This is a question to the highly experienced players, who have been kind enough to recommend numerous plugins and TC's on this board:

What are the main features you like to see in TC's/plugins that make them superior to others? What would you like to see more of? Less of? What are common mistakes you see or dislike in some plugs?

I only ask because I have recently starting doing plugins for EV, and as any performer knows, it is best to give the audience what they want!

Your replies are greatly appreciated.

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-Macros
"No, no no...not the road less traveled....take the subway. It's faster."

Well, graphics are important of course, but I generally find storyline to be more so. It has to have depth, detail, an interesting story that will keep people going.

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- Macavenger | e-mail: (url="http://"mailto:e-gamerguy1@home.com")mailto:e-gamerguy1@home.com(/url)e-gamerguy1@home.com

Graphics are alwayse nice, and storyline is a definent must. However for TCs i am looking for more than just this. I like some unique elements, new areas of the engine to be explored, and new techniques to be tried. I alwayse disliked the origional Escape velocity in that no ship carried fighters were truely effective. I loved EVGE and E:3 because they actually have fighters that do reel damage. And it isnt because the fighters are super powerful, it is because they come in large enough numbers, and have what fighers relly need, a large primary weapons load. Some of the 2 carrier battles in EVGE could be clasified as truly epic, and in E3, a conflict between the sauridians and anyone else could be truely impressive. The huge ammount of weapons fire, ships everywhere, these plugins created a feel that i thought was more what space warfare would really be like. For other smaller plugins that are not major aditions or total conversions, i expect less. Mugabi and Destiny was an exelent plugin, because it taxed the engine. it did things other plugins didnt do, and had great graphics, and a wonderful stroy line. Another thing i really look for is dificulty. It is not easy to make a ship that is controlled well by the AI. I like plugins to have ships that while they are not invincible, they are dificult to kill. It seems to be a combination of all of these things. To the best of my knolidge, i have beat every storyline in every major plugin at least once, not that i can remember all of them, but a few really stood out, i guess because they exemplified what i valued in a plugin (in no particualr order):
E:3
EVGE
Mugabi
NH
Pale
These were mu favorites, but i also liked GS and Oreste, and a few others (like i said, it has been like 5 years of playing now...i cant remember all the plugins i played.)
But that is my rambeling thought on ev plugins.
Joe

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I can only provide my answer from a graphic designer's point of view, since graphics are the chief part of a plugin (or TC) I look forward to. Although I consider Max Burnstein's "Galactic Scourge" by far one of the best "TCs" (not really a true total conversion), I can't say the graphics are that great. Some of the graphics, like the bulk freighter fitted with the death ray turret, are terrible. If anything pleases me, it is a good plugin (with exciting missions) with top-of-the-line graphics. I believe the Pale plugin leads all EV plugins in terms of graphics, but Galactic Scourge certainly has some darn good missions.

In my opinion, graphics are extrememly important for total conversions. They make plugins more appealing to the player, and will certainly draw a bigger crowd. Plugins with bad graphics look as if they were rushed, and most of them aren't any good (with the exception of GS).

Just my two cents.

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-Cap'n Skyblade
-Battle for Sol - Episode III: The Worlds Beyond the Milky Way - coming soon -

Pale's graphics are better than Quantumire Trilogy's? While I haven't played Pale, I find it hard to believe that anything out there right now surpasses QT's graphics.

The Empire plugs in general seem to do a good job of showing carrier warfare, as jdh545 said. I think Empire 2 is the clear winner in this category, with the Terran Assault Carrier (24 fighters and damn hard to beat even without them) and the Weave Support Carrier (similar comments). It also has varied kinds of fighters, from the Terran Interceptor to the Weave Tactical Bomber. The storyline, of course, is quite good, as anyone who has played Empire knows.

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"Why should I boast? The bards will do it for me -- and with music."
--Ertai, wizard adept

Quote

Originally posted by Lord Asriel:
**Pale's graphics are better than Quantumire Trilogy's? While I haven't played Pale, I find it hard to believe that anything out there right now surpasses QT's graphics.

**

When I said Pale had the best graphics, I was referring to the plugins which I have played. I've never even heard of Quantumire Trilogy...

