Author Topic: Stellar Assault FSO - The Old Thread  (Read 71492 times)

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Offline Quanto

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Stellar Assault FSO - The Old Thread


As has been mentioned throughout this thread, this game/mod/total-conversion is a remake of a game developed in Japan for the Sega 32x and Sega Saturn. Visually and Stylistically this game is going to be closely based off of the 32x version. Most of the remodels I have done have been strongly influenced by the Models found in the 32x Game. Gameplay will also take most of it's cues from the 32x Version.

However, nearly all PC Space Sims have a strong and heavily outlined story. The 32x game, did not. The entire story to the 32x game was told in three paragraphs in a black & white instruction manual. Not much to work with. To paraphrase; “Our old enemies have attacked us in our home system and have deployed a massive laser cannon in orbit around the sun. Fight your way to solar orbit and destroy the weapon!”
That was the gist of the original story. No lie. The game consisted of 6 Missions;

The first has you attacking two enemy frigates and 12 Fighters. You destroy them all.
The Second Mission has you attacking a gravitational acceleration gate which was just used to Launch an asteroid at the earth. You fly in, destroy the acceleration gate and its capital ship escorts (1 Frigate and 2 Destroyers).  
The third mission had you flying into the asteroid belt and killing off the booster ships that were used to move the asteroids into the acceleration gate in the first place. These booster ships are of course guarded by a compliment of fighters and two light cruisers.
The 4th Mission has you taking on an entire fleet of ships. 4 Frigates, 3 Destroyers, 2 Light Cruisers, and a Battlecruiser.
The 5th Mission has you launching an attack upon a Carrier and its two BattleCruiser escorts, the Carrier is called the Ganazula and is a beast of a ship. (Re: Gigantic). You actually fly inside it and destroy it's main reactor to kill it. It is invincible otherwise.
The Final mission has you in close orbit around the sun (omg, blindness). Where you confront the big bad laser weapon. You destroy it and win the game.

Why did I bother explaining every mission? Well, there was only six, and you could beat the whole game in under 30 minutes if you were good at it.

The Japanese-only release of the Sega Saturn version expands on the original by creating a total of 14 missions and they are insanely hard. (I've only made it to mission 12 myself.) Unfortunately, whatever story was made for this game will never be known because ALL of the dialog is in Japanese and no one has bothered translating it. I would also like to point out that it had too much dialog to begin with, and that 55 – 65% of the time in every mission was spent in autopilot listening to the moonspeak between you, your wing mates and your nav-computer. So the Saturn version while an improvement, has its flaws.
My goals in this PC version made by westerners is that we take the good points of both the 32x game and the Saturn game, combine them, and leave out the bad parts. Many of the missions in the Saturn Version are based off of the 32x missions. You still need to destroy an acceleration gate, and fight in an asteroid belt. There is still a HUGE fleet battle halfway through and you blast your way through a lot of light cruisers.

However, there were several really cool missions original to the Sega Saturn version. Like flying inside the giant asteroid Ceres, and flying 3 missions in orbit around and in the atmosphere of a Terraformed Venus. The game did a great job immersing the player within its Universe, even if you don't understand Japanese.

So, while the story is a blank slate, one thing I heartily thank the Japanese developers for in this game, is the SOLID and SIMPLE gameplay, and absolutely beautiful ship designs, I mean, the ships in both games are completely gorgeous. Its my firm opinion that every ship designed by every Western Space Sim developer is completely ****ing ugly compared to the ships and fighters found in these games. The mechanical designer who drew up these ships was one inspired dude. Every ship looks FAST, even when sitting still.

With  all of this in mind, I think that with the combination of some damn beautiful ships, and a  story written by a westerner, inspired by the combined missions of both games; a great game could be made legendary. The originals are just SO DAMN GOOD, that I want to relive them on modern hardware with modern graphics, and hopefully even great a great multiplayer game.

Thats right, I said it, a multiplayer game. First and foremost, the core gameplay will be ironed out, and a few multiplayer missions will be made. As a means to test out the game mechanics and perfect the gameplay before the single player game is finished. As a general rule, I intend to do for the Space Combat Genre what Soul Calibur, and Counter-Strike have done for the 3D Fighting Game, and First Person Shooter. I want to create a fun, noob friendly game that also Challenges and Enthralls veterans of the Genre. Hopefully bringing back a few more people to these games that I've grown up loving, and have spent the last ten years sorely missing. Maybe that would convince some commercial developers that there is still money in the Genre.
( I AM SO SICK OF FPS's, RTS's AND MMOs!!!)

