[GAME] EmptyEpsilon

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  • I've put new versions up at:

    Note that the Android version is still experimental. I fixed the screen rotation bug. But it does not seem to properly close&re-open without a force kill from the application manager.

    (Removed the OSX version, as nobody got that one to work except for 1 guy at the office)

    I've put up all the android build files at: https://github.com/daid/EmptyEpsilon/tree/master/android
    But I recommend against trying to build it yourself right now.


    I did add a whole bunch of extra music files, so that's why the windows version has become quite a bit bigger.
  • image
    Photo of yesterdays session. Yes, we have a female captain.

    Noticed a few smaller problems. Already fixed them in the code. Will roll a new version tomorrow for windows and Android. Also tweaked a few things afterwards.

    (Two important bugs fixed, you cannot see the amount of missiles left, which is kind of a problem for weapons. And comms can get stuck if the ship you are talking too is destroyed)
  • The game is already awesome! I totally love the GM screen, because it's possible to put up a PnP-Style RPG game. Personally I can recommend it in combination with TeamSpeak or something similar for communication between GM and Crew, so the whole thing get's more realistic.

    Ever though about getting it on Steam or promoting it somewhere else?
  • If you want really realistic, you can open comms from the GM screen to the players ship. And only communicate trough that. But that is quite an indirect way to communicate. You could also setup a teamspeak with just the relay officer giving him a headset. So he has to relay all the information about the mission to the captain.

    Getting on steam requires a few things. One of them being the greenlit process. And you'll most likely get a lot of "OMG RIPPING OFF ARTEMIS!" kind of replies.
    I've promoted it at a few places. But I'm not that good in promoting. It's also fairly nice. And just a hobby project :-)



    In the other news. I've been trying to write a convertor for Artemis missions to EE scenario scripts. So far it can convert 10 of the 100 scripts I collected. With a shitload of warnings and stuff that isn't converted properly yet. So that's no a huge success so far. But if I figure out the AI and have working comms transmissions towards the player I should be able to get this sort of working.

    But that does come with a more positive side, as it gives me a few pointers on what can be done to make missions. Main thing missing is transmissions from other objects (ships, stations, etc) towards the player. Other then that, most things that Artemis missions try to do can be done with the EE scenario scripting. (Which is no surprise, as the EE scripting is way more powerful)
  • What is the script converter written in? Do you also have that up in a repo somewhere?
  • It's a python script. It's in the repo now: https://github.com/daid/EmptyEpsilon/blob/master/artemis_mission_convert.py

    It does convert more scripts now, but it fails mostly on:
    * monsters
    * whales
    * genericMeshes
    * formulas with variables

    It also generates tons of warnings on stuff it cannot process properly.
  • image

    Teaser time!
  • Hey there! Very cool teaser, I was mostly playing Artemis, but after our last session was a bit of a disaster due to some bad connections, I started looking for alternatives. I'm super intrigued by EE! I'm very excited and impressed by the work done so far and I'm thinking that my group will really dig it next time we play. Is there a twitter account that I can follow to stay up to date on the game? Many thanks for the work you've put in so far, and I'm very excited to see what the future holds for EE!
  • I don't do twitter. (To be honest, I don't understand twitter)

    But I post here about updates. So you could subscribe for email updates.


    The above teaser has made it into the version I uploaded a few days ago. It's the new ship scanning mechanism. Instead of just an delay, when you scan ships (and later other objects), you need to solve a "puzzle". You need to get the sliders in the correct position to complete the scan. Putting time pressure on your science officer, and also requiring more of his/her concentration.
  • The ship scanning puzzle method sounds great! I was actually thinking of suggesting something similar for communications - Translating incoming language, or clearing up transmission static. 


  • Quite possible in the future yes. But first I'll be expanding on the scanning mechanism a bit more. Already added models and some code for "artifacts". Which can already be used in mission scripts. The idea is that some artifacts will be harder to scan then others. And that they have descriptions, and you can possibly pick them up. With positive or negative effects (hench the importance of scanning)

    Didn't have much time to work on it the last week. But I did put up a new release that includes the changes for scanning ships.
  • Hi daid

    I am following your progress closely and will make donations when I can. I am trying to build a permanent bridge and need something more challenging than artemis. Is it possible that Empty Epsilon will have side a rear views that could be displayed on separate monitors so I could build windows into my ship? It would be amazing!

    I have also been looking at Glitter which was created for Artemis to create smaller data screens to add bling to any bridge. Is something like this possible for Empty Epsilon?



    Sorry to just ask questions, but I am so excited by the things I have seen so far about your work. Will try and play soon and give some useful feedback.
  • sunnyalan EmptyEpsilon already has Window view options with 15degree increment view angle selection.. so yeah.. window ports.. 

  • edited September 2015
    That is amazing. Now i have to try and work out how to install it on my rig. wish me luck
    Great. How do i find these options
  • Maybe a little short-noticed, but we'll be having an EmptyEpsilon building day at Tukkerlab Enschede (https://tkkrlab.nl/) tomorrow... 

