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Modding, Mission Design, and Coding => The FRED Workshop => Topic started by: Javito1986 on February 25, 2010, 10:29:00 pm

Title: Most epic campaigns?
Post by: Javito1986 on February 25, 2010, 10:29:00 pm
So I just finished playing the Blue Planet Director's Cut and find myself itching for some more Freespace. Trouble is I've played quite a bit of it. Have gone through and loved STR, Derelict, Sol a History, Procyon Insurgency, the canon campaigns... now looking for something new.

I'm in the mood for a campaign with some epic battles. Honestly, I could sit and play the penultimate mission of Blue Planet or certain SAH missions all day but it's time for something new. Can someone toss me a few recommendations of a new, great, and epic campaign to play?
Title: Re: Most epic campaigns?
Post by: Herra Tohtori on February 25, 2010, 10:31:39 pm
The Babylon Project? Raider Wars and Fortune Hunters campaigns. I suspect there are other memorable campaigns for it as well, but I haven't played in a too long time.
Title: Re: Most epic campaigns?
Post by: General Battuta on February 25, 2010, 11:02:10 pm
Transcend, in a sense, though it's probably not epic in the way you're looking for - it's got an epic story but not particularly epic battles.
Title: Re: Most epic campaigns?
Post by: Dark Hunter on February 26, 2010, 01:02:01 am
I'd say the final battle was pretty epic.

Spoiler:
Fighting a trans-dimensional being that is mind-controlling your friends in subspace to creepy sad music is what I call epic.
Title: Re: Most epic campaigns?
Post by: General Battuta on February 26, 2010, 01:05:11 am
Javito, in the name of all that is good and holy, please do not read what is in that spoiler text.
Title: Re: Most epic campaigns?
Post by: Klaustrophobia on February 26, 2010, 01:56:22 am
the final battle was epically irritating is what it was.
Title: Re: Most epic campaigns?
Post by: Droid803 on February 26, 2010, 01:23:34 pm
All you had to do was stop, then pitch up continuously while firing at the Pegasus :P
For like an hour.

Would Fury's AI profiles stop the AI from glitching up like that?
Title: Re: Most epic campaigns?
Post by: ShadowGorrath on February 26, 2010, 02:52:43 pm
Fury's AI profiles actually made it worse for DEFCON FreeSpace, but anyway...

Hey, why hasn't anyone mention 'Ancient-Shivan War' here yet? :p

I'd also recommend 'Dawn of Sol', since it's inspired by 'Sol: A History', but it seems that it's pretty buggy and didn't receive good enough responses.
Title: Re: Most epic campaigns?
Post by: General Battuta on February 26, 2010, 02:57:47 pm
Dawn of Sol missions could have been epic, but weren't tested nearly heavily enough. They're just irritating instead. Player task overload does not produce fun.
Title: Re: Most epic campaigns?
Post by: utops on February 26, 2010, 04:26:19 pm
Dawn of Sol missions could have been epic, but weren't tested nearly heavily enough. They're just irritating instead. Player task overload does not produce fun.
Agree! My rage internal organs blows hard... even couple of times i make a *invisible* post full of really bad words about this one ... but i never press post button  :nervous:
Finished this today and feeling was really reliefied.
Title: Re: Most epic campaigns?
Post by: -Norbert- on February 26, 2010, 05:40:59 pm
And Ancient Shivan war is just too short at the moment. While being nice it felt too much like a prequal to the "real" campaign.
Title: Re: Most epic campaigns?
Post by: General Battuta on February 26, 2010, 05:43:07 pm
'Nice' is a good word for its missions. They were pretty dull by and large.
Title: Re: Most epic campaigns?
Post by: Javito1986 on February 26, 2010, 05:48:18 pm
So... besides Transcend and the ones I've played it's looking pretty bleak?

I did d/l TBP though, that certainly has a lot of promise.
Title: Re: Most epic campaigns?
Post by: Lucika on February 26, 2010, 07:16:49 pm
*checks his FS folder*

Rain on Ribos 4? FOW? Warzone? Inferno?
Title: Re: Most epic campaigns?
Post by: General Battuta on February 26, 2010, 07:27:46 pm
Inferno R1 definitely had some pretty epic battles.

Oh! The Procyon Insurgency had a couple great ones.
Title: Re: Most epic campaigns?
Post by: Klaustrophobia on February 26, 2010, 08:07:35 pm
there was a campaign hidden in the bonus missions of FS1 Silent Threat where you started out as a traffic cop at an installation and eventually uncover some dirty dealings in the GTA.  has anyone converted this for FSO that you know of?  i liked that campaign.
Title: Re: Most epic campaigns?
Post by: Nuclear1 on February 26, 2010, 09:34:16 pm
Yep, the Port team converted it a while back. Destiny of Peace was its name.
Title: Re: Most epic campaigns?
Post by: TrashMan on February 27, 2010, 05:03:10 am
How do you define "epic" these days anyway? The word is thrown around like crazy....
Title: Re: Most epic campaigns?
Post by: Spoon on February 27, 2010, 03:24:41 pm
How do you define "epic" these days anyway? The word is thrown around like crazy....
I've decided to replace the usage of Epic with Glorious.
So this thread would be "The most glorious of campaigns?"
Title: Re: Most epic campaigns?
Post by: Dragon on February 27, 2010, 03:41:58 pm
Of course, you can be sure that BP: WiH would qualify once it's released (it wouldn't be epic, but EPIC!!!, like songs by Rhapsody of Fire).
Title: Re: Most epic campaigns?
Post by: JCDNWarrior on February 27, 2010, 05:54:37 pm
Of course, you can be sure that BP: WiH would qualify once it's released (it wouldn't be epic, but EPIC!!!, like songs by Rhapsody of Fire).

