Hi John

I've gone over the info on Git Hub and I think you have made a good start on the factions! <img src="' http://spacesimcentral.com/forum/public/style_emoticons//icon_e_smile.gi f"' class='bbc_emoticon' alt=':)' /> Lots of opportunities there for the player to make their way in the game.

But I ask you, is humanity the galaxy's only attempt at intelligent life? Is there no room for our "favourite bugs"? Perhaps hidden away somewhere on the RIM with hyper advanced tech? Oh, and they don't have to be hostile if you are not hostile to them, but they would be strictly isolationists as a rule until they are threatened and you really don't want to threaten them, not with the firepower they process.

Or perhaps "living ships" that are basically animals that travel peacefully through space randomly in herds, but need to use habitable planets for nests and nourishment and this is where the threat from them comes, environmentalists would be torn between protecting these animals and saving their colonies when it's lunchtime or mating season when these "living ships" can become very aggressive indeed and head for resource rich worlds.

Or even a rogue AI based civilization (leader: s2odan <img src="' http://spacesimcentral.com/forum/public/style_emoticons//icon_lol.gi f"' class='bbc_emoticon' alt='' /> ) who colonise only distant airless worlds and try to remain hidden from organic life. This civ could have access to the most advanced espionage tech, exclusive cloaking, hacking and scanning tech if the player can find them.

Then there is the criminal underworld, who set up secret bases (usually in overlooked systems that are considered too hostile to normal colonization efforts) to manufacture and export illegal goods, weapons and act as a staging area for organised attacks on merchant shipping. Being a criminal with access to these bases, could be a viable option for players who are struggling to stay within the law and give them access to banned weapons and WMDs without being in a military.

One more thing you mentioned was the lost colony ships. Now this is ripe for fleshing out! Perhaps the AI civ was originally developed by one of these lost colonies but left behind when the colonists could no longer sustain themselves after ending up in a system with no planets suitable for human life.

Admittedly, there is still the option (at a later date) to add even more via mods or "PXPs" as they have been called on the Oolite board.

But a great start John! <img src="' http://spacesimcentral.com/forum/public/style_emoticons//icon_e_smile.gi f"' class='bbc_emoticon' alt=':)' />

I wonder what the average age at which it is directed the Pioneer project.

demasiado joven para establecer las metas

demasiado viejo para la imaginación

demasiado cansado para completar

It's too bad noone cared this much about the core design of game play. Factions are yet another piece of fluff when the skeleton is missing..

9 to 90 <img src="' http://spacesimcentral.com/forum/public/style_emoticons//wink3.gi f"' class='bbc_emoticon' alt=';)' />

I'm here because my grandson (9 years) asked me a game.

My grandson and got bored. Now goes for GTA San Andreas.

His grandfather is "trapped" in Pioneer. 😎

I not know the Frontier, but I am sure of is that the only thing you can do Frontier Elite IV is David Braben, but he is dedicated to Raspberry Pi. Sorry Geraldine. 😉

Thargoid: You have written the story from his faction, this is true. But other factions will have different views and probably will write ... or not.

The Pioneer engine (in the state it is) many things that are possible. "Factions" may well be defined with existing code, but we need more people writing their ideas in LUA modules. It's easier than trying to convince others with words.

Simon, your Asp Scout is run ok on my git fork. 😉

Oh ye of little faith! <img src="' http://spacesimcentral.com/forum/public/style_emoticons//icon_lol.gi f"' class='bbc_emoticon' alt='' /> Seriously though, goodness knows when Elite IV will ever appear, but I will continue to watch and wait............... <img src="' http://spacesimcentral.com/forum/public/style_emoticons//icon_e_confused.gi f"' class='bbc_emoticon' alt=':?' />

As for your grandson, it's true that for a 9 year old, the game might appear as if there is nothing to do. No doubt (as he is a GTA fan) he likes games with lots of action, but give Pioneer some time, who knows in the future how it will develop. Its a game that is massive in scope and so it will have lots of room for mod makers to go crazy. Thats the real beauty of it <img src="' http://spacesimcentral.com/forum/public/style_emoticons//wink3.gi f"' class='bbc_emoticon' alt=';)' />

15 years in the making - you are very patient Geraldine, perhaps more than others. 😉

I basically like the back story and storyline but one thing bothers me, and that's the lack of an evil empire. It may not be a realistic form of government in the future, but who can really say? Anyway, I'd miss it. Besides, what about the names of ships like Imperial Courier, Imperial shuttle, etc. Unless its a brand name like Chrysler Imperial. I have to admit though that a corporate state seems more likely, at least in the near future. 🙄

"...but give Pioneer some time, who knows in the future how it will develop."

The 3D holographic images of the alpha version of Pioneer 5456 will see magnificent.

