Confed and before!

[Mad Cow]

I'm not a game developer, so maybe there's a bigger picture that I'm not seeing -- but from where I'm sitting, just the ability to jump away from random encounters would have made the game fun instead of really tedious.

Amen! It would get to the point where I wouldn't accept missions that had really long routes involved or were in the isolated parts of the tri-system just because I didn't want to spend an hour dogfighting random pirate encounters.

Yep, no matter how much I read about the alleged connection between the WC Universe and the Priv 2 Universe, I still don't buy it.

Well, obviously the connection feels really tacked on. I would have much rather the manual or install screen stated something like "Early in humanity's steps into space, a fleet of sleeper ships were sent horribly off course to a remote corner of the galaxy. They finally ended up in the Issac System, where they settled on the arid planet of Anhul. Thus, the earliest beginnings of the tri-system confederation were born."

Even with its problems, though, I had a lot of fun playing Privateer 2. It's really a shame that the series ended there.

 

[Dundradal]

Amen! It would get to the point where I wouldn't accept missions that had really long routes involved or were in the isolated parts of the tri-system just because I didn't want to spend an hour dogfighting random pirate encounters.

Once I got the Priv2 OSI guide I just found the best routes/missions and stuck to them, I know it's kind of cheating but it made the game more than fun than having to deal with the encounters mentioned above.

 

[Capn Johnny]

Honestly, I dont remember what the reasoning was for me not getting a credit..

It may well have been the e-mail fiasco..

I dont remember if the other guy (Marcus Merrell) who went to England got a design credit or not.. but all the others at OSI AFAIK did mainly testing & support stuff.. BillyC was my lead at the time and the one who got me sent over there to begin with..

All we (Marcus and I) did was build alot of the sub-plot missions and random encounters.. and played a lot of multiplayer C&C at lunch with the other guys in the office..

I remember it (getting un-credited) didnt really bother me at the time..

After all, I got an all expenses paid, 2 month trip to England out of it..

And as I remember, it was just "The Darkening" first, the "P2:TD" but I may well be wrong.. it happens occasionally..

Anywhooo.. one of life's little lessons..

-J

 

[Capn Johnny]

BillyC was my lead at the time and the one who got me sent over there to begin with..

and also the one who kept from getting fired for the most part.. heh..

-J

 

[Bandit LOAF]

Oh, great, so we should actually be thanking Billy for the Wing Commander Universe map...

I looked through Deja!Google to try to get the history down. It's just gotten me more confused, though.

From November 1994 to May 1995 there's references to Erin Roberts developing "Privateer 2: Darkside" in the UK. Around August there's talk that it's become "Privateer 2: The Darkening"... and then from September on people start talking about a Chris Roberts' helmed Privateer 2 being separate from Erin Roberts' "The Darkening".

... and then coming up on release it becomes "Privateer: The Darkening" and then at the very last minute "Privateer 2: The Darkening".

(The change from 'Privateer' to 'Privateer 2' still has me confused. The PR claim at the time was that EA planned to re-release the original Privateer and so added the '2' to distinguish the new game. Was that ever true?)

 

[Capn Johnny]

No idea.. PR people work in an entirely different way than most people..

 

[Bandit LOAF]

Heh, yeah, I remember getting yelled at for posting that Privateer 3 was cancelled... because it wasn't 'formally annouunced'.

(... but there was a cover story full of screenshots and information published in a major magazine two weeks before.)

 

[Shooter]

I’ve never really understood this sentiment. I mean, it’s just too easy to be dismissive of EA’s statement that the Tri-System is in fact part of the WC universe. After all, nothing’s really at stake regarding the established story lines for the other WC games. But what if EA comes to make a new game that involves both the Tri-System and the Confederation we know and love? Will those who now say they “don’t buy it” say the same thing then? I tend to think not. And if that’s true, then it’s a bit silly to be a naysayer now.

Don't get me wrong ! I really liked "Priv 2", I just don't consider it to be part of the WCU, for all the obvious reasons. One thing is to produce a game with the WC background included from the beginning, but to change the name just to seduce the WC fans is another.

Oh well, this has been discussed over and over again...

