Nova for PC: "The Dark Times"

mrxak

At least they might be. Hopefully not. They should really be "light times". As we all (should) know by now, Nova is coming for the PC, and pretty soon at that, as far as I know. What does this mean for us? Lots of new users, and many might come and visit this forum. They'll have questions, they'll have complaints, they might even have some good ideas. The important thing is, that we give them a nice warm welcome. I don't really know exactly what the deal is with them being able to make plug-ins or not. Chances are, that at least initially, they'll be forced to use emulation to run ResEdit, or whatever other Mac programs they might be able to use to make plugs. They might be making graphics instead for a while. I am sure many of them will make good dev team members. New users = new talent. There will no doubt be hitches along the way, but it will all work out. We may be forced to deal with people complaining about lack of editors for the PC, or other issues. This is what I want from you people here, and any new users, regardless of their OS:

Be nice.
Don't be mean.
No Mac vs. PC arguments.
Helpfulness and understanding.
No complaints about new users or old users.
Be nice.
Don't be mean.
No Mac vs. PC arguments.
Helpfulness and understanding.
No complaints about new users or old users.

If you have any concerns, please bring them up here in this topic, or email me. The whole point is that we welcome our new friends in a nice way. Invite talented users to join development teams. Include them in beta tests. Discuss ideas with them. Don't be angry or annoyed by newbie-ness. Just be nice and friendly, and they'll return the favor I'm sure. Those that don't will be dealt with by moderators. There is no need to flame or respond to flames.

I've created this topic to discuss possible issues, and help us all reach an understanding. I think this is the best forum of all these boards. The talent and creativity is very high in these parts. As an intelligent forum, we can approach any issue in an intelligent way. I expect good behavior when Nova PC comes out. So, please bring your comments and questions up now, and hopefully we can have them resolved before the influx of PC-users happens.

mrxak

I guess I'll start. We know from the progress log that Nova PC will be able to use plugs, with a little help. Does anyone have any information about plug-ins for windows that is not known by everyone already? Are there any development tools being made for windows right now? I know that graphics will not be a major issue, since graphics are more or less universal. Has anyone considered making editors or knows of editors for PC Nova?

Sheer_falacy

Since EVNPC will just be using .bin files, it should most definitely be possible to write an editor for windows. Indeed, it wouldn't be all that difficult if you knew how a MacBinary II file was set up. I might try to write an editor, but since the only language I know is Java no one would be able to run it easily ;).

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AriosSw

Just as a general announcement, EVONE will not be available for Windows.

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David Arthur

Quote

Originally posted by mrxak:
Are there any development tools being made for windows right now? I know that graphics will not be a major issue, since graphics are more or less universal. Has anyone considered making editors or knows of editors for PC Nova?

I'm running some experiments which could eventually lead to MissionComputer for Windows, but at the moment it's too early to promise anything.

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Mantaray

The only thing I think we'll have any problem with are the immature battle.net-type of people. Those are the kind of people who accuse other people of being gay if anything goes against their way of thinking...
Which is bound to happen sooner or later.

But there are an aweful lot of PC users who know a lot about computers in general, and will know that PCs don't use resource forks... they'll be cool.
And some PC users have 3d talent, thus making great progress on the graphics front.

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"And that, my liege, is how we now know the earth to be banana shaped."

EVula

Quote

Originally posted by Mantaray:
The only thing I think we'll have any problem with are the immature battle.net-type of people. Those are the kind of people who accuse other people of being gay if anything goes against their way of thinking...
Which is bound to happen sooner or later.

And when that happens, it is up to the user base in general to ignore those idiots until we (the moderators) ban them. Flaming is a two-way street, and both parties involved (regardless of OS) will be punished.

I, for one, will be watching this board like a hawk. Posted Image

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Mazca

Amen to that, mrxak. Let's keep this board a helpful, intelligent and friendly place...

Then again, we may have to reconsider in the future if some of teh EvN pc uzrs st@rt talkin lik th1S! c0Z it wil B gay!!!1! lol.

We may also have to develop a policy for shooting down posts bout how they r gonna maek a TC wit 12000000 systems n 1635342 govemintz n 60000 new ships but no nu grfx cos mi PC iz only a 33MHz 486SX. n et's gonna B out on monday 2.

