Author Topic: RELEASE: The Scroll of Atankharzim, Part I  (Read 204026 times)

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Offline Goober5000

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Re: RELEASE: The Scroll of Atankharzim, Part I
1. Glad you liked Admiral Amethet.  He is a creation of Sesquipedalian; I didn't have much to do with his description or characterization.

2. We don't have plans to introduce the Keres in Part II, and the ship set is mostly finalized.  Though I can take another look at it.

 

Offline CT27

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Re: RELEASE: The Scroll of Atankharzim, Part I

2. We don't have plans to introduce the Keres in Part II, and the ship set is mostly finalized.  Though I can take another look at it.

Thanks.  I'd appreciate it.  I only know of one campaign (Ghost Revenants) where you can fly the Keres and it'd be cool to have another one.


In any case, I'm really looking forward to Scroll Part 2 down the road.  You and that other guy did a great job on Part 1; by the way, how do you pronounce his name?

 

Offline Goober5000

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Re: RELEASE: The Scroll of Atankharzim, Part I
Sesquipedalian?  It's in the dictionary.

Sesquipedalian hasn't been active much this year though.  And we had a lot of contributions from other members too: Yarn, Xenocartographer, PVD_Hope, macielos, and FreeSpaceFreak just this year alone.  TopAce, MjnMixael, Galemp, and Admiral Nelson did a lot of work in previous years as well.

 

Offline Gloriano

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Re: RELEASE: The Scroll of Atankharzim, Part I
Soo had a chance to play this and so far really enjoyed myself, so good job. I think the story itself is quite interesting and hope to see the next one soon and not after 15 years  ;)
You must have chaos within you to give birth to a dancing star.- Nietzsche

When in despair I remember that all through history the way of truth and love has always won; there have been tyrants and murderers, and for a time they can seem invincible, but in the end they always fall.- Mahatma Gandhi

 

Offline Goober5000

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Re: RELEASE: The Scroll of Atankharzim, Part I
Soo had a chance to play this and so far really enjoyed myself, so good job. I think the story itself is quite interesting and hope to see the next one soon and not after 15 years  ;)

Glad to hear that. :)  And yes, we plan to release Part II sooner than that. ;)

 

Offline SF-Junky

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Re: RELEASE: The Scroll of Atankharzim, Part I
Just FYI, the dl links in the op are broken. Those on the homepage work, though. Lookin' forward to play this. :)

 

Offline Goober5000

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Re: RELEASE: The Scroll of Atankharzim, Part I
Thanks, I forgot to fix those before.  They're fixed now.

 

Offline mjn.mixael

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Re: RELEASE: The Scroll of Atankharzim, Part I
Put it on Knossos and I'll play it. :)
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Offline Goober5000

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Re: RELEASE: The Scroll of Atankharzim, Part I
Ooh. :)

 

Offline CT27

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Re: RELEASE: The Scroll of Atankharzim, Part I
I forgot to say something else about the plot I liked:

The initial debate on whether or not the
Spoiler:
Terran Gateway project should give spare parts to the Vasudan exploration of this new system was interesting to follow.

Although I could understand why the
Spoiler:
Vasudans would want to do this new project perhaps, I could also understand the Terran reluctance as well.  I mean, if you only have enough parts right now for one project...I could see why they would want to go back to Sol.  Behind one door there is something they've been wanting for 30 some years that they 'know' is there.  On the other hand, behind door #2 is a mystery...so why would they want to go with this other project before Sol is restored?  If I was a Vasudan I might understand why they'd be reluctant to support the new project.

You guys came up with a good compromise to the debate though. :)

 

Offline Nyctaeus

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Re: RELEASE: The Scroll of Atankharzim, Part I
I forgot to post some more detailed feedback :P.

What I dislike:
Spoiler:
- I'm lacking some small plot details between missions. Something more about those systems we explore?
- New ships are a little bit too rare.
- Nebulae. I just don't like this particular style. Looks chaotic, noisy and a little bit like ketchup. Don't you guys prefer something fancy and more detailed :P?

What I like:
Spoiler:
- Overall storyline. Mysterious, deep and mystic. Numerous plottwists. Exploring dark, unknown space mood... And I'm really interested what lies further, in unknown space beyond Fornacis.
- Cool new music! Especially main menu is just... Woah!
- Knossos-centered missions are gorgeous. I went for ISF in the branch, and those missions are are also outstanding.
- Like CT27, I like character creation of Admiral Amethet.
- Commanding officer of Narendum is also worth mentioning. He gives me this strange feeling that he's doing something in secrecy, and will surprise us somehow in Act II.
- Voice acting is done in unique way.
- I feel vasudan! Scroll would benefit on dedicated vasudan interface and hud.
- Udjat is the best looking 670-poly model I've ever seen.

