• New Horizons on Maelstrom
    Maelstrom New Horizons


    Visit our website www.piratehorizons.com to quickly find download links for the newest versions of our New Horizons mods Beyond New Horizons and Maelstrom New Horizons!

Major breakthrough with Akella

I already have agreed with the letter so i says SEND IT AWAY! <img src="style_emoticons/<#EMO_DIR#>/danse1.gif" style="vertical-align:middle" emoid=":dance" border="0" alt="danse1.gif" />
 
But does Seawards.ru have any additional tools besides Maya 5.0? And even if they do, there's still that accursed language barrier... <img src="style_emoticons/<#EMO_DIR#>/sad.gif" style="vertical-align:middle" emoid=":(" border="0" alt="sad.gif" />
 
<!--quoteo(post=226341:date=Dec 16 2007, 03:42 PM:name=Cylon13)--><div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(Cylon13 @ Dec 16 2007, 03:42 PM) [snapback]226341[/snapback]</div><div class='quotemain'><!--quotec-->I already have agreed with the letter so i says SEND IT AWAY! <img src="style_emoticons/<#EMO_DIR#>/danse1.gif" style="vertical-align:middle" emoid=":dance" border="0" alt="danse1.gif" /><!--QuoteEnd--></div><!--QuoteEEnd-->Gets my vote = send

Come on guys VOTE
 
<!--quoteo(post=226360:date=Dec 17 2007, 12:19 AM:name=Kazeite)--><div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(Kazeite @ Dec 17 2007, 12:19 AM) [snapback]226360[/snapback]</div><div class='quotemain'><!--quotec-->But does Seawards.ru have any additional tools besides Maya 5.0?<!--QuoteEnd--></div><!--QuoteEEnd-->We do not know. We have rather a lack of information right now, so we'll need to be communicating a bit more to get some more. <img src="style_emoticons/<#EMO_DIR#>/icon_mrgreen1.gif" style="vertical-align:middle" emoid=":cheeky" border="0" alt="icon_mrgreen1.gif" />

<!--quoteo(post=226360:date=Dec 17 2007, 12:19 AM:name=Kazeite)--><div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(Kazeite @ Dec 17 2007, 12:19 AM) [snapback]226360[/snapback]</div><div class='quotemain'><!--quotec-->And even if they do, there's still that accursed language barrier... <img src="style_emoticons/<#EMO_DIR#>/sad.gif" style="vertical-align:middle" emoid=":(" border="0" alt="sad.gif" /><!--QuoteEnd--></div><!--QuoteEEnd-->That's annoying, but at least we can contact Akella and seaward.ru in English.
 
<img src="style_emoticons/<#EMO_DIR#>/unsure.gif" style="vertical-align:middle" emoid=":?" border="0" alt="unsure.gif" /> <img src="style_emoticons/<#EMO_DIR#>/ohmy.gif" style="vertical-align:middle" emoid=":eek:" border="0" alt="ohmy.gif" /> <img src="style_emoticons/<#EMO_DIR#>/icon_mrgreen1.gif" style="vertical-align:middle" emoid=":cheeky" border="0" alt="icon_mrgreen1.gif" /> Go fer it, Pieter! <img src="style_emoticons/<#EMO_DIR#>/onya.gif" style="vertical-align:middle" emoid=":onya" border="0" alt="onya.gif" />

Um, call yerself "Program Manager" if'n ye like, matey! <img src="style_emoticons/<#EMO_DIR#>/yes.gif" style="vertical-align:middle" emoid=":yes" border="0" alt="yes.gif" />
 
Hey, y'all scurvy modders! <img src="style_emoticons/<#EMO_DIR#>/keith.gif" style="vertical-align:middle" emoid=":keith" border="0" alt="keith.gif" />

Thanks for the notice, Pieter, sorry I could not come earlier.


