SpecOps News

News

3-30-01: Update? What's that?
Hey, everybody. (All three of you. :P) Yep, it's old Seawolf, here with a progress report.
First off, my sincere apologies for how long I've kept you in the dark. There hasn't been anything new to report until now, but I still shoulda at least let everyone know we're still alive. Sorry I didn't, but if you read below, you'll see we're gonna make it up to you.
SpecOps still has lots of life. Mason is back (yay!) and working on getting me the DAT editing stuff I need. However, Episode I is still on hold pending Mason getting the DAT program to work properly (much more buggy and much less user-friendly than originally thought) and a couple other things. That's one reason I'm filling the time with other projects, both old and new, to give you all something new to play with until SpecOps is out. It's a well-known fact that I've kept you all waiting way too long already.
So, I'm currently working on a whole load of stuff for the campaign. The first thing you can expect to see is a remake of the infamous Project O and the original demo, badly in need of a facelift.
For those who don't know remember what Project O is, it was an on-a-whim little project of mine in which I took the last mission of SC--the destruction of the Overmind--and spruced it up. I added a couple new heroes into the mix, expanded the briefing, and added some more Zerg and other stuff to make it even more difficult (but made medics and DTs buildable to help compensate a bit, so it's not as bad as it could be). One of the biggest things I did was add music, and it's all over the place, especially in the briefing and at the beginning and end of the actual mission. If you haven't played it yet, go grab it in the downloads section...you will not be disappointed.
Anyways, almost right after it was out, I wanted to make it better. There were things I regret not putting in and some things I regret taking out (like Aldaris' speech). So now I'm finally going back and doing what I should have before. The update--Project O2--will have new music, a new cameo by a SC/SpecOps hero, tweaked Zerg AIs and placement, tweaked unit stats, all-new unit responses for at least one of the heroes, more sounds and conversations (all still fully-voiced), and other new surprises to make it even better. It'll be a blast.
As for the prequel...the original is horribly outdated. I didn't really know what I was doing back then, so when I look back now.... *shudders* But the prequel is an important part of the SpecOps storyline, and I don't want it just forgotten. So for the Demo 2.0, as I'm calling it, expect the same two missions (now bug-free...stupid rescuable Protoss bug) plus the long-lost Zerg mission that I cut at the last minute (maybe...that part's not definate yet). I'm also going to put in new music, sounds, briefing goodies, in-mission surprises, and other stuff to bring it up to date so I no longer have to be embarrased by it. So look for both Project O2 and the Demo 2.0 very soon...like, within a couple weeks or less. I've already gotten a lot of the work done for them, so this is not another one of my unreachable goals. :P
And for those who remember it, I'm going to start writing new chapters (finally) for the SpecOps story "New Beginnings" in a few days when another non-SpecOps project of mine is finished, so look for that soon too.
Also, since I haven't announced it yet, we're switching to a new server...finally. I have the space all set aside at Virtual Avenue. They offer 50+ Megs of space and are much more user-friendly and MUCH less buggy than Geocities. I've already begun moving stuff over there, so soon, we'll be able to leave Geocities behind and go someplace much better. Hopefully the next update will be from SpecOps Studios at Virtual Avenue! :)
So...look for the above projects (and updates on Episode I) to come soon, and until then, this is the long-lost Seawolf, signing off.
P.S. - If you want more info on the above projects or anything else, don't hesitate to e-mail me or ask me in the SpecOps forum.
1-12-01: "But I'm not dead! I feel happy! I feel...."
Hi, guys. Anyone even still reading this stuff anymore? You all must just about hate me by now...I would. How long has it been since I gave you all something new to play with? It's been several months at least. Sigh....
But, as I've said all along, we will finish this thing. Episode I is still in the works, projects are still being done, and inch by inch, we're still moving forward. For those who don't remember, the next planned release, as plans are now, is a five-mission "Mission Pack"...the first half of Episode I. The mapwork is done, as is a good chunk of the sound and music stuff on my end. Derlin is still doing some work on sounds for Colonel Kauflin and has recently finished a cool little portrait for the new hero I've added (more info on that hero soon). The big reason for the current delay is that Phoenix and Mason Wheeler are out of action. Phoenix has...well, vanished without a trace, and Mason had his computer taken away by his evil stepfather (seriously) during the holiday season. Mason especially I need back before I can release the Mission Pack, since I'm relying on him to use this DAT editing program that his buddy made. I talked with him recently, and he says it shouldn't be too much longer (hopefully) before he's "back".