Summary: Scroll is solid and worth playing. Campaign has some features which makes it unique. Despite initial proplems with bugs, I enjoyed my playthrough and I will do it again with second branch. Scroll would benefit on some new assets. It's been almost 20 years since Capella, so more new ships and weapons would be welcome.
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Re: RELEASE: The Scroll of Atankharzim, Part I
In the fifth mission, I got the "harthenet died" spiel despite it surviving at 4% health, it even gave its "dont let my sacrifice be in vain!" so I'll bet they were unhappy I didn't give them the chance to heroically die. I also didn't get the maxim in the previous mission, but that may have been due to me skipping the mission before it, and mightve missed an allow-weapon maxim.

 

Offline Goober5000

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Re: RELEASE: The Scroll of Atankharzim, Part I
I forgot to say something else about the plot I liked:

The initial debate on whether or not the
Spoiler:
Terran Gateway project should give spare parts to the Vasudan exploration of this new system was interesting to follow.

Although I could understand why the
Spoiler:
Vasudans would want to do this new project perhaps, I could also understand the Terran reluctance as well.  I mean, if you only have enough parts right now for one project...I could see why they would want to go back to Sol.  Behind one door there is something they've been wanting for 30 some years that they 'know' is there.  On the other hand, behind door #2 is a mystery...so why would they want to go with this other project before Sol is restored?  If I was a Vasudan I might understand why they'd be reluctant to support the new project.

You guys came up with a good compromise to the debate though. :)

Thanks. :)  You might be interested to know that that entire subplot arose from a plot hole I identified...

Spoiler:
It stretches credibility to think that the Vasudans could repair the Knossos in just a short time.  The best-case scenario would be for them to quickly replace the broken parts with spare parts from somewhere else.  Then I thought that those spare parts might be readily available if another subspace portal was under construction.  And we know from FS2 that the Terrans are strongly in favor of building one to return to Earth.  It made for some good conflict that tied into the whole simmering-beneath-the-surface tension of the different priorities for the Terrans and Vasudans after Capella.


I forgot to post some more detailed feedback :P.

What I dislike:
Spoiler:
- I'm lacking some small plot details between missions. Something more about those systems we explore?
- New ships are a little bit too rare.
- Nebulae. I just don't like this particular style. Looks chaotic, noisy and a little bit like ketchup. Don't you guys prefer something fancy and more detailed :P?

1) Good point.  This part of the campaign is more focused on pushing out the Shivans than doing much exploration.  But we should feature this more in Part II.
2) I suppose this is reasonable.  We didn't have a chance to feature too many of the Terran ships, after all.  On the other hand, this is only eleven years (not 20) after Capella, and there is an economic depression; new ships aren't too common yet. :p
3) Wow, those look excellent!  Perhaps we should ask you to join our team! :drevil:

Quote
What I like:
Spoiler:
- Overall storyline. Mysterious, deep and mystic. Numerous plottwists. Exploring dark, unknown space mood... And I'm really interested what lies further, in unknown space beyond Fornacis.
- Cool new music! Especially main menu is just... Woah!
- Knossos-centered missions are gorgeous. I went for ISF in the branch, and those missions are are also outstanding.
- Like CT27, I like character creation of Admiral Amethet.
- Commanding officer of Narendum is also worth mentioning. He gives me this strange feeling that he's doing something in secrecy, and will surprise us somehow in Act II.
- Voice acting is done in unique way.
- I feel vasudan! Scroll would benefit on dedicated vasudan interface and hud.
- Udjat is the best looking 670-poly model I've ever seen.

Summary: Scroll is solid and worth playing. Campaign has some features which makes it unique. Despite initial proplems with bugs, I enjoyed my playthrough and I will do it again with second branch. Scroll would benefit on some new assets. It's been almost 20 years since Capella, so more new ships and weapons would be welcome.

Spoiler:
1) Very glad to hear that. :D  And yes, you will find out more about what lies beyond Fornacis.  In fact, it is one of the most interesting ideas in any campaign that I've played.
2) Sesquipedalian picked out a lot of the music, so he will be happy to hear that. :)
3) Excellent.  Looking forward to hearing your thoughts about the other missions too. :D

5) Interesting that you had that idea.  Dr. Raphah will continue to play an important role in Part II.
6) Sesquipedalian came up with that too.  It definitely added to the campaign.
7) We really tried to think of many FS2 elements using Vasudan perspectives.  Glad it worked!  We did consider using a Vasudan HUD, but I felt strongly that the one suggested was too distracting, so we kept the standard HUD.
8) Glad low-poly models can still look cool. :D


In the fifth mission, I got the "harthenet died" spiel despite it surviving at 4% health, it even gave its "dont let my sacrifice be in vain!" so I'll bet they were unhappy I didn't give them the chance to heroically die. I also didn't get the maxim in the previous mission, but that may have been due to me skipping the mission before it, and mightve missed an allow-weapon maxim.

Heh.  I was never able to save the Harthenet myself, and you're not actually supposed to defend it if you're following orders.  Someone else earlier in the thread saved it as well.  What ship were you flying, and what strategy did you use?

 

Offline Nyctaeus

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Re: RELEASE: The Scroll of Atankharzim, Part I
3) Wow, those look excellent!  Perhaps we should ask you to join our team! :drevil:
Exile is done so... What must I sign :P ? Perhaps I may add few polys to Udjat too.

