding after the Capella Incident (the final mission's supernova). With the still-smoldering nebula formed from this incident blocking the only access to Gamma Draconis, where the original Knossos device was discovered, and all access to the largely-unexplored Shivan nebula cut off as well, the GTVA is using the Ancient technology derived from this long-destroyed device to construct a new Knossos, one that will hopefully re-open the Sol jump node that was destroyed and all but sealed off half a century ago. With this project under way, the GTVA's military forces are concentrated in that area defending the crew- and material-transportation lanes, the construction site itself, and monitoring recent activity in the new nebula and surrounding area. The player embarks on various escort missions at first, then recon flights in the super-heated nebula with a specialized ship, and finally full combat with a newly-encountered (yet very well known, and old in terms of age) alien race bent on taking back what was once theirs. New weapons, ships, areas/systems, and alien species, both friendly and hostile, will be included in this modification.

So, does it sound catchy enough? I don't want to put my entire storyline here, since I don't want to spoil it for anyone who comes along and reads this. Also, I don't have the entire thing written yet, but I am about 3/4 of the way through.

People I will need:

Mission Creators (2+)
Ship Modelers (2+)
Effects Creators (1-2)
Media Creators (1-2)
Assistant Writers (1 or less)

What am I wanting when I say "Media Creators":
I'll need voiceovers for briefings, in-game chatter, and debriefings.
I'll need cutscene/movie makers, if that's even possible, for in-game cutscenes.
I'll need background/skybox creators, for nebula and planetary backgrounds to be used by the mission creators.
I might need music creators, just to put some originality into the game/mod, not required.
I might need sound FX creators for the new weapons, ships, and effects.

Assistant writers would be responsible for:
Helping me with the plot details. This would be someone who points out cliched/unoriginal parts, suggests plot twists, proof-reads my work, etc.
Helping me with designing the game "bible". For those of you that don't know, a game bible is a file/text that describes everything in a game. This would be things like:
Weapons and their effects, specs, design/look, etc.
Ships and their specs, weaknesses, strengths, and look
Alien species and their background, motives, look, etc.
Any other things in a game. Most of the time, when major game companies create their bibles (yes, all of them do; that's their reference for everything) they include the plot details and every single aspect of the game. If a character farts, the bible includes who farted, where, when, why, and what it smelled like, so to speak; These things are what makes a game a game.

I'm looking for people who are experienced in their desired fields. I'm not saying I want top-of-the-line modders (it would be nice, though), I just want people that know what they're doing and how to do it efficiently, effectively, and expertly (I myself have never modded for anything; but I am very good in Plot Analysis/Fictitious Writing). I am in no way expecting this to be done in a short amount of time. Should this actually take off and become a full-fledged project, the total development time is measured in months, not days or weeks. Notice the plural; months. That means it will/would take a good portion of 2007 and maybe into 2008. Personally, I can't devote my life to this; Junior High school resumes this Wednesday (January 3rd) and I'm gonna be bombarded with work here. I'm not sure about some of you, but Midwest American 7th grade math teachers are not nice people. For an analogy: 7th Grade American Math Teachers are to Shivans what Shivans are to Care-Bears. Mm'kay?

Well, this is my entire proposal. Please post your comments, questions, and suggestions here. Also, if this is the wrong place to suggest this, point me in the direction to a good modding community that could/would tackle this kind of project. Either post here or PM me (preferably both, if you would) if you think you would like to be included in on this.

For submissions/resumes, I would like:
Who you are (real name, alias, username, anything you go by)
Your timezone (for purposes where the team may need to meet, so we know what time to schedule)
What position you are applying for: (D'oh)
Any references you have in that particular field: (Not required, but including links to your work, reliable people who will say "Yeah, he/she's the person for the job" will get you a higher priority for the position)
Any other information I might need to know: (Times you're available, method of communication [XFire, AIM, YIM, MSN, E-Mail, that sort of thing] etc.)

That's it. Thank you!

[Turey]

Sounds like a good idea, but (just some friendly advice) don't call it FS3. You'll get a lot of opposition if you use that name. Many other mods take place after FS2, and could almost be FS3, but out of courtesy to the ideas other people have about what happens after FS2, don't call it FS3.

