Bandit LOAF
Long Live the Confederation!
I'm happy to do research work for an 'all universe' Privateer setting -- where bases are, contents of star systems, that kind of thing... if it's needed.
MamiyaOtaru
Spaceman
That would be pretty sweet, and a great help to anyone working on WCU. I imagine it would also be useful info just to have for your site 
Bandit LOAF
Long Live the Confederation!
It's something I've been meaning to do for years -- just need a reason.
So what kind of detail does the project require? What sorts of things do you need to know.
So what kind of detail does the project require? What sorts of things do you need to know.
MamiyaOtaru
Spaceman
The obvious stuff is of course which systems have a known number of bases and habitable planets. There seems to be some sort of base at Blackmane for example.
Beyond that (and possibly harder to figure out) is the question of which jumps can accomodate which ships. We know that large ships can't use all jumps, leaving some jumps more important than others. Any of these we are aware of would be interesting.
Beyond that (and possibly harder to figure out) is the question of which jumps can accomodate which ships. We know that large ships can't use all jumps, leaving some jumps more important than others. Any of these we are aware of would be interesting.
scheherazade
Rear Admiral
art is a big issue too.
i know there are ships around here and there for most things, but getting htem all organized and included with sensible information is a ton of work.
simply gathering possible models and making the rest is gonna be a ton to do by itself.
-scheherazade
i know there are ships around here and there for most things, but getting htem all organized and included with sensible information is a ton of work.
simply gathering possible models and making the rest is gonna be a ton to do by itself.
-scheherazade
spiritplumber
Spaceman
YES PLEASE! I NEED ALL THE HELP I CAN GET! I'M A TOTAL NOOB PROGRAMMING WISE!
What I did so far was making it look half right, the bases I added were basically models I found around, and are sprinkled around at semi-random... I've been trying to tweak the autogen so that it makes some sense mostly, but it's no replacement for combing thru everything. It was good enough for setting up kilrathi civilian systems and backwater merchant/militia systems without editing WCU manually, but.... hey i'm only one kitty ^^,
ehm, heya ^^;
about adding stuff e.g. turrets on the Orion and Drayman: I just always felt that they should have been there. Drayman w/o turrets makes no sense to play even if you're Donald Trump and can afford an escort every time (I might have gone overboard with six, but I wanted to see a "space galleon battle" besides I was thinking that the Scarab is a Drayman at the time), and I wanted the Orion to have a gimmick that makes it worth buying. Sorry for pulling stuff out of my uhm, tummy, and thanks for the course correction. I'm mostly trying to stay true to (what I know of) the backstory of things and implement stuff that could've been there if there was the processing power for it. Example: The Orion is repeatedly called a gunship and a tank. Tank means it has one or two main guns (plasma guns in the cannon slots for example) and a machine gun which can rotate 360 on the horizontal, so it was either a top or bottom turret, or keep the rear turret and add a front turret. I looked up "gunship" and fouind that lately it means a kind of helicopter. A lot of combat helicopters have swiveling-mount front machineguns that look a lot like a "ball" turret, so that's what I went with. Of course the original Priv Orion wouldn't have a front turret if the turret couldn't be told to fire! Might as well have 4 guns but then it's basically a Centurion, right? The Militia Corvette is made to look like a smaller, older Paradigm because Militia fighters are lighter, older Confed stuff. (I'll replace her with a WC1 Venture corvette as soon as I get my school stuff done) Pirates sometimes have Galaxy ships because you have to face one in Oxford and so maybe other pirates use one of those as a place where Talons can put their loot and go out and get more, and sometimes they have Tarsus ships because who knows, there's kitties like you around too, no? The mass driver uses ammunition because a mass driver if you go look IS a a projectile weapon and is called such often. Stuff like this... I'm trying to keep the same spirit really ^^; I think that if a detail here and there changes it keeps people interested 
and ya, matching ship models with loadout/fighter complement/etc is hard ^^; that's what i have been doing lately mostly...
art wise... I need someone to draw more base screens and I *REALLY* need kilrathi fixers/bartenders. Right now the only reason why you can't dock on Kat planets and bases/ships in WCU is that there's no art for it. Once the autogen stuff is done all that's needed is to manually edit the plot systems (Sol, Kilrah, Vega, Kithrat Mang (Kitekat?) or however it's spelled, Ella...) Thing is, a lot of WC1 and WC2 systems in theory would have no bases and no planets if you followed that... not too fun to fly in I think...
this is really not my baby, i'm just trying to help until someone smart comes along.
btw for people who asked: (randomness happy fun time!)