To play in the hands of Spoon, and because I have to admit, it sounds way better:

It will be GLORIOUS!

There, that's better.
Title: Re: Most epic campaigns?
Post by: Vidmaster on February 27, 2010, 06:34:01 pm
The Babylon Project? Raider Wars and Fortune Hunters campaigns.

Thanks. Look forward to the ultimate Fortune Hunters edition soon, including voices, improved balancing as well as a few multiplayer missions. I am currently planning my next campaign, not sure if I may do a Freespace Campaign for once.
Need to beat the crap out of that scenario as well  :lol: To few super-epic missions around there.


You already played Freespace: Silent Threat Reborn yes?
Title: Re: Most epic campaigns?
Post by: Androgeos Exeunt on February 28, 2010, 02:12:30 am
Most epic. Hmm...

In no particular order:

1) Blue Planet
2) Just Another Day
3) Dawn of Sol
4) Warzone
5) Derelict
6) The Second Great War Part 2
7) Into the Depths of Hell
8) Silent Threat: Reborn
Title: Re: Most epic campaigns?
Post by: General Battuta on February 28, 2010, 02:27:05 am
Can't say I'd agree with that #3 pick, especially above #5. And #6, uh.
Title: Re: Most epic campaigns?
Post by: Desertfox287 on February 28, 2010, 02:51:47 am
Can't say I'd agree with that #3 pick, especially above #5. And #6, uh.
he did say in no particular order
Title: Re: Most epic campaigns?
Post by: General Battuta on February 28, 2010, 03:06:04 am
True enough.
Title: Re: Most epic campaigns?
Post by: TrashMan on February 28, 2010, 07:45:16 am
Can't say I agree with any epic camapign list that doesn't include mine :drevil:
Title: Re: Most epic campaigns?
Post by: General Battuta on February 28, 2010, 09:50:42 am
I really should play those, actually.
Title: Re: Most epic campaigns?
Post by: TrashMan on March 01, 2010, 01:08:05 am
Do so. I shall gleefully anticipate your criticism. ;7
Title: Re: Most epic campaigns?
Post by: Vidmaster on March 01, 2010, 06:39:12 am
Can't say I agree with any epic camapign list that doesn't include mine :drevil:

 ;) ;) ;)
Title: Re: Most epic campaigns?
Post by: utops on March 01, 2010, 10:12:10 am
Just finished WARZONE and yes it was epic. Epic. Despite of easy to disarm ravanas i enjoy it.

Ps.
Spoiler:
After Rusik selfdestruct there was pink contact and enigmatic message - what was that? Somebody figured it out?
Title: Re: Most epic campaigns?
Post by: Sushi on March 01, 2010, 11:04:36 am
Was Warzone the one where the last (or close to last) mission involved
Spoiler:
Having to disarm a Ravana, then race to blow up a Shivan Comm Node before some timer expired?

That mission was a lot of fun, but I don't remember anything else about the campaign it was in. :)

Title: Re: Most epic campaigns?
Post by: Thaeris on March 01, 2010, 11:06:26 am
Cardinal. Spear.

I love this! No shields, fun weapons, and the tone of the campaign very much fits in with what I think the feel of being an officer with the GTA would be like during the T-V war. I really need to get the concept art for the GTB Gorgon up and done sometime...  ;7
Title: Re: Most epic campaigns?
Post by: Goober5000 on March 02, 2010, 12:24:09 am
^-- win.

Also, Twilight, which is different but fun, and has a few cool missions.  Then the BWO demo.  Oh, and don't forget those Blaise Russel campaigns which weren't listed (he made quite a few) -- the two Shrouding the Light campaigns, Echo Gate and Phantoms, Fall of Epsilon Pegasi, etc.  My favorite of all his campaigns would probably have to be the Shrouding the Light series.  For some old-school nostalgia, Lightning Marshal 3 and 4 were really good.  And for some really old-school nostalgia, try Technological Superiority.
Title: Re: Most epic campaigns?
Post by: Aardwolf on March 02, 2010, 02:38:41 am
Ah yes... the first mission of Twilight. A fun idea, but it could have been done a bit better.
Title: Re: Most epic campaigns?
Post by: Mongoose on March 02, 2010, 02:56:58 am
I think this thread is turning into the thread I'd been planning to make recently, asking people to talk about some of their favorite "overlooked" campaigns that don't get included in the Derelict/BP/Transcend/etc. "What's the best?" listing.  I know I've probably overlooked a few gems myself, and it'd be good to spread awareness about some of the works out there that don't get mentioned that much.

