Supreme Cmdr

Am on it! Fixed. [ 12-17-2001: Message edited by: Supreme Cmdr ]

Excellent tutorial. I would add that after step 6, you also what to use the HOLD button to prevent AI updates. The drone will then stop moving. Just before you launch the shuttle, toggle it back off.

quote: Originally posted by Stormshadow: I think All of us here have duplicated it.....It really ticked me off when I went to attack a station...was boarded...tried to fire my PAD at the station....and guess what...it's a no go....my bridge crew is looking around like the half wits they are and then all eyes turn to Resnig...who has become rather red-faced and behind him on the vid are two big ugly guys carrying the darn PAD into the shuttlebay........meanwhile we're having a new a$$ ripped in the ship because the station has decided that they really don't care for us being around anymore.....yeah we've been through it. [ 12-17-2001: Message edited by: Stormshadow ] LOL!!!

I deleted a post earlier today which someone made. It was related to the course plot destination being chosen at random in Navitron. This has been discussed before. If the AI of the NO is low, you will get an incorrect course plot. Thats why I deleted that post in the new Pending Issues thread I opened this morning.

quote: Originally posted by Malkuth: Hmmmm, thats to bad about E5. Wasn't trying to get anybody introuble with my post.Im just glad The FBI is Cracking down on this stuff. Games are back up to 50 + bucks and its because of Warez. Man it was so great begging of year into summer picking up games for 39.95. I miss that. Exactly. Warez is the #1 reason that the price of games lingers at the $40-$50 range. No other reason.

quote: Originally posted by Eihort: E5 said he did buy the game (I can only assume he did since SC seems to be enacting various anti-piracy protocols.). Therefore, should he not have access to the same support material and information as everyone else, including the forums? I didn't ban him because of anything other than him admitting to supporting Warez. And no, the forum is not some extension of tech support. Its something that I run on my own - and having the game gives no entitlement to the forum. Tech support has a dedicated email address. The downloads page for the patches is open to the public etc etc etc All I know is, I just wish he had just kept that to himself. I, like a few others I'm sure, were better off not knowing.

SDM = Station Defense Missiles [ 12-16-2001: Message edited by: Supreme Cmdr ]

quote: Originally posted by Captain Dread: Just because the computer is destroyed, why should that preclude you from moving yourself? I'm pretty sure it does, but I may be wrong (i've only been heavily damaged once, and comp still worked) You're wrong. It doesn't. Computer systems have nothing to do with locations.

quote: Originally posted by Supreme Cmdr: The 2311 nVidia drivers are extremely buggy. You may want to revert to 2183 or 2280 until further notice. And you might want to grab any stuff you might need from Guru3D because they are closing tomorrow.

quote: Originally posted by Tac: I do hope the fleet database is left open at least, its a great tool. The fleet DB has been purged.

I have received several emails which I have read and will be thinking about carefully over the coming weeks. I have also been over to Orion and read Mike's hig hly appreciated post (thanks Mike!) as well as Blade's (aka Savage) post, which, while not particularly an issue to me (I just don't care enough any more, to be bothered) still have the same tone which contributed to this conclusion to begin with. All I can say at this time is that the chances of me changing my mind are close to ZERO. As for a new player hosted community, I wish you guys luck because you sure as all hell are going to need it. Lots of it. Especially if it involves the same people I've been watching and whom I don't believe to be worthy of this community (regardless of tenure). But then again, thats just me. I'm just gonna watch. Maybe next year I will feel different, initiate certain changes etc. Who knows. Until then, the tech support aspects of the game as it pertains to the forum will be my one and only focus. Nothing else. That is all.

quote: Originally posted by cougarxg1: I hope you do not mind the thread SC? Its the right thread

quote: Originally posted by Captain Dread: What about the issue of not being able to order yourself somewhere? I understand the whole concept of being unable to repair your own ship, but what about telling your AE to go to a shuttle? What about it?

quote: Originally posted by xivix: There's some bad guys floating around GALCOM HQ. So, first I sent all 4 fighters after them. do? Unlike you, NPC pilots don't attack marines.

