Author Topic: Release: Between The Ashes [UPDATED 5th of September 2024]  (Read 72186 times)

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Offline mjn.mixael

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Release: Between The Ashes [UPDATED 5th of September 2024]


Between the Ashes Updated to 2.0.7
Now includes the Chapter 2: The Growing Silence

Between the Ashes: The Growing Silence
May 24, 2024

It's been one hell of a journey. Today, we are beyond excited to finally release Between the Ashes 2: The Growing Silence. This chapter of our story expands the world well beyond Admiral Po, Ozymandias, and Antares from Slaves of Chaos, venturing out into the distant Luyten system. Here, the Luyten New Alliance, a relatively young Terran faction, faces a new threat in the form of mysterious raiders, as well as the possible return of an old one: the Hammer of Light, unseen since the Battle of Sahr.

This release is also the capstone of a new chapter in BtA's development team. Where the first game was envisioned as a Freespace mod and developed by a team of ten total contributors, with this release, BtA has been essentially rebuilt as a standalone game. If you've ever wanted to get a friend into Freespace, linking them the BtA homepage might help ease them into the experience. We've even built our own tutorials to support this. The team and our approach are also different. With a core of only three developers, supported by storyline contributions by Slasher (one of SoC's primary mission designers) back in 2016, The Growing Silence provides a more tightly focused experience, with different plot threads woven through multiple missions. It's been a long road to get here, but the end result is a game we're truly proud of. In every possible sense, this is the game that we've always wanted to make - and it sets a solid foundation for the upcoming third release. (How are we going to top ourselves next time? You'll just have to wait and see.)

Please feel free to join our BtA Discord server, where you can interact with us and most of our voice talent as well. They'd love to hear your thoughts on their work!

Bugs can be reported to us either on Discord or, even better, our bug reporting form. Using the form puts the bug report directly on our Trello board for us to make sure we get it fixed up.

Campaigns included:

Mefistofele
--Having been discharged from military service within the GTA, you are now flying for the biggest paycheck. Your next job might be more sinister than it seems...

Slaves of Chaos
--We defeated the Shivans, but it wasn't without loss. Our world is gone, and we are left in confusion. Where do we go from here? Who do we trust? We stand in the rubble, and yet we must learn to how to survive when the Destroyers return.

You are a pilot with the Galactic Terran Alliance, serving under Admiral Po aboard the GTD Intrepid. You helped repel the Shivan Incursion, you chose the right side during the rebellion within Galactic Terran Intelligence, and now your skill has earned you a squadron leader position in the troubled Antares system. Your job is to be a simple peace-keeping force in a system decimated by two wars and economic recession, but when an early patrol is hit by cunning smugglers, you'll follow threads that lead to an unexpected enemy - one that may out-match even the Admiral.


Antwerp
--Roughly three years have passed since the events in Antares. As a pilot with the 47th Cutthroats stationed on the Intrepid, you will perform a strategic role in the destruction of a major Hammer of Light target.

The Growing Silence
--You are a one-time rising star in the Galactic Terran Alliance fighter corps, but recent events have left you assigned to a washed-up patrol squadron, the 508th Loaded Dice. It's a transitional time for the galaxy. The Hammer of Light terrorists remain active, but their attacks have become few and far between. The Parliamentary Vasudan Navy has consolidated its government in Aldebaran, and while they continue to honor the cease-fire, rumors of dissent in Parliament are growing. The Antares Federation remain committed to independence, and have closed their borders to focus on internal affairs. Several human expeditions have scattered to the outer reaches of known space in search of a fresh start, free from the oversight of the failing GTA. As a gesture of goodwill, the Loaded Dice are deployed to provide security in the distant Luyten system, but secret objectives threaten to undermine the entire expedition.

Operation Templar
--Operation Templar, a Galactic Terran-Vasudan Alliance endeavor, hunts down the last remnants of the Hammer of Light.  Shortly after the GTVA's plan to eradicate the HoL becomes known, The rebels stage a desperate last stand, hijacking a Vasudan destroyer and taking hostages.

