As many of you know, I use the feedback and requests/suggestions from players to help design my games. It helps me create a better game and provide the gameplay fans of the genre want. For the first time, I will be using this forum as a place to post requests. This way, you can have a single direct way to list your requests and effect the design of my next game. It also simplifies the process for me, so I don't have to sort through numerous e-mails to generate a list (reducing delays and the potential for missing requests). I'm hopeful this will help me speed up the early design process.
In this topic specific only thread, please post the features and gameplay you prefer in a space-sim. This includes what gameplay features, qualities, style, design, and objectives you find the most fun in such a game. Please use an outline/list layout for your post. Here are a few examples:
- 3D cockpit (gauges and interiors that move around and are part of the 3D scene, not overlayed on top of it).
- Not blocked from entering planets, but allowed to either partially or completely enter their atmospheres.
- Support for joystick, keyboard, and mouse flight control.
You can also include feature comparisons, such as:
- I prefer space combat action over space trading.
- I'd rather be a military pilot rather than a lone mercenary.
And you can also list features you don't like and would rather not see in a space-sim, such as:
- I don't like to have to manually dock.
- I don't like to have to deal with money or trade.
I will be using this thread as a checklist and design basis for my next game, so please consider this while making your post. You can use my current games or other space games as a reference for examples on your list, but you can also list ideas and preferences that are not present in any previous space game (I do enjoy new features that introduce unique gameplay elements to the space-sim theme).
To help keep it organized, please create a draft of your idea list first, before posting it here. Then copy and paste the list to this thread when you reach the point where you feel your list is complete.
Please review these important rules for posting in this thread (I will be using this thread as an important list of features to review when designing my next game, so I may edit the thread if I need to make it easier for me to review/manage it better):
In order to keep the size of this thread reasonable, it is restricted to topic specific content only. This is the thread I will use to help me design my next game and I want to avoid having to sort through a lot of replies to other posts. Instead, I would like to have this thread treated as a reference board to list ideas (not exchange comments about them). So whether you like or dislike someone's idea, please do not comment about it. Instead, post what YOU want in a space-sim, the features that make such a game the most fun to YOU. Duplicate posts from the same person will likely be deleted, please add new ideas through editing your existing post only. Replies that merely comment on someone else's opinions will likely just be deleted, so please focus on listing your preferences and try to keep as many of them as possible in one post. Please keep your post as short as possible.
[Edited on 7-8-2006 by Vice]
more idea
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Vice
- Administrator
- Posts: 11563
- Joined: Fri Apr 25, 2003 1:38 am
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RobotB9
- Ensign
- Posts: 16
- Joined: Mon Oct 17, 2005 3:33 pm
- Location: Brasil
more idea
Sorry my english.
1) Free Form gameplay, not linear with a main storyline option.
2)Must have to choice between combat, trading, piracy, transport , but you really must have a mix of all. All with some explorer elements.
3) I prefer only one ship to control, must be upgradable, full detailed cockpit(3D), you can walk inside this ship( must have cargo bay, crew rest room, engineering, control center(cockpit)), etc ..... If possible more than one ship with very detailed internal and external view ok too.
4)The ship could be aboarded by enemies and you could fight inside in First person view.
5)animated NPC crew (repairs droid, etc..., )
6)Prefer Joystick support.
7)manually dock and landing in planet and stations.
8)completely enter atmospheres planets.
9) walk in First view inside stations and over planet surface.
10) NPC life in stations and planet surface.
11)Very detailed graphics for ships, stations and planets surfaces, including cities.
12) A life universe with ships going from place to place (transports, taxis, police, etc...)
13) many variety of stations and planets (not always the same design), each one diferent from another.
14)When the ship are hit or damaged i´d like to see interior explosions, short circuits, panels in fire, etc...
Thanks
***New****
15) i understood your point of view. But please, think twice about a "review new ideas ". Just a every night i (and believe the others guys here) dream with a game that could have a mix from space sim+FPS+RTS with RPG elements.
16)the cockpit only it´s just one single part of a space ship, and a single part of one space sim game.
17)Comunications : Pilot´s don´t just travel throught a void in space. they must interact with a variety of ships, base, sations and planets.The ability to communicate with others in space opens up many options.You can say hello, engage in psychological battle with an oponent by using taunts, appeasing factions to rerpair reputations(by beggining for mercy), or give a blood-curdling scream as your ship disintegrates around you.... The reactions of various factions may be influenced depending on your comms. If you choose particulary menacing taunts, your target may attack you instead of its current target. Likewise you can restore relationships wiht hostile people with friendly comms. Specific comms messages will be derived from your reputations with the target, as well as any previous conversatioons you have already had with them. You can request permission to dock at bases or planets. Doing this before actually docking may improve your reputation with that faction. A word from the wise : when being scanned by militia, they will rewquest that you not deviate from current course and speed. Should you do so, they will assume you are carrying contraband and act accordingly. (Extract from Privateer Gemini Gold manual game. That is a Privateer game nowadays remake).
_______________________________________
Edit for commentary by Vice:
On points 3,4,5,9, and 10. These aspects drift into first person shooter and character interaction simulation (common to FPS, RPG, RTS type games). I generally prefer to remain focused on space-sim gameplay rather than trying to mix genre elements. If more character interaction would be added, I would likely include it as part of the space-sim aspect rather than using a completely seperate first person shooter element. However, I'll continue to review new ideas as they are posted and will go from there on deciding what direction to go with such concepts. Good ideas, thanks.
___________________________________
01-14=2005 Commentary:
I'm not saying it can't be done, I'm certain it can, and with fun gameplay (with well defined, objective based gameplay, such as pure combat for each mode). But it's not what I try for when I want to make a space-sim. If such things can be merged into the space-sim theme without forcing the player to do something other then 'space-simming', then it's something I'd probably consider. With a space-sim I design, I will prefer to avoid forcing the player to participate in character interaction/behavior simulation, large scale business accounting/management simulation, empire building, required external remote ship control, or turned based gameplay. Instead, I will prefer to focus on space flight, combat, individual resource/wealth management, first person control, and exploration with benefits. But I'll be happy to consider any additional thoughts/ideas you might have in this regard, these are just my thoughts on the matter.
I will use just -one- possible element as an example to illustrate the point. Let's take the ability to roam around your ship. If you add this, what purpose does it serve? Just scenery? Probably not, you'll probably want to visit each section of your ship, from engineering, to gun turrets, to the kitchen, to bunks, to the bridge/cockpit, and to wherever else you might want to go. Just for the scenery, that aspect alone requires building unique environments for each room in the ship (and also needs to be done for how many ships?). You also have to develop a dedicated FPS engine to the game so you can control your movement around the ship. And again, will it just be scenery (if so, it would be pretty boring and useless)? Probably not, you'll likely want to be able to do different activities in each room. A sim? A video game? Something to eat? Control panels to adjust things? Firing the gun turret? Each will require its own feature set to makes its existence meaningful. Yet, none of it really relates to actually taking the controls and flying the ship. And none of it includes any crew elements, which if added, would require new levels of design such as animation, skinning, vocals, modelling, sounds, etc.. None of it includes being able to get out of your ship either, which would also require new levels of design that would need features to make it worthwhile.
As you can see, such an option just compiles upon itself for features, just to justify its existence. And that's just one small example of adding one FPS element to the game. It's a difficult road to go down in game design, so I'll be interested to consider any additional comments on the matter.
[Edited on 1-14-2006 by Vice]
[Edited on 1-17-2006 by RobotB9]
1) Free Form gameplay, not linear with a main storyline option.
2)Must have to choice between combat, trading, piracy, transport , but you really must have a mix of all. All with some explorer elements.
3) I prefer only one ship to control, must be upgradable, full detailed cockpit(3D), you can walk inside this ship( must have cargo bay, crew rest room, engineering, control center(cockpit)), etc ..... If possible more than one ship with very detailed internal and external view ok too.
4)The ship could be aboarded by enemies and you could fight inside in First person view.
5)animated NPC crew (repairs droid, etc..., )
6)Prefer Joystick support.
7)manually dock and landing in planet and stations.
8)completely enter atmospheres planets.
9) walk in First view inside stations and over planet surface.
10) NPC life in stations and planet surface.
11)Very detailed graphics for ships, stations and planets surfaces, including cities.
12) A life universe with ships going from place to place (transports, taxis, police, etc...)
13) many variety of stations and planets (not always the same design), each one diferent from another.
14)When the ship are hit or damaged i´d like to see interior explosions, short circuits, panels in fire, etc...
Thanks
***New****
15) i understood your point of view. But please, think twice about a "review new ideas ". Just a every night i (and believe the others guys here) dream with a game that could have a mix from space sim+FPS+RTS with RPG elements.
16)the cockpit only it´s just one single part of a space ship, and a single part of one space sim game.
17)Comunications : Pilot´s don´t just travel throught a void in space. they must interact with a variety of ships, base, sations and planets.The ability to communicate with others in space opens up many options.You can say hello, engage in psychological battle with an oponent by using taunts, appeasing factions to rerpair reputations(by beggining for mercy), or give a blood-curdling scream as your ship disintegrates around you.... The reactions of various factions may be influenced depending on your comms. If you choose particulary menacing taunts, your target may attack you instead of its current target. Likewise you can restore relationships wiht hostile people with friendly comms. Specific comms messages will be derived from your reputations with the target, as well as any previous conversatioons you have already had with them. You can request permission to dock at bases or planets. Doing this before actually docking may improve your reputation with that faction. A word from the wise : when being scanned by militia, they will rewquest that you not deviate from current course and speed. Should you do so, they will assume you are carrying contraband and act accordingly. (Extract from Privateer Gemini Gold manual game. That is a Privateer game nowadays remake).
