Final Frontier - Garry's Mod

[QUOTE=hogofwar;41263405]-vr as in oculus rift. I don't think it's currently supported by Gmod itself though.[/QUOTE] An update just went through that made it possible for the rift to be used in all (I think) source games [URL="http://www.pcgamer.com/2013/06/27/source-sdk-2013-gets-support-for-virtual-reality-via-the-oculus-rift/?ns_campaign=article-feed&ns_mchannel=ref&ns_source=steam&ns_linkname=0&ns_fee=0"]http://www.pcgamer.com/2013/06/27/source-sdk-2013-gets-support-for-virtual-reality-via-the-oculus-rift/?ns_campaign=article-feed&ns_mchannel=ref&ns_source=steam&ns_linkname=0&ns_fee=0[/URL]

[QUOTE=coke.head;41267931]Oh hey, I wrote that. Hi, me![/QUOTE] Man, I was getting chills just reading that.

[url=http://www.pcgamer.com/2013/07/01/ftl-garrys-mod/]Final Frontier is on PCGamer![/url] That's awesome, congratulations OP

[QUOTE=EvacX;41277366][url=http://www.pcgamer.com/2013/07/01/ftl-garrys-mod/]Final Frontier is on PCGamer![/url] That's awesome, congratulations OP[/QUOTE] Didn't they already do one on this? if they did damn they must be really attracted to us! We should all feel special! NOW. DO IT. Ah i'm an idiot. but seriously though, They did one back in June right?

Aw fuck, not again. The pressure to finish this... it hurts... But honestly it feels like it doesn't deserve nearly this much coverage, at least not until the main gameplay is there.

[QUOTE=Ziks;41278733]Aw fuck, not again. The pressure to finish this... it hurts... But honestly it feels like it doesn't deserve nearly this much coverage, at least not until the main gameplay is there.[/QUOTE] I guess this is what people have wanted. I mean I'm anticipating it even though there isn't a huge list of features, but that allows room for expansion which I think people want. Over time these features will flood in and make the gamemode superb.

[QUOTE=Ziks;41278733]Aw fuck, not again. The pressure to finish this... it hurts... But honestly it feels like it doesn't deserve nearly this much coverage, at least not until the main gameplay is there.[/QUOTE] To be fair mate, Its actually a wonderful mod, It looks absolutely divine! I'm really looking forward to it!

[QUOTE=Ziks;41278733]Aw fuck, not again. The pressure to finish this... it hurts... But honestly it feels like it doesn't deserve nearly this much coverage, at least not until the main gameplay is there.[/QUOTE] While the current state of the mod isn't anywhere near finished, both it and the idea of it display a lot of potential, which is what's gets you so much praise. You can have a shit idea but great execution, and it'll still be crap. You have a fantastic idea, and we're all hoping your execution of it will be great too. Best of luck on the project!

[vid]http://puu.sh/3txuv.mp4[/vid] Right click -> loop Oh wait I should add a klaxon sound too, hold on a sec.

Please release it when it's done instead of having it all on a few servers... like some of us just wanna play LAN with a few friends not on a full and possibly laggy if we are far away server... thanks.

I cannot wait for this, FTL is one of my favourite games and this looks amazing.

[QUOTE=RonanZer0;41284009]Please release it when it's done instead of having it all on a few servers... like some of us just wanna play LAN with a few friends not on a full and possibly laggy if we are far away server... thanks.[/QUOTE] It is getting released to the public once its in a usable standard.

[QUOTE=GTbrawlers;41285590]It is getting released to the public once its in a usable standard.[/QUOTE] We can all only hope thats soon!

We're planning to record a Q&A video soon, so if you have any questions you would like answered then feel free to post them below. We also need to re-record the video we had explaining the floor hatches, since the original file got corrupted somehow.

[QUOTE=Ziks;41287133]We're planning to record a Q&A video soon, so if you have any questions you would like answered then feel free to post them below. We also need to re-record the video we had explaining the floor hatches, since the original file got corrupted somehow.[/QUOTE] Q: Will users be able to create map layouts and submit them to either you guys or server admins to add as playable ships? As an aside, noticed those hatches in the last video. Could it be... AIR DUCTS?! :0 Can't wait to see what you have in store for us. You're awesome.

Q: Will you guys have any wall-mounted consoles like they had in The Next Generation in all the hallways? Would it be possible to make it so you can access basic ship information anywhere along the hallway like you could in TNG?

Q: Will there be an option of being complete PvE on small servers? Q: How far will ships be customisable?

[QUOTE=CorporalCupCake;41274867]Man, I was getting chills just reading that.[/QUOTE] Hey thanks. Always nice to hear when someone likes your work.

