storyline after RF?

astrokai_sc · Post by **astrokai_sc** » Sun Dec 04, 2005 1:54 am

Thanks for that game - but now that RF is finished, I really have the blues with no more missions to fly... would it be easy for users to create new 'mini-storylines' or to do some follow-up plot, before privateer 2 remake or privateer 3 is done?

Thanks! Kai

Zel · Post by **Zel** » Sun Dec 04, 2005 2:33 am

Privateer 2 isnt realy conected to the WC Universe or is it? But an enlarged storyline would be quite fun. Maybe expanding the playfield a bit adding parts of the adjenct Kilrathi Trk'Pahn Sector.

Post by **MamiyaOtaru** » Sun Dec 04, 2005 5:34 am

Privateer 2 is connected, according to canon sources. You can find a Talon in it for example. It's pretty tenuous though.

Astrokai, have you played the bonus campaign (all branches) yet?? That might be just what you are looking for.

And to answer your question, yes it is possible to create new campaigns. It's a bit complex now, but the campaign editor should make things easier once its done.

Dire Wolf · Post by **Dire Wolf** » Sun Dec 04, 2005 10:11 pm

MamiyaOtaru wrote:Privateer 2 is/i] connected, according to canon sources. You can find a Talon in it for example. It's pretty tenuous though.

Astrokai, have you played the bonus campaign (all branches) yet?? That might be just what you are looking for.

And to answer your question, yes it is possible to create new campaigns. It's a bit complex now, but the campaign editor should make things easier once its done.

Privateer 2 was originally a completely different project out of a design group (with a Roberts brother in it) out of England.

It "officially" became part of the canon in order to market it better. So, yes, it is official, but ....

BTW http://www.styrofoampeanut.net/privateer/

Is an on-going project.

Post by **MamiyaOtaru** » Sun Dec 04, 2005 10:24 pm

Yeah, I know the reasons why, despite tenuous connections at best, it was (ex post facto) officially declared connected. Marketing. There it is. Whatever the reasons, the party line is that it is connected

That campaign looks well layed out. I seem to remember its gestation period somewhat. Are you figuring out the coding ok?

astrokai_sc · Post by **astrokai_sc** » Sun Dec 04, 2005 11:08 pm

Thanks for the heads up - yes I have played the bonus campaigns I believe (the communist revolution for which I flew a few missions that led to nowhere and then helped the confeds end that thing etc). I have not met any more fixers in the bars so I believe that is it... bought myself a salthiu and a galaxy and maxed them out ... wow a fully equipped galaxy with two fusion guns and turrets almost does all the work by itself!

Anyway I think if there could just be more furball systems full of kilrathi capships, and a border confed base giving away endless random rough attack missions on kilrathi strike fleets, that would be fun...! Like "assist our three paradigms fighting these five Kamekhs" or so

Well just an idea but I am spending too much time with this anyway
Cheers! Kai

astrokai_sc · Post by **astrokai_sc** » Mon Dec 05, 2005 1:45 am

Dire Wolf wrote:
BTW http://www.styrofoampeanut.net/privateer/

Is an on-going project.

Thanks , I had a look - this looks like a lot of fun to play!
I hope they release it soon... Man I am becoming Privateer-addicted again. Was so many years ago already!

Wouldn't it be cool to have an online multiplayer privateer Universe?

There could be clans of mercenaries and traders... imagine you could buy ship designs... having a group of 5 space-black centurions jump in-system would look really cool

Post by **hellcatv** » Mon Dec 05, 2005 1:52 am

We should just add that plotline to Privateer 1.3 release...

astrokai_sc · Post by **astrokai_sc** » Mon Dec 05, 2005 1:54 am

hellcatv wrote:We should just add that plotline to Privateer 1.3 release...

That would be soooo cool!

You are at Stanford? Santa Cruz here...!

Thanls for all the work! Kai

Post by **MamiyaOtaru** » Mon Dec 05, 2005 1:56 am

Sounds like a plan. With waiting for Ogre, 1.3 isn't exactly imminent. Should be time to get it in.