Like most buildings, destroyed stations will rebuild over time. For cloning. Read the manual again. Its on p43. Assuming you actually OWN the game and as such a manual of course. [ 12-16-2001: Message edited by: Supreme Cmdr ]

The 2311 nVidia drivers are extremely buggy. You may want to revert to 2183 or 2280 until further notice.

quote: Originally posted by DeSylva: I have sent email to your Derek - respectfully requesting you read it.Regards, Gareth DeSylva OK. I've read it. I'm going to read this thread and post what I believe to be a solution, later today. And for the record: I have NO problems with Blades whatsoever. If I had, I'd have banned him. I do NOT want ANYONE polishing up their thoughts to suit my acceptance of same. When Aramike tells me on ICQ I've gone too far or I need to re-think something, we end up chatting on the phone etc. So, if HE can speak freely, so can anyone. Even my own beta guys who've been around for like forever, don't hold back. I'm a leader. I LEAD. Thats one of the things I do best. I have a very long track record of doing just that. Even to this day, I get emails, phone calls etc from industry vets (devs, publishers etc) who still CANNOT believe that any indie company could have held out for so long (after the 1996 BC disaster) and put out a product like this. And I have the emails to prove it too. That takes leadership. I get emails every single day (atm, I have 63 unread emails in my inbox. Thats just from last night) from people I've never heard of and who just happen upon the game, read about us (the dev, the site etc) and wondered where the hell they've been all these years and missed this action*. Game development, while not an exact science, takes an insane degree of dedication, ambition and a twist of insanity to succeed. Being a leader is not always the place to be because it comes with a vasy array of responsibilities and decision making. Sometimes those decisions don't seat well with the people you lead - but that comes with the territory. And you do what you have to do and deal with the consequences. If there is anything that I'm proud off, its that I have yet to lose a friend over a decision I've made, something I've done (or haven't) or something I've said. Regardless, and above all else, I am an extremely loyal person and my industry history itself is testament to that. I have people all over the world, who know NOTHING about me, making it their favorite hobby to attack, libel and slander me for no apparent reason. Yet, it never occured to ANYONE that never in my history has any member of my team (those that are around or have moved** on to greener pastures), family, friends etc have ever said a single bad thing about me. I'm not perfect, and I don't WANT to be. I do things MY way and it works for ME. While my methods and actions don't work for everyone, there is a reason for that. They're not me. My decision to exit this community and find something else worthy of my attention and loyalty, didn't have anything primarily to do with Blade's excerpt, but rather the message that was sub-consciously communicated therein. He, like others, perhaps feel that my grip on the forum is too harsh. However, without order there is chaos. And where there is chaos, there is anarchy. First one person calls me names in open forum and tells me that I'm looking to ban anyone (as if I had to LOOK for a reason. pah!). Then another openly - on MY forum - admits to supporting Warez etc. Then, in my mind, Blades' post seem to alude to the fact that the method in which the forum was run, was somewhat responsible. At least thats how I understood it. As stated above by someone else, I think I've become too friendly with some and in doing that, most have lost their place and started taken me for granted. I've always treated everyone here as an equal - and equally lashing out as necessary and not showing any form of favoritism therein. Heck, if you folks knew just how much Gallion got on my nerves, you'd never think that he'd still be here - let alone render his FREE assistance with BCM. But he's still here. Why? because to me, he is an equal and I would think, a friend. I'm just the guy who created this but everyone who comes close to this in some fashion or another, shapes it in one way or another. Look, I started doing this for FUN. I went through hell and back in the early years. I have not made a SINGLE dime on the BC franchise. Each and every cent that comes in, goes right back into something related to the franchise. My primary concerns have been to get my games done, pay my guys (who are happily enjoying their much deserved BCM completion bonuses) and continue on from there with future projects. I just do NOT have time to get involved in this nonsense anymore. There was a time when the BC fanbase was a highly respected and regimented group. Somewhere along the line, something happened and I don't know what. Hell, we've been called every name in the book! My daughter's birthday is coming up. Until yesterday, I forgot what day it was. Where was I? Right here. I forgot that - but did I forget to check the forum for problems or issues that needed my attention? Nope. Did I check with EB (as I always do every other day) on the sales figures