[herkie423]

THE LAST UPDATE

Download Links:

The Aftermath Reboot Update
https://www.mediafire.com/file/5kw5imma680bs5p/AFR-Update-7-2022.rar/file

The Blue Guardian Update
https://www.mediafire.com/file/afh1zqarzrm5mky/TBG-Update-7-2022.rar/file


I am already 63 years old and age has finally caught up with me. I can no longer have have the tenacity to maintain my memory nor my logical skills for modding.

To the best of my present abilities, I am going to fix my mods, AFR and TBG, anticipating every issue that will  arise with newer FSO builds and fix the grammar mistakes the best that I can (without the help of a proof reader).

I know that both of my mods are not really favorites in HLP and they are heavily criticized and ridiculed by the community but I did the best I could to give you, players, the sense of fun that a game  should meant to have. Nevertheless, I have no issue with that --- each man's classic is another man's chestnut. I just really want to give you all that I can.

Now, these updates for AFR and TBG will be my last update. It will be available in a month or less time than that. I just hope that Knossos will apply these updates as well.

In 3 months time, my MediaFire account that has all the mod files for download will be taken down (because it's a free account) . So my mods will no longer be available for download after that.

I have a strong feeling that no one cares for The Aftermath Reboot and it's sequel, The Blue Guardian. So... the last update will also be my last modding endeavor.

However, I will still do the best that I can do the last update. After that, the fate of both my mods will be in the hands of HLP.

It's been a privilege. All the best, HLP.

[Colonol Dekker]

Awww, dude  I like your stuff.  Better to put out a personal passionate project that's not widely received than something you feel nothing for.

[herkie423]

Awww, dude  I like your stuff.  Better to put out a personal passionate project that's not widely received than something you feel nothing for.

I know Dekker. It's not just the mods. The songs I composed and sang are not actually worth it. But I did the best to make people happy.

By the way, Blue Planet Complete is my favorite game, my ultimate inspiration.

Now, come to think of it, AFR and TBG did not break the canon lore about the Shivans in BPC or any other mods. In my story story-telling, I did not touch about their metaphysical motives or their technology. In truth, in the AFR universe, the Shivans are still enigmatic, a species that dominates more than half of the galaxy.

[herkie423]

... Oh please do appreciate the story of TBG, it's CT27's work. He is much better in story telling than I am.

EDIT: I wished that I have met CT27 when I was doing AFR back in 2012...

AFR is old... the Reboot was released in 2016.

[redmagejoe]

Despite any impression I may have given, I have really enjoyed your work, Herkie. I'm happy that you were able to poor your heart and soul into something creative to share with the rest of the world before your retirement.

Please take these words that I have said time and again to heart: Despite a product's warts or shortcomings in particular aspects, always, ALWAYS a passion project will shine through and reach me on a deep level. I can tell that you put your soul into this, and that completely overrides any and all criticisms I have for it. I can tell when another human being put their passion into something and it is thus delivered not as a corporate-inspired product to be commercially successful and to be consumed by the masses. It is being hand-delivered from them to me, to Dekker, to CT27, to every member of HLP that plays it.

I have gone back and enjoyed Aftermath off-stream a number of times since I played it on stream, because of moments of pure joy it brought me in spite of and because of silly story tropes or ridiculous balance decisions. It's just so unapologetically confident in itself that it's charming to me and I love it for all of its flaws. Please don't ever let anyone's words discourage you from believing that you made something great that will forever be a part of the FreeSpace legacy.

Thank you Herkie for everything you've done.

[Iain Baker]

If you need help proofreading let me know, I have done it for loads of campaigns now and I can usually get it done quickly 

[ShivanSlayer]

Aftermath Reboot was a very underrated mod, and I liked how it ended with the defeat of the Shivans.   It is the only mod so far where I was left feeling like I had ended the threat of the Shivans, something I had wanted since completing the original FS2 campaign back in 2015

[Nyctaeus]

Sometimes mods provide me fun with deep story, sometimes with cool assets, sometimes with gags... And sometimes with just lots of dakka and a healthy dose of both intentional and unintentional absurd :].

