[Red5]

 I have been brainstorming on different ideas as to how to control the shivans in the upcoming RTS mod for Star trek armada.  The storyline will parallel with the Freespace 2 storyline.  There are 5 campaigns, GTVA Terran, NTF, GTVA Vasudan, Shivan, and anti shivan alliance.  All other campaign races will have NPC and voiceable ships taken directly from the FS2 game, for instance, the scout fighter when u move him to another location will say "I'm on it sir"  so thats fine in fs and everythings dandy.  The shivans, you see, present a different kind of problem.  This is because they have no voices, in fact, as far as we know, the only sounds they make are those comm node sounds!  I dont think it would be very fun to have Shivan voice sounds just that sound do u?? better yet, Does HLP generally believe shivans are humanistic or have human like qualities and emotions or more like computer Borg things.  This could radically change the game structure.  For instance, Conquer and destroy with no apparent reason, Or some kind of idea "To purge the aliens (terrans,vasudans) from space"  If the first is chose, theyl be more borg like, with little ingame dialogue and all the MPEG to BIK movies "home made" of course will just show fleet deployments and basic orders.  If the second is chose, they will surely have shivan personal interactions and things that ARE NOT CANNON in FS2.  What do u guys think?? should the shivans be just silent point and click destroyers or just red and black evil humanistic creatures??

[Stryke 9]

You shouldn't be able to understand them at all. That's the whole point of making them these wierd things. If it were more fun to have them be evil guys with slightly destructive tendencies who spoke idiomatically perfect English with a slight British accent or anything like that, they'd be that. See the Vasudans- basically fish-people. Not wierd at all. You can even talk to them. Their motivations are obvious. Thus, they're more or less predictable and a Vasudan ultrasupermegadestroyer coming out of the nebular cloud and giving you the ol' shake-and-bake would not have half the wow factor a Shivan one does. Don't have them talk.

[Starfury]

Make 'em Borg like.  Says right in the Tech briefing ... and I just double-checked this, "Their insect-like carapace does not appear original to the creature's physiognomy, suggesting the Shivans are a cybernetic fusion of biology and technology"... i.e. assimilated. Or do the little whisper like thing the Borg do when they're communicating the hive? (I hope I'm remembering that right.)  Hope it helps  

[edit] Actually, Stryke 9 has a point.  Don't make 'em talk... more spooky when they're silent.  Gives more of a raw power feeling.

[This message has been edited by Starfury (edited 01-27-2002).]

[Stryke 9]

Actually, their physiology wouldn't indicate much anyway. Just 'cause you're part robot doesn't mean you're Drone #30106... you'd better believe the Terrans would be fairly cybernetically enhanced by FS time anyhow...

[Nico]

If you make them borg-like, I launch a full wing of Uriels after you  

[Red5]

 

Originally posted by venom2506:
If you make them borg-like, I launch a full wing of Uriels after you  

hehe, that sure would kill em

[aldo_14]

 

Originally posted by Stryke 9:
Actually, their physiology wouldn't indicate much anyway. Just 'cause you're part robot doesn't mean you're Drone #30106... you'd better believe the Terrans would be fairly cybernetically enhanced by FS time anyhow...

exactly.... I'm beginning to think more that the Shivans act and behave like the Terrans / Vasudans....although physically different, they don't have any particular predelictions for drone like behaviour - basing command solely around a large ship (in which case the destruction of the first Sath would disorientate them), singular unintelligence (i.e. booby trapped cargo pods in Fs1, individual fighters spotting the player in Playing Judas & into the lions den), and their tactics aren't that different (controlling nodes and trade routes, bombarding planets if possible, striking at enemy control centres, like Vasuda and Earth).  In fact,we have no indication that blowing up Capella had any purpose beyond killing all the planets, ships & installations - especially as the fleet sealed off the node (preventing a further repeat).  Finally, the capture of Bosch is a simple mmove to capture an intelligence source, and to gain access to GTVA space through veiled means.

