Save Apocalypse!?
 

The title says it all, is there any point me carrying on with this MOD of mine? Yes there are people that seem intrested in what i am in the process of producing, but compare that with the amount of people who play Armada II and who are members of A2files the people intrested don't add up to much.

Before i put everything down, i would like to thank Josh Barto (Elrond), Clint Hall (WrathofAchilles), Carl Thomas (MajorPayne), Adrian Revington (Captian_Fingers), and Atlantis.

The above people have helped along with others to bring this MOD togeather, whether its been knowlege on .odf's, Conversions or Models. Josh especially, the amount of conversions you have done for me is outstanding - There are others who have helped out, don't think i haven't forgotten just because i haven't mentioned you above.

The idea for Apocalypse started around late 2004 (after getting more involved in Armada II i downloaded MOD after MOD and liked what i saw) i even posted some files up onto A2files. Most of the files that I downloaded i got some good Images with (which you will find through the POTD archive) after compliments and such I decided that i would give the modding world a try.

I haven't got very far, I have seven of the races (out of the planned eight) - which were going to be the Vidiians but as it turned out nobody said a single thing on that thread so bang when that idea.

I also asked countless times for a Son'a Collector (luckly Adrian has accepted the job and is going to attempt one for me when he gets some spare time) - I also have Josh working on a Prometheus conversion - I still want these models (if not for my MOD then for my personal use)!

I have Federation, Klingon, Romulan, Cardassian & Dominion more or less sorted (regarding the Station & Ship area) - no weapons or anything have yet been touched, there is then the Son'a & Borg that i am working on: (the Son'a Just have ships, the Borg are just missing the non-combat ships - which i can sort) Son'a Stations i have ideas for!

This may seem like a cry for help, and if it strikes you as that then thats what it is. I would like feedback from as many people that can about this, if you think it deserves a go then let me know, if you think it desverves a go and you can offer help, again let me know, and vice versa, i would also like to know if people don't think there is a point to this and fiqure that i should quit while i'm ahead.

I have / had big plans for this (ideas are still flowing in) but it is impossible to do this on my own, its not a question of wanting help, i need it! If there are no positive comments for after this then i'm just going to let it drop. I may zip some parts up, then again, i may not! - if you want this to keep going then please let me know, don't hold back, this is your only chance, if you want to see this released then help! - whatever your talents, i may have use for you so get in touch: ashs87uk@yahoo.co.uk

PS: Draconis, if you don't have anything to say within reason please keep it to yourself as i wont care otherwise. - If you want to say its crap, and give up while i'm ahead, give a reason! - this goes to everyone but especially you as you tend to make pointless and sarcastic comments all the time that people rarely care for.

Re: Save Apocalypse!?
 

what?! NOOOOO! you can't give up on Apocalypse! it looks like it's going to be one of the best mods out there for A2!

for the Son'A, they seemed to be interested in a lot of medicinal stuff (maybe it's just me that thinks that), so what about having a bunch of "medical" centers, that boost the preformace of your ships? i.e, a Metabolic Regenerator station that gives your ship's crew a bunch of extra energy, allowing for more efficient boarding parties?

Re: Save Apocalypse!?
 

Hmmm. I, personally, cannot wait till this comes out. Need I say more? Please dont' stop, just because people don't say anything here, does not mean that the download count will be low, carry on, and, as MaP always says to me, "A mod is for yourself, nobody else. Do it because you want to, not for anybody else".

:)

Re: Save Apocalypse!?
 

Hmmm, i would have gotten it :)
Yes, Continue, if only for yourself, finish it.

P.S. I dont really think they would have wanted there real names posted on GF???

Re: Save Apocalypse!?
 

If they don't want it, I can remove them.

Any of the people mentioned above, PM me if you want it removed.

Re: Save Apocalypse!?
 