_______________________________________
Edit for commentary by Vice:
On points 3,4,5,9, and 10. These aspects drift into first person shooter and character interaction simulation (common to FPS, RPG, RTS type games). I generally prefer to remain focused on space-sim gameplay rather than trying to mix genre elements. If more character interaction would be added, I would likely include it as part of the space-sim aspect rather than using a completely seperate first person shooter element. However, I'll continue to review new ideas as they are posted and will go from there on deciding what direction to go with such concepts. Good ideas, thanks.
___________________________________
01-14=2005 Commentary:
The problem with trying to mix in so many different elements is it usually detracts from the focus and enjoyment of the game, not add to it. Instead of one control system, you have to have several different kinds for each game mode (WASD for FPS/flight, controller, mouse, various keys, etc., each for various functions and actions available in each mode). It introduces clutter... a scattered collection of gameplay modes which tries to please everyone by doing everything, but often winds up being a jack-of-all-trades-master-of-none and not providing enjoyable gameplay for a lot of players (obstacles instead of enjoyable gameplay, more work instead of fun).15) i understood your point of view. But please, think twice about a "review new ideas ". Just a every night i (and believe the others guys here) dream with a game that could have a mix from space sim+FPS+RTS with RPG elements.
I'm not saying it can't be done, I'm certain it can, and with fun gameplay (with well defined, objective based gameplay, such as pure combat for each mode). But it's not what I try for when I want to make a space-sim. If such things can be merged into the space-sim theme without forcing the player to do something other then 'space-simming', then it's something I'd probably consider. With a space-sim I design, I will prefer to avoid forcing the player to participate in character interaction/behavior simulation, large scale business accounting/management simulation, empire building, required external remote ship control, or turned based gameplay. Instead, I will prefer to focus on space flight, combat, individual resource/wealth management, first person control, and exploration with benefits. But I'll be happy to consider any additional thoughts/ideas you might have in this regard, these are just my thoughts on the matter.
Understandable, but any other elements added will need to have justified and useable reasons for existence to enhance gameplay rather than distract from it or remove focus. And with those additional reasons come a required, continuosly growing, collection of available options which makes such a game extremely difficult to develop.16)the cockpit only it´s just one single part of a space ship, and a single part of one space sim game.
I will use just -one- possible element as an example to illustrate the point. Let's take the ability to roam around your ship. If you add this, what purpose does it serve? Just scenery? Probably not, you'll probably want to visit each section of your ship, from engineering, to gun turrets, to the kitchen, to bunks, to the bridge/cockpit, and to wherever else you might want to go. Just for the scenery, that aspect alone requires building unique environments for each room in the ship (and also needs to be done for how many ships?). You also have to develop a dedicated FPS engine to the game so you can control your movement around the ship. And again, will it just be scenery (if so, it would be pretty boring and useless)? Probably not, you'll likely want to be able to do different activities in each room. A sim? A video game? Something to eat? Control panels to adjust things? Firing the gun turret? Each will require its own feature set to makes its existence meaningful. Yet, none of it really relates to actually taking the controls and flying the ship. And none of it includes any crew elements, which if added, would require new levels of design such as animation, skinning, vocals, modelling, sounds, etc.. None of it includes being able to get out of your ship either, which would also require new levels of design that would need features to make it worthwhile.
As you can see, such an option just compiles upon itself for features, just to justify its existence. And that's just one small example of adding one FPS element to the game. It's a difficult road to go down in game design, so I'll be interested to consider any additional comments on the matter.
[Edited on 1-14-2006 by Vice]
[Edited on 1-17-2006 by RobotB9]
Danger, danger Will Robinson!!!
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Pariah
- Ensign
- Posts: 45
- Joined: Wed Jan 11, 2006 11:24 pm
- Location: Michigan, US
more idea
Desirable Qualities:
-3D HUD
-Many Paths Approach to Play (be trader, merc, etc..)
-Dynamic Economy
-Mod-able (add custom stations and ships)
-Ownership Possibilities (If you become wealthy enough you can actually purchase a space station or base and use it to enhance the game experience. For example, you could get more involved in an import/export of commodities type trade using your station as a trade hub or refinery/processing plant. Also, you could keep multiple ships docked there ready for use. This should take hours and hours of game play to achieve, and many credits.)
-More Planet Detail. Planet skins are more realistic and huge, like it would be to enter Earths orbit in a ship. You would have many major cities to choose from, and the terrain could be exciting and varied. I'd rather play in one or 2 large systems with exquisite detail as opposed to many systems with moderate detail. This one is challenging though.....
-Curveball With the Combat. This one is a hot spot in space sims. I personally love RTS's like Homeworld 2. I'd love to see a 3D immersive sim that goes to a 3RD person RTS type of viewpoint for major combat (between multiple ships on each side). Dogfights could still be 1ST person, but if one could amass a bit of a fleet it would be interesting to try to implement this style of combat. Perhaps the fleet/RTS combat idea could come up in conjunction with acquiring a station or base, where the player could hire on pilots and build ships with the wealth he/she gains with the base, then you could stage attacks against rival corporations who pose a competition threat to your financial empire.
-NPC’s. To help solidify the illusion.
-Explorable Ship. Would be nice to be able to hit autopilot and walk around the ship a bit. This feature would be useless unless there was something to do like man a turret, play chess on the rec table during long flights, or listen to music (possibly a player built into the program that could access your pc and play your music? Just an idea lol). Basically anything to enhance the immersion and feeling that you’re really on a ship…
Summation:
Basically I would love to see an evolution on the Evochron idea with a few twists. I love the atmo entry and think that you have pioneered this area of space sims. I would love to see the planets be even more detailed and "alive". I suggest a marriage of 1ST person and RTS combat because I think it's time to bring these 2 very popular styles into one realm. The acquirable station idea would add a long term goal to early hours of play, and help add a new dynamic to the game at a time when games are typically starting to wind down.
-3D HUD
-Many Paths Approach to Play (be trader, merc, etc..)
-Dynamic Economy
-Mod-able (add custom stations and ships)
-Ownership Possibilities (If you become wealthy enough you can actually purchase a space station or base and use it to enhance the game experience. For example, you could get more involved in an import/export of commodities type trade using your station as a trade hub or refinery/processing plant. Also, you could keep multiple ships docked there ready for use. This should take hours and hours of game play to achieve, and many credits.)
-More Planet Detail. Planet skins are more realistic and huge, like it would be to enter Earths orbit in a ship. You would have many major cities to choose from, and the terrain could be exciting and varied. I'd rather play in one or 2 large systems with exquisite detail as opposed to many systems with moderate detail. This one is challenging though.....
-Curveball With the Combat. This one is a hot spot in space sims. I personally love RTS's like Homeworld 2. I'd love to see a 3D immersive sim that goes to a 3RD person RTS type of viewpoint for major combat (between multiple ships on each side). Dogfights could still be 1ST person, but if one could amass a bit of a fleet it would be interesting to try to implement this style of combat. Perhaps the fleet/RTS combat idea could come up in conjunction with acquiring a station or base, where the player could hire on pilots and build ships with the wealth he/she gains with the base, then you could stage attacks against rival corporations who pose a competition threat to your financial empire.
-NPC’s. To help solidify the illusion.
-Explorable Ship. Would be nice to be able to hit autopilot and walk around the ship a bit. This feature would be useless unless there was something to do like man a turret, play chess on the rec table during long flights, or listen to music (possibly a player built into the program that could access your pc and play your music? Just an idea lol). Basically anything to enhance the immersion and feeling that you’re really on a ship…
Summation:
Basically I would love to see an evolution on the Evochron idea with a few twists. I love the atmo entry and think that you have pioneered this area of space sims. I would love to see the planets be even more detailed and "alive". I suggest a marriage of 1ST person and RTS combat because I think it's time to bring these 2 very popular styles into one realm. The acquirable station idea would add a long term goal to early hours of play, and help add a new dynamic to the game at a time when games are typically starting to wind down.
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d_k_k_y
- Lieutenant Jr. Grade
- Posts: 50
- Joined: Wed Feb 23, 2005 8:11 am
- Location: Germany
more idea
- Multible Planet systems with possebility to land on them. (would be a unique feature, as far as i know).
- Of cours i would still like to see bigger asteroids which could have caves / Tunnels / cavesystems and smaler ones which are shootable. Similar things (both) exist in X3 for example. The Cave system in EvoAli is just great! More of that sort!
The one i love most
- Objekt detektion aleart, if you come near (1500 for exam.) an objekt -> Cargo, hidden container, WH and so on, to find a good balance between searching and finding. (this is now in EA but want to keep it. Its great!)
- Improoved Planet surevaces sound VERY GOOD!
- Seemless sektor change (would be a unique featuer too, i think)
- Improoved Storyline -> Missions with sector and briefing changes.
- Hints on hidden benefits in the Storyline and or in Stations -> maybe for a successfull Station mission. Or like some sort of "news bord" at the station or better PLANET. Like the BBS at X3 stations.
- At least some sort of MP (cut from SP) just for MP fights, maybe in coustomizable areanas (unique feature again)
- More different Nebula clouds -> one decrease shilds -> one that don´t allow to use your scanner and jumpdrive at all (that means only fly by / fight by view with no easy escape) and so on...
- Some more possebilitys to interakt with the invironment.
Examples:
Like the thing with the shootable Asteroids (divide them into smaler pieces). Or the possebility to leaf out fuel(Plasma) out of your ship, which get a small cloud behind you making trouble to your followers. Maybe it cut radar if you fly through. This effect could differ in different invironments like different nebulas, atmosphears and so on. In one invironment it just cut radar, in one it cut view, in one the ship in it get slower while in it, in atmosphear a shoot could fire up the hole cloud (and damage ships in it) and so on. There would be many possibilitys. And it would cost your fuel. The more you leaf out the bigger the could behind you becomes.
Anyway i would like to see more interaktion possibilitys with the invironment like the two examples above. Would give the game more deph and the feeling that you are realy in space and could do what ya want .
