General question here. . . what do you people want, in general, in a plug? What part of a plug or TC do you think is most important? Graphics, ships & outfits, missions, plot?

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Because it's there,
MotherF----r

I think atmosphere is most important aspect of a plug. Which is, unfortunately, also to say, I think it's all important. I like plugs that have an immersive and fully realized environment to explore. That means a fair number of systems. Also, all the trapping that go into making govts believable: a visual style, enough outfits to seem like they are self-sufficient, enough ships so that there appears to be an active economy. Also, players should be able to interact with the visbit system in a casual way, without having to think about the way in which the plot line is divided up into missions. And finally, I like being able to explore. If new things keep on appearing while I play the plug-in, I am a happy player. I like discovering new govts or systems, changing the map, and earning new ships and weapons. This is why I like plugs that give the player an active role is his/her own fate, and dont force the player on a pre-planned story line. I like plugs to seem like a whole self-contained little world. Not a realistic world, nessesarily, but at least a completely concieved abstract world.

Those are my tastes, but my guess is that you'll get a whole variety of answers.

Oh, and welcome back. I still use your Annotated Addition of the EVO Bible, but I think your web site is the only place to down-load it, so it's fallen out of use since you left.

Bubbles

No, the escape-velocity.com archives now have a copy as well. It's nice to know someone uses it besides me.

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Because it's there,
MotherF----r

General question here. . . what do you people want, in general, in a plug? What part of a plug or TC do you think is most important? Graphics, ships & outfits, missions, plot?

Most important: Missions and plot

Least important: Graphics

Other important aspects are a consistent "feel" to the plug, that is governmennts, planets, technology, plot, should all fit together in some sort of internally logical way (unless ofcourse the object is to have an illogical world ), not necessarily logical in real-world terms. Having a good background story or history is also helpful. In a CR a large galaxy to explore is a plus, though a heavily mission-oriented plug can get by with a smaller one. In general, I think a plug should be as 'open' as possible, allowing a player to explore and try different things rather than force him along a single story line - yeah, I know, it's difficult to pull off, nobody said quality is easy.And of course, last but by no means least, a little humor is never out of place.

I'm gonna miss the Lord of Lemmings, but I am glad you are back.

Least important: Graphics

Honestly now. If you downloaded a plug-in that completely re-wrote the EV/EVO universe, and it used the same graphics, would you like it as much as one that had new graphics, ships that look different?

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He who is still trying to work his way out of junior membership,
Zacha K
(url="http://"http://users.aol.com/zachakplug/sigdir/index.html")The Zacha K Space(/url)
(url="http://"mailto:ZachaKPlug@aol.com")mailto:ZachaKPlug@aol.com(/url)ZachaKPlug@aol.com

Least important: Graphics

Honestly now. If you downloaded a plug-in that completely re-wrote
the EV/EVO universe, and it used the same graphics, would you like it >as much as one that had new graphics, ships that look different?

ALL OTHER THINGS BEING EQUAL, no, I would prefer a plug that gave me something new to look at. BUT I would much rather have a well-designed plug with an interesting storyline and plot and challenging missions than a bunch of garbage that was just thrown together to show off some cool ships. Good graphics can enhance a well-made plug, but if the rest of the plug is crap, graphics will only make it crap with pretty pictures, they won't make it a good plug.

In short, graphics are the least important part of a plug. Everyone has his own opinion, that is mine.

Quite frankly, a good plug will have the following:

1. At least one complex, believable, challenging and interesting storyline that has been 'missionalized' into manageable parts.
2. A large explorable universe where the very nature of the universe and everything it contains reflect the government and culture of the inhabitants. This is dome through judicious use of gövt's, ship and outfit graphics, descriptions of planets as well as outfits and ships, plus a smattering of other necessary components.
3. A visually stimulating interface which depends heavily on excellent graphics of all sorts.

As you can see, creating an excellent plugin is enormously difficult. I'm one of a few people working on a plug called NOVA which has been in production for over 18 months. We have replaced everything, we have more planets and systems than anything ever, we have six complex, mutually exclusive storylines as well as a few common sets of mďsn's. We're still not finished. We're all really sick of it, but we're nearly there...

Sorry, got all commercial there for a moment...

More about the most important parts of plugs...

Another important thing to have in plug-ins is a branching plot. FH had lots of sub-plots that eventually worked up to the final missions, but, to the best of my knowledge, the player is guided through the entire plug.
(Such as making the "Type 12" fighter the only ship that can be used for the strings, having to have the fighter to blow up the black hole (oops!), not being able to take a side in the Magellan/Rigellian war, etc.)

