something with more than 2 people is so hard to coordinate because everyone's schedule is different.

There have been people doing this for a long time. Check all the mods in the download area.

old time gamer from the days of pong on.

I know ppl have been making huge mods for a long time I am talking about the expansion that everyone wants microsoft ot make so much. I mean we can do almost everything to Freelancer to make the story completely new, a whole new ship line up, and a whole new universe. Isn't that enough to make a expansion of sorts?

My Ping, My Ping, My Ping is on Fire.
AND WE DON'T NEED ANY WATER

what about the voices? animations? and what the hells gonna be the new story line eh?

Hmm - haven't seen anyone making a whole new storyline at all. In fact, i haven't seen any new missions, or random missions, or even the ability to dock ships properly (as in use the moors with the ca_use_large/med_moors function. Heck - if we cannot sort out the moor thing, how the hell would you make a new storyline. It would take forever, and without any source code, i would be surprised if it works. Add to this that you would need new vids, new character new everything - and you will basically be needing to make nearly the whole game again to make Microsoft get interested.

I know alot of people think we can do anything - the truth is we can do next to nothing of real value. We, nor any mod made, can make a 'sequel'. Sure - i know some poeple get impressed with mods and say some mods deserve official release and recognition etc and that microsoft should employ them - but look very hard at what is actually being done.

Some effects have been changed. Not wholly new effects- game existing effects have been changed. Be it a hit effect or shot effect, it was copied, some values changed and put back in. Yes - its as good as making new effects - but no, its not. New ships - that is good. New systems - not really. Start making new backgrounds for them and it will be more impressive. Start making new planets, new stations types with new backgrounsd for new bars and other things. That is more impressive.

So - we can make things look different, but using the same things. Making new guns, equipment etc is not what constitutes a great mod, and as for me a sequel would need new features. A totally new storyline with the characters and everything in new videos. New random missions. Not one - but lots of different types. New everything, extra docking methods for ships, new physics for teh universe, dynamic (changing) markets dependant on the rate of purchase/sale of all things.

So - no, we cannot do almost anything, in truth - we can do next to nothing. Yes - it looks good, but no, its not anything special - after all - we can all do it can't we............

If some of those things can be acheived, then fine, but honestly - there is one amazingly good reason why all mods are similar in thread, and it has nothing to do with everyone wishing to 'copy' or other rubbish. It has EVERYTHING to do with the fact that the ONLY thing we are really changing is data files.

That limits the modding immensly. We can all only change the same variables. Look at mods that continue in editions. What do they add? more weapons, new system, new ships. that is it, they are not pushing any new boundaries at all - they are just making what we can already change bigger and bigger. The whole of the FL modding community is just a one trick pony. We are all making the same things, but presenting them differently

Wow, chips... that was quite a speech

But, yes all of you are right.. I guess you all pretty much summed up what I was going to say.

And when he gets to heaven
to Saint Peter he will tell:
One more soldier reporting sir
I've served my time in hell

Chips is right. The modders have done some amazing thigs with the little they have to work with. MS originally was going to release a MMORPG version of FL one year after the original release. I heard a rumour that they shelved the idea, but it was just a rumour. I don't know anything for sure.

old time gamer from the days of pong on.