Among many others, I'll throw in a plug for the Ancient-Shivan War's initial release myself.  While it is true that the missions don't do anything remarkably out-of-the-box, and that the Act 1 campaign is relatively short, it's still a solid and fun experience.  What really stands out, however, is the overall atmosphere, which is flat-out incredible.  You genuinely feel like you're a member of an ancient, powerful, arrogant species who views the entire galaxy as being their sole dominion.  The prose, the interface, the music, the overall tone of the writing...they're all top-notch.  The old Ancient fleet models are used to great effect, and given a shiny new coat of paint to boot.  It was one of the more immersive experiences I've had in this game, and I can't wait to see how the team follows it up.
Title: Re: Most epic campaigns?
Post by: Black Wolf on March 02, 2010, 05:54:40 am
Another vote for Cardinal Spear. Some weird mod choices, but awesome nonetheless.
Title: Re: Most epic campaigns?
Post by: Dilmah G on March 02, 2010, 06:20:55 am
I played it in one sitting I believe, didn't find it *that* epic, TBH. But that's my opinion.
Title: Re: Most epic campaigns?
Post by: Androgeos Exeunt on March 02, 2010, 12:40:34 pm
Then the BWO demo.

I agree. That was pretty good for its time, voice-acting and all.
Title: Re: Most epic campaigns?
Post by: Venicius on March 02, 2010, 01:57:47 pm
I though Shrouding the Light was pretty epic.  Now if only that new PVN showed up in it...
Title: Re: Most epic campaigns?
Post by: Spoon on March 02, 2010, 02:23:13 pm
Shrouding the light was a good campaign but at no point did it ever reached 'epic'
Because it did 'more with less'. Destroyers are a rare occasion, most of the capital work was done by cruisers and usually there wasn't more then 12 fighters in play at a time.
Title: Re: Most epic campaigns?
Post by: Goober5000 on March 02, 2010, 03:40:42 pm
No, STL was pretty epic.  Read the reviews posted at the time it came out.
Title: Re: Most epic campaigns?
Post by: FreeSpaceFreak on March 02, 2010, 04:54:49 pm
I found STL to be a marvel of mission design. It even gave the Aten a use.
Title: Re: Most epic campaigns?
Post by: Spoon on March 02, 2010, 07:33:38 pm
No, STL was pretty epic.  Read the reviews posted at the time it came out.
I don't care what the reviews say, I've got my own opinion and I just gave it  :p
STL is good but not epic.

I found STL to be a marvel of mission design. It even gave the Aten a use.
STL had one mission that put you in a Horus and had you fight off a few waves of fighters. Then the last wave was Seth's and bombers which usually resulted in either me or the Aten dying. Not a fun mission to replay a few times, not such great mission design. STL origins had a mission which was pretty much a clone in the way it was set up.
Those missions I actually cheated through because the Horus is such a utter pile of crap.
I'm just pointing out some flaws here since people tend to yell "OMG EPIC MISSION DESIGN" for campaigns like Derelict and STL even though those campaigns had a few really ****ty missions in them :P (Derelict more so then STL) 
Title: Re: Most epic campaigns?
Post by: Nuclear1 on March 02, 2010, 07:53:21 pm
The Jake Wars.



:nervous:
Title: Re: Most epic campaigns?
Post by: Mongoose on March 02, 2010, 08:10:06 pm
I'm just pointing out some flaws here since people tend to yell "OMG EPIC MISSION DESIGN" for campaigns like Derelict and STL even though those campaigns had a few really ****ty missions in them :P (Derelict more so then STL) 
If you're going to throw out an accusation of "****ty missions," then back it up with examples.

Oh, and the Horus kicks ass. :p
Title: Re: Most epic campaigns?
Post by: The E on March 02, 2010, 08:15:15 pm
Besides, while one should always try to make each mission in a campaign shine, there will always be some that are more awesome than others. A campaign that concentrates on having a real highlight every now and then will be more memorable than a campaign that has a more average "awesomeness curve".
Title: Re: Most epic campaigns?
Post by: Titan on March 02, 2010, 08:29:47 pm
Cardinal Spear was epic, even if just for it's last mission.
Title: Re: Most epic campaigns?
Post by: Androgeos Exeunt on March 02, 2010, 09:59:55 pm
Has anyone here managed to get FoW:CotS working and think it's good? I was looking at the Mefdef on FS Wiki and was reminded that I still have some form of urge to play it, if only to see what TrashMan has made.
Title: Re: Most epic campaigns?
Post by: Spoon on March 03, 2010, 06:36:34 am
I'm just pointing out some flaws here since people tend to yell "OMG EPIC MISSION DESIGN" for campaigns like Derelict and STL even though those campaigns had a few really ****ty missions in them :P (Derelict more so then STL)  
If you're going to throw out an accusation of "****ty missions," then back it up with examples.

Oh, and the Horus kicks ass. :p
Derelict had one mission that was just shooting down waves after waves of pirates. Then one of your cruisers jumped in and MORE pirates jumped in, wave after wave. It was just a filler mission that had nothing to do with the main story too.
Because pirates are best known for their vast numbers of ships and their suicide tactics. ...right?
I'd tell you the mission name/number but Derelict has a lot of missions and the names are nothing to go by, also it has been a while since I played it.
But that pretty much sums up my beef with Derelict as a campaign, 'filler' missions and suicide pirates waves. More is not always better, Derelict would go up in rating for me if it would have just focused more on the story missions.