If I were you, I'd call it something like "Returning Home." This could be taken either as the return of the GTVA to Earth, or the return of the Ancients to GTVA space to take back what was theirs.

EDIT:

[Snail]

Having not read any of the above, I'm just going to tell you now don't call it FreeSpace III. Or many people will like to rip your testicles off. Until you rename it, I'm not going to read it.

Okay, fine, I admit it I read part of it. But just some advice (after you rename it), just get ready-made ships and use the Nightmares or something. It saves more than 50% of the time of asking around for model developers.

Oh, and good luck. After you rename it. Now. Rename it.

[Getter Robo G]

WOW, if I asked you if you read the stickies for new people and you say no I just want to warn you, prepare for massive flamage...

That said... Very ambitious, unfortunately the Community would probably have a bad reaction to the name of any mod daring to claim the title of FS3... It has been discussed to death for years and only a campaign revisited by "V"  (or whatever incarnation it could become in the future) would be accepted by the community with open arms. Any other effort would be considered just another mod or an alternate universe.

Secondly, lack of free talent (meaning available people, not money). Unless you're willing to shell out some cash and get releases signed for that work you'd have to rely on currently available models or the occasional new handout.

Third, good luck with your efforts, but don't try to rub the fact you almost have a complete storyline ready (I'd use an alternate title without those letters ie: "Reckoning" or what have you. I'd VERY CAREFULLY start looking through the sections of other campaigns that are hosted here: The links under HOSTED. As much of what you are proposing are already long established storylines. The Knossis has been done before, new adversaries like the Ancients and Nightmare Creatures already discussed (and released). So I'd do a bit more research in preperation for the event you might need to re-write your storyline...

Lastly: Expect a development time of a year (to 5), and that's with help from people well skilled in FS2 modding. The more you use current FS2 resources the faster it will go but for NEW content you're gonna hit a brick wall (particularly in the areas of Models, Effects, and UV Mapping). Voice actign is nice but comes at the END of a campaign's development usually, and the call for voice actors is a sign the mod is nearing completion. Demands for a Demo often start then.

Other than those points Welcome aboard, a few years ago I was almost in the same point as you. I'd plan on having to get everything done yourself until you can win some converts. It's not so much that talent is scarce, more that it's all tied up in other projects. Unfortunately people get burned out and leave or frustrated if a mod dies and they take a breather for a year or more before comming back.

If you have any questions please ask, but I URGE you to do some reading first before making any more possibly controversial posts if you want the FS2 Community to take you seriously.

[Goober5000]

Yeah, don't call it FreeSpace 3.  That will just get people mad and/or annoyed.

I am in no way expecting this to be done in a short amount of time. Should this actually take off and become a full-fledged project, the total development time is measured in months, not days or weeks.

At least you're aware of the difficulties.  This is a rare quality in a newbie.

Anyway, you sound like a guy who has a good head on his shoulders, so please take this advice (mine and others') in the spirit in which it's given. The odds are stacked pretty highly against you on this one.  Even projects started by veteran community members with the support of other veteran community members have crashed and burned, and others have gone into deep hibernation.  I would advise you to start a lot smaller: either lead a small campaign that you'll know you'll be able to finish quickly, or join one of the hosted projects that's already up, running, and making progress.

Oh, and make sure to read Karajorma's FAQ from cover to cover.  It's got a ton of information that's very useful to know about FreeSpace in general and this community in particular.

[Flipside]

Agree with the other posts, call it something else, but by all means, do it, it sounds like a great idea

The reason why I'm saying call it something else is because otherwise, you could effectively call about 60% of the currently active Mods 'FS3' because they happen chronologically after the Capella incident and are set in the FS2 universe.

As a whole, the community here is a bit leery of calling anything Freespace 3, for numerous reasons, one of which being that there are those who have not given up hope of seeing the real thing, another being that to claim that any campaign is the definitive 'Freespace 3' would, in some ways, seem belittling to the other mods out there who could have called themselves it, but chose not to.