So for anyone who's still there and still reading these updates, thanks for sticking around. As has become our theme, "we're still here and we're still working". Until next time, this is Seawolf, signing off.
11-20-00: Battered, Brusied, But Back In Action
My sincere apologies for not updating in over a month. I have been busy, VERY busy, but that's no excuse for keeping you all in the dark for so long. I'm very sorry for that.
I'm also sorry that I haven't gotten out the Mission Pack yet. The three missions and the MPQ and the Stardraft/StarGraft patches are essentially done and have been for a couple weeks. All that's really left is detail work. Mason's friend has his .dat editing program done and ready to use, so hopefully we can give heroes like Jay Brockman their own sounds now without having to screw around with other units (in that case, firebats). The pieces are all in place, it's just a matter of putting them together and uploading the fianl product, something that I simply haven't yet been able to do.
One reason is that I've been VERY busy. My college classes have been going pretty well for the most part, but it's a lot of work to keep it that way. I've been slaving away at Outback Steakhouse a lot too, which is getting busier every day now that the Christmas season is rapidly approaching. Up until recently I was also still very involved with my old high school marching band as the percussion instructor. I've also recently taken on another Starcraft project with two other guys that will be officially announced soon. And then there is my sadly-reduced social life to keep up with too. *sigh*
Also, I'll go ahead and officially announce that we will soon be hosted by none other than the famous Campaign Creations, and I've been trying to figure out how the heck to upload stuff and set up a page there.
But with a lot of big projects at school out of the way and the band season over, I've got some breathing room again and am getting back into finishing off the Mission Pack (and the rest of Episode I) right now. So look for more frequent updates, which should be few and close between before I have actual downloads ready for you all.
Until next time, this is Seawolf, signing off.
10-17-00: Possible Change of Plans
There may be another delay in the Mission Pack, and I'm not sure how long.
Now before you lynch me, lemme explain. One of the biggest things we've been trying to figure out how to do is to give unique voices to Terran heroes like Brockman and Kauflin and Johnston. Their units (the hero firebat, goliath, and wraith) don't have unique sounds as it is now...they use the same sounds as their normal unit counterparts. We have considered several things to get around this; the only really feasible option to this point has been to replace hero units that DO have unique sounds (like, say, the General Duke siege tank hero) with the new heroes. But that would involve Stardraft and wireframe editing that I would prefer to avoid. But there's a much bigger problem: there are a limited number of heroes with unique sounds that aren't already in use for other heroes. Fact is, there simply aren't enough heroes or unused units with unique sounds to cover all the heroes that will appear in SpecOps. I've been trying to find another way for a while now, but since I haven't been able to find anything, I've been going on the plan of replacing other heroes with unique sounds, basically until I ran out.
But Mason Wheeler may have found another way. He has a friend who is writing a program that will allow us to give heroes like the firebat hero their own unique sounds, without affecting the normal units' sounds or having to dig into the limited pool of other unique heroes. Without going into gross details, this program will allow you to add .dat entries, enabling us to give unique sounds to heroes that don't currently have them...exactly what I've been trying to figure out how to do.
Here's where the possible delay comes in: this program isn't ready yet. Mason thought it would be, though apparently he hasn't heard anything about it for "awhile". Obviously, I would prefer to have this program and use it to give certain heroes (specifically, Brockman, Kauflin, Johnston, and possibly even the mysterious new hero) unique sounds. This would make it easiest to make the maps now and in the future, and eliminate the possibility of using a hero now that I may need later. I don't wanna tie my own hands here, and I'm afraid I may do that if I start tampering with other heroes.
So, I am going to get more details from Mason (and possibly contact this friend of his myself and get details from them) about how soon this thing will be ready, and if it isn't a long time in coming, I may wait for it. If (and that's a big 'if' at this point) I wait, depending on how long it is, I may go ahead and finish off another mission or two to add to the Pack. Missions 4 and 5 (and 6 and 7 and 8, for that matter) actually aren't very far behind Missions 1-3, so that could very well take place.
