I'm working on The Silent Runis of Earth at the moment (aka the "incomplete plug"). A lot of what I'm doing is mission descs, and I was getting into it a little bit. Anyway, I was getting to the point where it almost became novel-like writing, and I'm wondering if this is too excessive for EVO. Here's a sample from the first mission for the Pleiades Union:

_This bar isn't much different that most of the others in this sector: the whole place reeks of the desperation and hopelesness that seems to have swallowed everything here. Over in the corner, there are a few Union officers arguing. They walk over and sit at the table next to you. As you slowly finish your drink, you can't help but overhear some shreads of thier conversation. "...it was pitiful... ...destroyed. Every single one... ...proably 150 taken... ...escaped... ...no patrols... ...police still trying..." One of them looks at you. His face had been worn by the stress and hopelesness of his job, and he appears to be much older than he could be. You then realize how much you must stand out here. Everyone here is like that. Except for the pirates and slavers, with that unmistakable sparkle in thier eyes one only gets when he knows that there's little the people here can do to stop him. The only people who look decent and yet young and viligant are travelers like you, who are becoming increasingly rare in these parts.

From the look in the officers eyes, you can tell he desperatly wants you to help him. He doesn't even have to say anything. Do you approach him?_

I think this is good, and it sets the right feel for this region of space (which I'm not sure I could do as well in a shorter Desc), but is this too much for EVO?

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Cuz I'm a 21st Century Digital Boy
I don't know the Monty Python but I've got a lotta toys
My daddy is a Renegade, his name is Hellcat Helian
Wait a second...

It won't fit in the given space, but if you know how to modify the text box (has been done in EV:Nova, so maybe you'll want to wait til it comes out to make your plug), you can increase the amount of size given for descriptions. However, you may create space problems for the other interface options on the planets, bars, etc.

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-A wise person is one who recognizes that he or she knows nothing.
-Those who sit and listen often learn more than the ones who are talking.

Quote

Originally posted by 21st Century Digital Boy:
**
This bar isn't much different that most of the others in this sector: the whole place reeks of the desperation and hopelesness that seems to have swallowed everything here. Over in the corner, there are a few Union officers arguing. They walk over and sit at the table next to you. As you slowly finish your drink, you can't help but overhear some shreads of thier conversation. "...it was pitiful... ...destroyed. Every single one... ...proably 150 taken... ...escaped... ...no patrols... ...police still trying..." One of them looks at you. His face had been worn by the stress and hopelesness of his job, and he appears to be much older than he could be. You then realize how much you must stand out here. Everyone here is like that. Except for the pirates and slavers, with that unmistakable sparkle in thier eyes one only gets when he knows that there's little the people here can do to stop him. The only people who look decent and yet young and viligant are travelers like you, who are becoming increasingly rare in these parts.

From the look in the officers eyes, you can tell he desperatly wants you to help him. He doesn't even have to say anything. Do you approach him?

**

By removing the unitalics part, it might be able to fit. You might be able to include that part in the bar where the mission starts. Remember, if you go too long on the text, the last part will be cut off and the player will be left confused. What I did to fing the maxium lenght in a desc is to find the longest one in EV/O and make sure the size never goes past that. To me, shorter is better and easier.

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Silent Night, a plug-in for Nova, will feature a small, unique galaxy. With only three races, I will be able to change the galaxy to my hearts desire. To help me finish it faster, I will not be slowed down by making ship graphic- I will use the ones from Nova.
------==========------
If you look far enough on the horizon, there will always be a cloud.

Quote

Originally posted by NNNormal:
**To me, shorter is better and easier.

**

Bet you don't say that to all the girls.

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Ladies and Gentlemen, as you know we have something special for you at
Birdland this evening. A recording for Blue Note Records...
Let's take it back to the concrete streets, original beats and real live MC's...
"We find it hard to strike a good balance between reality and fun. The reason being? Reality is often not fun." - _pipeline

I actually did have to crop that to make it fit in the enlarged desc box. That's been my biggest problem, is even though I sufficantly enlarged the Desc boxes, EVO cuts off the desc at a certian point weihter there's room left in the desc box or not. Uhsally I find ways to add desc boxes and split it up between more than one box.

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Cuz I'm a 21st Century Digital Boy
I don't know the Monty Python but I've got a lotta toys
My daddy is a Renegade, his name is Hellcat Helian
Wait a second...

Quote

Originally posted by NNNormal:
**By removing the unitalics part, it might be able to fit. You might be able to include that part in the bar where the mission starts. Remember, if you go too long on the text, the last part will be cut off and the player will be left confused. What I did to fing the maxium lenght in a desc is to find the longest one in EV/O and make sure the size never goes past that. To me, shorter is better and easier.
**

That was the initial description. But maybe I could put that (or something along the lines of that) in a bar description somewhere in the Pleiades Union.

------------------
Cuz I'm a 21st Century Digital Boy
I don't know the Monty Python but I've got a lotta toys
My daddy is a Renegade, his name is Hellcat Helian
Wait a second...

Quote

Originally posted by 21st Century Digital Boy:
**I'm working on The Silent Runis of Earth... I was getting to the point where it almost became novel-like writing, and I'm wondering if this is too excessive for EVO...

