Steelix please don't read this......

I had the best idea of my life!!! I was thinking about the lack of TCs for EVN, so I got to thinking about good ideas. I first thought of using my own plug, Battlestar Galactica, but then I though there wasn't enough governments. Then it hit me. We COMBINE all the major Sci-Fi themes! Like Battlestar Galactica, Star Trek, Star Wars, Firefly, Andromeda, and even Duck Dodgers in the 24th and 1/2 Century! I know this would require craploads of work, even though I know there's a Star Wars plug, a Star Trek plug, a Firefly plug, a Battlestar Galactica plug, and talk about an Andromeda plug. All we would have to do is combine them in some fancy way and presto-chango! Not really presto chango, but we could use already made graphics from these projects (if they consent) and that would take the work down considerably. However, I can't do this alone. I need YOUR help. I could make the governments, outfits, ship stats, and some of the weapons. I don't want leadership, I'm more of a follower than a leader, but please, tell me what you think of this idea.

P.S.- In the subtitle it says "Steelix please don't read this......" because I KNOW all I would get is critisizm from him, though I would like him to help.

EDIT: Please disregard the subtitle of this topic. Steelix is a nice guy.

This post has been edited by zapp : 28 April 2005 - 03:10 PM

Add me to the list of people who shouldn't read this for lack of encouraging comments.

Thanks alot

No problem. So how do you reconcile complete differences in style/purpose?

For some reason, I 'highly doubt' Uncle Twitchy (ST), Admiral Benden (SW), Lindley (Firefly), blacksabre (B5), or anyone else you might or might not have mentioned would consent.

Of course, I could be wrong. In the meantime, I'm going to have to go with NebuchadnezzaR on this one.

It's a cool idea. I think so. I can't contribute, but I think it's a cool idea.

It would settle that "Enterprise E vs. SSD" argument that popped up in JC a while ago.

The idea is good, but (these are my opinions, and anyone may object ruthlessly. These points are just based on my thought, and I do not speak for anyone but myself):

1. the people working on the TCs would most probably never agree. For example, UT is so far in development he wouldn't want to make SFA part of something else, and fans would also disagree.

2. the amount of work needed to make a universe coherent with all these different things going on will be enormous: if you just separate the different things light years from each other, then it won't be accepted as anything but a compilation of different works, not a work in itself, and your plug will not be accepted by all, far from it. A compilation like that gives the impression you did nothing but put them in one place If you try to make the whole thing hold together, I don't know how you're going to do it, but I sure know it won't be easy.

3. it's similar to Beforemath in scale if you use the whole plugs (from the mission point of view). If you're not going to include a storyline, then even less people will use it. If you do, and you create an original one, it will take time. If you take one/several of the other plugs, you'll have to make it coherent. If you put many things together, the chances of storylines screwing up and strange things happening are great. Indeed, when you're supposed to have a battle between the Rebellion and the Empire, you don't want an Entreprise barging in You'd basically have to make each part of the plug standalone, which would just deal a mighty blow to the plug in itself.

4. It would take way too much time: first those people do their own work, and then you put the whole thing together? It's madness. Some have already been working on theirs for many years!

5. the fans themselves of the film/series/ would not appreciate have something from another film/series/ (which they may well even despise) come into sight while playing this or that storyline. This means you'd have to separate the universes, which brings me back to 2)

6. 56k users would never even think of having a look. Just think of the size of the download if it contains all those elements of each plug!

7. it would become vapourware ASAP because once the plugs themselves are released, no one will even want your compilation except for those who just want to be able to fight a Klingon with an X-Wing

Basically, that's my way of saying "sorry, zapp, but try again".

PS: I do know that this post is not very coherent in itself

This post has been edited by Pace (haldora) : 28 April 2005 - 01:13 AM

I knew there would be a few people opposed to any change, but not this many. Thank you Shrout1 for at least saying it's a good idea. I will give a few more days for replies, maybe a week or two, and if I don't get any help, I guess I'll just do it myself. As for it becoming vaporware and no one playing it, at least I will. If I don't get any help, I'll do it myself, and nothing you say can stop me. As for the people working on plugs already under construction helping, that was just them sending some graphics over and getting credit for them on the final product. Just remember, they laughed at Christopher Columbus when he said the world was round, but given a chance he proved it.

Yeah, and it took him seven years. Clear your schedule till 2012.

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In the subtitle it says "Steelix please don't read this......" because I KNOW all I would get is critisizm from him, though I would like him to help.

I take offence to that. I think... no, I thought, that this was a good idea. Blending all the sci-fi shows together is actually quite a good idea, and could turn out well. Although I think failing to assemble a team will probably make it difficult for you, it's a good idea at heart. However, after what you've said, I'm definately not going to help you.

Think before you say things like this. It can ruin friendships with other members.

This post has been edited by Steelix : 28 April 2005 - 08:03 AM

Tell you what. In the unlikely event EVN:FF ever goes vaporware, I'll make everything done so far available online, for people to do whatever they want with it.

But until then, I'd rather remain merely a geek, rather than a raging fanboy.

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I take offence to that. I think... no, I thought, that this was a good idea. Blending all the sci-fi shows together is actually quite a good idea, and could turn out well. Although I think failing to assemble a team will probably make it difficult for you, it's a good idea at heart. However, after what you've said, I'm definately not going to help you.

