Looking to create Firefly VG or mod for another game by reenact12321

VIRTUAL FIREFLY

Looking to create Firefly VG or mod for another game

POSTED BY: REENACT12321
UPDATED: Wednesday, December 2, 2009 17:37
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VIEWED: 6510
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Tuesday, December 1, 2009 8:44 PM

I had remembered seeing and enjoying Firefly years ago and only more recently converted to full on Browncoat. However, I've been honing my skills of modding computer games for some time. I'm interested in creating an expansion to a game or Mod constructed to be part of the Firefly universe. Not necissarily directly involving our favorite crew, so as not to have the Feds (or Fox/Universal) on our hinds. But to create something in the spirit of Firefly.

I'm looking for modelers, artists, anyone with any kind of computer game modding experience. Preferably anyone who eats and sleeps Firefly and Serenity would be a plus.

I'm still trying to decide on an engine. I'm most familiar with the Source engine and it's readily usable tools (HL2, Counter Strike, L4D and L4D2). Only problem, if we were to try and create something to reflect the richness of Firefly, the limited dialogue and conversational abilities of the Source engine might prove troublesome. I was considering using Fallout3/Oblivion engine as it is known for being moddable and having a community so that learning it would not be an everest type venture.

Would love to hear from everyone thoughts and suggestions.
Keep Flying,
Charlie

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Wednesday, December 2, 2009 1:19 AM

PIZMOBEACH

... fully loaded, safety off...

Great idea. Sorry I don't have any of the skills you're looking for, just wanted to show support and suggest one thing: don't let anyone push you off your idea.

Sigmanunki count down in 5, 4, 3....

Scifi movie music + Firefly dialogue clips, 24 hours a day - http://www.scifiradio.com

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Wednesday, December 2, 2009 1:33 AM

SIGMANUNKI

A mod that's been going consistently for a while:

http://s4.invisionfree.com/GunRunner/index.php?act=idx

They're getting close to finishing episode 1 from what I hear.

Then there's this one:

http://www.fireflymod.net/

Fairly inactive. But, apparently it's just slow going and the guy is still chipping away at it.

That's it for the mods that I know of. But, there are a couple "from scratch" projects going on as well. Don't really know that status of them though.

Project 1:
http://www.fireflyfans.net/mthread.asp?b=23&t=39589

Project 2:
http://revolutionfirefly.webs.com/

And that brings us to the end of publicly announce projects. At least the ones that are active and that I've come across.

I've been doing some stuff myself. But, nothing really to announce. It's mainly playing around at this point.

However, a couple things (that have been said many times before by myself and others):

- Don't do anything 'expansive'. That's pretty much the kiss of death for a project. At the very least, you should be considering the 'expansive', and then breaking it into 'episodes' that would take, at most, a couple months of full time work to finish.

- Firefly/Serenity is the IP of Fox/Universal. It doesn't matter if the crew is involved in the game or not. It's still Fox/Universal's IP and the project could get shut-down at any point.

- Don't ask for help unless the answer to the question, "What do you have done so far?" isn't nothing. There should have already been an extensive search for same or similar projects done to make sure that the game/mod is unique as well as a good chunk of work already done (no offence, but it looks like you haven't done either).

At any rate, that's the 'off the top of my head' thoughts on the matter. Now it's off to sleep.

----
I am on The Original List (twice). We are The Forsaken and we aim to burn!
"We don't fear the reaper"

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Wednesday, December 2, 2009 1:48 AM

SIGMANUNKI

Quote:
Originally posted by pizmobeach:

don't let anyone push you off your idea.

Sigmanunki count down in 5, 4, 3....

Looks like the delusional fanboy posted before I did.

Btw, I don't push people off there ideas. I just point out the practical impossibility of the vast majority. Remember what I said about Revolution Firefly? Oh yah, that his vision was impossible to do with the resources of a professional studio never-mind as a hobby. And what was posted about two weeks ago from that very guy after a year of silence:

http://revolutionfirefly.webs.com/
"""
I came to the conclusion that in order to develop any kind of game resembling my dream I would have to do it myself
"""

"""
I needed something that could be done in a realistic time frame, and done by one person. So I had to make sacrifices, namely graphics.
"""

And that game has gone from a real-time FPS, huge world, etc, etc, etc, to a web based PHP game.

(EDIT: I should note that now that he's switched to a reasonable goal, I've offered to help him with learning PHP i.e. answering questions, etc. Not only that, but depending on his approach, one of my projects might actually help him. It's about doing reasonable things, NOT about crushing dreams.)

http://revolutionfirefly.webs.com/apps/forums/topics/show/1606957-new-
direction?page=last
"""
this undertaking has been put in perspective for me
"""

It's this last quote, PizmoBeach, I really want you to read carefully. As in, there's a reason why us professional programmers/developers/etc have a more conservative approach to such things. It's called knowledge and experience. And it counts for *far* more than 'we can do the impossible' delusional 'enthusiasm'.

So, you can sit there and try to discredit what I, or CaliforniaKalyee, or any other professional says. But, until you have anything resembling our experience/etc, all you really are spouting is hot air.