In the fifth mission, I got the "harthenet died" spiel despite it surviving at 4% health, it even gave its "dont let my sacrifice be in vain!" so I'll bet they were unhappy I didn't give them the chance to heroically die. I also didn't get the maxim in the previous mission, but that may have been due to me skipping the mission before it, and mightve missed an allow-weapon maxim.

Heh.  I was never able to save the Harthenet myself, and you're not actually supposed to defend it if you're following orders.  Someone else earlier in the thread saved it as well.  What ship were you flying, and what strategy did you use?
I managed to save it too, with 8% integrity. Saladin had 4% :P. I forgot to mention it, but yeah it's possible and despite that, it's always mentioned as destroyed in debriefing. I'm calling that Nebtuu-syndrome. If I remember correctly, I used Tauret.
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Re: RELEASE: The Scroll of Atankharzim, Part I
In the fifth mission, I got the "harthenet died" spiel despite it surviving at 4% health, it even gave its "dont let my sacrifice be in vain!" so I'll bet they were unhappy I didn't give them the chance to heroically die. I also didn't get the maxim in the previous mission, but that may have been due to me skipping the mission before it, and mightve missed an allow-weapon maxim.

Heh.  I was never able to save the Harthenet myself, and you're not actually supposed to defend it if you're following orders.  Someone else earlier in the thread saved it as well.  What ship were you flying, and what strategy did you use?

Just a tauret with double mekhus and harpoons. I immediately burned to the wing of taurvis, took out their bombs and messed them up enough that the narandum was safe-ish and then burned straight for the Moloch and took out its lower beams with the mekhus and harpoons. A real easy way to avoid this would probably be to redirect some wings to finish off the harthenet if its still there, or even send a special wing that only comes if it survives. The Moloch left it at 4% and it stayed that way for the rest of the mission and the whole time I was deathly afraid it would be taken out by a sneeze from a passing bomber in all the chaos, but it seems like no one targeted it because they didnt even expect it to be there.

 

Offline Goober5000

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Re: RELEASE: The Scroll of Atankharzim, Part I
3) Wow, those look excellent!  Perhaps we should ask you to join our team! :drevil:
Exile is done so... What must I sign :P ? Perhaps I may add few polys to Udjat too.

:D  I've added you to the Scroll member group. :)  I've also sent you an invitation to our SVN system.

I managed to save it too, with 8% integrity. Saladin had 4% :P. I forgot to mention it, but yeah it's possible and despite that, it's always mentioned as destroyed in debriefing. I'm calling that Nebtuu-syndrome. If I remember correctly, I used Tauret.

Nebtuu syndrome is right.  I will add an event to self-destruct the Harthenet if the Ranoth is de-beamed or destroyed.

 

Offline Goober5000

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Re: RELEASE: The Scroll of Atankharzim, Part I
All right, Scroll has been updated with voice-acting for g1_07, m2_01, and m2_02. :cool:

 

Offline mjn.mixael

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Re: RELEASE: The Scroll of Atankharzim, Part I
Wow mission 2 is suuuuuper finicky. A single laser shot off in the distance? fail. Fly too close? fail. There's not even a directive that says to keep your distance!

Basically the mission opens with 2 minutes of sitting a listening to dialog.. that's not fun. Let me fly around the asteroid field and shoot rocks while I wait. Fail the mission if I shoot AT the Hercs. And if you really don't want me to get too close, then start me waaaay further back so I have no chance of getting too close before all the dialog ends.

Sorry. Didn't mean for my first post about Scroll to be nitpicky.. but after having to restart like 4 times because of Cold, Hard, Reasons.. I was frustrated.
« Last Edit: November 10, 2017, 11:52:07 pm by mjn.mixael »
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Offline Goober5000

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Re: RELEASE: The Scroll of Atankharzim, Part I
Wow mission 2 is suuuuuper finicky. A single laser shot off in the distance? fail. Fly too close? fail. There's not even a directive that says to keep your distance!

Basically the mission opens with 2 minutes of sitting a listening to dialog.. that's not fun. Let me fly around the asteroid field and shoot rocks while I wait. Fail the mission if I shoot AT the Hercs. And if you really don't want me to get too close, then start me waaaay further back so I have no chance of getting too close before all the dialog ends.

Sorry. Didn't mean for my first post about Scroll to be nitpicky.. but after having to restart like 4 times because of Cold, Hard, Reasons.. I was frustrated.

I guess I deserve that since my first post about BtA: Mefistofele was highly frustrated and nitpicky... :nervous:

The idea was to emphasize self-control and discretion, since this is a peacekeeping mission, not an all-out assault against Shivans.  I didn't think the NTB would think too well of a trigger-happy Vasudan just itching to shoot at something. :)

 

Offline HLD_Prophecy

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Re: RELEASE: The Scroll of Atankharzim, Part I
Sorry Goober, I've been leaving you to handle questions and stuff...