That's a lot of good backstory. I have one gripe though. It kind of goes with Marcel's point about the Evil Empire. This universe is one giant capitalist system but Haberside seems to have a complete monopoly. Apart from royal mining. Especially now with all the private companies around now, space X, Bigelow, Virgin, Planetary resources etc! There are some now defunct companies that could make good fodder-- Space Transport Corp http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Space_Tran ... orporation

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_pr ... _companies

I've done some silly ads... just for fun.

Those are really good! Maybe you should do some that aren't just for fun. Not that Pioneer isn't fun, but, you know what I mean. 😉

Hi

I've been against the evil empire idea because its somewhat a cliche. And Elite II had it and we want to differentiate ourselves somewhat from everything else ou there.

That is why i've been trying to paint the Solar Federation as the bad guy. not out and out evil but with the most dirty deeds being carried out the most ambition (to control everyone) etc etc.

And I should add some clarification: Haber and Tolan may have the best miners, but they are limited to their own systems or nearby. There are other corporations in the galaxy (just not five solar system big corporations) who do a whole bunch of stuff and i'll be adding them in on my rewrite.

Cheers

John

Ok, the write up has been updated. Check out the issues: https://github.com/pioneerspacesim/pioneer/issues/1213

Cheers

John

simonR, you are a somewhat clever observer.

but never ask me what i think where the knot is...

ah, i don't mind 😉

just get it on

interesting thread, great ideas, i can't follow all, even if i liked, but i have to concentrate on the models, that's best, imo.

yeah, that's a point, i would like the "pathetic" good & evil to, but i see also thargoids point of view.

while i wouldn't say that evil is evil, i like to see it like checkers, black or white.

but i'm stisfied if anything goes on in this direction and it's not "useless", but well i can only repeat myself for the 100st time, it was always a game that divided players, some love(d) it because of what others thought it's boring.

[/hr]

independent of what ever,

anyway, if i see something controversial, some say "argh ****" and others "wow", it might be music, a movie, a book or a game, it must be good 😉

[/hr]

one thing i guess is for sure (i hope) we never find a pioneer with a given path or given story for the player, you had to have that little fantasy, to write (live) your own story in a given environment, some like that, others i know, feel this is boring.

there is no certain goal, you don't have to get rich neither you have to be the best pilot, but you are free to be it.

and walterar, i hope the average age of pioneer players is between 0 and 99 😆 nah, 17 i would say, let's stay 17...

spazeman, the adverts are great, i like the soylent corp. that's what we need beneeth the reasamblance to frontier, reasamblance to great classics, to the founders of the genre, to astronomers, physicians and adventurers.

ergo i like your ideas geraldine.

Gernot, a 17 year old boy was 2 years old in 1997. I do not think that references to Frontier Elite have some sense to him. Unless you have a nostalgic father. 😆

I'd say definitely older than 17! (Maybe the mental age)

Anyway, I've been doodling... Hope you like them, If anyone as ANY ideas just say and i'll do some more if you like...

Some are random sizes...

hey that's cool, phew, more time to spend wiz them...

you will see them soon, but don't get surprised when they changed somewhat, foremost to add a glowmap and have a rather dark backdrop.

don't like to use them all things like "Virgin" are really trademarks, but something like "Biffco" is perfect.

perhaps i even throw old "intel outside" over board, it's not GPL compliant eq. the apple-win mix, even if i like the symbol.

but will keep them anyway...

guess i change "SAL" back to "HAL" that's ok -

that's cool! I love the vega 3 one. I did think about the trademarks I even wondered about the 'fake' companies. I could do one for Time and Space Engines... The Apple/Microsoft one was just pinched from google images anyway. btw It's SAL because it's the computer from 2010 not 2001, but it's probably fitting for everything to be run by an insane computer! Also when I tried to add them it caused an error...

Assertion failed

BufferObject.h

Line 33

GetVertexSpaceLeft() > = numVertices

I'll have a play with it though.

PS

Shove this in your space hole...

Well my guess is outer systems would have fringe mining companies, some of te closer more populated systems would have i guess consolidated mining outfits. You would also perhaps have high tech system worlds, agricultural co ops and massive agricultural companies ( mosanto in space ?) who would go for the prime terran earth like planets for their production. Of course they would have infustructure, support services depends how deep and how much intergration with the game world and new features u incorporate

Another game that might be of some use for storylines ideas is the new drox operative game

Found this article that might offer some insight on dealing with some of the issues mentioned here. Perhaps the definitive sobering objective view?

Fairly interesting & relevant critique on what makes the Mass Effect series so groundbreaking. A bit lengthy, but covers a lot of territory having to do with A.I. and alien life forms, humanities self importance in the universe - quite philosophical in scope, but definitely worth the read.

http://www.popbioethics.com/2012/02/why-mass-effect-is-the-most-important-science-fiction-universe-of-our-generation/?utm_source=io9+Newsletter&utm_campaign=ddf231b2ca-UA-142218-29&utm_medium=email