Post by **hellcatv** » Mon Dec 05, 2005 1:59 am

the question, of course, is whether we want to wait for dandan's super-easy campaign editor or if his campaign validity checker is enough to do it

rockstar · Post by **rockstar** » Mon Dec 05, 2005 3:25 am

I guess beside redoing all the gfx and sound content of the game there is a need of more campaigns as far as this project is thought to be a ongoing development of Privateer. There will be a time when all the remake stuff is done and dev team should think about what's next - switching to something different or keep on developing this project. Whatever will be in the end (when there will be one ever ^^) it's still a long way to go until this question will raise.

Personally I would be happy about some new campaign stuff because testing all the possibilities is just fun when playing the first time or when some new feature or content is added.

z30 · Post by **z30** » Mon Dec 05, 2005 4:14 am

rockstar wrote:
Personally I would be happy about some new campaign stuff because testing all the possibilities is just fun when playing the first time or when some new feature or content is added.

I can't agree more - more campaigns would mean more opportunities to use the newer ships.

astrokai_sc wrote:
I have not met any more fixers in the bars so I believe that is it... bought myself a salthiu and a galaxy and maxed them out ... wow a fully equipped galaxy with two fusion guns and turrets almost does all the work by itself!

Looks like the AI Turret downgrade hasn't completely fixed the issue of the Galaxy being too powerful. I'm wondering now whether a better approach is just to restore the AI smarts and limit the Galaxy turrets to light and specific medium weapons.

I love the Galaxy, but somehow the idea of being able to mount heavy guns on turrets doesn't feel right. Since the turrets have their own power source it can have more firepower than a Centurion and that shouldn't be possible for a medium merchantman or any merchantman for that matter.

astrokai_sc · Post by **astrokai_sc** » Mon Dec 05, 2005 7:48 am

z30 wrote:
Looks like the AI Turret downgrade hasn't completely fixed the issue of the Galaxy being too powerful. I'm wondering now whether a better approach is just to restore the AI smarts and limit the Galaxy turrets to light and specific medium weapons.

I love the Galaxy, but somehow the idea of being able to mount heavy guns on turrets doesn't feel right. Since the turrets have their own power source it can have more firepower than a Centurion and that shouldn't be possible for a medium merchantman or any merchantman for that matter.

I agree... but it is a lot of fun to fly this way! 6 fusion guns firing forward, along with the mighty reactor and shields make that baby an unmatched gunship - pretty much the equivalent of the original broadsword! It is more vulnerable than a beefed up centurion though, if you have 3 Gothri on your back, then the galaxy just cannot turn fast enough to get its main cannons and missile launchers at them - and finished you are, while in a centurion you'd be afterburning out of the way.

astrokai_sc · Post by **astrokai_sc** » Mon Dec 05, 2005 7:50 am

rockstar wrote:Personally I would be happy about some new campaign stuff because testing all the possibilities is just fun when playing the first time or when some new feature or content is added.

Is Wing Commander Universe mature enough yet to download and just go privateering in a much larger Universe with more possibilities? Do all the new systems in WCU have bases, guilds, bars and mission computers?

Post by **mkruer** » Mon Dec 05, 2005 9:06 am

Unfortunately the WCU branch is not stable yet, however you can still play it to some extent, but there is no story. Chuck is currently working out the details of the Third and Possible last of the Private extensions, or at least is should round up your character in the existing Privateer Timeline. This process is one of those, â€œtakes fifteen years to setup, and one second to implementâ€

Post by **chuck_starchaser** » Mon Dec 05, 2005 10:09 am

WCU has a full WC map, gazillions of ship types, and sophisticated AI orders, but the story is the same as in Privateer Remake, and it is less stable. Easier to try it out than to explain. But there's a bit extra playtime to it, if you don't want to cheat, in the sense that you can buy up to a Caernaven or Drayman, plus fighters to carry on them, which is a lot of money. At one time you could own a Paradigm, which was a fun ship to fly... just tractoring everything that crosses your way into the cargo...

EDIT: Hey, mkruer; we posted at the same time. I was just looking at this Privateer 1.5 plot; I think I'd better get back to the drawing board. I don't think I could fit Priv 3 between RF and 1.5 without conflicting... ^^ How come nobody told me there was this 1.5 thing? Not very nice. And it ruins the possibility of having Burrows do a military stint before the end of the war, and his meeting Blair...

commanderfalafel · Post by **commanderfalafel** » Tue Dec 06, 2005 2:21 am

Sorry I'm late to this thread! Chuck, when you were writing about "1.5," were you talking about what I've got up at styrofoampeanut.net?