I say, <b><!--coloro:#FF0000--><span style="color:#FF0000"><!--/coloro-->go for it<!--colorc--></span><!--/colorc--></b>. <img src="style_emoticons/<#EMO_DIR#>/duel_pa.gif" style="vertical-align:middle" emoid=":ixi" border="0" alt="duel_pa.gif" />


It is too long since I did much, so I would have to start all over, if I am to at all contribute. <img src="style_emoticons/<#EMO_DIR#>/huhh.gif" style="vertical-align:middle" emoid=":eek:k" border="0" alt="huhh.gif" />
 
HIGH SEA LASS! Nice seeing you again as well! Now all we need is CatalinaThePirate posting in here and we are just about complete! <img src="style_emoticons/<#EMO_DIR#>/w00t.gif" style="vertical-align:middle" emoid=":woot" border="0" alt="w00t.gif" />

If you want to return to modding, be assured that we'll help you get back into things again. <img src="style_emoticons/<#EMO_DIR#>/yes.gif" style="vertical-align:middle" emoid=":yes" border="0" alt="yes.gif" />
 
good, good, the lot's coming back together by the looks of it. <img src="style_emoticons/<#EMO_DIR#>/yes.gif" style="vertical-align:middle" emoid=":yes" border="0" alt="yes.gif" /> i say send it as well.
 
<!--quoteo(post=226476:date=Dec 17 2007, 07:22 PM:name=Pieter Boelen)--><div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(Pieter Boelen @ Dec 17 2007, 07:22 PM) [snapback]226476[/snapback]</div><div class='quotemain'><!--quotec-->HIGH SEA LASS! Nice seeing you again as well! Now all we need is CatalinaThePirate posting in here and we are just about complete! <img src="style_emoticons/<#EMO_DIR#>/w00t.gif" style="vertical-align:middle" emoid=":woot" border="0" alt="w00t.gif" /><!--QuoteEnd--></div><!--QuoteEEnd-->

Nice to be here again -- hopefully I will stick around a bit this time, but, phew, I dare not promise anything this time around... <img src="style_emoticons/<#EMO_DIR#>/rolleyes.gif" style="vertical-align:middle" emoid=":rolleyes:" border="0" alt="rolleyes.gif" />


<!--quoteo--><div class='quotetop'>QUOTE</div><div class='quotemain'><!--quotec-->If you want to return to modding, be assured that we'll help you get back into things again. <img src="style_emoticons/<#EMO_DIR#>/yes.gif" style="vertical-align:middle" emoid=":yes" border="0" alt="yes.gif" /><!--QuoteEnd--></div><!--QuoteEEnd-->

Heh, thanks, I sure would use all the help I could get if I pick things up again! <img src="style_emoticons/<#EMO_DIR#>/william.gif" style="vertical-align:middle" emoid=":will" border="0" alt="william.gif" />


For now, though, I will retire for the night (soon 9 PM here), but I'll be back. <img src="style_emoticons/<#EMO_DIR#>/buds.gif" style="vertical-align:middle" emoid=":drunk" border="0" alt="buds.gif" />
 
I read through the long thread... sorry it took a while to get here, but I've been crazy busy.

Although it sounds like a great idea, there are some issues with trying to incorporate all mods into a new engine (upgraded or otherwise). After having been in the code a lot last year, working on making mods work nicely together, and fixing issues caused by one mod, or another, I have to say it will be extremely difficult.

Every mod is not 'contained'. There may be a few things, like new ships, which are just a define, and then a file. However all the mods that make the BM14 what it is today, are logical mods. Code changes over hundreds of files in thousands of places to make something work better than the stock PotC game. These functional mods would be a bloody NIGHTMARE to move into a new code base.

Thinking that a new engine exe would magically fix things, is not realistic. The modules need to have what all the other code hooks into. The engine needs to have the functions and not change anything that the BM14 has altered or improved or relies on already.

I'm not saying its impossible... just expect some serious walls and milestones to reach in doing so.

SO, with that said, the things I have always wanted seen done with the PotC BM, are the following:

• Graphical cleanup. Not in the sense of 3.0 shaders, fades, distance blur, motion blur, blah blah blah, but in the sense of glitches and other 'bugs' fixed. These sorts of things would come from the ability to somehow get a new engine working with the BM (see above skepticism).