Now here is the deal, I am an artist and writer, not a programmer. I can pull together a story, the artwork, and the 3D Models, but putting them into a usable engine is a road-block I am having difficulty crossing. I badly need programmers to help me pull this all together into the great game I imagine. I am fully willing take suggestions and criticism from potential team members so long as they at least take the time to play the 32x version of the game. (The Saturn version is ultra rare and insanely hard to acquire even on emulator. The going price on retro game resellers right now is $100 for the 32x cartridge and over $200 for an imported Saturn disc.) I can provide the 32x Rom for anyone interested (just pm me.)

This game will NOT be in closed development, as it is going to be based on an open source engine (either Freespace Open, or Vegastrike), anything discovered during the course of it's development will of course be shared with the community surrounding the respective engine. I still haven't decided on an engine that I want to use, the FSO in the title stands for “First Strike Operations”, not Freespace Open.  Its just a convenient acronym. Just as the Saturn Version was called “Stellar Assault SS”, I'm keeping with a theme. Third game --> three letters in the acronym.

Alright, I've spent a lot of time talking about the ideas behind the game, and how much I love it, and that I want you to love it too. But what about this story written by a westerner that I keep promising?

Here we go...



The setting is some time early in the 33rd Century. Mankind has not ventured very far outside the solar system, but we have developed highly advanced technology, and have colonized and terraformed all three Terrestrial planets worth terraforming. Venus, Earth, and Mars.
Wait, what? We terraformed Venus? How?
That is central to our story here believe it or not.

Venus is the same size and mass as the earth and orbits within the sun's “habitable zone”, however, there are several factors that lead to it being a hellish hothole.
First, there are a ton of volcanoes. So many that they created a massive greenhouse effect and forced the planet into having the hottest surface temperature in the solar system.
Second, the other factor to this super hot surface is the fact that the planet's day takes longer than it's year. So it spends a lot of time baking in the sun. This probably isn't helping things.
Third, the whole atmosphere isn't just hot, but acidic, so not only do things get baked, they get dissolved away at the same time. There is water on the planet, but it is just so damn hot, that all of the water stays evaporated in the upper atmosphere.

So how does Hellish Venus get turned into the paradise that was imagined during the Victorian Era?

During the 22nd Century, the world eventually unifies due to a heavily intertwined global economy and a general desire worldwide for peace. The UN forms global government and massive monetary and human resources are put into the rapid development of the Martian colonies, the planet is colonized by rapid industrialization with factories the pollute worse than 1950s factories. The greenhouse gases raise the Martian temperature and thicken the atmosphere and allow the planet's water to liquefy. Mars develops nicely and over a few hundred years, turns into a global Tundra/Siberian climate. To facilitate the rapid Martian colonization, the global government creates a corporate entity whose sole purpose is to develop, exploit, and colonize the solar system.

The Company is called “Synthesis” and anyone familiar with their 18th and 19th century history could label this company as a historical  parallel to the British East India Company or the Dutch East India Company. Synthesis is the first to begin financing the full scale exploitation of the Solar Asteroid field and puts their Base of Operations buried inside the dwarf planet Ceres. Synthesis makes incredible profits from the mining operations throughout the asteroid belt and actually possess more funds than the United Earth Government.

Using this money, Synthesis proposes to the UEG the possibility of Terraforming Venus and creating a tropical paradise there. After a long deliberation, the UEG gives Synthesis the “Go-Ahead” and they begin building a fleet of mobile gravitational acceleration gates. Over 100 were built in total and they were all moved from the asteroid belt to the Kuiper Belt. 1 Gate in particular was large enough to move a KBO the size of Pluto. Booster Ships originally meant for moving asteroids around in the asteroid belt were now being used to shove whole Comets into the 100 Acceleration Gates. Each one carefully aimed on a crash course for Venus. Each comet was put on course to impact venus as just the right angle to give the planet a 24 hour rotation, instead of it's original 584 days. These impacts also served to implant water and oxygen into the planets atmosphere.

Finally, using the ultra gate, a large Pluto sized KBO was launched towards Venus with the careful trajectory to give the planet a moon so that it would have a stable rotational axis. (A smaller KBO was sent to Mars as well to stabilize the Martian axis. It took 300 years for the Venusian atmosphere to calm down and stablize. The water in the atmosphere, finally cooled off and began raining back down upon the surface. Oceans formed and it was soon found that Venus would have even less land cover than Mars. (The combination of water from the upper atmosphere combined with the water from the comets created a rather large ocean.) Synthesis genetically engineered tropical plants to survived on Venus just as they had Alpine plants for Mars. By the end of the 31st Century, Venus was fully habitable for mankind and the profits gained from Venusian habitation has earned Synthesis even more money than the combined mining operations system wide.

