Topic: Beta version: a more patrol-like patrol...(now includes piracy and privateering)

[NuclearWessels]

OK, I've incorporated all the piracy/privateering rules and contraband pricing tables into the top of this thread - I'll no longer be updating the Smuggler's Cove thread.

I think I'm nearly done with feature additions to the beasties, from here on in it's just bug fixes and time/distance/pp tweaks.  (Which is a good thing, since I'm about to hit the busy season at work!)
EDIT: LOL - the worst thing about a 90-minute commute is that it gives me tons of time to think about mission ideas.  It turns out there are a few more things I'd like to add:

• (For pirates) tips from your supply officer, assessing what races would pay the most for your current inventory
• (For naval officers in your homeworld hex) a chance your homeworld is under attack from something particularly nasty (e.g. M-INT or M-SGL)
• A Swarm mission, where you've got to deal with a  large number of weak opponents (e.g. M-SSS, or enemy Interceptors)
• Situation-appropriate taunts: I like having the AI throw out taunts once in awhile, but some of the taunts are more appropriate in certain situations.  I might have to throw in a few text taunts once in awhile too (hmmmm .... where are the words to "Brave Sir Robin" )

If someone gets the chance to throw up a test server it'd be HUGELY appreciated - my box just can't handle it, and all the different scenarios badly need playtesting in a multiplayer environment to catch all the ugly little buggies that don't come out in singleplayer.

thanks folks!
dave

[Alphageek]

If someone puts up a test server I'd love to try out the additions to the pirate side.  Being "wanted" and chased by authorities makes OP sound a little like that San Andreas game.  Let the cops chase me,  I've got plenty of power and ammo!

[IAF Lyrkiller]

How is it going w/ the new missions?

Curious KAT wants to know.

[NuclearWessels]

A few more bug fixes posted -- there still seem to be a few scenarios that don't credit you with completion until you warp out (not that big a deal, just takes an extra 40 seconds or so, but I'll gradually get 'em cleaned out)

dave

[Kzinbane]

In the Original series Trelane's planet chased the Enterprise around a bit.  I do not remember the name of the episode though.

Hey Dave - any chance we can get a "nuclearwessels new scripts for dummy's" posted?  I DL'd the stuff, ran the install but can't see anything different happening in the basic campaign.  Then again my install is a bit weird anyway, with a shiplist containing a bunch of battle tugs and stuff and my main map is not the one originally coming with OP.  Maybe I just need to re-install from scratch...

Hey KzB!

Once you do the install, you need to select one of the new single player campaigns.  When you go to the campaign selection screen, scroll down a ways and you should see a handful with names like "Lyran - warp mission testing" - those are the ones you want to pick.

If it doesn't show up, double check that your Assets\Scripts\Campaigns folder contains the new campaign files (e.g. WarpTest-Lyran.mct) and that your Assets\Scripts folder contains the new scripts (e.g. Met_EDPlayerPatrol.scr)

holler if you still run into problems!
dave

Um,,, heh... how do you change to yellow or green alert status?  We Lyrans just go right to red, none of this pansy ass yellow crap.
In other words I don't know how to make my ship go to warp 

Kzinbane

[NuclearWessels]

You can either use the options menu to set a key shortcut for the alerts (I've been using the same set of custom keys for years now, so can't remember what the defaults are), or if you look down in the bottom right of the screen you'll see three small vertical bars - green, yellow, and red.  Clicking on those changes your alert status.

dave

[Kzinbane]

I'll go for the bar(s) any day.  Meaning I don't remember how to get to the options menu  .  We old kitties memory ain't what it used ta be sonny. 

Kzzzzzzzinbane

[NuclearWessels]

Well, the number of glitches found seems to be slowly dwindling.

I did throw in one more tweak - as your ship gets larger your chances of drawing some of the simpler civillian-oriented scenarios gradually dwindle.

dave

[Klingon Fanatic]

 

SFC: OP keeps getting better and better. I keep getting my arse kicked by small fleets of bad guys! I had two FCX's and keep getting toasted in hostile territories. Well done NW!

Add some tactical warp like SFC3 and some additional 3D movement and this will be a completely different game.

I still am hoping to see a Repair roundevous SFC1 style mission.

Also perhaps other missions can be added to this? I found that Tracey G's Doomsday Machine Beta mission is universal [for all the races I've played in testing anyway] and works best as a nebula based mission; no MIRVs, Shuttles or Fighters to take the MDM out... If she doesn't mind maybe it can be incorporated? I'd also like to see the warp Convoy mission as well. If its already there I haven't come up with it so far.

Qapla!

KF

[NuclearWessels]

DOH!!!

I broke the enemy-space scenario generator (the other three scripts are looking pretty good).