 

[Edfilho]

It can be a part of the WCU as a physical entity. But there no true relation between the Confed-etc. area of the galaxy and the Trisystem area. The explanation that they descend from lost sleeper ships actually makes a lot of sense.

 

[Nemesis]

Don't get me wrong ! I really liked "Priv 2", I just don't consider it to be part of the WCU, for all the obvious reasons. One thing is to produce a game with the WC background included from the beginning, but to change the name just to seduce the WC fans is another.

Well, my point is simply to ask why anyone would or should be bothered by EA’s position that the Tri-System is part of the WC universe. P2 does not conflict with WC canon as established in the other games, and the Tri-System is in fact presented as an isolated and independent civilization. So where is the problem with its existing in the WCU?

In your case, if I understand you correctly, you seem to take offense that EA would make a game that it claims occurs in the WCU yet doesn’t (or so it appears) have much if anything to do with the Confederation. If so, then I can certainly understand your disappointment about that “lack” (including any gripes you may have about how the game was conceived and finally developed), but not to the point that I see why you claim the Tri-System isn’t part of the WCU.

I guess an analogy would be if before Privateer Origin produced a game that centered on the trials and tribulations of a race and civilization called the Steltek, noting only that the game constitutes part of the early history of the WCU. So the question is: would that “what if” be any different from the status of P2 at this point? Would or should we have then claimed the Steltek are not part of the WCU?

Further, what if Privateer and RF were then never produced? Under those circumstances, the only “appearance” of the Steltek in a Confederation-based game would be (IIRC) a reference in the Prophecy game manual. Would or should we be claiming then that the Steltek are (still) not part of the WCU?

 

[Fenris Ulven]

hm, its sound strange the thing about P2, but it only expand and make the WCU bigger. Im just wondering ; are there any contact between the tri-system and the confed? after what i understand there are not any contact between they, can somebody confirm that?

 

[Bandit LOAF]

hm, its sound strange the thing about P2, but it only expand and make the WCU bigger. Im just wondering ; are there any contact between the tri-system and the confed? after what i understand there are not any contact between they, can somebody confirm that?

The in-game database makes a lot of references to "the confederation". (As in, X ship might be licensed to travel in "confederation space" and so forth.)

 

[Exteban]

While waits to Dimitri Avignoni opens the capsule to you, during the news you can hear a reference about "the cats".

 

[Edfilho]

Loaf, but couldn't this confed be unrelated to the Terran Confederation? it seems so to me... What does CIS means anyway?

 

[Bandit LOAF]

It would be sort of bizarre to decide that one specific Wing Commander story is referring to something completely different and wholly undefined when it says 'the Confederation'.

CIS stands for 'Central Intelligence Service'. It's in one of the unlockable database entries:

NAME: Central Intelligence Service
OWNER: Funded by the Interplanetary Government
EMPLOYEES: 375,000
LOCATION: CIS. HQ, Hades (Headquarters), offices
BUSINESS: Law Enforcement
BACKGROUND: The Tri-System's law enforcement agency is overworked, under funded and apparently fighting a losing battle against the organised crime syndicate, The Kindred. Headed by the dynamic Shiela Nabokov, the CIS have a reputation for dedication and integrity that is legendary throughout the Tri-System, however, due to their almost impossible task, some of their recent covert operations have brought calls for enquiries from the political left. As yet, rumours that some CIS operatives working undercover have actually been seduced by the trappings of the Kindred have still to be proven true. Their resources numbver over 75,000 full-time field agents, 300,000 investigative and administrative personnel, and a force of over 10,000 battle craft.

 

[Edfilho]

it is possible that the people who colonized that isolated portion of space named their government Confederation in homage to the one thye left behind. It is kinda long shot, and certainly not official, but AFAIK it doesn't conflict with the canon.

 

[Ghost]

While waits to Dimitri Avignoni opens the capsule to you, during the news you can hear a reference about "the cats".

MUAHAHAHAHAHAH
I knew that i wasn't crazy!

I was right!
there is a reference to Kilrathi in P2, of course, you can hear pretty good with the P2 Spanish version.