A Note From Mjn-

I am excited to finally release Between the Ashes: The Growing Silence! This project began as an exercise for me to learn FRED and with the help of many others, it became something better than I ever hoped. There's a whole list of people around HLP that put up with me and my questions over the years.. and I owe more than one of them quite a few favors! Those people are in addition to the actual team listed below who put in many hours to get this all put together. Believe me when I tell you, this was a team effort.. not an Mjn.Mixael effort.. and I really hope you enjoy it!

Lastly, to the best of my ability, all the mod assets are credited properly in the credits.tbl. So if you are going to ransack the modpack (and I know you are!), just be sure to give proper credit. After that, take whatever you need, no need to ask. Go forth and make more campaigns, for that is the true lifeblood of HLP!


Feel free to join #bta on Discord for discussion/support.

[DOWNLOAD] - Use Knossos:

Click below to get started.



Team & Testers
Team
Admiral MS - Script God, Mission Destroyer
CommanderDJ - Writer, Kalev Ehin Articles
DefCynodont119 - Freding, Modback Design
IronBeer - OK Fine He'll FRED
MatthTheGeek - Modpack Extraordinaire
MjnMixael - Project Lead
Naomimyselfandi = Writing, Freding, Scripting
Lepanto - General Staff, Consistency Checking
Lorric - Writer, General Stuff
RgaNoris - Le WUT
SDM - Testing, Grammar, & General Shenanigans
Slasher - Speed FRED
Snail - Critical Critique

Testers
Admiral MS
Betrayal
DahBlount
TheHound
Matthew.f
No Tea
Spoon

Known Issues:

« Last Edit: September 05, 2024, 08:01:11 pm by mjn.mixael »
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Offline mjn.mixael

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Re: BtA: Slaves of Chaos [RELEASE]
--Reserved--
« Last Edit: May 26, 2024, 08:24:38 pm by mjn.mixael »
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Offline mjn.mixael

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Re: BtA: Slaves of Chaos [PRE-RELEASE]
BTA1_Root received a small update. You can download that now with the links above or use the installer.

I'll release the rest of the campaign files around 1pm GMT on 10/25/2016.
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Offline mjn.mixael

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Offline mjn.mixael

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Re: BtA: Slaves of Chaos [FULL RELEASE]
BTA1_Core.vp hotfix uploaded. Fixes a small number of mission bugs, adds a forgotten bit to the credits.tbl, and renames a mission file to be more clear what it's for.

Download the file above or re-run the installer to update automatically.
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Offline mjn.mixael

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Re: BtA: Slaves of Chaos [FULL RELEASE]
Pushed out another quick hotfix. I will not tolerate mission soft-locks!

Also resolved a handful of issues regarding key rebinds.
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Offline mjn.mixael

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Re: BtA: Slaves of Chaos [FULL RELEASE]
Another Core patch today that fixes a major issue causing the incorrect cutscene to play at end-game!
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Offline mjn.mixael

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Re: BtA: Slaves of Chaos [FULL RELEASE]
Core has once again been patched to fix an issue where progression would stall if you skipped a mission.
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Offline mjn.mixael

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Re: BtA: Slaves of Chaos [FULL RELEASE]
Core updated to fix a lot of bugs. A LOT.

This biggest fixes an issue that ceases all tracked campaign progress if you skip a mission in any way. This should fix checkpoints, cutscenes, journal entries (won't load ones you missed, though), and snail saving.

Fix some spelling errors.

Fix issue that allowed the Cardinal to be disabled in m2_08.
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Offline mjn.mixael

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Re: BtA: Slaves of Chaos [FULL RELEASE]
Just kidding, last cutscene mission wasn't fixed, but now it is. Update again today if you already did.
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Offline mjn.mixael

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Re: BtA: Slaves of Chaos [FULL RELEASE]
Posted the new patch that fixes the following issues...

