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Topics - DukesOfDevon

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1
Suggestions / Mission BBS Computer
« on: November 10, 2014, 11:21:54 AM »
Hi Guys, been a long time!

Right, I've been playing a lot of Escape Velocity recently, and it struck me that there's a system in place in this old game that StarSector could really use... a 'bulletin board'.
EV uses a Mission BBS computer to offer the player simple fetch and carry or delivery missions. Early on it's your first port of call to make a quick buck, but the money is usually bad and you'll abandon it late game for trade routes that you've discovered or faction related quests to advance the 'story'.

I think Star Sector could really use something like this. Simple quests that fund your exploration of the systems. A lot of this video is not specific to StarSector, but hopefully you'll get the gist!
http://youtu.be/DhZ-eYKbRpc

The document I use is here:
 https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1bRrg6Uqu_hxv8EzOdy4H-seEVOQmqZt-800CZN10uMY/edit?usp=sharing

Feedback appreciated, thoughts on a postcard to... well, me!

2
General Discussion / Crew
« on: May 02, 2012, 09:36:41 AM »
I haven't seen much along these lines... so here you are:
Crew concept drawn by Darkchild for the Starfarer universe.

3
Lore, Fan Media & Fiction / Broken Lines
« on: April 26, 2012, 09:54:54 AM »
Broken Lines
 
“Three contacts, grid delta nine-two, vector one-eight-eight speed ninety five.”
“Ident unknown, three frigs.”
 
Right on time, now all we need to do is wait…
Everyone is hunched over their controls, faces lit green by the emergency lights. A good crew, ready.
 
“Contacts now at delta nine-zero, slowing to ninety”
“Have we been spotted?”
“Unsure sir, no changes to the nebula but-”
“Target flux?”
“-um, probably still at power to engines.”
“Probably? Clean up those sensor readings and give me an answer!”
 
Imbecile!
Ok, not an elite crew, just a good one. I try not to let the idiots aboard, but there’s always a few.
 
“Contacts now at grid delta eight-four, vector holding at one-eight-four, speed steady ninety”
“Sir, targets are at cruising power, shields down. They haven’t seen us sir.”
“Sir! Ident positive, it’s them.”
 
I try and make it a point not to smile when things seem to be going to plan, the crew mostly think I’m a crazy killer. A straight face can instil a lot of fear, and win a share of card games.
Just let them get closer… one more grid.
 
“Grid delta seven-nine, vect-“
“Signal escort wings, all ahead full. Spring the trap.” I cut him off mid sentence, it’s time.
“Aye sir!”
 
One escort. Now is probably where I should grin.
 
------------
 
“Captain! We’ve got incoming!” a shrill voice calls across the bridge-it’s owner, a middle aged helmsman-was wide eyed with panic.
“What?” asked Captain Bullew, his voice far more controlled. ”Details!” It was a demand, not an order.
“I’m reading nine-no sorry-ten ships, leaving a nebula less than half an AU off the port side.” The second helmsman managed to at least sound like he knew how to read his terminal.
“Captain, we’ve been hailed by the Silverlight: Commander McMonteu requests your orders.” This voice was laced with static, carried over the Lasher’s intercom.
“Bearing and speed of the incoming ships? Any IFF ident?” Bullew still looked calm, but his orders were too crisp. He was panicking.
“No ID, grid F seventy seven, heading two hundred and ninety, closing at over a hundred and five.. they’re coming straight for us sir!” the first helmsman rattled off the details with a lump in his throat, they were as good as dead and he knew it. Ten to one odds. It’s not like the two freighters they were running with could provide any real support.
“Hail the approaching vessels.” Bullew played by the book. It kept him alive and well fed.
“Just static sir, I think com lines are being jammed.”
It could be his imagination, but the intercom did sound even worse than usual. “Go to full burn, signal the Silverlight and Issilay to make a run for it, we will cover them as best we can.” Bullew barked his orders, letting his ample frame lend weight to his words.
“Aye sir.” Crackled the intercom again.
“Load all guns, hail them again. Battle stations.” Bullew stood, well he stooped, and made his way across the cramped bridge to peer out of observation port. Even as he did so, an armoured panel slid over it leaving only a thin slit of starlight. There, on the edge of vision, framed by the gasses of the nebula: engine afterglow. They were close.
“Fore gun, ready!”
“Port ready.”
“Starb’d ready!”
“Bulkheads sealed, fuel isolated. All systems green.” As the reports rattled in, Bullew thrust himself back into his terminal. A string of reports and little green lights met him there, as did a single reply from the two freighters: ‘Good luck’.
“Helm, weapons check.” He said, looking up from the two-word message.
“Sir, missiles ready, cannons loaded. Ammunition at 83%.” Replied the panicking helmsman.
“What have we got then? Any ident yet?” Bullew’s brow began to furrow as he stared into his display.
“Interference from the nebula is still playing havoc here sir, but it looks like two wings of attack craft and two frigate sized ships.”
“Any response to hails?”
“Negative sir, I doubt they’re receiving though all this EM.”
“Keep us between those ships and the tankers... good luck men."