You should make a room that is able to turn on Nyan Jazz to all the rooms. :zoid: But it looks great, keep up the good work!

I stumbled across this after being linked to it from another site. To start I want to say I am incredibly stoked for the release and already eager to do some modding of it if you allow that as I have tons of ideas. Keep up the awesome work, it's looking great. In addition, as someone who is currently designing (not much programming done at the moment; I like to be ambitious with my mods) an FTL knockoff inspired for similar reasons, I just wanted to add my two cents. I understand what you intend to do when you say you're building a template or proof of concept in Garry's Mod and intend to create a more robust program in a different engine if it works out the way you expected. I understand that you want to start with some simple design for practice that closely emulates FTL that you can build off of if you make this a real game. Starting simple, getting it done, and building off of it is a mainstay of software development, after all; that's what the developers of the recently released XBLA game State of Decay are doing. But like them, I think it's important for you to identify what you want to do with this version but also have a solid plan of what you're doing in later versions with an eye of being as ambitious as possible. It's not good to let yourself get too wrapped up in the same constraints that the makers of FTL had to work around with when you're designing this game, even in this pre-beta proof-of-concept. I can see hints of FTL design philosophy (that, while suited to FTL, would not make sense in a 3D ship simulator) creeping into this mod that may negatively influence both it and future concepts. If you have a plan for this idea both in the short term and in the long term and follow through with it, I can guarantee you this has the potential to be the Minecraft of space. When I was brainstorming about what my own approach to a 3D FTL would look like, I didn't want to make a first-person FTL clone, I wanted to make what FTL would have been had the makers decided it was going to be first-person from the start. It would have to be a roguelike, or at least have instance-based PvP, but rather than say "FTL in 3D" I wanted it to be "crewing a spaceship in 3D". I wanted to keep the elements FTL did right but I also did not want to restrict myself to only emulating the gameplay elements that FTL had. A few examples to illustrate my point: 1. You seem to be heavily influenced by the power-redirecting mechanics of FTL. That was mostly there to give players something to do other than order their units around. While power management can and should be an important system, I don't think you should restrict yourself to "powered systems" when thinking of what to populate different rooms with. Rooms that have nothing to do with power can still be an important gameplay mechanic, such as an armory for repelling people boarding your ship and for responding in kind. Even better, perhaps the armory also holds security cameras and the door control, and recharges the security teams laser weapons or something. The Medbay really shouldn't have a console at all unless it's to turn on specific medical equipment for a specific reason, like if you want to simulate space battle -related injuries. You could simulate a permanent environment with a 24-hour server by adding sleeping, living and dining quarters; now it's not just a PvP FTL battle but an open-world game! Similarly, when piloting is just "click on point to move" (yeah I know its a work in progress), what is there really for engine operators to do? Add or subtract passive dodge chance kinda works for a game designed around power-shunting macro, but a true engine operator really should control which engine is outputting at what power in a manner that allows the ship to make real maneuvers in a 3D environment. Not exactly feasible to truly model in Garry's Mod methinks (I don't know, I haven't tried; most of my own attempts at it so far involved trying to model gravity correctly to allow the general environment to be weightless while allowing the ship to spin around in 3D while some magic gravity generator keeps peoples feet on the floor, and from what I've noticed that's fucking impossible in the engine I'm using), unless you just hack it by simulating the movement. As a random aside: I was thinking if you wanted to simulate real 3D ship movement while retaining the built-in gravity from the engine, you could try having two different independent game environments for the two ships and independently emulating the relative presence of the enemy ship in each environment. Hope that makes sense... 2. Who says there needs to be a single control console in each room? FTL relegated one system per room and one operator per system mostly for gameplay constraints. From a logical standpoint, while it might make sense to have a distinct room for shields, weapons, engines, and the teleporter, it doesn't make sense to have a unique room for doors, life support, et cetera. I imagine weapons, shields, and engines could and should have room for multiple operators too since it can't be an easy task. In popular science fiction it is common for the "bridge" to hold a bunch of important within shouting range of the "captain" who is not really piloting but rather giving orders to the engine operator to maneuver the ship around by adjusting engine power, for example. Having multiple crewmembers on different weapons opens up the possibility of independently aiming the weapons in 3D rather than just clicking on a ship. Similarly, being responsible for requesting power from the reactor to shunt to various sections of shield to cover damage and malfunction doesn't have to be a one-person job. And increasing or decreasing power to specific engines to enact specific maneuvers sounds like a job for everyone. In any case, while I was designing my variation on FTL, I turned around and looked a lot at Eve Online. I wanted to have capital ship vs capital ship mechanics designed around positioning and orienting your ship in a manner that presents the smallest profile and allows the majority of your weapons a bead on the enemy. But at the same time I wanted to be able to fly one-man "fighters" around that are hard to hit with weapons and can take potshots at the enemy ships with missiles or something. Like I said, ambitious, but I'd just wanted to emphasize to keep your mind open to the possibilities.

