Removing contacts as part of a mission's progression

System

I highly doubt this can be done, but on the off chance it is, is there some way to set it so that contacts can be made to appear and disappear while still in the same map? One of the main reasons I'm asking this is because in the mission I'm currently making, some units will not be combatants at first and send messages, and then become combatants, with an allied combatant returning to being a contact afterwards. That's just to name one example.

I'll be checking if there's any information on this on the Foundry's wiki, but I'd also like to know just what other things you can have friendly and hostile NPCs (like contacts) do during a mission other than be talked to or killed/destroyed.

Just in case; if you can't currently do things like this, please Cryptic, PLEASE add the ability to do things like that somewhere down the line.

Archived Post

It probably won't help you with your intended goals, but this video might give you ideas for a workaround:

http://starbaseugc.com/index.php/uncategorized/video-tutorial-seduce-an-orion-slave-girl/

The options for contacts are limited, but you might be able to use an npc as a contact and do something with him/her, such as a beam out animation, making it look like they're fighting with you, or animating them to do something besides stand there.

Again, it probably won't help you with your specific goals, but it might give you ideas for a workaround.

Archived Post

Thanks. That helps a lot!
Although, I still think it's going to be tough to figure out if/how you can make an NPC or group start out neutral and then turn hostile without breaking immersion. That and have those NPCs attack an unkillable target. That target can fight back, but neither would do damage to each other.

It'd be just a bit immersion breaking if say... your contact starts to fight along side you and your team, and then gets taken out yet the mission has them speaking. Or, have an NPC who's supposed to lose not get taken out by a hostile NPC.

This still helps though, I think I'll still be able to use that technique in the mission I'm already working on. Thanks.

Archived Post

this was one of my major concerns a while back, too, but a kind dev pointed the way to the engineering/in-development thread for the Foundry... one of the newer additions to their big list is a keyframe or trigger system for changing/adding/removing story elements, which would certainly solve a lot of our current 'problems!'

can't wait!



d3n



edit: Foundry Engineering Report link: http://forums.startrekonline.com/showthread.php?t=192185