Post Mon Jun 11, 2007 9:16 pm

Worlds at War help wanted!!

Hello; I've been mucking around in Freelancer here and there for the past two years now(since I got the game in '05; it's one of my *absolute* favorite games). I have a very neat(I think) idea for an MP mod, but it will require a LOT of work. I am an INI coder, I can write up weapons and INI-code ships and general INI work; but that's about it. I never got the hang of shipbuilding(then again my only tool was 3DSMax 7, and I never was able to figure out Milkshape. . .), and system forging is COMPLETELY out of my league; but I can edit existing code; and even make new code when it comes to weapons, or adding encounter areas to systems and what not.

ANYway, now comes the actual concept.

(from the perspective of an Indy Worlds bounty hunter.)
"Tensions never really relaxed after the Nomad War that almost tore the Sirius Sector asunder. The might of the Rheinland empire was never checked, and it continued to grow -- battle hungry. The four houses' militaries continued to grow, border skirmishes along the Kusari-Rheinland border were kindling a slow blaze that has taken the past 100 years to ignite. It all happened when the president of Liberty issued a pre-emptive strike on all of her borders; physically the strongest yet beset on all sides by the mighty Rheinlanders, the noble Bretonians, and the imperialist Kusari. These pre-emptives have boiled-over the single largest war Sirius has ever seen; the Civil War between all four houses. A war which would stir an old enemy; coax a powerful ally back out from the shadows and make bounty hunting the most profitable profession out there. . ."

Premise: The entire sector is at war with each other. Kusari fights Rheinland, Liberty and Bretonia. Bretonia fights Liberty and Kusari. Rheinland fights Kusari and Liberty.

Goals:
A fully-dynamic MP RPG-style play experience. A core system will be created, that's neutral to everyone where the players will start. There, they'll buy their way into their faction.

Fully-rebalanced ships and weapons according to set standards and house advantages.

Ships
Bretonia: Good armor, average shield strength, good shield recharge, average shield offline time, average maneuverability, average speed, good energy capacity and average energy recharge.

Kusari: Poor armor, great shield strength, poor shield recharge, great shield offline time, good maneuverability, great speed, poor energy capacity and great energy recharge.

Liberty: Average armor, good shield strength, average shield recharge, good shield offline time, great maneuverability, good speed, average energy capacity and good energy recharge.

Rheinland: Great armor, poor shield strength, great shield recharge, poor shield offline time, poor maneuverability, poor speed, great energy capacity and poor energy recharge.

A "poor" stat loses 25% off the base, a "good" stat gains 25% off the base, and a "great" stat gains 50% off the base. As you can see; Kusari ships have horrid armor, but excellent shields; paired with their fast-moving ships. Conversely, Rheinland has the heaviest armor with the worst speed and maneuverability, worst shield strength and shield offline time, but their shields regenerate quickly to compensate.

Several new "battlezone" maps that are empty save for bases; 1 for all four factions to slug it out in, 1 for each faction paired battles.

Upgrades which allow further customization of ships; like armor, shield and energy rechargers. Obviously, the superior ship would be the one that could mount a mix of all of the houses' weaponry and gear; but good luck doing that.

New ship classes: strike bomber; heavy bomber. These beasts of explosive burden are designed to take down the huge capital ships; carrying multiple torpedo launchers with intent to kill. They have limited weapon systems and are very sluggish, as such they require escort and support from fighters.

Flyable capital ships: House capital ships will be able to be flown; they are some of the most powerful vessels known though fighters can pick them apart since their inaccurate and slow-firing weapons are meant for ship-to-ship engagements.

A new MP game; destroy the bases. When a faction loses all of its bases, it's removed from the game temporarily. The game will last for a set amount of time; the one with the highest bases % will win.

-- Expansion 1 Goals:
Three new great factions appear on the scene, bringing the total factions to 7. The Outcasts, the Bounty Hunters and the Corsairs.

Capital ships; a gunship/frigate, a cruiser/dreadnought, a battlecruiser/battleship for each of the 3 new factions.

Bombers for each one as well, of course. . .it would be interesting to see a Bounty Hunter bomber.

WHAT I WILL NEED:
Possibly other coders to help me code everything in.
System forges, definitely. I cannot create systems on my own. . .
Expansion: Shipwrights.

Anyway, there will be more to come -- feel free to post your thoughts and suggestions. A demo will be coming soon, "Worlds at War: Rheinland Invades!" which will feature the New York system besieged by Rheinlanders.

Commander Blade Skydancer
Liberty Navy
Commander of the LNC Phoenix and the LND Hercules

"Alright, this is your last chance! Hand it over!"