ATF Start - Fair?

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Gothsheep
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Post by Gothsheep » Tue, 6. Jan 09, 01:20

I also like this part... You could make plot-based missions that require you to make certain level contacts with different organizations, like the NMMC... Also there could be a parallel plot-entwined sequence missions, given to you by a wing of the ATF, of course, that requires you to blend and go 'undercover' in various pirate (and other) organizations that provide a certain threat to Terran space... In general I like, and so promote, the basic idea of a middleman co-op/undercover agent....

And as I said you probably don't need to tweak the start file, you'll probably delete all other starts (not that I have any doubts about you, seriously)... All you need is a mod that adds this start to the menu... A script can't add that kind of complicated stuff... I think...
I said in another thread that if I was awesome at scripting (and I might still learn it) I'd add a mod which grants access to ATF ships though a plotline that starts on Earth, and is basically like this. The idea being that when you land on Earth, you're contacted by TCI (Terran Central Intelligence) and offered a special position within their organization. Officially, you're honorably discharged from the Terran military, and all further work for them is purely on a contracted mercenary basis.

Unofficially, TCI orders you to build up assets in the Commonwealth, with missions that give you things like, 'buy these kinds of stations and deploy them in Commonwealth territories' or 'build up your rep with these people to this level' as well as missions that require you to purchase or otherwise 'acquire' certain models of ships like a Split M2 or Paranid M8s or an Argon special weapons factory. The idea being that as you build up your trust with the TCI and your reputation with the Commonwealth, they grant you access to better ships. Since the TCI and the ATF would have access to the same class of ships. That way, since the requirements would be either that you can buy or capture pretty much any ship in the galaxy anyway, the highly advanced Terran ships wouldn't really be unbalancing, because it really would be end-game content. I mean, by the time you can buy or capture any M2 in the whole galaxy at will, I think you've earned the right for the big Terran monsters.

Then the mission string would run the gauntlet between working for the Argon, Boron, Split, Teladi and Paranid, while constantly reporting back to TCI, who may just tell you to keep them informed, or may change your mission objectives slightly. And peroidically the TCI would also give you missions of their own, which would usually be how you earned new ships. Like, "We don't have much tactical data regarding the uncharted gates in this region of space. Please scout them for anything unusual. To assist in that, we're going to grant you access to the Valerye class scoutship." or, "Our information suggests that the Terriformers may be massing a strikeforce near Paranid space. However they haven't attacked the Paranid directly, and the Paranid refuse to commit ships for a strike unless directly provoked. We're granting you access to our M7 frigates. Use them to lead a strike into this Terriformer sector and destroy these three stations. That should provoke the Terriformers there to counter-attack against the nearby Paranid sectors, and the rest should take care of itself."

KillingMonkey
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Post by KillingMonkey » Tue, 6. Jan 09, 15:23

Hmmm... Sounds good... You and Seathal should join forces and make something like this... And don't forget to post it if you do... I'll be happy to help with story stuff and mission thinking since I'm good at fan-fics (I've got a couple in different game forums and am currently working on the plotline of one in the X-Universe, still not posted, though...)... So if you need help, I'll be happy to fill my role...
To each, his own.

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Andaius
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Post by Andaius » Tue, 6. Jan 09, 23:38

Would be interesting if you could script in missions you pick up from a "commanding officer" character that you mod in that gives you objectives and rewards you with new ships.

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Seathal
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Post by Seathal » Wed, 7. Jan 09, 00:00

Gothsheep wrote:That should provoke the Terriformers there to counter-attack against the nearby Paranid sectors, and the rest should take care of itself."
Love it. This is the kind of thing the ATF would do.

I'd be glad to join with whoever wants in this. I'm still currently trying to get the damned start to show up though, that sums up my coding skills :lol:

But hell, I'd like to do somehting like that. Terran plot is _boring_ and too easy and fast to do, now building up a mission series, quite hard (not HUB like, more combat and recon based) and itneresting to do with good rewards... that would be nice. For example, that guy would appear on some place like the Moon Military Base, Earth Torus or Saturn Research Station and gives you those missions. Starting with the M5 and going slwoly up: M4, M3, M3+, M6, the other M6, the two M7's, M2 and M1 (or M1 and M2).
Missions like what you said, a "Bridge" mission to get access to an ATF M5 and then something like "Scout all race's core sectors and come back to feedback" Then: "We give you acces to the ATF M4, reports of Xenon raids in Heretics Ends: our big fleets are too slow to react to these buggers, take care of it". Them increasing more and more.