Hey SSA, here's something I saw that is really something I looked at a good many times when thinking I was going to retire from modding and discontinue my mod:

"Many people seem to see moding as some sort of competition that you have to win, or be the best at, I disagree with this philosophy myself. I see modding as a great way to meet new people and make new friends, and above all to have fun with the modding and the game itself. Not everyone is going to like everything you make, and that can be disheartening, but you sould always remember that you cannot please everyone all the time. For every person that may not like your mod there is at least one who does like it, maybe a lot more than one. Always mod for yourself, don’t do it just to gain fame or popularity, you will be sorely dissappoited of you do, trust me."

MajorPayne will recognize this, so will Westworld, pretty much two of the greatest modders of the modern age. This is very prolific for us, as we both had considered scrapping our mods (look at the Universal Armageddon Mod thread and you'll see what I mean about me thinking about scrapping my mod).

Thankfully, Joelteon7 and a few others had encouraged me not to quit. As they have here. The above quote from Westworld's Big Book of Modding is also something that encouraged me not to quit. I'd say that more than the hardpoint tutorials, the ms3d and 3dsmax tutorials, and all of the other tutorials, the #1 best tool and lesson I learned from that Big Book is that quote above.

If you want to still do this mod, you could always do it on a personal mod level; though my mod I consider a personal mod even now. But that doesn't mean we won't release our mods one day when we decide we're ready. All I'm saying is the same thing that MajorPayne, Westworld, and Joelteon7 said - that you must build your mod around what you want it to be like. Don't allow anyone else's methods determine what your standards for the mod are going to be. Do what you want with your mod as everyone has a different style for modding and different is good. And also don't let the download counts affect you. I know I think about that once in a while and that was almost the reason my mod was scrapped two weeks ago. I figured because my Elven ships had low download counts that this somehow determined that my mod wasn't good enough to take up server space. But I was talked out of that nonetheless, fortunately. Hopefully the same will be here. Modding is not like putting on an episode of Enterprise where each episode affects both the future of the plot and the future of the show. Continue on, unless your sure this is not what you want to do. I will help in whatever way I can.

I suppose I don't mind my real name appearing here, as only the Armada 2 community would see it, and I know most of them anyways. But I was still Elrond in my previous life hehe. ;)

Re: Save Apocalypse!?
 

Ah. The mod cancelling speech.

Ash. I don't think it needs to be repeated again, but remember how much hard work you've done so far. Perhaps just a brief pause for a time and return at a later date might be in order. Still its your decision.

Re: Save Apocalypse!?
 

Got ur email there Ash. I'd love to help in any way I can and will continue to. Hey, your mod got a lot more attention than mine did - and I think that says something! You have a great mod and though you don't think you do, you do.

Firstly, there are alternatives. Your mod seems to have a lot of potential to be great! The alternatives are: 1) me helping in ways more than just converting the ships for you - I can help you with any problems you have with the mod, 2) merging your mod with mine - that would require a lot of elimination of some of the stuff in my mod and it would require the elimination of the Elves on my mod, which is already accomplished because they just didn't work yet to my intention, and 3) I'll put my mod on extended hold for a while so that I can provide a lot more assistance on this mod. I've got a lot of ship models for the Borg, Romulans, and Klingons. I'm working on helping Greathor with his Klingon Compilation Mod. Perhaps we could even begin a Cardassian or Romulan compilation mod?! Or add it in with Apocalypse!

I'm replying to your email after I post this message - with some other new proposals for the mods.

Re: Save Apocalypse!?
 

No i dont mind my name being shown, I tend to think of freinds I know online by their chosen name anyways.

I see this point raised time and tuime again and think it myself but, as has been said above, modding should be for your fun, if you dont have fun with it take this advice.

Zip it up, do something else. I usually play other games, make ship mods, read... whatever you like. Eventually you'll want to come back to it and play it, then mod it... or not.

I keep my own mod personal, I do intent to release it one day but for now I make sure it's fun for me to play.

Re: Save Apocalypse!?
 

Don't ever give up, my son... Wait...
Carry on Ash, as if nothing really matters...Wait...
Just finish it and ill download it:nodding: :nodding: :nodding:

Re: Save Apocalypse!?
 

just do what you heart tells you to do ;)

Re: Save Apocalypse!?
 