Tomorrow I'll try to either debug it or roll the posted one back to a more stable version.  Whoops

EDIT:  N/M - found the rotten little bug and squashed it.  (Gotta learn to pay more attention when I cut and paste  )

dave

[NuclearWessels]

OK, I've added a couple of additional scenarios: 

 - the swarm: fight a collection of small foes
 - a nasty ol' monster attacking your homeworld or a starbase (large sunglider or intruder)
 - an outpost raid: destroy an enemy repair/resupply post, consisting of an FRD, freighters, and some floating cargo boxes
 - an eavesdropping mission: sneak up close to an enemy outpost and listen in on transmissions, without getting detected yourself (this means travelling with your scanners off, at green alert, and with weapons and shields down)

I'll test the beasties out tonight and hopefully post them in the morning

dave

[NuclearWessels]

I've gotta stop doing that commute - two more scenarios in the mix:

 - time warp: ever since that lunatic Kirk tried it, our scientists have wanted to investigate the process.  You have to survey a local star and then go to high warp (the one we're using for disengagement) as close to it as you dare.   Keep in mind that going to high warp will drop your shields...

 - riverboat casino: you have an encounter with the legendary vessel and her rogue captain.  It's your decision which is more perilous: accepting or declining his invitation to come aboard the vessel, keeping in mind that he has agents everywhere....

dave

[Klingon Fanatic]

  KUDOS NW! MORE missions!

I have never had so much fun with SFC: OP thank you.

Last night I finally got the Minefield mission. In my shiplist I swapped out the Astrominer model for Skinman's Leigon Sunspider and I gave the STOCK Astrominer to the Jindarians as a LP/DP. With the Jindarians added as the Neutral race in my shiplist I encountered this:


I had a blast, LOL.

Keep those revisions/new missions  coming NW!

Qapla!

KF

[NuclearWessels]

I'm just trying to tweak things now so that the enemy is a little more "at ease" if you come in at green alert (depending on the scenario obviously) ... we'll see how it goes

dave

[NuclearWessels]

Anyone remember the name of the SFB scenario where the attacker is trying to steer an asteroid to get it to slam into a defender's planet?

I might set up a scenario along that lines, but since the AI isn't too bright I might apply enough damage to the asteroid so they've got a chance of destroying it before it impacts.   (If a small attacker tractors and guides the asteroid in, they can also use it as a shield while they approach the planet, hopefully giving them a chance of surviving the attack.)

I was also considering a time-trial sort of scenario for friendly space.   A local government is considering purchasing new vessels, and you have to show yours off - running through an obstacle course, destroying designated targets, etc.  Your victory level would depend on how quick and effective your ship was, since that will determine if the sale goes through and what the purchase price will be.

dave

[KBF-Kurok]

Dave i dont rember the mane of the mission  with the asteroid but wasnt there one in sfc1  not  sure  been a while.

[Lieutenant_Q]

Interesting concept.  Can the Script detect if the ship is brand new?  Somthing I've wanted to see is a "Shakedown Cruise" mission.  Could set it up in a homeworld hex, It being a number of different objectives starting off with scanning a nearby asteroid or planet, running the above obstacle course, launching probes, and shuttles.  Test firing all weapons.  Then finishing it off by going to warp.  Or if you set it up to be in a non-homeworld hex, theres always a chance that an enemy ship slipped through and is looking to ruin your brand new ship, and your whole career.

[Alphageek]

Anyone remember the name of the SFB scenario where the attacker is trying to steer an asteroid to get it to slam into a defender's planet?

I might set up a scenario along that lines, but since the AI isn't too bright I might apply enough damage to the asteroid so they've got a chance of destroying it before it impacts.   (If a small attacker tractors and guides the asteroid in, they can also use it as a shield while they approach the planet, hopefully giving them a chance of surviving the attack.)

I was also considering a time-trial sort of scenario for friendly space.   A local government is considering purchasing new vessels, and you have to show yours off - running through an obstacle course, destroying designated targets, etc.  Your victory level would depend on how quick and effective your ship was, since that will determine if the sale goes through and what the purchase price will be.

dave

Nuclear Wessels, the Starfleet Universe site has a section of downloads with non-official additions for missions.  One of them was the very asteroid pushed into the planet scenario you're describing.  There was the planet, an enemy ship, the asteroid, and you.  It's been a long time since I played it but it might have taken place in an asteroid field. 

I tried slipping over there to try and find it for you and link it here but, for some reason, I can't reach the downloads section for Starfleet Universe.

http://sfc.strategyplanet.gamespy.com/

There, at least, is the Starfleet Universe link.  The downloads section is about halfway down the left hand side. 

[Klingon Fanatic]

 

Actually Battleclinic has a good selection of SFC1/2 missions:

http://www.battleclinic.com/docks/dock.php?r=scripts/tools


If I had the know how and time, I'd convert the following:

REPAIR ROUNDEVOUS: This mission hooked me into SFC. I'd like to see this mission as part of a 10th anniversary celebration of the SFC series.

The SFC1 Federation campaign; the Mirror Universe Imperials and the Doomsday Machine missions just rock!

Custom/Fan made mission THE QUANTUM FACTOR: A big MAP, investigate a derelict FDD, a powerless federation starbase and attempt to destroy an energy draining monster somewhere in an asteroid belt nearby before it completely  robs your ship of power...

Just some thoughts.

Qapla!

KF

[Alphageek]

If we're going back to these unofficial add-on mission, I've got a request.  I don't know if this is possible or not.  SFC2 had some special pirate missions made for it.  The control interface was a cobbled-together combination of various races' interfaces.  For example, if your pirate ship had missiles and photons, then the missile controls were Klingon and the photon controls were Federation.  It really gave a feeling of the pirates having had to obtain weapons illegally and nail their ships together out of mismatched parts.