Modding Discussion Avali 1.0 Reboot Discussion

Discussion in 'Starbound Modding' started by RyuujinZERO, Aug 11, 2016.

  1. YellowDemonHurlr

    YellowDemonHurlr Ketchup Robot

    I don't get the sense that there's a hierarchy, but I built Rhaomi's pack such that some specialize in directing the pack in action and picking strategies on the fly, one watches out for the other members while they do their jobs, etc.
     
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  2. Roland Weiss

    Roland Weiss Tiy's Beard

    Every good team needs a leader at the very least. And since they are 'squad' sized, it might make sense to have one of the members be this leader, with maybe a second in command, just in case the leader bites it. The reason why I brought this up is so the 'leader' could be the protagonist, with the other pack members having more of a supporting role in the story. There are others ways of handling it, sure; just floating ideas at this point.
     
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  3. DraikNova

    DraikNova Spaceman Spiff

    Fun fact: Wolves, which are where the concept of an alpha originated, don't actually have alphas. That idea came about because someone studied wolves in an enclosed, stressful area, resulting in wolves displaying unnatural behaviors. As for leaders, while I doubt they'd have that as a specific role, rather than doing decision-making up as a pack thing, I'd imagine organizing things would probably be a job given to a specific individual in most cases, albeit more as a secretary/administrator than a leader.
     
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  4. TheOnlyRen

    TheOnlyRen Phantasmal Quasar

    Avali Objects+ is now up on Steam.

    Version 0.4.

    I figured the primary reason this is going so damn slowly for me is because I'm just not really playing Starbound right now. Breath of the Wild and Warframe ate my life for a bit, and now I need to try and get myself interested in Starbound again. So, one of the ways I'm doing that is by throwing up what I already have and seeing if you guys like it.
     
  5. YellowDemonHurlr

    YellowDemonHurlr Ketchup Robot

    Took a cursory look and I like it quite a bit. Some of the wording is awkward and I found one or two typos, but quite charming. I like the preoccupation with loot.
     
  6. TR-219

    TR-219 Subatomic Cosmonaut


    Seems good so far, from a new character.
     
  7. Sock of Retribution

    Sock of Retribution Scruffy Nerf-Herder

    This depends on whether the avali would have their own campaign or just a unique intro mission. If the latter, then it would work like the optional intro mission for the Avikan already does: a mission taking place in a more Avali-dominant setting, then dovetailing into the main Protectorate storyline. If the former, then I really can't say except that it'd be involving a lot of Avali-heavy setting.

    Speaking of Avikan, I feel like the Avali 1.0 reboot (and Triage as well, if Ryuujin continues to put off development) could learn a little from the Elithian races mod, which is to date the highest-quality race mod I've been able to find. It has a custom Protectorate uniform for at least one of its races, aforementioned intro mission for same race, and a race-exclusive quest hub.
     
  8. DraikNova

    DraikNova Spaceman Spiff

    Thanks for linking to that. Heck, the main reason I decided to read this thread is to figure out how I should do my modpack (and also to see if there were any gaps in the worldbuilding for the one species I themed around being ridiculously hard sci-fi).

    A modified Protectorate uniform is probably a good idea (which makes me wonder if there'd be a way (in real life, not in-game) to make a bunch of chimes approximate the word Protector in some common Avali language as the equivalent of the logo), though, and stuff like the spike traps makes me think Avali drones should be an actual deployable weapon. Although, for the sake of gameplay convenience, they'd probably have to work like other Starbound vehicles but craftable with the other weapons. Bonus points if specialized varieties can be made by customizing the base version. Also, I'm kind of surprised the Avali lack pets to such a degree that the closest they get are decorative drones. Considering their theme of using their tech to its fullest potential, you'd imagine they'd have genetically engineered one into existence at the very least.
     
  9. TheOnlyRen

    TheOnlyRen Phantasmal Quasar

    I actually poke fun at the lack of custom uniforms for Avali in the Protectorate intro (also exchange students are a thing, I don't know why people think custom races needing their own intro missions is necessary). If triage actually gets around to making a Protectorate outfit for the Avali, I'll quickly edit the locker description appropriately.
     
  10. YellowDemonHurlr

    YellowDemonHurlr Ketchup Robot

    I actually think the descriptions mod goes a long way toward making an avali Protector seem natural. It gives the player context and a history in the place. Though I do have to wonder "what happened to the mouse (your pack)?" Oh, and I do find it odd that the player shows affection for the human Grand Protector who chose his/her pack to join the Protectorate, but exhibits a wicked glee when presented with human ashes in the avian tomb.

    As for a custom intro mission, there are so many ways it could go... the old intro text mentioned a run in with the Oracle Cult. Alternatively, maybe instead of graduating at the academy, you could be just arriving when everything is ruined, which might allow more opportunity to explore the relation between the isolationist Illuminate and the xenophilic Protectorate. Or go many other ways, the possibilities are endless! Maybe the Illuminate sent you post-calamity to collect a sample of the Ruin to bring back to Avalon and the mission went sideways and now you have to--wait...

