and it's done.

As you may remember, Martin Turner came up with a challenge to create the "smallest possible TC". He may not have meant it as a challenge, but that's how I chose to interpret it.

So, without further ado, I present to you Teacup TC, probably the smallest total conversion ever to be released for any Escape Velocity game.

The challenge of the plug is fairly simple. You need to make a profit. However, as there is only one planet in the universe, and only one commodity, this simple-seeming requirement becomes a bit harder. You will know when you have won.

However, more interesting than the scenario is that fact that I have managed to create a total conversion small enough to attach to a post. Four times over. Its total size when uncompressed is 350 kilobytes, outdoing even a large number of standard plug-ins, and from some tests I've done, it looks like you could add a decently-sized scenario to the basic underpinnings without pushing it over the 100K compressed mark.

Now, I have not done very extensive testing of this plug, but it does run on both Mac and WinNova, and I have beaten it on MacNova (WinNova running at 11fps is not condusive to long test sessions). There are a few graphical errors on WinNova, but they do not affect gameplay.

So, any comments?

Edwards

(EDIT) New install instructions:
To install, rename your current "Nova Files" folder to "Nova Files Original". Then move the Teacup TC folder into your Nova folder, and rename it "Nova Files". Also remove any plug-ins from your plug-ins folder. If you are on Windows, you will need to convert the plug.

(EDIT) New version! - Jan 19, 2006
I have added a new version of the TC to this post, so you should now download the first attached file (TCTC_Version_2). I am keeping the previous version attached because there may be some critical error in it, and I will be unable to provide support for the next week or two. If you experience problems with the new version, download the old version. ( Note: I have since uploaded a new version, so this edit no longer applies. I am leaving it in the post for historical purposes, however. )

(EDIT) New version! - Aug 28, 2006
Given that I never did upload the version I fixed to run on OS9, and that this thread is the official source for this TC, I've decided to finally put up the latest version. For those who are keeping track, the old version had 131 downloads.
Also, you should check out Qaanol's Qold Fusion plug for TCTC, which you can find attached to this post.

Attached File(s)

• TCTC.zip (43.46K)
  Number of downloads: 122

This post has been edited by Edwards : 28 August 2006 - 07:47 PM

That is so darling!

Cheers!

Done.
EDIT: Using an unimplemented feature, no less; gambling, which isn't available through the bar interface, but accessable with the 'g' hotkey. So, uh, I don't see the guy and the 53,000 fine...
EDIT2: Tried with a different pilot and dominated the planet; 100 credits a day. Still no Winner! mission. Do I have to reach 53,000 credits for b1 to have activated? Somehow I think this has to do with a crön causing the price of Goods to go higher.

This post has been edited by domu : 04 January 2006 - 08:59 AM

I'll try it out when I get home. It sounds cool.

I have 16,030 credits.... dominated planet!

Actually, I own the WHOLE GALAXY now!

I won. Do you just pay up, go to jail, the end? I guess there couldn't be much more, with the size of 350k

Impressed.

The next question is: who can make a TC that is under 500 k that actually has more (and more involving) mission strings than the stock scenario?

Ok, I can't figure out how to win, I have 53,000 from dominating the planet and taking off and landing again. I looked at the files to find out how to get the winner mission, but I'm still not sure. I released the planet to see if that was the problem, I still don't get the mission. Could someone please help.

Oh, and if I gave away too much info on how to get money, I'll edit it if asked to.

i cant convert the data .bin to windows, the base bin works fine, but data just hangs in the converter

Woohoo! Edwards, that was probably the most enjoyable plug I've ever played. UpChuck, here's a hint: Goods really does have a play in this.

Pace???

Heh. Pete being arrested for piracy. That's funny.

BTW, did you know that ATMOS has finished all five of the ship models we're doing for him? Only texturing to go, and my computer arrives back from repair tomorrow!

domu, on Jan 5 2006, 06:07 AM, said:

Woohoo! Edwards, that was probably the most enjoyable plug I've ever played. UpChuck, here's a hint: Goods really does have a play in this.

View Post

domu +++

I couldn't have seen it coming, and it couldn't have been more fitting

(Since member titles can only be changed once you get 1001, I'll make an exception to my rule of "wait until ARPIA2 release to post" because this absolutely deserves to be an exception )

Martin Turner, on Jan 5 2006, 01:05 AM, said:

Impressed.

The next question is: who can make a TC that is under 500 k that actually has more (and more involving) mission strings than the stock scenario?
View Post

Hm I just tried copying only the mďsn and dësc resources of ARPIA2 into a separate plug (so 3 major storylines but bigger and more involving than the stock scenario), and it's already 1.3 Mb. With only the dëscs, it's 896 Kb, so basically, to make a plug-in that is under 500 Kb you need less than 100 mďsn resources (approximately 200 Kb), I'd say, and less than 100 A4 pages of continuous text (approximately 300 Kb). A TC would allow you less text and less mďsns because of all the basic needs, so I have to say that it is impossible.