Good idea, but i want to get the ships sorted before i start on the buildings, i have a number of Son'a buildings in thought, just i need a Collector (which is being done) and another conversion - but good idea none the less - will think about it!

@ Elrond - if your telling me not to give up my MOD, then i'm telling you not to give up yours

What do you mean by that? I sense a little Sarcasm there, would i be right in assuming this?

@ Elrond - thats a lot your giving up there mate, i'll take that under thought also, although i recently read on a2files that you, draconis and jolteon are doing a MOD togeather!? - i wouldn't want to slow that down as if a2.5 is anything to go buy with weapons / textures and ships etc it should be good. - good luck with that you three!

@ everyone else, i guess its thanks for the positive comments! (even the sarcastic ones), if i do continue, you will have to be paicent, even with help like what Elrond has laid out it will take time, ships and stations is all i have at the moment (plus physics, bitmaps & buildbuttons) AI, Weapons, Special Weapons, Sprites, Tech Files - all is to be continued, there are also certian .odf files i haven't touched yet!

I'll keep you all posted! There are five ships in the process, Collector, Galor MKI + MKII, Son'a Battleship MKIII & Prometheus! (others may arise) and there is also the big problem of an eigth race! Anyway, thats all i have to say for now!

PS: Maybe someone could have a look at maybe the Vidiian ships? - or (another idea) i know i am trying to keep this as Trek (canon) as possible, but 24th Century Xindi Ships??? (TMP, TNG & DS9)! (would be a nice eigth race)!

Re: Save Apocalypse!?
 

Yeah, I don't think I would give it up completely, but I could help you get some stuff done in your mod a little quicker if I can find some stuff in my mod you can use. I have the Universal Armageddon mod and my own personal mod that I use just to test stuff and put as much as I can in it. :lol: There are 300+ Federation ships in the personal mod, which is being reduced to 40 at the most on my UA mod. Out of 300+ Federation ships, I can help you there. I made a Klingon Bird of Death (converted it) for Greathor's Klingon Compilation mod and Joelteon7 and I are planning on doing a compilation for another race. One those two are finished, there will be Ghost's Federation Comp Mod, Greathor's Klingon Comp Mod, and our * Insert CLASSIFIED race here * Comp Mod. ANd then there will be Draconis', Joelteon7's, and my mod, then there will be the Universal Armageddon Mod, and then there will be the Universal Armageddon: Apocalypse Now! Mod :p. Then there's CaptSyf and Majestic doing the combined Federations/Mirror Wars Mod, then the A1 Future Tense mod, then the A2 Fleet Ops 3 mod, etc. There's like 20 mods coming out within the next year. It's going to definitely take a toll on site space for armadafleetcommand and armada2files. But it sure is worth it. When I put these mods up on armada2files, I'm certain it will take a long time, even with Cable, to upload them, but that will all be worth it.

Anyway, we can discuss the details of the Apocalypse Mod when the details become available. I might email you a list of ships I have - and screenshots for ones you may not have seen. If you want, you can get a ship and station list together (pretty much just by copying the techtree you have so far) and I can see what you have as of now. The odf files are the simplest to edit, we all know that. But in a manner, they are also the most tedious - to have a good balance or rather a canon balance between the races is one thing that is always so hard. Everytime I rebalance my ships, stations, and weapons, there's always something that I have to recalibrate to make sure that everything is canon. In truth, it's almost impossible to be completely accurate on those things. That's why I can show you so far what I have as far as odf files and vice-versa so that we know where we are going and what standard weapons power and ship strengths are.

Re: Save Apocalypse!?
 

Please don't direct comments towards me, I really don't like that.

Re: Save Apocalypse!?
 

I'll let you know Elrond, at the moment its a simple case of getting the ships and stations togeather, once i've done that then the real help will be needed. Also, you mentioned about balance, well let me tell you now, in Apocalypse balance will not be an issue as there will be none! This game will be decided on the player, not the AI skill!

Re: Save Apocalypse!?
 

