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Modding, Mission Design, and Coding => The Modding Workshop => Topic started by: Setekh on January 22, 2001, 08:46:00 pm

Title: The end of FS modding?
Post by: Setekh on January 22, 2001, 08:46:00 pm
Sure, there is a lot of potential within the versatile FreeSpace engine, but short of changing the code, there will be a limit to the amount of modding that can be done before it all gets repetitive.

I don't know really, but after reaching the limits of the FreeSpace universe (you can only go so far before little is really taken from the original story), where will the FS community go? Do you think turning to Total Conversions will be the way? Thoughts guys.
Title: The end of FS modding?
Post by: Fineus on January 23, 2001, 01:11:00 am
Well - I think that TC's are definitely a posibility, but we'll have to see...

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Title: The end of FS modding?
Post by: Setekh on January 23, 2001, 06:32:00 am
I mean, I wonder just how far you can go before the FS universe itself runs out of places to go.  (http://dynamic.gamespy.com/~freespace/ubb/noncgi/frown.gif)
Title: The end of FS modding?
Post by: Fineus on January 23, 2001, 10:44:00 am
I don't know - but I promise you that you, me or someone else on our staff will get there first  (http://dynamic.gamespy.com/~freespace/ubb/noncgi/biggrin.gif)

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Title: The end of FS modding?
Post by: Styxx on January 23, 2001, 10:52:00 am
 
Quote
Originally posted by Thunder:
I don't know - but I promise you that you, me or someone else on our staff will get there first   (http://dynamic.gamespy.com/~freespace/ubb/noncgi/biggrin.gif)

You can hope punk!  (http://dynamic.gamespy.com/~freespace/ubb/noncgi/biggrin.gif) (j/k)

The Machina Terra team will get there first! Well, since two of our staff members are also from the HLP staff, I guess that both will actually get there together...  (http://dynamic.gamespy.com/~freespace/ubb/noncgi/smile.gif)
Title: The end of FS modding?
Post by: Styxx on January 23, 2001, 10:53:00 am
Hey, I'm a member now!

It feels so much better this way...  (http://dynamic.gamespy.com/~freespace/ubb/noncgi/biggrin.gif)
Title: The end of FS modding?
Post by: Fineus on January 23, 2001, 10:58:00 am
Hehe - yeah, I guess MT may stand a (small) chance  (http://dynamic.gamespy.com/~freespace/ubb/noncgi/wink.gif)

and yeah, I changed the titles system, theres only 3 now- and the next one after member is at 1000- so don't bother racing to get to it  (http://dynamic.gamespy.com/~freespace/ubb/noncgi/smile.gif)

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Title: The end of FS modding?
Post by: Setekh on January 23, 2001, 11:04:00 am
 
Quote
Originally posted by Styxx:
The Machina Terra team will get there first! Well, since two of our staff members are also from the HLP staff, I guess that both will actually get there together...   (http://dynamic.gamespy.com/~freespace/ubb/noncgi/smile.gif)

LOL... I was about to point that out...  (http://dynamic.gamespy.com/~freespace/ubb/noncgi/biggrin.gif)
Title: The end of FS modding?
Post by: Battlecarrier01 on January 23, 2001, 11:24:00 pm
I don't know how far this would take you either, but some kind of parallel storylines can be created.  Instead of continuing chronologically with the original storyline, you can make mods or campaigns that parallel events already done in the game or something like that.  

How many mods have been done with the player playing as a shivan? Or even have a totally new story that ties together some event in FS or FS2 that was never officially explained.  For example (although it's not very accurate because i can't think of any specifics) what about a campaign or mod or something from an actual even in FS2?  Since your character in FS2 wasn't everywhere, you can expand on other missions mentioned in your breifings, but you weren't a part of the action yourself.  So then the campaign can put the player in that new position in the same storyline and elaborate on some more details/conjecture about the whole FS universe.

I realize that can be redundant, but with good modders like yourselves and careful planning, it could be pulled off without getting boring or repetative.

All the more reason to have a place like this where people can plan out things and make them fit if they so desire.

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BC01
Title: The end of FS modding?
Post by: Shrike on January 23, 2001, 11:54:00 pm
That's kind of what I'm trying to do with UoW.  Make a plausible history, as opposed to the 'oh this is cool, let's throw this is' style of campaign making.