- "A marriage of 1ST person and RTS combat because I think it's time to bring these 2 very popular styles into one realm". This is surely something to think about...courageously but unique.
- Bigger planets with bigger Atmosphere. Planets which could have canyons. Saw that at a screen from "Dark Star One".
- Improoved / bigger (multiple) Hangars in stations
- Can black holes become 3D?
- Improoved WHs. Maybe bigger one you could be seen better but apear and disapear at randoum places and took you to an unkown parts of the universe and than suddenly disapear...."shall i fly in or not? Maybe i end up like the USS Voyager
"
- The possebilety to have wing mans like in SW4. Maybe buy your own fleet.
- Some kind of Big ships the palyer could buy and fly which could carry 4 little fighters where the player could switch between. The big (mother) ship could be usefull as mobile station for repairs and could maybe carry a big amount of fuel with it to refuel the little fighters. This could be usefull if we have a seemless space and and want to explore deeper space where isn´t a station near by. But big ship shouldn´t be good for fighting and explorering. There for you have to jump into one of your little fighters..... The main focus should stay at the smaller fighters
- Planetary Stations with hangars -> solid ones
- Not only war contracts, pherhaps exploration contracts, stand and (SaVe ThE wOrld) from acid clouds,doomsday wepons, meteor hits and much more.
- Free form. Maybe more possebilitys; maybe to be a scientist. You could ad specail equipment to your ship but less weapons and so on...but i´m not surer (atm) how to make it interesting. What to "give to explore" warships couldn´t and with "which equipment".....maybe just take it as in example. Maybe i´ll add something later
- The possebilety to attack special subsystems like engine, weapons and so on. Saw that one at "klingon akademy". Thats quite cool and add some more possebilitys to contrakts too. Maybe some of the damaged systems have to bought new like weapons. And if engines are down you can call somebody who bring you with traktor beam to next station. Or you do so (or have to do in a contrakt; "disable his weapons and engines and bring him to me...ALIVE!")
- Improoved AI, which also use things like cloake devices in combination with more surounding interaktions. Maybe you could fly into e special sort of asteroid feeld / nebula (if you detect that sort, could be something to check with a scientifik console ) where the cloaking just work with failures so you could at least fire guns at it (if you aim good)....
- A new system map system which automaticly adds nebulas / asteroid feels, ect to the map (with coords on mouse over) if i find them.
- Big Ship Database which can be editet / supplemented by player
[Bearbeitet am 13-1-2006 von d_k_k_y]
[Bearbeitet am 13-1-2006 von d_k_k_y]
[Bearbeitet am 17-1-2006 von d_k_k_y]
- Of cours i would still like to see bigger asteroids which could have caves / Tunnels / cavesystems and smaler ones which are shootable. Similar things (both) exist in X3 for example. The Cave system in EvoAli is just great! More of that sort!
The one i love most
- Objekt detektion aleart, if you come near (1500 for exam.) an objekt -> Cargo, hidden container, WH and so on, to find a good balance between searching and finding. (this is now in EA but want to keep it. Its great!)
- Improoved Planet surevaces sound VERY GOOD!
- Seemless sektor change (would be a unique featuer too, i think)
- Improoved Storyline -> Missions with sector and briefing changes.
- Hints on hidden benefits in the Storyline and or in Stations -> maybe for a successfull Station mission. Or like some sort of "news bord" at the station or better PLANET. Like the BBS at X3 stations.
- At least some sort of MP (cut from SP) just for MP fights, maybe in coustomizable areanas (unique feature again)
- More different Nebula clouds -> one decrease shilds -> one that don´t allow to use your scanner and jumpdrive at all (that means only fly by / fight by view with no easy escape) and so on...
- Some more possebilitys to interakt with the invironment.
Examples:
Like the thing with the shootable Asteroids (divide them into smaler pieces). Or the possebility to leaf out fuel(Plasma) out of your ship, which get a small cloud behind you making trouble to your followers. Maybe it cut radar if you fly through. This effect could differ in different invironments like different nebulas, atmosphears and so on. In one invironment it just cut radar, in one it cut view, in one the ship in it get slower while in it, in atmosphear a shoot could fire up the hole cloud (and damage ships in it) and so on. There would be many possibilitys. And it would cost your fuel. The more you leaf out the bigger the could behind you becomes.
Anyway i would like to see more interaktion possibilitys with the invironment like the two examples above. Would give the game more deph and the feeling that you are realy in space and could do what ya want .
- "A marriage of 1ST person and RTS combat because I think it's time to bring these 2 very popular styles into one realm". This is surely something to think about...courageously but unique.
- Bigger planets with bigger Atmosphere. Planets which could have canyons. Saw that at a screen from "Dark Star One".
- Improoved / bigger (multiple) Hangars in stations
- Can black holes become 3D?
- Improoved WHs. Maybe bigger one you could be seen better but apear and disapear at randoum places and took you to an unkown parts of the universe and than suddenly disapear...."shall i fly in or not? Maybe i end up like the USS Voyager
" - The possebilety to have wing mans like in SW4. Maybe buy your own fleet.
- Some kind of Big ships the palyer could buy and fly which could carry 4 little fighters where the player could switch between. The big (mother) ship could be usefull as mobile station for repairs and could maybe carry a big amount of fuel with it to refuel the little fighters. This could be usefull if we have a seemless space and and want to explore deeper space where isn´t a station near by. But big ship shouldn´t be good for fighting and explorering. There for you have to jump into one of your little fighters..... The main focus should stay at the smaller fighters
- Planetary Stations with hangars -> solid ones
- Not only war contracts, pherhaps exploration contracts, stand and (SaVe ThE wOrld) from acid clouds,doomsday wepons, meteor hits and much more.
- Free form. Maybe more possebilitys; maybe to be a scientist. You could ad specail equipment to your ship but less weapons and so on...but i´m not surer (atm) how to make it interesting. What to "give to explore" warships couldn´t and with "which equipment".....maybe just take it as in example. Maybe i´ll add something later
- The possebilety to attack special subsystems like engine, weapons and so on. Saw that one at "klingon akademy". Thats quite cool and add some more possebilitys to contrakts too. Maybe some of the damaged systems have to bought new like weapons. And if engines are down you can call somebody who bring you with traktor beam to next station. Or you do so (or have to do in a contrakt; "disable his weapons and engines and bring him to me...ALIVE!")
- Improoved AI, which also use things like cloake devices in combination with more surounding interaktions. Maybe you could fly into e special sort of asteroid feeld / nebula (if you detect that sort, could be something to check with a scientifik console ) where the cloaking just work with failures so you could at least fire guns at it (if you aim good)....
- A new system map system which automaticly adds nebulas / asteroid feels, ect to the map (with coords on mouse over) if i find them.
- Big Ship Database which can be editet / supplemented by player
[Bearbeitet am 13-1-2006 von d_k_k_y]
[Bearbeitet am 13-1-2006 von d_k_k_y]
[Bearbeitet am 17-1-2006 von d_k_k_y]
StarWolves Clan
Captain
Captain
-
tha_rami
- Commander
- Posts: 892
- Joined: Tue Jan 25, 2005 2:20 pm
- Location: Netherlands
more idea
Lol, I'd better not post my S.O. post here. But lets see:
- As much of an simulated galaxy as possible, ideally with 5 sectors (4 human ones and one Vonari one). Orbiting, central stars for each sector and stuff...
- 3D cockpit
- higher texture quality and larger atmosphere's.
- 3D Black holes
- RTS Influences - but not too many - so 1st person RTS. Should I explain more accuratly?
- Visual improvements as improved stations (multiple hangars).
- 3 Factions, and Political and tactical decision influencing your (seperate) reputation.
- Fulcrum Drives and Fulcrum gates, connecting several sectors.
- Sectors divided into seamless systems.
- More integrated storyline, including another Vonari invasion in all sectors AND a new Alliance-Federation war over the EvoChron sector.
- Possibility to buy large ships and control them, but not necessarily first person (in Navigational Menu decide where it should go, possibility to dock and reload/buy items there - this costs a little time and fuel ofcourse). First person is good too.
- Squads/Wings could be cool.
- Mixed Military and Mercenary gameplay.
- A bit of Empire Building, but not too much (so buying a station gives more control over gaining/losing money)
- Punishment for being killed (money/ship-wise)
- More possibility's to lose money.
- Deeper shipyard
- The combat curve Pariah described. 1st first person, then 1st person with a wing, then 1st person, wing and economical, finally 1st person, wing, economical and capital ship. Jumping between ships isn't possible unless docked (so can't jump between ships unless they are docked to eachother).
- Seamless environment changes. Entering cave systems, large scientific facilities.
- More life on the planets... auch...
- Set space-paths connected by Fulcrum Gates.
- 3D cockpit - altough I thought it ment a more visor like effect, instead of 3D surfaces.
- I like to have to deal with money, trading, combat, equipment, mining... well, to be short, the more the better as long as it's balanced.
- I wouldn't at all like to miss manually docking and atmosphere entry.
- A game time (from n00b to Al-like wealth) of about 40 hours.
- More life in space too, and then I mean carriers, frigates, trading routes (Fulcrum Gates which during travel arent interactive but still in 1st person)
- NEVER to leave my cockpit
- New, more modern menu look.
- Integrated, huge campaignmode.
- Physics that are somewhere between SW and EvoChron. I like the inertia, but I think in SW it is too little and in EvoChron it's a little too much.
- Moddable (mostly the HUD's and systems)
- Interactive training
- More radio-chatter
For the rest check the S.O. post.
More to come
[Edited on 14-1-2006 by tha_rami]
[Edited on 14-1-2006 by tha_rami]
[Edited on 16-2-2006 by tha_rami]
- As much of an simulated galaxy as possible, ideally with 5 sectors (4 human ones and one Vonari one). Orbiting, central stars for each sector and stuff...
