• Hello and welcome to MSFC. We are a small and close knitted community who specialises in modding the game Star Trek Armada 2 and the Fleet Operations modification, however we have an open field for discussing a number of topics including movies, real life events and everything in-between.

    Being such a close community, we do have some restrictions, including all users required to be registered before being able to post as well as all members requiring to have participated in the community for sometime before being able to download our modding files to name the main ones. This is done for both the protection of our members and to encourage new members to get involved with the community. We also require all new registrations to first be authorised by an Administrator and to also have an active and confirmed email account.

    We have a policy of fairness and a non harassment environment, with the staff quick to act on the rare occasion of when this policy is breached. Feel free to register and join our community.

Discussion on ST:A, ST:A2, and a possible ST:A3

Syf

Lost Finder
Star Fighter
Joined
21 Apr 2006
Messages
7,129
Age
49
Hello to all the fans of Star Trek Armada, the game series. I would like to open the topic of talking about them. What makes Star Trek Armada and Armada 2 great games? What would be ideal for a 3rd installment in the series?

So, to start, I would like to ask a few questions, and see what the responses are. This is a discussion thread, so feel free to get involved.

1.) What do you like more, A1 or A2?
2.) Why do you like one over the other?
3.) Of each game, what do you like the most?
4.) Of each, what do you dislike the most?
5.) If you could add one thing to either game, what would it be?

and finally... Star Trek Armada 3 discussion-

What do you think should Armada 3 be like?
What timeline should it be?
How many enemies, and which ones?

Please feel free to add to this list of questions.
 
C

Cylon

Deleted Due to Inactivity
Former MSFC Member
an armada 3 would be good :)
something very modable but able to support higher polie models than armada 2
it would be good if the game was more tactical rather than just continously crating galaxy classes
 

Majestic

Administrator
Staff member
Administrator
Seraphim Build Team
Joined
17 Apr 2006
Messages
18,274
Age
39
Syf said:
Hello to all the fans of Star Trek Armada, the game series. I would like to open the topic of talking about them. What makes Star Trek Armada and Armada 2 great games? What would be ideal for a 3rd installment in the series?

So, to start, I would like to ask a few questions, and see what the responses are. This is a discussion thread, so feel free to get involved.

1.) What do you like more, A1 or A2?
2.) Why do you like one over the other?
3.) Of each game, what do you like the most?
4.) Of each, what do you dislike the most?
5.) If you could add one thing to either game, what would it be?

and finally... Star Trek Armada 3 discussion-

What do you think should Armada 3 be like?
What timeline should it be?
How many enemies, and which ones?

Please feel free to add to this list of questions.

I am very curious to see what your replies to these questions are Syf! ;)
 

EAS_Intrepid

MSFC Staff Paramedic
Joined
23 Apr 2006
Messages
2,615
Age
35
1.) What do you like more, A1 or A2?
I like noodles, best! Umm, sorry.

In my opinion, both are equal :)

2.) Why do you like one over the other?
Does not apply...


3.) Of each game, what do you like the most?
A1:
- Minor races in campaigns
- tactical gameplay
- interesting missions

A2:
- more ship classes
- more possibilities of modding
- planets
- new stations
- Klingon campaign

4.) Of each, what do you dislike the most?
A1:
- though being tactical, you don't have many interactive things on the maps

A2:
- the Fed/Borg campaign story and idea

5.) If you could add one thing to either game, what would it be?
- Flexible research (research bonuses for exploring an unknown asteroid type etc)
- More Trek, Less Slaughter
- Voice Commands!
- Expirience system for units
- fighter deployment
- ammunition (300 torpedoes are 300 torpedoes and no more)
- differing shield strength (front shields are probably stronger than rear shields)
- attackable hardpoints
- tactical gameplay
- mercenaries (yes, hire some ferengies to guard your back. Rule of Aquisition: "War is good for business"; "A Deal is a deal until a better one comes up!")
- civilian traffic
- NPC races

etc etc

I hope it helps.
 

