Major Stress Major Stress

[MOD WIP] Star Trek: Sacrifice of Angels 2 (updated 01/10/09)

▼

[MOD WIP] Star Trek: Sacrifice of Angels 2 (updated 01/10/09)

from Sins Forums

Featured (by a small mention) in the October edition of PC Gamer magazine

Candidate for Mod Database's 2008 Mod of the Year

This is the OLD "Work in Progress" thread for the Star Trek: Sacrifice of Angels 2 mod.

The new WIP topic is here https://forums.sinsofasolarempire.com/342747

The "Release" topic can be found here https://forums.sinsofasolarempire.com/322473


The mod is intended to be a hommage, and tribute to the original Sacrifice of Angels mod for Homeworld. It will use many of the same models, and effects created for that mod by the Trekmods team. Like the original SoA mod SoA2 is set during the Dominion War era of Star Trek. Using both canon, and non-canon units to recreate those battles with Sins "empire building" mechanic added. Like in SoA you can fight battles in SoA2 using hundreds of starships. Sometimes thousands if your computer can handle it ;)

While the mod was not intended as a "Total Conversion". That is exactly what it is winding up being. There is much about the Sins engine, and mechanics that we still need to learn. There are some hard coded stumbling blocks we have to overcome.

The factions will be the Federation, Klingons, Romulan, and the Dominion (with Breen, and Cardassian ally units). The main factions seen in the Dominion War. With a "Surprise" as the Pirate faction.

Factions like the Borg "may" be added in the future. LokiGodofMischief is working on a very good 3rd party Borg add on for SoA 2. It is very possible his add on may be merged with SoA 2 at a much later time.

The current version of SoA 2 is  0.03b   "The Second Dominion War". Look for it here  https://forums.sinsofasolarempire.com/322473

0.03b only works with Sins versions 1.1, 1.11, and 1.12.

All previous versions of SoA 2 are obsolete, and will not be supported, or hosted anymore. All older version downloads will be removed.

We will NOT port SoA 2 over to Entrenchment until after Entrenchment is out of beta, and released. Along with proper forge tool updates.

I am working on the models mostly ALONE so it may take a while for any new ship model updates.

Darkshimmer is the Balancing guru, Code monkey, and Master at arms. We do have other contributers, and the best 3rd party work from the finest artists in the trek mod community to help make SoA 2 the best it can be.

Status of Demo 0.04  "The actors are in place" 

Will update when i have news.

General Changes:

Manshooters Volumetric Explosions mod will be included as of 0.03a

May include Sins Plus (planets), but ill need to see how much that mod needs changing to incorporate into SoA 2.

SoA 2 0.03 and above is now patch 1.1, and better compatable. Sins patches 1.11, and 1.12 only address balancing, and online exploits, and have no effect on the mod.

Ships will have some anti stike craft weaponry.

Ships are still being added and balanced accordingly.

More re-balancing so that one faction is not overpowered over the other.

The Federation:

Faction is complete. Only structures left

The Klingon Empire

Faction is complete. Only structures left.

The Romulan Star Empire:

Faction is complete. Only structures left

The Dominion:

Faction is complete. Still needs balancing work.

Pirates:

They were going to be the Borg, but that idea failed. So we are looking into Random multirace ship spawns.

Planetary Defenders

Basically "Ships of the week" like the Maquis, Sona, Ferrengi, Tammarian battle cruisers and the like.

Balancing:  Darkshimmer has the Federation, Romulan, and Klingon Empire, and Unified Dominion balanced.

Gameplay: We now have a working Cloaking Device! Check the ModDB page for the WIP video. Cloaking will not be fully implemented in the mod until version 0.04

Art: We are working on an LCARS style UI, adding proper icons, and pictures for all of the new units. The UI is going to take a while to do, because of all of the redundancy of the Sins UI. SoA 2 uses 2 sets of UI textures. Instead of the standard 4 textures for buttons, and 2 textures for icons. SoA 2 uses 8 textures for buttons, and 4 textures for icons which IMO is a major waste of resources, because sins loads all these textures at startup. Unfortunetly i dont see any other way to do it. What is kind of cool is that we dont have to use the same HUD for each faction. It is possible to have unique HUDs, but again the perfomance hit, because of the extra drain on resources could be big, and not worth it.

In Planning: (No promises, or guarentees, but we will try to add these if possible.)

Troop Transport effects.

Planetary invasion animations

Tractor beams. (need a code monkey for this)

Whatever else we can think of and are capable of doing.