for the game? Nope. Yesterday I walked into my garage and noticed that one of my cars was, well, missing. I went back inside and ask my other half where the car was. Well, the car (my 500SL) has been in the garage for its regular maintenance for almost a week. It was completed a day later (8 days ago). And I clean forgot about it. Yet, in those days, I've walked into the same garage, got into my other car, gone out, came back and thought nothing of it. And to top it all, my grandmother for whom I have the fondest memories, died about a week ago at an old age. The funeral was Friday. Where was I? Right here. Did I get on an international flight? No. I stayed right here and prayed about it. Much to the chagrin of everyone in the family. I stayed right here. Day in and day out - doing this. Why? Because I needed to do this. I had a game with known problems and which needed my attention and the final 1.0.02 patch was still MIA. I have not one, but two book deals I've been sitting on. I have an inbox full of emails inquiring about my decision. I have yet to respond to either. I have international (EB, Virgin, Mindscape etc) publishing deals that I've negotiating and nitpicking for almost a month. In fact, Titus (the parent company for Interplay) wanted to release BCM via the Virgin brand, Internationally. And in the end, the deal died because apparently they didn't want to pay the asking price because of, *gasp*, the graphics. Naturally, the next step would be for me to re-negotiate the deal (publishers do that. A lot). My response? OK, fair enough.. End of discussion. I went right back to doing what I was doing. Working on the final 1.0.02 patch. And without so much as a cursory thought about the deal. I can't remember that last time I talked to my best friend, Jim. Normally, we'd talk each and every day. Like a routine. Just last week he called wondering where the hell I was etc. Until yesterday, I didn't even realize that Christmas was merely a week away and that I had planned to take off. wtf was I doing? Working on BC mp. And to top all that, I have to fork out an estimated $350K to develop BCTC for 2003. Not to mention all the expenses associated with the two BCM add-ons and BCO. ALL of which are already in some stage of pre-production. So, yes, I've pretty much put this community and indeed the very BC franchise itself, above all else. All for what?!? As I said. I'm just NOT having fun anymore. Its like everything has become automated, formulaic and, well, absurd. Maybe I'm burned out. Maybe I've reached my potential and just cannot imagine that I could possibly excel beyond what I have achieved with BC (and I'm not talking about technology either). I dunno. Maybe now that I've proven to myself, the world and everyone else on Mars, that I could do this and that I couldn't be beat, the challenge is gone. Or maybe I just need a stiff drink. At the end of the day. I'm worn. I'm torn. And I feel burned. * quote: Oddly enough, I had flirted with the idea of purchasing your game many times, but with the huge number of games out during this shopping season, the droves at the shopping malls and so forth, I couldn't dedicate much time to reading the back of the box. For some insane reason I had incorrectly believed that BCM was yet another game with a linear storyline, good for exactly one playthrough, after which you toss it or sell it and move on to the next one. Tonight, flirting with it yet again, a word on the back of the box caught my eye: "roam" mode. My all time favorite game is Sid Meier's Pirates! Gold. First because I love pirates. Second because you could do what you wanted, go where you wanted, move your career in any direction. Replayability was infinite because there were an infinite number of possibilities. So I came back home and have been reading the reviews of BCM for over two hours. Sure, I love good graphics in a game, but when reviewers mention how good or poor a particular game's garphics happen to be I just scan over that part and look for teh good stuff: what, if anything, will this game offer to keep me playing it past a month, a week or a day??? My current favorite is a title called Operation Flashpoint made by a Czech outfit (I think). I'm sure you've heard of it or even played it. The graphics are so so by FPS standards, but I look at the utter enormity of the gameworld, the remarkable editor and I am in heaven. I have been happily making my own scenarios for over a month now, learning more editor tricks form the massive OFP comminuty, and if I died playing this game I can safely say I would die happy. So now I read about so so graphics in BCM. I read about so so sound. Reviewers have a knack of taking an element which most gamers probably wouldn't even give a second thought to and making it seem disproportionately bad to overall gameplay. Had some fans of "Ghost Recon" not compared that game to OFP in terms of AI tactics, I would have thought the AI in OPF was just perfect. Now I find myself occasionally questioning the actions of my AI squadmates (unfairly so, as they have saved my ass on multiple occasions). Will I cease purchasing your game because some reviewers have criticized the graphics? Hell no. Immediately after work on Monday I am going