For STL, 'Salvage' where you have to protect the Makara and STL origins, 'Preparations'.

Has anyone here managed to get FoW:CotS working and think it's good? I was looking at the Mefdef on FS Wiki and was reminded that I still have some form of urge to play it, if only to see what TrashMan has made.
Felt a bit messy to me, didn't finished it.
Title: Re: Most epic campaigns?
Post by: Mongoose on March 03, 2010, 01:00:28 pm
Derelict had one mission that was just shooting down waves after waves of pirates. Then one of your cruisers jumped in and MORE pirates jumped in, wave after wave. It was just a filler mission that had nothing to do with the main story too.
Because pirates are best known for their vast numbers of ships and their suicide tactics. ...right?
I'd tell you the mission name/number but Derelict has a lot of missions and the names are nothing to go by, also it has been a while since I played it.
But that pretty much sums up my beef with Derelict as a campaign, 'filler' missions and suicide pirates waves. More is not always better, Derelict would go up in rating for me if it would have just focused more on the story missions.
Uh...you apparently missed a rather large story point in Derelict's plot.  For the sake of the five people out there who haven't yet played it, I'll spoiler-mark my explanation:

Spoiler:
Most of the pirates you face throughout Derelict's campaign weren't actual pirates.  Instead, they were mercenaries hired by Morgan Technologies, or even MT forces themselves, operating under the guise of pirates to destabilize the region in an attempt to further MT's goals.  The reveal of this is sort of a major plot point in the campaign, and its implications are far-reaching.  For instance, the mission you're talking about featured a large number of MT drone fighters (drones, not actual pirates), to the point where even your fellow pilots were commenting on the fact that no pirate group could have these sorts of resources, a foreshadowing of later events.  In-mission, the drones were serving as a diversionary tactic to cover the theft of several Ares-class fighters by mercenaries, and in a more general sense, the mission served as a plot mechanism to get the player into the subspace node between Tau Sigma and Altair, where the big reveal of the Nyarlathotep could take place.  You may not have enjoyed the actual playability of the mission, but it definitely fit in with the story as a whole and served to set up later events.

And if you're going to fling about the term "filler" to any mission that doesn't directly advance the plot, then you might as well levy it at a good third of the missions in the FS1 campaign, and a decent chunk of those in FS2 to boot...unless, of course, you can find some overwhelming significance in hunting down Vasudan wings in an asteroid field, or protecting a few fleeing Vasudan transports from NTF fighters.  Not every mission in a campaign has to irrevocably advance the plot; good design also leaves room for more mundane missions that help contribute to the development of the campaign's characters or the further fleshing-out of its atmosphere.

(Nice to know that that word isn't only horribly misused in the anime-manga community, though. :p)
Title: Re: Most epic campaigns?
Post by: Snail on March 03, 2010, 01:13:47 pm
The Jake Wars.



:nervous:
Allied Forces
Title: Re: Most epic campaigns?
Post by: Spoon on March 03, 2010, 01:41:44 pm
And if you're going to fling about the term "filler" to any mission that doesn't directly advance the plot, then you might as well levy it at a good third of the missions in the FS1 campaign, and a decent chunk of those in FS2 to boot...unless, of course, you can find some overwhelming significance in hunting down Vasudan wings in an asteroid field, or protecting a few fleeing Vasudan transports from NTF fighters.  Not every mission in a campaign has to irrevocably advance the plot; good design also leaves room for more mundane missions that help contribute to the development of the campaign's characters or the further fleshing-out of its atmosphere.

(Nice to know that that word isn't only horribly misused in the anime-manga community, though. :p)
Filler in anime production is often used when the anime is catching up with the manga material. They have to air *something* and usually just make something up, usually this doesn't even contribute to the canon story. This is often the case with long running shows like naruto&bleach. But filler episodes also occur with series that only run for 24 episodes, when the cast just spends a day at the beach for the heck of it and nothing story wise happens. The production company has to 'fill in' those 24 episodes. Hence, filler. You can completely skip out on watching these episodes and not miss a thing.
Of course this term can't really be applied to the retail FS campaigns, they weren't catching up with a comic book or a TV show or anything :P Yes, hunting down Vasudan wings in an asteroid field does little to drive the main plot line forth. But it is a great way to have the player learn the game and to give the player a bit of a taste of the atmosphere in the Terran-Vasudan war. Not to mention that those missions often actually had some degree of effect on the next ones.
Quote from: Wiki
If you were unable to engage the Vasudan Ace, then the freighters will jump out at 2:00 and 4:00 into the mission instead of 5:00 and 8:00. For each freighter that escapes, expect another wing of Anubis fighters. Also, in the unlikely event that you let a Vasudan Anubis escape in the previous mission, the Orff will arrive with its hull knocked down to 65%
Certainly not my favorite kind of missions but I see their purpose.
Derelict however did this wrong imo. A few missions with nothing but respawning 'pirate/mercenaries' (Because apparently it is A-Okay for Mercs to be suicidal, Yup that explains it all. And no I'm not talking about the damn loki drones  :rolleyes:), no plot advancement, no atmosphere building. Just an unbelievable enemy who truely deserves the name of Suicide Kings. Yes, I call those filler missions. They can be skipped completely and you wouldn't miss out a thing.
Title: Re: Most epic campaigns?
Post by: TrashMan on March 04, 2010, 03:12:54 am
Shrouding the light was a good campaign but at no point did it ever reached 'epic'
Because it did 'more with less'. Destroyers are a rare occasion, most of the capital work was done by cruisers and usually there wasn't more then 12 fighters in play at a time.

