Dreaming of Ep. 5

[Mjr. Whoopass]

I can't wait for Ep. 5! I thought I'd start this thread as an outlet for people to submit their hopes and fantasies about what it might be like.

Some people are saying they'd like it to be really tough. Some people are saying the game's already tough enough. I think both groups could be satisfied by having a mission (or maybe two) where there's an extra optional non-game critical nav point or perhaps optional mission that would be practically unwinnable. I say practically because maybe 1 or 2 pilots in the world could actually beat it on Nightmare. Who knows, maybe after that mission it might be nice to include an additional extra bonus mission that's even harder.. where only one or two in the world could beat it on Rookie level.

I'm talking about a mission or navpoint that would go down in infamy as the undisputed most difficult Wing Commander mission EVER out of the entire series.. perhaps much tougher than that famed one in the WC1 series... perhaps with computer busting numbers of fighters and capships so much so that most people's computers won't be able to handle it, so they'll have to skip the mission.

I'm not sure how this could be accomplished in the game engine, but I'm sure it could be figured out.. maybe you launch from the carrier and you get instructions that it's a lost cause and you are ordered to land or perhaps go to a separate navpoint with an easy mission.. but you can opt to disobey... when you disobey you can get comms that say you're crazy and are going to get slaughtered by impossible odds. Maybe you can get a second option to land that says either "on second thought I'm going to be reasonable and land" or the other option "I'm completely insane and must have a death wish!" or something like that so it's obvious to people playing through that they don't need to complete the mission.

Of course I have other dreams, but I guess this post is long enough as it is.

 

[Sharpshooter]

You know, SO2's last mission and some of UE's missions (on Ace/Hero/Nightmare) are already very, very difficult.

If you play UE on Nightmare, you may even get blown up in a scramble mission before you can even launch. No kidding.

 

[Eder]

Mr. Strategically Positioned Gothri did that in Standoff, too.

And as much as I like the idea of hearing what people would expect from Ep 5 (it's a neat thing and I don't think we've had a specific thread for this kind of thing in previous episodes), I feel the need to point out that any major suggestions aren't likely to be incorporated at this point - the episode had already been written before even Ep 4 was released.

(The main problem with that is that the voiceover lines are either already recorded or have already been sent to the actors... some actors have already delivered all of their lines quite a while ago, and some we aren't even able to contact anymore).

 

[Mace]

I Guess the standoff team has all missions defined already.

But I am expecting some segment in a mission, where you can opt to intercept some sort of strike force single-handedly(like in WC2 losing path), and be the dauntless hero once more...

But there is no thrakhath, jazz, or seether to take on in standoff.... The only character that would lend itself for a possible slugfest, leading the enemy into battle, and ejecting and surviving without conflicting any possible "canon" would be... the princess?

 

[Dundradal]

Mr. Strategically Positioned Gothri did that in Standoff, too.

God did I hate that SOB during Ep4 testing. First time I did that scramble I was shot down almost immediately. Also happened the second and third....I think I got it right on the fourth time.

 

[Mjr. Whoopass]

God did I hate that SOB during Ep4 testing. First time I did that scramble I was shot down almost immediately. Also happened the second and third....I think I got it right on the fourth time.

I remember getting nailed by one right as I left the carrier (I think it was in Ep. 4s losing path). Must be the one you guys are talking about. I learned a valuable lesson from that mission: hit afterburners ASAP in a scramble mission and you can adjust your guns, top cruising speed, missiles, selecting your target etc. as you beging to tail an enemy.

Given that the missions are already written, I'm not sure if this suggestion is too late. I remember some questions surrounding whether the game should push peoples computers to the limits or not. Historically, people have often adapted their computers to play Wing Commander, rather than Wing Commander adapting itself to their computers. There were several WC games which pushed current computer technology to its limits. I would encourage you folks to include a skippable or bypassable mission or two that really pushes specs.

 

[Dundradal]

I remember getting nailed by one right as I left the carrier (I think it was in Ep. 4s losing path). Must be the one you guys are talking about. I learned a valuable lesson from that mission: hit afterburners ASAP in a scramble mission and you can adjust your guns, top cruising speed, missiles, selecting your target etc. as you beging to tail an enemy.

This event happens in both the winning and losing paths although they can be different if you manage to save the capships (Waterloo and 2 Gilgameshes, the names are escaping me right now and if that is part of the winning/losing path) as their turrets can be put to good use nailing fighters. But the Gothri is there in both mission starts.

Given that the missions are already written, I'm not sure if this suggestion is too late. I remember some questions surrounding whether the game should push peoples computers to the limits or not. Historically, people have often adapted their computers to play Wing Commander, rather than Wing Commander adapting itself to their computers. There were several WC games which pushed current computer technology to its limits. I would encourage you folks to include a skippable or bypassable mission or two that really pushes specs.

I think what you are thinking of is either Quarto's or Eder's (I forget which) remark about how they've managed to push the limit for ships in SO. They thought that the engine could handle more than the player could.