Future Updates:

SoA 2 0.04 is now in planning, and will be focused primarily on Proper research trees, Ability's, and adding proper Structures. More than likely demo 0.04 will be the last demo. After that then the full mod should be ready.

SoA 2 0.05 will be the final spit, and polish of the mod. It will focus mainly on re-balancing if needed. Also final artwork changes will be made here. Which will include some ship model re-builds, and re-texturing.

The Full SoA 2 1.0 mod will be released "When it is Finished". We are doing this on our own free time. We aren't getting paid to do this. We have no set schedule. We have no time limit. I want this one to be good. So it wont go online until we feel it is ready.

*NOTE: Much about Sins as we are all now realizing is hardcoded. SoA 2 is going to be far from a perfect "trek" mod due to these hardcoded issues. However we will try to do the best we can with workarounds, and compromises to get it as close as possible. Like i said some things wont be perfect. Some things cannot be done at all. Enjoy the mod for what it is, and try not to be too "nit picky".

SoA2 will be hosted on Mod Database once it is ready http://www.moddb.com/mods/star-trek-sacrifice-of-angels-2

This main header will be updated when i have news to post.





modding
4,112,503 views 1,754 replies +2 Loading…
Reply #726 from Sins Forums Top
I think the Maquis' goal is too specific to have them as the pirates. They'd have no beef with the Romulans or Klingons. I think the Ferengi make the most sense as pirates.

I'll end this with some Rules of Acquisition

3 - Never pay more for an acquisition than you have to
9 - Opportunity plus instinct equals profit
52 - Never ask when you can take.
141 - Only fools pay retail
261 - A wealthy man can afford everything except a conscience.
Reply #727 from Sins Forums Top
well.....

The Orions Can still be the Pirates, i mean they were "the pirates" in ToS and according to canon, their role has not changed much throughout the timeline

just another thought
Offworld Trading Company
Reply #728 from Sins Forums Top
The problem with the Orions tho they are canon pirates is the lack of canon ships. Which we frankly havnt seen any at all except for maybe the Ent era, and i dont think that would work too well in a TNG era mod. I could use FASA designs, but again we have a lack of ships there as well. If i can see some good ideas for Orion design sketches then i can build them myself. Orions would be the logical choice here.

Ferrengi TBH are too cheezy, like chihuahuas in space. I never liked them. Plus the "crab" for a ship never fitted their style. So i say no to the Ferrengi. Like i say no to crack.

Ok Orions win.

+1 Loading…
Reply #729 from Sins Forums Top
How about the Borg as pirates, with a transwarp conduit as their "pirate base". Their ships can be made extremely powerful (and equiped with the ability to capture other ships and a drain planet like ability to simulate assimilation), and balancing it out by having far less frequent raids, and only 1 or a couple ships per raid.
The "bidding system" could (if possible) be removed, or (if it can't be removed) simulate how many funds the races invest into countering the Borg by presenting them a better target.

Depending on your progress you'd have to deal with a Borg Scout Ship, then a Sphere, then a few Scout Ships and a Sphere, and finally a Cube.
Reply #730 from Sins Forums Top
Well,

I certainly like the Orion idea and I will give it the ol' college try in finding some ship designs for them.

As for the Ferengi, I had a thought about them, why not make them the trade ships for all the races? It would seem to fit that they would be doing the bulk of the trading through out the galaxy. So just make the little trade ships, ferengi ships & let each races refinery ships be race specific.

Adm Cobbs
Reply #731 from Sins Forums Top
Well,

I didnt have to much luck.... =P & what I did find, you probably already knew about. But here are some images none-the-less:


-Orion Merchant-





-Orion Raider/Interceptor-







-Unknown-














I am afriad thats all I could find, which, again I am sure you knew about.....

Adm. Cobbs
Reply #733 from Sins Forums Top
You could just put some random pirate-looking ships from other franchises and none of us would know the difference....they were transported through a interdenominational wormhole.
Reply #734 from Sins Forums Top
I shiver every time i see the SFC Orions. Awful designs.

LOL! Ill mesh "do not hotlink" :p

I wont use ENT era Orions, Dont care if they canon or not.

FASA designs seem to be the only solution here.

Oh BTW if you didnt read a few hundred post's back there is NO Borg in the mod. Least not yet.