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-Cap'n Skyblade
-Battle for Sol - Episode III: The Worlds Beyond the Milky Way - coming soon -

(url="http://"http://www.meowx.com")http://www.meowx.com(/url) would be a good place to look for it.

The graphics are good, but there's only one major storyline, plus a few minor ones, and the ship balance is noticeably lacking after a certain point, and there are a lot of Superdreadnought type ships besides. But if you're looking for graphics, it's a good plug to look into, as you can probably guess based on who makes it.

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- Macavenger | e-mail: (url="http://"mailto:e-gamerguy1@home.com")mailto:e-gamerguy1@home.com(/url)e-gamerguy1@home.com

Quote

Originally posted by Macavenger:
**http://www.meowx.com would be a good place to look for it.

The graphics are good, but there's only one major storyline, plus a few minor ones, and the ship balance is noticeably lacking after a certain point, and there are a lot of Superdreadnought type ships besides. But if you're looking for graphics, it's a good plug to look into, as you can probably guess based on who makes it.

**

If the plugin was created by Meowx, then I guess I can expect some good graphics...

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-Cap'n Skyblade
-Battle for Sol - Episode III: The Worlds Beyond the Milky Way - coming soon -

My top plug-in favorites are:
#1 Oreste
#2 EVGE
#3 Pale

What I like in plug-ins is the mission line, of course. It has to make sense and not just give all the weapons, ships, and outfits at one time. Have them spread out. But thats not the most important to me.
What I value is new ships, graphics. The catch it that they all have to look good and be nice 3D ships with shading. What I like even more is that some or all of the original ships are redone (not necessarily to have a courior look completely different) by th ship maker so they all match in a way. So if the plug is 3D, at least some of the old ships are 3D too.
Another thing I am picky about is that all of the ships, weapons, sounds, etc. are not repeated out of a different game. That means dont take a Rebel SuperCruiser out of Oreste and put it in EVGE (it isn't really if you don't know). I think thats corny. You should make your own picture and everything and not put something in that you didn't make. If they are free for plug-ins, I dont care you should just thank them for their work in a "Read Me" file or something.
My last important thing in plug-ins is that the weapons don't have a "X" on the pic screen. The new weapons should all have descent outfit pictures and firing pictures.

This last thing I dont care much for but it just makes the game a little better. If you could make your own plant pictures and landings (landings are harder to make) it just makes the game a little better.

This is all my opion. Others probably arent as picky as me.

I would just like to say that while Final battle may or may not have designed the graphics for the "rebel Carrier" or the confed dreadnaught, it was the first to use them. This is true for almost all of the Empire plugs. Many of the graphics (the attack cruiser as well the missle cruiser) were first used in Final Battle. I think Final battle gives a surprising balance of graphics, awesome story line (also the first to lead you to believe you were going to wipe the feds once and for all, and then having the aliens come back), semi- challenging. For me, while not the biggest or most complicated plug, its the best for what it is.
Requirements for a good plug in my opinion consist of (in order of importance): Story line, Graphics, Balance, a twist or unique element, and a good ship you have to work for (for example, in EOC, you could already purchase, from the very beginning, the best ships: Widowmaker, Superdestroyer, etc. There was nothing to work for), and interesting outfits and weapons.

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Spelling and grammar. I don't know about anyone else but it gets annoying when I see obvious and not-so-obvious errors (lack of proper punctuation, for example) that no one bothers to correct. It's excusable on web boards and instant messages, but not in something you plan to put out for everyone to see. I can help with this if anyone needs it!

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Coreył (Cubed)
WILL POST FOR FOOD

Quote

Originally posted by coreycubed:
**Spelling and grammar. I don't know about anyone else but it gets annoying when I see obvious and not-so-obvious errors (lack of proper punctuation, for example) that no one bothers to correct. It's excusable on web boards and instant messages, but not in something you plan to put out for everyone to see. I can help with this if anyone needs it!

**

I am in complete agreement. Simple and subliminal errors ruin the enjoyment of the plug-in.