And you know what, man? That's actually what this community needed. AFR is the Duke Nukem of the HLP - full badass power fantasy in it's purest form, that provides pure enjoyment with arsenal of overpowered weapons, insane kill counts and ridiculously funny chatters. It has just the right balance between epic and silly. It has it's niche on HLP it's reigning in, it contributed a lot to HLP culture and made lots of people here smile by it's occasional goofiness .

You put tremendous efforts into project you wanted to provide us entertainment with... And I think you just succeeded in this regard, man.

[CT27]

Thanks Herkie for letting me work with you on AFR and TBG.

AFR is one of my favorite campaigns.  It was fun.  A campaign can be 'deep' and fun, or a campaign's story can be more 'simple' and fun...but the important thing is that people enjoy it and want to play it.  IMO that was certainly accomplished with AFR.  Tech-wise it was a great achievement too; not too many people these days are releasing even short campaigns but you basically by yourself released one of the biggest single campaigns in HLP history (I think it is second only to Novachen's "Revenge:  Final Conflict") and the fact that there was very few game errors is also excellent.

I would also encourage people to at least try TBG.  Updates have made it better than the original release.

[herkie423]

Despite any impression I may have given, I have really enjoyed your work, Herkie. I'm happy that you were able to poor your heart and soul into something creative to share with the rest of the world before your retirement.

Thank you, Joe. That really touched me, man. I am glad you are enjoying AFR. The campaign was intentionally made for pure blasting fun and power tripping. It only has a simple story which is basically a war campaign.

All the briefing banters and the in-game dialogues are just the point of view of the characters; the GTVA High Command, Admiral Cartwright, the COs, and the pilots. I tried to depict them as foolishly arrogant, over-confident and sometimes downright incompetent. Looks I like got the correct response from players but they saw it as writing flaws on my part. Well, I took a risk in this method of story-telling. Even the corny jokes and puns are intentional. I just have break through the barrier of Grammatical Errors.

In truth, I don't shy away from criticism. When I receive criticisms, I laugh but not at the critics. I laugh at myself  then I treat those critic comments as guides to improve things. Except for the things I intended to convey. Example: Richter mass-murdering civilians then talks about innocents (your reaction, Joe, was spot on). It's his character, he doesn't like killing people but it's his merc contract. He seem to have no qualms about morality but he is very conflicted deep inside which reflects the tone of his diary. However, he was guided by the "whisper" in his mind... The Blue Guardian. The entity that set Richter straight to the right path and letting him come into terms within himself... oof, I am digressing... Anyway, thanks again, Joe for playing AFR. Many thanks.

I say this to HLP: Rock on! Pour your heart and soul into your projects. Don't quit and keep on modding while you still can. 

[herkie423]

If you need help proofreading let me know, I have done it for loads of campaigns now and I can usually get it done quickly 

I'd like that, Iain. But AFR is huge, it has more than 60,000 words in the techroom intel and descriptions alone. Add the same number (or more) with the command briefings, mission briefings, debriefings and all.

You can help me with some of it, however. Say, 3 Acts? The campaign has 10... I know "Acts" should only be 3 or 4. My obvious mistake. The "Acts" in AFR are basically chapters.

If you do proofread it. Send them via PM.

[herkie423]

Sometimes mods provide me fun with deep story, sometimes with cool assets, sometimes with gags... And sometimes with just lots of dakka and a healthy dose of both intentional and unintentional absurd :].

Thanks, Nycs. I still don't forget that you were one of the people who gave helpful tips and advice in making AFR. And I did thanked you officially in the credits cutscene (but you were using a different name then).

Well, I want players to have good fun in space simulation shooter games like I had with PSOne's Colony Wars Series, Darklight Conflict, G-Police, Xenocracy, and Startrek Invasion. Sadly, that genre has died. If only commercial game developers will pay attention to HLP. This community has a lot to offer.

[herkie423]

Thanks Herkie for letting me work with you on AFR and TBG.

As always, CT, it's an honor and privilege in working with you these many years.

[spart_n]

Honestly Herkie, as much as I have seethed and vehement dislike for AF2, you made some phenomenal campaigns with crazy amounts of missions at a crazier rate. The flaws turn into its own charms; they are unabashedly fun. The goofiness, the quirkiness, Aftermath resonates with me on a level no Freespace campaign has.

