[A.62] {WIP} Beyond Extended Universe (DW:U 1.9.5.9)

[Euler]

I was just looking at an older version of your mod and I was wondering how I can tell what version number of the mod I have? I looked in the "about" text file and I can see comments about the mods used but I did not see any version number. I suggest you add it if you have not already so people can easily tell what version number of the mod they are working with. Thanks!

[Blackstork]

Thanks ! I will add the version number in "about.txt" starting from next update.
If you once downloaded and had .5 release, all you need to do to ensure yo have latest is download and instal latest update.
As far as i know it wont break save.

[dvr]

You are rocking with mod! Any other plans for the future?

[Blackstork]

Thanks!
They are clear, and i stated them already here and there by bits, so gathering all it is:
1. 50 races. Each race should be very different to play. This is easier task for Beyond because of alot of tools to differ the race coming from Character systems.
2. Creating Character System for each race, this includes creation of informative Leadership Portfolio Graphs.
3. Creating UI/Immersion stuff for each race.
4. Balance All races with CS implemented.
5. Integrate good top-priority mods. Next big project i think will be integration of Research Reloaded with lurchi.
6. Creation unique character face art (as example race Ergreagd) for each race.
7. Add some stuff which i have in mind, but there are no modding tools implemented yet.

List is huge, and approx. finish of all this list is really distant. But Rome wasn't build in one day

And as short term plans - they are stated few posts above for update .54.
.6 will contain integration of newest version of Icemania's AI mod and more CS.
Following patches will release more CSs and fix things
.7 will be probably aimed on attept to cooperate with lurchi and integrate his mod. The hardest part here is AI mod/Research Mod merging. Integrating any of those alone with Beyond is complex but not so huge task. Creating race-specific research queues for tech tree with 1000 projects.... this could be complex, so i thinking about doing some excel programming.
Once all integrations and CS done, mod will pass to short Beta stage, and then will be called as normal release (past-beta). Following work will release unique character portraits for all races and tweak and fine-tune things and art.

[dvr]

Very ambitious indeed! Incorporating Research reloaded sounds to good to be trough, that's another mod I keep my I on. The author seems very devoted as well.

[Blackstork]

BIG UPDATE ON ALIENT IMMERSION PROJECT RELATED CLOSELY TO BEYOND (IT IS ACTUALLY PART OF BEYOND, AND PART OF UPCOMING A.54 RELEASE)
THIS FOLLOWS BEYOND ALLIANCE SYSTEM

Version 1.02 - Alliance System Release.

Following idea started by Icemania in AI mod, i readjusted races into more "lore apopriate" groups in Alien Immersion, and as well in Beyond mod where it become part of the epic story system, including also reflected by me all lore racial biases mentioned in their pedia entries.

All races devided into 4 allainces.
Light Alliance - Good - Sanguinic - Gondorish
Dark Alliance - Evil - Choleric - Mordorish
Red Alliance - Neutral - Melancholic, Extraverted, Ideological - Reptiles, Neutral Insectoids, Neutral Rodents, Xhuman, Banoserit
Blue Alliance - Neutral - Phlegmatic, Introverted, Arrogant, Pragmatical - Neutral Amphibious races, Greedy & Modest Ursidians, Yl'ta, Veey

DOWNLOAD:
http://www.mediafire.com/download/tsntz ... iances.zip

HOW TO USE:

Prior to instalation , if you install 1st time please remove all contents of folder Sounds/Music in your active theme directory.

Each of alliance packs meant to be the main body soundtrack for all races that belong to certain alliance. Due lack of any mechanic that allow automatic soundtrack recognizing, there is need to swap them manually. Download and Extract the package. Find your race alliance according chart given in this post (and in OP) and copy contents of that alliance folder into your active theme folder.
I asked few times for implementation of some music folder indexing, and i hope devs will respond soon. thanks.

