| Tuesday, October 12,
1999 |
@ News |
NewShips Site Update - [ 3:27 PM ] - Jeh
Raven made a lengthy update to the NewShips Forum. Here's a snippet:
I wanted to update everyone on whats going on in the dungeon at Newships. The Newships Project now has 42 members involved in all aspects of SFC editing! The major players are Kahless, our sound editor; he is currently working on weapon sounds for the other races. Then there's Mike, our specs editor. He is working on tweaking the specs for playable monsters, and still trying to find a way to animate the skins for the models. Seven of eight is our graphics editor. She is currently working on new weapons graphics, like multi-colored plasma bolts. I am working on setting up a multiplayer game for all Newships users. We have been hard at work on customized ships, and have completed our specs edit page. We will add more to the page as the information comes available. I wanted to mention some other items of interest and problems some of you have expressed to us.Some of you have indicated installation problems with the Newships mods. The mods are an upgrade in order, from 1 to 5. You must install them in order, or you will experience problems. Please read the readme files that come with the mods, because they contain vital install information.
1.01.06r Beta Patch Page - [ 3:24 PM ] - Jeh
I've put together a 1.01.06r Beta Patch page that has the download locations, readme contents and tips on how to do multiple Starfleet Command installs! New Scenerio: Convoy Attack! - [ 2:13 PM ] - Jeh
Convoy Attack is GameLore's Scott Robert Ladd's first Starfleet Command scenario!
"Convoy Attack!" is my idea of how a convoy fight should take place -- lots
of freighters, a few Q-ships mixed in, escorts who actually defend their
charges, and scoring based on how many freighters die versus how many
escape. The scenario includes four maps, and is tested with both the
original game and the current beta patch.
Download Convoy Attack (31k) now! Also be sure and visit GameLore where you'll find all Scott's Starfleet Command addons! Beta Patch Location Updates - [ 11:26 AM ] - Jeh
Got a new 1.01.06r beta patch download list for you:
Klingon Academy Chat Today - [ 10:36 AM ] - Jeh
The Shadowland IRC server will play host to a Klingon Academy developer chat session today at 8PM Eastern Time (5PM Pacific). Log on using any IRC client. Type:
- /server pc065.ed.bmc.org
- /join #starfleet
Mission API Officially Released! - [ 10:32 AM ] - Jeh
Thanks to Greyhawke for news that Interplay yesterday released the Official Mission API for Starfleet Command. What is this?
These are the Visual C++ libraries and headers necessary to program your own Starfleet Command missions. This requires the Visual C++ 6.0 compiler and beginning to moderate programming skills. Sample source code is included.
Grab the 3.65Mb file from either:
Tip for Multiple SFC Installs! - [ 10:22 AM ] - Jeh
Thanks to Chris Taylor for sending me this tip, originally submitted to him by SFC-Christopher and Goff147. It details how you can run multiple Starfleet Command installs (i.e. one for regular play and one for beta patch testing):
I wanted to be able to play in the Mplayer regular lobby, yet still have
access to the beta version for those occasions when other testers were
online. Here's what I did:
- Installed the game to directory SFC.
- Logon to Mplayer and let the patch goodness flow.
- Rename directory from SFC to SFC_Mplayer.
- Install the game again, to directory SFC.
- Apply the 1.5 and 1.6 patches to the SFC directory.
- Rename the SFC directory to SFC_Beta.
Now, depending on which lobby I want to go to, I change the directory name
of either SFC_Mplayer or SFC_Beta back to SFC and I can play the correct
version of the game.
To uninstall, change one of the directory names to SFC and run the
uninstaller. The other directory, SFC_Whatever, can then be zapped with a
simple delete.
SFC-Christopher & Goff
Thanks guys!
| Monday, October 11,
1999 |
@ News |
1.01.06r Beta Patch Available for Testing! - [ 7:16 PM ] - Jeh
Thank you to Chris Taylor for sending this along! Help test the latest build of the Starfleet Command patch by downloading and installing the 1.01.06r patch! Here's the instructions:
- Download the 1.01.06r Patch (3.5Mb)!