- 3D cockpit
- higher texture quality and larger atmosphere's.
- 3D Black holes
- RTS Influences - but not too many - so 1st person RTS. Should I explain more accuratly?
- Visual improvements as improved stations (multiple hangars).
- 3 Factions, and Political and tactical decision influencing your (seperate) reputation.
- Fulcrum Drives and Fulcrum gates, connecting several sectors.
- Sectors divided into seamless systems.
- More integrated storyline, including another Vonari invasion in all sectors AND a new Alliance-Federation war over the EvoChron sector.
- Possibility to buy large ships and control them, but not necessarily first person (in Navigational Menu decide where it should go, possibility to dock and reload/buy items there - this costs a little time and fuel ofcourse). First person is good too.
- Squads/Wings could be cool.
- Mixed Military and Mercenary gameplay.
- A bit of Empire Building, but not too much (so buying a station gives more control over gaining/losing money)
- Punishment for being killed (money/ship-wise)
- More possibility's to lose money.
- Deeper shipyard
- The combat curve Pariah described. 1st first person, then 1st person with a wing, then 1st person, wing and economical, finally 1st person, wing, economical and capital ship. Jumping between ships isn't possible unless docked (so can't jump between ships unless they are docked to eachother).
- Seamless environment changes. Entering cave systems, large scientific facilities.
- More life on the planets... auch...
- Set space-paths connected by Fulcrum Gates.
- 3D cockpit - altough I thought it ment a more visor like effect, instead of 3D surfaces.
- I like to have to deal with money, trading, combat, equipment, mining... well, to be short, the more the better as long as it's balanced.
- I wouldn't at all like to miss manually docking and atmosphere entry.
- A game time (from n00b to Al-like wealth) of about 40 hours.
- More life in space too, and then I mean carriers, frigates, trading routes (Fulcrum Gates which during travel arent interactive but still in 1st person)
- NEVER to leave my cockpit
- New, more modern menu look.
- Integrated, huge campaignmode.
- Physics that are somewhere between SW and EvoChron. I like the inertia, but I think in SW it is too little and in EvoChron it's a little too much.
- Moddable (mostly the HUD's and systems)
- Interactive training
- More radio-chatter
For the rest check the S.O. post.
More to come
[Edited on 14-1-2006 by tha_rami]
[Edited on 14-1-2006 by tha_rami]
[Edited on 16-2-2006 by tha_rami]
tha_rami - The best way to predict the future is to invent it.
Vlambeer - Dutch indie game studio
Twitter - Weird news, life updates & game-related news
Vlambeer - Dutch indie game studio
Twitter - Weird news, life updates & game-related news
-
slaintemaith
- Ensign
- Posts: 1
- Joined: Mon Jan 16, 2006 1:33 pm
more idea
Things I'd LOVE to see:
I) Universal Climate.
A) A VERY large universe, that randomly generates a galactic geography of sorts: 1/3 "Inhabited-and-friendlyish" 1/3 "Inhabited and not-so-friendlyish or even perhaps downright "enemy" and 1/3 "uncharted." This ensures that each game is different.
B) Intelligent AI. Factions which might include traders, military (of however many governments and ship types), smugglers, scouts, yachts, miners, police, and of course, perhaps the odd "alien" race. All of these should act "smartly," and attempt to serve their own ends with their own dynamic resources. Traders should be following routes, police patrolling, military making engagements on the frontiers, scouts heading off for uncharted territories, or keeping the communication routes between systems alive, smugglers heading for planets that might be the sole source of a dangerous commodity, pirates, unless you've discovered their nest, shouldn't be out to destroy you for the sake of it. They're out for your cargo, or (if you're unlucky) perhaps your ship. (if it's nice enough) This also implies...
C) The ability to disable and take over someone else's ship. (Of course, you'll have to find a way to tow it)
D) Hull sizes from 100 to 1,000,000 tons and drives which can propulse (or tow) them.
E) The ability for the player to become a faction. To have their own ship, but also be able to buy (and construct) bases and hire protection for them. (including hiring the NPC, buying and outfitting their ships, etc) in essence, building one's own fleet. (one can assign basic tasks to hired NPC's: "Go trade" or "Mine x System" or "patrol x sector" or "Follow and protect me" or "Assault x base/planet"
F) The theoretical possibility to proclaim one's self "Emperor" by claiming all of known space. (Note the theoretical) A true dynamic universe where the player can (if he/she's amassed enough wealth power and prestige) start their own forays into conquering enemy (or even friendly!) territory for their own by destroying the current bases and cities and replacing them with their own. (Mind you, it would take CRAZY wealth to do this--but it -should- be possible at least)
G) AI should be able to "rebuild" within the constraints of the modeled economy. Traders whose shipments are constantly looted will 'dry up' and go out of business. Too many traders going out of business means the local pirates have to get more desperate and find more prey, or worse still, become traders themselves. Police and military have to rely on broker fees and taxes from bases to replenish their coffers (which if done right, should be plentiful) and each aggressive faction should have it's own operands for what areas they're trying to conquer. i.e, Traders might want to conquer and build bases (ultimately) in unexplored regions. Police wouldn't have any motives at all apart from protecting their own systems, defending whatever base or planet that's hired them. Military would seek to foray into enemy territories to take over systems. Scouts might plant advance bases in uncharted areas. Each faction doing this all at once creating a dynamic, ever-changing universe to which the player must adapt.
II) Player Perspective
A) If the above is done accurately, the eye-candy will only moderately add to what a player will feel is a believable universe. Still, a first-person ship perspective should be maintained. Information windows regarding hireling orders, trade information, ship status and construction, etc should all be accessible from a base, or in some cases only a base a player owns. What's scary is that with the exception of some factions, (a pirate isn't going to have "I'm a pirate" emblazoned on his ship, after all) most of the things I'm describing in this outline are (relatively) transparent to the player and might only present itself as Evochron Alliance on Steroids.
III) Economy
A) Some planets should be The Only Source for specific, rare trade goods. (a la Dune & Spice) These goods would be exceptionally difficult, expensive, or dangerous to get, and even more deadly to control, however if a player managed to 1) get missions involving the trade of these goods (by schmoozing with the faction that currently controls it) or 2) manages to conquer the planet/asteroid field which produces such a commodity, GREAT wealth might flow through that player's hands. In the first case, such a mission might be highly prone to attacks from pirates, or even perhaps military craft. In the latter, assuming the player can defeat the faction controlling such a resource (remember, they've been making a LOT of money before the player ever got there!) they would invoke the jealousy and wrath of many other affected (or perhaps allied) factions.
B) In order to help players who trade, all planets/bases in a general region (I'll call it "Subsector" to steal from Traveller) should be able to be displayed in one window. This -shouldn't- list the prices, but should have general descriptions of all the planets. i.e., "Agricultural," "Water-world" "Desert planet" "Industrial" "Technologically advanced" etc... These guidelines might help with the selling and purchase prices of goods on that particular planet, allowing a player to set up what is known as "Triangular Trade," or buying low and selling high in an organized route that favors the merchant.
C) All ships should be subject to taxes, broker fees, and docking/landing fees. Architect fees for constructing a new ship design, etc... These funds go to the factions that control the bases. (Obviously this can be approximated or outright fudged by the programmer when funding other factions and for other ships) but the player still has to pay them. (or receive them, if it's his/her base)
D) All things constructed would be from minerals mined or bought, giving an element of resource management. Bases would have limits to what they can store, depending on the size hull used to construct them.
IV) Combat
A) More things with which to engage (and avoid!) combat. Such things like a high-powered absorption generator which can dissipate and absorb x amount of hits (converting that energy back into the ship's stores) unless it becomes overloaded and explodes. (this is obviously a -very- high tech solution) Cloaking devices, and other more definitive ways to make starship detection more of a cat-and-mouse game preluding actual combat.
B) Passive defensive weapons like sandcasters or smoke-screens to obscure certain types of beam and pulse attacks.
C) This is a pet-peeve, and I know no one will EVER implement it in a computer game OR Movie: 1) Fireballs would be VERY small in space! Most of the damage would be decompression (killing a crew if they weren't suited up) and a small fireball (maybe) of the leaking oxygen. Fuel tanks -don't blow up in space! ...which leads me to:
D) THERE's NO NOISE EITHER! Noise you'd hear if -your- ship was being hit, or perhaps your weapons firing, drives working, etc etc... IF your ship was pressurized! If it wasn't, see below. But you wouldn't hear your shots hit ~another~ ship, and you -certainly- wouldn't hear it explode.
...it's just one of those things. Every time I see a sim that professes "Real World Physics" in space, I've never seen them implement the two above very real world realities. Please don't take offense at these. No one's ever made a sim that models this, and I strongly suspect no one ever will.
...That's all I can think of at the moment.
[Edited on 1-16-2006 by slaintemaith]
[Edited on 1-16-2006 by slaintemaith]
[Edited on 1-16-2006 by slaintemaith]
I) Universal Climate.
A) A VERY large universe, that randomly generates a galactic geography of sorts: 1/3 "Inhabited-and-friendlyish" 1/3 "Inhabited and not-so-friendlyish or even perhaps downright "enemy" and 1/3 "uncharted." This ensures that each game is different.
B) Intelligent AI. Factions which might include traders, military (of however many governments and ship types), smugglers, scouts, yachts, miners, police, and of course, perhaps the odd "alien" race. All of these should act "smartly," and attempt to serve their own ends with their own dynamic resources. Traders should be following routes, police patrolling, military making engagements on the frontiers, scouts heading off for uncharted territories, or keeping the communication routes between systems alive, smugglers heading for planets that might be the sole source of a dangerous commodity, pirates, unless you've discovered their nest, shouldn't be out to destroy you for the sake of it. They're out for your cargo, or (if you're unlucky) perhaps your ship. (if it's nice enough) This also implies...