[mikhael]

 

Originally posted by aldo_14:
exactly.... I'm beginning to think more that the Shivans act and behave like the Terrans / Vasudans....although physically different, they don't have any particular predelictions for drone like behaviour - basing command solely around a large ship (in which case the destruction of the first Sath would disorientate them), singular unintelligence (i.e. booby trapped cargo pods in Fs1, individual fighters spotting the player in Playing Judas & into the lions den), and their tactics aren't that different (controlling nodes and trade routes, bombarding planets if possible, striking at enemy control centres, like Vasuda and Earth).  In fact,we have no indication that blowing up Capella had any purpose beyond killing all the planets, ships & installations - especially as the fleet sealed off the node (preventing a further repeat).  Finally, the capture of Bosch is a simple mmove to capture an intelligence source, and to gain access to GTVA space through veiled means.

YES! Yeah baby! Give the man a cigar. Shivans are that most dangerous of monsters: people.  

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--Mik
http://www.404error.com
ruhkferret on ICQ/AIM

"Your guy was a little SQUARE! You had to use your IMAGINATION! There were no multiple levels or screens. There was just one screen forever and you could never win the game. It just kept getting harder and faster until you died. JUST LIKE LIFE." --Ernie Cline

[Nico]

if that was so, they wouldn't have much feeling for their own kind. They don't hesitate to sacrify many ships to blow Capella, when the sathanas fleet would have been way enough to rip all the GTVA on its own.

[mikhael]

 

Originally posted by venom2506:
if that was so, they wouldn't have much feeling for their own kind. They don't hesitate to sacrify many ships to blow Capella, when the sathanas fleet would have been way enough to rip all the GTVA on its own.

Didn't they show the all the Sathanas jumping into subspace right before the supernova?

Man, I gotta replay FS2. I can barely remember anything!

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--Mik
http://www.404error.com
ruhkferret on ICQ/AIM

"Your guy was a little SQUARE! You had to use your IMAGINATION! There were no multiple levels or screens. There was just one screen forever and you could never win the game. It just kept getting harder and faster until you died. JUST LIKE LIFE." --Ernie Cline

[Starwing]

Nope, not all of them. Some didn't even attempt to jump out. And there were all the other Shivan forces in the system.

[LAW ENFORCER]

how far along is this MOD for A2? well? (you are useing A2 right?)

Anyway, who are the anti-shivan alliance?

Will the NTF have diffrent voices?

and for the voices, just use the comm node sound...




[This message has been edited by LAW ENFORCER (edited 01-28-2002).]

[Galemp]

Aiee! Not Capella again!

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"An evil mind is a constant comfort."
Revisit the Great War at The Freespace-Freespace 2 Port Project

[Red5]

Originally posted by LAW ENFORCER:
how far along is this MOD for A2? well? (you are useing A2 right?)

Anyway, who are the anti-shivan alliance?

Will the NTF have diffrent voices?

and for the voices, just use the comm node sound...
quote]

 No Armada 2 is a more difficult platform to mod for so i understand, plus i cannot bear the financial cost of buying it   .  Armada 1 seems to have similar graphics as Fs2 plus the fact that it has a map editor similar to fred and the layout is easier.  The whole intersystem warp thing that STA 2 uses might be tricky to mimic in the freespace universe.  I already have a basic GTA interface and a fighter and freighter ship done, i just need to post images!
 The anti shivan alliance will just be the GTVA, the terran, vasudan, and i might have some good NTF forces after bosch leaves to the nebula, join them as well as a emergency cavalry or something.  That way you can play all three races versus the Shivans!

[CP5670]

I might buy the game just for this.

[Red5]

 Lol i found a guy posting "i wanna make a freespace 2 mod for STA" at the same exact hour i did, were combining forces on it!!!

[Sandwich]

Going back to the subject of Shivan voices, don't you get samples of Shivan sounds in the hallfight cutscene in FS1 - IIRC they jump at the marines with a screechy, high-pitched roar or something like that.  

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Creator of the Sandvich Bar, the CapShip Turret Upgrade, the Complete FS2 Ship List and the System Backgrounds List (all available from the site)

[Galemp]

 

Originally posted by sandwich:
Going back to the subject of Shivan voices, don't you get samples of Shivan sounds in the hallfight cutscene in FS1 - IIRC they jump at the marines with a screechy, high-pitched roar or something like that.  

Say, I never did find a tool for extracting WAVs from cutscenes. The 'A-1 SUPAR' search didn't turn up anything. I'd really like it for the Ancients readings (see sig).

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"An evil mind is a constant comfort."
Revisit the Great War at The Freespace-Freespace 2 Port Project

[Red5]

 No but i can try to recreate em!!! thnx