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Prepare to succumb to superior intelligence
MOSS of the Crimson Guard, a (url="http://"http://www.planetarion.com")Planetarion(/url) alliance.
Winning isn't everything thing, it's the only thing.
Go have a good laugh with (url="http://"http://www.toostupidtobepresident.com")Bushisms(/url).

Quote

Originally posted by General Rak:
**I am in complete agreement. Simple and subliminal errors ruin the enjoyment of the plug-in.
**

I agree, too.

If I were a more experienced plug-in developer, I would make a TC that started out with one system: Sol, in the near future. The entire first half of the mission string would be in Sol, terra-forming Mars, and so on. Then humans would descover hyperspace, and it'd be a mad rush to colonize the galaxy. That would be one plug-in. The sequel would take place a bit later, when the Aliens appear. The player would work for the Glorious Confederation and destroy the Alien Navy. Then, maybe in a third plug or later in the second, after the Aliens are gone, the Confederation would turn bad and the Rebellion would be formed.

Unfortunately, this would require magnificent graphics experience, time, and ability to use Res-Edit beyond modifying ships and so on. I have none of these, but for someone who did, this would be my dream plug-in and I would download it instantly.

Just my 2˘.

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Write your complaints here: O
Please don't write out of the space.
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(url="http://"http://www.homestead.com/lukenj/index.html")Luke's Website(/url)

I didn't read any replies, just the original post, so that's all im responding to.

The most important part of a plugin are the missions (or storyline or whatever you want to call it). But before you can have great, in-depth missions, you need to add a few planets, maybe, and definetly a few ships. EV by itself has terrible ships. They aren't that bad, I guess, but they are few in number and the gaps between, say, a Kestral and a Cruiser of any sort is just too big. We need more ships of varying powers.

Missions and ships are the most important. EV doesn't do much for weapons (outfits), and its nice to add a few more.

Development of the player's character is bad. In the missions it shouldn't be saying stuff like, "Such actions generally make you angry, because you have never like people who....." Thats lame.

And the longer the missions strings the better, in most cases.

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--ares
"Before you criticize a man, walk a mile in his shoes. That way, when you do criticize him, you'll be a mile away and have his shoes."

WHAT CONSTITUTES A BAD MOD- This is the super dooper pooper scooper attack gun rip-tear-kill boat an it has 200 lazzer shooters lots of shields and a missle shooter that can destroy any thing Imade it my self. it is shaped like a tounge depressorwith spikes and...

THERE ARE TOO MANY OF THESE!

WHAT CONSTITUTES A GOD MOD- This mod has 12 new ships, six weaker trading ships and six stronger fighting ships. I based the graphics for the ships on ships from other games, like the Leviathan from "subspace." There are also five new weapons, and sounds/graphics for them. There are also four new systems with planets containing large cities (cities with shipyards/bars, et cetera).

All I want from life is a bunch of really fast ships that are armed with sane weapons, some new weps, and mebbe a planet or two.

I'd liek to see more romance. Not like, "And I looked into her velvet eyes and carressed her crimson lips." I mean, that's fine for BOOKS. But for Plug-Ins, I'd like to see stuff like after you have done a few missions with a woman or man, they see you in the bar and beckon you over to their table. The pilot walks over their. Then the two start to flirt. A little more descriptive though. Then, ask if they choose to ask the woman or man out on a date. <OKAY> <CANCEL> Sound good? I'd make one like that if I kne how o do Plug-Ins. DAMMIT! IT'S SO CONFUSING!

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----David----
----The Beloved----

Download "Clavius and Beyond." Much romance for ya.

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"Why should I boast? The bards will do it for me -- and with music."
--Ertai, wizard adept

Nova is also supposed to have some romance as well.

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(url="http://"http://www.geocities.com/shinigami_demon/")Shinigami's Demon: A Gundam Wing Fanfic Archive(/url)
(url="http://"http://www.geocities.com/spl_cadet/")EVN: The Beginning(/url)
US Naval Sea Cadet Corps, Petty Officer 3rd Class.

Cool. Didn't hear about that part.

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"Why should I boast? The bards will do it for me -- and with music."
--Ertai, wizard adept

I tend to like New Horizons a lot

snorre