C) The ability to disable and take over someone else's ship. (Of course, you'll have to find a way to tow it)
D) Hull sizes from 100 to 1,000,000 tons and drives which can propulse (or tow) them.
E) The ability for the player to become a faction. To have their own ship, but also be able to buy (and construct) bases and hire protection for them. (including hiring the NPC, buying and outfitting their ships, etc) in essence, building one's own fleet. (one can assign basic tasks to hired NPC's: "Go trade" or "Mine x System" or "patrol x sector" or "Follow and protect me" or "Assault x base/planet"
F) The theoretical possibility to proclaim one's self "Emperor" by claiming all of known space. (Note the theoretical) A true dynamic universe where the player can (if he/she's amassed enough wealth power and prestige) start their own forays into conquering enemy (or even friendly!) territory for their own by destroying the current bases and cities and replacing them with their own. (Mind you, it would take CRAZY wealth to do this--but it -should- be possible at least)
G) AI should be able to "rebuild" within the constraints of the modeled economy. Traders whose shipments are constantly looted will 'dry up' and go out of business. Too many traders going out of business means the local pirates have to get more desperate and find more prey, or worse still, become traders themselves. Police and military have to rely on broker fees and taxes from bases to replenish their coffers (which if done right, should be plentiful) and each aggressive faction should have it's own operands for what areas they're trying to conquer. i.e, Traders might want to conquer and build bases (ultimately) in unexplored regions. Police wouldn't have any motives at all apart from protecting their own systems, defending whatever base or planet that's hired them. Military would seek to foray into enemy territories to take over systems. Scouts might plant advance bases in uncharted areas. Each faction doing this all at once creating a dynamic, ever-changing universe to which the player must adapt.
II) Player Perspective
A) If the above is done accurately, the eye-candy will only moderately add to what a player will feel is a believable universe. Still, a first-person ship perspective should be maintained. Information windows regarding hireling orders, trade information, ship status and construction, etc should all be accessible from a base, or in some cases only a base a player owns. What's scary is that with the exception of some factions, (a pirate isn't going to have "I'm a pirate" emblazoned on his ship, after all) most of the things I'm describing in this outline are (relatively) transparent to the player and might only present itself as Evochron Alliance on Steroids.
III) Economy
A) Some planets should be The Only Source for specific, rare trade goods. (a la Dune & Spice) These goods would be exceptionally difficult, expensive, or dangerous to get, and even more deadly to control, however if a player managed to 1) get missions involving the trade of these goods (by schmoozing with the faction that currently controls it) or 2) manages to conquer the planet/asteroid field which produces such a commodity, GREAT wealth might flow through that player's hands. In the first case, such a mission might be highly prone to attacks from pirates, or even perhaps military craft. In the latter, assuming the player can defeat the faction controlling such a resource (remember, they've been making a LOT of money before the player ever got there!) they would invoke the jealousy and wrath of many other affected (or perhaps allied) factions.
B) In order to help players who trade, all planets/bases in a general region (I'll call it "Subsector" to steal from Traveller) should be able to be displayed in one window. This -shouldn't- list the prices, but should have general descriptions of all the planets. i.e., "Agricultural," "Water-world" "Desert planet" "Industrial" "Technologically advanced" etc... These guidelines might help with the selling and purchase prices of goods on that particular planet, allowing a player to set up what is known as "Triangular Trade," or buying low and selling high in an organized route that favors the merchant.
C) All ships should be subject to taxes, broker fees, and docking/landing fees. Architect fees for constructing a new ship design, etc... These funds go to the factions that control the bases. (Obviously this can be approximated or outright fudged by the programmer when funding other factions and for other ships) but the player still has to pay them. (or receive them, if it's his/her base)
D) All things constructed would be from minerals mined or bought, giving an element of resource management. Bases would have limits to what they can store, depending on the size hull used to construct them.
IV) Combat
A) More things with which to engage (and avoid!) combat. Such things like a high-powered absorption generator which can dissipate and absorb x amount of hits (converting that energy back into the ship's stores) unless it becomes overloaded and explodes. (this is obviously a -very- high tech solution) Cloaking devices, and other more definitive ways to make starship detection more of a cat-and-mouse game preluding actual combat.
B) Passive defensive weapons like sandcasters or smoke-screens to obscure certain types of beam and pulse attacks.
C) This is a pet-peeve, and I know no one will EVER implement it in a computer game OR Movie: 1) Fireballs would be VERY small in space! Most of the damage would be decompression (killing a crew if they weren't suited up) and a small fireball (maybe) of the leaking oxygen. Fuel tanks -don't blow up in space! ...which leads me to:
D) THERE's NO NOISE EITHER! Noise you'd hear if -your- ship was being hit, or perhaps your weapons firing, drives working, etc etc... IF your ship was pressurized! If it wasn't, see below. But you wouldn't hear your shots hit ~another~ ship, and you -certainly- wouldn't hear it explode.
...it's just one of those things. Every time I see a sim that professes "Real World Physics" in space, I've never seen them implement the two above very real world realities. Please don't take offense at these. No one's ever made a sim that models this, and I strongly suspect no one ever will.
...That's all I can think of at the moment.
[Edited on 1-16-2006 by slaintemaith]
[Edited on 1-16-2006 by slaintemaith]
[Edited on 1-16-2006 by slaintemaith]
\"In the beginning there was nothing, which exploded.\" --Terry Pratchett
-
L_B_P
- Ensign
- Posts: 15
- Joined: Tue Oct 04, 2005 7:17 am
- Location: Malmö, Sweden
more idea
Then I read the post I would say: If you combined
- Elite (big univers, station both on planet and orbit etc.
- Privateer (cockpit, storyline, walk around station)
- X2, X3 (trading, owne station etc)
into 1 game, you would proberly have 1 of the best games and it would last for long time. Think this 3 games combined together cover most of what ppl would like.
[Edited on 1-17-2006 by L_B_P]
- Elite (big univers, station both on planet and orbit etc.
- Privateer (cockpit, storyline, walk around station)
- X2, X3 (trading, owne station etc)
into 1 game, you would proberly have 1 of the best games and it would last for long time. Think this 3 games combined together cover most of what ppl would like.
[Edited on 1-17-2006 by L_B_P]
-
MasterMindLess
- Lieutenant Jr. Grade
- Posts: 50
- Joined: Thu Dec 29, 2005 6:29 pm
- Location: Ask the other guy.
more idea
A few things (all right, a lot) I would like to see:
(I threw together a list of things I was thinking about and added more as they came to me)
-Freeform is an absolute must for me. (Evochron Alliance-like)
-NPC's (Military, police, pirates, traders, etc.) roaming around
-Ability to "choose your path" (start the game graduating from a flight academy w/family’s “hand-me-down� spacecraft, can go into military, pirating, merc, trader, etc.)
-If not military (pirate, merc) could illegally get military-class fighters (for a LOT of money)(and have military/police chasing after you if you’re seen with it [and spotter manages to report sighting])(a "black market")
-Wars that you can choose sides in (or, if military, are forced to fight on a certain side [or defect/quit]) or try to avoid/make a living in as a trader/pirate
-completely seamless inter-system travel (can travel from system to system w/out jump drive, would take a LONG time and a lot of fuel)(wouldn't be possible with cave system, though, would it?)
-can "book a flight" in a superfreighter’s docking bay (for a fee) if you don’t have a jump drive & don’t want to take time to travel w/out jump drive
-can be hired to guard superfreighters/stations for a certain period of time or certain amount of trips
-can start/join a merc crew, doing commissions together (everyone must obey the leader: you must be sure of any group you join [i.e.: you hire in with an unsavory type, you have better ship/weapons than leader, you have to give leader what they want or blast through the whole lot to get away
-ability to "barter" or get better/worse prices based on reputation
-larger systems (not really larger, just more places to go) that you can spend hours exploring, finding something new everywhere you look
-can tow and repair damaged ships to use as your own (scavenge after a battle, maybe get military tech for cheap), ability to sift through debris and find tech (missiles, jump drive, primary weapon, etc.)
-massive stations with multiple docking bays where you have to rent or buy one, secure docking bays (cost more) where enemies can’t reach you (I often get blasted out of the sky in Evo: Alliance when need repairs)
-can own superfreighter-like vessels – you choose where to go, what to get, what to sell, control piloting, missiles, and one forward-facing turret
-rich traders can hire mercs to protect them
-certain benefits/disadvantages to each career (i.e.: military: free ship/weapons/tech, top-of-the-line; have to do certain things [missions, must participate in wars/battles] or get a “dishonorable discharge� or equivalent [fired])
-difficult to change careers (if pirate and get a name among traders, not many people will want to trade with you/be hired by you)
-ability to train using simulators at stations (click on “training� and you seamlessly go into a “simulation� [seamlessly: no apparent change until you leave the station, then there’s only hostiles or whatever], must pay for simulations if not military
-can board/be boarded by other ships (no change in view; you always pilot the ship), a “meter� appears on HUD showing you troops and enemy troops (if being boarded & you run out of troops before enemy, your ship is captured; depending on reputation, you will have to pay people who save you [amount depends on reputation], must pay off ransom to people who save your skin within certain period of time or police/military start hunting you)(are ALWAYS ransomed, no matter what, but you have to pull the old hand-me-down back out of the hangar, back to ground zero with weapons, money, etc.)
-boarding can only happen with larger ships (if you have a scout, fighter, etc. or equivalents, you cannot be boarded/board [if you only have a cockpit and storage bay, you’re safe from boarding… but can’t make much money with trading])
-must hire troops to protect you from boarding/allow you to board
-traders would be in the most danger from boarding (must have larger ships to make decent amount of money)
-pirates can band together with NPC’s to be able to take on larger, better-protected targets, but must split the profits with NPC’s
-can deploy automated turrets or mines to protect a favorite asteroid field or prey on a favorite trading lane
-jump-drive "highways" that most people travel on (“safe� entry/exit points, usually near a station or planet
-more than one station in a system (orbital station, outlying defense stations)
-armed stations
-can get a station mad at you (pretty much suicidal w/out a nuke-equivalent, but then, you would torch everything inside, so what’s the point then?)
