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Welcome to my thirty-seventh public report as a Science Officer, gratuitously late cause of getting involved into work on Imperial Alliance. But that means there's more to report:

Science Office News:

1. Thanks to the Internet Office we now have a bug tracking site for EHBL, SCO Patches and Imperial Alliance (though that's perhaps a bit early). If you have problems running any of these go to http://ortho.minos.net and there you can see if your problem already has a solution or you can ask for more help.
2. Our project of "Imperial Alliance", the Star Wars Flightsim using the Freespace 2 engine is basically racing ahead. A layout of what has been done recently:
   • We have our own exe's now which display the animated techroom craft in craft selection amongst others. This comes with its own new launcher and new mission editor, which allows for example all the additional backdrops we added.
   • Interface changes on the Registration Desk, the Concourse, the Battle Room, Combat Chamber, Film Room, Techroom, (Thanks to Tempest) an in-game TC uniform generator and a fully operational barracks section. This lets you display your own face of choice, squad patch and TC uniform and manage your pilotfiles.
   • We replaced all backdrops like planets, stars and nebula's and all the briefing icons (which was quite a lot of boring work *g*).
   • Changes to the in-flight HUD targeting systems.
   • More updates on craft, like fixing bugs with the ISD and TRN and we've added red turbo lasers and asteroids:)
   • Released a new Beta Phase with all of these features to http://www.minos.net/~sco/test/ImperialAllianceb30.zip
3. Because Imperial Alliance displays squadron patches (in the Barracks and on ships), I'm asking all unit commanders to send in the uniform patch of their squadron, wing, house, clan, whatever you want. The full request and the requirements are on http://www.ehtiecorps.org/news.asp?days=14#3092 On that same topic I'd like to thank all the officers that have already sent in their patches. And folks: its not just for the TIE Corps.:)
4. I'd also like to thank MAJ Chris McCollum and FA Priyum Patel for sending in quite a few of the graphics I requested earlier. For you others: I'm looking for original art of battles, craft looking cool and other such material. Minimum resolution should be about 400x300.
5. CM Timmay has set up a 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.
6. Closing up it seems we've been getting some very good press outside the EH based on Den's latest release of screenshots. With a bit of luck it draws in members before it's even released. The screenshots are at http://www.ehnet.org/mb/viewtopic.php?t=1658 but I've also added one to the report.

Science Office Status:

CA:SCO: Admiral Darkhill has made numerous new versions of our Imperial Alliance exe file, which include changes to accommodate our own new interface, made a new version our launcher and of our mission editor. He also received a MoT-gh for his mission.

SCOA: CM Tim has set up the Imperial Alliance forum and released the first Beta phase of all craft in X-W. He also has added asteroids, rebel turbo lasers and fixed the 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. No major updates.

Science Office Projects:

Imperial Alliance: With the release of the freely available source code of FS2, we have started on making a Star Wars game out of it. We can freely distribute a finished game 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 most of the interface has been replaced. A new beta phase has been launched.

Currently all other projects are on hold till we can make it a standalone game, which won't need FS2 anymore. Current beta version is still a mod on that. Making it standalone won't make it finished though, but it will be a good milestone.:)

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!