- Un-install your Starfleet Command.
- Re-install a clean original copy of Starfleet Command (version 1.00.01).
- Unzip the contents of the 1.01.06r Patch into your Starfleet Command directory.
- Run (double click) the runme.bat file.
- Your version number should now read 1.01.06.
Important: Note for Multiplayer over Mplayer. If you want to host a game on Mplayer, please create the room in the Starfleet Command Mod Lobby and not the standard lobby. Otherwise your spec file may be overwritten.Report any bugs to the Interplay SFC Technical Forum! Have fun! Out with the Old Poll, in with the New! - [ 3:30 PM ] - Jeh
We've got a brand new poll for you to cast your votes in! This poll deals with the subject of Drones. Love them or hate them, you must have an opinion. Do you want to see them changed or tweaked in some way? Do you want their damage decreased? Speed decreased? Cost Increased? Or maybe you just like them as they are!Whatever your view, make sure you make your opinion count by voting in our Drones: Do They Need Altering? Poll!
Last week's poll results can be found here. On the subject of the Stripping tactic in SFC multiplayer, the results concluded that 33.4% of you are against Stripping and see it as cheating. 21.7% of you saw nothing wrong with it. Thank you to the 520 people who voted! 1.02.00 Patch Update! - [ 2:42 PM ] - Jeh
Here's the up-to-the-minute, un-edited current 1.02.00 patch changelog! This is what has been altered/fixed since the last patch:
- BPV values are based on the base value of the ship and
no longer include the cost of basic supply items. Basic
supply items can no longer be sold back for extra prestige.
This operates much more like the release version without
the ability to "strip" a ship.
- Fixed disengagement after capturing.
- Bases now rotate. They are more challenging to attack now.
- Seeking weapons cannot fire at a ship without a lock-on.
This is especially beneficial for cloaking ships.
- Missile speeds have been altered:
Slow are speed 12.
Medium are speed 22.
Fast are still speed 32.
- Decelerate hotkey slows you down by one instead of two.
- Multiplayer scripts now initialize properly.
- In multiplayer games, you cannot target or be targeted for
a short period after respawning.
- Fixed tractor defense so if it's hit & runned or destroyed
it stops working.
- The AI fires less scatterpacks.
- The AI will no longer fire weapons at downed shields while
in capture mode.
- Shuttles no longer return instantly to the ship.
- At the end of a mission, shuttles and fighters outside the
ship are no longer lost.
- Your defensive phaser setting is not lost when the weapon
is set to offline.
- When attempting to join a password protected game, it now
gives the appropriate error message.
- Can now play a single-player game followed by a multiplayer game.
- Host can now adjust the individual player's BPV limit.
- Mission script loader is now filename case insensitive.
- Mines will not detonate at speed 3.99 or less. Cloaked ships
will not detonate mines at speed 5.99 or less.
- Scatterpacks are now Type-IS missiles.
- Missiles in Multiplayer default to Type-IS.
- Taking an AI ship to Spacedock in multiplayer works properly.
- Shotgun torpedoes have been fixed.
- Modified AI target preferences in some missions.
- Numerous problems with repairing a weapon have been fixed.
- Erratic Manuevers and HETs cost energy. You can HET at
speeds greater than 26 (this is intentional.)
- Dual Fusions work properly in Suicide Overload mode.
- Point Defense phasers cost their proper amount of energy.
- A Nuclear Space Mine has a blue ring and prints a message
when detonated. They also drop properly now.
- Black Holes give a warning when you approach them from off-screen.
- Target Enemy and Target Ally hotkeys have been fixed.
- Ships with turning mode E & F (Battlships) now turn properly.
- Suns no longer damage the map itself. This was causing some
missions to crash.
- Cloaking Devices cloak/uncloak slightly faster.
- Missiles in multiplayer are handled in a different manner
that reduces the effect of "ghosting".
- Spec file changes: Some ship costs have changed. The R-SPZ, L-EGO
and F-CFS ships have been slightly modified in particular.