I'd make it all happen at Earth though, including the ship-buying, would reactivate the interest in that sector... Heck! It's home in the end! (Of course you'd have to have the Terran plot completed)

... Now if I only could make that start! :P

Gothsheep
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Post by Gothsheep » Wed, 7. Jan 09, 05:40

I would love to write an entire plotline where you play as a Terran double-agent and work your way though the world of intelligence and counter-intelligence across the galaxy, chasing a dark secret which threatens the entire universe if either left undiscovered, or exposed to the general public.

I will say this, though. I usually break governments into 3 categories. You have the Boron and Argon, "Good but weak and spineless" approach. You have the Split and Paranid "Evil and stupid" approach. Then you have the cunning, slick government which may look good on the surface, and may convince everyone on the outside that they're upstanding children of light and decency, but once you're deep inside, you find out that they're cool, ruthless, and utterly devoted to doing whatever it takes to maintain their goals.

Like inciting a war between the Paranid and Xenon in order to draw out Xenon forces that are suspected to be missing, without actually committing your own forces.

Does that make them evil? I don't know. Is it more evil evil to let a thousand people die by refusing to take an amoral action, or to violate your own code of ethics to save the lives of thousands of others? Is it more evil to support a criminal empire which prays on unarmed transports, because you know the people running it understand the need to let most transports pass safely in order to keep the supply line open, or is it more evil to take down the criminal empire knowing that the sector will instead become a haven for unled pirates who will destroy pretty much everything they can with no sense of moderation?

KillingMonkey
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Post by KillingMonkey » Wed, 7. Jan 09, 17:25

Oh, boy... Here he goes talking about good and evil... Dude... Don't go there, please... Humanity, albeit not the most advanced race, has been struggling to draw a firm line between those two for well over 4000 years... Don't make me start explaining how variables, coincidences and relativity begins to blur that 'firm' line... That's something I do (in real life... My day job) and I know what I'm talking about... We'll be changing the topic of the tread... Moving it to Off-Topic and stuff...

Still, it would be cool, and probably very fair, making a storyline about a young Terran who has dreamed about becoming an ATF Officer for all his life and when he finally gets that letter confirmed, he finds that every coin has two sides. Both of which very different from one another. One's all shiny and polished, the one all civilians (and other races) see. But the other is dirty and rusted, bringing a corrupted and self-centered organization that doesn't care how things are done, as long as they're done. An organization that doesn't care if million lives are lost as long as it stays alive.
The young ATF Officer will have to work his way up the hierarchy of the system only to discover that every new level brings forth more corruption and lust for power... He will have to make choices no normal man (as in human, or general race representative) should make.
That's a plot I'll gladly play and want to be part of the making...
To each, his own.

Gothsheep
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Post by Gothsheep » Thu, 8. Jan 09, 07:45

Oh, I wasn't actually posing that as a serious question. Just saying that in most of the plots I write, you'll find either the heroes or villains carving a morally ambiguous swath between themselves and their ultimate goal, which is usually an admirable goal of peace and happiness for most people involved. Because I really love those kinds of characters. They aren't twirling-their-mustache evil or the-second-coming good. Rather they're focused, driven and cunning, viewing things like abject morality fine and dandy in theory, until it gets threatens the livelihood of others, at which point it's tossed aside, then polished up and put back into place when it isn't inconvenient anymore.

KillingMonkey
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Post by KillingMonkey » Thu, 8. Jan 09, 17:06

Still it's a good version for a plotline... I'd like to see it as one...
To each, his own.

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Seathal
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Post by Seathal » Sat, 10. Jan 09, 00:11

I like all the ideas here.

