Science Office Report
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"Remember Taluca, everything is possible - if it happens."

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Welcome to my thirty-sixth public report as a Science Officer, quit a bit too late (sorry, being an easily distracted mad scientist don't help *g*). But that don't mean I have less news:

Science Office News:

  1. The Freespace 2 mod is progressing nicely and has been renamed to its final title "Imperial Alliance", replacing the former working title "TIE Fighter Empire". All craft of X-Wing (X-W, A-W, Y-W, B-W, T/F, T/B, T/I, T/A, GUN, TRN, SHU, TUG, FRT, CRV, FRG, CRS, ISD, CN/A, SAT/1, NAV/1, Mn/T1, Mn/T2, Mn/T3) have now been ported into it which means we can go to the first beta testing phase to tune the stats and flying properties:
  2. To this end Timmay has set up a new forum just for the project at http://hosting.infiltrator-wing.com/phpbb2 - if you want to help out in the testing department, or just want to have previews/early access of what we are doing, you are advised to go and check it out. Registering makes sure you will receive email notices of next beta phases and other such matters. Do report a bug that you come across though, that's what testing is about.
  3. To this forum I've released four converted training missions from X-Wing for Imperial Alliance which immediately also spawned some updated stats for the craft. They should behave more as in the X-Wing series now, however as we're in early beta phases still not everything is completely operational.
  4. AD Darkhill has compiled new versions of the game .exe, now also renamed to our new title. Curtsy of FS_Open, this .exe now is updated to DirectX 8 (originally FS2 was DirectX 5) and offers better graphics and 3D effects. However you do need a different launcher to start it with fully. If not it will ask you if you want to download that. When you have, make sure the Launcher points to the new .exe.
  5. The newest version of the .exe also supports our new Registration Desk, which I ported from TIE Fighter and Den Darkhill made the code changes for. It looks and works very much like the registration desk in TIE Fighter, as the included screenshot should point out nicely. Next up in the imperial concourse.
  6. Meanwhile the total conversion of the game "Warlords III: Dark Lords Rising" (which I have named "Sith Lords: Dark Lords Rising") has made progress as well: the interface is now mostly replaced and I have started on matters like items and advisors etc. (For example the Merchant now is Watto.) The complete amount of files in this game is actually half that of just the interface of FS2, so this is still considered an easy mod. At the moment however Imperial Alliance has priority.
  7. I have made a few updates to the Fleet Manual, with the addition of the TIE Experimental Mk 1 (with full graphics and stats) and the update on the TIE Interceptor entry, which now also has full graphics and stats. Lay-outing on about all Rebel craft has been updated; about all of those also now include at least a side view as well.
  8. As a short in between I've added a java game to shoot rebbies with to the SCO site. Another more complex one (platform game flier) is near complete. These are just for your amusement of course. :)

Science Office Status:

CA:SCO: Admiral Darkhill has made new versions of our Imperial Alliance exe file, which include changes to accommodate our own new interface.

SCOA: CM Tim has set up the Imperial Alliance forum and released the first Beta phase of all craft in X-W.

Site: The Science Office site can be found at http://sco.minos.net or via the redirect http://scienceoffice.isCool.net. The mirror can be found at http://www.gimmie.tudelft.nl/homes/blok10b/ender/sco. Updates have been made to fleet manual and a java game has been added.

Science Office Projects:

XvT/BoP/TIE95 Ship patches: This project's goal is to add all the original and Order of Battle craft that are still "missing" from these games, like the SSD in TIE and XvT, the Medium Transport in all etc. Currently all "missing" craft have been added to these games by use of the EHSPs. All remaining freighters, fighters and all but 2 transports of XWA have also been released as loose patches for TIE, XvT and BoP. Currently on short hold to accommodate Imperial Alliance better.

Imperial Alliance: With the release of the freely available source code of FS2, we have started on making a Star Wars mod for it. We can freely distribute a finished mod as long as we have all our own data files (graphics, sounds, models etc). Renamed to "Imperial Alliance". About all craft from X-Wing have been added and work has started to add the TIE Fighter concourse and to update the exe. Beta phase 1 has started on the new testing forum.

Finishing up:

I think that's it - If I've forgotten anything or if you have comments, suggestions or corrections, let me know via email or look us up at #science_office. Don't forget that all the projects are described in more detail on the SCO site.

(use only mindb_ender@hotmail.com for official SCO mails.) or ICQ (9706474). Preferably do not mail large files to me, but DCC them via IRC I’m practically always online at #science_office, #emperor’s_hammer and #tiecorps using the nick MindB_ndr (or variations.)
 
All my SCO reports are available online as well: you can reach them on the SCO site but they are on the TIE Corps site, CS reports, as well.

Until next time, good luck and have fun!

<salute>
SCO-TCT-TCS-PROF/FA Ender mBind/CS-10/SSSD Sovereign
GOE/GSx2/SSx7/BSx4/PCx7/ISMx16/MoI/MoT-40rh-58gh-6bh/IS-1SR-2GR-1PR/LoC-TS-Rx1/DFC-Rx1/CoS/CoE/CoL/CoB/LoAx2/OV-4E [LGNR] {IWATS-AIM-GFX-ICQ-IIC/1/2/3-JS-M/1/2-OPT-SM/2-TM-TT-XAM-XTM/1/2-XTT}