What is Evolutions - its a mod that has taken months of work to make, and focuses upon the bits others forget about (gameplay).
Most mods (large scale mods) focus soley upon weapons, graphics and ships. PLease note that they proudly tell you how many ships they have - but they lack any real substance to them. sure you can go and fly all ships - but what else do they offer to the gamer? Not alot - lots of weapons - true, and some impressive effects - but not alot else really.
Evolutions concentrates on gameplay entirely. There are new ships, but they FIT THE GAME (no starwars, and CERTAINLY NOT with starwars/bab 5 descriptions!!!). There are hundreds of new weapons - but you have to find them......this is because they are ALL weapons for factions - not just whacked in new weapons.....same with equipment - plenty of upgrade choices.
The mod has some new graphics - but graphics don't make gameplay.
What this mod does do is concentrate on forgotten parts. Commodities, new traderoutes, new loots, new mining.....ach - read the description below!
Some changes are massive, some are small, but it is extensive.
Fly all ships from FL, and includes other ships from:
Paul
Caid
Firebase
Wanderer
Giskard
Wanderer and Wassup
Balthasar
Astral Prime Studios.
Basically:
Trains, transports, armored transports, starblazer, CSV, capships, liners, repair ships, mining vessels, lifters, cougar, hornet, starviper, soulstealer, snub fighter, raven, longsword, whale, Valkyre GTF, slipstream, phantom, ghost,
eagle transport. Nomad ships are on the hidden base in the minefield maze.
However, names have been changed to fit with the role (as there are now house VHF for each house to compete with the pirates, the shipping companies have some of their own ships, and the pirates have a freighter or two. There are also some designed solely for killing the capships.
What else?
There are five new systems:
2 Rheinland system.
1 Bretonain minefield system, contains a massive maze, secret wrecks, secret station, pirates and just plain death.
1 Liberty system - possibly the biggest system you have flown in for a while. Dimensions are approx 100000 by 900000 by 50000. That is allot of space, and includes 10 bases
of which four are on the same planet (multiple docking ring).
1 Kusari system - nice little system - this one rises 100k upwards.
WEAPONS AND EQUIPMENT.
New weapons - ah, forgotten how many, include mining laser, salvage laser, 30+ capship turrets, God knows how many guns. Some with new effects, some with new sounds (don't be expecting too much here, as I am not big on effects etc).
Smarter NPC's - they shoot better, use regens, have regen shields, have similar loadouts to players (you will be whooped, you just won't be able to hack it).
Battleships encounters throughout most systems (mainly the borders to other systems) and nomads wandering loose.
Battleship killing missions in omicron gamma, alpha and some in theta (lvl 19 missions).
New ship speeds, with LF = 130, med = 110, hf = 90, VHF = 70, freighters = 70, transports = 70, capships = 50, gunships = 119.
New hold sizes, fighters have smaller holds, to promote trading in freighters and transports / or teamwork.
New thruster laws. There are pirate, civilian and military thrusters.
Pirate thrusters - go faster, burn out quick.
Civilian thrusters - normal.
Military - slower, last allot longer.
New thruster physics for shipclasses:
Light fighters have the most power for thrusters.
Medium and heavy have intermediate power.
VHF will be able to use the thrusters for the shortest amounts of time.
As usual the shield physics have been tweaked a little to make the intended DA choose your shield to suit your location a bit more of a concern. Now you really are better off with the correct type of shield.
Mountable equipment, including all the usual scanners, engines, power supplies, tractor beams, 2 types of armor etc.
2nd Hand equipment - including all of the above, all on the cheap, all available at junkers bases, likely to get you killed.
2nd Hand Weapons - same as the usual - but might have strange power drainage, fire rates, ranges, damage, and likely to get blown off if you hit anything.
2nd Hand Ships - same again, all with custom infocards and loadouts. These babies will get you killed, but the best way to get an eagle for well under the asking price.
ALL 2ND HAND EQUIPMENT AVAILABLE AT VARIOUS JUNKERS BASES
3 New commodities that are minable ONLY and worth a bit.
All Ships have been altered - now easier to have wings blown off, and therefore lose weapons.
Strafe has changed too - light fighters can dodge more effectively with strafe (faster) but VHF are slightly slower. This makes it more fun to try to dodge incoming fire - and evens up the match between VHF and LF nicely
AI have many new ships to fly, some of which are 'shipping company' ships.
Don't bother with trying transport powerplants and engines, as you either a) cannot fit them in, or b) takes ages to cruise, and have NO thruster power.
CAPSHIPS
Gunboats hull = 100,000 hit points
Cruisers = 300,000 hit points
Battleships = 500,000 hit points
They come with custom weapons.
