[CT27]

I may be biased since I like the slightly more upbeat ending.  The original ending was kind of a letdown IMO.  The 'alternate' ending fits better with the tone of the campaign.

Also I've already wrote  missions for the sequel based on the 'alternate ending' as canon. 

So I vote for the alternate ending as canon.

[herkie423]

An update will soon be ready..

I made some polishings, added some random events in a few, minor corrections and adjustments, and thorough proofreading.


The update procedure will still be the same.

[herkie423]

I placed all my written material; ship and weapon tech descriptions, intel, fiction files, all briefings and dialogues, in one Word document to check for errors and I got the exact number of words: 65,138.

The "features" in the OP is updated.

[herkie423]

I can no longer find any bugs or mission coding issues. If there are, these are rare and may or will not cause any breaks. All I have to do now is upload the update.

At least now, I can concentrate on the sequel.

[herkie423]

My entries for the Screen Cam contest.



"The Shivans... Wait...What is that behind the Sathanas?"



"Command, we are pretty banged up. We need a complete overhaul"

[herkie423]

UPDATE RELEASED

This update covered an extensive bug hunt, spell and grammar checks, mission refinements. I think this will be the last for a long time since I have fixed the remaining rare issues. I said rare because it actually is and I found them, fixed them. The Opening Post is updated with the latest info. Download the update from there. ....Phew!

Oh, one more thing. I have decided to implement the Alternate Campaign Ending as the main campaign of the Reboot. And the original Reboot campaign as the Alternate Ending this time. Because the sequel's story line will pick up from the Alternate "upbeat" Ending. It is still safe and your mission progress will not be affected.

EDIT: Ignore the second paragraph. The campaign version swap was mistakenly not made in the current update. I recommend that you switch over to the Alternate version as it is the canon and the sequel will be based on it.

[CT27]

Just to be 100% sure on this:

What do I need to do to make sure I have the more 'upbeat' ending?  When the upbeat ending was released as the alternate ending it was originally released as "AF-CampVer2" and was designed to replace "AF-Missions1".  However the OP still makes it sound like what is listed under "alternate ending" is the upbeat ending.

In short, you may want to edit that part of the OP to say that the "alternate" ending is now the downer ending.

[herkie423]

Sorry, I forgot...Grrr.  I am really getting old....OP modified. The main campaign or should I say canon, is the formerly "Alternate Campaign" which has the upbeat ending. The campaign in the original Reboot release is now the alternate. Once you implement the update, two missions there will magically change

EDIT: IGNORE THIS REPLY.

[Mito [PL]]

I have a question.

How is the situation with the first ~15 missions in the campaign? I mean, when i played Reboot initially soon after the release the first part of the campaign was a bit... Not living up to the rest of it (to the gameplay after you meet the Shivans)...





Okay, some of them were outright terrible.

[CT27]

I think you may need to fix the ending situation somewhat.  I got the new download (missions V1) which was supposed to be the more upbeat ending so I removed 'missions V2' the original alternate ending.

However this gave the original downer ending.  So I had to put the original 'V2' missions file in there.

Could you look into this?

[CT27]

I tried putting in the OP's new "AF-MissionsV2" file (listed under 'alternate ending') and that worked.  I got the more upbeat ending and most of the spelling issues I suggested earlier.
One minor grammar error still there is in the post-Dragon Slayer cutscene, Command should say "Acknowledged, Regulus" instead of "Acknowledge, Regulus".


Instead of us throwing terms around like alternate ending and original ending which may confuse some people (saying something like the main ending is now the original alternate ending may sound confusing), how about we just call Reboot's original ending "Version 1" and the more upbeat ending "Version 2"?  You could make those the subject headlines in the OP.  For instance, instead of the current subject headline "Alternate Campaign Ending" we could say "Version 2". 

Then you would add somewhere Version 2 is now the canon ending.


P.S.:  As of right now, "AF-MissionsV2" is the correct file to use for the more upbeat/canon ending so you probably will want to make sure that's the one in the campaign if you try updating "Reboot" for the FS Installer.

[herkie423]

Yeah... My terrible mistake. Apparently, I forgot to swap their filenames when I uploaded them. Don't worry, the missions are the updated ones.  I may have to revise the OP to its original and place a note in the thread of the sequel that the story picks up from the alternate ending.

It's too late to change it now because Hunter is currently updating the Aftermath folder in SectorGames FSFiles and I have sent Goober the updated intaller file.

I'm really sorry.

[herkie423]

I have a question.

How is the situation with the first ~15 missions in the campaign? I mean, when i played Reboot initially soon after the release the first part of the campaign was a bit... Not living up to the rest of it (to the gameplay after you meet the Shivans)...





Okay, some of them were outright terrible.

Which ones? Please tell me. I will revise them.

Well, those 15 missions, Acts 1, 2 and half of Act 3, were actually my FIRST campaign back in 2012 when I was beginning to learn FREDing, before I learned that there is an FS modding community. I spent months of learning the mechanics of mission design without any help. I didn't throw them away. I did not change them even. Just improve on it a little and fixed the bugs.

In the earliest description in 2014 when I uploaded the original 43-mission campaign in SectorGames (this time it included the Shivans, which you are playing now), I said "...from a series of meaningless random missions, John Richter was suddenly thrown in the middle of an intergalactic war and the fate of all rested on his shoulders."... Meaningless random missions in the beginning, I was trying to point out Richter's pointless life then he becomes the ultimate hero. It's the story. I tell my story through player experience. When you played the first 15 missions, you actually felt what Richter felt, a life without purpose... and he found it when the Shivans came.