**

What's a "Runis" ?
Typos are a pain.

Mission desc dialogue boxes can be enlarged form the standard EV:O size without interfering with any other interface elements. ( I have a set of enlarged DLOG/DITL resources I can give you if you want.) The other issue is the fact that descs can be no longer than 1024 characters - this is an absolute limitation of the resource, and the number of course includes all punctuation, spaces, etc.

I think your sample desc is well done, but you could tighten it up a little - reduce the length - without losing the "feel" of the writing. In general, I believe that more detailed descriptions can improve the quality of a plug. The object is to use as many words as you need to say what you want to say, but no more.

Thanks, but I already know how to enlarge the desc dialog boxes(and have). Although it does help to know what the exact cutoff is.

------------------
Cuz I'm a 21st Century Digital Boy
I don't know the Monty Python but I've got a lotta toys
My daddy is a Renegade, his name is Hellcat Helian
Wait a second...

Quote

Originally posted by 21st Century Digital Boy:
**Thanks, but I already know how to enlarge the desc dialog boxes(and have). Although it does help to know what the exact cutoff is.

**

Duh. Always think of things after I post :frown:

There is another option for increasing the amount of space available for text if you cannot fit what you need to say into the dlogs for one mission - use addtional misn resources to make more descs available. The downside is you reduce the number of different missions, but this is a way to allow space for more detailed descriptions. Just have your 'real' mission activate a mision bit that makes the second mission available, and use the descs for the second mission to expand your story. It would require some careful management to have the descs presented to the player in the correct order, but it is doable. And of course the game engine doesn't care what text is in the descs, so for instance a "Drop cargo" desc need not have anything to do with delivering cargo, it only needs to appear at the proper place in the story.

You probably know all this, but just thought I would mention it.

Joseph Burnett's idea is probably the simplest to implement. take a look at the Babylon 5 plug-in, which made extensive use of misns as "news flashes." i'm not sure, but i think the Frozen Heart/Femme Fatale series did as well.

whatever you do, i encourage you not to cut any text. if what you want to put in reads like a novel, chances are that's how your story will unfold. and my experience is that the "novel" type plug-ins offer the most enjoyment.

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The enumeration in the Constitution, of certain
rights, shall not be construed to deny or disparage
others retained by the people.

Ok, thanks everyone.

BTW, MT did the news flash think in FF but not FH. I think...

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Cuz I'm a 21st Century Digital Boy
I don't know the Monty Python but I've got a lotta toys
My daddy is a Renegade, his name is Hellcat Helian
Wait a second...

I would like longer descs, even if it is about the history of the planet: if people dont like them, they dont have to read them. But I guess the general opinion here is that people like em

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If anyone needs a story guy to help with a plug-in, i can help: mission breifings and description for outfits, ships, planets etc. e-mail dave_pickstone@hotmail.com

As you all know I prefer long descs with more atmosphere.

However, functionally, you do need to also cater for the player who prefers shooting to reading - the number of emails I've had which say 'I am stuck in xxx part of your plugin, I didn't read the Desc, what do I do now?' is beyond count.

Martin

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M A R T I N • T U R N E R

If they didn't read the Desc,they deserve to get stuck,don't they?
Otherwise,what are the Descs for?

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"Render therefore unto Caesar the things which are Caesar's."
-St. Matthew's Gospel 22:21

I like long descs; some people don't. However it's not your job to cater to everyone who downloads your plug; it is your job to make the plug the way you want it. Most importantly, if you think the longer descs are a good and important part of the plug, definitely keep them in.

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-Joolzman
hector: Joolzman is only 14, so the truth is that he is nowhere near impotence.
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Quote

Originally posted by Joolzman5:
**I like long descs; some people don't. However it's not your job to cater to everyone who downloads your plug; it is your job to make the plug the way you want it. Most importantly, if you think the longer descs are a good and important part of the plug, definitely keep them in.
**

Hear, hear!

/me claps

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(url="http://"http://bbspot.com/News/2001/03/perl_test.html")Test Shows 99.99% of High School Seniors Can't Read Perl(/url)

Quote

Originally posted by diddlysquat:
**Hear, hear!

/me claps
**

Hear, hear, hear!

Hey, I'd go all out on descs as long as they're under 1024 characters. Make them incredibly different and more descriptive then other plugs. It would make for a very cool plug.
(yeah yeah, it isn't exactly what you asked for, but I posted it anyway, take it into consideration)

-Kevin

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Actually that was exactlly what I was asking/

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Cuz I'm a 21st Century Digital Boy
I don't know the Monty Python but I've got a lotta toys
My daddy is a Renegade, his name is Hellcat Helian
Wait a second...

I really like plugins with a great story on it, and if a long desc is what it takes, then go for it. I like to keep things like outfits and ships short, but the mission desc is what makes the story. There are only three things that have to be done with descs that are very, very important: Check your spelling, check your spelling, and check your grammar. Nothing is more annoying than typos in a desc (especially a mission desc) and seeing errors like confusion between their, there, and they're; or to, two, and too. Anyway, good luck, and I look forward to seeing your plugin.