Anyways, I've already rambled too much. I just wanted to let you all know that there MAY be a delay because of this, but if there is, there will be more to wait for to make up for the extra wait. Until I have updates on this, this is Seawolf, signing off.
10-11-00: The Waiting Just Keeps Going And Going And Going....
Man, you all must be hating me by now. I haven't updated the news for over a month, and even the little updates on the main page haven't been touched since the 29th of last month. And still you have no Mission Pack. :(
There are several reasons the Pack is not out yet. One is the real life schedules of me and the rest of the staff. This project is mostly the work of me, Phoenix, and Derlin, and all three of us are very busy with school, and I have my job and the marching band to juggle, too. But you already know all that since I complain about it so much.... :P
Another big reason is that I am a perfectionist when it comes to first impressions. Since the Mission Pack is the first real SpecOps thing you'll see, I'm making it as perfect as possible. The three maps will be the final, Episode I versions...not just beta versions like I was originally planning. (Though I will certainly fix up anything you all notice that's wrong with them and re-release them if necessary.) I'm also making a close-to-final MPQ to go with the Pack, mainly for musical purposes. I spent a couple good days learning the inner workings of Mo'PaQ (an MPQ editor) and learning what I can (and can't) do with it, and I'm happy to announce that I now have a working MPQ that replaces the SC startup music, the Terran victory and defeat music, the victory and defeat sound clips (which play when you see the "Victory!" or "Defeat" buttons at the end of a mission), and one of the Terran background music tracks with Star Wars music...and I will still be doing the briefing music and other things. It's REALLY sweet, and the music fits very well. You all will like it a lot, methinks. :)
I've also added a few other goodies I wasn't originally planning on. One of them is an all-new hero, and though their part seems minor in the Mission Pack, they will play a larger role in the future. I'll add the new hero to the heroes section once the Pack is out.
I've also added a small "bonus area" to one of the maps that, if you manage to find it, will reveal an Episode II hero as a little teaser. :)
Mainly what I've been doing since the last update is making the maps as perfect as possible...in some cases expanding them or, in one extreme case, wiping a good section of it clean and redoing it. I've also, as I said, been messing around with MPQ editing for the first time ever and getting the hang of that and making the MPQ (involving a lot of sound editing and reediting to get the sound clips to work and not crash the game and at the same time be of high enough quality that they don't sound like crap).
And now it is all coming to a head. The first two maps are pretty much ready to go right now, and the third (the one I've edited the most recently) is getting close. The MPQ only requires a couple more hours work. Phoenix has gotten me an AWESOME StarGraft patch that adds some very cool features to the game, and is tweaking it to change just a couple minor little things. Derlin sent me the new Brockman portrait, which looks great...no more wobbling like the first version of the portrait.
In short, we're almost there, folks. This will probably be the biggest hurdle of the entire campaign for us to jump, and we're about to make the leap. After this it will all be easier...we have or will have an MPQ and Stardraft and StarGraft patches to work with and expand, a new method for portrait editing that cuts down on time tremendously, more experience then I EVER thought we'd get, and perhaps most importantly, we will hopefully restore your faith in us and our little campaign. I know if I were in your shoes, I would have given up on SpecOps a long time ago. Hopefully, this will be that first bite you've all been waiting for...and it will also mean that things will kick into overdrive now that we will finally have something to go off of.
Your patience is about to pay off. Until next time, this is Seawolf, signing off.
8-28-00: Mission Pack progressing nicely....
