(http://lazymodders.fsmods.net/hlpnewsletter/newsletterheader.png)
How the heckaroony are you this month, FreeSpace fans? No doubt still sombre from Valen time's day, when we all remember the sacrifice that Valen gave- Oh, I'm looking at a Minbari calendar. Silly me. Well there goes that paragraph.
Hey, let's see what HLP was up to this month!
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Quiet month for campaigns. The peeps over on The Babylon Project board has Zathras 2.7a out as a unstable release. (http://www.hard-light.net/forums/index.php?topic=83801.0) Help find bugs and continue to help make FreeSpace's oldest standalone game even better. Changes include a new Aurora, freighters and some other models, as well as updated weapon effects and mainhall changes! Neat.
Solarian111 shows off in his first post on the forum with a single mission that features a large scale fleet battle. (http://www.hard-light.net/forums/index.php?topic=83581.0) Nothing wrong with that, those types of missions were my firsts too!
CommanderDJ drops beat and announces his own campaign (http://www.hard-light.net/forums/index.php?topic=83706.0), Suster... Sweescar... Suscitare... I think? Set in the Blue Planet branch of the FreeSpace universe, where you're fighting for the survival of your race. In other words, a Thursday.
(http://lazymodders.fsmods.net/hlpnewsletter/codingnews.png)
So have you noticed that campaigns have suddenly gotten harder with the last release of 3.6.16? You're not alone. (http://www.hard-light.net/forums/index.php?topic=83631.0) Turns out some difficulty based scaling was... kind of broken. Instead of scaling the damage down when you're on levels like Very Easy or Medium, you still get Insane-level damage. Oops! I guess we testers are so leet and have crazy skill-z that accidental difficulty increases go unnoticed.
Admiral Ams showed off a patch (http://www.hard-light.net/forums/index.php?topic=83818.0) that makes fighters use afterburners a lot more intelligently. After the code freeze (still in effect by the way, until the new pilot code goes in), we won't have to resort to silly things like attack orders or alternate ship classes with afterburner thrusters to get our AI ships speeding around! Cool.
Flaming Sword has some possible performance improvements (http://www.hard-light.net/forums/index.php?topic=83737.0) in some experimental builds. Check them out if you've been playing SlideshowSpace 2 and give your feedback.
In the scripting side of things, some neat things this month:
Admiral Ams updates his screencam script (http://www.hard-light.net/forums/index.php?topic=82173.0) and his save/load script (http://www.hard-light.net/forums/index.php?topic=74716.0) with some small improvements. Players (and screen cap contest contestants) should definitely check out the screencam script and FREDders should check out the save/load script if they haven't already.
FelixJim shows off two simple scripts. A change name script (http://www.hard-light.net/forums/index.php?topic=83600.0) (slightly experimental) and an ingame tech room screen. (http://www.hard-light.net/forums/index.php?topic=83659.0) That last one would be great for long boring escort missions... if it didn't pause the action...
Some crazy guy named Axem has defiled FreeSpace with a text prompt that allows the player to make choices WITH A MOUSE. (http://www.hard-light.net/forums/index.php?topic=83736.0) What the heck?! Isn't the keyboard good enough? Next thing you know, we'll have DLC season passes... Its a slippery slope, people!
And to close this section off...
MISSILESMISSILESMISSILESMISSILESMISSILESMISSILESMISSILESMISSILESMISSILES (http://youtu.be/JOzuN9xfkDc)
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Stations is the name of the game this month!
BlackWolf and mjn.mixael teamed up to finish this cool Comet-class resupply station. (http://www.hard-light.net/forums/index.php?topic=83762.0) Perfect for any campaign! BlackWolf has certainly been on a roll with all these great civilian stations. Hats off to you!
(http://lazymodders.fsmods.net/hlpnewsletter/2013/03Mar/cometstation.jpg)
And not only that but BlackWolf also gives us a Deimos with a funny hangar hat, (http://www.hard-light.net/forums/index.php?topic=83780.0) AND he also gives us new head anis for us to use! (http://www.hard-light.net/forums/index.php?topic=67771.msg1672318#msg1672318) Neat.
(http://lazymodders.fsmods.net/hlpnewsletter/2013/03Mar/deimoshat.jpg)
(http://lazymodders.fsmods.net/hlpnewsletter/2013/03Mar/bwheadanis.jpg)
Not to let BW take all the glory, mjn.mixael also released an under construction Arcadia (http://www.hard-light.net/forums/index.php?topic=83820.0) with a bunch of girders and neatess. Both these stations are great for adding atmosphere to any mod. (I know I'll be taking them...)