Being a Shivan pilot would be.....interesting.
Title: The end of FS modding?
Post by: Setekh on January 24, 2001, 12:37:00 am
UoW, Losses and Red October will all have bits of the FS2 main campaign and bits of each other to reference to. It will be a rich, deep universe.
Title: The end of FS modding?
Post by: Styxx on January 24, 2001, 11:25:00 am
Machina Terra is a rich, deep universe on its own.  (http://dynamic.gamespy.com/~freespace/ubb/noncgi/rolleyes.gif)

[thanks to all of our team, that is...]  (http://dynamic.gamespy.com/~freespace/ubb/noncgi/biggrin.gif)
Title: The end of FS modding?
Post by: Fineus on January 24, 2001, 12:44:00 pm
Please don't turn this place into a p1mp zone  (http://dynamic.gamespy.com/~freespace/ubb/noncgi/smile.gif)

and I look forward to all of these campaigns- I'm sure they'll rock  (http://dynamic.gamespy.com/~freespace/ubb/noncgi/smile.gif)

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Title: The end of FS modding?
Post by: Shrike on January 24, 2001, 08:40:00 pm
Well pretty much everyone currently here is going to be on the short list for UoW testing.   (http://dynamic.gamespy.com/~freespace/ubb/noncgi/biggrin.gif)
Title: The end of FS modding?
Post by: Fineus on January 25, 2001, 12:52:00 am
Wicked!

Back on the topic- I think that there is a finite amount that can be done with FS... but that's several TCs and models away from now.

TCs are definitely the way forward though, and once someone has done one, it'll be much easier to do another.

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Title: The end of FS modding?
Post by: Max Sterling on January 25, 2001, 01:14:00 am
 
Quote
Originally posted by Setekh:
I mean, I wonder just how far you can go before the FS universe itself runs out of places to go.   (http://dynamic.gamespy.com/~freespace/ubb/noncgi/frown.gif)

Hey man, we got a TC goin on with the RT mod, eh? lets go for it! All for one, and all that!  (http://dynamic.gamespy.com/~freespace/ubb/noncgi/smile.gif)



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-Max

Hi.
Title: The end of FS modding?
Post by: Setekh on January 25, 2001, 02:24:00 am
 
Quote
Originally posted by Max Sterling:
Hey man, we got a TC goin on with the RT mod, eh? lets go for it! All for one, and all that!   (http://dynamic.gamespy.com/~freespace/ubb/noncgi/smile.gif)

Heheh... okay, lol  (http://dynamic.gamespy.com/~freespace/ubb/noncgi/wink.gif)
Title: The end of FS modding?
Post by: Admiral on January 28, 2001, 03:43:00 am
Are we on MODs or campaign stories here?  I'm sure there'll be an infinite amount of possible campaigns, and people will give on the game before we run out of stories.  As for MODs, well clever new ideas always come about (eg. the planet model in Machina Terra, however it's done).  There will also always be new ships and weapons as long as people can be bothered making them (basically as far until a better space-sim comes out, maybe Freelancer).

Revoultionary ideas though?  I'm sure there's some left, but it depends how much effort people put into finding them.

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"All empires Fall. You just have to know where to push."
Title: The end of FS modding?
Post by: Setekh on January 28, 2001, 03:49:00 am
 
Quote
Originally posted by Admiral:
(eg. the planet model in Machina Terra, however it's done)

As part of the staff, I can tell you that Styxx's method is Hella l33t.  (http://dynamic.gamespy.com/~freespace/ubb/noncgi/wink.gif)

Well, in any case, modding a game gives it extra life. Imagine, for all the people who don't play online, how boring it would be to play FreeSpace 2 without mods or user made campaigns.
Title: The end of FS modding?
Post by: Admiral on January 28, 2001, 03:52:00 am
True, although I never came on the internet with FS1 for a while, and I still played it a lot and made missions.  Unfortuantely it did get a bit tedious after a while since no one else I knew had it or wanted it.  When I found Xuandu's mission archive the phone bill skyrocketed with all the downloads  (http://dynamic.gamespy.com/~freespace/ubb/noncgi/biggrin.gif)

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"All empires Fall. You just have to know where to push."
Title: The end of FS modding?
Post by: Shrike on January 28, 2001, 03:53:00 am
It's also Hella Smart™, too.   (http://dynamic.gamespy.com/~freespace/ubb/noncgi/smile.gif)
Title: The end of FS modding?
Post by: Jake Logan on January 28, 2001, 04:14:00 am
FS modding will continue as long as ppl think of original ideas. i'm working on totally new suns.
Title: The end of FS modding?
Post by: Fineus on January 28, 2001, 04:32:00 am
 
Quote
Originally posted by Jake Logan:
FS modding will continue as long as ppl think of original ideas.
A motto to live buy... but theres a finite amount that can be done with the FS engine, I'd say were about 70% through exploring all the posiblities... TC's are a good way to go, and if modelling was easier there are some great possiblities...