@TheDjinni I think you have some good input, but I think we all need to take a step back here. This is simply a Garry's Mod game mode we are talking about at the moment. While Ziks has stated that he wants to port this to a different engine at some point, he has kept the scope limited for now. Also, while I don't doubt his talent, he has given every indication that this project is not his top priority in life. Therefore he has set very realistic goals, in order to make the game mode playable and fun. Please let us not get carried away with suggestions, and steamroll this guy with the hype train.

[QUOTE=TheDjinni;41290017]I stumbled across this after being linked to it from another site. To start I want to say I am incredibly stoked for the release and already eager to do some modding of it if you allow that as I have tons of ideas. Keep up the awesome work, it's looking great.[/QUOTE] Thank you! I'm making sure the code is as clean and expandable as possible to make it easy for modders to expand the game in whatever way they like. [QUOTE]In addition, as someone who is currently designing (not much programming done at the moment; I like to be ambitious with my mods) an FTL knockoff inspired for similar reasons, I just wanted to add my two cents. I understand what you intend to do when you say you're building a template or proof of concept in Garry's Mod and intend to create a more robust program in a different engine if it works out the way you expected. I understand that you want to start with some simple design for practice that closely emulates FTL that you can build off of if you make this a real game. Starting simple, getting it done, and building off of it is a mainstay of software development, after all; that's what the developers of the recently released XBLA game State of Decay are doing. But like them, I think it's important for you to identify what you want to do with this version but also have a solid plan of what you're doing in later versions with an eye of being as ambitious as possible. It's not good to let yourself get too wrapped up in the same constraints that the makers of FTL had to work around with when you're designing this game, even in this pre-beta proof-of-concept. I can see hints of FTL design philosophy (that, while suited to FTL, would not make sense in a 3D ship simulator) creeping into this mod that may negatively influence both it and future concepts. If you have a plan for this idea both in the short term and in the long term and follow through with it, I can guarantee you this has the potential to be the Minecraft of space.[/QUOTE] It's true that we are clinging perhaps too close to FTL's formula for this version, but I think I can justify that. I could blame it on the limitations of Garry's Mod, but I suppose it is mostly because I'm wary of trying out too many new things at once in case they cripple the project. However, we are trying out quite a few new mechanics and expanding on some that FTL had. I've had pretty much all of the game systems planned out from near the beginning, intentionally limiting the number of mechanics so that I had a finite checklist to work through. I'm certainly planning to expand freely on each aspect of the game when the first playable build is complete. [QUOTE]When I was brainstorming about what my own approach to a 3D FTL would look like, I didn't want to make a first-person FTL clone, I wanted to make what FTL would have been had the makers decided it was going to be first-person from the start. It would have to be a roguelike, or at least have instance-based PvP, but rather than say "FTL in 3D" I wanted it to be "crewing a spaceship in 3D". I wanted to keep the elements FTL did right but I also did not want to restrict myself to only emulating the gameplay elements that FTL had. A few examples to illustrate my point: 1. You seem to be heavily influenced by the power-redirecting mechanics of FTL. That was mostly there to give players something to do other than order their units around. While power management can and should be an important system, I don't think you should restrict yourself to "powered systems" when thinking of what to populate different rooms with. Rooms that have nothing to do with power can still be an important gameplay mechanic, such as an armory for repelling people boarding your ship and for responding in kind. Even better, perhaps the armory also holds security cameras and the door control, and recharges the security teams laser weapons or something. The Medbay really shouldn't have a console at all unless it's to turn on specific medical equipment for a specific reason, like if you want to simulate space battle -related injuries. You could simulate a permanent environment with a 24-hour server by adding sleeping, living and dining quarters; now it's not just a PvP FTL battle but an open-world game![/QUOTE] We've been planning to include rooms designed for storage - be it weapons, ship parts or loot - allowing players to choose one to act as an armoury or whatever they like. We also want to have player held tools and weapons have a universal rechargeable battery that they can perhaps charge in the reactor room. To validate the medical bay as a system, we have a couple of mechanics planned that certainly requires a dedicated room. I would certainly love for the project to be an open-world multiplayer space sim, but I can't make any assumptions about ship persistence when there are a finite (and relatively small) number of ships available due to Source engine constraints. Instead, gameplay is designed for a crew to stick together for around 2 or 3 hours at most (but not enforcing a hard limit). When a new ship is founded the crew will be assigned one main objective that they are expected to take a few hours to complete (defeat a specified leading player controlled ship if one is available / find an ancient alien artefact by following a series of clues / defeat an automated boss ship that's lurking in a specified system etc), along with optional subgoals that players may achieve along the way. [QUOTE]Similarly, when piloting is just "click on point to move" (yeah I know its a work in progress), what is there really for engine operators to do? Add or subtract passive dodge chance kinda works for a game designed around power-shunting macro, but a true engine operator really should control which engine is outputting at what power in a manner that allows the ship to make real maneuvers in a 3D environment. Not exactly feasible to truly model in Garry's Mod methinks (I don't know, I haven't tried; most of my own attempts at it so far involved trying to model gravity correctly to allow the general environment to be weightless while allowing the ship to spin around in 3D while some magic gravity generator keeps peoples feet on the floor, and from what I've noticed that's fucking impossible in the engine I'm using), unless you just hack it by simulating the movement.[/QUOTE] Originally we planned to have something like this for engineering, choosing how much power each engine receives to aid either pure forward acceleration, or the ability to turn rapidly etc. This felt like something that a ship's computer could probably do automatically pretty easily however, and would be a job that wouldn't be all that exciting. After ditching that we freed up engineering for its new purpose, which we will show in a video coming up soon-ish. It's related to the floor hatches, and repairing parts of the ship. Now piloting will handle all aspects of ship movement, which is limited to a 2D plane because of engine limitations and to simplify gameplay. [QUOTE]As a random aside: I was thinking if you wanted to simulate real 3D ship movement while retaining the built-in gravity from the engine, you could try having two different independent game environments for the two ships and independently emulating the relative presence of the enemy ship in each environment. Hope that makes sense...[/QUOTE] That's probably what I'll try if I get to the stage of rewriting it in a different engine if that engine enforces a definite idea of what direction "down" was. [QUOTE]2. Who says there needs to be a single control console in each room? FTL relegated one system per room and one operator per system mostly for gameplay constraints. From a logical standpoint, while it might make sense to have a distinct room for shields, weapons, engines, and the teleporter, it doesn't make sense to have a unique room for doors, life support, et cetera. I imagine weapons, shields, and engines could and should have room for multiple operators too since it can't be an easy task. In popular science fiction it is common for the "bridge" to hold a bunch of important with