It was not deliberate when I made those "terrible" and simplistic missions as you pointed out (I actually agree) but I build up on it to shape the entire story of Richter. Meaningless or terrible as they were, it was the foundation that made the life of Richter more meaningful. So I included those missions in the original and in the Reboot.

I just wish players will not give up a campaign by just playing the first few missions (or fifteen in my case). I hope they will see through it until the end because there is a lot more this mod can offer. When I think of this, it makes me feel sad...

PS: Anyone have a suggestion? I always accept suggestions. Though I may explain my side, I do consider them.

[CT27]

As for the missions, don't worry about it too much Herkie.  We all make mistakes from time to time.  As long as the OP says which file is the canon ending (still AF-MissionsV2 in this case) I think things are fine.

I think some of the early missions are necessary to show Richter's progression.  He goes from mercenary to policeman to GTVA soldier.  I don't think all those missions should be taken out.  Now, could maybe one or two of them be removed to make things more concise?  Perhaps.  For instance, I don't think the very first campaign mission would be missed too much (and I also think Richter's second GTVA mission where he commands two corvettes could be removed).  However, I don't think they're terrible.

[herkie423]

Yeah. I might revise or replace them and still maintain the story. But it will be hard to do it. Beginning Act 2, the missions reinforced themselves like dominoes. Take away one and the plot crumbles.

There is also a progression to be maintained. Simple at first then it becomes difficult as you progress. That goes for the story as well. Introducing Richter's world at first then everything falls into place gradually. Act 1, for example, is just a series of random missions (only 5), incoherent, then later a story begins to shape up. And what a colossal story in turned out to be. A real intergalactic war.

[Mito [PL]]

The problem with initial missions isn't that they're there. The problem is that some of them have simply poor quality and are illogical/annoying to play. It was long ago when I played this campaign (but finished it in about 3 days, rip my free time), so I can't really point out much of it now, but I can say that:
- a cache with some of the most powerful GTVA vessels guarded by a single wing of fighters (or two fighters? can't remember), especially with a HUGE pirate presence around - that's rather illogical...
- the mission in which the player has to defend a corvette from several other capships and a huge amount of strikecraft... alone - it's extremely hard if not impossible (on Medium, that's the only difficulty level I play)

And I will complain that this campaign has the same problem as FS2: the battlefield and capships only get bigger and bigger, and there isn't a capable interceptor fighter to offset that (except that one-of-a-kind fighter you don't get to use in many bigger battles). Yes, I know you get one at some point, but it's kinda late.

However, missions get only better and better throught the campaign.

I will try to grab some time to replay some of them and post my suggestions... Should I do it via PM or write it here?

[herkie423]

Oh that. I believe that's the mission "The Pirate Strikes Back" (like Star Wars). It's a "story" mission. I mentioned those kind of missions in my WIP thread and in the "Words By The Author" file. In some mission briefings, your CO does not give you the correct situation. I mentioned that too. There is no failure scenario in that mission. Your real objective is to stay alive.

 Now, in having only two wings against many strike crafts, the entire police force was already spread thinly across the system because of the pirate menace. And more importantly, you and your wingmates were bait. Leaving an impression that Andromeda was lightly defended. The police and High Command intentionally did this as "a solid plan to completely eliminate this pirate syndicate" quoting the command briefing. That was the point of the mission. A sense of desperation. 

You know, what you read in the command and mission briefings is not always the case. There are instances that command made a mistake. You have to wonder what is going on? I want players to speculate. I don't reveal all, I leave gaps to let players read between the lines. So it was apparently illogical. It would SEEM so and you felt that. The point of the mission.

Anyway, just give me your critique. I will gladly give you an answer if I have. There are a lot of back stories that I did not reveal. Mysteries if you will. Now, if it is a plot hole that I inadvertently made, then I will get to it right away and fix it.

By the way, I appreciate your comment. Honestly. I encourage others to do so. You can send me a PM if it is a huge spoiler.

[herkie423]

Oh yes, Mito mentioned another mission where you have to defend a corvette against a score of cruisers and fighters... alone. It's the mission "Making A Run For It." The objective was to defend the Stargazer. Aboard that corvette is an important deep cover operative. Sending additional ships or the involvement of the police will make it look like a rescue Op and it will "rouse their suspicion and jeopardize the lives of other deep cover agents" (quoting the command briefing). As far as the UPC's concern, the Stargazer is only a defector. The SOC will not take that chance.

The pirates or UPC are extremely paranoid, suicidal, a Shivan-like ruthless group. This is already hinting that man is losing his humanity which is one side of the campaign's story.

[herkie423]

One of the back stories. I would have revealed this in the sequel but I will tell it now.

THE STORY BEHIND THE XJR PHANTOM

You think that Richter was recruited to the military for his skills. He was not. They recruited him because of his personal uber-interceptor. When Admiral Cartwright sign him up, the admiral took the ship and told Richter that it will be in his "caring custody" and ordered Richter to use the standard issue. The military actually had a degree of interest on this craft and tried to aquire it legally. This is in the tech description of the XJR Phantom. Secretly, Cartwright commissioned engineers to study its inner workings and the result were the GTF Avalanche and the GTF Raptor which will be available later in the campaign. The class of fighters that matched the Phantom. Eventually, the Admiral let Richter use the Phantom because they were done with it, no longer intetested with it. They won't even mass-produce it in the future.

[herkie423]

FSO INSTALLER FOR THE MOD UPDATED

The installer section for the mod is updated to include the 5/19/2017 update.