And Dave, go ATMOS

This post has been edited by Pace (haldora) : 05 January 2006 - 02:13 AM

domu, on Jan 4 2006, 04:20 AM, said:

Done.
EDIT: Using an unimplemented feature, no less; gambling, which isn't available through the bar interface, but accessable with the 'g' hotkey.View Post

I'd been hoping that the lack of easy access and lack of graphics would disuade people from trying that. Ah, well, you can't prevent everything. I do not know why to mission is failing to show up for you, as it should appear whenever you have enough money. Try taking off and landing a few times when you are a couple thousand credits above the limit.

FedKiller, on Jan 4 2006, 08:11 AM, said:

I won. Do you just pay up, go to jail, the end?View Post

Yup. The size has nothing to do with the lack of storyline- that is imposed by the one-mission limit. Admittedly, I could have set it up so that there was quite a bit more story- I think I could squeeze out about two missions from that one mission, but it wouldn't have fit with the scenario.

domu, on Jan 4 2006, 09:07 PM, said:

Woohoo! Edwards, that was probably the most enjoyable plug I've ever played.View Post

Thank you!

Pace (haldora), on Jan 4 2006, 10:12 PM, said:

I couldn't have seen it coming, and it couldn't have been more fitting

(Since member titles can only be changed once you get 1001, I'll make an exception to my rule of "wait until ARPIA2 release to post" because this absolutely deserves to be an exception View Post

Wow. I am honored that you like my plug enough to use your thousandth post to praise it.

Pace (haldora), on Jan 4 2006, 10:12 PM, said:

A TC would allow you less text and less mďsns because of all the basic needs, so I have to say that it is impossible.

The basic needs of a TC in MacNova 1.0.9 seem to run to 332KB, although that could be cut considerably if you gave up the window backgrounds. It probably isn't quite impossible, but it would require fancy multi-tasking of missions and a very terse writing style. And a ridiculously small universe.

@Edwin_Again: I have no idea why TCTC Data is hanging your converter. However, here's an (untested) pre-converted copy of the files (does not contain the readme).

Edwards

Attached File(s)

• Teacup_TC_Rez.zip (42.26K)
  Number of downloads: 71

Heh.

Good work, all.

It doesn't seem to be working for me. 1.0.8... took all the data files out, replaced them with the two new files... shuttle just sits there, won't turn, no planet, no movement. Macintosh, 10.4.3...

...Any suggestions? Do I take All of the files out of the "Nova Files" folder and put the two TC files in?
I did take out all the plugins. I tried taking all the files out; still nothing.

This post has been edited by the : 05 January 2006 - 03:04 AM

FINALLY! A working TC!

Heh

the, on Jan 4 2006, 10:59 PM, said:

It doesn't seem to be working for me. 1.0.8... took all the data files out, replaced them with the two new files... shuttle just sits there, won't turn, no planet, no movement. Macintosh, 10.4.3...
...Any suggestions? Do I take All of the files out of the "Nova Files" folder and put the two TC files in?
I did take out all the plugins. I tried taking all the files out; still nothing.
View Post

Just rename your nova files folder something like," Nova Files Origional." or something. then make a file called nova files and put the tc in there. the game will run those instead of the normal nova files which is how TC's work.

UpChuck, on Jan 5 2006, 11:15 PM, said:

Just rename your nova files folder something like," Nova Files Origional." or something. then make a file called nova files and put the tc in there. the game will run those instead of the normal nova files which is how TC's work.
View Post

Correct, though you can just rename your TC folder "Nova Files" and make the original Nova files anything. It saves having to make folders every time you use the TC.

Well, I've found the source of the bug where people aren't getting the "Winner!" mission even though they have enough money. It stems from how Nova only resets mission availability when you leave the system or land on another planet, and as Teacup TC has neither of those, the mission doesn't become available until you reload your pilot. I have come up with an automatic work-around, but it requires a second mission.
So: Reload your pilot every now and then, and everything should work.

Also, the proper way to install the TC is to move everything out of the Nova Data folder, so that Teacup TC is the only thing Nova is loading. The easiest way to do this is to rename the original folder and create a new one titled "Nova Files" for TCTC.

And on an even more ridiculous note, I have managed to reduce the data files to the absolute minimum needed to load the game. Final size: 5,108 bytes, or a hair under 5 kilobytes. It is absolutely unplayable (for one thing, the main screen is completely blank), but the game does load (as of 1.0.9, both Mac and Windows).

Edwards

Attached File(s)

• Micro_Base.bin.zip (910bytes)
  Number of downloads: 71