Author Topic: What got you into FREDding? (Read 5300 times)

Black Wolf · **on:** August 04, 2004, 12:19:00 pm

Now I know many (far, far too many) never actually did get into FREDding (and there's no excuse for that

) but for those of us who have, what got you started?

In my case, I've always been unable to resist the temptation of fiddling with game editing tools, especially when they come packaged with the game the way FRED did. I'd started playing Freespace out of order with FS2, but a combination of only having the OEM version, and not having a powerful enough comp to run it (personally that is - my brothers and the family computer could both play it OK) meant I spent most of my time with FS1, and therefore, FRED1. Now, anyone else who's ever played with FRED 1 will know that there's nothing even close to the walkthrough - the help documentation is... inadequate to say the least, but it was better than tha provided with some games' modding tools, so I figured out how to place ships, and managed to make some rather long missions that didn't feature anything more complex than timed arrival cues.

Eventually, after a long time, and a lot of help from VBBites, I managed to get a decent grasp on FRED1, and started making some halfway decent missions, though I never actually released anything. About this time I got access to FRED2, and started splitting between them. Fortunately I'd read all the other newbies asking about how to make beams fire and suchlike, so I made few of the more common FRED2 mistakes, and eventually got reasonably proficient at the new features in the second installment of my favourite modding tool. (ie. the only one I was a capable of using).

Taristin · **Reply #1 on:** August 04, 2004, 12:32:46 pm

I don't fred anymore. I used to. And when I did, it was Fred 1. I somehow figured out how to do most of the stuff on my own. And I cheated and made a 1 mission campaign where I was in an Osiris, bombing a Typhon, worth 10000000 points so I could become an admiral...

Ghostavo · **Reply #2 on:** August 04, 2004, 12:35:50 pm

I used to fred, never made an actual mission if that's what you're saying. I just wanted to see stuff blow up, pit ships against other ships, etc...

TopAce · **Reply #3 on:** August 04, 2004, 12:43:12 pm

I am a real level/map/mission design addict. Finding FRED was not hard.

. After the gappy mission simulator in XWA, I found a good shelter in FRED to make my own space missions. If there weren't FRED, I wouldn't be here. If XWA had a better mission simulator/editor, I wouldn't be here, either.

Hippo · **Reply #4 on:** August 04, 2004, 12:50:48 pm

Aye, the whole reason i found the VBB, was the FRED forum...

Goober5000 · **Reply #5 on:** August 04, 2004, 12:59:08 pm

Freespace 1.

I got the DVD OEM version with my DVD drive, and I was fascinated to find FRED bundled with it. I jumped in and started messing around with it (to me it seemed incredibly intuitive) before I even finished the main FS1 campaign. I actually didn't read the walkthrough until much later... I just figured out how to use it on my own. After finishing Freespace 1 and Awakenings, I started work on my own campaign, which evolved into Fortunes of War. I'm happy to say I'm still working on it; I have several missions left to do but I look forward to releasing it.

JR2000Z · **Reply #6 on:** August 04, 2004, 03:14:45 pm

Quote

What got you into FREDding?

Because I want to make kick ass missions for a kick ass game.

The main reason is that I want to see the capital ships duel it out.

Lightspeed · **Reply #7 on:** August 04, 2004, 04:16:23 pm

What else could I do after I finished the main FS1 campaign in all imaginable ways?

TopAce · **Reply #8 on:** August 04, 2004, 04:25:41 pm

Complete FS2.

Night Hammer · **Reply #9 on:** August 04, 2004, 04:44:22 pm

Just felt like using my own ideas to do make missions and what not.

.::Tin Can::. · **Reply #10 on:** August 04, 2004, 04:49:27 pm

I think its the raw fact that it is SO easy to use, and the ability to do whatever you want with it is fairly simple. Its about as fun as the Neverwinter Nights map editor, where you can just custom make everything. I discovered a lot on how Fs2 was made just by looking at the options in FRED. I started FREDing about a year ago, made a 3 mission campaign that sucked, made individual levels from there, came here, the list goes on...

kv1at3485 · **Reply #11 on:** August 04, 2004, 07:34:05 pm

Because I could.

Seriously, because I had the ideas, the 'skill' and the time to expend.

Axem · **Reply #12 on:** August 04, 2004, 08:36:44 pm

Quote

Originally posted by TopAce
I am a real level/map/mission design addict. Finding FRED was not hard. . After the gappy mission simulator in XWA, I found a good shelter in FRED to make my own space missions. If there weren't FRED, I wouldn't be here. If XWA had a better mission simulator/editor, I wouldn't be here, either.

Same here, I loved making missions in XvT, but XWA it got me out of it because of the shareware editor that wouldn't let me do too much, but I still had some fun with the skirmish editor

. Once I got FS2, I also discovered FRED. It was a little more complex at first, but very simple once you did the walkthrough mission.

Swamp_Thing · **Reply #13 on:** August 04, 2004, 08:49:32 pm

Quote

Originally posted by Black Wolf Now I know many (far, far too many) never actually did get into FREDding (and there's no excuse for that ) but for those of us who have, what got you started?

I guess for me, was finding that FRED icon, in the start options!

Everytime a game comes out with a mission editor, i always like to dabble with it. Started out making maps for Unreal Tournament, a few years back, and kept dabbling with mission editors in every game since. I´m a little ashamed to admit it, but i kind of missed it the first time. It wasn´t until i started playing the campaigns all over again, that i found out about FRED being there...

Anyways, i just do it for fun, and understanding how it´s all done. I don´t release anything, it´s just to get some added fun. Like placing 20 shivans in a map all at once against just me, and let the fun start!

karajorma · **Reply #14 on:** August 05, 2004, 02:34:53 am

Basically I noticed the FRED icon and clicked on it. Tried the quickstart guide and made the ship vs shivan mission.

Then I read through the guide some more, discovered the walkthrough made that mission and I was hooked.

Then what did I do? I made the newbie mistake of deciding to write my own campaign. 3 years later and I'm still pluging away at it

Gortef · **Reply #15 on:** August 05, 2004, 03:08:31 am

During the VBB time an idea for a campaign story popped into my head and, well that prettymuch started it and I made the campaign (Enemies United). I don't FRED anymore though... ... perhaps I should try it again.

Knight Templar · **Reply #16 on:** August 05, 2004, 04:14:32 am

First, out of necesity to be cool, and join a campaign, and fit in , and comform to peer pressure.

Then, out of necesity, to make my own campaign, to fit in, and to conform to peer pressure.

Setekh · **Reply #17 on:** August 05, 2004, 07:05:52 am

I changed every mission in the FS1 main campaign to have three or four times more enemy ships. That was a long time ago, and very fun.

Lightspeed · **Reply #18 on:** August 05, 2004, 07:36:59 am

Quote

Originally posted by TopAce
Complete FS2.

They never sold FS2 here, and I didnt have any chance to get it till 2001, at a big computer mess.

Silent Warrior · **Reply #19 on:** August 05, 2004, 09:40:13 am

The ease of use, mostly. Well, the RELATIVE ease of use - tying together a campaign and making your mission work exactly like you want it to is a different story, but doable.

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