It is hightly reccomented to augment those alliance soundtracks by race-specific 6 tracks sets.
Full version of Alien Immersion Soundtrack for Beyond is Alliance soundtrack + Race soundtrack. I really reccoment to do this way.
PLEASE NOTE!!!! only racial packs that are version 1.02 and above!!!! (marked at stripe in Alien Immersion OP) are compatible and should be used with those alliance sets.
Eventually all races packages will be transfered to 1.02 version


Alliance Chart:


Track Lists:
(All rights reserved by music artists, see "RIGHTS" part of Alien Immersion thread)

Light Alliance
Subheim - Streets
Biosphere - Oi-1
Steve Roach - Living The Dream
Kangding Ray - Palisades
Boldstroke
Utopia
Galaxy - Everlasting Tone
Global Communication - Maiden Voyage (8'07")
Global Communication - 4'14"


Dark Alliance
Lustmord - Black Star
DistantWorldsTheme_ROTS
Murcof - Camino
Empusae - Sphre Des Bois
Halgrath - Consecreation
Halgrath - Epic Journey and Oblivion
Sephiroth - The Clock of Distant Dreams
Shadows
Steve Roach & Vir Unis -Neurotropic


Red Alliance
Isan - Calf
Arovane - Ambielo
Astropilot - Hidden Planet
Atom Heart - I See More Than You Do
Outlaw
Kanding Ray - OR
Kanding Ray - Blank Empire
Persuit
Brothomstates - I'm a Ram


Blue Alliance
Seefeel - Gatha
DistantWorldsTheme_Legends
Electric Universe - Longing
Bauri - Abyss
Biosphere - Gravity Assist
Funckarma - Nuncas
Sabled Sun - Shattered
OnTrack
Sabled Sun - Singularity



PLEASE DELETE OLD BEYOND SOUNDTRACK IF YOU USE ALLIANCE TRACKS.
ALSO ITS HIGHTLY RECCOMENDED TO GET RACE-SPECIFIC VER.1.02 SOUNDTRACKS FROM ALIEN IMMERSION PROJECT THREAD OP: fb.asp?m=3651979
:

[dvr]

If I understand it correct from previous posts, races are intended to ally races from their native preference but can still ally races from other "axis"?

[Blackstork]

Yes, indeed.
Diplomatic biases works normally simply initial race biases are set that all races form 4 alliances.
Further lore/familiy biases apply over it.
Lets say same family creatures from different, non hostile alliances have good chances to be friends.
This means your axis will be friendly and protecting, while enemy faction will be organized and hostile, while 2 other factions will be somewhat neutral and other modifiers come into play.
You may also have more favored friends within your axis and less favored and which favor you to lesser extent.
Also lore feuds can be changing factor (Human vs Xhuman could stir some hostilities between Light and Red alliances, because Human diplomatic function - this is also will be very dominant in upcoming .54 patch where Humans actually have diplomatic power which extends just simple lore description (their character set reflects that making them 2nd diplomatic race in the game after Such-Oos and followed by Tairoshan.)

[Blackstork]

Note: Due extencive work and testing needed nad also very busy week on my job (so i needed to work extended hours and work on my natural free day) i will postpone .54 update to Sat-Sun. If things go well i may release it in sheluded earlier timeframe without info-graphs and pedias updates. (those features are informal only, not touching gameplay, and they take time from me to create them, but easy to patch during the week, so perhaps i will split it into sheluded gameplay-only update and later .55 informative-only patch)

[dvr]

Clear, another level of realism to the game. (which is good!) looking forward to it

[Blackstork]

Alliance system as it presented already part of .53.
In .54 it will come with more epic immersion, flavor, further power to diplomacy-oriented character sets, slight tunes and informative part of it which makes clear race's allegiance to the player.
The plan for later stages is to provide color tint to bottom of screen user interface so for each race it will match to its axis theme.

[Vellarain]

So after getting familiar with the Vanilla version of the game, I have decided to finally dip my feet into this supermod tonight.

You know things are about to get very interesting when the mod is larger than the parent game!