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Title: The end of FS modding?
Post by: Jabu on January 28, 2001, 05:05:00 am
TC's are good. The sad fact is that people WILL run out of imagination, or the engine WILL run out of modding capabilities, whichever comes first. This is sad, as I was just figuring out how to make a ship in FS2 myself  (http://dynamic.gamespy.com/~freespace/ubb/noncgi/smile.gif)
Title: The end of FS modding?
Post by: Setekh on January 28, 2001, 08:09:00 am
 
Quote
Originally posted by Jabu:
The sad fact is that people WILL run out of imagination, or the engine WILL run out of modding capabilities, whichever comes first. This is sad, as I was just figuring out how to make a ship in FS2 myself   (http://dynamic.gamespy.com/~freespace/ubb/noncgi/smile.gif)

Don't you worry. The skills will still be useful for modding new games, like Freelancer.  (http://dynamic.gamespy.com/~freespace/ubb/noncgi/smile.gif)
Title: The end of FS modding?
Post by: IceFire on January 28, 2001, 09:12:00 am
The real problem is when our imaginations cannot conjure up new stories within the universe.  I think MT and Dark's AoD campaign will push the MOD limit to its maximum while BWO will be pushing the limits of campaign branching and story design.
Title: The end of FS modding?
Post by: Setekh on January 28, 2001, 09:27:00 am
Fortunately, FS2 isn't the only moddable game out there.  (http://dynamic.gamespy.com/~freespace/ubb/noncgi/wink.gif)
Title: The end of FS modding?
Post by: Kazan on January 28, 2001, 10:19:00 am
The Babylon 5 Project is a TC

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Did you say you wanted your head used as a soccer ball?
Title: The end of FS modding?
Post by: Fineus on January 28, 2001, 10:26:00 am
Is it actually a TC or are they just changing the models and weapons?

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Title: The end of FS modding?
Post by: phreak on January 28, 2001, 10:45:00 am
Also, new storyline ideas can add new ideas to mods.. make it origional and it will attract some attention.
Title: The end of FS modding?
Post by: Robin Varley on January 28, 2001, 01:37:00 pm
Well you needn't dispair yet, people are still modding for Halflife and that came out 1996, FS2 has been out a year and half so I think it's still got a life left in it yet.

Though I suppose Halflife had the source code released...
Title: The end of FS modding?
Post by: Jabu on January 28, 2001, 03:08:00 pm
 
Quote
Originally posted by Thunder:
Is it actually a TC or are they just changing the models and weapons?

New ships, new weapons, new briefing ani's, new loadout etc. screens... so I'd say it's a Total Conversion  (http://dynamic.gamespy.com/~freespace/ubb/noncgi/smile.gif)
Title: The end of FS modding?
Post by: AZONIC on January 28, 2001, 09:13:00 pm
My personal experience has gone from this.

Playing the game
Playing user campaigns
**Making United Space
*Making missions
*Making skins
*Making fan art
**Making mods

the stared ones are the ones I still do the most.
Title: The end of FS modding?
Post by: Jake Logan on January 28, 2001, 11:39:00 pm
with me it's
playing game
making art
making weapons
making skins
making mods

but i'm sure no one cares  (http://dynamic.gamespy.com/~freespace/ubb/noncgi/smile.gif)

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"I like tomatoes because they are so red"-Daveb
Title: The end of FS modding?
Post by: Setekh on January 29, 2001, 01:05:00 am
People care, trust me  (http://dynamic.gamespy.com/~freespace/ubb/noncgi/wink.gif) For me and FreeSpace:

Title: The end of FS modding?
Post by: Fineus on January 29, 2001, 01:32:00 pm
 
Quote
Originally posted by Jabu:
New ships, new weapons, new briefing ani's, new loadout etc. screens... so I'd say it's a Total Conversion   (http://dynamic.gamespy.com/~freespace/ubb/noncgi/smile.gif)
I stand corrected- I look forward to it!



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Title: The end of FS modding?
Post by: Mad Bomber on January 31, 2001, 07:29:00 am
 
Quote
Originally posted by Battlecarrier01:
How many mods have been done with the player playing as a shivan?

*cough* you'll see something very interesting pertaining to this, in NF...  (http://dynamic.gamespy.com/~freespace/ubb/noncgi/wink.gif)
Title: The end of FS modding?
Post by: wEvil on May 11, 2001, 12:03:00 pm
With the source code coming out (soon) there will be no limits.

Adding suport for other effects like damage skins, deformable geometry (imagine actually blasting holes in the side of an orion!), higher quality textures will all add new dimensions to the gameplay.

how about being able to fly inside ships (ala wing commander 4 style?) , or missions set in gas giants or near stars (klingon academy).

I'm sure most of these effects can be acheived without the source, but with it and a couple of competent coders, the last limits really are removed.
Title: The end of FS modding?
Post by: Fury on May 11, 2001, 03:19:00 pm
 
Quote
Originally posted by Thunder:
I stand corrected- I look forward to it!