(1) somewhere in europe originally
(2) i live in the US
(3) i'm bisexual, and I'm definitely not a butch dyke, call me that again and I will run you over with my truck
(4) Spirit definitely IS the WC character I feel I have more in common with, either her or Rachel Coriolis, except I wish I had her looks
(5) I actually kinda suck at WC games, had to finish WC4 on easy
(6) English is not my first language
(7) I speak English, Spanish, Italian and can read some French with some effort
(8) Nikola Tesla, Bruce Campbell, David Lightman from Wargames
(9) Forty-two
</rant>
What I did so far was making it look half right, the bases I added were basically models I found around, and are sprinkled around at semi-random... I've been trying to tweak the autogen so that it makes some sense mostly, but it's no replacement for combing thru everything. It was good enough for setting up kilrathi civilian systems and backwater merchant/militia systems without editing WCU manually, but.... hey i'm only one kitty ^^,
ehm, heya ^^;
about adding stuff e.g. turrets on the Orion and Drayman: I just always felt that they should have been there. Drayman w/o turrets makes no sense to play even if you're Donald Trump and can afford an escort every time (I might have gone overboard with six, but I wanted to see a "space galleon battle" besides I was thinking that the Scarab is a Drayman at the time), and I wanted the Orion to have a gimmick that makes it worth buying. Sorry for pulling stuff out of my uhm, tummy, and thanks for the course correction. I'm mostly trying to stay true to (what I know of) the backstory of things and implement stuff that could've been there if there was the processing power for it. Example: The Orion is repeatedly called a gunship and a tank. Tank means it has one or two main guns (plasma guns in the cannon slots for example) and a machine gun which can rotate 360 on the horizontal, so it was either a top or bottom turret, or keep the rear turret and add a front turret. I looked up "gunship" and fouind that lately it means a kind of helicopter. A lot of combat helicopters have swiveling-mount front machineguns that look a lot like a "ball" turret, so that's what I went with. Of course the original Priv Orion wouldn't have a front turret if the turret couldn't be told to fire! Might as well have 4 guns but then it's basically a Centurion, right? The Militia Corvette is made to look like a smaller, older Paradigm because Militia fighters are lighter, older Confed stuff. (I'll replace her with a WC1 Venture corvette as soon as I get my school stuff done) Pirates sometimes have Galaxy ships because you have to face one in Oxford and so maybe other pirates use one of those as a place where Talons can put their loot and go out and get more, and sometimes they have Tarsus ships because who knows, there's kitties like you around too, no?
The mass driver uses ammunition because a mass driver if you go look IS a a projectile weapon and is called such often. Stuff like this... I'm trying to keep the same spirit really ^^; I think that if a detail here and there changes it keeps people interested and ya, matching ship models with loadout/fighter complement/etc is hard ^^; that's what i have been doing lately mostly...
art wise... I need someone to draw more base screens and I *REALLY* need kilrathi fixers/bartenders. Right now the only reason why you can't dock on Kat planets and bases/ships in WCU is that there's no art for it. Once the autogen stuff is done all that's needed is to manually edit the plot systems (Sol, Kilrah, Vega, Kithrat Mang (Kitekat?) or however it's spelled, Ella...) Thing is, a lot of WC1 and WC2 systems in theory would have no bases and no planets if you followed that... not too fun to fly in I think...
this is really not my baby, i'm just trying to help until someone smart comes along.
btw for people who asked: (randomness happy fun time!)
