Is this possible?

Disclaimer - I'm a Windows user who is struggling to properly operate ResEdit/NovaTools in the Basillisk II Mac emulator. I'm working on getting it right, (it's frustrating as hell), so I can't just do it myself at the moment. Anyway, it's just an idea...

I'm wondering about the possibility of making a "Shipwright" plug-in for Nova.One that would allow the player, (within certain limitations), to make their own ship in-game. The basic idea would be to take a few existing ship types, (let's say, like a Mod Starbridge), and create a new ship using the old graphics. The new ship would basically be useless on it's own. It would have no speed, acceleration, shields, armor, etc. All it would have is it's total mass, and "free mass". (And, maybe default crew size, strength). Available at the Shipwright station would be outfits that could be purchased only for these specific "new" ships. (Somewhat similar to the starbridge upgrade). There would be several outfit types, with each type having different levels of functionality, and varying mass and cost factors. For example, the "engine type" outfits would allow the player to choose from 5 different engines, with varying degrees of effectiveness for the speed, acceleration, and turning stats. The "highest" end engine would perform the best, but would also cost the most, and would take up more space than the "lesser" quality engines. Similar outfits types would exist for the rest of the ship's stats, allowing the player to tailor the ship to their own style/prefrences. (Might also depend on what storyline they are in/what other outfits are available to them). Obviously, there would be a ton more work invoved as well, this is just a beginning thought.

Yeah, I know that I shouldn't be thinking about a plug this complex until I can at least learn operate the damn emulator. Just wondering if it's a feasible idea, and if someone else is already working on it.

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Hmmm...
You could make outf and weaps specific to certain ships, using require fields.

Should work, but even I have more life than the little required to do this.
To do it for even one ship (complete with graphics and descs) would take a very long time.

But, best of luck, and if you do it, I'd be glad to beta test it for you.

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Yes, this idea would work. It's a lot of work, but it is feasible.

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(url="http://"http://www.mazca.com/")Mazca(/url) , Moderator, (url="http://"http://www.AmbrosiaSW.com/cgi-bin/ubb/forumdisplay.cgi?action=topics&number;=9&SUBMIT;=Go&urgaylol;=yes")EV Developer's Corner(/url)
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Originally posted by Mazca:
**Yes, this idea would work. It's a lot of work, but it is feasible.

**

Actually, it sounds a totally cool idea and not too much work at all.

The trick would be to create a base ship that had no features whatsoever. In principle all EVN ships have the ability to hyperdrive, even if you give them no fuel. However, you could avoid this by giving them a standard outfit that increased the distance before jump to beyond the wrap threshold of EVN (someone has a figure for that somewhere - I think it may 32767). That would effectively create a system ship. The ncbs on your hyper engines would remove that outfit while also setting the jumping distance of the ship and maybe the fast jump, number of days improvement etc. As a default, of course, you would give the ship no acceleration, a top speed of zero and no maveuvering - all these would be added by your choice of engine.

As for the rest, there's no reason why you shouldn't have a ship with no armour and weapons (heck - a shuttle). You could also give the ship fantastic turning as a default which would then reduce as you added stuff to it, by making two of the parameters per outfit a reduction in acceleration and turning based on the mass of what you were adding.

To accomplish it, you would only need to render some pics for your engine stuff, as all the rest more or less exists in the game already.

I suppose the real question is - how are you going to use this in a story that makes it interesting? It's all very well to have the ability to make your own ship, but there would have to be some rationale behind it, and some kind of huge caché in going to the shipwrite who could put it together for you. You would have to assume that building a ship on this basis would cost a lot more than buying a pre-built ship.

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Yep, that's certainly the next logical question. Maybe it would be the ultimate prize of a very involved minor storyline, which could be completed regardless of which major storyline path the player chooses. (By minor, I don't mean short, just to have it not interfere with other stories).The details of such a story... do not yet exist. Maybe link it to the mysterious nature of the Kestrel. Though, maybe that's just too obvious. I'll have to think more on this aspect.