Check Karajormas FAQ for more detailed reasons as Goober suggested

Anyway, I'm not trying to knock the wind out of your sails, I do think that the campaign has promise, and I think you should give it a go.

[shiv]

I could design missions and write a tables... but when ED will be done(january 2008)

[Bobboau]

so you want to make FS3, and all you need are people to make the ships, missions, sound, artwork, cutsceenes, voice actors, oh, and someone to write the story.... yeah

[Snail]

Do you think we scared him away?

[Getter Robo G]

NAh... Probably has a life and what not...

 I don't, that's why I scream at people on IRC to TALK DAMMIT!!
I never stop unless I'm working, passed out, playing AO, or passed out!!!! 

[gman19]

Whoa! 9 posts in less than 11 hours. Dude.

Okay, it's fixed. Sorry about that, though.

From Turey If I were you, I'd call it something like "Returning Home." This could be taken either as the return of the GTVA to Earth, or the return of the Ancients to GTVA space to take back what was theirs.

I took your advice and renamed it to that. In fact, what I had in mind for this would make both those statements true up there.

From Bobboau so you want to make FS3, and all you need are people to make the ships, missions, sound, artwork, cutsceenes, voice actors, oh, and someone to write the story.... yeah

I'm trying to get a team or whatnot together to do those things. I have a story in the works, and we could (with permission) contact various well-known ship modelers and possibly compile several ship packages or something together and use that.

Okay, we could (this is just an idea) gather various resources (such as ships, weapons, effects, custom backgrounds/skyboxes, etc.) to compile and use in a new story tied directly into the events following FreeSpace 2. I should have the story fully written by this evening. I'm not doing much today, so I've got a lot of free time on my hands. With that said, I could upload and send some people my script to see what you all think. That sound good for you all?

Is there anything else? Please post your comments, thanks a bunch for actually reading this.

[Snail]

Sounds like a good idea, now. How many missions you got on the drawing board?

[gman19]

I don't have any made yet, but I'm thinking of a good sized campaign, approximately the length of the core FS2 one. It will start out with escort missions protecting material/supply lines from space pirates. These materials are required to build the new Knossos device to reopen the node to Earth/Sol. Then, it will strengthen into protecting the construction site from all-out attacks from an unknown origin. The story will build in intensity, eventually going into the part where the player explores the Capella nebula, Gamma Draconis, and beyond. Also, I will confirm that the GTVA does get back to Earth. What they find there, and what they don't find there, is still under wraps. I'm not gonna spoil the whole thing, but that's the gist of it.

So, with something of that scale, there will be about as many missions as FS2 did in it's core campaign. Which is about 30-40 missions.

Any other questions?

[Bobboau]

ok, if you actualy want to do this, try this,
find as many freely available mods that you need as you can, and focus on makeing a relitively small introduction campain, a demo. if you can fred properly (the easiest moding skill to get started on in this comunity) and do a decent job, and actualy manage to release something, you stand a decent chance of getting some followers. then you can start hopeing for new ships and effects and stuff made for you but not by your hand.

[Goober5000]

Yeah.  There are plenty of mods available in publically released campaigns.  Plenty.  I don't know of anyone who wouldn't let you use them (but it's nice to ask, or at least let them know).  Same with weapons and effects.  As for voice, don't bother with that until the campaign is released, or at least ready for release.

That leaves missions.  If you get a good story, and a good start on making missions, you might be able to pick up a bunch of extra FREDders to help you out.  But don't forget that story and missions are the only parts *required* for a campaign.  You can make a good campaign without ships, weapons, media, effects, and voice, but you can't make a good campaign without a story and a set of missions.

[gman19]

Well, here's an excerpt from my story so far.

THIS IS ONLY A BACKGROUND, NOT THE FULL STORYLINE. THIS IS DESCRIBING VARIOUS THINGS, TYING UP LOOSE ENDS FROM THE LAST GAME, AND ADDING NEW THINGS.

This talks about the new Knossos, the Capella nebula, Shivan reasons for causing the supernova, and new fighter technologies. I ask that you please read this, as I've said, this is still a work-in-progress.