• Ability to actually add new models/textures to the game that LOOK like they belong. I was never an advocate of the craptacular model additions to all the towns and ships that had poor lighting and lack of collision mapping.

• Ability to expand the islands for wider exploration by way of being able to 'make' new land segments (not rehash the same ones over and over).

• Various interface enhancement hooks. Able to work in the engine code to do more things with the interface than currently allowed. This would allow more control over all the advanced mods you all have built and worked on over the years (would even allow Max to make his tavern games a LOT better).

• Control upgrades. Add 'real' side stepping, and more swordplay manuevers (combo moves) to make boardings and exploring much more entertaining and rewarding. Could also open up a can of worms in the sense of ship sailing controls and better battle refinement.


I am all for "Making the best Pirates game with a combined effort of multiple communities and code"... but I am also a realist, and seeing that happen will be a MAJOR undertaking, especially since both communities have some fairly similar mods and expasions, but combining two like mods, will make it to where "which one is actually used?". Many design choices, and much code will be tossed to accomplish this.

As for making money off free modder's work... I'm fine if anything I created is used, so long as credit is given in the credits of the end result. If I wanted to make money off what I contributed, I would have written my own game and sold it <img src="style_emoticons/<#EMO_DIR#>/biggrin.gif" style="vertical-align:middle" emoid=":D" border="0" alt="biggrin.gif" /> Then again, MOST of the work I supplied was fixing bugs in everything, so I can't really put my name stamp on any of that, as it was so wide spread.


In regards to "The Letter"... looks good to me, and I didn't see much to nitpick on. Then again, I am not much the diplomat. I state things how I they come to me, and leave the bag of sugar at home.
 
Good points, IncredibleHat. I know it is not really feasable to put it all together. But I'd like it nonetheless. <img src="style_emoticons/<#EMO_DIR#>/icon_mrgreen1.gif" style="vertical-align:middle" emoid=":cheeky" border="0" alt="icon_mrgreen1.gif" />
To StenTheAwesome: That'd be nice as well.

My father had a read through the letter and has a couple of comments. First of all, it appears that what we have "to offer" the Russians is not so much as we would like in return, not to mention that what we can offer depends on the individual modders' consent, making it a rather "vague" offer. Also at the beginning of the letter we say we would like similar information as we have provided them with, but what we want in reality is quite a bit more than that, as listed in the "what we would like" list. Perhaps some things we should consider some more beforehand. What CAN we offer them and why would it be beneficial to them?
 
Perhaps, for now, something less formal would do. We're not negotiating world peace after all. How about instead of telling them what we want we simply limit it to describing what's done here and asking what kind of cooperation they might be interested in.

Let's start this out friendly with our new tovarisches! Maybe we needn't be all formal. What's most important right now is probably just maintaining some kind of positive contacts?
 
That might be a good idea. Perhaps just telling them about ourselves and removing all our wishes from the initial letter. <img src="style_emoticons/<#EMO_DIR#>/yes.gif" style="vertical-align:middle" emoid=":yes" border="0" alt="yes.gif" />
 
Fred Bob be a trustin' yer judgment, Pieter, 'specially yer willin'ness tew listen tew yer ol' papa's ideas on de matter! <img src="style_emoticons/<#EMO_DIR#>/onya.gif" style="vertical-align:middle" emoid=":onya" border="0" alt="onya.gif" />
 
So how about we send this? And send it before the end of the week? It's the same as last time, only the "What we can offer you" and "What we want" sections have been removed. Right now it's just signed "Pieter Boelen - Team Supervisor", but we can change that. <img src="style_emoticons/<#EMO_DIR#>/yes.gif" style="vertical-align:middle" emoid=":yes" border="0" alt="yes.gif" />
<!--quoteo--><div class='quotetop'>QUOTE</div><div class='quotemain'><!--quotec-->Dear Mr. Zaitsev,

It was a surprise and pleasure to have made contact with you, via Peter Willemoes, and we would be most interested in exploring the possibilities of taking the matter further.
In this respect we have laid out below some information about us, our modpack and community, and in return we would be pleased to receive similar information regarding yourselves.