Syf

Lost Finder
Star Fighter
Joined
21 Apr 2006
Messages
7,129
Age
49
Syf said:
Hello to all the fans of Star Trek Armada, the game series. I would like to open the topic of talking about them. What makes Star Trek Armada and Armada 2 great games? What would be ideal for a 3rd installment in the series?

So, to start, I would like to ask a few questions, and see what the responses are. This is a discussion thread, so feel free to get involved.

1.) What do you like more, A1 or A2?
2.) Why do you like one over the other?
3.) Of each game, what do you like the most?
4.) Of each, what do you dislike the most?
5.) If you could add one thing to either game, what would it be?

and finally... Star Trek Armada 3 discussion-

What do you think should Armada 3 be like?
What timeline should it be?
How many enemies, and which ones?

Please feel free to add to this list of questions.

My answers... Ok,
A to1.) Armada 2. I got into A1, but when A2 came out, it felt much more trekish. And now days, it's almost impossible to get A1 working on my system (it has been ever since I started using WinXP Pro).
A to 2.) Back on the trekish issue... A2 has more 3D to it. With A1, there was a standard 2D feel to it (like C&C - right, left, forwards, and backwards). When A2 came along, you could change the direction of a ship not just 2D, but in a full 3D... So, you got a full 3D game. Star Trek always has been 3D to me (as in ships or objects could appear above, below, in front, or in the behind).
A to 3.) A1 was so cool at the time, it was trek, and it was moddable! A2 came along and really rocked my gaming world. Of all the things in each specifically: A1- I really liked the Starbases. When you added a base, you crew amount would increase faster, and you could "recruit" more officers. Of A2- The Borg Fusion tech, and the galaxy could seperate.
A to 4.) With Armada and Armada 2, I really don't like the limited view the developers had. What I mean is, Where was the freakin' shuttles??? Why are the planets so small! Oh and the research method bites. Why not have the player research technologies that lead to more research. I much would rather have a game take my dozens of hours to complete each level. Not this six items and suddenly you can build hoards of ships. And the ships... I want to blow parts off the ships, not just blow them up. I want to be able to salvage the rusting hulks and either rebuild them, or "assimulate" their technology.
A to 5.) The one thing I would add to A1 or A2 if possible, the ability to write new coded files (like .H or DLLs) to add or over-write pre-coded functions/abilities/classlabels.


As far as A3 goes... I would like to see it in a new timeline instead of a regular one. Or... Or like Legacy and BoTF, All the timelines covering the formation of the Federation up to the point they make the whole galaxy safe and friendly.

And here's some simple additions to A3 I would like to see.
1.) Realistic sized planets.
2.) Full Sectors with more than one star system in it (hence a real use for warp drive).
3.) Fighter and shuttle launch/recover subsystem.
4.) Space effects. Like Temporal rifts, Asteroid fields, rogue comets and asteroids. Real star systems with real orbits ans paths. etc. I'm talking space dust that can harm a ship, or be used as a tactical feature. Get to close to a planet/ engines fail, and the ship falls toward the planet and burns up. I'm talking real Astrophysics and effects here. A1 & A2 have only limited space effects. ALso a real randomization system, that "events" can happen, like a star exploding and such.
5.) A real Damage/repair/control/experience system. Like on Star Trek, a way you could tweak a ship to get that extra 5% power to the shields or engines. Also like in other Trek games, a real shield system, there the aft grid on the ship can be down, yet the front is still working. I want to see real Damage on a ship from phasers and such, like in other games. I would like to see a experience system that you can actually control the crew. By putting your best people on a ship, it becomes a "god" or "hero" ship, which would out perform and have greater odds of surviving.
6.) A real Client/Server enabled engine. This would allow a player to be the host server, instead of trying to connect to a dedicated server controlled by the software maker.
7.) The most important thing, NO HARD CODING. If a modder wants to completely change a feature, they should be able to.

Well, that's all I can thing of at the moment.
 