So you define Epic by the size of the ship present?

Lord, what shallow definition.
Title: Re: Most epic campaigns?
Post by: TrashMan on March 04, 2010, 03:15:41 am
Has anyone here managed to get FoW:CotS working and think it's good? I was looking at the Mefdef on FS Wiki and was reminded that I still have some form of urge to play it, if only to see what TrashMan has made.

You cannot get it to work? :wtf:


Well, if all else fails, I'm in the middle of the process of cleaning out and fixing all of my tables, and adjusting FOW:COTS and DOTA to work with new AI and armor tables. Which means a re-release.
Title: Re: Most epic campaigns?
Post by: Androgeos Exeunt on March 04, 2010, 04:01:40 am
What's DOTA in this case? Not Defense Of The Ancients, surely?
Title: Re: Most epic campaigns?
Post by: Spoon on March 04, 2010, 05:14:21 am
Shrouding the light was a good campaign but at no point did it ever reached 'epic'
Because it did 'more with less'. Destroyers are a rare occasion, most of the capital work was done by cruisers and usually there wasn't more then 12 fighters in play at a time.

So you define Epic by the size of the ship present?

Lord, what shallow definition.
I'm not even going to humor you with a serious reply  :blah:
Title: Re: Most epic campaigns?
Post by: NGTM-1R on March 04, 2010, 06:41:51 am
I'm not even going to humor you with a serious reply  :blah:

Trash has a good point, as rare as that is.

I mean you have a mission with over twelve cruisers running around in it at least once.
Title: Re: Most epic campaigns?
Post by: Androgeos Exeunt on March 04, 2010, 06:54:05 am
I concur with TrashMan. A good mission does not necessarily have to involve very large ships. Look at Eve of Destruction.
Title: Re: Most epic campaigns?
Post by: Spoon on March 04, 2010, 08:27:33 am
I concur with TrashMan. A good mission does not necessarily have to involve very large ships. Look at Eve of Destruction.
You are mistaking epic with good.
As I said before I think STL is a Good campaign but not Epic. (Or did everyone forget what the word Epic really means? )

Quote from: NGTM-1R
I mean you have a mission with over twelve cruisers running around in it at least once.
Yeah but that was one of the final missions. Most STL missions are pretty small scale. And due to it being in the FS1 area there are no beams and corvettes the whole campaign does not feel as grand and epic as say the retail FS2 campaign.
It's kinda sad that I have to keep giving disclaimers for people that can't read but, again I stress that I think STL is a Good campaign But it did not give me a feeling of 'Epicness'. Its impossible to offer criticism of any kind to Derelict or STL without 20 people jumping into its defense.  :doubt:
Title: Re: Most epic campaigns?
Post by: NGTM-1R on March 04, 2010, 11:04:17 am
You are mistaking epic with good.
As I said before I think STL is a Good campaign but not Epic. (Or did everyone forget what the word Epic really means? )

Perhaps you have.

After all STL, though small-scale missions, does in essence chronicle how your wing singlehandedly turns the tide of the campaign in Antares and is almost completely responsible for the destruction of the Hammer of Light as a meaningful fighting force.

Epic was, after all, originally used to describe things exactly like these. It's Homer without the 10k extras running around killing and dying and doing absolutely nothing of consequence, Gilgamesh, or any of a number of Viking tales.

Yeah but that was one of the final missions. Most STL missions are pretty small scale.

Again, the original epic, Gilgamesh, is about two guys doing awesome stuff and barely have anything else. The Viking works typically are about one guy doing awesome stuff, and have perhaps 100 extras "on the page" at most. STL easily surpasses that.

Small scale is a frame of reference problem. Lest we forget, even the smallest-scale campaigns in FS1 are conflicts on a scale unmatched. Hundreds of kilotons of explosive power can be hurled back and forth in mere seconds. Weapons that would destroy cities and ruin biospheres are regularly employed. A single Ursa or Amun loaded out with Tsunamis could have ended any war in humanity's history in hours.

And due to it being in the FS1 area there are no beams and corvettes the whole campaign does not feel as grand and epic as say the retail FS2 campaign.

Again, this is like saying Giglamesh or The Illiad isn't epic because it lacks machineguns.

