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Welcome to my forty-seventh public report as a Science Officer, incredibly late (*cough*, sorry… as a trade-off I'll post a few in a row, this is #2 >:)). Onwards to the news:

Science Office News:

1. We're making excellent progress on Imperial Alliance again, with about all config and MP screens replaced with our own designs. In the last week alone 500 graphics were replaced/added/... We've made tremendous advancements in Imperial Alliance, with a new beta package at http://www.minos.net/~sco/test/ImperialAllianceb40.zip. This functions to get all developpers the last versions of files and to do bug testing.
2. This should have been the last beta that still needs the original freespace 2 game, but already testing has come up with several pretty heavy bugs in it, so likely we'll have another in a week or less. New features include that about all screens are now our own (88%), the new HUD and multiplayer. After this we'll be focussing on mopping up the last bits and pieces we need to replacefor a full "stand alone" beta (as in: no longer a mod that requires FS2).
3. A standalone beta is not a 'final release', after this we'll be focussing on replacing all graphics for original art and adding more craft and features, besides bug hunting of course. The last beta did make us discover a few bugs, if you want to help out making Imperial Alliance as perfeect as it can be, please contact LC_Mark for official beta testing spots in Core Squadron... Shinies included>:)
4. Spearhawk has joined the team and has been working on getting the game to hyperout in starwars style. He'll also look into making a server MP version (stripped). Welcome:) Spearhawk has set up a CVS where the coders can upload their latest versions, so wecan have multiple coders working on the game at once without problems.
5. The Fleet Manual has seen many expansions and additions as well, with many craft added or added to. Thanks to Zethy and Shinobi for their help in this. It looks as if we will have all OoB and XWA craft in very soon. Lots of (mostly invisible) updates to the Fleet Manual as well, as I've started on changing it into a database. Basic shipprofiles are done; I'm waiting on data from our new IO, Leeson, to put everything fully online. An example can be seen at http://www.minos.net/~sco/fleet-manual/viewshiptb.php Combined with the earlier news this should mean we'll have the biggest illustrated SW craft library on the web soon >:)
6. And last, but not least: a big thanks to Astatine and Ronin on the Imperial Cross I received!:)

Science Office Status:

CA:SCO: Admiral Darkhill has been working on a newer version of our IA .exe's mainly including the updated interface screens.

SCOA: CPT Tim has been UV mapping more craft and generally debugging them for Imperial Alliance.

Site: The Science Office site can be found at http://sco.minos.net or via the redirect http://scienceoffice.isCool.net. The mirror can for now still be found at http://www.gimmie.tudelft.nl/homes/blok10b/ender/sco. Fleet Manual has seen updates in craft pictures and types and its coding.

Command Staff Objectives:

Continued patch development and platform resource: Put on a low burner to focus on Imperial Alliance.

Get a release candidate version of Imperial Alliance released: Replaced about 80% of all files, going steadily at 100% replacement - which will be our "standalone" version.

Upgrade and add to the Fleet Manual: Added many craft pictures, added many craft and recoded a large part into php.

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). About all craft from X-Wing have been added and most of the interface has been replaced. Working on getting to 100% replacement of the data fles so we can start distributing a bet athat doesn't require FS2.

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 #sco. 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!