Good news-I have completed my first dratf of the storyline. I'll be doing the finishing touches for about a week.

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The Oracular Net would like to know your favorite color

Due to revelations about the nature of teleporters in Marathon, they will have a decreased role in normal battle. Only special ships and Assault Carriers will have them.

This means that special weapons will be handed out. The Jjaro get SICK ones > :D.
Ones that open cans of whup-arse on you like bad a bar fight with sixty pro boxers.
Okay, only one of them is sick. Every Jjaro ship that doesn't get that one gets a cloaking device, except the Foldship, which is sick enough with near-unlimited reinforcements.

What do you mean that's not fair? THAT'S THE IDEA. NOBODY make the Jjaro fight fair, except themselves. Think "sporting". They're enjoying themeselves too much to bring ALL their best ships just immediatly. Notice the "immediatly" part. Make them nervious, and they'll squish you like a BUG.

Sick, sick, Jjaro weapons on the way. BTW, I've come up with some really kewl ways to do beams for this. Also, some kewl ways to do radiation in purty colors.

Special ultra-sick Jjaro special ships on the way.

Special funky Nar special weapons on the way.

Super-funky Nebulons on the way.

ULTRA funky net levels on the way. Think "pain", "frustration", and "pfhear".

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Formerly-Rampant Human-Coded AI

I saw an interesting thing while rebalencing the Jjaro.
To do balencing, I have set up a level with 2 computer players, with equal values of different Jjaro ships. If they both win about the same, they're balenced.
I observe from a neutral vantage point, on a ship they don't attack.

The first time I ran the level, side A won with no casualties.
The second time I ran the level, side B won with no casualties.

Wierd. Or maybe it's a testimony to the fact that Jjaro weapons <vulgar coloquisim deleted> other people.

I can't wait to pit them against the Nar.
Will the Nar get ANY kills ;)?

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Formerly-Rampant Human-Coded AI

I've rebalenced the Jjaro, and I think I did the Nar, but I can't exactly remeber

I'd rather be doing the Nebulons, anyway.

BTW, the sickest final level in history is coming your way. Prepare for undrempt of horrors ;).

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Formerly-Rampant Human-Coded AI

Well, after a chat on GR, Sargatanus and I cleared up a fuzzy part on his storyline. Now we've got a little quest that drops you in the middle of Pfhor space and makes you fight the Jjaro on their home ground

I want to get Snapz Pro to work (just DLed), so I can show you a clip of 2 Defenders vs. an Escort, plus some UESG. Maybe it'll be up later today, along with Darkk's Nar and Jjaro.

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What others can travel so far into so many universes yet remain so deeply rooted in their own?

Quote

Originally posted by Pallas Athene:
**Well, after a chat on GR, Sargatanus and I cleared up a fuzzy part on his storyline. Now we've got a little quest that drops you in the middle of Pfhor space and makes you fight the Jjaro on their home ground;)
**

That last part is what's known as "screwing the player to the maximum extent possible."
Just be glad they won't have enought EMR ships to put one on you. Instagib. BANG. Plus they TOTALLY f*** your controls so they don't miss.

Quote

Originally posted by Pallas Athene:
**I want to get Snapz Pro to work (just DLed), so I can show you a clip of 2 Defenders vs. an Escort, plus some UESG. Maybe it'll be up later today, along with Darkk's Nar and Jjaro.
**

Great, thanks. Think you could get around to posting the redone Foldship, and seeing if you can do something with the Nar?
BTW, the links on your movies don't work.
I'll try to get you some movies of the Nar, the Jjaro, and maybe the Nebulons.

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Formerly-Rampant Human-Coded AI

They don't work because the movies themselves aren't uploaded yet.

I'll get the redone Foldship when I finish uploading the movies.

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What others can travel so far into so many universes yet remain so deeply rooted in their own?

The UESG vs. Jjaro movie is up - take a look at the frame right after the one you see in the preview pic.

I haven't gotten anything else up, or even done.

If we can finish the Races soon, we'll have net levels!
Lucky 7, Conv^rgence, Fringe, Core, To the Death, Purity of Essence, Tactician's Delight, KAAA-RUNCH, AIWars*, Fatum Istum Soltarum, Double Team**

*Used to be "Durandal vs. Tycho"

**Double Team:
Each player gets 2 planets, 1 each of his races in the following possible teams:
Nar/Neb
UESG/S'pht'Kr
Pfhor/Jjaro
14 UnCol planets

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What others can travel so far into so many universes yet remain so deeply rooted in their own?

I'll help with beta, etc., between schoolwork...

Looks like its coming along well- sorry I couldn't help.

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Subcommander g'Var "8 Lightnings" Krai'un

Second in command of the Escort Starbeam.
“Imagine if you will, you’re standing on a grade of finely processed salt in a salt factory. Now, there is a very large rusty blade flying towards you at a very high speed. Imagine now, the feeling you will have as you fall into that salt after you are run through with that blade.” -Marathon Infinity, Terminal 0, Page 2, You Think You’re Big Time, You’re Gonna Die Big Time, Vidmaster’s Challenge Edition.