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EVula

Quote

Originally posted by Mazca:
**Then again, we may have to reconsider in the future if some of teh EvN pc uzrs st@rt talkin lik th1S! c0Z it wil B gay!!!1! lol.

We may also have to develop a policy for shooting down posts bout how they r gonna maek a TC wit 12000000 systems n 1635342 govemintz n 60000 new ships but no nu grfx cos mi PC iz only a 33MHz 486SX. n et's gonna B out on monday 2.**

shudder Count me out, man.

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Maniac Angel Raptor

I don't know about you guys but I'm very much a PC user and I've been trying to play the Escape Velocity series for a while now on the Executor demo! lol I quite enjoy the thought of a PC version of EV:Nova and I will be waiting patiently for plug-in tools to start coming out. Until then I'll stick with Res-Edit in Executor... assuming it works this time. hehe

As some might remember, I'm the one in charge of the Wing Commander Total Conversion in development, something that's been halted since the end of summer for various reasons. I want to take this opportunity to say that it's not vapourware and it will be resumed once I have figured out how to use Nova for PC and my plug-in tools start working.

I have the somewhat unique problem of not being able to use most plug-in tools because they need Aliases wich Executor Demo doesn't support... not only that but it only emulates up to system 7.1.0.

I can already vouch that many here have been friendly and helpful to both me and others on this board that have admitted trying to run these great games on our PCs

I have a new site but it hasn't been updated recently and like I said, development halted so I'll post it when it gets updated and development resumes.

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Life is a waste of time and time is a waste of life... So get wasted all of the time and have the time of your life!

Entarus

I would like to give my perspective on the matter , much has been said but here I go anyway:

I do not think that it would be approriate to start flaming, etc... pc users because at that stage you wouldn't be any better than them. Flaming goes two ways , act like a mac user and ignore pc flames in time you'll see that they get bored (or get heavly karma slapped). Its true some people don't act like they should , but many fine people are amongst them too ! . While users might be nova-newbies
there might be for example great 3D artists. I think that we should support the pc users and point them to the rules and regulations of this webboard. Probelms are bound to happen , but ignore them and let the mods. handle it. People are killing each other in the world because they think in a diffrent way. Don't be like them, be nice....

Entarus ,

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MickyBIs

Quote

Originally posted by Maniac Angel Raptor:
Until then I'll stick with Res-Edit in Executor...

<shudders> Executor!! Heh, that things a piece of junk, get Basilisk II, it's much better. I can actually run EV with plugins in it Could never do that with executor... Resedit normally works fine too.

Anyway, as I'm sure everyone is already seeing, there is a small(ish) group of PC users on the boards who are fitting in just fine. Some were drawn by Pillars of Garendall for PC and are trying emulation to get other Ambrosia games. Others have had a Mac before (like me) and played EV or other ASW games. I don't think there'll be too much of a problem. If the PCers are smart (some of them aren't) they'll look around and see how people speak etc before posting anything. Though I'm sure we will have a few topics such as "i jst saw a CATS levathon!!!11! LOL!!111!" We'll just have deal with those...

MickyBIs

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Mantaray

Quote

Originally posted by MickyBIs:
Though I'm sure we will have a few topics such as "i jst saw a CATS levathon!!!11! LOL!!111!" We'll just have deal with those...

Heh, we already do.

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"And that, my liege, is how we now know the earth to be banana shaped."

Jager

Way to often

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Firebird

Well, I'm not about to get into the issue of Mac vs. PC; I've always hated the distinction, I've used both, and I'm happy with both. I like the suggestion that we ignore the really annoying (and often stupid) PC users.

But on the aspect of an editor; I'm currently using Java to make a GUI-based (instead of text-based) editor for Star Control (a really really old game)...as practice (I'm a beginning programmer, though I wish I'd started gaining real experience earlier).

So I suppose figuring out how MacBinary files sort out their data would be the way to go if I were to extend this to PC EVN. However, would it be feasible and legal to make a program that creates data, then encodes it as MacBinary? Obviously, PC plug-ins should become Mac plug-ins when you decode them on a Mac. I hope there aren't any messy legal issues here with MacBinary (I don't even know whose intellectual property it is)...