to our local Electronics Botique, praying that the last copy is still there, and it's all mine. Now on to open-endedness.... I post regularly to a small informal game critic's forum. I posted some of the BCM reviews and asked what they thought (too early for the replies to start coming in). In response to one of the frequent criticisms I read by many of the reviewers, that being their attack of what they deemed a lackluster campaign element, I wrote to my forum: >>>What is WRONG with these f-ing reviewers? We sit here and cry and cry on this forum about no open-endedness in games today, how new games (even something like Gothic) provide only one play through, how games like Pirates! are so epic because there is unlimited replayability, and BOOM someone comes out with a game that is BEST played open-ended and all they can whine about is "No! No! We want a STORYLINE which will force this game to be obsolete in two months!" A-Holes! They are pure A-holes!!! They are BEGGING the industry to make fewer open-ended titles and more linear tripe!!! I would like to thank you personally for making a true open-ended game. No, I am not opposed to some story elements which I imagine BCM may have. But as long as a game's ultimate conclusion is not dependent on the success or failure of those quests or storylines then it's a great game. As stated, I am buying BCM Monday and there is no need for me to e-mail you a follow-up detailing my opinion. I am absolutely positive I will love it. This industry needs more game designers creating products that will keep you involved for months, years or indefinately, rather than products that do nothing but keep you waiting for the sequal because the original is already played out ad-nauseum. Thank you! M Quinn quote: GAMEPLAY! GAMEPLAY! GAMEPLAY! Finally, a game designer with the right attitude! I was so sure Bill Gates and Big Business had ruined PC games forever. SOOOO happy to be wrong! I haven't been buying many games for quite a while. When I do buy one I usually have to convince myself with, "Well, this seems COMPARATIVELY fun" or "At least it LOOKS cool." And 9 times out of 9, those games end up on the shelf with me a little more apathetic. I was beginning to think I didn't know what was good about a game anymore. I don't have much money to spend on games, so I want to get the most crunch for the coin. I only found out about BC3K two days ago (searching for good games on Theunderdogs.org (I'm always broke)). I've only played about 20 minutes of BC3K ( I remember when one always had to read the manual, but I haven't had to read one in a while). And I only heard about BCM today ( and had to read EVERYTHING on the site AND e-mail it to a friend). But I know I'll be buying it. And, I'm sure, not regretting it. Even IF it was as buggy as swamps, I'd be happily doing whatever worked and waiting for patches. Chuckling. This is a faith I thought I'd lost; but you, YOU know what you're doing. I love everything I've seen! The scope! The scale! The SCREENSHOTS!!! My pulse raced when I saw the guy with the jetpack in space! I gasped out obscenities at the planetary missile launcher shooting its load! I nearly shot mine when I saw the gal swimming around the downed spaceship! Oh, and the spaceships/stations, planets, stars, cities, explosions, and all looked great too. You have been working VERY hard, and I for one am IMPRESSED (could you guess?). Some part of my mind keeps rebelling against my general euphoria. Fly a capital ship AND interceptors? Land on a planet and GET OUT in 1st person view?! STEAL a ship and fly back into space?!!! Marine CAMPAIGN?!!! ECONOMICS/TRADE!!! A whole GALAXY that doesn't give a crap about me?! OH MY GOD! heeheeheeheee! This game OOZES awesome. Smart might not be good enough; you might have to change your name to Derek GENIUS. Super-genius? BUT WHY? Why, oh why? The rebel part of my mind cries. Why has no one done this before? Even ATTEMPTED it? Only one thing makes sense: the shit-machine Big Business computer gaming industry has totally lost sight of what goes into a good game. Its become Hollywood. Put in some Big Money special effects, steal a script, get actors that do well with audiences, come up with a snappy catch-phrase, and throw a twist at the end. VOILA! More money to put into the sequel. Repeat as necessary. Its to the point where audiences (film or game) don't have anything good to judge new entrants by. Computer games are probably worse off than movies. But the turds of video gaming have been impacted long enough, and you my man are the enema! You have given us a UNIVERSE to PLAY in! I hope you make a mint off of BCM. You deserve it for your STELLAR effort (pun and compliment intended). If some yahoos don't understand what you've done, they probably don't know any better. I mean, if you had eaten Cheerios all your life, wouldn't Fruit Loops intimidate you? Whew.... sorry for all that ranting. I feel better now. A (very) New Fan. **Juan over at OMF got BCM as his first gig. Right out college. After finishing up on his BCM work, he got a full time gig at OMF and moved up there. Just recently I got email from him thanking for the opportunity to break in etc. [ 12-16-2001: Message edited by: Supreme Cmdr ]