    We'll mainly try to hack together a bunch of servers to run the bridge. 
    Next to that we'll try to get it to talk to some hardware :D Probably DMX lights, and a mesh network of lights controlled using HTTP-requests.

    You're welcome to join! :D

  • edited August 2015
    I'd love to, alas twould be a wee stretch of the leg to get there from Indianapolis, Indiana...

  • Darn it, I'm at Eindhoven. Which makes it quite possible to drive up to Enschede for a day (less then 2 hours drive). But the short notice does not really help (as well as having other plans already)

    Also, VolgClawtooth, got your donation, many thanks! I'll be buying some more ship models soon.
    Originally I was planning to buy these:
    But I am pondering to buy these:
    As they give the diversity to give one faction a whole unique look, instead of all factions using the same ships.
  • I  haven't gotten to send the donation yet..  minor financial snagglefrack has delayed it.. so that was someone else.. I am however trying to debug segmentation fault that core analysis shows dies in main() -> Engine::riunMainLoop() -> GameClient::update(float) -> ?? when attempting to connect to a manually specified IP address from the client system while the server is running and has a single player ship spawned... both systems running code compiled from the same source tree. 
  • And would you like to issue the headsmack now or later. 

    When building from source, for the record and all interested parties: Always ensure that both EmptyEpsilon AND SeriousProton are updated... for if SeriousProton has a version skew.. you have a terminal failure! Ok. Well now that I know how that happened.. back to regularly scheduled trying to figure out what it s  Fedora broke in the boot sequence. I feel like an idiot. Oh and Daid.. that scanning is sick and twisted.. keep up the good work..  While I await the next spin build I will start poking the  Keyboard/Mouse/Joystick input stuff I promised last week. 

     
  • Hi Daid
    Is there any chance of a few more crew stations for more players to get involved. Maybe Intell. who have to.hack into other ships computers. How about Security who have to keep crew under control whilst in space this could be combined with a medical role and having to decide which crew members or teams to heal during battle the healthnof engineering team could effect how well the engineering systems work and so forth. Insort of pictured it working like the engineering station but just montoring crew teams rather than ship systems. Might add another dimension. I ALSO wondered about a laboratory screen where a Science team could.craft soace debris and salavage tobcreate upgrades in a sort of minecraft style.
    anyways bin these ideas if they dont suit but I thought they may inspire a game that even more people.could jump in on.
    thanks
    alan.
  • what  128 ships at 6 players a ship isn't enough?
    ;)

  • edited September 2015
    It is :) However I am trying to build a simulator for kids to fly and it would just be great if more could be in at once as I am planning less combat and more exploration. I will bebhelping them fly it as some will be autistic so i will only be able to manage one bridge to start with so a couple more stations would be immense. Its not a moan just a purely selfish suggestion as it would make my simukator even better. You can never have too much to do on a mission.
  • Well as one who's run a multitude of events with special needs groups and general public events as well as Fandom Conventions.. The magic number is almost always one to six participants per staff. More than 6 participants per 1 staff member leads to  a staffer being grossly overworked and making mistakes.  That's whether the event is arts and crafts, role playing games, video games or trivial pursuit.. if it involves the participants doing more than sitting still  and watching a video.. more than 6 per staffer is just not sanely plausible not even with 'fully functioning' adults. If you add special needs in to the mix, or simple youthful impatience.. the number drops.. although oddly not as rapidly as one might expect... Seems even 'fully functioning' adults aren't....
  • Cool bananas. it was only an idea.
  • edited September 2015
    On a totally difftent tack. I dont seem to get a mainscreen option on my list of views. what am i doing wrong.
    Thanks Daid. Will use better pc for server.
  • The mainscreen option won't show up if EE cannot detect proper OpenGL shader support. (Generally means, no proper 3D drivers, or Android)
  • Oh Daid may like the idea .. and who knows.. maybe outside the US the group dynamic and numbers are more favorable.. I just have done a lot of events and find the above true from personal experience.. sorry I have an unintended habit of sounding authoritative by dint of trying to make sense.. I make mistakes and have bad information sometimes though.. Come to think of it.. even with maintaining the 1:6 ratio keeping them all working on the same ship might have further team building value still. 

  • edited September 2015
    Even with 6 people, there could be multi-boxing where one person is operating 2 (or more) computers. I'd like to have my engineer run around like a chicken with his head cut off. :) Maybe an option to split damage control to another station.
    We'd like to get some people able to take over a slower stations during a game at conventions so that there could possibly be more interaction for those waiting for the next game.
  • Great stuff. I just thought it would add more drama even if 6 peopl had 8 stations to man. What do you guys think about the crafting stuff from space junk. may give weapons and engineering something to do between battles
  • Hey there
    what sort of spec graphics card do need for main server?
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