And the link to it:

http://www.crius.net/zone/showthread.php?t=5452&page=3&pp=15&highlight=spanish

 

[IPhoenixI]

While waits to Dimitri Avignoni opens the capsule to you, during the news you can hear a reference about "the cats".

Yeah, every time I play Priv2 I always turn up my speakers to hear that part of the movie. Though, for some reason, I could never really make out all of what the hologram is talking about. Maybe it’s me or the computer I had at the time.

My only problem with Priv2 and WCU is that they called it Privateer 2. I agree with what LOAF was saying about the naming and think that they should of sticked with Privateer: The Darkening. When I first bought the game way back I was all excited and hipped up that I was gonna play a REAL sequel to one of my favorite, if not favorite games ever.


Regardless to all that, I still liked Priv2 for the atmosphere and overall feel of the universe, like LOAF said. The movie sequences too were really enjoyable to me. They always kept me interested in the plot and dedicated to figure out the core mystery.

 

[Bandit LOAF]

I've never been able to hear it on the English release -- but once you've seen it with the subtitles and know it's there, you can tell.

 

[Nemesis]

it is possible that the people who colonized that isolated portion of space named their government Confederation in homage to the one thye left behind. . .

Except that the game states the three systems “have co-existed peacefully for over two thousand years, each with its own rich variety of technological, religious and racial cultures”, which would seem to argue against the thesis (unless, perhaps, a year in the Tri-System is not equal to a year in the Terran Confederation).

All the same, I don’t see there would be anything unusual about the Tri-System choosing to describe itself as a “confederation”. The word is generic (not to mention pretty frequently used in the real world).

As for whether the references to “Confederation” and “confederation” in the game mean the Tri-System or the Terran Confederation, people can judge for themselves from the following “Public Records” in the game’s CCN booth system, specifically for certain planets within the Tri-System:

. . . Apart from the great shield of Janus IV, Athos has the largest outdoor enclosed area of all the worlds. Here they not only grow enough produce for themselves, but also export their more luxurious goods to the rest of the confederation.

Until Cerulean Gemstones were found on Corinthias it had little to offer. Until that point the planet had only produced low grade ores for the Tri-System market. Now, however, this planet is one of the Confederations [sic] most valued assets. The Government leases 5 year mining rights to companies. At the moment the lease revenues pay for 10% of all the Confederations [sic] expenditures, while the companies which have those rights are some of the most powerful and wealthy in the Tri-System.

. . . The vast quantities of free space on Desolia were seen as an advantage, and when the confederation decided to subsidise any companies moving to Desolia it became a haven of activity. It is now a hub of commerce with huge quantities of raw materials being brought to the planet, and equally large amounts of finished goods leaving for destinations around the confederation.

Destinas is the second main agricultural planet in the Tri-System. Destinas is primarily pastoral, catering for most of the Confederations [sic] meat markets. Most livestock on the planet is not indigenous, but imported and bred by the many farming corporations to supply the needs of the major planets. There is however indigenous wildlife on Destinas, which in most cases has now been domesticated. These animals, especially the Wald Wolf, provide some of the most succulent meats in the entire Confederation.

Massanas is best known for it’s [sic] lax gambling laws, night life and free availability of black market goods. The planet itself provides no unique purpose, other than being an entertainment centre for the Confederations [sic] more seedy and rich populace.

. . . In the last census there were 5,654 different mining operations at work on this hostile outpost, employing a work force of just over 1 million. The ores from Petra are exported all over the Confederation where they are refined for many different uses from building materials to fuels.

Terrel was one of the first planets to be declared a pro-habitable zone by the confederation. With levels of population climbing to unprecedented levels on most of the major planets, causing a decrease in farm land, it was realised that some of the smaller planets needed to be put aside for agricultural use. Terrel is one of two planets which supplies the vast majority of the Confederations [sic] food requirements. It is the home of some of the rarest indigenous flora in the system, as well as being the home of the Kaladones Rodents, the most sought after pets (and status symbols) in the Confederation.

In addition, the vehicle registry, also part of the booth system (but clearly just a small sampling), lists licenses that permit vehicles to travel within only one or two of the three systems, or otherwise “within all confederation space” (though sometimes limited to the “non-restricted space” therein).