quote: Originally posted by DeSylva: I have sent email to your Derek - respectfully requesting you read it.Regards, Gareth DeSylva OK, will do and get back to you later today.

In light of this thread, I will leave this forum open for the next week or so, in order to give you guys time to sort it all out. That is all

I'm not going to read ANY of this. There is a reason why most game companies either (a) don't host forums ( when they do host it - its generally chaotic, disorderly and a haven for misfits - when then ends up having it closed down. I've had it. Anybody want to start a planetbattlecruiser.com be my guest. Just ask my permission first before using any of my materials. As I said, the site will remain. The forum will remain but I'm going to delete all registrations (except for Beta testers), disable the ability to register and leave the existing wealth of content as read-only material. My responsiblity is in fixing game bugs etc. I've been doing that and will continue doing that. What I don't want to be a part of is a community which contains a plethora of backstabbers or folks who have NO clue what loyalty is (yes, I do get to see all those ICQ messages, emails etc. As I've said before - people underestimate the power of friendship). Blades had two people in his fleet who were out of line. Their actions had NOTHING to do with him - but in less than two paragraphs of his post, it boiled down to rhetoric about the site, rather than the problems that caused those bannings. Like I said, this [what the forum and its participants have become] is NOT fun any more and I no longer want to be a part of it. I'm a game developer not a babysitter. And anyone who doesn't buy my next game because of this - well, I really don't care about that either. I do games for fun, not money. I have money and enough of it to keep doing what I love doing, forever - and without having to sell a single game unit. I really don't think you guys understand this - probably those who have been around since the good and bad old days, understand me when I say that I'm NOT HAVING FUN ANYMORE. [ 12-16-2001: Message edited by: Supreme Cmdr ]

In XP1 I will extend Fleet C&C to troops.

The highest is 100

Everyone please read this. Effective Monday morning, I will be closing all forums (except the Beta forum) for posting. I may re-open them at a later day, but until then, thats that. I've had enough and this just isn't fun anymore. Be advised. [ 12-16-2001: Message edited by: Supreme Cmdr ]

quote: Originally posted by Blades: Im getting tired of coming here every day and seeing another post by one of my lot that has me cringing, or wondering if it's going to get them shouted at or banned. It never used to be this bad. There was a time when people could get away with a lot more than they do now. If you ask me (And you didnt) things have gotten a little too draconian around here of late.I agree that security has to be tightened to keep a certain element out of the way, but I dont agree with the sheer number of people (Vets and newbies alike) who are intimidated or frightened into submission. I see. Well, now that the patches are out and the game is more or less secure, I should probably just close down the forum and be done with it. Tech support can still be handled via the support address as it used to. And folks who want to meet, can do so via ICQ, AIM, IRC etc. OK. I will close all the public sections of the forum down and disable all postings to all but the beta forum. The information on the site will remain read-only and there is a wealth of info already. I've already opened the forum to the public (you only have to register to post), so accessing the read-only forums shouldn't be a problem. This is supposed to be fun. And I for one am NOT having fun and I'm tired of babysitting this forum and getting responses such as the above because some don't either (a) don't want to abide by the rules or ( think they are too Draconian. And I've said before, I have no problems banning any and everyone who steps out of line - no exceptions. So, rather than having to go through that periodically, I'll just disable postings and be done with it. Nevertheless, Draconian or not, the forum is clean because of the tight ship I run here. That is all. [ 12-15-2001: Message edited by: Supreme Cmdr ]

quote: Originally posted by Rico Jansen: (feels overly self-confident) Sorry, SC, you came in at the wrong moment. We've had better times this evening. oh, ok. Next time then