Background

20 years after the Capella Incident, the Galactic Terran-Vasudan Alliance is using the technology acquired from the now-destroyed Knossos subspace device to reopen the subspace node to Sol, which has been collapsed for the past half century. The newly-formed Capella nebula is blocking the only access route to Gamma Draconis, and the Shivan-occupied nebula beyond it. This new nebula is still very, very hot (both temperature and radioactivity) and no currently operating spacecraft can survive more than a few minutes in the cloud. The temperatures melt the hull, and the radioactivity levels are high enough to penetrate even lead alloys. While a single craft that can explore such hostile environments is under construction, most of the GTVA's attention is focused on building and protecting the Sol jump node.

Rogue Terran pirates pose a considerable threat to the safety of the Kronos (the new Knossos), it's suppliers, it's construction crew, and it's target; Earth. Research into the Knossos technology uncovered that should such a device be destroyed shortly after it's construction, a subspace node could partly open and create a form of black hole several lightyears in diameter. For the new node to become stable enough to travel through and sustain itself (i.e. able to function after the device is gone, like the original Knossos), it must be supported by the device for at least 2 years, without interruption. Should the device be damaged, destroyed, or even slowed down before this stabilization occurs, the node will collapse into a massive black hole large enough to destroy a considerable portion of the galaxy.

The Kronos is being constructed as a test to see if the GTVA can actually recreate the Ancient technology to create portals to other places in the galaxy, and possibly create a node to another part of the universe. Galactic Terran-Vasudan Intelligence, or GTVI, has been theorizing and analyzing the Capella Incident, and trying to find what the Shivans' motive to destroy the star was. Some think that the supernova created a subspace node leading to the Shivan home world, or led to another galaxy, maybe even an entirely different universe.
Probes in the vicinity of the star before, during, and after it's supernova sent back detailed information, including subspace activity nearby. This subspace probe shows nothing more than a brief spike seconds before several hundred Shivan juggernauts engaged their subspace drives. Why some of these juggernauts stayed behind, no one knows. The common explanation is that subspace can only have a limited amount of mass in transit at any given time, meaning that the juggernauts more or less filled up subspace, allowing no one else to enter. Also, the evacuation of the Capella system added other ships to the equasion, keeping the left-behind Shivans from being able to access subspace.

Since then, no encounters with the Shivans have occurred aside from some isolated task forces left behind after the Second Shivan Incursion. The GTVA and most Terrans and Vasudans believe that the Shivans finally returned home through the subspace anomaly created by Capella's supernova. Experimentation on the Shivans and their spacecraft has resumed, for the first time since the Hades Rebellion. GTVI has reverse-engineered the propulsion, design, and weaponry of Shivan fighters for use by the GTVA.
The workhorse of the Alliance is now a Mara-derived fighter. This fighter sports the same propulsion system as the original Shivan Mara; Advances in fusion drive technology allow for better energy management, faster and more powerful laser fire, and better engine efficiency. Weapons have also improved; new laser weapons have surfaced, with better energy effeciency and more powerful bursts, and new missile systems are present as well, with advanced targeting systems, heavier payloads, and smaller sizes to fit several dozen more in a fighter's secondary missile banks.

What do you think? Good so far?

[neoterran]

paragraphs are your friends

[gman19]

Oh! Yeah. XD oops. Forgot the paragraphs...

Fix'd. Aww...you people don't like walls 'o' text? You're no fun! lol j/k

[Turambar]

sounds like a lot of work, but it also sounds like a good direction.  it always bothered me that nobody ever took the time to work with shivan stuff after the GTI thing.

drawing a terran mara could be fun too.
maybe i'll try it.

[Admiral Nelson]

How will the GTVA access Capella since the jump nodes are all destroyed?  Another Knossos?

I'd be tempted to caution you on such a large undertaking.  Look down below in the forum. There are half a dozen large scale campaigns that had long time staff on them that have not materialized years after they started.  It might behoove you to see if you can be of service in getting some of these out the door rather than trying to assemble another team for yet another project.