Bob McDob
Better Health Through Less Flavor
So I was sitting at home tonight, reloading the FLServer program for the 3474th times as I tried to find the cause of the most recent Devastating Crash when I was struck by a Blinding Flash of the Obvious ... I can't do this alone. Even the entire Privateer: The Reckoning team can't handle it, because inevitably we'll be so close to the source that we won't be able to look into the most obvious things, or be able to reach our full potential. That's why professionals have beta testers.
Now, I'm not going to invite any of you to join our team and get paid minimum wage to sit in a chair for twelve hours a day watching our mod crash again and again, but it's almost as good! You get to help define the direction this project will make. Because, frankly, everyone else tried to kill themselves doing so.
I've always believed that the best games (except for the most abstract sort, like cards) are best when they capture the feel of their subject matter. It might seem obvious in retrospect, but a sports game should make you feel like you're Mohammed Beckam Jordan-Jordan. A wargame should give you the feel of being in command of the Spanish Armada, with the fate of millions in your hand. Twitch shooters like Tyrian and even board games like Monopoly should convey the singleminded focus of furball combat and the raw aphrodisiac power of being Donald Trump.
Well, I think it was Trump, anyway.
The point is, I want this mod to be as close to its roots as possible, to convey the feel of being part of a living, breathing universe that also happens to be the Wing Commander one. That's why I started this mod, I hoped to replace the fun but arbitrary and overall too game-ey feel of Freelancer with more, well, freedom. I want authentic ships, weapons and enemies, progression that feels realistic, not stilted. And I want it to be as simple as possible. Depth without complexity.
That's pretty damn ambitious. And I'm going to need help.
For starters, the ships. How many ships? Which ones? How much will they cost? How much cargo will they carry? Will they be tough? Weak? Should a merchant be flying a Hellcat in 2681?
Even more to the point, I want ideas on how to expand the game. Quite frankly, I'm bored of the game. This mod was started by a few people who thought Freelancer could gain its full potential by emulating its illustrious predessors. What could be added? The ability to fly courier missions, perhaps. More dynamic encounters, like capital ships. A few modders have added "Kill Battleship" random missions. It's a start. Collisions have been made more damaging. It's a good idea, but frankly not enticing when the auto-dock regularly smashes you into jump-gates. What about hiring wingmen?
There are a million things we can do with this, and frankly the opportunities are a bit overwhelming. I want to hear your thoughts.
Now, I'm not going to invite any of you to join our team and get paid minimum wage to sit in a chair for twelve hours a day watching our mod crash again and again, but it's almost as good! You get to help define the direction this project will make. Because, frankly, everyone else tried to kill themselves doing so.
I've always believed that the best games (except for the most abstract sort, like cards) are best when they capture the feel of their subject matter. It might seem obvious in retrospect, but a sports game should make you feel like you're Mohammed Beckam Jordan-Jordan. A wargame should give you the feel of being in command of the Spanish Armada, with the fate of millions in your hand. Twitch shooters like Tyrian and even board games like Monopoly should convey the singleminded focus of furball combat and the raw aphrodisiac power of being Donald Trump.
Well, I think it was Trump, anyway.
The point is, I want this mod to be as close to its roots as possible, to convey the feel of being part of a living, breathing universe that also happens to be the Wing Commander one. That's why I started this mod, I hoped to replace the fun but arbitrary and overall too game-ey feel of Freelancer with more, well, freedom. I want authentic ships, weapons and enemies, progression that feels realistic, not stilted. And I want it to be as simple as possible. Depth without complexity.
That's pretty damn ambitious. And I'm going to need help.
For starters, the ships. How many ships? Which ones? How much will they cost? How much cargo will they carry? Will they be tough? Weak? Should a merchant be flying a Hellcat in 2681?
Even more to the point, I want ideas on how to expand the game. Quite frankly, I'm bored of the game. This mod was started by a few people who thought Freelancer could gain its full potential by emulating its illustrious predessors. What could be added? The ability to fly courier missions, perhaps. More dynamic encounters, like capital ships. A few modders have added "Kill Battleship" random missions. It's a start. Collisions have been made more damaging. It's a good idea, but frankly not enticing when the auto-dock regularly smashes you into jump-gates. What about hiring wingmen?
There are a million things we can do with this, and frankly the opportunities are a bit overwhelming. I want to hear your thoughts.