[Blackstork]

@Vellarain - Have Fun and have great experience! I reall reccomend to play for one of 14 races which have their on character system (bottom of OP post - there is a list and tips), and i really reccomend to do it with installation of Alliance ssoundtrack + race-specific soundtrack (this one can be found in Alien Immersion thread for now, later it will be mirrored to 3rd post here)


Small (not small) update:
Icemania released version 1.02 of his mod, and i really urge to re-integrate it again (assuming that devs will fix tractor beam logic very soon all this is very promising)

.54 is changed into .6 release and will be released during upcoming week.
With all sheluded (including informational stuff) things of .54 + reintegration of Icemania 1.02 version. (this is quite some work)
I may inlcude in .6 those things as well, additionally to ex-.54 updates and AI Mod 1.02:
- race-specific tint coloring for rest of HUD UI (from Chrome mod by Das) according to race's Alliance allegiance.
- more one-two character system.
- Race specific Soundtracks ver. 1.02 (compatible with Alliance system and Alliance Soundtracks) for more races as part of Alien Immersion project update. The soundtracks done in 1.02 will be mirrored into Beyond thread.

This will be really big update.

[Hawkeye_BF]

Absolutly great!!! With beyond that game become the best game ever, I love it so much!!! [&o]

[Blackstork]

ORIGINAL: Hawkeye_BF

Absolutly great!!! With beyond that game become the best game ever, I love it so much!!! [&o]

[:)]
Happy to hear it!
If someone have tale/experience to share that would be intresting thing to hear/see.
Thanks alot for your support, its appreciated and valuable for the mod.

[Blackstork]

Patchnotes for next release (eta unknown yet, it depends on how much time AI mod 1.02 integration will take and my week work hours and amount of real-life job):
(ex-A.54 release been remade into A.6)

- aviable as patch and as new separate complete download. For DW:U ver. 1.9.5.8
Final Patchnotes:
- Minor fixes and tweaks.
- Zadaj and Archei pedia entry by ParagonExile..
- Unique goverments pedia entries by ParagonExile.
- Remake for Lameresh race, now it will be playable race (wont have super beam from start of the game) for players with unique super laser "Antimatter Beam Projector" aviable earlier, shooting further, and dealing more damage. Together with their nature (character system) they still will be viable to compete for "Destroy x3 times ships than you lose" victory condition, but obcourse with much more effort, and with need of precise target selection.
- Veey and Lameresh UI Included (advance from Alien Immersion Project). Ketarov UI might be added if all will go smoothly.
- Alliance specific soundtrack packages - for use with race specific 6 track packs from Alien Immersion. (might be released before actual patch release as separate download)
- Alliance chart.
- Pedia Updates with weapon focus (semi merge from AI Mod by Icemania with all corrections made in adaptation into Beyond)
- Remake of Corporate Nationalism goverment
- 6 Character Systems : Humans (quite complex one with alpha for unique character art direction because design deman already some diversion ), Lameresh, Keskudon, Ketarov, Naxxilians, Shandar.
- New , Beyond, (nice version in-between vanilla and extended styles) race art picture for Naxxilians
- Complete adaptation and integration of Icemania's AI Mod version 1.02
- Remake for Way of Ancients and Darkness goveremnts (been tuned down)
- Alliance-based color tints for rest, non-top pannel UI designs *coming from Das chrome mod, which will reflect the alliance your race belongs to.
- Transfering alot of Alien Immersion race-specific soundtracks into 1.02 version so they will be compatible with alliance system and easy-replaceable.
- 1-2 Race-specific Front pannel Uis (Alien Immersion) (Mentioned Ketarovs and Naxxilians to match patch character systen release)

[Azuran]

Some Portrait Replacements You Might like:

Boskara
Credit: http://joeslucher.deviantart.com/art/Race-6-392856792



Lipid
Credit:http://www.deviantart.com/art/Alien-Fetus-23484825


Yerini
Credit:http://www.deviantart.com/art/Alien-Rac ... -358287705


Mortalen
Credit:http://www.deviantart.com/art/Alien-373306702


Gizurean
Credit: http://www.deviantart.com/art/Celestial ... -460328799


Weekarus
Credit:http://www.deviantart.com/art/Daughter-Oceana-207028681

[Blackstork]

Thanks mate.
Those pieces of art are really nice, but they have more hand-drawn, and slightly soft-cartoony feel, and i really appreciate your participation and effort, but i like choices for those races from Extended/Beyond as they are (especially that i did Alien Immersion UI for some races already), and like more 3rd model art or more grim style.