I see you there in the visitor list bucksexington! Thank you for the RPS article, while I feel coverage is a little early I really appreciate the attention we've received and all the feedback. We'll try our best to make this as close to the game we've been dreaming of as we can.

[QUOTE=Ziks;41295655] -snip because Ziks is to damn good for a quote- [/QUOTE] Q: Will there be fighter-class mini-ships that the main (Mother) Ship will be able to deploy? Q: Will you be able to travel into other planets? Will it be able to burn up in the Atmosphere if so and blow up/die/crash land?

Here's a suggestion: Little arcade-style minigames for each station (a different one for each station) that give a temporary bonus to that station as you play through them. Maybe having minigames of varying duration to apply different buffs, like a short 5 second button-match challenge for a short large buff, or a couple rows of tetris for a longer buff, etc.

[QUOTE=ShadowKnightX;41297721]Q: Will there be fighter-class mini-ships that the main (Mother) Ship will be able to deploy? Q: Will you be able to travel into other planets? Will it be able to burn up in the Atmosphere if so and blow up/die/crash land?[/QUOTE] I'd guess that the chance of drones is higher than that of fighters, and considering the Trekky qualities of FTL, landing on planets probably won't be a thing.

[QUOTE=LimEJET;41299311]I'd guess that the chance of drones is higher than that of fighters, and considering the Trekky qualities of FTL, landing on planets probably won't be a thing.[/QUOTE] Gotta admit though that'd be a cool feature if it was wouldn't it? Just imagine that, going on different planets that have certain oxygen/gravity levels, aliens (maybe even make a Combine home-world! :D)

God, some of you guys are getting a little too hopeful when it comes to the amount of features. I can imagine that making multiple ships [I]and[/I] travelling out in space is already hard enough as it is. It's also supposed to be a FTL like gamemode, right? Not Star Citizen, Garry's Mod edition.

[QUOTE=PredGD;41301927]God, some of you guys are getting a little too hopeful when it comes to the amount of features. I can imagine that making multiple ships [I]and[/I] travelling out in space is already hard enough as it is. It's also supposed to be a FTL like gamemode, right? Not Star Citizen, Garry's Mod edition.[/QUOTE] Let people have their dreams and expectations. Don't kill it before its release --- or before people even have a chance to play it and experience what it offers.

Don't kill it before release? I don't really get what you're trying to tell me. I'm just saying. By having so high expectations you're only gonna disappoint yourself when the release hits.