R

Ryan

Deleted Due to Inactivity
Former MSFC Member
What bothers me is how a great many people seem to like A1 more than A2, when Armada 2 is exactly the same really just with some additions. What bothers me is that modders, who can correct the balence and graphical issues people have with A2, still seem to say that Armada 2 is rubbish.

Armada 1 I have a serious issue with personally, it is perfectly balenced I agree, but only because there are 4 races that are all fundimentally the same.

Scaling I think could be achieved if the game used an engine like Haegemonia legions of Iron, although without warp points but simply open space which has to be warped through between systems. This way realistic scaling can be achieved. Also, I think the building of ships, and even huge armadas is really unrealistic. In Dawn of War reinforcing troops seem to be dropped to the planet rather than created, so I would have extra ships be warped in from off the edge of the map or something simular rather than vessels being produced in a matter of seconds (even with a time scaling, you can build a ship in the time it takes for a ship to move from one side of the map to the other)
 
A

adm_stacks

Deleted Due to Inactivity
Former MSFC Member
I agree with Syf in regards to the mechanics of an Armada 3 [FULLY moddable, no hard-coding].
What i would like to see in addition is something simular to SW:EaW, Strategic movement, tactical battles in system for space control, then planetary assaults to take control of the planet itself. That would finally make panets important to the game, and introduce new campaign ideas and possiblities.
 

SquireJames

Senior Chief Petty Officer
Joined
16 Feb 2008
Messages
371
When I played Haegmonia I knew it was gagging for a Star Trek or Star Wars mod. Sadly I think the Star Wars mod for it never got off the ground, and no-one even tried a Star Trek one, to my knowledge.

1.) What do you like more, A1 or A2?
It used to be Armada 1 but, well I'm fond of Armada 2 more these days.

2.) Why do you like one over the other?
I used to prefer Armada 1 because the music, voiceovers and weirdly even the graphics were better. A2 seemed, well, underdone. However, with modding, A2 is greatly superior.

3.) Of each game, what do you like the most?
A1: Hmm, I liked the inclusion of map races in the campaigns, and I liked the little cutscenes they did.

A2: Difficult. I guess I love the trading system. Its what inspired me to nearly make my second project on A2.

4.) Of each, what do you dislike the most?
A1: Extreme lack of many debug features, so it took me hours searching through files to find out what was wrong with the fecking thing.

A2: Where do I start? Lack of Directors cut, lack of Romulan, Cardassian or Species 8472 campaign.

5.) If you could add one thing to either game, what would it be?
Ginsu damage system

and finally... Star Trek Armada 3 discussion-

What do you think should Armada 3 be like?
Haegmonia type game, definately.

What timeline should it be?
SFC Universe, lets not forget how popular those games where until they moved em to the TNG universe!

How many enemies, and which ones?
Atleast 4, maybe 6 main sides. Numerous map races
 

Dan1025

Every Mods Biggest Fan :P
Joined
31 Jan 2007
Messages
1,883
Age
33
I thought I'd post this here given the topic:

A3loko.jpg
"]

This was put together by jetfreak using photomanipulation and posted on the Project ACOM forums, he did quite a convincing job so I thought I'd show you guys :)
 

Borg_Queen

Bringer of order to chaos
Joined
25 Apr 2006
Messages
4,831
Age
44
I doubt it's for real as one of the pictures is of the Cube from Star Trek: Legacy - Ultimate Universe. :)

Nice picture, anyway.

EDIT: By looking further on the pictures, I see several pictures from Star Trek: Legacy - Ultimate Universe there. I think the one with the dilithium moon is the only one not from that game.
 

Majestic

Administrator
Staff member
Administrator
Seraphim Build Team
Joined
17 Apr 2006
Messages
18,274
Age
39
Awesome image, if there was a A3, a multi-era one where you get to choose what era you play in (and have TOS and TMP seperate unlike stupid Legacy stock) is what I would like to see with a good amount of races.
 
A

adm_stacks

Deleted Due to Inactivity
Former MSFC Member
I must admit, a third Armada game would be great. But unforunately, I don't see how it will happen. There's to much bad blood btween the companies.
Which doesn't make sence for Paramount, Armada 2 made a ton of cash from all over the world. And they don't want to make more money? Especially after the fiasco of Legacy, and Conquest.
 