The other questions I'm thinking of relate to how much this feature would affect the balance of the game. The ships would have to be pretty damn good for the player to want to pay the enormous price, yet not too good that the game loses it's fun. Also, why would the player pay for a custom Valk if it is inferior to the PVCIV?

Now that a Win editor is on the way, maybe I'll get to take a crack at this in the near future.

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Has anyone considered making the "stock" ships come with some lower end upgrades already on them? I considered doing the exact same thing with just the engines and was planning on changing all the ships in the game to have one engine or another already on them when purchased, then you would be able to upgrade (or downgrade) from there.

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Quote

Originally posted by johnnywilson:
**Has anyone considered making the "stock" ships come with some lower end upgrades already on them? I considered doing the exact same thing with just the engines and was planning on changing all the ships in the game to have one engine or another already on them when purchased, then you would be able to upgrade (or downgrade) from there.

**

Welcome to the boards

Do it when you can, scape, as I'll help beta test.

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T the Omnipotent went where no mortal had gone before. Now he comes back to make sure none do again.
(url="http://"http://forums.tildesoft.com/")Oblivion:(/url) An upcoming TC for EV: Nova
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-reg

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(This message has been edited by Regulus (edited 10-04-2003).)

I think (url="http://"http://www.geocities.com/hubuki_kai/main.html")Sephil Saga(/url) will implement such a system to some extent.

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Cool idea. You just gave me something to do since I had nothing to do (that's really rare).
I think I'm just gonna make it so that you buy an empty hull for only 5000 credits or something, and that you can decide what you want on it.

Oh yeah,

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The ncbs on your hyper engines...

What are ncbs?

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You can run but then you die tired

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Originally posted by The Vortrex:
**
What are ncbs?

**

Nova Control Bits. They can be used for just about anything!

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Oh, thanks. Sorry for going off topic

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Originally posted by Engla:
**I think Sephil Saga will implement such a system to some extent.

**

Actually, our whole set of ships is built around this concept. We have the basic ships- "frames"- that can't do anything (actually, they have negative stats depending on type and weight). You add in all the various components- engines for accel, Velocity shields for speed, Combat shields for normal shielding, Reactor(s) to power everything, turn jets, blah blah blah and poof, you have a fully functioning ship. It's a balancing game, though, as everything has weight (which decreases acceleration), most require power (fuel drain), and externally-mounted things will slow you down (due to the effects of the solar wind).

To make a long answer short, yes, it can be done, yes, it works great (although it takes 3 ships to get everything straight, and 2 ships for each variant), and yes, it's been/being done!

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~Charlie
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Originally posted by Martin Turner:
**

I suppose the real question is - how are you going to use this in a story that makes it interesting? It's all very well to have the ability to make your own ship, but there would have to be some rationale behind it, and some kind of huge caché in going to the shipwrite who could put it together for you. You would have to assume that building a ship on this basis would cost a lot more than buying a pre-built ship.

**

Exactly. The actual technical implementation wouldn't be all that difficult if planned out on paper ahead of time- the trick would be to somehow use this in a story/premise that would be engrossing for the player. The idea itself is cool by itself- but rarely is one cool idea enough to carry a plug-in. You need to have some logical reason for this to be happening.. maybe a slow progression of a pilot who is training and building up his creakity old sandhopper one day to rebel against or fight some formidable alien foe? Sort of a throw back to the old EV days, maybe?

I think that would be cool.

_bomb

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Originally posted by johnnywilson:
**Has anyone considered making the "stock" ships come with some lower end upgrades already on them?
**

Yes, I even used "Stock Ships" name for a plug I tried making. Then I decided it would take longer than I had (I was doing all the ships, with some 4-5 engines each, and other stuff) and stopped. I also realised graphics would be difficult...

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