I was planning on making a ST game, but when I mailed to Paramount, I got a reply, telling me that I wasn''t allowed to use ST-thing. So now my strategy-space game hasn''t got a storyline anymore. Anybody an idea?

You''re going to have to develop your own universe. As an ST fan, I do find it a compelling structure for the future - WW3, Warp Drive, StarFleet, Exploration, Federation of Planets, various enemies and principles(Prime Directive etc.)

Before Paramount hands out any permission for ST it needs to know: the up-front payment for rights, its percentage of each unit sold, and whether you''ve got the $$$ to guarantee their money. You could do it as a type of fan fiction but Paramount would have to legally block you from using any of their art images and would stop any publisher that went ahead without paying them(see above) And they still can order a cease and desist if you got too popular with their universe.

In developing your own universe, there are many real-life space ideas that space ideas that Paramount can''t stop you from using
Wormholes, strange space phenomenon, tachyons(theoretical particles that travel faster than life) You can also do an extrapolation of earth''s history. The rich decadent Spanish empire despoiling primitive worlds/ in competition with poorer but more agile empires/former colonies breaking away Insert various philosophies and sub-factions in each empire etc.

I assume your story is going to be spanning many star systems.
You''re going to have to use a development of FTL as a key point in the story of your universe. Jump-gates or space-folding drives are some options. Or maybe have a looooong time for FTL to be discovered which would make the different races spend a great deal of time developing their systems. That means different factions with a lot of wealth(varying of course).

Just imagine. Read some other science fiction than star trek; try some space opera stuff Others can recommend better than I.


ZoomBoy
Developing a iso-tile 2D RPG with skills, weapons, and adventure. See my old Hex-Tile RPG GAME, character editor, diary, 3D Art resources at Check out my web-site

I was already thinking of developing an universe myself, but the problem is that it has to be a simple one. Because I just can''t give the player a five-hour intro, the species inside must be simple and easy to understand.

Well, I forgot to tell that it wasn''t the initial idea to have a game in which you control a species from Stone-Age to Space-Age. You actually are some kind of fleet commander, just controlling one part of the fleet in time of war. The game starts when the war starts. An enemy species invades your space, and you have to defend your part of the ''empire''. When you''re done, you can play with e.g. the invaders, or any other species in the universe, and play the war from that angle.

Of course this will take some time to program, but before I can start making the missions, I''ve gotta know what the story is about. I need names for the species, and the ''abilities'' of those species. Does anybody has some good names for the aggressive invaders, the smart outsider or the rich economic?

>>> a species from Stone-Age to Space-Age >>> I didn''t mean literally Spanish
>>>the species inside must be simple and easy to understand>>> imperial expansion is easy to understand


I meant a rich decadent enemy who''s invading with
- lots of money/stuff
- inferior officers(more interest in escaping in battle than a battle to the death)
- far from supplies

versus
A poorer defender with
- close supplies allow to rebuild quicker
- better officers(if they lose, they lose their home)
- able to find quicker alliances(longer term story


As for names, google a name generator, and print out a list. Decide your combating cultures and just cross out names that aren''t impressive.


ZoomBoy
Developing a iso-tile 2D RPG with skills, weapons, and adventure. See my old Hex-Tile RPG GAME, character editor, diary, 3D Art resources at Check out my web-site

Sorry if I didn''t get the message of your previous post right. But so far, you''re the only one responding to this topic. I wonder where the rest is...

Now I''m thinking of making five species:
1. You (as you said, the poor defender)
2. Invader (aggressive and kinda stupid)
3. Rich guys (Rich and in the war for money)
4. Smart guys (Smart and not really in the war, but just making sure that they don''t get beaten up)
5. Powerful guys (Not exceptionally smart, rich or aggressive, but in for more space and power)

I''m still missing a trigger-effect, something that makes Nr 2 to declare war to you. An event like 11/9, terrible enough to justify a declaration of war.

>>>>>
I''m still missing a trigger-effect, something that makes Nr 2 to declare war to you. An event like 11/9, terrible enough to justify a declaration of war.
>>>>
In your story-line, the enemy is trying to justify its invasion of a weaker people i.e. the player. What bad things has the player been doing hehe

This is stuff you should build for yourself but reveal only some of it at a time to the player - to give the on-going tensions of two civilisations at war.

1) being evil they don''t need no stinking reasons
2) the attackers are deeply paranoid: the 1st contact many years ago was ripe with cultural differences that escalated into a series of short wars. They may have some of your former colonies and have to deal with a contaminating foreign presence. Your friendly relationship with empires around them has them feeling beleaguered and surrounded. They developed a propaganda machine that whips up fear in their populations. They strike early to avoid total encirclement.
3) Your player''s research has caused a cataclysmic disaster
4) They see your democratic way of thinking spreading to their own population causing rebellion against them. Eliminate you to dampen the fires. Paranoid fears that the player might be aiding the rebelliousness. Maybe later revealed as true.
5) In a disputed area the player''s control of a valuable resource has consumed or contaminated their access and wealth.
6) A leader has come to the forefront who needs to unite various internal factions and a war for gain would help him dish out rewards and territories to unite the factions.

And so on

ZoomBoy
Developing a iso-tile 2D RPG with skills, weapons, and adventure. See my old Hex-Tile RPG GAME, character editor, diary, 3D Art resources at Check out my web-site

bumpity-bump

I''ve just come up with a story:
When mankind was exploring and colonizing outside the solar system, they accidentally run into a scout of Nr 2. Both were on friendly terms and the peace was not disturbed between the two empires. After mankind met Nr 3 and 4, and shared lots and lots of technology with Nr 2, Nr 2 asks them to declare war to Nr 5 (powerful guy), because Nr 5 is invading the territory Nr 2. Mankind rejected the demand, and Nr 2 gets pissed with mankind. After Nr 5 is stopped, some people blow up the parliament of Nr 2 trying to wreak havoc. That’s why Nr 2 declared war to mankind.

Good idea?

A good backbone of a story. Now it''s just a matter of taking large sheets of paper and mapping out various zones of control, the different variables of leadership, wealth, and technology trees. Just relax and start to draw and write.

ZoomBoy
Developing a iso-tile 2D RPG with skills, weapons, and adventure. See my old Hex-Tile RPG GAME, character editor, diary, 3D Art resources at Check out my web-site