Majestic

Administrator
Staff member
Administrator
Seraphim Build Team
Joined
17 Apr 2006
Messages
18,274
Age
39
Well another Armada game is possible the only thing is Activision owns the right to the 'Armada' name and so if another Star Trek RTS was made it would have a different name.
 
A

adm_stacks

Deleted Due to Inactivity
Former MSFC Member
If Activision owns the name, does it also own the engine that Armada runs on?
 

Majestic

Administrator
Staff member
Administrator
Seraphim Build Team
Joined
17 Apr 2006
Messages
18,274
Age
39
No, the Storm3D engine, which Legacy itself was built on can as far as I am aware be bought like any other software program.
 
A

adm_stacks

Deleted Due to Inactivity
Former MSFC Member
Then perhaps a massive write in campaign to both Bethesda and Mad Doc could help to inspire them to make an Armada 3?
 

Jetfreak

Filipino Expat
Staff member
Forum Moderator
Seraphim Build Team
Master of Art
Joined
22 Mar 2008
Messages
2,554
an armada 3 would be good :)
something very modable but able to support higher polie models than armada 2
it would be good if the game was more tactical rather than just continously crating galaxy classes

You guys want armada3? check this out.

A3loko.jpg
 
Last edited by a moderator:

Atlantis

Master Chief Petty Officer of Starfleet
Joined
1 May 2006
Messages
518
That's already been posted. Check the first page of this thread ;-)
 

Dan1025

Every Mods Biggest Fan :P
Joined
31 Jan 2007
Messages
1,883
Age
33
:lol: yeah sorry I posted that here after seeing it on the ACOM forums (you weren't a member then so I thought I'd post it for you).
 
V

VenerableDread

Deleted Due to Inactivity
Former MSFC Member
I guess I'll post how I would like Armada 3 to be here as it seems appropriate.

First, here's what I think the races would be like in the speculated third game...

Federation: Good shielding, average weaponry and crappy hull armour as well as very speedy. Special weapons are mostly for beneficial purposes.

Borg: No shielding, but has very tough hull armour and good regenerative capabilities to make up for that. Weaponry is powerful as well and the ships are HUGE, but the Borg fleet should be limited in numbers and should also be fairly slow.

Romulans: Average shielding, weaponry and hull armour and good speed. Relies on stealth and infiltration.

Klingons: Little shielding but good weapons and hull, with speed in between Romulans and Borg. Mainly a very offensive race.

Cardassians: I currently have no idea on these guys at the moment.

Species 8472: Either removed, or if still in game, have a wider range of ships than in Armada 2. No shielding and weak hull, but excellent regenerative capabilities and destructive weaponry as well as being very fast.

Dominion: Possibly fairly good shielding and hull plating and excellent weaponry, with speed second only to the Federation. Smaller ships such as the common bugship are destructive in large swarms (think Zergling rush) while supporting the more bigger ships such as Warships. Maybe have all Dominion combat ships built in one shipyard and also have allied Breen ships gated-in from some sort of Artificial Wormhole Generator (a bit like 8472's Fluidic Gate) with a branching techtree that allows the option to either use all Dominion ships with little to none allied Breen vessels or to use some of the Dominion combat ships (not all) but also have all allied Breen ships available. Both techtree branches should require different tactics in order to use them correctly.

And now for the non race-specific stuff...

Planets: Should be more useful than in Armada 2 rather than being a pointless place to colonize for no reason. They should grant bonuses to your fleet and economy upon colonization or capture, like an increased percentage in resource gathering or increased max amount of ships in the fleet. You lose the bonuses as you lose the planet in any way, and you obviously don't get the bonuses from uninhabitable planets. Habitable planets should also build planetary defensive weapons just like they can with planetary shielding.