Being unable to make the start work as I wanted, I'll start with the good old "cheating-your-start" thing and pick up my experiences on such a start and then, when I can do the "official" custom game start I'll upload it somewhere so people can get it.

RP'ing rules as mentioned in the OP. Wish me luck!

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Seathal
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Post by Seathal » Sat, 10. Jan 09, 15:40

I take away what I said in the previous post. I finally managed to do it, thanks to some people's valuable help.

You can download the ATF Agent gamestart here http://forum.egosoft.com/viewtopic.php? ... 16#2722216

KillingMonkey
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Post by KillingMonkey » Sat, 10. Jan 09, 15:46

[Also posted this reply in your MOD topic]
So you finally managed to start it? Eh? Proud of you... Will try the mod soon... Got a few of my own dastardly plans to accomplish first... About the ATF ships availability... Maybe add the ATF Shipyard script in the mod and make it so that different ships would be available as you go through the plots... Like a separate 'rank' system or something...
To each, his own.

Ghalador
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Re: ATF Start - Fair?

Post by Ghalador » Sat, 10. Jan 09, 15:55

Seathal wrote:- ATF agents can capture enemy ships but cannot keep them (preferntly they should be delivered to our research stations for further study on Alien technology.
- ATF agents can not buy any ships from other races
If you ask me - you are not much of an agent at all if you keep using terran ships outside of terran space.
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KillingMonkey
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Post by KillingMonkey » Sat, 10. Jan 09, 16:01

Hmmm... He's got a point there... But the idea, I think mentioned somewhere here before, is to be just a guy that gets jobs done for other races and just so happens to own ATF ships. That's as far as other races would know... A guy that secretly reports to the the ATF, but that's for him and the ATF to know and for all others to mind their own bananas... :lol:
To each, his own.

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Seathal
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Re: ATF Start - Fair?

Post by Seathal » Sat, 10. Jan 09, 16:06

Ghalador wrote:
Seathal wrote:- ATF agents can capture enemy ships but cannot keep them (preferntly they should be delivered to our research stations for further study on Alien technology.
- ATF agents can not buy any ships from other races
If you ask me - you are not much of an agent at all if you keep using terran ships outside of terran space.
Noone said "secret" agent hehe. He's basiclly a guy who doens't need to pretend being Argon or anything. He is a mixture between a diplomatic, an explorer and a undercover reporter.

Earth's been locked away from the jumpgate network for too long and both the ATF and USC show interest in sending "Agents" outside the Solar System for first time in centuries, as representants of Earth and eyes and ears of the Terran organizations.

gamer993
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Post by gamer993 » Sat, 10. Jan 09, 16:13

how about making a special mission like the HUB (tho not as long or as hard) where the ATF decides to make a long non operational shipyard operational again, it can sell some ATF but not all of them. It can be offered by some ATF ship in the Terran sectors after you reach a certain point in the game (maybe after you did the Terran plot or something similar.
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strikor
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Post by strikor » Sat, 10. Jan 09, 16:15

Camouflage device! Of course it wouldn't actually do anything but it may satisfy any RP desires. The technology for giving false sensor readings already exists in cargo bay shielding and some sort of holographic technology does not seem like a huge stretch. The text description wouldn't be quite right but that could be said for quite a few regulars in TC.

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Seathal
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Post by Seathal » Sat, 10. Jan 09, 16:38

gamer993 wrote:how about making a special mission like the HUB (tho not as long or as hard) where the ATF decides to make a long non operational shipyard operational again, it can sell some ATF but not all of them. It can be offered by some ATF ship in the Terran sectors after you reach a certain point in the game (maybe after you did the Terran plot or something similar.
I'm thinking of turning earth into a valuable sector to reach and make its Torus sell ATF ships (maybe after you've made some kind of ATF plot or you've acomplished several conditions).
strikor wrote:Camouflage device! Of course it wouldn't actually do anything but it may satisfy any RP desires. The technology for giving false sensor readings already exists in cargo bay shielding and some sort of holographic technology does not seem like a huge stretch. The text description wouldn't be quite right but that could be said for quite a few regulars in TC.
This is actually in the game, but don't think it's active and, besides the name, I don't really know what the heck it does.

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