- The official Tournament ships have been added.
- Minor UI fixes for Romulan and Lyran tactical interfaces.
- Fed CC+ refit text is fixed on the Choose Variant screen.
- Supply lines in enemy territory have been fixed in the Shipyard.
- Fixed a problem with some Orions not powering their weapons
properly.
- You can use ECM while cloaked.
- If you attempt to Wild Weasel while tractor, the WW no longer
launches when the tractor is dropped.
- Repairing sensors takes less time.
- Federation medals have been properly ordered.
- Shields now have a minimum repair rate.
As for those Gorn and Hydran elite missions, the Gorn missions are all in beta testing right now and 33% of the Hydran missions are in beta testing! If you'd like to post your comments, then post your reply to this thread! More Alpha Quadrant Press! - [ 11:35 AM ] - Jeh
As if getting Solo Gamer Site of the Month wasn't enough, Cromwell and his SFC Alpha Quadrant has gotten himself a mention in the November Issue of PC Gamer!Now with publicity like this Cromwell, is closing the Alpha Quadrant a wise move? :) Fine Tune your PC - [ 11:27 AM ] - Jeh
Not strictly SFC related, but GameSpot's PC Workshop may be the place for you to visit if you think your PC should be giving you better performance when playing SFC, or your games & applications in general. It's a great guide that covers all elements of fine tuning your PC's performace, upgrading, networking and more! New Shots of the Week Live! - [ 11:06 AM ] - Jeh
The latest batch of screenshots in our Shots of the Week section are now live! Thank you, once again, to all who submitted screenshots of their Starfleet Command endeavors. Please continue to do so as this section is made by you, the players! :)So without further ado, go check out the latest selection in Shots of the Week!
| Sunday, October 10,
1999 |
@ News |
New Missions & Files - [ 7:45 PM ] - Jeh
Thanks to the SFC Alpha Quadrant, these files are now available for download:
- Alternate Ships 1 is a new file by Mike Moreau and adds a Defiant, a Pathfinder, a Jem Hadar ftr, Gomtu, and a Fed/Rom Cruiser.
- Jeffery Jones has been at it again. This new mod halves the value of all shields.
New Shipyards Section @ SFB to SFC - [ 5:48 PM ] - Jeh
DIX123 has opened the Shipyards section on SFB to SFC. This section will hold all of DIX123's ship creations to be placed in Starfleet Command. But it doesn't end there!Most of DIX123's creations have no names, histories or capabilities and so they need your creative minds to help "fill in the blanks" :) Head on over to SFB to SFC to see what it's all about! Availability Update - [ 5:38 PM ] - Jeh
In an update to my earlier post about Starfleet Commands availability in the UK, I've received email telling me that the game has also been spotted in Scotland and Germany! Starfleet Command Model Editor News - [ 10:22 AM ] - Jeh
I noticed that Bradley updated From SFB to SFC site with a big update, including this on the status of his Model Editor program:
I have been adding code into the program that extracts a lot of the information from the model into a text file. I did this to hopefully help me figure out how the SFC team calculated the numbers that represent when a polygon is visible and when it is not in the game. This has been giving me quite a few problems. I figured it was just the surface normal for the polygon but that wasn't even close. I am not an expert on 3D techniques by any means and perhaps someone out there can fill me in on the various techniques used to define polygon visibility. I have ordered the book "The Black Art of 3D programming" in the hopes it might give me a few clues. Once I figure this out I am going to move onto textures, adding new points and polygons to existing models, and finally creating your own models from scratch.