And so, it is now the early 33rd Century, Venus, Earth and Mars are ruled by a combined government called the United Solar Worlds. Synthesis, has begun projects outside the solar system, mostly in and around Alpha Centauri. However, profits have been limited in that area and life is difficult for the colonists. However, less than a decade ago, a probe returned from the Vega star system revealing a solar system ripe for colonization. No earthlike worlds, but several moons that were Terraformable by way of comet collision (as was done with Venus). Synthesis gathered 50 acceleration gates (25 completely brand new, and a lot larger.) And took course for Vega.



At this point, it is important to mention the Military culture that has grown within Synthesis, much like the British East India Company, Synthesis has their own military that answers only to the board of directors. Known as the Sythesis Space Force (refered to as the SSF from now on). The SSF is a full blown military organization with its own fleet. It is also the SSF that protects and controls the Gravitational Acceleration Gates. When Synthesis sent their gates to Vega, they also sent more than half of their fleet.
2 Battle Carriers, 4 Escort Carriers, 18 Light Cruisers, and 66 Frigates.
The total military size for Synthesis consists of 3 Battle Carriers, 8 Escort Carriers, 26 Light Cruisers, and 108 Frigates. None have ever seen combat.

The Solar Government also has 3 large fleets. Mostly because many on Earth did not trust Synthesis as being the lone military force in the Solar System. (By this time, much of the population has grown to distrust Synthesis and wanted protection from unjust corporate policies.)

The Solar Government Navy consists of 5 Battle Carriers, 7 Escort Carriers, 44 Light Cruisers, and 130 Frigates. Military strategists and thinkers in both the SGN and SSF have long believed that combat in Space would consist of massive Carrier Engagements with Fighters to destroy the enemy Carrier. (Much like naval warfare in the 20th and 21st Centuries).

Fighters used by both the SSF and SGN are the Feather 1 Interceptor, Feather 2 Space Superiority Fighter, and the Feather 3 Torpedo Bomber. Most ships in the SSF have a Red/White/Graphite Color Scheme while ships in the SGN use a Blue/Off-Blue/Graphite Color Scheme.
Both the Feather 1 and Feather 2 have atmospheric flight capabilities.


Also, Here are some updates regarding the Artwork. I've remodeled the Feather 1, and a few other ships. Here is a picture of the new Feather 1. And also a Size Comparison chart for the fighters.

« Last Edit: October 20, 2010, 05:55:50 pm by Quanto »
00:41:58 <DarthGeek>: I might do it, I need to build a reputation of someone who doesn't suffer fools
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Offline tinfoil

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Re: What can I do to change the game mechanics?
But that would be patently unfair with the kind of weaponry at your disposal. Think about Maxims and Kaysers in an Erinies being autoguided. It would be ridiculous. That said, it would also be damn fun. :drevil:

Anyway, that is not currently a feature of the SCP, though I'm pretty sure the effect could be simulated with some creative tabling but I'm not sure what that would entail.

Oh, and I suppose you'll be wanting a

:welcome:
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Offline The E

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Re: What can I do to change the game mechanics?
I think that something like this goes beyond tabling and into scripting. Don't know if it's actually feasible, though.
If I'm just aching this can't go on
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There must be changes, miss to feel strong
I really need lifе to touch me
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Offline Hellstryker

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Re: What can I do to change the game mechanics?
Of all the things you would want to change... Gah, I want a challenge, not my game made easier.

 

Offline tinfoil

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Re: What can I do to change the game mechanics?
I think that something like this goes beyond tabling and into scripting. Don't know if it's actually feasible, though.

Not if you had a primary aspect-seeking weapon. they go straight into the lead indicator.
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Offline Quanto

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Re: What can I do to change the game mechanics?
lol, thanks for the speedy reply!

Well in all honesty. The finished product would be a completely separate game. I want to change (simplify) the HUD. Simplify the menu system. Reduce the number of weapons. Increase the number of enemies (Low poly ships), and create an almost bright and cartoony setting while making the game so violent and hectic that the challenge comes from simply trying to survive rather than individual fighter duels.

Have you ever heard of "Shadow Squadron" or "Stellar Assault"? Both are essentially the same game. However Shadow Squadron was a 32X version of the Sega Saturn version of "Stellar Assault." Both were really simple as far as game mechanics were concerned but both are also insanely challenging from a game play perspective, and they are ridiculously fun. I just want to recreate that feel on the PC with the joystick rather than the Sega directional pad.

Link to info on Stellar Assault: http://www.segagagadomain.com/saturn14/stellarassault.htm
ingame images:
As you can see it looks really dated. Which is why I want to remake it for the FSO Engine.