    The reason we're discussing a custom intro mission is because the Illuminate is isolationist in general and particularly dislikes humanity. The Protectorate is, let's face it, a human organization: it's based on Earth, the majority of Grand Protectors have been human, etc. It potentially strains credibility that the Illuminate would want to participate in the big happy multi-species "let's protect and clothe everybody" club.

    Because avali have never domesticated animals. They don't have pets. Seems strange to me given how social they are, but that's the word of Ryuujin.
     
    Last edited: Apr 9, 2017
  11. TR-219

    TR-219 Subatomic Cosmonaut

    Shameless self-advertisement is shameless.


    As for what I would imagine the intro to be like, you would start with a pack, of at least three other members (the crew system, while ineffective, would work). Maybe randomized what their roles are, maybe not. As Yellow said though, there are endless possibilities, if it's a completely new campaign. As for going into the protectorate storyline... you would have to give an Avali a pretty good reason to help out the remnants of humanity, less so for the other races. (I.e, a threat to their own worlds, possibly after the Ruin hits a Avali colony, maybe the Players home world)
     
  12. TR-219

    TR-219 Subatomic Cosmonaut



    Maybe? My knowledge on the limitations of Lua is limited, to say the least. But it might be possible... and cool, if done right.
     
  13. Scival

    Scival Oxygen Tank

    What limitations? You can do anything in this game if you can figure it out with Lua.
     
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  14. DraikNova

    DraikNova Spaceman Spiff

    There's a very easy way to do a squad-based system: Just make some fake crew members that spawn on the ships of every Avali and can be taken down to the planet with the player, and voila. In addition, if you want to represent the slower workings of Avali biology, just give them a modified version of the humanoid config file to make them control more floatily (http://community.playstarbound.com/resources/noidmpmod-your-humanoid-config-ragdoll.4399/ and http://community.playstarbound.com/threads/humanoid-files-can-have-their-own-properties.128212/).
     
  15. Sock of Retribution

    Sock of Retribution Scruffy Nerf-Herder

    We must keep in mind, Yellow, that the avali race's feelings for humanity are not as negative in canon as is portrayed in your machinima. The wiki states that it is nothing more than a low-intensity racial grudge. The Illuminate government, judging by its modern and perhaps even fairly progressive doctrine, would be unlikely at best to make decisions based off of such a grudge.

    I suppose the ADF alone could be a different story, but even that doesn't have much backing as they have not recently experienced any mentionable conflict with humans or even any other races. These days they're likely just targeting rogues, pirates, and the like.
     
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  16. Sock of Retribution

    Sock of Retribution Scruffy Nerf-Herder

    This has very much potential and needs to be taken advantage of, for sure. Though would it be possible to customize packmates generated in this way within the engine?

    Also double post I guess
     
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  17. YellowDemonHurlr

    YellowDemonHurlr Ketchup Robot

    The wiki is actually unreliable on such things because it's supposed to be (mostly) an in-universe document. It's ostensibly written by the Illuminate, and of course they won't publicly admit it if they'd prefer all humans to burn forever. What I do observe is the level of hostility exhibited by NPCs in-game towards human players, which while not overtly violent goes well beyond the level of a low-intensity grudge. Maybe not enough to want us dead, but they clearly don't want anything to do with us (with a few exceptions).
     
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  18. DraikNova

    DraikNova Spaceman Spiff

    So, what do you guys think the limits on physical variance between Avali are? I imagine on one end of the scale you get almost microraptor-esque Avali that stand only 2 feet tall and are 4 feet long, and on the other end of the scale you have super-bulky, Utahraptor-esque (speaking of, a new skeletal of that has been released: http://www.skeletaldrawing.com/home/at-long-last-utahraptor) Avali that are 4 feet tall and 10 feet long.
     
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  19. YellowDemonHurlr

    YellowDemonHurlr Ketchup Robot

    My rule of thumb is that normal variance is about a head (so normal tall avali are about a head taller than average, normal short avali are about a head shorter). Occasionally you might get really extreme differences in size, like an avali version of a dwarf or Andre the giant. In ages past these came with severe health issues, but the modern Illuminate has sufficiently advanced medical tech that it shouldn't be too much of a problem. So you may very rarely meet an avali who can actually look you in the eye.
     
  20. Sock of Retribution

    Sock of Retribution Scruffy Nerf-Herder

    Welp, my OC might find that a bit of a shoehorning; he's 4'0" currently, will probably topout at 4'2" due to being only 16, and all the while he is an unmistakable femboy if you get to know him well enough, as well as not being particularly bulky. Jiro just has a way of completely breaking norms.
     
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