The future of Fleet Operations

posted on March 24th, 2014, 10:00 pm

Quote form Myles: Star Trek: Fleet Operations: The Gritty Reboot That Doesn't Acknowledge the Previous Versions?

sounds nice

posted on March 24th, 2014, 10:03 pm

but now for the most important question, what will the new fleetops be called?
Star Trek: Fleet Operations 4?
Star Trek: Fleet Operations NX 01?
Star Trek: Fleet Operations NX 1.0.0r1v1build0001?
Star Trek: Fleet Operations: The Gritty Reboot That Doesn't Acknowledge the Previous Versions?

I think Star Trek: Fleet Operations will do... drop Armada 2 since it's no longer needed and make it clear this is now stand alone. Only need to refer to v4 in the installer/ readme ect.

posted on March 25th, 2014, 3:08 am

Great to see you kicking, Detektor!

Yes, I think we can stick just with "Star Trek: Fleet Operations" - it is, after all, our first standalone release!

Regarding V4 release - yes, this isn't the way we wanted things to work out. We'd have liked to have finished the last A2-FO version as a taste of things to come. We especially discussed this in light of modders' expectations. However, the amount of work involved in that and the frustration due to some very difficult to fix issues is problematic, to say the least. Sadly, this isn't something that could be 'community sourced' and we prefer to release our content officially.

For ezEngine OS X and Linux support - the talented ezEngine guys are aiming to support each platform. For our NX work, this may not come with the intial release, but we will definitely build up to it .

As for newsposts, feedback, and the like - there is no better time to come up with ideas . While for NX we aim to replicate much of the Version 4 gameplay we have already built, the fact is, our hands are not bound by tedious debugging. Things will change, and we want you folks to join in on the discussion. The ideas in the next months will set the tone for the gameplay that we want to build. Our ideas do not appear out of thin air, but are honed by months of back-n-forth. After so many years of putting ideas on hold that seemed too complex, there is now the opportunity to build so much more. I know that Optec and I both like to gather long lists of gameplay ideas and hash them out long before implementation.

posted on March 25th, 2014, 3:51 am

Regarding V4 release - yes, this isn't the way we wanted things to work out. We'd have liked to have finished the last A2-FO version as a taste of things to come. We especially discussed this in light of modders' expectations. However, the amount of work involved in that and the frustration due to some very difficult to fix issues is problematic, to say the least. Sadly, this isn't something that could be 'community sourced' and we prefer to release our content officially.

Any chance of the bugfixed executables and basic framework being made available for modders; nothing that could be installed and fired up for a multiplayer, just something that those modders who have been waiting for two years for v4 could use to hang their work on?

posted on March 25th, 2014, 7:23 am

Nice to hear, I look forward to the game. I waited so long for a new (good) Star Trek game and I`m sure, you make it!

posted on March 25th, 2014, 11:12 am

Sounds great! Can't wait any longer

posted on March 25th, 2014, 3:23 pm

That's really cool.

How are you guys getting around the licensing of Star Trek material? (previously it was allowed because FO was a mod of Armada, which specifically called out permission to use the Star Trek content in mod)

posted on March 25th, 2014, 4:56 pm

Nice to hear that , but just a view questions:

Will we still be able to make our own ships and stations and add them to the game ?

If so will the game engine support the SOD format ?

If not what will it be? Will this format be supported by milkshape or 3ds max ?

posted on March 25th, 2014, 7:07 pm

did you guys ever consider the Iron Engine that Star Trek Armada 3??

posted on March 25th, 2014, 8:12 pm

I'm thinking about a FOPS version without lag issues in multiplayer, without all the movement problems from A2, a game that can have new features more easily, instead of programmers relying on time consuming workarounds.

And in the meanwhile one can still have some fun playing fancy 3.27, tryptics mod, or any other.

posted on March 25th, 2014, 9:08 pm

What are so happy about ?

We were expecting 4.0 for looong time... Many post were made what we can expected....

This "Great anoucment" is just nicely saying you do not get 4.0 forget it. and be happy because one day maybe you get NX project.

"WE developers just starting work with new engine...."

"Wait nicely and quietly" - someday in future you may see NX (or not).

this was reaL DISAPOINTMENT FOR ME.

HOW IS IT POSIBLE GUYS, THAT YOU DO NOT READ BETWEEN THE LINES.
we are screwed, we are screwed, we are screwed.... realy screwed
HOW IS IT POSIBLE GUYS, THAT YOU DO NOT READ BETWEEN THE LINES.

posted on March 25th, 2014, 9:12 pm

I take it that this means my new ODF generator (in development) is now out-of-date. As well as your new XML techtree! Out-of-date before release. That's a new one!

Does this mean that we'll need only one ODF file per ship instead of at least 3 (absolute minimum for armed vessel)?

What about the model format? Blind spots? Multi-targeting (can we select each of the targets manually)? Line-of-fire (including ships own features blocking weapons)? Weapon-specific special energy? 3-km (Borg Cube) ship scale vs 20-m ship scale (Venture Class I think)? Mods with plugins?

posted on March 25th, 2014, 9:28 pm

Why even change engines, this seems like a complete time waste. Part of what i love about fleet ops is what has been done with an outdated engine and keeping it the way it is and not drastically changing everything is of vital importance to keeping that feeling i got from a2.

3 years in the making already meanwhile left with a crappy version with major imbalances in large multiplayer matches. If this goes on much longer i guarantee most regulars will have moved on and they are the main target group.

Also all previous mods now have a difficult task of changing their mods resources to a new engine how fun....

Who even asked for a new engine or is this another one of those we are the creators and we decide what we do with our game sort of issues like no cardaisians because we don't want them even tho more than half the userbase want them as a playable race or no miranda 2s because its old shhush and either banning,blocking or ganging up on anyone who doesn't want to see it go down a certain route. Why don't you ever ask what your user base want.

posted on March 25th, 2014, 9:31 pm

I wonder how old ill be before i ever see another version of fleet ops and if ill even care or remember it when/IF that day ever comes.

This news is a real kick in the teeth for me.

posted on March 25th, 2014, 9:48 pm

Hey, you want to know who asked for a new engine for Fleet Operations? I'm one of them.