Paradigm Shift

Paradigm Shift was an early attempt to create a fan-made conclusion to the FreeSpace storyline. Despite being one of the largest community efforts at the time, the project has since faded into relative obscurity, and is not well-known in the current FreeSpace community. It is sometimes cited as a failed community project.

The Vision

The campaign was intended to include a full-scale continuation of the FreeSpace saga, including approximately fifty new models, a full-length campaign of around thirty missions, new effects, interface and source code changes created in league with the early Source Code Project. Project leader IceFire, an extremely prominent member of the community had large past experience, including the release of prior campaigns Derelict and Warzone. Such an ambitious project required a large amount of skilled staff, including modelers, music composers, texture artists, interface artists, sound effects creators and mission designers. This did not go as planned.

Storyline

The storyline was planned to take place 80 years after the events of FS2, placing it around the year 2450. The GTVA had developed into an enduring, prosperous alliance, with new technologies and a new stage of social enlightenment. Divisions between the Terran and Vasudan species had become a thing of the past. The Shivans were also described as playing a major part in the plot, invading the core systems of Vega, Beta Aquilae and Antares.

Failure

Although a few prominent members did attach themselves to the project, including Aldo and IceFire, the campaign was considered dead not too long after being created (people on the project have pointed out that they never went anywhere with the project). This could be for a number of reasons, including being extremely overambitious, but also because it came at a time when most other community members were already engaged in other projects at the time. It was envisioned that the project would gradually increase as more projects were completed and more members became available, but unfortunately, this did not happen.

Legacy

Though the Paradigm Shift campaign was never completed, the work that went into it did not go to waste. Several Paradigm Shift models were released upon its death, most of them created by Aldo.

See also

Related Links

• Reciprocity - A project which faced a similar fate.
• Official Paradigm Shift Site | VolitionWatch