Think before you say things like this. It can ruin friendships with other members.

Sorry, it's just that every time I see what you see about other people's stuff, it seams negative. I'm glad you think it's a good idea.

Don't feel bad, zapp. I thought that it was a neat idea. Personally, I'd just do a Star Wars/Star Trek crossover but that's just me.

This is my idea: all these Sci Fi shows (and EVN) exist is parallel dimensions. But after a fatal mistake by a Polaris scientist, all the dimensions started curving inward, and EVN was in the middle. They all collided at the same point, and Star Trek, Star Wars, Battlestar Galactica, Firefly, and the other shows came into the EVN universe. They took over, and EVN was left with the two pirate bases, wich became known as the "Renegades". They're looking for vengance for their ruthless defeat. Whatever else is up to whoever (or me if it comes down to it) does that part of the plug.

And I think you misunderstand me. When I say that the people working on the other plugs based off TV shows can help, I'm just asking if I can use graphics they've already made. They can help if they want, though.

A Starwars Startrek crossover was my first idea for a TC/plugin. I worked on it for about 6 months and got fairly far into it. I used, get this, EV:N graphics since I can't make them myself, and I have no interest in learning. So the Fed Carrier was my Star Destroyer, Fed Vipers were TIE fighters, etc...

I had a pretty good open ended storyline set up and would be interested in working with anyone who wanted to pick this project up...

Well, this is a good idea in theory, but like many ideas, it's MUCH easier said than done.

I have no idea what you're talking about when you said that Steelix opposes lots of things, as I haven't noticed such a thing.

hey, this is TOTALLY off topic, but what do the little blue boxes mean next to everyone's name on the left side of our posts... also, why are some people listed as junior members when I'm just listed as member?

I first posted this over a year ago (in this interesting thread) -- I still think it's a good idea, and I still don't have enough free time....

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A theme for a theme-less TC, initially small but with great potential for 3rd-party expansion, with a nod to Douglas Adams and the HHGTTG:

The Magrathean Proving Grounds

_The story begins something like this. Our hero wakes up one morning to find him/herself in a universe that no longer makes sense. Looking down, s/he notices two tattoos, one on each arm. One reads "Property of Magrathea Planet Works," the other, "Copyright Megadodo Publications." Is one tattoo true, and the other false? As our hero explores the galaxy, it becomes very apparent that things are seriously disjointed -- planets, ships, technologies, and even peoples look and act ridiculously differently from one region of space to the next. The strangest systems may be those between the inhabited star clusters: Naboo fighters and X-Wings spew forth from Auroran carriers. Frogs fly, and WWII planes and tanks fly with them. Sailing ships battle Starfleet vessels and Mobile Suits, as Miranu freighters ply their routes unconcerned.

Is this universe some sort of giant catalog or sales lot -- and is anyone minding the store? Is it all an electronic simulation for testing or research purposes -- and who is at the controls? Is it all too, too real, the outcome perhaps of madness among the gods, or of some horrible Pan-Galactic Improbability Incident? Is our hero the human s/he thinks s/he is, or some sort of artificial sentient construct? No one s/he meets seems overly bothered by the state of affairs. Is there any point in worrying, or should our hero just take sides in a couple small wars, carry some trade goods to a few interesting marketplaces, get rich, and buy some really expensive drinks?_

If the practicality issues could be worked out (including getting author permissions to modify some existing teaser plugs as well as figuring out how to keep future contributors from stepping on each others' toes), this kind of world-gone-mad scenario could be fun to build collaboratively, sort of like the "bar" webboard topics.

The "story" idea comes out of a persistently nebulous cloud of TC ideas that I've been kneading and reshaping in my head for years. I had been keeping it to myself in the hopes of springing it as a surprise in a completed project some day, but I don't know if that will ever happen. If it doesn't spark strong reactions now, I'll take it back underground and hope that some day I have more time to work on it....

The thing that makes this feasible is that EVN plugs can modify other EVN plugs: without actually copying and re-releasing the resources in, say, the SWN teaser plug, you can make a plug that loads after it and associates the parts of it that you like (the RLE and ship resources, for instance) with your own resources (new worlds, descs, etc.). Players have to download the original plug in order to use yours, which means they also are exposed to the vision and messages of the original creator: they can play it like it was intended to be played if they choose to, they can read the credits in the original readme, etc. If major "serious" TC developers don't want to hand over resources to be used in the cross-over universe, at least they might provide samples for "tease" purposes -- they'd get to blatantly advertise their projects via pers-es, planet descs, NPC comments in missions, and anything else they came up with.

'Course, my storyline might not be for everyone. What's needed is a sort of "rump universe" -- a small collection of systems, ships, weapons, etc. that the contributors to a cross-over universe (TeaserWorld?) agree upon as linking points and strength standards.

I could get somewhat involved, but I couldn't put in huge blocks of time.... "Real Life," y'know.

This post has been edited by Dr. Trowel : 28 April 2005 - 02:08 PM

So what you're saying is there is this section of space, maybe only reachable by a hypergate (not one owned by Sigma) that has a bunch of teasers for different plugs? I'm not sure I get what you are saying...