-more diverse ships with each faction having some favorites (traders: superfreighters,
military: best out there, etc.)
-military commissions (you sign on for X amount of time, get paid X amount, bonuses for brave/unexpected/�beyond the call of duty� things)
-if trader (or pretending to be a trader), can band together with NPC traders (safety in numbers…)
-summary: meld of StarWraith, RiftSpace, and Evochron: Alliance with a few extras
from Master, and as always, Mindless
EDIT:
my heiroglyphs-
/ usually means or, sometimes and/or
w/ means with
[Edited on 1/19/2006 by MasterMindLess]
(I threw together a list of things I was thinking about and added more as they came to me)
-Freeform is an absolute must for me. (Evochron Alliance-like)
-NPC's (Military, police, pirates, traders, etc.) roaming around
-Ability to "choose your path" (start the game graduating from a flight academy w/family’s “hand-me-down� spacecraft, can go into military, pirating, merc, trader, etc.)
-If not military (pirate, merc) could illegally get military-class fighters (for a LOT of money)(and have military/police chasing after you if you’re seen with it [and spotter manages to report sighting])(a "black market")
-Wars that you can choose sides in (or, if military, are forced to fight on a certain side [or defect/quit]) or try to avoid/make a living in as a trader/pirate
-completely seamless inter-system travel (can travel from system to system w/out jump drive, would take a LONG time and a lot of fuel)(wouldn't be possible with cave system, though, would it?)
-can "book a flight" in a superfreighter’s docking bay (for a fee) if you don’t have a jump drive & don’t want to take time to travel w/out jump drive
-can be hired to guard superfreighters/stations for a certain period of time or certain amount of trips
-can start/join a merc crew, doing commissions together (everyone must obey the leader: you must be sure of any group you join [i.e.: you hire in with an unsavory type, you have better ship/weapons than leader, you have to give leader what they want or blast through the whole lot to get away
-ability to "barter" or get better/worse prices based on reputation
-larger systems (not really larger, just more places to go) that you can spend hours exploring, finding something new everywhere you look
-can tow and repair damaged ships to use as your own (scavenge after a battle, maybe get military tech for cheap), ability to sift through debris and find tech (missiles, jump drive, primary weapon, etc.)
-massive stations with multiple docking bays where you have to rent or buy one, secure docking bays (cost more) where enemies can’t reach you (I often get blasted out of the sky in Evo: Alliance when need repairs)
-can own superfreighter-like vessels – you choose where to go, what to get, what to sell, control piloting, missiles, and one forward-facing turret
-rich traders can hire mercs to protect them
-certain benefits/disadvantages to each career (i.e.: military: free ship/weapons/tech, top-of-the-line; have to do certain things [missions, must participate in wars/battles] or get a “dishonorable discharge� or equivalent [fired])
-difficult to change careers (if pirate and get a name among traders, not many people will want to trade with you/be hired by you)
-ability to train using simulators at stations (click on “training� and you seamlessly go into a “simulation� [seamlessly: no apparent change until you leave the station, then there’s only hostiles or whatever], must pay for simulations if not military
-can board/be boarded by other ships (no change in view; you always pilot the ship), a “meter� appears on HUD showing you troops and enemy troops (if being boarded & you run out of troops before enemy, your ship is captured; depending on reputation, you will have to pay people who save you [amount depends on reputation], must pay off ransom to people who save your skin within certain period of time or police/military start hunting you)(are ALWAYS ransomed, no matter what, but you have to pull the old hand-me-down back out of the hangar, back to ground zero with weapons, money, etc.)
-boarding can only happen with larger ships (if you have a scout, fighter, etc. or equivalents, you cannot be boarded/board [if you only have a cockpit and storage bay, you’re safe from boarding… but can’t make much money with trading])
-must hire troops to protect you from boarding/allow you to board
-traders would be in the most danger from boarding (must have larger ships to make decent amount of money)
-pirates can band together with NPC’s to be able to take on larger, better-protected targets, but must split the profits with NPC’s
-can deploy automated turrets or mines to protect a favorite asteroid field or prey on a favorite trading lane
-jump-drive "highways" that most people travel on (“safe� entry/exit points, usually near a station or planet
-more than one station in a system (orbital station, outlying defense stations)
-armed stations
-can get a station mad at you (pretty much suicidal w/out a nuke-equivalent, but then, you would torch everything inside, so what’s the point then?)
-more diverse ships with each faction having some favorites (traders: superfreighters,
military: best out there, etc.)
-military commissions (you sign on for X amount of time, get paid X amount, bonuses for brave/unexpected/�beyond the call of duty� things)
-if trader (or pretending to be a trader), can band together with NPC traders (safety in numbers…)
-summary: meld of StarWraith, RiftSpace, and Evochron: Alliance with a few extras
from Master, and as always, Mindless
EDIT:
my heiroglyphs-
/ usually means or, sometimes and/or
w/ means with
[Edited on 1/19/2006 by MasterMindLess]
StarWolves Clan
Lieutenant Junior Grade
Lieutenant Junior Grade
-
Cruiser
- Ensign
- Posts: 1
- Joined: Sun Jan 22, 2006 10:17 am
- Location: Copenhagen / Denmark / Europe
more idea
Well here goes my shot at this.
First I will shortly sum up what the primary concern of this post is. I would really like to se a game which both dug a little deeper down the space ship simulation line and also was suited for small multiplayer groups. When playing this game, they should get the feel of playing in a massive multiplayer game, be situated in a dynamic universe where they could interact with NPCs and take on several roles / jobs / duties.
Here follows a list of features I would like to see:
* Dynamic missions:
Spontaneous missions would arise based on the events happening in sectors. E.g. you would get an urgent message that a trader was in dire need of rescue, and he offers a great reward for helping him out.
This means that missions could be based on real events, not scripted, so if a pirate attacked people in a certain sector, it would become a mission to find him. You could actually be there watching the incident without knowing that a mission would be created. Of course incidents like these would have to be simulated discretely when you are not present in the sector / area.
I write this because the realistic "feel" of the universe is very important to me. E.g. when I take a mission to hunt pirates, it should not happen like: When I go to the appropriate sector where the mission takes place, the pirates are generated and attack me right away.
One could also imagine that if you yourself do too much pirate activity (or you are a very annoying police man distrupting pirate activity all the time) a mission / bounty would be place on your head, and other players or AIs would take on this assignment from time to time.
* Mission types:
Missions should be all kinds of activities: Attack, track / find / locate / spy, deliver / transport, escort, patrol.
* Interaction with NPC's:
This would be very important to give the simulation life. By this I don't Ask mean the normal storyline chatting with NPCs or the ability to ask all kinds of questions, but just some standard questions relating to missions, trade etc. These could be ask for help (either with a current mission, or to fight off attackers), ask escort, bribe, trade. Maybe you could also ask NPCs if they knew about something going on in a sector (e.g. if they on their travel had vitnessed any attacks etc.).
- Relationships are established through communication / trade / helping. The more relation "points" you have with an NPC (or faction) the more they are willing to help.
- You can ask NPCs and players alike to join in a mission sharing the reward.
- You could say its a simulated MMOG with AIs instead.
- Maybe not normal conversations (these would have to be scripted, like a storyline) but more like dynamic conversations. E.g. an NPC could report to you, that an attack was going on in some sector, and ask if you wanted to join.
Some NPCs could have names and be like some "persistant" inhabitants in the universe. You could them establish relationships with these and meet them from time to time.
* Multiplayer capabilities with same gameplay as singleplayer
* Attain different roles / jobs: Mercenary, Police, Military, Trader. Again it should be seamless if your are an AI or player. E.g. You could be sent on a police patrol both with your player friend and with other AIs. That up to police command & control.
*Ship systems detail:
I think that the details of the simulation of ship systems is important to a space sim. I really like when I can spend the travel time or non-combat time adjusting power allocations, doing minor repairs and just basically playing around with different settings on my ship.
- Advanced energy management (shields, engine, guns, turrets): I think it should be possible to reroute energy between system to be able to select different strategies. E.g. you could boost your engine and shields and make a run for it, or you could boost weapons and count on a quick kill.
- Shields: fore, aft, left, right, energy allocation between them: It would also be a nice feature if directional shields existed, so you could boost your fore shields when making attack runs and aft when running for it. You could also turn around your ship and take hits with right shield, if the left was down for the count. This also gives more tactical choices in combat, so combat is not just turn-and-fire chases.
- Almost everything consumes energy/fuel. Shields / guns / turrets / engine / Hyper drive needs to be charged and consumes energy when charging and a little on stand-by. This makes it a tactical choice to charge weapon systems and shield. Shouldn't be turned on all the time.
- More expensive equipment could charge quicker / require less energy for charging / standby.
- Ship is subject to wear 'n' tear / maintainance. If not shined up reguraly then the components are subject to failure. Maybe more expensive parts are resistant to failure and needs less maintainance.
- Many components available for purchase so you really feel that YOUR ship is unique and you have configured it precisely as YOU want it.
* Defensive / disabling weapons & missiles:
Maybe some missile that lays out a radioactive cloud that distrupts radar and thereby missile lock-on. Other weapons could disable hyper drive, shields, lasers etc.
*re-play value:
The game must have a purpose to keep playing. Even if main story-line is done
- Dynamic story-lines? Is it possible? Maybe a combination of the before mentioned relationships and dynamic missions? E.g. if a friend had a pirate bounty on his head, you had to help him out some way?