(Though machineguns tend to actually damage the epic feel; that sort of impersonal bringer of death typically does except on a vast scale or when described in extreme detail.)
Title: Re: Most epic campaigns?
Post by: TopAce on March 04, 2010, 11:52:37 am
I believe collocations such as "epic scale" and "epic proportions" have been used way too much recently. The original, "true" meaning that NGTM-1R talks about has become the less used one. Language is such.
Title: Re: Most epic campaigns?
Post by: Nuclear1 on March 04, 2010, 02:13:48 pm
Milennium :nervous:

IN THE YEAR 3000.....!
Title: Re: Most epic campaigns?
Post by: Dark Hunter on March 04, 2010, 02:37:31 pm
I believe collocations such as "epic scale" and "epic proportions" have been used way too much recently. The original, "true" meaning that NGTM-1R talks about has become the less used one. Language is such.

Indeed. To forestall any more misunderstanding, the true definition of "epic", according to dictionary.com, is:

ep·ic   /ˈɛpɪk/  Spelled[ep-ik]  
–adjective Also, ep·i·cal.
1.noting or pertaining to a long poetic composition, usually centered upon a hero, in which a series of great achievements or events is narrated in elevated style: Homer's Iliad is an epic poem.
2.resembling or suggesting such poetry: an epic novel on the founding of the country.
3.heroic; majestic; impressively great: the epic events of the war.
4.of unusually great size or extent: a crime wave of epic proportions.

The slang definition getting tossed around recently equates more to "really cool".
Title: Re: Most epic campaigns?
Post by: Spoon on March 04, 2010, 03:43:47 pm
Quote
3.heroic; majestic; impressively great: the epic events of the war.
4.of unusually great size or extent: a crime wave of epic proportions.
Which is usually what I think of when I see the word.
Title: Re: Most epic campaigns?
Post by: Mongoose on March 04, 2010, 04:25:55 pm
It's kinda sad that I have to keep giving disclaimers for people that can't read but, again I stress that I think STL is a Good campaign But it did not give me a feeling of 'Epicness'. Its impossible to offer criticism of any kind to Derelict or STL without 20 people jumping into its defense.  :doubt:
The reason you feel like you're getting "jumped on" for expressing criticisms like those is because the community as a whole has played them many times over, held them up against the many releases that have come since, and collectively declared that they are Very Good Campaigns.  It isn't just rampant fanboyism, but instead a great deal of measured comparison.  As in all things, you're free to hold and express your own opinions contrary to the majority, but keep in mind that you'll probably be taken to task for them and asked to provide some good justifications.  It's the equivalent of going up to a big movie buff and stating that Casablanca "wasn't that great." :p
Title: Re: Most epic campaigns?
Post by: Thaeris on March 04, 2010, 04:30:08 pm
...JAD was also epic for reasons which do not need to be explained...

   ...I just thought getting back to some on-subject material would be nice.  :D
Title: Re: Most epic campaigns?
Post by: Spoon on March 04, 2010, 06:20:00 pm
It's kinda sad that I have to keep giving disclaimers for people that can't read but, again I stress that I think STL is a Good campaign But it did not give me a feeling of 'Epicness'. Its impossible to offer criticism of any kind to Derelict or STL without 20 people jumping into its defense.  :doubt:
The reason you feel like you're getting "jumped on" for expressing criticisms like those is because the community as a whole has played them many times over, held them up against the many releases that have come since, and collectively declared that they are Very Good Campaigns.  It isn't just rampant fanboyism, but instead a great deal of measured comparison.  As in all things, you're free to hold and express your own opinions contrary to the majority, but keep in mind that you'll probably be taken to task for them and asked to provide some good justifications.  It's the equivalent of going up to a big movie buff and stating that Casablanca "wasn't that great." :p
The way its done here just screams rampant fanboyism to me though. Because its just being denied that a certain campaign has flaws and is being hallowed as SUPERDUPERGREATANDEPIC. Almost to a point where I stop taking your opinions serious.  :p
Each campaign has its flaws or aspects that certain people won't like and it would be great if those things can be discussed in a civilized manner without a gang of fanboyism infected bouncer types who pounce on the person expressing an opinion that is not 100% in line with their own.
Title: Re: Most epic campaigns?
Post by: General Battuta on March 04, 2010, 07:05:21 pm
No campaign is for everybody.
Title: Re: Most epic campaigns?
Post by: Nuclear1 on March 04, 2010, 08:36:12 pm
Agreed with Spoon.

Also agree with Mongoose on a couple points.

Derelict is essentially the granddaddy of all FS2 campaigns.  It's simply because the same model has been copied and redone 1048273849 times that people don't appreciate it anymore.  I know there are other reasons why people don't like Derelict, but just that seems to be the trend in entertainment anyway.

It's the same reason I usually don't play new campaigns.  With a few exceptions (Ransom, BR, and Darius's projects) there's nothing truly new coming out.  I'll admit Rogue Intentions wasn't too much different...it was just another poopchunk in this river of Derelict ripoff crap. 
Title: Re: Most epic campaigns?
Post by: NGTM-1R on March 05, 2010, 04:39:31 pm
With a few exceptions (Ransom, BR, and Darius's projects) there's nothing truly new coming out.  I'll admit Rogue Intentions wasn't too much different...it was just another poopchunk in this river of Derelict ripoff crap. 

Of course, you can make a sound argument along these very same lines that BP is simply a much better Inferno R1, and everyone knows InfR1 is really just a grand retelling of SGWP2, so only SGWP2 was original and good, right?