Main guns/turrets - slow firing, slow projectile speed, very high damage. These guns are designed to fight each other with, fighters will dodge easily.
Secondary turrets - medium speed of fire, medium projectile speed, medium damage. These guns are good for wearing down capships or VHF and freighters/transports.
Flak turrets (cruisers have missile turrets) - these have 'homing' flak rounds that explode (invisible) when in range of a ship. They have good range, fly fast, and do good damage. Perfect for engaging fighters with.
Gunboats main gun is super powerful to engage capships, however, its turrets are intended for AA fire, and not for blowing up other capships.
These beasties have poor turning, and no shields or thrusters, as THE GAME INTENDED. Don't moan about it - the hulls are awesome.
There are NO crash problems associated with using regens - you can regen to your hearts content, however, they can only carry 100 nano bots right now (might change).
THE COMMODITIES PART!!
Pilots can be collected from various people:
Police and Police ace pilots. shoot police down, pick up the pilots (missions), they will get the most reward from police who wish to get comrades back, or pirates who want to kill / enslave them.
Bounty Hunter Pilots and aces - bounty hunters like their own, pirates love to take them. Slavery or death.
Navy pilots or aces - Navy bases pay most for their kind, but pay poorly for police pilots. Vica versa - take navy pilots to police base = poor money.
Pirate Pilots and Aces: These guys sell well for police and navy, even better straight to prison as cops don't have to transport them. They can be sold to their own type for money (but if they scan you carrying their chums, they attack) and BOUNTY HUNTERS may pay a small fortune.
Beware though - if bounty hunters scan you, they will then attack to try to get bounty themselves.
Commercial pilots - erm, they don't go for much - who cares about them??
All pilots can be sold to the outcasts for some good money into slavery.
Transport passengers and tourists - or sell them into slavery - your choice (transporting makes more).
Take stowaways to their fav locations for money - but beware of police.
Take slaves to destinations - beware of police and navy
Take child slaves - but beware of police, navy and bounty hunters.
Take assassins, but beware of everyone.
Take some pets for the rich and famous - or drop them to the outcasts. They stuff the little mutts with cardamine don't you know? Pick up a stuffed fido in outcast territory and carry it back. All the cardamine inside will be undetected by the cops.
Mining loots have been changed at some places (few select places) and with the new commodities, mining is a possible career.
There is also a pirate freighter, which is tailor made to hit and runs. Can make excellent money with it.
Don't go shooting people for no reason, as now a mere 12 kills of any faction will take you from best mates, to most hated enemy. Doh!
There is also some secret wrecks littered around the place. Some carry 1 mil in cargo, and one wreck in the minefield is STACKED with 30mils worth of riches, but only IF you can navigate your way (lol - no chance).
Watch out, some bases, trade lane rings and docking rings carry custom weapons. These do awesome damage to fighters etc, so this should stop people tearing up round planets. Also - the navy might show up with capships -you never know.
There is some more, and some comedy stuff - but I cannot remember everything I have done now.
Here is what I posted on the forums for it.
Okay - you can take up to 250k missions in many systems (but only at the odd base to leave enough for normal players). By this I mean that some bases can give from difficulty level 1 to level 43 missions inclusive.
There is a new system (its is off of the other Rheinland one I made). It is rather sparse when you first come in, but I love this one aye ;P. Basically its a fighters/rumblers dream come true. Story is that the Rheinlanders decided to blockade out the pirates......
New level 8 guns for xenos and lane hackers. Will have to kill them to get them though..................
Xenos now fly falcons and eagles (only very high level ones).
Unioners fly eagles.
Lane Hackers have a sabre.
Lib Rogues have a heavily fortified Wolf hound. Well - I didn't armor it any better - well, not yet anyways....just got better weapons.
All shield killing guns have gone.
Capships will drop loot - either in missions or just flying around.
Mission blown up stations will yield loot.
Objects that can be blown up will yield loot.
Pilots eject when killed from every kind of ship (except capships - they use escape pods).
Speed of light fighters reduced.
Speed of medium fighters reduced.
Missile speed increased - careful - they are now very deadly weapons!! You will need to use counter measures - missiles are now lethal stuff! lol.
Strafe force of fighters reduced.
Some ships ids cards tweaked, including house VHF can now take higher level weapons.
Some ships handling has been changed.
There is MUCH MORE - but i cannot remember it all.
Edited by - Chips on 2/28/2004 5:26:26 PM
Wed Feb 25, 2004 11:36 am 
. So, yep - go to your freelancer gameFolder and DELETE the freelancer folder (default is c:\program files\microsoft games\). Once done, insert the CD and have reinstall.