*Caravans:
travel between systems / sectors without hyper drive: It could be great if you started out without hyper drive, and you had to sign on for a caravan of some kind, to travel safely between systems. These caravans could of course also be destined for jump gate, which required some 2-3 minutes of travel to reach?
Well, thats my input for now. Anybody please comment if you have anything in mind. I'm also using these ideas for a game I'm planning on myself (if it ever gets to be anything more than an idea, but hey, you can dream
)
I know these ideas are really demanding on the game design, but this is my idea of an ideal space sim.
First I will shortly sum up what the primary concern of this post is. I would really like to se a game which both dug a little deeper down the space ship simulation line and also was suited for small multiplayer groups. When playing this game, they should get the feel of playing in a massive multiplayer game, be situated in a dynamic universe where they could interact with NPCs and take on several roles / jobs / duties.
Here follows a list of features I would like to see:
* Dynamic missions:
Spontaneous missions would arise based on the events happening in sectors. E.g. you would get an urgent message that a trader was in dire need of rescue, and he offers a great reward for helping him out.
This means that missions could be based on real events, not scripted, so if a pirate attacked people in a certain sector, it would become a mission to find him. You could actually be there watching the incident without knowing that a mission would be created. Of course incidents like these would have to be simulated discretely when you are not present in the sector / area.
I write this because the realistic "feel" of the universe is very important to me. E.g. when I take a mission to hunt pirates, it should not happen like: When I go to the appropriate sector where the mission takes place, the pirates are generated and attack me right away.
One could also imagine that if you yourself do too much pirate activity (or you are a very annoying police man distrupting pirate activity all the time) a mission / bounty would be place on your head, and other players or AIs would take on this assignment from time to time.
* Mission types:
Missions should be all kinds of activities: Attack, track / find / locate / spy, deliver / transport, escort, patrol.
* Interaction with NPC's:
This would be very important to give the simulation life. By this I don't Ask mean the normal storyline chatting with NPCs or the ability to ask all kinds of questions, but just some standard questions relating to missions, trade etc. These could be ask for help (either with a current mission, or to fight off attackers), ask escort, bribe, trade. Maybe you could also ask NPCs if they knew about something going on in a sector (e.g. if they on their travel had vitnessed any attacks etc.).
- Relationships are established through communication / trade / helping. The more relation "points" you have with an NPC (or faction) the more they are willing to help.
- You can ask NPCs and players alike to join in a mission sharing the reward.
- You could say its a simulated MMOG with AIs instead.
- Maybe not normal conversations (these would have to be scripted, like a storyline) but more like dynamic conversations. E.g. an NPC could report to you, that an attack was going on in some sector, and ask if you wanted to join.
Some NPCs could have names and be like some "persistant" inhabitants in the universe. You could them establish relationships with these and meet them from time to time.
* Multiplayer capabilities with same gameplay as singleplayer
* Attain different roles / jobs: Mercenary, Police, Military, Trader. Again it should be seamless if your are an AI or player. E.g. You could be sent on a police patrol both with your player friend and with other AIs. That up to police command & control.
*Ship systems detail:
I think that the details of the simulation of ship systems is important to a space sim. I really like when I can spend the travel time or non-combat time adjusting power allocations, doing minor repairs and just basically playing around with different settings on my ship.
- Advanced energy management (shields, engine, guns, turrets): I think it should be possible to reroute energy between system to be able to select different strategies. E.g. you could boost your engine and shields and make a run for it, or you could boost weapons and count on a quick kill.
- Shields: fore, aft, left, right, energy allocation between them: It would also be a nice feature if directional shields existed, so you could boost your fore shields when making attack runs and aft when running for it. You could also turn around your ship and take hits with right shield, if the left was down for the count. This also gives more tactical choices in combat, so combat is not just turn-and-fire chases.
- Almost everything consumes energy/fuel. Shields / guns / turrets / engine / Hyper drive needs to be charged and consumes energy when charging and a little on stand-by. This makes it a tactical choice to charge weapon systems and shield. Shouldn't be turned on all the time.
- More expensive equipment could charge quicker / require less energy for charging / standby.
- Ship is subject to wear 'n' tear / maintainance. If not shined up reguraly then the components are subject to failure. Maybe more expensive parts are resistant to failure and needs less maintainance.
- Many components available for purchase so you really feel that YOUR ship is unique and you have configured it precisely as YOU want it.
* Defensive / disabling weapons & missiles:
Maybe some missile that lays out a radioactive cloud that distrupts radar and thereby missile lock-on. Other weapons could disable hyper drive, shields, lasers etc.
*re-play value:
The game must have a purpose to keep playing. Even if main story-line is done
- Dynamic story-lines? Is it possible? Maybe a combination of the before mentioned relationships and dynamic missions? E.g. if a friend had a pirate bounty on his head, you had to help him out some way?
*Caravans:
travel between systems / sectors without hyper drive: It could be great if you started out without hyper drive, and you had to sign on for a caravan of some kind, to travel safely between systems. These caravans could of course also be destined for jump gate, which required some 2-3 minutes of travel to reach?
Well, thats my input for now. Anybody please comment if you have anything in mind. I'm also using these ideas for a game I'm planning on myself (if it ever gets to be anything more than an idea, but hey, you can dream
)I know these ideas are really demanding on the game design, but this is my idea of an ideal space sim.
-
Shingen
- Ensign
- Posts: 3
- Joined: Fri Feb 10, 2006 12:09 pm
more idea
Here r my ideas:
First off:
-Realistic Solar systems. Multiple planets orbit around stars. Moons orbit around planets, with asteroid fields that encircle the entire system in orbit around the star. Also the ability to manually fly from star to planet..planet to planet, with astronomical units of measurement.
The fact that one would actually fly for days to get from one planet to another is moot. The fact that you actually CAN take days to manually fly from planet to planet adds to the immersion and believablity of the entire game.
With the current jump model in EV, it's possible in both SP and MP to do this IMO. Also limited trade insystems.
-Inflight comms traffic. I loved in Freelancer that there where NPCs out there that added to the comms traffic. Where they where going, if they were being attacked and needed assistence, just say hi as the flew by. Great atmosphere for a space-sim.
-Larger planets and moons. BC-UC did the whole planet thing the best. Extremely larger planets, multiple bases and mission zones.
-Some sort of overhead "TacOps" interface( bc-uc term ). where you can monitor the entire system from the HUD. This could also work with a RTS control scheme if multiple owned ships where incorporated. Drag and drop to select, right click to attack.
-True "newtonian" physics. It seems currently the the vector and the direction the ship is pointing is still tied in EV. I can currently fly away from a planet, turn off the IDS, turn towards the planet and eventually enter the atmosphere. Also a pointer that indicated vector and one that indicated direction.
Terminus has the best example of a "newtonian" flight model
-The ablility to own unexplored planets and moons, set up, defend and upgrade bases and stations, and form corporations. Produce products and raw materials.
_____________________________________________
Edit by Vice for comments:
Good comments/suggestions, thanks.
[Edited on 2-15-2006 by Vice]
First off:
-Realistic Solar systems. Multiple planets orbit around stars. Moons orbit around planets, with asteroid fields that encircle the entire system in orbit around the star. Also the ability to manually fly from star to planet..planet to planet, with astronomical units of measurement.
The fact that one would actually fly for days to get from one planet to another is moot. The fact that you actually CAN take days to manually fly from planet to planet adds to the immersion and believablity of the entire game.
With the current jump model in EV, it's possible in both SP and MP to do this IMO. Also limited trade insystems.
-Inflight comms traffic. I loved in Freelancer that there where NPCs out there that added to the comms traffic. Where they where going, if they were being attacked and needed assistence, just say hi as the flew by. Great atmosphere for a space-sim.
-Larger planets and moons. BC-UC did the whole planet thing the best. Extremely larger planets, multiple bases and mission zones.
-Some sort of overhead "TacOps" interface( bc-uc term ). where you can monitor the entire system from the HUD. This could also work with a RTS control scheme if multiple owned ships where incorporated. Drag and drop to select, right click to attack.
-True "newtonian" physics. It seems currently the the vector and the direction the ship is pointing is still tied in EV. I can currently fly away from a planet, turn off the IDS, turn towards the planet and eventually enter the atmosphere. Also a pointer that indicated vector and one that indicated direction.
Terminus has the best example of a "newtonian" flight model
-The ablility to own unexplored planets and moons, set up, defend and upgrade bases and stations, and form corporations. Produce products and raw materials.
_____________________________________________
Edit by Vice for comments:
Consider that Evochron simulates something most space-sims leave out - gravity (another 'Newtonian' principle). If you don't fly far enough away from the planet, you will be drawn back to it because of the gravitational pull. However, if you fly far enough away from it, you can turn off the IDS and just continue gliding away (facing any direction).-True "newtonian" physics. It seems currently the the vector and the direction the ship is pointing is still tied in EV. I can currently fly away from a planet, turn off the IDS, turn towards the planet and eventually enter the atmosphere. Also a pointer that indicated vector and one that indicated direction.
Good comments/suggestions, thanks.
[Edited on 2-15-2006 by Vice]
-
MMaggio
- Captain
- Posts: 1542
- Joined: Tue Jul 29, 2003 1:56 pm
- Location: Jupiter, Fl
more idea
HAH! You know what I want! I want a ship that has multiple manned stations, and I want a full 360* turret that I can hire a crew to man. I want to see interaction and conflict between the hired AI and an eventuall perfect crew. I want a gunner to man the revolving turret who can hit ships chasing me, and I want a hired navigator that will give me an edge in finding those hidden goodies in nebulas, and can get me closer to planets, space stations, etc, when I warp.
\"To kill hubris with humility is a goal rarely achieved by men\"
-
Shingen
- Ensign
- Posts: 3
- Joined: Fri Feb 10, 2006 12:09 pm
more idea
I'm carrying my ideas back and forth, both from this forum and from here.
