What would make a good Traveller themed FPS?
- Thread starter Scarecrow
- Start date
Imperial Marines.
Battledress, fusion guns, grav tanks, orbital assault, drop capsules, boarding operations, exotic environments, obital fire support ... you could create dozens of scenarios without even trying.
Battlefield 1942 could probably support a decent Traveller setting right now; all you'd need would be custom skins and maps. You might need some modeling done for grav vehicles, but there's enough talent in the community to handle that easily.
Battledress, fusion guns, grav tanks, orbital assault, drop capsules, boarding operations, exotic environments, obital fire support ... you could create dozens of scenarios without even trying.
Battlefield 1942 could probably support a decent Traveller setting right now; all you'd need would be custom skins and maps. You might need some modeling done for grav vehicles, but there's enough talent in the community to handle that easily.
RandyT0001
SOC-13
I agree Piper, the Battlefield 1942 FPS engine could be used to create additional mods which include the Traveller elements. Included in the four disk multipack (includes BF1942, Road to Rome mod, and Secret Weapons mod) there are two additional programs that let you create your own terrain. A seperate, non Electronic Arts (EA) (makers of BF1942) group created the Desert Combat (Final) mods which can be downloaded off the web. Desert Combat is modern warfare set in the Iraqi theater of operations. Unfortunately (for our purposes here) EA has just released Battlefield 2 and the two versions are not intercompatible. I'm sure that EA will stop producing BF1942 (v1) and concentrate on BF2 so if the Traveller community embraces BF1942 as it's FPS engine it will be more and more difficult to find the original disks. My brother downloaded the demo version of BF2 and he was not overly impressed with it (for the asking price). I think many people have the same opinion about BF2, not enough new and different material and engine (over Desert Combat) to justify the (IIRC) $50 price. If the Traveller community decides to use BF1942 engine as it's FPS we would probably need to contact EA seeking permission and coordinate our efforts to create the needed skins, maps and modeling quickly before the remaining BF1942 disks become impossible to find.
(Known as W.vonBraun on the BF game servers. I'm usually in the LaL server(s) and some of the DC servers with similar rules. The LaL servers have rules against invasion of non-capturable enemy bases, spawn killing and in chat profanity which I like.)
(Known as W.vonBraun on the BF game servers. I'm usually in the LaL server(s) and some of the DC servers with similar rules. The LaL servers have rules against invasion of non-capturable enemy bases, spawn killing and in chat profanity which I like.)
Andrew Boulton
The Adminator
Set it during the invasion of Terra, so you can play Impies or Sollies. (If you use the 5FW you've got psionics to complicate things)
Ofcourse, you could always create a System Shock Fan Mission (i.e. mod) set in the beginning of the TNE timeline. A Virus takes over a starship, turning robotics against the crew; YOU have been hidden in a low berth but have been awakened and must reach, repair, refuel and use the escape pods.
daryen
SOC-14 1K
As already mentioned, the potential for storylines is infinite. Good "starter kits" would be any of the scenarios from Snapshot and AHL. Also, the "Chamax" double adventure (5) would be easily adaptable. I am sure the Broadsword adventure (7) could be made to work. If you change the nature of the adventure, both Research Station Gamma and Safari Ship are great starting points.
Heck, looking at the list, Adv 1,2,7,8,9,10 and all six of the Dbl Adv would provide great FPS scenarios. Granted, some of them would have to be modified, either to increase the combat(!) or to change from group to individual dynamics. But the base ideas could all work well.
TNE is also a great source for ideas, as the setting is already in the "overwhelming odds" mode. Besides fighting out of a Virus ship, the "Wilds" example scenario in the TNE rulebook would be easily adaptable to an FPS scenario. And I am quite sure any of the more destructive RC type missions could be done, too.
The biggest thing (IMO) would be to include Traveller specfic visuals. The absolute biggest of these (assuming ship-board action) would be faithful deckplans (e.g. Suileman, Intrepid, Beowolf, Marava, AHL) for the players to stalk their opponents through.
After that, just add more Traveller stuff: lasers with backpacks; cloth, jack, and combat armor; a few cutlasses; air/rafts and G-carriers (if planetside); grav belts; demonstration of effects of jump drive in cut-scenes; Imperial sunburst; DeGraf's Bilandi font.