Destroying Planets: Some races, such as Species 8472, should have special weapons that can make planets, habitable or not, actually go BOOM! This might also be good for the modding community as they would finally have their Doomsday Machine, Xindi Superweapn, Death Star, etc.

Neutral Units: Just like in Armada 1, have hostile map units that belong to minor powers and such. I also think it might be a good idea to have non-buildable but capturable derelicts from before the TNG era to make a cameo, such as the NX, Daedalus and Constitution classes. Maybe have hirable mercenary units, too.

Metal Asteroids: Maybe used as another map object to harvest Metal from. Special processing facilities may be built on these asteroids to automatically mine the Metal on the spot as soon as construction is complete, but the Borg and Species 8472 will just have to use their mining freighters to mine these asteroids just like any other object they can mine. These asteroid processing facilities will automatically decomission when the Metal is depleted from the asteroid.

These are just my thoughts.
 

Jetfreak

Filipino Expat
Staff member
Forum Moderator
Seraphim Build Team
Master of Art
Joined
22 Mar 2008
Messages
2,554
The above idea is a very great concept but I'd like the campaigns to be set on various eras. Not just for the feds, but other races should have campaigns in diff. eras too. That would allow more interesting gameplay.
 

Jetfreak

Filipino Expat
Staff member
Forum Moderator
Seraphim Build Team
Master of Art
Joined
22 Mar 2008
Messages
2,554
Here's A3's Game cover :)

STArmadaIIICover.jpg
 

Majestic

Administrator
Staff member
Administrator
Seraphim Build Team
Joined
17 Apr 2006
Messages
18,274
Age
39
Well thats one job done for the game. :lol2:
 

Syf

Lost Finder
Star Fighter
Joined
21 Apr 2006
Messages
7,129
Age
49
Nice one!

It almost looks real.:D
 

SquireJames

Senior Chief Petty Officer
Joined
16 Feb 2008
Messages
371
Well, thats how EA Games does it :) (i.e cares more about the marketing than the actual game, so awesome box art, pants game)
 

Jetfreak

Filipino Expat
Staff member
Forum Moderator
Seraphim Build Team
Master of Art
Joined
22 Mar 2008
Messages
2,554
Well, thats how EA Games does it :) (i.e cares more about the marketing than the actual game, so awesome box art, pants game)

That isn't always the case, EA's Need For Speed: Most Wanted and Burnout Revenge were really great games ;)
 

SquireJames

Senior Chief Petty Officer
Joined
16 Feb 2008
Messages
371
Burnout if memory serves was for the PS2 (my stepsister had a couple of the Burnout games, and yes they are very fun).

Not sure if NFS is on the PS2 as well, but it shows that EA care more about making a quick buck on consoles than decent PC games (I still remember the fiasco over BFME, and how its awful copy protection stopped you playing it if you had Nero installed, and even if you didn't, it was incompatible with something like 40% of CD/DvD-ROM drives. Atleast thats what their "tech support" said.)

Annyways, this isn't about EA.

In addition to what I said before, I agree that any future Star Trek RTS needs to have a branching tech tree, and a more "epic" 3d environment (think Homeworld, Haegmonia or SoSE).

However, theres this idea thats not strictly RTS thats been rattling around in my head. BoTF was the inspiration, but I'm thinking something more along the lines of the Total War series or ideally the Hearts of Iron games. Indepth, realistic approach to Star Trek, not nessessarily TOS/TMP Era but using a SFB/SFC type game as the tactical layer and the inspiration for ship classes etc. They always felt less Sci-fi and more "History that hasn't happen yet" in their approach. From the Total War series you could take events like the Mongols, Timurids, Teutonic Order etc and have the ISC or the Borg or Dominion appear in a "horde" event, where they have no systems but a massive fleet, and must conquer territory before they can build any new ships. A stronger focus on diplomacy and economy than other Star Trek games, (even BotF), so you can organise joint attacks, military access, non-agression pacts, guarantee independance of other nations etc.

You might even have the Organians acting like the Papacy in MTW. If you fight against someone too long, they order you to stop or you suffer a punishment of some sort.
 
Top