Okay, so I couldn't think of a catchy news article title for once. So sue me. :P
Got out of class a bit earlier than anticipated, and I have a few more minutes before I need to leave for work, so I figured I'd update you all on what I have dubbed the "Episode I Teaser Mission Pack" (or just Mission Pack for short). I have decided only to do the first three missions, not four. Not because mission #4 would add a lot of extra time--in fact, I could finish off #4 with only a couple hours work--but simply because I don't want to give away that much of Episode I just yet. Hey, I need to leave a few surprises for when the whole episode comes out, don't I? ;) The third mission is a much better place to cut off, and it will leave you with a nice cliffhanger that will make you drool for Episode I. Well, maybe not quite that, but.... :P
Anyways, the staffers have all been informed, and I've heard back from everyone except Derlin and Zareiff. If all goes according to plan, the Mission Pack will have the following:
- the first 3 missions of Episode I (bug-free but probably not the final final versions) with full (soundless) mission briefings
- at least five Episode I heroes
- at least one new portrait (I hope, I hope, I hope...Derlin and Zareiff, PLEASE get back to me ASAP)
- a close-to-final version of the Episode I Stardraft patch and some of the StarGraft enhancements that will be featured in Episode I
- new in-mission and mission briefing musical tracks
- new ambient (background) sounds and other new sounds
- new/edited screen graphics (if you know what I mean)
- the first taste of what I think will be one of the coolest Starcraft campaign storylines out there :)
- ...and much more!
Hey, I had to throw that last line in there, cheesy as it is. :P
Sound exciting? I hope so, because we're gonna make it as fun (and flashy) as possible in the two weeks we hope to finish it in (two is a lot more realistic than just one).
So keep checking back for more updates, and until then, this is Seawolf, signing off.
8-23-00: That light at the end of a long, dark tunnel....
Seawolf here. As I indicated before, I am gone from this past Monday until Friday night. So how am I typing this, you might ask? Some of you veteran fans may remember that I help my old high school marching band out in the fall, instructing the percussion players. Well, the place I'm at for most of the week is their band camp. However, classes started this week too, and I just got out of class and wanted to update you all before I head back to camp again (since you've been left in the dark since the 14th).
In the last little update, I hinted at a light at the end of the tunnel. Lemme explain one of the major things I meant by that. I know that if I were a SpecOps fan and had to be as patient as you all have been, I'd have gone nuts, thought the campaign was dying, and stopped visiting the site months ago. I'd want something new and enjoyable to do while I waited for Episode I, and the prequel demo and Project O are both several months old now. So, putting myself in your shoes, I figured it was time for something new. And what better than part of Episode I? So, when I am fully "back" (on Friday), I am going to start working towards finishing and releasing the first 3-4 missions of Episode I. Yes, you read that correctly...releasing the first 3-4 missions. :) Now I am sure that I will think of things to tweak between when I release this first few missions and when I release Episode I in full, so don't expect these missions to be exactly the same when the whole episode comes out in a couple months. And also please realize that whatever patches and MPQs come with the missions will not be the final version either...in fact, the missions will probably just have a temporary patch with some sounds, portraits, and basic Stardraft/StarGraft stuff. So this is NOT gonna have all the bells and whistles that will come with the whole of Episode I, but it will enable you all to meet some new characters, see some new places, and finally just get into the SpecOps universe a bit, seeing the plot start to develop and deepen.
Now when will this be out? That's tough to say, but I would guesstimate just a short week or two after I am "back". The first few missions are well underway, and the first two are all but done...just a little debugging is needed with them. The parts that will take a little bit of time will be putting in music (though it will probably not be all the music that will be found in those same missions once Episode I is all ready) and sounds, finishing a little portrait work (cross your fingers), and making whatever patch(es) will be used. As work progresses, I'll update you all and hopefully nail down a more definate release date.
So stick around...your patience is gonna pay off real soon. :) Until I'm fully "back", this is Seawolf, signing off.
7-24-00: Good Work Week Coming Up....
Well, what was looking to be a bad week for SpecOps (since I was supposed to be going on vacation today through Friday) is actually shaping up to be the best SpecOps work week I've had for a while. My parents and sister are going to the beach tomorrow morning and staying until Friday, but I am staying here. Since I was planning on being gone this week with them, I have off work until Saturday. And while I will probably still pick up a shift or two before Saturday, I am still gonna have gobs of free time, and I intend to use the majority of it for getting some good SpecOps work done.
So the next few days, look for some updates on Episode I progress and hopefully in some of the sections that I need to update and/or finish. Until next time, this is Seawolf, signing off.
7-16-00: Taking the scenic route, in a slow car, with a flat, driven by a blind nun....
That's a good description of what SpecOps is doing. There's no doubt that we will reach our destination eventually, but the journey there just goes on, and on, and on, and on....
