i'm suggesting a reboot for the original vanilla version. no major changes, just a complete reorganization, hi-def textures, full exploitation of current knowledge in a vanilla context, the replacement of original ships with new high poly hi-def versions, the pruning of useless and redundant files, -new- voices, lots of things that could be done to not only make freelancer a much more appealing game in this HDTV age, but to make modding it less frustrating - example; use proper ship names! not pi_ li_ rh_ etc! place asteroid and nebula files where they belong, in the system folders. a total rehashing of the equipment INIs and FX inis into categorized groups to make them quicker to search. detangle file dependencies wherever possible using XML, substitution, inheritance, etc. organization is key to getting a mod that is not just working but flexible enough to be updated quickly. i've got a baker's dozen impressive tricks that won't save the games community most likely, but will add a little spit and polish that is sorely needed to impress new pilots.

this is what i'm working on, solo (again), and when it's done it'll be available for everyone to use in whatever form they like including by itself, with lots of the items being modular even the slowest of modders should be able to borrow something from it

took some time until this thread was revived ^^


personally i know 4 games which became even more successful after the support did end (due to the fact that the community took over the support and the development of the games)
maybe FL is going to be the 5th game which will go this way... but i have to say that the conditions are very different so i have heavy doubts on this
not to mention that the FL community is too "splitted" atm... well it always was

personally i dont want to believe in a "everything is going to be good"... im no pure optimist... im a realist... I hope for the best but expect the worst
and in this case i really like to have a "backup plan" (and meanwhile i have several of those)

Do share your plans OP

im not sure if my plans are that much of importance even if they are not that much different from what was planned for LR during the time i was one of the admins

but i can only speak from what plan to do with SWAT
basically covering new games with high potential in the next few years (3 very interesting new space sims, and several others including fps + rts)
and in 2 cases i already got agreements with the developers about hosting the official community and modding pages
of course the SWAT Portal will continue to cover FL and the 2 current mods (Crossfire and Blaster Universe), CF will go into version 1.8 in the next months and the development of BU is going to be pushed since Blaster reported to b back
there is going to be a 3rd FL project about creating a multi server network that does not require the Global List Server
A few weeks ago starlancer online project has been started and even we dont have thousands of players this project will go on as a fun project since nobody else does run SL rooms anylonger
half a year ago another SL project called SL: The Sol War (a new game) has been started but delayed due to time issues... 3 weeks ago the final decision was made to change the game engine and after we finished the work on the interface and the engine its time for modelling and lvl design

as u can see im not turning my back on FL but i prefere to have different options for the case that the GLS does go offline and FL does loose players en masse

So if the GLS goes off-line we can no longer play FL online? I thought you could just type in the address to the server you want to connect to and be able to play without the GLS. Am I wrong about that?

No you are not wrong. Additionally, someone is working on a global server emulation software. Once thats finished, even if the GS will shut down, all the clients would have to do is alter one line in their freelancer.ini...

Anyways, lets hope they wont shut it down too soon (or lets hope they shut it down and release the Source)

W0dk4,
shhhhhh.....not so loud.

yes you can connect via IP to a server
and yes you could create a 2nd gls and chance the information on the freelancer.ini to get it work

but i consider this a not very elegant way in the same way i consider all the tools which do this to be not the best choice

FL has to live from new players and not just those experience players which know LR already... which know that such tools do even exist... which know how to alter such lines or use mods
in the end we are talking about absolute FL noobs which click on MP and get a screen with 0 servers then
and i can guarantee that many of them just will say "**** it im going to play something else then"


im more up for replacement and automatic solutions for this problem

so your proposition is...nothing?

"but i consider this a not very elegant way in the same way i consider all the tools which do this to be not the best choice"

ungh - brain need coffee!

GLS emulation is the only option offered -> direct connect will work as a stop-gap solution.

as for n00bs who haven't even played SP going 'F- it' when they see no servers listed, because they haven't even the interest necessary to LOOK for MS-freelancer's site and the TLR link - EFFFFF them. its their loss; they're missing out on a good story, a good game, and a great Multiplayer experience with lots of variety. I would rather have three very active roleplayers than twenty dock raping noobs who could care less about contributing to a positive experience!

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but i consider this a not very elegant way in the same way i consider all the tools which do this to be not the best choice

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I don't see a way around this issue... we can't stick a sticker on games boxes saying "global server gone, try this instead" - so they're all lost anyway... unless they do a simple web search instead

As for "modders working together" - I can only speak from my own perspective. Egos some may call it, but I made a mod simply because every mod in existance of that type (2 at the time) was disgustingly unbalanced, and featured star wars/star trek/ bab 5 into Freelancer... which I disliked.

That was my motivation, and why i did it. I tried working with others, but if people can't agree, then that's the way it goes. I was not going to lose sight of what I set out to achieve simply because someone else may want something.

Now you may say that's an ego and selfish... but I say "what's my motivation?"
I made a mod because I enjoyed doing it. Whenever I tried to bug track others mods, I hated it. It was a chore. I could never create stuff for others, it was boring - I had no interest in spending my time doing what someone else wanted... i had better things to do!

So that's why i never managed to work with others

Back to people saying "if only the community..." - yeah, there are issues with this too. There are people who do, and people who don't.
No-one is born knowing how to mod, some may have more affinity than others... but we all learn and read, pick up things. Stop wishing on others doing it - spend some time, read some tutorials, and do it yourselves instead

Those that can, have a vision of what they want - and don't spend their time doing what others want against what they themselves may want - hence, they work alone.
Others can't - and therefore sit around and complain that the ones that can don't work together to create them something great that they want to play due to egos.

im not proposing anything - mainly because their is already a working solution

a gls emulation is only one of the possibilities
you can also create a by-pass (there is one running successfully for more than 1 year already without the need of any tools or commands)
another solution would b a GLS replacement (the best solution in my eyes, and basically what im working on)

i dont really agree with that "its their loss" if they have probs and give up
its the communities loss in my eyes because the community does need members


i fully agree with chips on this working togehter issue because i originally i didnt meant it in the way that we have all to work together and do the same stuff and do what others say....
no
we have many modders here
a bunch of very experienced modders which have created the most successful mods for FL
and we have a bunch of newcommers with new vissions and not much experience
everyone likes a different style of playing... different mods... different environments
some dont like mods where everything is mixed (startrek, starwars, fl, ... )
i also belong to those which dont really like that even if i cant deny that there is a concept for a FL mod with those Scifi universes on my desk
but many other players like such stuff

but what i originally wanted to say is that we often concentrate our view most times only on our own work instead on the community itself... at least i have that impression

"in the end we are talking about absolute FL noobs which click on MP and get a screen with 0 servers then
and i can guarantee that many of them just will say "**** it im going to play something else then"

im more up for replacement and automatic solutions for this problem"

"replacement and automatic solutions"... you really start to piss me off you know. You keep talking about things in a manner like "I know a better solution, but I wont tell you details because that makes me look cool on the forums"

Now tell me, which is the "already working" solution that makes complete FL newbs able to join Freelancer servers when the GS is offline? (other than redirecting the microsoft dns entry to a community emulation software)

Come on people lets work this out like Lancer Mates not animals ok. This discussion is very important so without sliming one another bring to the table the options we have. Such as a highly visible go to TLR for MP and SP needs posted at the Official Freelancer Site.

I am certain we will cross that bridge when we get to it.
In the meantime, we're working on viable solutions.