(http://lazymodders.fsmods.net/hlpnewsletter/2013/03Mar/constructcadia.png)
Oddgrim continues to dazzle us with new Vasudan ships. The PVB Amun is all finished up (http://www.hard-light.net/forums/index.php?topic=81274.0) and looking gorgeous and the PVB Osiris is well on its way to looking spectacular. (http://www.hard-light.net/forums/index.php?topic=83702.0) Those Zods are getting some real nice love these days.
(http://lazymodders.fsmods.net/hlpnewsletter/2013/03Mar/amun.png)
(http://lazymodders.fsmods.net/hlpnewsletter/2013/03Mar/osiris.jpg)
Eiswolf has a thread full of atmospheric fighters (http://www.hard-light.net/forums/index.php?topic=83845.0) for the Aerotech Total Conversion. There's just one problem... there's no download links!
(http://lazymodders.fsmods.net/hlpnewsletter/2013/03Mar/ahabaerotech.jpg)
Blowfish reveals a higher quality version of a Vasudan Cruiser (http://www.hard-light.net/forums/index.php?topic=83837.0) by StratComm. Looking great, I mean that beam cannon alone is so sexy. (Oh yes, it will be animated)
(http://lazymodders.fsmods.net/hlpnewsletter/2013/03Mar/naunet_wip1_zps8f479fab.png)
Hades continues to slowly work on a brand new, incredibly detailed Orion. (http://www.hard-light.net/forums/index.php?topic=79917.msg1674656#msg1674656) I can't wait to see it crushing Shivans with its many beam cannons.
(http://lazymodders.fsmods.net/hlpnewsletter/2013/03Mar/htlorion.jpg)
Hold the dressing, Ceaser Salad presents his first modelling attempt, a saucy simple fighter. (http://www.hard-light.net/forums/index.php?topic=83785.0) Keep at it, Salad! Lettuce hope that you finish it, there's nothing you carrot do.
(http://lazymodders.fsmods.net/hlpnewsletter/2013/03Mar/rendergladius.png)
Crouton.
An4ximandros also shows off his first model, I would say its a pretty cool looking capital ship, (http://www.hard-light.net/forums/index.php?topic=83799.0) except that I cannot make a pun with his name. So I must instead say, ITS AWFUL. (I lie, its pretty cool despite having an unpunnable name)
(http://lazymodders.fsmods.net/hlpnewsletter/2013/03Mar/a4xcarrier.jpg)
Steve-O continues revamping his fighter fleet with the Saracen/Durga bomber. (http://www.hard-light.net/forums/index.php?topic=81513.msg1673325#msg1673325) The bomber is a little stretched out from before, but I like that. Can't wait to fly it and blow up destroyers!
(http://lazymodders.fsmods.net/hlpnewsletter/2013/03Mar/saracenC_zps0653314c.png)
BengalTiger continues work on this own universe TC with some WIPs of some carriers. (http://www.hard-light.net/forums/index.php?topic=50838.msg1673669#msg1673669) Hope to see these textured!
(http://lazymodders.fsmods.net/hlpnewsletter/2013/03Mar/tottcarriers.jpg)
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The Antagonist
"The universe has done you in, and you've had enough of their crap."
What an excellent tagline that aptly describes this campaign. But for a campaign that discards the entirety of FreeSpace universe for an original one created by bigchunk and next to no "new" models or effects (the Starcracker excepted), is this really anything to pay attention to? Yes, yes, and yes. But I won't let that stop me continue talking about it.
The campaign opens with a cutscene introducing you to this deary and dark universe. Man's been to the stars and has found no one else. Nothing alien is to be found, nothing intelligent anyway. So mankind grew and grew, but a certain group of people decided they could do things better and did the old "coup to install a facisitic dictatorship" and called it the Oligarchy. Got to love when that happens. Presumably, to make sure that they wouldn't get coup'd (trademark pending), they've drugged their population to be obedient and loyal.
So next mission, you're flying a fighter coming back from some dogfighting pirates. (Interesting to note: its not an escort mission, and no pirates ever appear. In fact they don't appear in the campaign at all, way to break with tradition!) So you get taken onboard, begin to get healed up, and then your drugs start wearing off. One short scuffle and a tackle later, you find yourself in a very weird ship that's talking to you (says its name is Edward). And from there your journey begins to end the Oligarchy.