Still, our spirits are high, our determination is just as strong, and our love for the campaign remains just as great as ever. And while progress has been slower than any of us wants it to be, it has been steady and work is still proceeding. Phoenix is still working on that layout, starting from scratch for like the tenth time since I kept nitpicking his other drafts. :P Mason is working on tech stuff, with Phoenix chipping in where he can...we've had some really cool new ideas that will add some fun features to SpecOps...how's transport capability for the Hyperion (among other new things) and broodlings that don't die off from their 'energy bar' running out sound? :)
As for me, I'm still plugging away, too. I've gotten back into some mad mapwork, though the past couple days I switched to doing some soundwork with a couple new CDs I got...I am now using music from eleven CDs for the campaign.
Now, an announcement I should have made already. Derlin is out of town (out of the country, in fact) for several weeks. He should be back in early August. I still need the final recording of his Kauflin sound samples to work on (making them sound like a goliath), an installation program he's gonna make, and some portrait stuff. I'm trying to get in touch with Zareiff to see where the brothers are with portraits. Derlin told me before he left that they had found a way to make Brockman (and all the portraits) less shaky than the Brockman portrait from Project O is, and the small sample he sent me looked very promising. As soon as I know more (hopefully just a day or two), I'll let you all know where they are.
Calydor and I haven't talked for a while either, and while I COULD use the samples he already sent me for Kaldor, they're recorded at somewhat low quality, and I was expecting some new samples a while back. I'll try to find out what's up there, too.
MilkDuds hasn't really done anything yet, but that's not his fault. I simply haven't had anything for him yet, as so far I am managing the map stuff by myself. I know what I will need help with when I get to it, but until then, MD is just waiting for orders.
Now, about the Project O dead links problem. Since Geocities only allows 15 MB per page, I opened a different site to hold the Project O files (http://www.oocities.org/JRE_Seawolf/) when I originally released Project O. This wasn't a problem until just a few days ago, when suddenly the "www" in that address was changed to "share" whenever I tried to access the files from here or even type the address in manually. I still haven't figured out what is wrong, but The Inquisitor has offered space from Army Men Studios to mirror the Project O files for the time being. As soon as we're able to get the files up there, I'll put up the address.
Ummm...I guess that's about it for now. When I know more about the other staffers and the Project O stuff, I'll send it along to you all. Until then, this is Seawolf, signing off.
7-8-00: Confessions, Explanations, and Lamentations

Man, this news section is rather dusty. Yikes...been a while.
Okay, folks, time to bring you up to speed on SpecOps' status. "We're still here and still working" has unfortunately seemed to become our slogan. I am sincerely sorry I have't been giving you all much to look at here on the site for a few months now...I know myself, from being a fan of other campaigns, how disappointing it can be to see a campaign site fall behind on updates and break promises about stuff that will be put up "soon" and leave the fans hanging. I've been there, and I know how some of you must feel about SpecOps. In recent days, I've heard the first cries of "SpecOps is dead" and "SpecOps has gone the way of Purity" and the like. I wish I had more than just the letters I'm typing to back this up, but I assure you all that that is not the case. We ARE still here and we ARE still working and we WILL finish this campaign. I have undertaken quite a few big projects in my life...I tried making a computer game based on fictional creatures called Orbs, I tried writing not one but two novels (and actually made good progress before calling it quits), and now I am trying to make a Starcraft campaign worthy of your time. The difference between those past projects and SpecOps is that this time, I have my staff and I have you, the fans, to keep me going. I have wanted to call it quits several times with this campaign, especially times like this where I am undoubtedly beginning to lose your faith. But as a fan of other campaigns and projects, I also know what it's like to see something I have been waiting for cancelled. And I will NOT do that to you all. Work has been slow the past couple months, as the staff and I have had lots of other things pulling at our time (I say this all the time, don't I? :P ), but it has been steady. Today, Mason, Phoenix, and I all had a nice chat on mIRC about SpecOps, and we came up with some cool new ideas, divided up some work, and most importantly, built our confidence back up.