[Azuran]

ORIGINAL: Blackstork

Thanks mate.
Those pieces of art are really nice, but they have more hand-drawn, and slightly soft-cartoony feel, and i really appreciate your participation and effort, but i like choices for those races from Extended/Beyond as they are (especially that i did Alien Immersion UI for some races already), and like more 3rd model art or more grim style.

It's understandable, there has to be a consistent artstyle to make all the races match in atmosphere. I was working on the Universa mod, but I put it on hold because there is a 50 race limit and have lots of schoolwork and real life things that came up unexpectedly. I haven't been able to play much Distant Worlds in a few months, but I am amazed at how the newest patches have added new modding features. I can't wait for the 50 race limit to be gone.

Also you can find lots of free EDM/ambient/goa/space/psytrance music at www.ektoplazm.com

I did mod for Civ4 myself, so if you need help brainstorming some stuff I might be able to help. I have just started playing Beyond Universe today so I don't have much feedback.

1. I strongly believe that the last two races should be plant based.

2. Should this mega mod have a concept similiar to stretch goals as in you list what you want to complete first before you add the next thing. I was wondering if new resources will be added, and have some of the races have victory criteria or traits modified by new resources.

[Blackstork]

1. I am always happy to have dedicated people helping to build this huge project, so i really appreciate feedback and will gladly hear ideas, tho i might filter them due my stylistic end vision of this project. I am being RL designer myself i really emphasize fine tuning of feel/immersion/art polish.
2. Yes, 2 last spots are resrved for Plant races. Inwordyes is busy, but he said its ok if i will release 2 of those myself. I am busy with other stuff now, which is most important, so for now i left those races to be pinata. There is also reason described in [5] below.
3. I dont know what could be added byond huge list that is already planned. Most of planned features could be done mainly by myself (due art demand/complex system of creating character system known only to me and ergie), and that list for "work for Blackstork" stretches upon one year timeframe. I am serious. Entering final release means releasing all races character systesm, UI, features and according to my calculations could take time till end of this year. Then Entering Advanced planned release (with all unique character portraits - like Ergreagd race now) - is another huge chunk of work (assuming 1.5 races = 1 week). So for now other features are not planned, unless they are done by someone other, tested, checked and then integrated into this project. I would be happy to see those, but i cant do it myself, aside from "integration" process help.
4. Character systems is big thing. IT seems to be subtle for player who plays few minutes, or logs to see the game without playing it. But de-facto it stirs whole game alot, adding alot of new customization and alot of new differencies between existing races.
5. Said Character system, and other features, + alliance thing and immersion, obcourse allow to create more races with different gameplay/feel. Before, in vanilla+extended, 40 races seemed quite a limit for most people of how much races needed to have all of them different in-play. Now with complex politics, AI mod weapon specs and queues, and character systems which allow whole bunch of new specializations, as well as with art and immersion stuff which change experience , player experience can be very different even among 50+ races. The game accepts max 37 tho, but 50 at least is minimum goal. More than that is not desperately required , but i made calculations for lore goal in the Beyond, and i could say there is optimal qty of 14 races per alliance. 56 races is alot to choose from, and alot of races to create new features for. The problem also that i want alliances being balanced. Releasing now 2 plant races means there will be disbalance in alliances proportions. So till race limit extended, i think we will keep Beyond cap at 48 , and may raise it to 56 maximum. Believe me, with all new features and stuff, end-goal Beyond mod will provide very different experience, that player will need to re-adapt to playing new race.
6. Thanks for the link to music site, it will check it!