Better to do that or I will pay a visit...   (http://dynamic.gamespy.com/~freespace/ubb/noncgi/biggrin.gif) http://freespace.volitionwatch.com/babylon/ ("http://freespace.volitionwatch.com/babylon/")
Demo coming soon.   (http://dynamic.gamespy.com/~freespace/ubb/noncgi/smile.gif)

[This message has been edited by Mr. Fury (edited 05-11-2001).]
Title: The end of FS modding?
Post by: Shrike on May 11, 2001, 03:59:00 pm
Heh, you're only 4 months late replying.   (http://dynamic.gamespy.com/~freespace/ubb/noncgi/wink.gif)

And we still don't even know if the source is actually going to come out or not.
Title: The end of FS modding?
Post by: Unidan on May 12, 2001, 09:27:00 am
The hardest and most difficult MOD in the universe...GUNDAM WING! In FS2 you can very well simulate moving parts, or the ZERO system. And fighters can fire beams but they can't power them up! We'd have to build a COMPLETELY DIFFERENT GAME! Man I'm pissed, I think I'll go buy Homeworld.

  (http://www.warpstorm.com/ubb/flame.gif)
 (http://www.warpstorm.com/ubb/rage.gif)
 (http://www.warpstorm.com/ubb/bang.gif)



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The Empire, the Borg, the Shivans...all seemingly unstopable forces just screaming to be blown out of the sky.
-Unidan
 (http://www.warpstorm.com/ubb/bsod.gif)
Title: The end of FS modding?
Post by: Unidan on May 12, 2001, 09:28:00 am
Cool, that was my 50'th post. And I just joined last month

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The Empire, the Borg, the Shivans...all seemingly unstopable forces just screaming to be blown out of the sky.
-Unidan
 (http://www.warpstorm.com/ubb/bsod.gif)
Title: The end of FS modding?
Post by: Unidan on May 12, 2001, 02:48:00 pm
Hey, I bought Homeworld. Got it at E-bay for cheap. It comes with

Homeworld Game of the Year Edition, all original, includes the Game CD, 120-page Historical and Techical Briefing (the manual), Quick Reference Card, plus the 160-page Prima Official Strategy Guide, and the Special Edition CD Soundtrack, which also includes the latest Homeworld Update. Installed and played for only one hour.




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The Empire, the Borg, the Shivans...all seemingly unstopable forces just screaming to be blown out of the sky.
-Unidan
 (http://www.warpstorm.com/ubb/bsod.gif)
Title: The end of FS modding?
Post by: Martinus on May 12, 2001, 08:53:00 pm
I have to give homeworld a lot of credit, I thought it was one of the most asthetically pleasing games I've ever played (and a pretty good challenge too).

I have to admit though as far as modding FS goes I'm just beginning so there's quite a lot of possibilites as far as I'm concerned. It's all a matter of who has the time and patience to think up and try out something new and original. It's obvious that we're going to mod a different game eventually but it's more likely that it will be because it's more flexible or easier to mod, running out of ideas is unlikely.  (http://dynamic.gamespy.com/~freespace/ubb/noncgi/smile.gif)

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Brain over...
Insert coin
Title: The end of FS modding?
Post by: QXMX on May 13, 2001, 10:59:00 am
If you're good enough at programming, there's nothing wrong with taking a game like Q3 source code and modding FS into a TC on that engine.  It's been done in Q2.

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Title: The end of FS modding?
Post by: Max Sterling on May 13, 2001, 05:58:00 pm
Did someone mention Total Conversion?

I mean, that's pretty much what I am doing eh? Plus Ive got the atmosphere, transforming Veritechs, soon to have Vertical and Horizontal movement...  (http://dynamic.gamespy.com/~freespace/ubb/noncgi/smile.gif)

I got a good team, no?  (http://dynamic.gamespy.com/~freespace/ubb/noncgi/smile.gif)



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-Max

Hi.
Title: The end of FS modding?
Post by: Nico on May 13, 2001, 06:25:00 pm
Sure you do  (http://dynamic.gamespy.com/~freespace/ubb/noncgi/biggrin.gif)

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venom2506
Member of the Robotech mod for FS2 ("http://robotechlan.com/freespace2/")

and of Hidden Terror, the Shivan campaign ("http://shivancampaign.homestead.com/index.html")

and My own page ("http://www.geocities.com/venom250681/Venom2506.html")
Title: The end of FS modding?
Post by: Styxx on May 14, 2001, 08:02:00 am
Indeed.
Title: The end of FS modding?
Post by: Martinus on May 14, 2001, 08:12:00 am
Hmmmm, I sense subtle p1mping...

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Brain over...
Insert coin
Title: The end of FS modding?
Post by: Max Sterling on May 14, 2001, 03:14:00 pm
hehe... I'm just saying that we ARE a TC and we've done a lot of unique things.



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-Max

Hi.
Title: The end of FS modding?
Post by: The Avenger on July 28, 2001, 03:53:00 pm
i know this topic is really old but i am thinking to myself how wrong we were then!

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