I know it is taking seemingly forever to get Episode I out to you; no one wants it to be finished more than me. :P I am sorry for taking so long, sorry for losing faith sometimes, and sorry for all the broken promises I have made in the past. But we will not let you down. We are here, and we are going to finish this thing, and it will be FUN (priority number one, as always).
Phoenix finally knows exactly what to do for the layout, he and Mason have divided up the tech stuff and are busy with that, and I have doubled my efforts on mapwork (and MilkDuds, if you're reading this, expect some mapwork to come your way shortly, too :P ).
We will deliver, just, unfortunately, not as quickly as any of us wants to. :P Thank you for your patience, everybody. We won't let ya down. Until next time, this is Seawolf, signing off.

5-12-00: Back In The Saddle Again....

I know updates have been few and far between the last month, and for that I am sincerely sorry. (Blame my professors and my boss.) But I HAVE been working. Most of what I've been doing lately is the Antioch Forumers Map, trying to get that done so that I can get back into SpecOps full time. Now that school is over for me, and I FINALLY got past the bugs for the forumers map, I have been making excellent headway on both the forumers map and SpecOps. I did a lot of sound stuff the past few days, and am happy to say that Brockman's new voice is done. It's MUCH better than before. Also, I've decided to add background sounds to a few of the SpecOps maps, much like the rainstorm sound effects in episode two of The Antioch Chronicles. Without going into too much detail, I'll say that plans right now are to have at least three Episode I missions be that way. AND I completed the sounds for those three the past couple days, too. :)
Right now, I am focusing on the forumers map (which should only be a couple more days now that the trigger bugs are gone) and the first part of Episode I. I have decided that I will complete the Episode I maps in order of how they're played, so that if nothing else, I can release the first half of Episode I once the staff gets their stuff done.
But I think that I will be done the mapwork and sounds before the rest of the staff is finished their stuff. From what I've seen, Mason works fast, but it could still be several weeks before he's back. Phoenix is doing what he can in the meantime, but a lot of the tech stuff is on hold until Mason's back. Derlin and Zareiff were, at last check, smoothing out the Brockman portrait, though I don't know how far they've gotten on that. Calydor is touching up his Kaldor voice, and a new mystery staffer (which I will officially announce once a few more details are ironed out) is getting his chores now. Summer is here for me and Derlin, but the rest of the guys are still facing finals and all the fun stuff, so they're understandably busy. What this unfortunately means is that their stuff will probably still take a while. I have no doubt in their devotion or ability, but they just don't have a lot of time to spare. Hopefully once THEIR summer break arrives, things on their end will kick into high gear and they can get done about the same time I do.
I have a lot more time on my hands with school behind me, and I intend to use it. I've already picked up the New Beginnings story, dusted it off, and started writing for it again, so look for more chapters shortly. And as I said, I have been doing a lot of mapwork and sounds lately, too.
Look for more updates in the near future on the story, on the heroes, on SpecOps progress, and on this mysterious new staffer, and keep the faith. Until next time, this is Seawolf, signing off.

5-2-00: The Worst Is Over :) :) :)

I just survived three finals and turned in all final projects due for all but one of my classes...all of that TODAY! All that remains now is one final tomorrow and then my last final and one more project for Monday the 8th.
Needless to say, with all the schoolwork I've been doing, I haven't gotten much done for SpecOps. I HAVE however made excellent headway on the Antioch Forumers Map now that Visser24 tackled a few nasty trigger bugs for me. I will probably take a little break from schoolwork for the evening tonight and work on that map and SpecOps. Tomorrow will be a full day with that one final and work in the evening, but Thursday, Friday, and Saturday (Thursday especially, in which I have no school and no work) are designated "get-SpecOps/Forumers-Map-work-done" days.
I've got lots of fun stuff in mind for the coming weeks, once school is finally completely over with. Updates will be frequent once again...no more of this one-update-a-week stuff. I will not only go back into map and sound work full-time, but I will also go back to writing (both the "New Beginnings" story and strategies) and website updating (like the barely-begun Heroes Equipment section).
Just a few more days, and we'll really be back in business, and on the fast track to the completion of Episode I. Hang in there, guys, and thank you once again for your patience. (And good luck as YOUR semester comes to a close!)
Until next time, this is Seawolf, signing off.

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