Well, as in balance, I sort of mean balance of misbalance - the Borg will be canon - which means they can decimate fleets of starships instead of having one Sovvy blow it up! :p The Borg cubes (and other larger ships) however will take longer to build and can be bigger (canon size of 3000 meters instead of what looks little bigger than a Sovvy).

Re: Save Apocalypse!?
 

Yea, thats what i ment! Borg will be tough but will take ages to build as will the better ships (IE: Sovereign and Negh'var) compared to the NX & D7 will be a huge difference in the build times, likewise, the Sovereign and negh'var will be might powerfull compared with the NX & D7 (but the Cube will still rule them all)!

Re: Save Apocalypse!?
 

I have quite a good many Borg ship's I've made, a few Andrew_of_Borg made (the Dominator, Cuboid, Fusion Cuboid), etc. I made a Super Fusion Cuboid and an Ultra Fusion Cuboid. The Ultra Fusion Cuboid takes a long time to build. It's been hard for me to get the fusion for larger ships to work without setting avoidMe = 0 on those ships. To build the Ultra Fusion Cuboid takes an hour or more - and some of the missions take at least that long. The Borg will have to build up to that point before they are able to begin construction on their ultimate weapon. There are two sets of Borg races - the good Borg (Queen 0001) and the bad Borg (Queen 0002, 0004). The strongest unit is the first queen's ship, which can defeat most all other ships but can be defeated by an Ultra Fusion Cuboid and a Super Fusion Cuboid. Some ships may only be available as hero units. If you want to see some of those Borg units, I can show you them. Good luck. :)

Re: Save Apocalypse!?
 

Can ALL Threads started by me relating to Apocalypse be closed please...

Re: Save Apocalypse!?
 

Will do

Re: Save Apocalypse!?
 

I seem to remember a similar thread a while back when Draconis was going to cancel Armada 2.5. His resolve was I think the best advice everyone was giving him. Just take a break. A month, maybe two. Come back to it. For now, save everything you have thus far onto a Disc(or Discs) or even a spare HDD if you have one. Set it aside for safe keeping and come back to it, if you still wan to. Chances are, after a nice break from a large project like this, you will want to come back to it. You just can't drive yourself into the ground on a project. Everyone needs a rest from projects once in a while. But there's no reason to stop it altogether.

Re: Save Apocalypse!?
 

Very true - back in November last year, I began to take a break from modding. I didn't play hardly any games for a long length of time. Then, in February, I got back into it with avengence! I bought MS3D and began learning how to make ship models. My first few were so-so, but I released the first model I made that month. Since then, three months have passed and I have revised everything I am doing and have learned a ton of stuff about modding and modelling.

Just recently, some personal crap came up again for the 9-thousandth time in a row and my own mod will be delayed by perhaps another month or two - though I never ever never ever set any real deadlines. It seems that by the end of this week I will be beginning another break from my own modding. Hey, it happens. I got a lot done already. Pretty much all I have to do is check all of mymaterials for permissions and/or credits and eliminate things I can't use (which I've done most of that already). The Universal Armageddon Mod is pretty much totally completed, save for some missions and I haven't done any bink animations for it, which I would really love to do!!! But besides that, it's done and I'm moving on to help out in the Federations mod and the Convergence mod and the Klingon Compilation mod. My next personal goal is to create the Romulan Compilation Mod. If perfected (well, as much as can be), it will be pretty good (duh). :lol:

But anyway, SSA, a good break is always good. Definitely don't scrap anything at this point. You may come back to it. When I went on leave from my modding, I played a lot of Playstation 2 and all that.

Re: Save Apocalypse!?
 

Stupid giving up is, repeating speeches is also (unless i cant find the other one in this case it good.) Keep modding you should, take it slow on weekdays and that such make it a hobby you should. Never give up and never surrender. Only the weak give up and weak you dont seem to be help i will if i can....:)

Re: Save Apocalypse!?
 

(PS. Ash i ben working on my mod now for little over 4 years and i never given up. If your having proplem whith your mod; quit for a while, take a break. stop doing it for couple month make it hobby. The key to a good mod is to make modding proces fun and not a chore or a jop!!!!) - just some advice!