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Sheer_falacy

Well, since ResEdit isn't the only editor for Macbinary files, I imagine that they are alright to make. Also, I found some code online that reads in a resource file. I am working on figuring out how write instead of read. Now, does anyone know if the data always begins at byte 384? If so, what do bytes 144 to 255 do? They seem random to me.

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what_is_the_matrix

Quote

Originally posted by Mazca:
**Then again, we may have to reconsider in the future if some of teh EvN pc uzrs st@rt talkin lik th1S! c0Z it wil B gay!!!1! lol.

We may also have to develop a policy for shooting down posts bout how they r gonna maek a TC wit 12000000 systems n 1635342 govemintz n 60000 new ships but no nu grfx cos mi PC iz only a 33MHz 486SX. n et's gonna B out on monday 2.**

The scary thing is that I've seen people write like that. This is an actual EV review on download.com that I found this morning.

Quote

download.com review posted by "KRAZIAZYNBOI"
**IT IS A FANTASTIC GAME!
OMG I LOVE THIS GAME!! ITS SOOO ADDICTIVE..IVE BEEN PLAYING IT FOR A WHILE NOW..I HAVE A REBEL CRUISER..WITH A FLEET OF 2 DESTROYERS 2 KELSTREL 1 CORVETTE AND 1 STUPID SLOW CONFED FRIGATE...AND ALSO 800 MILLIONZ HAHAZ IF U PLAY THIS GAME U WOULD KNOW WHAT IM TALKING ABOUT..IT IS SOOO FUN!! BE THE BAD OR GOOD GUY! IT DOESNT MATTER!! I RATHER BE A BAD GUY BECAUSE..THEY ARE LESS STRICT ABOUT THEIR RULES HAHA WEOPZ DOWNLOAD AND TRY IT OUT! ITS FANTASTIC!! **

I'm not kidding. It's right here if you want to see it for yourself. It's near the bottom of the page. While it's nice that he gave a good review, he was most definitely cheating when he was playing. 800 "millionz?" All caps and AIM-speak shudder. I hope this isn't what's going to happen here. I didn't even know people still used "boi" anymore. Of course, on download.com there was another guy who said

Quote

Okay, you can play this game. If you wanna waste your time! It's terrible! You should throw it far, far away!

He was probably one of those people who got smacked down by pirates before they leave Levo, and then decide the game's crap before actually playing. I hope we don't get any of these types either....

Matrix

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"Nothing is fool-proof to a sufficiently talented fool."

Firebird

Quote

Originally posted by Sheer_falacy:
**Well, since ResEdit isn't the only editor for Macbinary files, I imagine that they are alright to make. Also, I found some code online that reads in a resource file. I am working on figuring out how write instead of read. Now, does anyone know if the data always begins at byte 384? If so, what do bytes 144 to 255 do? They seem random to me.

**

Er, ResEdit doesn't edit MacBinary files. But yes, I guess you're right about it not having legal problems. I actually found a free, open-source Java library that actually works with MacBinary files.

You know, if I considered myself a good programmer, I'd offer to team up with some people, or get something organized, but I feel I need to gain some experience first. I don't expect to finish any type of editor soon, but I'll probably start experimenting soon.

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Admiral Benden

I have no problems with PC users being here or anything. I will probably just disappear from the boards during the initial rush.

What I do have a problem with is the stereotypical biased, AOLism using, idiotic PC user gleaning enjoyment from something I have made. Unfortunately, I just don't see a way to keep them from using my plug-ins(aside from not releasing them, which really isn't an option). Maybe we can hope that they are just too stupid to find the add-ons page or where ever I decide to host the plug.

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MickyBIs

Quote

Originally posted by Admiral Benden:
**Maybe we can hope that they are just too stupid to find the add-ons page...

**

Heh...(url="http://"http://www.ambrosiasw.com/webboard/Forum8/HTML/004717.html#")We already have a few of those(/url).

MickyBIs

PS-You might want to update your freefall link, Benden, to (url="http://"http://freefall.purrsia.com")freefall.purrsia.com(/url)

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Who is John Galt?
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Nova for PC: "The Dark Times"