----
I am on The Original List (twice). We are The Forsaken and we aim to burn!
"We don't fear the reaper"

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Wednesday, December 2, 2009 6:03 AM

REENACT12321

Quote:
Originally posted by SigmaNunki:
- Don't ask for help unless the answer to the question, "What do you have done so far?" isn't nothing. There should have already been an extensive search for same or similar projects done to make sure that the game/mod is unique as well as a good chunk of work already done (no offence, but it looks like you haven't done either).

I didn't mean to be riding in, begging for someone to do it for me, or begging for some sort of miracle. I simply came knocking to see who was out there interested and also to get a glimpse of what has already been tried. While I do not hold to lofty thoughts of creating, as you put it, something expansive, your pessimism is quite unpleasant and a might bit unwarranted.

So, taking it into account I do rephrase my intentions, that I'm looking for anyone interested in exploring the idea. Fleshing it out, joining a crew of those who are interested and perhaps have the time to try something if and when they can. Not looking for someone to do my work for me.

And I do appreciate the links to the other attempts at a firefly type game, even if they were a bit tersely presented.

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Wednesday, December 2, 2009 6:45 AM

BYTEMITE

I remember those threads. They dropped off the front page and I never could find them after that.

Thanks for posting them again, now I can go see how they're doing and snoop around the forums and finally register.

The EV Nova mod sounds interesting, it seems to be menu-based, which I've thought could be a useful platform. Is the other one a flight sim/ starfighter game? Well, anyway, this thread is about a new project, so yay with the talking. :)

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Wednesday, December 2, 2009 7:13 AM

BYTEMITE

So, a first person shooter mod, huh? I'd always thought that a first person shooter could adapt nicely to the Firefly heist/job/crime setting, and competing with other crews/teams in multiplayer. :) But the roleplaying elements of the Fallout 3/Oblivion engine could also be a nice touch...

If you still wanted to use Source, an idea I've floated previously is to make puzzles an important part of the game, like a player may try to hack an electrical grid to turn off security measures or hotwire a vehicle, and the actual hacking process consists of some sort of randomly generated visual puzzle sorting out wires to their appropriate connector. By inserting little thematically appropriate mini-games for someone attempting to use a skill, you can create the possibility in game of having teams and crews with a few non-combatants (or poor combatants) who are particularly good and focused at a specific skill.

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Wednesday, December 2, 2009 5:28 PM

SIGMANUNKI

Quote:
Originally posted by reenact12321:

I didn't mean to be riding in, begging for someone to do it for me, or begging for some sort of miracle.

Didn't say you did.

Quote:
Originally posted by reenact12321:

also to get a glimpse of what has already been tried.

No you didn't. You didn't even ask.

Quote:
Originally posted by reenact12321:

While I do not hold to lofty thoughts of creating, as you put it, something expansive,

That's actually how you put it, not me.

Quote:
Originally posted by reenact12321:

your pessimism is quite unpleasant and a might bit unwarranted.

Unwarranted, eh. I've been around for years on this forum and have seen exactly zero of these projects get anywhere but the EV Nova mod. And just take a look at how long they've been at it and haven't even completed episode 1. Also, take a look at how much help they have. It's not much and about half of the people helping out on the project are only on side stories and those people are there because I mentioned the project to them as the best bet to get something completed instead of helping out a doomed project.

Perhaps instead of assuming where I'm coming from, you should actually take the time to look at what's happened in the past. Something that you should have done before you even posted this thread.

Here's a search for this site:

http://fireflyfans.orthogonalspace.ca/

Quote:
Originally posted by reenact12321:

So, taking it into account I do rephrase my intentions, that I'm looking for anyone interested in exploring the idea. Fleshing it out, joining a crew of those who are interested and perhaps have the time to try something if and when they can. Not looking for someone to do my work for me.

And I do appreciate the links to the other attempts at a firefly type game, even if they were a bit tersely presented.

The joining part was the reason why I gave the links. If you would have followed them or actually read what I wrote, you would have realized that they aren't past attempts, but rather ONGOING attempts.

Seriously, just join one of them. There's no point in have dozens of failed projects when if people just worked together, maybe... just maybe we'd have at least one successful one. It'd also be nice if when people decide on a library/engine to use, that it was cross-platform. That windows only stuff cuts out a lot of people in this community.

At any rate, I'm done. Do what you want to do. I just popped in to present the reality of the situation/community.

----
I am on The Original List (twice). We are The Forsaken and we aim to burn!
"We don't fear the reaper"

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Wednesday, December 2, 2009 5:37 PM

SIGMANUNKI

Quote:
Originally posted by Bytemite:

Thanks for posting them again, now I can go see how they're doing and snoop around the forums and finally register.

No problem. I try to remember and promote those that actually look like they're going to complete something. Or at least are (probably) still active.

Quote:
Originally posted by Bytemite:

Is the other one a flight sim/ starfighter game?

I think so. I just remember that I don't have the game they are modding. So, I haven't really paid close attention to it.

Quote:
Originally posted by Bytemite:

Well, anyway, this thread is about a new project, so yay with the talking. :)

As I said above, the choice is about have a couple projects with a chance of success, or dozens of failed projects. I know the choice I would make and most certainly promote. Remember, it's fun to start projects, but a bitch to finish them. And it's a lot easier with people around helping. Which is part of the point of a small number of projects. The devs are less scattered and more help is available to the given projects.

It'd just be nice to have ONE finished project.

----
I am on The Original List (twice). We are The Forsaken and we aim to burn!
"We don't fear the reaper"

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