I would also recommend using an existing engine (licensing permitting). All any of us are talking about is pure eye candy; the mechanics of the game wouldn't need change.
Heck, looking at the list, Adv 1,2,7,8,9,10 and all six of the Dbl Adv would provide great FPS scenarios. Granted, some of them would have to be modified, either to increase the combat(!) or to change from group to individual dynamics. But the base ideas could all work well.
TNE is also a great source for ideas, as the setting is already in the "overwhelming odds" mode. Besides fighting out of a Virus ship, the "Wilds" example scenario in the TNE rulebook would be easily adaptable to an FPS scenario. And I am quite sure any of the more destructive RC type missions could be done, too.
The biggest thing (IMO) would be to include Traveller specfic visuals. The absolute biggest of these (assuming ship-board action) would be faithful deckplans (e.g. Suileman, Intrepid, Beowolf, Marava, AHL) for the players to stalk their opponents through.
After that, just add more Traveller stuff: lasers with backpacks; cloth, jack, and combat armor; a few cutlasses; air/rafts and G-carriers (if planetside); grav belts; demonstration of effects of jump drive in cut-scenes; Imperial sunburst; DeGraf's Bilandi font.
I would also recommend using an existing engine (licensing permitting). All any of us are talking about is pure eye candy; the mechanics of the game wouldn't need change.
Fifth Frontier War: Zhodani Boarding Action
1st mission is a storm and board a small pirate.
Final mission is killing everyone aboard the AHL
Teep & Peep. Gives it some serious difference from mmost FPS's, in that you don't always have to open the door, and you can check behind closed doors!
1st mission is a storm and board a small pirate.
Final mission is killing everyone aboard the AHL
Teep & Peep. Gives it some serious difference from mmost FPS's, in that you don't always have to open the door, and you can check behind closed doors!
Well, I was very impressed by the way that Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic was handled. Based on the d20 system and Sci-Fi already, I'm sure it could easily be modified to handle T20. Five planets in the story-line and I'll bet you could add more to that engine. I've been watching a friend play and I thought it would be great for a D&D game. KotOR 2 I hear is even better. I've been wondering if there's any way to modify it since it's under the LucasArts license and they don't like to give up much.
Anyways, I'd definitely put down money for a great Adventure Campaign. A little of eveything: from trading to exploration and diplomacy, space combat, bad guy villains and their faceless army (or more than one villain, even), an Ancient artifact, half-naked dancing girls in bars (throw that one in just for me), meet the Emperor to be Knighted, lots of aliens, a great story.
Hmmm, I'll have to check around the Internet for mods to the KotOR game.
Dameon
Anyways, I'd definitely put down money for a great Adventure Campaign. A little of eveything: from trading to exploration and diplomacy, space combat, bad guy villains and their faceless army (or more than one villain, even), an Ancient artifact, half-naked dancing girls in bars (throw that one in just for me), meet the Emperor to be Knighted, lots of aliens, a great story.
Hmmm, I'll have to check around the Internet for mods to the KotOR game.
Dameon
If you're more into a kind of Striker format the Ghost Recon 1 engine is old but venerable. It's a great game allowing for team 1st person style.
Check out the mods available at Ghostrecon.net for ideas. There was a proposed but unfortunately never completed "Total Conversion" mod for the Stargate SG1 setting that looked fantastic. GR1 could do the TL 5 to TL 9 settings for merc contracts easily.
Check out the mods available at Ghostrecon.net for ideas. There was a proposed but unfortunately never completed "Total Conversion" mod for the Stargate SG1 setting that looked fantastic. GR1 could do the TL 5 to TL 9 settings for merc contracts easily.
I'd go for a Scout story line, sort of a cross breeding of Starflight I/II and KOTOR I/II; i.e. travel to strange new worlds, solve problems and mysteries, uncover evidence of a greater plan, conspiracy, history, etc.
Visiting strange new worlds could involve more than enough combat to keep the reflexes sharp.
Really, I envisage nothing that differenct than most FPS or even CRPG's, just Traveller-ized. Sort of Lara Croft in a vacc suit (okay, a tight vacc suit!).
Visiting strange new worlds could involve more than enough combat to keep the reflexes sharp.
Really, I envisage nothing that differenct than most FPS or even CRPG's, just Traveller-ized. Sort of Lara Croft in a vacc suit (okay, a tight vacc suit!).
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