This email has been compiled with the agreement of our community with the aim that any collaboration that may be achieved be to our mutual advantage.
As such we have laid out below an outline of our situation.

About our modpack
The Build modpack is being developed by the PiratesAhoy! modding team.
It has been worked on ever since the release of Pirates of the Caribbean in 2003 and is still going strong. The modding team members have changed over time, but the goals have remained pretty much the same.

What we have done
The last modpack version we have made is Build 13. This is available for download from our ModDB Profile and Pieter's Pirate Page.
Public opinion on the modpack is very positive.
We have had some media coverage recently in the November issue in the Dutch gaming magazine PC Gameplay. See here.
It is also known that some people have bought the game simply to be able to play our modpack.

The modpack contains many new features. Among these are many retextures of ships, locations and characters, new quests, improved interfaces, access to ship decks, improved cannon fire graphics, new islands and locations, random villagers in towns, treasure search quests, random events, such as mutinies, exploding powder magazines, ships surrending, parlay with enemy captains and much, much more.

What we are doing
Right now we are working on creating Build 14, which we want to release as Pirates of the Caribbean: New Horizons in due time.
Mods currently being worked on, and nearing completion, are:
Capture Colony, - allowing the player to give towns to different nations after the capture or control of the town himself.
Free Walk On Ship, - allowing the player to walk around the interior of the ship freely.
DirectSail mod, - allowing people to sail from one island to another without using the worldmap.

These mods, and others still in the works, have been requested for a very long time and are in testing, nearing the point of final release.
Several of our members are great fans of the Pirates of the Caribbean films, so we're trying to add more movie tie-ins.
We have added proper models of the Black Pearl, Wicked Wench, Flying Dutchman and Endeavour in our game and currently the Interceptor is being worked on. Also we are rewriting and expanding the original main quest to work as a prequel to the PotC films.
We also have the Curse of the Black Pearl film quest finished for the most part.

What we want to do
Our goal is to make a game that is fun, realistic and interesting for both beginning and advanced players.
We are currently experimenting with facial expressions and spoken text for the dialogs, different ships for different nations, camera viewpoints and adding maps to the game.
We have thoughts on adding much more interesting player-officer, player-crew and player-NPC interaction to the game to the point of giving all important random characters, such as officers, villagers and other captains, in the game an actual personality.
Our dream would be to combine the best of all pirate games together and make the best pirate game that has ever been made.

About the Community
Our community has an unconventional way of working, which we find produces the best results. All modders work on the game in their own specialty area. Usually on things that have been suggested, or requested, by the community and sometimes on their own initiative with ideas they believe will be of benefit to the game experience. These mods are then submitted to the modpack compilers who put all of the mods together into one modpack and this is then alpha tested by other volunteers to check the implementation in the game, prior to release.

Our community is completely open to anyone who wants to join, at whatever level of ability in code, textures, models or other subjects. Anyone wishing to help with the modding is welcome and we are always happy to help new and old members alike. The community also functions very democratically. All important issues are open for discussion to everyone and anyone and we try to decide the proper course of action based on the most important points being brought up by the various members.

We hope that this provides some insight into this community, it’s aims and abilities, but feel free to ask if you have any further questions. Also we would be most interested in learning more about your community and modding work.
We look forward to your reply and a mutually beneficial collaboration.

With kind regards,

The PiratesAhoy! Modding Community
- Pieter Boelen, Team Supervisor<!--QuoteEnd--></div><!--QuoteEEnd-->
 
Works for me.

The only change I would suggest is:
from: We look forward to your reply and a fruitful and mutually beneficial collaboration.
to: We look forward to your reply and a mutually beneficial collaboration.

to make it less of a mouthful.
 
Changed it in above post. I think we can send this as well. <img src="style_emoticons/<#EMO_DIR#>/yes.gif" style="vertical-align:middle" emoid=":yes" border="0" alt="yes.gif" />
 
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