To be continued...

4
Suggestions / Different manufacturers.
« on: April 25, 2012, 11:42:43 AM »
Bear with me, I tend to ramble.

So a cheap supermarket sausage is still a sausage, and performs well covered in ketchup and mustard, but is not as nice as the higher meat content branded ones. These in turn are nowhere near as good as farmyard sausages.

Ditto guns. Put assorted 9mm pistols on a bench, they all lob lead the same way, but will perform differently. I'd love to see this sort of thing in game! For example:

Refurbished or Salvaged Tactical laser (all stats 5% lower than normal)
Sigma shipyards Tactical laser (normal, 5% longer range)
Tri-Tac E mod Tactical laser (3% less flux, 5% more damage)
Tri-Tac Mil Spec Tactical laser (5% better all stats)

It would add a nice 'random' element to the shops 'n' drops, not much 'real' effect in the game, but a little tweak for depth.



5
Lore, Fan Media & Fiction / Retrospect
« on: April 25, 2012, 09:07:45 AM »
I used to love the ‘roid belts. I mean really, they’re one of the most amazing things out here. It’s probably why I didn’t mind the work, let’s face it mining is hardly the most intellectual of jobs. Ice! Oh I really loved icy ‘roids. The crystals were just incredible out in deep space, and so different to orbital rings. Everything else just… I don’t know.
 
Prep approach, monitor movements, launch probes, await samples, retrieve.
Check analysis, lock approach, monitor movements, assign candidates to drones.
Maintain distance, launch drones, monitor movements, retrieve drones, achieve quotas.
 
It was too easy to get lost, to drift in the lazy motions of the ‘roids. I’d lost hours by just staring. Especially if it was water extraction! The ice… Maybe I’m losing my mind?
 
There are so few actual people involved in manning these vessels. The drones are automated. The silos and hangers are automated. The flight control, the life support, the lighting. Even the effluent re-cyc units. Automatic. fifteen of us manned a vessel the size of a generous town. (Thinking about it though the size is misleading - most of the HeraCorp vessel ‘ISS Moor’ was just cargo space, vast silos for ore and gasses.) Ten engineers, three prospectors and the captain. I’d love to pretend we were like family, a close knit group of star-faring die-hards, able to tackle bad odds and come out on top, dodging pirates and stellar anomalies with a cigar in our teeth and a smoking pistol in each hand. We weren’t. Not even close. The ISS Moor was on the verge of falling apart, like so many ships these days, but she worked well enough. We used to joke that the bays were taped on and the drones steam powered. Not often mind you, we hardly spoke.
 
I was head of the three-man prospecting team. It was a one man job. Faston and Marley tended to the cargo, checking mineral purity etc. So I was left to myself, manning the drone terminals and advising the captain of course changes. I’m good at being alone, my mind tends to race to patterns, shapes, ideas. I got on best with the drones, they left me to make the adjustments to their parameters. Must be the hypnotic, slow nature of the belts. Could be.
 
Where was I? Oh yes, myself and the two others. Then there’s the engineers; I’m not a cruel man, but they were not a bright bunch. I can’t explain it, I just couldn’t get on with them. Mind you I didn’t really try, their sort never lasted long. One, maybe two assignments and they’d bail. Some of them just killed themselves once. Or was it a fuel leak? People just seem to die out here. Am I just difficult to get along with?
 
I’ve done this for more than half of my life now, something like thirty years. Probably not, but something like that. I’m no good with numbers, give me patterns and movements, like the belts. Our captain had barely three years command under his belt, must have really *** someone off to be given a mining command. We didn’t even have FTL drives! Never needed them I suppose. Mind you I always wondered how the ship got here, sure as damnit wasn’t built in this system. Leads to more thoughts that line of thinking, if the ship wasn’t built here how’d they build the refinery? Or the main station? Bit by bit? Like a hobby model kit for a civilisation to work on. More likely there’s ships larger even than this, probably carried the bits here. Probably took them a while too. The ‘roid belt must have been a hell of a hazard back then… it’s what, half the size these days? Like I said, not so good with numbers.
 
I do miss my old life. I miss those stations, the way everyone else seemed to hate the job. I even miss the station life, and their awful excuse for food. There was order in the rotation and rhythm of it all, always moving and changing.
 
I was told to retire last year. I didn’t even notice the time going by. They retired the ISS Moor three months later, gutted the poor old thing for parts. There’s talk of a new series of long range drones taking over the old drill sites, and a new expansion to the refinery complex. Maybe it’s true. Maybe not. Things don’t change in a hurry where mining is concerned. Well, not so far as I’m concerned.

6
Discussions / Hello and greetings and howdy...
« on: April 25, 2012, 09:06:26 AM »
Greetings all, Dukes here!
I'm new to the forums and new to the game! (I see some of you have been around since the start of this thing... dedication gents. Dedication)

Just saying hi, I intend to get involved in the fiction and modding, and I am so hooked on this damn game.

TB, you have a lot to answer for.

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