Fix issue that caused Journal Entries, News Entries and Tech Room Entries to not be unlocked if the player skips a mission.
Fix mission stall in Acts of Voltion.
Debriefings when medals are awarded now will not show when the mission is played from the Tech Room.
Fix HUD in How The West Was Lost 2nd half of the mission.
Fix issue that prevented a bonus mission from unlocking in How The West Was Lost.
Remove ability to skip the intro cutscene in Camp Angel so that players don't miss the checkpoints.
Player will be mauled by the dreaded Pebekkemen if he tries to be a hero in The Texas Seven... And if the player survives that encounter for longer than 30 seconds, he will be mauled by the dreaded Pentewere as well. Good luck, pilot.
Introduce extra events to ensure the Cardinal cannot be disabled in The Texas Seven.
« Last Edit: November 12, 2016, 02:05:47 pm by mjn.mixael »
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Re: BtA: Slaves of Chaos [FULL RELEASE]
Updated Core

m2_09 No arrival message for hostile wings to as not to interfere with the scripted arrival message
m3_04 Keep certain ships alive until they can spew their last words
m4_01 Make sure the techroom check happens after the campaign variable has a frame to set itself to prevent "No Debrief" issue
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Offline mjn.mixael

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Re: BtA: Slaves of Chaos [UPDATED TO SUPPORT FSO 3.8]
Updated Core
  • Open/Save all missions in FRED 3.8 which adds various elements to the mission files like new XSTRs.
  • Fix various scripts for 3.8.
  • Use new TrueType fonts throughout the mod.
  • Fix weapons.tbl error.
  • Missing tech descriptions added to ships.tbl
  • XSTR issue fixed in ships.tbl
  • Abydos uses Vasudan Turret instead of Terran Turret
  • Tweaks and alterations to Newsroom Headlines
  • m1_04 - Make mission requirements slightly less rigid, bugfixes
  • m2_01 - bugfixes
  • m2_02 - bugfixes
  • m2_03 - bugfixes
  • m2_05 - bugfixes
  • m3_04 - fix bug related to playing the last cutscene correctly
  • m4_01 - fix issue that prevented the cutscene from playing in some cases

Updated Root
  • Give Sermakh icon a border to help him look less maimed
  • Change 3D sounds to mono

Updated Maps
  • Small texture fixes

Updated Advanced
  • Small texture fixes

Updated Anims
  • Replace all EFF ANIs with APNGs

Updated Movies
  • Replace all OGG cutscenes with H264s
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Re: BtA: Slaves of Chaos [UPDATED TO SUPPORT FSO 3.8]
Updated Multiple Packages

  • Integrated many, many bugfixes and efficiencies from Novachen's upgrade
  • New HD loading screens
  • Better translation support, again thanks to Novachen's work
  • MediaVPs 3.8 compatibility
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Re: BtA: Slaves of Chaos [UPDATED TO SUPPORT FSO 3.8]
Updated Core

  • Bringing Down The Gavel Bugfix
  • How The West Was Lost Bugfix
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Release: Between The Ashes [UPDATED 17th of February 2020]
Updated Multiple Packages to version 1.5.0

  • Antwerp Campaign Added
  • Operation Templar Campaign Added
  • New intro cutscene
  • Using HD UI where possible
  • Many bugfixes & improvements
« Last Edit: February 17, 2020, 12:02:37 pm by mjn.mixael »
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Re: Release: Between The Ashes [UPDATED 17th of February 2020]
Updated to 1.5.2

  • Credits mistakes
  • Fix issues with BtA_Core not installing correctly
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Re: Release: Between The Ashes [UPDATED 17th of February 2020]
Updated to 1.5.3

  • Fix Antwerp Cutscene not playing
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Re: Release: Between The Ashes [UPDATED 17th of February 2020]
Updated to 1.5.4

  • Use new feature to play ship wide alarm in Antwerp Operation: Garden
  • Hide MediaVPs warp parade single missions
  • Various Templar fixes
  • Switch briefing voice in Antwerp from Esha to Maria, reprising her role from Slaves of Chaos
  • Add missing Cheops maps
  • Change Maiman maps to white to reflect LNA faction coloring (thank you Nyctaeus)
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Re: Release: Between The Ashes [UPDATED 17th of February 2020]
Updated to 1.5.5

  • Update weapons/ships/sounds tbls to reflect changes in MediaVPs 4.2.X
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