!!WARNING: IF YOU HAVE A SHORT ATTENTION SPAN, IGNORE THIS POST!!
Okay, I'll play this. (These mostly deals with TCs):
THE RIGHT STUFF
An interesting trend: Did you know(math not exact) that there are about ten or more times as many "TCs in development" than are actually publicly available?
You probably did, and you may even be one of the "developers"(as am I). At some point, everyone, it seems, believes they can do it. It's kind of like when people sing in the shower. You sound good in that shower, but when you see the look on everyones face when you sing at a party, you kinda get a gist for the truth. Well, it's the same for TCs. It takes an unusually high amount of time, resources, trail and error, and above all, commitment to make a "ROTV" or a "Frozen Heart". They don't just fall in your lap. It's a lot of work, and let's face it, most people can't wing it(otherwise, we'd be swamped with 'em).
That said, in my addition to this thread, I will attempt to avail many TC myths and from both a players and developers erspective, give my take on what it takes.
- Don't Go There...
Always remember something that a lot of people seem to forget. Not everyone can make a " TC ".
As stated above, if you're not ready to fully commit to the process, the end result will either not exist or monumentously suck. And players have little tolerance for such teasing, which is rampant. If you say you'll do it, you must do it, and do it right.
I know some people download and play "Frozen Heart", "ROTV", or many of the "few" other good TCs and say "Wow, I could do that." That's fine. It's called envy, and it has generated enough vaporware to swim in. There's nothing wrong with it. But know your limits.
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Time is of the Essence
It is also pain in the ass when developing plugs. Before you set about doing something like a TC, you have to know "your" time. Plan far, far in advance. Respect the clock. In other words, don't plan on making a TC in a weekend, as many others have failed to do. You must remember that what you are essentially doing is making a new game , and that something like that takes alot of time.
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Be There
One thing players can't stand is someone who comes around yelling "TC of the Year", get peoples mouths watering, then vanishes into thin air. If you believe that you have to announce a year and a half ahead of time that you're making a killer plug, then have the decency to keep people informed about it. A simple website with a progress report usually does the trick.
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Ask the Wise Ones
Don't ever be afraid(or too arrogant) to ask someone else who has already done a successful TC to give you some helpful advice. They've gone through whatever you're going through in making their masterpiece, and are the next best thing to an encyclopedia on the subject for TC making advice.
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Be Sure of Your Goals
In other words, make sure that a TC is what you really want to make. Not every new plug idea has to be a TC. And the definition therein is relative to what you want your plug to be. There are basically three types of TCs:
1. A Storyline Conversion - Or "Missions" plug is often the only thing needed to bring certain TCs to a successful finish. Simply changing the entire set of missions related to EV/O is conversion enough. Consider "ROTV/II". Include a smattering of new ships, outfits, systems etc., and call it a plug. This, of course, doesn't mean just slapping together some words; be sure that it's a "good" story.
2. An Expansion Conversion - These are plugs that simply introduce new elements into the EV/O universe, as well as alter the storyline. If it's just an addendum you're after, then it's no TC. However, if you feature your new race, or faction, or other in a way that fundementally changes everything in the game, and do it well, then it works out as a totally new and fresh idea.
3. A Total Conversion - In all actuallity, most people don't actually mean TC when they say they are making a TC. They mean that they're changing something in the game, but it is still the EV/O universe. However, some do truly have original ideas which call for all new everything. Basically a new game, that sits atop a EV platform. "Frozen Heart" is probably the most well known of these, as there are few.
If the idea you had isn't one of the above, then you're not making any kind of TC, and should skip this post.
- Announce Wisely
Far to many times a week or so, I see people saying "ATTN: My First TC", which would be okay if they had even the slightest evidence of this. Many of these people don't even have a set name for said plug-in. What am I getting at, you say? Basically, don't announce a "TC" as soon as the idea pops into your head. Especially if you're new to the process. At this time, there are perhaps dozens or even hundreds of such announcements, many of them now defunct.
If you're making a big plug, start making it and feel your way around it. See if you have the patience, time, and resources. Get all the software you need. Start writing a couple of mission plugs for you to play by yourself, and even send them to others to test the idea. Do a ship. Do an outfit. Do some missions. Do a website. Most important of all, before you annouce a TC, DO SOMETHING, or else you're just blowing air.
- Take Critism Like a Man(or Woman)
If you been around for awhile, you've probably seen the usually skeptical view members of this board have of so-called TCs. They spend half the time telling you or someone else how many TCs they've seen go vaporware. So you're thinking "Those idiots, they don't know anything." But realistically, you know their often cynical view has alot of merit. They hear "New TC", then they wait.........
...and wait, and wait, and wait. Eventually, that waiting wears down the sense of optimism they had when they were just newbies. They've swam in the vaporware, know what it tastes like, and it's a bitter taste. So don't be suprised if they take out that frustration on you. They may not mean well, but their point is valid. Why should they expect anything grand from you, when 9 out of 10 new TCs flop. Take the good criticism with bad, swallow it, and go on making a quality plug.
- Network Very Wisely
Very, very wisely. One of the biggest killers of TCs-in-progress is a bad development-team. It's an unfortunate fact of life that when dealing with other people, you have to deal with their schedule, and work, and attitudes, and even seperate plugs. It's also an unfortunate fact that many TCs need teams of people to complete them. You may have artistic and literary talent but lack musical talent. Music guy may have a thing for notes, but not the slightest clue how to edit EV/O's interface. Many people realise too late that in order to make a truly good plug, beta testers will also have to be adde to that team.
The best advice I can give is to avoid teams when you can, and just concentrate on testers. But if you can't avoid it, consider outsourcing some of the work to a non-affiliated party. Sound complicated? Well it's not. For instance, if you desperately need ships, but don't hav an artistic bone in your body, try contacting someone who isn't busy and would be willing to do some ships for you. Get someone else to do the rest. Get another person to dothe same ships just in case the one person gets sick, or run over by a car, or (more likely)too busy with teir own plug.
By limiting the number of people who are actually in control, to some extent, of the TCs development, you retain more control yourself and increase your ability to start over from scatch. By that same token, by increasing the number of people you outsource to, you increase the likelyhood that you'll get something out of them.
As for beta-testers, just make sure you get people you can trust. Make them give you reports, not just on bugs, but on gameplay as well. Make them accountable. And remember, testers are important. But not so much that they should trump your plug making process. You're not just making some mission plug, you're creating a Total Conversion. If your testers suck, fire them and get new ones.
Oh and one more thing regarding testers. Mix and match. Don't put all of your eggs in one basket. You should split your tester pool into two distinct groups:
() Those You Can Trust - This means people such as family members, classmates, co-workers, and other game enthusiasts you know. The Pro is that you can more easily keep track of these people, thus making them more accountable. The Con is that many of them probably don't know as much about EV/O as you do.
() Those Who Know - This includes people from this webboard, as well as others on the net and elsewhere who regularly play EV/O. The Pro is that many of these people know the quirks of the engine and can thus be more helpful in analyzing bugs. The obvious Con is that they're less accessible and therefore far less accountable than those closer to you.
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Well, I have many more where that came from, but I will digress so that others who know more about TCs can comment. (To Be Continued...)