Right? :P

You can't go around judging stories that way, nobody's told one that's completely original in a long long time. It's got to be about execution in the end.
Title: Re: Most epic campaigns?
Post by: Nuclear1 on March 05, 2010, 07:42:51 pm
Yeah, true.  It really is all about execution though..BP, Sync, Transcend, and Homesick proved that.
Title: Re: Most epic campaigns?
Post by: Snail on March 08, 2010, 01:57:41 pm
What about Windmills?


I find that the most emotionally effective campaign I've played, simply for the reason that it made me realize how hard a time that black guy shouting into the mic is having.
Title: Re: Most epic campaigns?
Post by: General Battuta on March 08, 2010, 02:11:32 pm
Yeah, Windmills was profoundly moving.
Title: Re: Most epic campaigns?
Post by: QuantumDelta on March 08, 2010, 03:23:24 pm
Ya know what if it hasn't been said it sounds like you could do with playing some multiplayer to be honest.
Some of the coops are pretty epic, and if you get bored of vs AI intense action you can always find some more people to blow up, anything 2v2 and over is about as intensive as your average 'epic' single player mission.
Title: Re: Most epic campaigns?
Post by: Androgeos Exeunt on March 09, 2010, 07:56:12 am
Eh, QD, there's a really good reason why Fury stays away from multi...
Title: Re: Most epic campaigns?
Post by: utops on March 24, 2010, 02:59:43 pm
Alied Forces
I play this one 2 days since tuesday , this morning i start to the thinking "wtf how long this campaign is..  Nataas escape have new juggernaut and again deafeated... 3 times
This campaign is little bit cheasy but good one and epic in some points.
Title: Re: Most epic campaigns?
Post by: redsniper on March 24, 2010, 04:30:11 pm
Hehe yeah. Allied Forces is a remake of the two Jake Wars campaigns. It's kind of goofy, but still fun. :D
Title: Re: Most epic campaigns?
Post by: Nuclear1 on March 25, 2010, 02:58:40 am
Jake Wars was....eh.

Allied Worlds was an unbelievably great remake though.
Title: Re: Most epic campaigns?
Post by: Droid803 on March 25, 2010, 10:00:43 am
Urgh, is the version of Allied Worlds I have gimped or something? It only has like five missions.  :nervous:
Title: Re: Most epic campaigns?
Post by: TopAce on March 25, 2010, 10:33:18 am
Sounds about right. (http://www.hard-light.net/wiki/index.php/Allied_Worlds)
Title: Re: Most epic campaigns?
Post by: Nuclear1 on March 25, 2010, 10:37:04 am
Oh crap. I think I meant Allied Forces or something.
Title: Re: Most epic campaigns?
Post by: Droid803 on March 25, 2010, 12:44:00 pm
Hmm...
The wiki doesn't have anything on that, or Jake Wars for that matter...
Never mind that, I've found it on FSMods.
Title: Re: Most epic campaigns?
Post by: Thaeris on March 25, 2010, 01:09:47 pm
Jake Wars, eh? What was that about?  :p
Title: Re: Most epic campaigns?
Post by: redsniper on March 26, 2010, 08:36:41 pm
Jake is the bad guy. You fight him.
Title: Re: Most epic campaigns?
Post by: Mongoose on March 26, 2010, 09:05:36 pm
I know I've had that downloaded for years, but I've never managed to get around to playing it.  Maybe I should; I could use a good chuckle. :D
Title: Re: Most epic campaigns?
Post by: utops on March 27, 2010, 06:40:41 am
Jake has connection with a space satan
Title: Re: Most epic campaigns?
Post by: Snail on March 27, 2010, 07:06:03 am
Jake Wars isn't quite as ridiculous as SGWP2.
Title: Re: Most epic campaigns?
Post by: NGTM-1R on March 27, 2010, 11:06:24 am
Jake Wars isn't quite as ridiculous as SGWP2.

I'm going to assume you mean in terms of be-all end-all BEAMMZZZZZZ insanity.
Title: Re: Most epic campaigns?
Post by: Kosh on March 27, 2010, 11:27:08 am
^-- win.

Also, Twilight, which is different but fun, and has a few cool missions.  Then the BWO demo.  Oh, and don't forget those Blaise Russel campaigns which weren't listed (he made quite a few) -- the two Shrouding the Light campaigns, Echo Gate and Phantoms, Fall of Epsilon Pegasi, etc.  My favorite of all his campaigns would probably have to be the Shrouding the Light series.  For some old-school nostalgia, Lightning Marshal 3 and 4 were really good.  And for some really old-school nostalgia, try Technological Superiority.


Where did BR go? I haven't seen him around in a long while. Realy shame too since he had a number of top notch campaigns.