(1) somewhere in europe originally
(2) i live in the US
(3) i'm bisexual, and I'm definitely not a butch dyke, call me that again and I will run you over with my truck
(4) Spirit definitely IS the WC character I feel I have more in common with, either her or Rachel Coriolis, except I wish I had her looks
(5) I actually kinda suck at WC games, had to finish WC4 on easy
(6) English is not my first language
(7) I speak English, Spanish, Italian and can read some French with some effort
(8) Nikola Tesla, Bruce Campbell, David Lightman from Wargames
(9) Forty-two
</rant>
awesome spirit :-D
Don't worry when you get that CVS imported we'll start hacking at it a bit from time to time--eventually it will be full time--I think we've committed to making a "virgin" version of priv remake without autotrackers or flyable demons for some of the die hard fans [and maybe even the proper probabilities for enemy meeting per nav point] before fully investing our time on the WCU project
Don't worry when you get that CVS imported we'll start hacking at it a bit from time to time--eventually it will be full time--I think we've committed to making a "virgin" version of priv remake without autotrackers or flyable demons for some of the die hard fans
[and maybe even the proper probabilities for enemy meeting per nav point] before fully investing our time on the WCU projectI think we've committed to making a "virgin" version of priv remake without autotrackers or flyable demons for some of the die hard fans
I just finished the game this morning, and, in spite of all the "bugs" I've been reporting, I must say I like it better than the original Privateer. And I AM a die-hard fan. So, for whatever my vote may be worth, I'd like to vote for leaving the improvements in. Things like autotracking and AI turrets are great to have. And the turrets, I agree with another poster on this, should be auto-tracking, or at least upgradable to auto-tracking. Where the game (-engine) needs to get closer to the original is in such details as talking in space (in many missions, actual dialogues went on in space, which now are monologues happening very fast even as the shooting starts); talking at bases (I liked it better the way it was originally, where one presses spacebar I think it was, to get to the next sentence, rather than the text filling the screen), the throttling of random AI's during missions (book shipment escort to oxford getting attacked by kilrathis, besides the mercenaries, is not good); and the ship improvement and market screens currently don't fit the game artistically; although they are better in the sense of access to information. But things like having more detailed bases are a bonus; and so are the true 3D asteroids. Rather awsome, although there's a problem in judging their size vs. proximity; but I'm not sure what the solution is. And to return to one of the earlier topics in this thread, I'd say one 3D model that could use at least a quadrupling of the number of polygons, is the sphere used for planets.
i dunno...i can't help but think its another satisfied fanboy. privateer isn't and wasn't meant to be easy. why people want to make it so baffles me. i loved how in the original you had to be able to shoot straight and manuver really well in order to survive. outnumbered, outgunned, knowing you won by the skin of your teeth and because you were just good was a great feeling. having auto-tracking guns really sucks that sense of accomplishment out of the game.
Brad, if you like games to be hard, I respect that. But please respect that many of us don't. Right now my right arm is in deep pain from privateering for a week. I'm losing sensitivity in my fingertips, though this started before last week, for sure. I DON'T WANT to play a game that I have to exert myself to the extreme. When I was 23 it was different. I'm 46 now. That's why there have to be difficulty settings. And if you play at the higher difficulty settings, then, most definitely there won't be auto-tracking, whether for turrets or for guns.
But my arms and hands can use the feature... ;-)
Besides, for me, playing a game is more for the art and the music and the story and the trading, all of which add to immersiveness. That's why I love Privateer, and I don't care AT ALL for any of the other WC series games, myself. I was never cut for the military.. ;-)
EDIT:
And I might add, having to quit the game and reload a mission really throws cold water on immersiveness, for me. I'd be much happier with a lot less challenge.
But my arms and hands can use the feature... ;-)
Besides, for me, playing a game is more for the art and the music and the story and the trading, all of which add to immersiveness. That's why I love Privateer, and I don't care AT ALL for any of the other WC series games, myself. I was never cut for the military.. ;-)
EDIT:
And I might add, having to quit the game and reload a mission really throws cold water on immersiveness, for me. I'd be much happier with a lot less challenge.
Maj.Striker
Swabbie
Banned
I'm only going to say this...the models are excellent. Some very nice work unregistered person. The other arguments I leave for those who what know the issues.
The other arguments I leave for those who what know the issues.*idea*
Why not do something like TTDPatch... have a bunch of options so you can start a game with things like autotracking on or off. Basically, for everything that wasn't in the original game, have an option to disable it. That way you can satisfy the die-hards and the players who don't want to over-exert themselves.
Of course that wouldn't really be so easy to do with the models, which is where this discussion kinda stemmed from, but it does apply to other areas of the game.
Is that a good or bad idea?
Why not do something like TTDPatch... have a bunch of options so you can start a game with things like autotracking on or off. Basically, for everything that wasn't in the original game, have an option to disable it. That way you can satisfy the die-hards and the players who don't want to over-exert themselves.