Yes, this story has been done before, but so has FreeSpace. What both bring to the table are new gameplay and a lot of fun. The gameplay considerations for the campaign become a sort of routine. Edward activates a new system (from new missiles to new primaries to subspace hopping), you play around with it being massively outnumbered, and then a boss arrives where you get to show what you've learned. Its the perfect way to get people invested and used to the new gameplay.
Let's talk about a few of these cool weapons you get. You start off with the APE, which explodes with a large blast when it gets near a target. Perfect for pray and spraying all those weak targets. Later on you'll also get the X-Ray, a weapon that cuts right through shields, good for those shielded fighters. The Ion Beam, which cuts through shields and really hurts subsystems, good for bosses. On the secondary side you get the Grenade, a dumbfire remote detonated missile that has a kilometer wide blast radius (sweet), the Vicia, heatseeking missiles that deploy from all angles, and the Zwide, super heavy dumbfire bombs. There's also a tracking version of that last one that uses Subspace to travel. What is great about these weapons is there is no "better weapon". The APE is great against the small unshielded fighters that fly around fast, but doesn't do as well against shielded fighters. The X-ray is the opposite, great against the slower shielded fighters but it has a higher energy consumption so you can't spam it on those smaller fighters. The variety lends to how the player plays and that's how you do weapon balancing right.
There powerups dropped in a few missions that let you temporarily upgrade a primary weapon, but it will revert back after a little bit. I would have liked to have seen more upgrades and an indication on how long they last. I would also love to have seen health upgrades! I found myself at 12% health in the early minutes of a few missions making my death a certainity as the mission went on.
Anyhow, using these tools, you defeat the crafty bosses of the Oligarchy and reach your destination.
The star of the Oligarchy's inner system. After a fight with another Starcracker they sent as a last ditch to stop you (and defeating it), the last boss comes back to reveal Edward's goal. Blowing up the star and killing everyone in the system (and 10 lightyears beyond that as well). What is WITH the FreeSpace and blowing up stars?!
What a tweest. Of course you have the choice in the end if you want to actually go through with it or not.
What I think is the most important thing about The Antagonist through a modding lens, is that its a campaign that's built on discovery. You look at the Starcracker and the mainhall and go "what ugly designs". But thats missing the point, its a mark of "I don't know how to do this, but I'm going to learn." Too many campaigns die because the creator needs something they don't have. They try asking on modding boards, but hey, everyone else is already working on their own thing. Bigchunk had an idea for a fun campaign and he built it, even if he didn't know how to do some parts. Its becoming easier and easier to make campaigns these days. There are so many custom ships and so many tutorials and opened avenues to mod certain parts of the game that you can make a completely original tale with just notepad and FRED.
So its cool, play it. Be inspired by it. Also read Battuta's review on it, (http://www.hard-light.net/forums/index.php?topic=78402.msg1603002#msg1603002) it talks about a few different things with respect to meta-story telling elements and other fancy sounding terms.
Next month we're going to go back in time a bit for... *Wildly points to a random campaign*
The Titan Rebellion (http://www.hard-light.net/forums/index.php?topic=79282.0)
The Shivans are sealed away beyond Capella. The Alliance is at peace, for now. Lurking in the shadows is a clandestine organization: NeoIntel. Their mission is to preserve the peace at any cost. Terran or Vasudan. Soldier or civilian. None will be spared in NeoIntel's quest for peace!
Sounds neo-erffic!
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Last's month theme was BLUE. How did we... do? Quite nicely, if I do say so! Lots more entries and some very nice screenshots indeed. The winner this month is...
X3N0-Life-Form and his very blue screenshot indeed.
(http://lazymodders.fsmods.net/hlpnewsletter/2013/03Mar/blueblue.png)
Everyone also seemed to almost give up after his pic. :p So what do we have this month?
VASUDANS. Some of the more recent upgraded models lately have been upgrading our Vasudan friends. Let's show our support for them by taking some very nice pictures of Vasudan ships!
Screencap Scoreboard:
ssmit132 - 1
X3N0-Life-Form - 1
(http://lazymodders.fsmods.net/hlpnewsletter/closingout.png)
MISSILESMISSILESMISSILESMISSILESMISSILESMISSILESMISSILESMISSILESMISSILES (http://youtu.be/JOzuN9xfkDc)