NewShips 1 Strategy - [ 10:18 AM ] - Jeh
Saw over at the NewShips Forum that a Strategy document has been released for the NewShips 1 mod. Starfleet Command Released in UK - [ 10:10 AM ] - Jeh
Thanks to Hazard for mailing me with news that Starfleet Command was released in the UK on Friday. If you're in Europe and spot SFC anywhere, be sure and email us! Starfleet Universe on Webdog! - [ 9:49 AM ] - Jeh
You can now track when Starfleet Universe is updated with Webdog! Webdog is a totally free plan and site tracker that will tell you within minutes when your favourite site's and .plan's are updated!Head on over to the Webdog Home Page and grab yourselves a copy. Starfleet Universe is listed in the "Star Trek" category!
| Friday, October 8,
1999 |
@ News |
1.02.00 Patch Update! - [ 9:40 AM ] - Jeh
Chris Taylor posted this patch update to the Interplay SFC Technical Forum. This is the most recent log that shows what's been fixed, tweaked and changed for the upcoming patch:
1.02.00
-------
- BPV values are based on the base value of the ship and
no longer include the cost of basic supply items. Basic
supply items can no longer be sold back for extra prestige.
This operates much more like the release version without
the ability to "strip" a ship.
- Fixed disengagement after capturing.
- Bases now rotate. They are more challenging to attack now.
- Seeking weapons cannot fire at a ship without a lock-on.
This is especially beneficial for cloaking ships.
- Missile speeds have been altered:
Slow are speed 12.
Medium are speed 22.
Fast are speed 32.
- Decelerate hotkey slows you down by one instead of two.
- Multiplayer scripts now initialize properly.
- In multiplayer games, you cannot target or be targeted for
a short period after respawning.
- Fixed tractor defense so if it's hit & runned or destroyed
it stops working.
- The AI fires less scatterpacks.
- The AI will no longer fire weapons at downed shields while
in capture mode.
- Shuttles no longer return instantly to the ship.
- At the end of a mission, shuttles and fighters outside the
ship are no longer lost.
- Your defensive phaser setting is not lost when the weapon
is set to offline.
- When attempting to join a password protected game, it now
gives the appropriate error message.
- Can now play a single-player game followed by a multiplayer game.
- Host can now adjust the individual player's BPV limit.
- Mission script loader is now filename case insensitive.
- Mines will not detonate at speed 3.99 or less. Cloaked ships
will not detonate mines at speed 5.99 or less.
- Scatterpacks are now Type-IS missiles.
- Missiles in Multiplayer default to Type-IS.
- Taking an AI ship to Spacedock in multiplayer works properly.
- Shotgun torpedoes have been fixed.
- Modified AI target preferences in some missions.
- Numerous problems with repairing a weapon have been fixed.
- Erratic Manuevers and HETs cost energy. You can HET at
speeds greater than 26 (this is intentional.)
- Dual Fusions work properly in Suicide Overload mode.
- Point Defense phasers cost their proper amount of energy.
- A Nuclear Space Mine has a blue ring and prints a message
when detonated. They also drop properly now.
- Black Holes give a warning when you approach them from off-screen.
- Target Enemy and Target Ally hotkeys have been fixed.
- Ships with turning mode E & F (Battlships) now turn properly.
- Suns no longer damage the map itself. This was causing some
missions to crash.
As for the burning question, the release date, Erik Bethke indictates that it'll be "soon". Better than nothing, eh? :)
| Thursday, October 7,
1999 |
@ News |
SFU and SFCAQ @ Computer Games Online! - [ 1:31 PM ] - Jeh
Computer Games Online posted it's Over the Net column yesterday, and included plugs for both Starfleet Universe and the SFC Alpha Quadrant!In fact, Cromwell's SFC Alpha Quadrant actually took the "Solo Gamer Site of the Month" award! Solo Gamer Site of the Month
Starfleet Command has proven to be one of those games that either leaves you cold, or gets under your skin. If you're a fan, you simply must visit Starfleet Command Alpha Quadrant at http://www.starfleetuniverse.com/sfcaq/. You'll find all kinds of add-on missions, mods, editors and other neat hacks. Admit it, you want to add the Borg to your game, right? Also of some interest is the 'parent site' of SFCAQ, Starfleet Universe at, obviously enough, http://www.starfleetuniverse.com/.