Reply #736 from Sins Forums Top
I just scored myself a copy of "Klingon Academy". I got the old original paper manual along with the 7 or so CDs. Amazing stuff. Wish they made another one of these.
Don't think it will help you though Stress, I think its canon from earlier than your period.
I was very very impressed by this old game, especially the way the command system works...... man, they don't make them like they used too.
Reply #737 from Sins Forums Top
Ever since they announced Star Trek Online being released again I am just jonesing for Any Star Trek game I can get my hands on. I have been playing the mod that was already released and have modified the game to the point that I can almost play it all the way through without it crashing.
Reply #738 from Sins Forums Top
The first message about this Mod was over 6 months ago. Still no release?

Reply #739 from Sins Forums Top
Ever since they announced Star Trek Online being released again I am just jonesing for Any Star Trek game I can get my hands on. I have been playing the mod that was already released and have modified the game to the point that I can almost play it all the way through without it crashing.
End of quote
It took almost two years to get a final working release for the original SoA and it was worth every minute of impatience. Give these guys some time and you will be blown away. Though I'd guess the time for this one to be released will be a bit less due to alot of model assets already being made and simply needing to be imported and scripted into the game. The Relic modders are the best there are tbh.  ;) 
Reply #740 from Sins Forums Top
@ PurplePaladin;
I know you don't want to read through 30 pages of info, so let me break it down for ya: This was a (at first) a team effort, during the past six months things have happened, and it is down to a one man project.

So, yea, no release yet.
Patience is a virtue, let the man work.
As stated before "It won't be release until I feel it's ready! -Major Stress.
Reply #741 from Sins Forums Top
Well to be more specific there has been an outcry of support but it is not what major needs worked on apperantly.
Reply #742 from Sins Forums Top
The main reason there hasnt been any release is because i am a one man mod team now. I travel alot for work, and havnt been able to do much work on the mod. That will change when i get home.

Plus i said i wasnt going to release anything until after the 1.1 patch, because the beta patch broke the mod which i expected it would do. So it will need to be fixed before i can release it.

I still need to mesh some ships as well. It is all going to take time. I asked for help with the mod, and didnt get it. So i am winging this by myself. Be patient it will get done. It will just take a little longer than normal.

Read the main header for any news. Thats where it will be posted.

Reply #743 from Sins Forums Top
I am willing to be patient, that isn't a problem. Like I said, the people that have said they are willing to help don't know how to do it. That is why he is having to do it himself. I have started working on how to create starships on XSI 6 Mod Tool but it is slow work. I am thinking about trying something simpler than a galaxy class to start with though. Next time something like this comes up I want to help and doing ship design is something I like to do.
Reply #744 from Sins Forums Top
so major stress i know you say it will be relwased when it's finished cause you want this to be good but do you have an aproximate time it will be released just a guess when is it safe to say 2008
Reply #745 from Sins Forums Top
so major stress i know you say it will be relwased when it's finished cause you want this to be good but do you have an aproximate time it will be released just a guess when is it safe to say 2008
End of quote

Ahhhh. Posts like this bring back fond memories of the TGU.  (:( 

It will be ready when its ready. Don't rush these guys or you might find yourself excluded from the initial release.  ;) Saying that if your really that impatient you might want google up the original SoA to import and script the ships yourself.
I've already got the Galaxy in as the TEC Kol BS.  :CONGRAT: 
Reply #746 from Sins Forums Top
WTF double post.. Stardock forums are as Forest Gumped up as the rest it seems.  :LOL: 
Reply #747 from Sins Forums Top
WTF double post.. Stardock forums are as Forest Gumped up as the rest it seems.   
End of quote

ROFL!
Reply #748 from Sins Forums Top
I still need to mesh some ships as well. It is all going to take time. I asked for help with the mod, and didnt get it.
End of quote

Did you get my pm about the warbird? If not, I can send you again.

What ships do you need?
Reply #749 from Sins Forums Top
Models themselves are not the problem. I got the fixed Warbird, and all the models i need to do the "canon" release. Thanks You-Cheng.

What is the problem is the time to work on them over to ether port into sins, or build. Again i am on the road, and dont have much time to do this right now. Once my trip is done i will have more time to work on these things.
Reply #750 from Sins Forums Top
so major stress i know you say it will be relwased when it's finished cause you want this to be good but do you have an aproximate time it will be released just a guess when is it safe to say 2008Ahhhh. Posts like this bring back fond memories of the TGU.   It will be ready when its ready. Don't rush these guys or you might find yourself excluded from the initial release.   Saying that if your really that impatient you might want google up the original SoA to import and script the ships yourself.I've already got the Galaxy in as the TEC Kol BS.   
End of quote


this looks so good and i only asked that question causeit looked like he had made allot of progress