News:

Rings of Reznor!

Main Menu

The Foundry

Started by pr1983, December 09, 2010, 01:13:16 PM

Previous topic - Next topic

pr1983

So, any plans for this? Once I learn the ropes I'll definitely be making missions, but maybe we could also pool our knowledge and come up with something? At the very least we could work on stories/plots/character ideas etc.

BlueBard

I certainly plan to test it, once it's more stable on Tribble.  As it stands, I don't think it's been turned on more than 2 days in a row.

Until I get a handle on what's possible, I don't really want to start brainstorming any complicated plots.

What they have said is that the initial Foundry release -should- be able to create any regular mission that existed when STO launched.
STO/CO: @bluegeek

BlueBard

Ok, I've spent a little time on the Foundry on the Tribble test server.

My first impression is that it is rough and cluttered... but you can feel the raw power of it rumbling under the hood.  The editing tools are FAR more visual than the Mission Architect counterpart in CoX and they let you do what MA won't... placements.  Not predetermined spawn points, but as in putting stuff exactly where you want it.

In this initial release, you can build your own space maps by combining and placing elements like planets, asteroids, backdrops, nebula clouds, etc.  Or you can customize an existing map.

Ground maps are still limited to customizing existing maps.  You can't design your own geography/topology.  But you can place buildings, spawns, objectives, and details as you like.

I think CoX Mission Architect still has an edge in the types of objectives you can add to your missions.  In the Foundry, you have basic objective types that you can customize:  Interact with Objects, Kill/Defeat Enemies, Talk to Contact, and Reach Marker.  That last option puts a very powerful tool in your hands... to trigger a following event by reaching a certain area.  MA couldn't do that last I checked.

(More Next Post...)
STO/CO: @bluegeek

BlueBard

Another cool tool in the Foundry that I haven't explored yet is using Costumes.  As of right now, the Foundry doesn't let you build custom enemies from scratch like MA does.  What it will do, though, is allow you to take an existing enemy (or other) and basically reskin him so he looks like something totally different.

Want a runabout that packs the punch of a Galaxy-class cruiser?  Sounds like you can do that.

Costumes also allow you to work around some of the limitations of the tool.  For example, you can't have Federation vs Federation missions.  BUT, you can reskin an enemy (say for example Terran Empire forces from the Mirror Universe) so they look like Federation.

In my last post, I mentioned that the objective types are more primitive than MA's objectives.  BUT, you should be able to string together a series of Foundry objectives along with Popup Dialog to get very close.  The objects and actors themselves are very customizable and let you tweak their behavior directly.  This is different from MA where the objective type determines the actor's behavior.

(More Next Post...)
STO/CO: @bluegeek

BlueBard

Another thing that the Foundry does better than MA is map transitions, IMO.  In MA, the story for a single mission is tied to a map.  Map transitions only happen by stringing together missions in a story arc.

In the Foundry, this seems to be more fluid.  I can build the story in such a way that I can allow the player to travel through Sector Space to get to his next objective... or I can transition directly into a new map.  I can go from a space map into a ground map without needing to 'exit' the mission (I think).

Another difference is that Foundry does not use text files that reside on your own hard drive to configure the mission.  There are pros and cons for both approaches, so I only mention it as a difference.  For my part, I think this way is more portable... no need to transfer or save files to a local machine to work on a mission.  Of course you're totally relying on Cryptic to back up your stuff.

I'm looking forward to exploring and beta-testing the Foundry.  I think it's going to be a cool tool when it matures.
STO/CO: @bluegeek

pr1983

i havent had the chance to do it yet (been watching the vids on ugc though), though it seems very impressive from what you said.

BlueBard

#6
Quote from: pr1983 on December 14, 2010, 07:12:01 AM
i havent had the chance to do it yet (been watching the vids on ugc though), though it seems very impressive from what you said.

To be honest, it's not all root beer and skittles.  I crashed three times last night just switching from tweaking one object to another on a ground map.  Advice: save after each edit.  Not only does it save your work, but it keeps things more stable.

I'm still learning how to use the tool and the learning curve is steeper than with Mission Architect.  I wouldn't have gotten as far as I have without reading the forums and watching Darrien_Kitlor's video tutorial.  Also there's some information about wildcards on Cryptic's official walkthrough:

http://www.startrekonline.com/foundrywalkthrough

I think I'm starting to get the hang of it, though.

My inaugural project is titled "A Little Science Project".  The mission is to retrieve a science team from a recently-discovered planet about to be overrun by Klingons.  And then things start going wrong from there...
STO/CO: @bluegeek

pr1983