The section is found at the bottom of the column, although half way down the column is a screengrab of the Alpha Quadrant's download section,too :) Congratulation's Cromwell! Thanks to Mplayer's Jinxx for pointing me in the direction of the column. :p Electric Games Review SFC - [ 11:00 AM ] - Jeh
Thanks to A Talent for War for news that the folks over at Electric Games have posted their review of Starfleet Command.
Good Star Trek games are a rarity, and Starfleet Command is one of the better ones. While the bugs are annoying, there is nothing that I found to be a game-stopper. The minor complaints I have could very well balance out in the game's best interest, depending on your point of view. For pure enjoyment purposes alone, I highly recommend this title, especially to the show's fans (even the detail-oriented) and those that have been disappointed by Star Trek titles in the past.
4.5 out of 5 is the Electric Games final verdict, with a top honours (5 out of 5) in the Gameplay category! King of the Hill Results! - [ 10:19 AM ] - Jeh
The first qualifying session of the new King of the Hill tournament on Mplayer took place yesterday afternoon! Of the 58 participants, these people qualify for the Finals on November 3rd:
- 0Scotty0
- Cpt_Bneus
- DSL03-ACF
- Iceman-1867
- Overon0
Check out the full results here! I just noticed that the results now include which ship the participant was using for each round. Nice addition to the results :)
| Wednesday, October 6,
1999 |
@ News |
DSL Hassles While Playing Multiplayer SFC? - [ 10:58 PM ] - Jeh
If you're connecting to the .net via DSL and are experiencing problems playing SFC multiplayer over the Internet, either by regular Direct TCP/IP connection or through Mplayer, then Erik Bethke would like to know about it:
I have a DSL user that is a very thorough and beta tester and he ihis experiencing random connection losses with Direct TCP/IP and MPLayer when playing SFC.
What are your experiences?
If you'd like to contribute to this thread or post your experiences playing SFC multiplayer using a DSL connection, then please reply to this thread on the Interplay SFC Technical Forum!
Mplayer King of the Hill Starts Today! - [ 9:52 AM ] - Jeh
It's back! The Starfleet Command King of the Hill Tournament brought to you by Mplayer.com returns and the first qualifying rounds are today!
Kicking off at 4PM Pacific (PST), 7PM Eastern (EST), is the 1st of 4 weekly qualifying rounds that lead up to the Finals on Week #5, November 3rd. To take part, make sure you have yourself a full copy of Starfleet Command in a clean un-modified form, an account with Mplayer.com (you can set one up for free if not) and you log yourself into the Starfleet Command chat lobby on Mplayer just before 4PM! To enter, all you need to do is join the King of the Hill (KOTH) room that will appear at 4PM sharp! Good luck! PC Gamer Review SFC - [ 8:58 AM ] - Jeh
From this post on the Interplay SFC Technical Forum I learned that PC Gamer magazine (PCG) have given Starfleet Command 65% in it's most recent issue. One of the few negative reviews I've seen.
| Tuesday, October 5,
1999 |
@ News |
The Wrath of Khan Multiplayer Mission - [ 2:22 PM ] - Jeh
Thanks to Dave Ferrell for sending us this multiplayer version of the "The Wrath of Khan" mission!
Captain Kirk has just lured Khan Noonian Singh into the
Mutara Nebula as action begins. Escape is not possible
for either party. Kirk cannot let Khan escape with the
Genesis device and Khan's pride will not allow James T.
Kirk to live.
Download The Wrath of Khan now (32k)! Klingon Academy IRC Chat - [ 11:53 AM ] - Jeh
Not directly Starfleet Command related. The Interplay folks behind Klingon Acadmey will be taking part in an IRC chat session on the Shadowland IRC server next Tuesday, October 12th.To take part, using any IRC client, type: /server pc065.ed.bmc.org
/join #starfleet
The fun kicks off at 8PM Eastern Time, 5PM Pacific Time. Collective Column Updated - [ 11:41 AM ] - Jeh
The Collective Column has been updated over at From SFB to SFC. This week, loctus discusses Play Balance and Fun Factor as well as making some new proposals to modifications, races and tournaments!
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