We will take that into consideration, but making a game capable of playing on any rig is our priority.
Well, there are three of us working on the project at the moment, so I guess it's time to recruit some help!
We are looking for people who would like to design and model (or contribute already created content) non Big-3 races (no federation, Klingon, or Romulan until they are all ported from Legacy, we have plenty). Have an idea for a Ferengi ship? Feel that the Kessok are a letdown? We need your input! Whether you are a BC veteran or just someone getting started in the world of modelling, we need your creativity and vision to help fill out the various races.
Since Aftermath is going to be the first foray into all eras (we are hoping to be the first to take advantage of Galaxy Chart's unique functionality in this era), we need unique ships to fill in the fleets. We prefer to keep model sharing between eras (aka "refits") to an absolute minimum. This allows for modders who are interested in creating new designs for familiar races to not be bound by established canon. For example, we would like to have Cardassians visualized in all of our proposed eras (ENT, Pre-TOS, TOS, TMP, TLE, and TNG). Since they have only been seen in TNG, the current ship classes are going to be confined to that era. If someone came along and thought "this would be a great opportunity to design a ship that's never been seen before) they could draw upon the visual styling of that race and give it a new flavor to suit the times in which it serves.
Granted we do have the ability to do these models ourselves, but it would take a very long time to do. Any contributions of pre-existing models are welcome, although we would love the opportunity to help an aspiring or veteran modeller to tailor their own signature into the total conversion.
Hardpointing is something that is going to take a lot of time, but our philosophy is that all ships should be balanced and serve a specific purpose. Each race in each era is going to have a dedicated scout, frigate, cruiser, and a battleship, along with a few support vessels that fit into the aforementioned categories. Each ship will be useful and have it's own strengths and weaknesses. Ships that have wider phaser coverage (like the Sovereign) will have less powerful weaponry while ships with directional weapons such as the K'Vort will pack a stronger punch. This way, both ships become valuable for their role, but do not serve as the "be all, end all" ship (especially in situations like multiplayer).
Therefore we are seeking experienced hardpointers in the community to help work on not only the ported Legacy ships, but also the new vessels and races that will be added over time. Hardpointing is tedious work, and we expect to do a complete job on every ship. Each vessel will make use of added technologies, realized ship crews, warp and speed limits, and the shuttlecraft launching framework. This will allow for extremely diverse gameplay as a cruiser like the Curry can unleash squadrons of Peregrine class fighters which will augment it's combat capabilities (rather than being a useless aging hulk). While we can do this ourselves, it would take an impressive amount of time. Again, this is a chance for those who are both experienced or complete newbies, and the latter is actually encouraged as a way of helping you learn more skills. Aftermath is dedicated to getting up-and-coming modders and teaching them new skills.
Any scripters who would like to see their work showcased in Aftermath should also consider applying. While we can start tracking down authors to gain access to already released classics, this is the opportunity to have your ideas realized as a part of a collective. We are going to emphasize the fact that scripts need to be able to play well with others and contribute to a more enjoyable game experience as a whole. Again, whether you are a pro at scripting, a beginner who has only created a few "wtf!pedoes," or Mleo who deserves his own frigging category, we salute you and encourage you to join the team or become an affiliated member.
We are also fairly new to the concept of mapping in Bridge Commander, as it is a much different system than what is used in Legacy. For one, we now have 360 degrees of freedom as opposed to a single plane of space. Anyone who has any amount of experience with mapping will be well received. We also plan on making every map to be Galaxy Charts ready, as to heighten the ability of exploration with that mod installed.
So what are we looking for in this first recruiting run? First of all: dedication, teamwork, and a can-do attitude. Second, we need hardpointers, scripters, and talented modelers and mappers. And as always, anyone who has ideas and creativity and is willing to learn any of the above skills.
Aftermath's goal is to provide a completely new and unique experience to both Quickbattle and Multiplayer, and present the concept of era-combat for the first time. When people play multiplayer, we want them picking a ship they enjoy playing and not one that is guaranteed to get them kills. We want to build a stable platform for anything from flying some historical-based missions (something that is sorely lacking in BC as a whole) to revolutionizing fleet/clan combat in the multiplayer scene. We are going to need help to do that in a reasonable timeframe.
We are likely going to be making several releases following our business model in Legacy, so that you can have a chance to play the TC and see what it's about instead of only seeing the occasional media post. And you will get those, too. With our afilliate program, you do not have to join the mod team to contribute. All you need is creativity and a willingness to learn.
We may not be producing a mod that caters to winning you screenshot of the month at BC Files. But we are committed to bringing you gameplay that has been sorely lacking in every Star Trek game. Whether it's getting shot at by a cloaked B'Rel (which you can now actually fight back against) or flying into the mouth of Hell with O'Brien's Light Brigade in Sacrifice of Angels, you will be able to do it. And you will not need a Fatal1ty endorsed gaming rig to do it.
If you are interested in contributing to the team as an active team member, affiliate contributer, or just have a good idea (please no "dream" ideas, it needs to be something that fits into the mod's premise and is realistic within a reasonable timeframe), please contact me via private messaging on these forums.
Here's to the start of something new and extraordinary.
I apologize for my crimes against parenthesis.
