[Jabba]

How are you gentlemen?

First of all, I would like to personally thank each and every person who has been a part of the SCP, the Freespace Port, Freespace itself and everybody else involved in the process in keeping this game alive. This includes the people behind some user made campaigns I have just played, the installers, everybody a big thank you  

The story:
I was digging around my old game collection as I moved house and without internet yet, I found myself a little bored so I dug up some older games to replay. Owning a copy of retail FS1 and FS2, I thought I would give them a go. FS1 decided to magically scratch itself and so I pondered if maybe somebody has ported the original campaign into FS2? I searched online and found what was to be the beginning of a new chapter in my life! After several weeks of pure bliss blasting Vasudans, Shivans and even Terrans it had such an effect on me, I had to take it further.

And so as I write this here now with FRED in one window and the Freespace Wiki in another and after completing the quickstart mission in FRED, I would like to announce Project: 'Megaton'.

Project: 'Megaton' is the code name for what I would like to see as a campaign for Freespace using the SCP in all of its mediavp glory. At the moment I am currently working on the story, putting ideas down to paper and/or keyboard. Generating the general direction in which I want it to go and some basic ideas on how to implement key elements into the concept itself. My FREDing skills have been dormant since 1999 but I am not completely clueless as to the basics idea on how Freespace works. So, while I will complete the entire walk though and research some new ideas over the coming fortnight, hopefully I will have a basic direction and even a mission layout in which I want the story to unfold. But this is the tricky part...

I may need some help

I don't think that I am going to take this into areas where it just wont work, I have a feeling that it might combine some innovative thinking and direction where others have gone and it will be this fusion that will make this what it will be. I am hoping that a time frame of one year is not unreasonable for Project: 'Megaton' as hopefully I can compile most of it myself but there are a number of things in my head that I know that I will not be able to do. And if I can manage to get far enough to the point in which I feel that Project: 'Megaton' will work, that is when I know I will require assistance.

And so as a newly created member of the Hard Light, I welcome myself and will gladly link to my Project: 'Megaton' facebook page which I will update regularly as I have just started the whole facebook thing.

http://www.facebook.com/home.php?#!/pages/Project-Megaton/116681605023944 (Hope this works)

Thanks again to the whole of everyone involved with continuing the 'Freespace Experience'. I feel honoured to be a part of it and now it is my turn to contribute my part to everyone else.


Jabba

EDIT: PS sorry about the long post it's just that I am committed to this now - there's no turning back!

[General Battuta]

Best of luck! Your optimum strategy is probably to FRED together a demo release or a short unrelated mission set to draw attention to your elite skillz, then see if you can recruit a team for the main effort from that. It'll also give you good practice on FREDding, packaging up VPs, and doing error checking and playtesting.

As I tell all new community members, particularly developers, I would strongly suggest playing Blue Planet, Silent Threat Reborn, Transcend, Windmills, and The Procyon Insurgency as research. All of these mods were extremely innovative (or at least very solid) in terms of their FRED approaches, and they all offer some lessons and how to move the medium forward.

(Derelict is also notable as a community classic, and while I wouldn't model your missions directly off it, it's amazingly varied and textured.)

If you're into total conversions, Beyond the Red Line's demo and The Babylon Project are also both excellent.

Looking forward to seeing what you produce.

[Jabba]

Wow that was quick!

A lot of my inspiration to get me thinking of taking innovative directions will be from the campaigns you have listed, as I have played most of them!

The idea of compiling a few mission based loosely on the direction in which I am heading to demo the concept of t3h campaign is a good idea.

I have many hours to just even much around with FRED and just make missions for the sake of making missions in an effort to aquire +2 FREDing skillZ

[Snail]

Good luck!

[MatthTheGeek]

Welcome aboard !

If I can give you a quick advice : use debug builds. Those in the most recent versions of SCP are very strict when looking for errors, but it is an incredibly efficient medium for tracking down potential bugs even before you start a mission.

There are many tutorials and advice for beginners around there. Be sure to check the Wiki too.

[Spoon]

Welcome and good luck
and if you have questions of any kind, do not be afraid to ask them. HLP is happy to help (most of the time that is )

oh and please don't set us up the bomb

[Snail]

Come to the IRC channel too. Is good.

[Jeff Vader]

HLP is happy to help (most of the time that is )

Jabba The S|ut: once you reach the point where you think you're ready to release your campaign, remember to read this. Reading, understanding and following everything written on that list will ensure that life is as easy as possible for everyone.

[Blue Lion]

No Fallout 3 conversion? Awwww

[NeoKnight]

Welcome to HLP, best of luck and may the Force be with you. 

Minor note - only the first part of your FB URL is hyperlinked.

[Rodo]

Wish you good luck mate

And welcome to HLP, may you lurk forever with us...the doomed

[Galemp]

I wish you the best of luck, although I highly recommend you change your username if you'd like to be taken seriously.

[General Battuta]

Yeah, I'd like that too.

[Droid803]

Don't hate on the username. I find it amusing.
Besides, its true.

[Jabba]

Thank you all for your support and assistance in guiding me through. I will endevour to follow in the footsteps of others to bring a rather polished campaign in the months to come.

If my username comes across offensive, I can change it (I think?)

I will fix the facebook link, as I will be using that as a blog for peeps to check on my progress, and you can even become a fan of Project: 'Megaton'. BTW that will not be the campaign name but it may or may not have something to do with something realated to it perhaps...

Thanks again for the warm and amusing welcomes, and just so you know - I'm Australian. So gidday mayte! Throw anutha shrimp on tha barbee  but really its just steaks and sausages - mostly.

Jabba

[General Battuta]

Cool. We have a proud tradition of Australian modders here.

[Jeff Vader]

If my username comes across offensive, I can change it (I think?)

No, but you can ask the administrators to change it. With a good enough explanation they'll do it. And it would probably be even easier now that you're still a rather new member.

[Black Wolf]

What side of the island Jabba?

[EDIT]NM, quick facebook-stalk says you're a banana bender. Ah well, you'll get over it.

[Jabba]

quick facebook-stalk says you're a banana bender. Ah well, you'll get over it.

lol

On another note...

I don't think I will learn moar FRED tonight as I have a bit of a headache. At work today I was working underneath an industrial sized warehouse roof light when as I was pushing it off to the side so I could complete my task, it detached from its fitting and came down like a brick and hit me on the head. I was taken to the medical centre to get some suches or stitches or whatever they are called to close the wound.
Pics or ban so I uploaded to my facebook and the Project: 'Megaton' facebook page. Some of the ladies at work felt a little ill as a was exerting myself at the time of injury and so had a lot of blood circulation going, and the fact that I cut my scalp it automatically bleeds heaps. I wish I had a photo then as it looked incredibly bad. Now it looks quite fine and I will resume in the next few days. Tomorrow I might try and dig up some old missions I made back in the day just to have a look...

Full facebook link (I hope)
 http://www.facebook.com/home.php?#!/pages/Project-Megaton/116681605023944

Jabba

Edit: I don't know why only half of it is a hyperlink - just copy and paste the whole thing into the address bar

[Spoon]

Don't hate on the username. I find it amusing.
Besides, its true.

I agree, I find it quite amusing too

And ouch Jabba, that look like it must have hurt.
Take it easy for a bit.