I do agree, though, that even the best graphics won't make a awful plug-in any better. Now put together a new storyline, new universe, braching missions, new ships, unusual tactics (such as multiple ports on a planet), and awesome graphics, and you have a champion plug-in.

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He who is still trying to work his way out of junior membership,
Zacha K
(url="http://"http://users.aol.com/zachakplug/sigdir/index.html")The Zacha K Space(/url)
(url="http://"mailto:ZachaKPlug@aol.com")mailto:ZachaKPlug@aol.com(/url)ZachaKPlug@aol.com

Well, in my plug there will be brand spanking new graphics, 3 main govs, mediumish galaxy, and the plot will open and close. (Explanation of plot opening closing thing) in the beginning you'll be stuck in a tight spot and have to follow a single string of missions; then, once you finish them, the plot will open up and you'll have a sort of "free-time" where you run around doing whatever missions you want or trading to rack up money and new ships and upgrades etc., to prepare before you go back to war where the missions narrow down, and you have to follow them, and if you're succesful, humans will prosper and spread across the galaxy and once again you can run around doing missions to help spread humans or make a killing some new trade routes as new colonies are desperate for certain materials. And for a little fun combat at the end I might add a sort of combat simulator, except it's real automated ships that you pay to fight against, and they will kill you.

-Shade

Quote

Originally posted by Bubbles:
**I think atmosphere is most important aspect of a plug. Which is, unfortunately, also to say, I think it's all important. I like plugs that have an immersive and fully realized environment to explore. That means a fair number of systems. Also, all the trapping that go into making govts believable: a visual style, enough outfits to seem like they are self-sufficient, enough ships so that there appears to be an active economy. Also, players should be able to interact with the visbit system in a casual way, without having to think about the way in which the plot line is divided up into missions. And finally, I like being able to explore. If new things keep on appearing while I play the plug-in, I am a happy player. I like discovering new govts or systems, changing the map, and earning new ships and weapons. This is why I like plugs that give the player an active role is his/her own fate, and dont force the player on a pre-planned story line. I like plugs to seem like a whole self-contained little world. Not a realistic world, nessesarily, but at least a completely concieved abstract world.

Those are my tastes, but my guess is that you'll get a whole variety of answers.

Oh, and welcome back. I still use your Annotated Addition of the EVO Bible, but I think your web site is the only place to down-load it, so it's fallen out of use since you left.

Bubbles**

Sorry to ressurrect this topic, but I was just reading it and I stumbled across this.

Bubbles, I have one word to say - Discovery.

Everything you have said there will be in Discovery, plus more. Trust me. I think Discovery may be a ****ing big file, but it will be worth it. Hopefully we won't cop out before it's finished. We (by we I mean me and the other 9 or so members working on Discovery) have gotton far enought to actualy be enjoying it. Other than a few jealous feuds from the board and inside the team everything is running smoothly. Hopefully the plug will be as good as I want it to be, and as good as what you have described up there of your faviroute parts of a plug. Some people will hate Discovery, as it is a bit slow to start with -- many uninhabited systems, and some of the earlier missions are to do with exploring and trying to find places to colonise and alien races to meet. You will always meet/find the same things, BUT it is in which order you find things which willl change the whole plot.
~Gav

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You don't like me saying ######? ###### you.

quotes...

'Pissy drunk throwing up in the urinal.'
'YOU ######IN HOMO!-that's what I said at my dads funeral'

'I just throw up a middle finger and let it linger longer than the rumor that I was stickin it to Christina, cuz if I ever stuck it to any singer in show biz, it'd be Genifer Lopez, and Puffy you know this. I'm sorry Puff, but I don't give a ###### if this chick was my own mother, I'd still ###### her with no rubber and cum inside her and have a son and a neew brother at the same time, and just say it ain't mine.
-Eminem

piSt

Grow up Gavin. That sig file isn't big, and it isn't funny. It just makes us all think what a mixed up little boy you are.

Quote

Originally posted by name_withheld:
Grow up Gavin. That sig file isn't big, and it isn't funny. It just makes us all think what a mixed up little boy you are.

Oooo! Ye have incured the wrath of Gavin and his minions!!!

I think. Not being Gavin, I'm not sure, but I probably expect as much.

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Marge: Pointing to Circuit board in Robots opened head
See Homer, that's why your robot didn't work!

(url="http://"http://www.AmbrosiaSW.com/cgi-bin/ubb/newsdisplay.cgi?action=topics&number;=20&forum;=*EV/EVO+chronicles&DaysPrune;=25&article;=000024&startpoint;=")The Tides of War(/url)

Does Gavin have minions? Not unless it's a new name for Tourette's Syndrome.