Youtube
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=94-lLVdj1ZI 32X Version (1996)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CMGvmLcQJlw Saturn Version (1998)
« Last Edit: April 14, 2009, 05:36:45 pm by Quanto »
00:41:58 <DarthGeek>: I might do it, I need to build a reputation of someone who doesn't suffer fools
(DarthGeek on: "Relentless")

 

Offline General Battuta

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Re: What can I do to change the game mechanics?
I think that something like this goes beyond tabling and into scripting. Don't know if it's actually feasible, though.

Not if you had a primary aspect-seeking weapon. they go straight into the lead indicator.

Awesome! That might be exactly what's he looking for.

I personally thought the CAT turned Starlancer into a turkey shoot (and destroyed any reason to take ships other than those with aim assist), but to each his own. No reason not to try it, right?

 

Offline The E

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Re: What can I do to change the game mechanics?
*snip*

Hmmm....The Shadows of Lylat team is working on something like that for their mod, IIRC.
If I'm just aching this can't go on
I came from chasing dreams to feel alone
There must be changes, miss to feel strong
I really need lifе to touch me
--Evergrey, Where August Mourns

 

Offline Quanto

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Re: What can I do to change the game mechanics?
While lead assist does take some of the challenge out, it would actually be more realistic. Seriously, in the distant future when spacecraft can travel faster than the speed of light and fire energy weapons and have shields, wouldn't CAT be a no-brainer?
00:41:58 <DarthGeek>: I might do it, I need to build a reputation of someone who doesn't suffer fools
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Offline The E

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Re: What can I do to change the game mechanics?
Depends on the future in question :D.

Seriously, never let realism get in the way of Fun. And some of us rather enjoy a good challenge every now and then.
If I'm just aching this can't go on
I came from chasing dreams to feel alone
There must be changes, miss to feel strong
I really need lifе to touch me
--Evergrey, Where August Mourns

 

Offline Quanto

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Re: What can I do to change the game mechanics?
Well, if you guys can point me in the direction to get the mechanics right, I'll gladly show you a gameplay challenge of a different sort.

(I knew you guys were the Hardcore types  ;) ) Of course I want to make the "Soul Calibur" of space sims, not the "King of Fighters".


So... How do I make it track the Lead Indicator?
Scripting? Or the Table?
00:41:58 <DarthGeek>: I might do it, I need to build a reputation of someone who doesn't suffer fools
(DarthGeek on: "Relentless")

 
Re: What can I do to change the game mechanics?
http://www.hard-light.net/wiki/index.php/Ships.tbl#.24Autoaim_FOV:

Makes the guns on a seraphim soooo much more effective. :P

 

Offline Quanto

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Re: What can I do to change the game mechanics?
So this is done on an individual basis for each ship? This isn't something done standard throughout the game?

Does it snap to the reticule or is it a bit more precise? (I don't want it to be completely perfect...)
00:41:58 <DarthGeek>: I might do it, I need to build a reputation of someone who doesn't suffer fools
(DarthGeek on: "Relentless")

 
Re: What can I do to change the game mechanics?
You have to set this for each ship, with an effective angle, ie. autoaim will only work if the target is within this angle of the gun normals.

What the setting does is if the target ship is in range of your primaries, but your aim is little off (within the set angle), your shots will leave your guns at an angle to intercept the target (and will hit as long as they don't change their speed/direction).

Check out my mod if you want to see it in action. :P

 

Offline Quanto

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Re: What can I do to change the game mechanics?
Alright, I will! Whats the link? >_>
00:41:58 <DarthGeek>: I might do it, I need to build a reputation of someone who doesn't suffer fools
(DarthGeek on: "Relentless")

 
Re: What can I do to change the game mechanics?

 

Offline Quanto

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Re: What can I do to change the game mechanics?
Well, I just attempted to run your mod, but it crashes on startup. Do I need to put it anywhere specific? I just gave it it's own "Shivan" folder. Should it go somewhere else?
00:41:58 <DarthGeek>: I might do it, I need to build a reputation of someone who doesn't suffer fools
(DarthGeek on: "Relentless")

  
Re: What can I do to change the game mechanics?
Do you have everything else there? (new-ish build, mediavps 3.6.10, modified mod.ini to point to the correct mediavps dir, etc.)

Have you tried a debug build and looked at what it was complaining about?

 

Offline Nuke

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Re: What can I do to change the game mechanics?
well it can and has been scripted.

http://www.hard-light.net/wiki/index.php/Ships.tbl#.24Autoaim_FOV:

Makes the guns on a seraphim soooo much more effective. :P

when was that added? yet another feature prototyped with scripting.
« Last Edit: April 15, 2009, 12:12:13 am by Nuke »
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Re: What can I do to change the game mechanics?
I can't remember now, but it was something on the order of months, likely less than a year ago (or maybe that was when I first noticed it)? I don't have access to SCP svn from this machine to check.