Well, I decided to, and I did. And now we have the 5 Combat Ships for the Pfhor.
I'll hook up the Colonizer and rerender the Assault Carrier, get Darkk the pics he needs.

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What others can travel so far into so many universes yet remain so deeply rooted in their own?

The Assault Carrier is rerendered, the Colonizer implemented.

The more important thing: I've been hacking out a new interface - move lots of buttons, resize things... I'll get a pic up in a while.

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What others can travel so far into so many universes yet remain so deeply rooted in their own?

Speaking of pics, I put a couple new movies (and thumbnails) in the root directory.
Sarg informed me the Jjaro DO need a Habitat ship, and it will come soon.
It's going to be holy-crud big

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Formerly-Rampant Human-Coded AI

1. We still need a plausible name for the Pfhor Homeworld.
2. We'll need a galaxy map. Note: due to interface changes, the map will be 496x361.
3. Darkk: how far are you planning on going with the Vylae? Full race?
4. I need to reconfigure the Net levels screen, so far I've gotten the:
- -Main Screen
- -Level Selection Screen
- -Sound Options
- -Key Selection (all)
- -Mission Briefing
5. We can actually start programming multiplayer levels now. I'll take Fringe, Core, Lucky7, Conv^rgence, To the Death, and Double Team, and you get whatever you want for the time being. I do need to send you the finished planets, though.
6. Sarg: ETA on finished storyline?

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What others can travel so far into so many universes yet remain so deeply rooted in their own?

Well, the storyline is more or less mapped out. However, it's going to take me a while to break it up into missions and write them up. Say, a week?

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The Oracular Net would like to know your favorite color

Hmm. I'd prefer to do a few Vylae ships (sorta like the Eleejeetians/Obish in regular Ares), just enough for them to help you some, and allow Leela a role in the plot.

(Please include Leela, Sarg. She's my 2nd favorite AI of all time!)

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Formerly-Rampant Human-Coded AI

I finally did the dang habitat ship (hit some bugs with the glass/acrylic shell).
(url="http://"http://marathon.invasion.tripod.com/JHS1.jpg")http://marathon.inva...od.com/JHS1.jpg(/url)
(url="http://"http://marathon.invasion.tripod.com/JHS2.jpg")http://marathon.inva...od.com/JHS2.jpg(/url)

żTe gusta mi dibujo?

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Formerly-Rampant Human-Coded AI

Well, I've got another multiplayer level I intend on trying. There's a movie previewing what it will be like when done. And both of you should (trans: better ) recognize it. I'll have to upload it from school, because my home computer isn't fast enough to send it. And it'll be up in .sit since I can't send it otherwise.

Now that I think of it, Durandal ranks last among my AI preferences. L, T, D.

Now of course, when we've finished M:Inv, we still have a couple thousand years of stories to do if we ever want to continue. So we might eventually add the Vylae as a full race.

żTe gusta mi dibujo? - I'm going to assume that means "You like my ship?" However, from my knowledge of French, I'd think there's a second pronoun when addressing multiple people in the second person.

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What others can travel so far into so many universes yet remain so deeply rooted in their own?

Quote

Originally posted by Pallas Athene:
**żTe gusta mi dibujo? - I'm going to assume that means "You like my ship?" However, from my knowledge of French, I'd think there's a second pronoun when addressing multiple people in the second person.
**

The best translation I could think of is "Does my drawing please you?"
I would have said ship, but I couldn't find the word.
Now that I think about it, I should have said "żLes gusta mi dibujo?", as there's more than one of you. I could also have said "żOs gusta mi dibujo?", as we're all friends here, but that only works in Spain.

Oh, and you never actually did say if you liked the ship or not.

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Formerly-Rampant Human-Coded AI

I did the Briefing Pics for the Pfhor; I'll replace the ones on the site as soon as I get the UESG and S'pht'Kr done I'll have to do the Nebs too)
Darkk: Don't get started on yours until I give you all the information.

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What others can travel so far into so many universes yet remain so deeply rooted in their own?

Breifing pics?
Sure, no problem.

Update - Habitat ship render finished. Here's the renderer data (total frames: 36):

Time For Parse/Frame: 0 hours 0 minutes 8.1 seconds (8 seconds)
Time For Parse Total: 0 hours 4 minutes 51.0 seconds (291 seconds)
Time For Trace/Frame: 0 hours 37 minutes 58.5 seconds (2278 seconds)
Time For Trace Total: 22 hours 47 minutes 6.0 seconds (82026 seconds)
Total Time: 22 hours 51 minutes 57.0 seconds (82317 seconds)

Lesson: irreducable objects with media, relfection, and refraction HURT you in the render times. Avoid unless necisary. The whole "3k primatives", all of which are reflective or media, thing didn't help matters.

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Formerly-Rampant Human-Coded AI