The plot I have up there is a based on Direwolf's original plot outline. What is online is as far as it's gotten at this point (I've pretty much been bending all of my will toward finding a job since September). I've thought that I could try to dig into it more when the campaign editor (which will hopefully coincide with my life getting settled back down).

So, it's still very shapeable at this point. I want to play nice with others, particularly if they were working on plot stuff first. But in the absence of any guidance, I thought I'd take a stab at putting together a straw man plot and seeing what feedback I get.

I can definitely make time for talking over plot issues or to do some writing. I just don't feel like I can put in the time right now to learn a new skill such as, for example, scripting a campaign and tweaking how ships work.

Post by **mkruer** » Tue Dec 06, 2005 2:44 am

This is news to me, I never knew there was a 1.5 plot, just your idea thread. Its cool none the less as long as everything fall into place logically, and hopeful does not break the canon too much, and preferable not at all.

I am cool with reviewing the scripts and outline, and have a few suggestions that you might like to include as part of a more dramatic spin. One thing I do want to do is kill off, not literally, the main character in Priv so any new project around the same time line can be fresh and not hindered by the original 2 games, sort of a second Privateer that takes place during the same time or even the future.

astrokai_sc · Post by **astrokai_sc** » Tue Dec 06, 2005 3:33 am

commanderfalafel wrote:writing. I just don't feel like I can put in the time right now to learn a new skill such as, for example, scripting a campaign and tweaking how ships work.

I had a look at the structure of the mission script files - not too difficult per se, but I imagine putting your sweet plot into that format without an editor will take some sweat and debugging, and then one hasn't even started to testplay the thing and balance the missions.

I would *love* to help with that, but these days my job is keeping me very busy... btw. I am doing astronomy for a living so if you need HST images, any data on space etc. I am glad to help.

commanderfalafel · Post by **commanderfalafel** » Tue Dec 06, 2005 3:45 am

That's way cool--I shall keep it in mind. Something way useful that wouldn't require lots of work would be reading through the plot and seeing if it all makes sense and whether there is any room for improvement.

What might also benefit the project a lot would be finding someone who knows the Wing Commander universe really well.

astrokai_sc · Post by **astrokai_sc** » Tue Dec 06, 2005 4:24 am

commanderfalafel wrote:What might also benefit the project a lot would be finding someone who knows the Wing Commander universe really well.

Well I guess if there is a detailed storyline, posting it on the Wiki or a developer board will attract enough detail lovers who will certainly object if there is something inconsistent. Besides, it is a sideplot that may not ver much affect the general flow of the WC Universe history - unless, of course, it is intended to lead to the Priv. 3 storyline.

Imagine what storylines will be possible in the vastness of the *entire* WCU

!!!

Post by **chuck_starchaser** » Tue Dec 06, 2005 4:07 pm

commanderfalafel wrote:Sorry I'm late to this thread! Chuck, when you were writing about "1.5," were you talking about what I've got up at styrofoampeanut.net?

Yes.

So, it's still very shapeable at this point. I want to play nice with others, particularly if they were working on plot stuff first. But in the absence of any guidance, I thought I'd take a stab at putting together a straw man plot and seeing what feedback I get.

I can definitely make time for talking over plot issues or to do some writing. I just don't feel like I can put in the time right now to learn a new skill such as, for example, scripting a campaign and tweaking how ships work.

Don't worry about that. If you want, we could work together. Take a look at the "Privateer 3" (nothing to do with Origin's plotline) that myself and Captain Cocksniff were working on...

http://vegastrike.sourceforge.net/wiki/ ... :Storyline

Captain Cocksniff doesn't seem to come around anymore, and I never got his email, which is a pity; he was full of ideas. Anyhow, see what you think. I like a lot of the stuff I read of the 1.5 plotline, but the 3 plotline has a lot of drama, I'm sure you'll find. And it is also very flexible, in the sense that the plot has an overall, grand layout; but needs to be fleshed out.