I can't speak for anyone but myself, but Aftermath is a classic, a campaign I can unashamedly and unironically point towards for anyone wanting Freespace content with some life and soul poured into it, and hopefully learn from its own crazy designs.

I wish you all the best and your presence will be sorely missed. Thanks for providing a Herkie-brand of Freespace fun.

[herkie423]

Thanks Spart_n. I acknowledged those flaws. I am actually fixing them.

The whole AFR campaign is a "power trip." I created that mod before I discovered HLP. With CT27's push, I made the Reboot. I don't know what motivated me to make a "power trip" of a campaign 12 years ago. I was criticized for breaking every rule of Freespace Modding, even made my own GTVA logo and the entire FS2 user interface.  If I had known HLP back then, I would have done differently with AFR. But... I love the chaos, explosions, the BOEs, blasting things for fun, and went over the top with it... So AFR is totally different. A whole other universe.

I am glad that you consider this a classic.

[Mito [PL]]

It absolutely is a classic.

Ah, the fond memories. Back in the day I randomly decided to play this specific campaign, and then I was like "Why people aren't talking about this? This is so fun!" and I guess I managed to convince some people to its merits.

At some point I was considering toying with the mod a bunch - so fixing some things, rebalancing a bit... and maybe introducing AF:R's own brand of insanity to Warmachine's own brand of insanity. Could've been glorious. Unfortunately, real life exists and takes up a lot of my time, so I feel like this is only a dream.

That said, good luck in your future endeavours, herkie!

[Marguel]

I don't really interact a lot here, but I want you to know I did really enjoy AF:R, and to date it remains one of my favorite mods. Most of them are really short ones, but yours it truly massive. Also the only campaing where you actually beat the shivans!
I think no one has ever even make it there! (i did not play through the original inferno if it does)
Despite it being a little over the top, the sheer amount of work and love poured into it really shows.
Add that to the most satisfying capship missions ever encountered...

What I mean, is thank you for your time spent here, and I wish you luck in your next endeavours, whatever they may be!

BTW Would you be so kind as to let me use some of the ship models in my own campaign?

[herkie423]

It absolutely is a classic.

Ah, the fond memories. Back in the day I randomly decided to play this specific campaign, and then I was like "Why people aren't talking about this? This is so fun!" and I guess I managed to convince some people to its merits.

Yeah, Mito... 😆

We still remember the original when it was just 46 mission. Thanks, Mito.

If only I can get the new FSO 22s and latest MVPs to work on my end. There are a lot of mods out there that I REALLY like to play. I was lucky with the earlier 2016 version of BTA, Exile, and BPC--- I still play them using FSO 3.7.4/MVPS 2014.

Damn, I am really left behind.   

[herkie423]

I don't really interact a lot here, but I want you to know I did really enjoy AF:R, and to date it remains one of my favorite mods. Most of them are really short ones, but yours it truly massive. Also the only campaing where you actually beat the shivans!
I think no one has ever even make it there! (i did not play through the original inferno if it does)

Thanks, Marguel. It means a lot to me.

By the way, you didn't really beat the Shivans, the race that occupies 3/4 of the Galaxy. What we had beaten in AFR were just the ones who pestered the GTVA in FS1 and FS2.

If you play the sequel AF2: The Blue Guardian, you will learn more about them but not all, not their true nature. I haven't touch that part of their lore.

Regarding using AFR's models, they are not mine. It's BPC's. Aside from everything else in mod making, I don't do models (I do reconfigure them though).

You should ask permission from the creators of those models especially the creators of Blue Planet Complete.

[Mito [PL]]

If only I can get the new FSO 22s and latest MVPs to work on my end. There are a lot of mods out there that I REALLY like to play. I was lucky with the earlier 2016 version of BTA, Exile, and BPC--- I still play them using FSO 3.7.4/MVPS 2014.

In some other thread of yours I mentioned that you could just spend several dollars on a basic WiFi dongle for your computer, and use your phone's hot-spot functionality to get Internet access in your computer to work (since regular tethering over cable just didn't want to), but you haven't responded to it so I didn't want to push further.

Also, some user in Discord asked if there is some list of music tracks used in AF:R. I know there's some music used from BP, and if my memory serves that mod does have said list somewhere, but does yours have one somewhere? Preferrably including your own tracks/remixes used in the mod.