Of course that wouldn't really be so easy to do with the models, which is where this discussion kinda stemmed from, but it does apply to other areas of the game.
Is that a good or bad idea?
First of all - thank you to those who have contributed to Vegastrike, Privateer Remake, and WCU.
I've played each of the Wing Commander games as they came out (I still love the 3D Radar from the early games, and am glad to see it in Privateer Remake), and I'm quite happy to have noticed the /. article and have started playing again. My wrist, of course, has informed me that it's out of shape (Thrustmaster FCS Pro), but it's good exercise.
As far as the game itself - it appears that the economy is fixed (i.e. slaves from any Pirate base to any Mining base show a gross profit of approximately 100 credits per cargo unit), though I don't remember if Privateer had that same issue. Nonetheless, as I once again moved over to mission-based profits, that's irrelevant. The tree structure at the commodity exchange smacks of the way it was in the original - quite annoying when you're price checking, a simple "Expand All" button would help - but, that does appear to have been the case in the original, and thus is good enough.
As far as the changes that have been made - the improved (and improving) graphics are nice... the fantastic corkscrewing Dralthai seem a bit odd (and very hard to hit), though I forget why I thought that Kilrathi fighters tended to be asymmetrical instead of symmetrical. The voice acting could perhaps use some work, but I'm more used to $1,700/hr voice talents.
Mission Objectives - the jumps are always based on the system the mission was found in, which can get confusing if you go a couple systems out of your way on one or another mission - even listing the "expected current system" would help.
Spiritplumber - WCU is honestly what I look forward to the most, as owning a [Kilrathi] capship has been a lifelong wish, and I prefer universes where the same rules apply to the player and the NPC's (such as ship ownership - if I want to run around in a Talon, let me!). As far as ship mods, go for it - but do put the various ships in combat against each other (particularly task force level combat, if possible) to see how game balance is - i.e. is a well outfitted light capital warship more capable in combat than a well outfitted light capital freighter of equivalent tech/cost? If not... then why aren't some of the militia's using them - they'll have freer spending policies than Confed contracts, I'd think?
Time to go back to work, so I can go home, so I can keep saving up for a Centurion.
I've played each of the Wing Commander games as they came out (I still love the 3D Radar from the early games, and am glad to see it in Privateer Remake), and I'm quite happy to have noticed the /. article and have started playing again. My wrist, of course, has informed me that it's out of shape (Thrustmaster FCS Pro), but it's good exercise.
As far as the game itself - it appears that the economy is fixed (i.e. slaves from any Pirate base to any Mining base show a gross profit of approximately 100 credits per cargo unit), though I don't remember if Privateer had that same issue. Nonetheless, as I once again moved over to mission-based profits, that's irrelevant. The tree structure at the commodity exchange smacks of the way it was in the original - quite annoying when you're price checking, a simple "Expand All" button would help - but, that does appear to have been the case in the original, and thus is good enough.
As far as the changes that have been made - the improved (and improving) graphics are nice... the fantastic corkscrewing Dralthai seem a bit odd (and very hard to hit), though I forget why I thought that Kilrathi fighters tended to be asymmetrical instead of symmetrical. The voice acting could perhaps use some work, but I'm more used to $1,700/hr voice talents.
Mission Objectives - the jumps are always based on the system the mission was found in, which can get confusing if you go a couple systems out of your way on one or another mission - even listing the "expected current system" would help.
Spiritplumber - WCU is honestly what I look forward to the most, as owning a [Kilrathi] capship has been a lifelong wish, and I prefer universes where the same rules apply to the player and the NPC's (such as ship ownership - if I want to run around in a Talon, let me!). As far as ship mods, go for it - but do put the various ships in combat against each other (particularly task force level combat, if possible) to see how game balance is - i.e. is a well outfitted light capital warship more capable in combat than a well outfitted light capital freighter of equivalent tech/cost? If not... then why aren't some of the militia's using them - they'll have freer spending policies than Confed contracts, I'd think?
Time to go back to work, so I can go home, so I can keep saving up for a Centurion.
John Cordell
Spaceman
charlieg said:
Solution would be a clean remake without any extra noncanon stuff and provide a program to activate fanboy-cheat-items which are already in. So the Remake would be pure and everyone who wants to do crazy things can do it with this patch or program.
spiritplumber
Spaceman
That I very much agree with (which is why I tried to have 2 versions of my stuff out at first)