Bestiary

Lifeforms were an integral part of the original games. Even though their role in profiting the player was secondary at best when compared to other goods and minerals, lifeforms did on occasion give the player an excuse to go out and shoot something without too much fear of later retribution. Lifeforms in SF3 will provide much the same function; they can present a significant challenge to the player, particularly if they are grossly unprepared for particularly dangerous lifeforms. The gathering of a particularly dangerous lifeform is planned for one of the game's quests.

This section of the design doc contains the various lists of lifeforms that will be present in SF3 (the bestiaries). While the initial data on lifeforms has been prepared in SFRPG style, further refinement of the data into a format suitable for SF3 will take place when the data required for lifeforms are better defined. The lists are divided up by Sectors; each list contains the lifeforms that found within the confines of the Sector. Where a lifeform crosses Sector boundaries, it will be so noted. In the case of the Alpha Sector list, the defined list replaces the vague and semi-random lifeforms generated in SF1. The Delta Sector list will utilize the same set of lifeforms that were present in SF2. Naturally, all lifeforms in the Beta Sector are new creations created specifically for SF3 (as with the Alpha Sector list).

Statistics for lifeforms will ultimately be in Starflight-style statistics, to use the SFRPG parlance. The statistics involved with lifeforms should, therefore, require significantly less information than they would in order to be included in SFRPG. As previously stated, lifeforms utilized the SFRPG system during their creation (and the associated RPG-style skill set), but will later be re-formatted for SF3. SFRPG is available as a free download at www.starflightrpg.com here. Also, visual representations of the creatures contained in the bestiaries are, at this time, only available for the Delta Sector creatures, as well as a few for the Alpha Sector races. Images, and later rendered 2-D images of the finished models, will be added to the bestiary pages as they become available.

Here are links to the various bestiary tables:
 * Alpha Sector Bestiary
 * Beta Sector Bestiary
 * Delta Sector Bestiary

SF3 Creature Template, Fifth Draft
''Need to determine exactly which information is going to be necessary. This template assumes Starflight-style stats, and ignores the concept of attack bonuses. Body parts and lifespans not really needed for gameplay purposes. Size Class not necessary information, I think. Probably approaching necessary information at this point; won't know for sure until this is better coded.''

Animation Notes
''Added 6/27/2011. Creatures will need the following animations: These will be required in addition to the basic model, of course. Activating the animations is as easy as setting a loop condition, which can be set up to be called via the Basic Combat Module and executed as part of the SF3Actor object class. Sounds will also be required for each of these actions, though they should already exist as of this writing.''
 * Movement
 * Attacking
 * Being Stunned
 * Dying/Dead

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