I'm going to defend an earlier entry of the Second Great War Part 2. It was in fact epic, in the sense that it was an epic fail. I remember trying to play it way back in the day, most of the missions were broken and wouldn't run at all, not to mention the various things wrong with the design. Perfect example of what not to do.
Title: Re: Most epic campaigns?
Post by: Mongoose on March 27, 2010, 02:09:07 pm
I'm going to defend an earlier entry of the Second Great War Part 2. It was in fact epic, in the sense that it was an epic fail. I remember trying to play it way back in the day, most of the missions were broken and wouldn't run at all, not to mention the various things wrong with the design. Perfect example of what not to do.
Um...I've played through SGWP2 a few different times, and the one thing it doesn't have wrong with it are any show-stopping bugs.  Hell, I didn't really come across any noticeable minor glitches, either.  Its plot is a mess, its mission design is questionable at best, and its grammar is atrocious, but mechanically, it's a perfectly-playable campaign.

(And I'll still stand by my assertion that it's an immensely-entertaining experience.  It's the B-movie of FS2 campaigns. :D)
Title: Re: Most epic campaigns?
Post by: Androgeos Exeunt on March 27, 2010, 02:31:51 pm
I've played SGWP2 a few times as well, and agree with Mongoose. It has fewer bugs than ST:R, PI and BP:AoA, i.e. none, but everything beyond the technical stability of it is ... questionable.
Title: Re: Most epic campaigns?
Post by: Vrets on March 27, 2010, 06:21:13 pm
mechanically, it's a perfectly-playable campaign.

That's probably what makes SGWP2 so epic. The writing and FREDing are insanely awful, but there are no game-breaking technical issues. The author had to have gone over his work endless times, polishing for stability, without realising that anything was amiss.

Actually, it wouldn't surprise me if SGWP2 was intended as a farce. :p
Title: Re: Most epic campaigns?
Post by: SpardaSon21 on March 27, 2010, 06:22:45 pm
There is a single issue where the author forgot to make you exit a SOC loop after completing all SOC missions, so the entire campaign past the loop has a big "Exit Loop" button.
Title: Re: Most epic campaigns?
Post by: Mongoose on March 27, 2010, 08:45:20 pm
Heh, that's right, there is that.  It does allow you to keep playing without incident, though, provided you don't press the Big Red Button.
Title: Re: Most epic campaigns?
Post by: Kosh on March 27, 2010, 11:59:21 pm
I'm going to defend an earlier entry of the Second Great War Part 2. It was in fact epic, in the sense that it was an epic fail. I remember trying to play it way back in the day, most of the missions were broken and wouldn't run at all, not to mention the various things wrong with the design. Perfect example of what not to do.
Um...I've played through SGWP2 a few different times, and the one thing it doesn't have wrong with it are any show-stopping bugs.  Hell, I didn't really come across any noticeable minor glitches, either.  Its plot is a mess, its mission design is questionable at best, and its grammar is atrocious, but mechanically, it's a perfectly-playable campaign.

(And I'll still stand by my assertion that it's an immensely-entertaining experience.  It's the B-movie of FS2 campaigns. :D)


When did you play it? When I tried it (and noticed very little worked) was back in 2005.
Title: Re: Most epic campaigns?
Post by: Androgeos Exeunt on March 28, 2010, 12:08:13 am
I tried it a few months back, Kosh. If you want to try it yourself, visit FSMods and get the vp version. It should work perfectly on any nightly 3.6.10. And I say 3.6.10 because I've yet to finish it using 3.6.12 Inferno. ;)
Title: Re: Most epic campaigns?
Post by: Snail on March 28, 2010, 09:21:54 am
That's probably what makes SGWP2 so epic. The writing and FREDing are insanely awful, but there are no game-breaking technical issues. The author had to have gone over his work endless times, polishing for stability, without realising that anything was amiss.
No, not really. The readme claims that only one person tested the first few missions once, "and he said it was really good". :D
Title: Re: Most epic campaigns?
Post by: TopAce on March 28, 2010, 09:26:16 am
The readme also said it was a well put together campaign.
Title: Re: Most epic campaigns?
Post by: Mongoose on March 28, 2010, 01:12:29 pm
That's probably what makes SGWP2 so epic. The writing and FREDing are insanely awful, but there are no game-breaking technical issues. The author had to have gone over his work endless times, polishing for stability, without realising that anything was amiss.
No, not really. The readme claims that only one person tested the first few missions once, "and he said it was really good". :D
See?  Sometimes dumb luck does win the day!
Title: Re: Most epic campaigns?
Post by: NGTM-1R on March 28, 2010, 03:50:56 pm
The readme also said it was a well put together campaign.

Technically, it is.
Title: Re: Most epic campaigns?
Post by: Nuclear1 on March 28, 2010, 10:22:19 pm
I only ever got to the mission with the
Spoiler:
several juggernauts in subspace.
It was silly. :p
Title: Re: Most epic campaigns?
Post by: Droid803 on March 28, 2010, 10:24:35 pm
I only ever got to the mission with the
Spoiler:
several juggernauts in subspace.
It was silly. :p

I blew them up and collapsed the node, even though I was told not to.
I passed anyway.
Title: Re: Most epic campaigns?
Post by: asyikarea51 on March 29, 2010, 02:12:48 am
I follow a more traditional thought on the word "epic", so Inferno R1 for trying to be epic on a grand scale (the tech room fluff gave some hints of this in my opinion), but I guess it fell short when development on the later chapters stopped.

I don't "really play" the game though, so I haven't gone into most other releases.