The thing I would really like to see, besides what I've posted above, is a real first person aspect of the space sim genre. BC/UC has the general idea at it's core, but the implementation is severly lacking in the "fun" factor.
I think something along the lines of a Battlezone 2 type system would work well. Where you could fly to a planet or moon, find a hostile "mission zone" or base, recon the area and set up a forward base that produced units that the player could use in both a FP and RTS aspect.
Possibly harvest for resources, or use money earned through trading and contracts to buy/produces combat units.
Something of that nature.
The thing I would really like to see, besides what I've posted above, is a real first person aspect of the space sim genre. BC/UC has the general idea at it's core, but the implementation is severly lacking in the "fun" factor.
I think something along the lines of a Battlezone 2 type system would work well. Where you could fly to a planet or moon, find a hostile "mission zone" or base, recon the area and set up a forward base that produced units that the player could use in both a FP and RTS aspect.
Possibly harvest for resources, or use money earned through trading and contracts to buy/produces combat units.
Something of that nature.
-
saber
- Ensign
- Posts: 6
- Joined: Wed Feb 01, 2006 4:29 pm
- Location: Canada
more idea
What I'd Like to see in a space game
- Start off on a planet, with a ship that cannot leave the atmosphere.
- Trade, pirate, merchant on the planet
- Buy/Construct or "find" your first space fareing ship
- Ability to take control of enemy/derelict ships/stations/planets
- Ability to Gather up ships for a fleet
- The ability to command a fleet of ships
- Ability to construct outposts/stations
- Ability to mine for purposes of trading or constructing
- The added ability of commanding one of the ships of your choosing in that fleet.
(Possibly on a mission by mission basis, or by going to a space station swapping out,
or a special escape command pod or something.)
- Initially, set the fleet up the way you want it.
- Let the fleet AI's ships judge they're movements accordingly to given commands and they're ship conditions.
- Make strategic, attack plans for your fleet to follow
- Ability to join your fleet "first-person" in the combat with your chosen Command ship.
- Of course the newtonian physics
I would most definately like to see:
- the ability to do anything one may want, within a fully interactive environment.
- Be able to exit the ship while docked.
- Interact with other pilots that are docked there too
- use computer terminal(s) at a station/planet to buy or sell cargo/fuel
- even get something to eat / drink.
- The ability to research new ship designs/weapons
- the ability to build the designs at your construction facility
- Build or Buy a Construction Facility (in space or on a planet),
- buy all the tools/equipment you'll need for constructing ships and parts
This would not only change the genre of the game to a multi-genre, but would also make it more realistic.
- Start off on a planet, with a ship that cannot leave the atmosphere.
- Trade, pirate, merchant on the planet
- Buy/Construct or "find" your first space fareing ship
- Ability to take control of enemy/derelict ships/stations/planets
- Ability to Gather up ships for a fleet
- The ability to command a fleet of ships
- Ability to construct outposts/stations
- Ability to mine for purposes of trading or constructing
- The added ability of commanding one of the ships of your choosing in that fleet.
(Possibly on a mission by mission basis, or by going to a space station swapping out,
or a special escape command pod or something.)
- Initially, set the fleet up the way you want it.
- Let the fleet AI's ships judge they're movements accordingly to given commands and they're ship conditions.
- Make strategic, attack plans for your fleet to follow
- Ability to join your fleet "first-person" in the combat with your chosen Command ship.
- Of course the newtonian physics
I would most definately like to see:
- the ability to do anything one may want, within a fully interactive environment.
- Be able to exit the ship while docked.
- Interact with other pilots that are docked there too
- use computer terminal(s) at a station/planet to buy or sell cargo/fuel
- even get something to eat / drink.
- The ability to research new ship designs/weapons
- the ability to build the designs at your construction facility
- Build or Buy a Construction Facility (in space or on a planet),
- buy all the tools/equipment you'll need for constructing ships and parts
This would not only change the genre of the game to a multi-genre, but would also make it more realistic.
-
Jeremy
- Lieutenant
- Posts: 242
- Joined: Tue Apr 11, 2006 9:12 pm
- Location: US
more idea
Like a couple other people said, I think being able to own capital ships would be good. Not necessarily controlling one yourself, but having it in your squadron, like another fighter.
Super weapons, like the Death Star in Star Wars. Not able to obliterate planets of course, but maybe to destroy Miilitary orbital stations or large asteroids, and clusters of enemy ships.
Super weapons, like the Death Star in Star Wars. Not able to obliterate planets of course, but maybe to destroy Miilitary orbital stations or large asteroids, and clusters of enemy ships.
-
farbe
- Ensign
- Posts: 1
- Joined: Tue Apr 18, 2006 10:42 am
more idea
I would like to see you be able to drive around on planets and be able to tradewith the varoius fractions on the planet, also you can discover planets and settle there, become an Emperor or Leader of the whole planet like in Imperial Alliance and you can either peacefully or aggresively expand your empire or Trading circle, I like the Superweapons Idea so you can either destroy the suface of a planet and make it unahbitable or use it to defend a planet,also things like nuclear weapons and planetary guns would be good as well.
And also what I would really like to see is that you can also be the captain or even still as an Emperor or King Or President or whatever leader type you wish to be you could command a capital ship and still have joystick control although your a.i helmsman would usually control the ship.
And be able ,still to go down into the fighterbay area and selct a fighter to go out and fight
also to interact with pilots and people on planets bars ship e.t.c.
I like the X series style of trading so that included would be good as well as selecting jobs if your a mercanary Tachon Beyond the Fringe style.
Good ship upgrades e.t.c
And also what I would really like to see is that you can also be the captain or even still as an Emperor or King Or President or whatever leader type you wish to be you could command a capital ship and still have joystick control although your a.i helmsman would usually control the ship.
And be able ,still to go down into the fighterbay area and selct a fighter to go out and fight
also to interact with pilots and people on planets bars ship e.t.c.
I like the X series style of trading so that included would be good as well as selecting jobs if your a mercanary Tachon Beyond the Fringe style.
Good ship upgrades e.t.c
-
Jeremy
- Lieutenant
- Posts: 242
- Joined: Tue Apr 11, 2006 9:12 pm
- Location: US
more idea
What I would like to see...
Huge climactic endings, like in the SW games and EA, but that give you something in the game for passing it.
Either special weapon-ship-etc, higher rank(A rank you are unable to obtain without doing the last mission), or different way way harder missions.
On the subject of really hard missions, I'd like to be able to set the difficulty level. Ie, Rookie- Veteran- Elite. Not necessarily just more enemies added in for higher skill levels, but different missions that are harder(much harder).
Also, your skill level should reflect the skill of enemies attacking you. And some reds will see you and flee or bribe, but others will be lured to attack you because they are very good as well.
Identifiable Alliance-Federation police and military, from merc's and pirates. Also having your reputation with a specific faction(in EA that would be respectively Alliance, Feds, Clans) systems change based on your reputation with a rival.
So, if I go cultivate peace and good will with the people of Pices and Cerulean and so on, the Alliance systems grow hostile to me, not immediately red maybe, but lower a notch.
I would like to be able to attack large(capital ships, battle carriers, super freighters, whatever you want to call them) crafts directly with missiles.
I'd like to be able to either lock on to them with my targetting system, or have special missiles that are only good for Carrier type ships.
Random catastrophic events occurring througout the game, that change what I go through, so it is hardly ever the same replaying a campaign.
Ie, A planet being destroyed by Vonari Carriers, A star going supernova, a black hole expanding to a dangerous size, solar flares knocking out communication or ships, asteroid storms right in the middle of battles.
And these would occur right in the middle of gameplay, and as part of the campaign.
The Vonari may destroy a planet, and thus I'm sent on a mission because of this, in-mission, a random Space event like a comet whizzing by happens.
I'd like to have planets defend themselves with flak cannons much like a Carrier when you get close, if the system you are in is hostile.
A plug-in campaign system that allows the programmer(Vice;)) or someone else, to extend the campaign without modifying the executable file.
Thus, Vice can add more to the campaign every month or so, and we get more playabilty + don't have to DL a huge setup program all over again.
Realistic missile detonation and cannon ricochet. So for instance, an enemy ship shoots a missile at me, but I dive behind a station and it blows up harmlessly. With me being so close, I should get damaged somewhat.
Same with asteroid fields.
Cannon ricochet. Since we can't destroy many things in the universe with our cannons, the energy blast should hit and fly off at an angle, possible hitting nearby ships or yourself.
Example in EA: If I shoot at a container or asteroid, the shot should richochet off and go till it hits something or goes too far and dies.
Again, identifiable ships. Not just a certain type, like Ufa-25/80, Vonari Black Eagle, F-144E, but with a flag or symbol on the ship itself, maybe on the tail or wing.
Something that positively identifies a ship as Federation, or Alliance, or Onyx Clan, etc.
And Pirates don't have any symbol, so ships without ID are automatically targets.
Random enemy actions. Sometimes they will just flee, either slowly or with a jump drive.
Or, they will go nuts and just keep slamming their ship into yours, or firing everywhere madly.
Or, they will surrender.
Being able to add in your own types of ships and even new carrier types. Sort of almost being in control of a certain faction, where you are able to pick which ships they use and customize them down to the last detail.
Not just what the ship looks like, but the # of cannons, the shield level, the maneuverability, the engine speed, etc.
Fuel transferring. Being able to buy and sell(or in a combat game, just transfer) fuel, in-game, ship to ship.
Note: This is not what I'd like to see in an update to EA, just what I'd like to see in a space-sim, and I'm using EA as an example.
Jeremy
Huge climactic endings, like in the SW games and EA, but that give you something in the game for passing it.
Either special weapon-ship-etc, higher rank(A rank you are unable to obtain without doing the last mission), or different way way harder missions.
On the subject of really hard missions, I'd like to be able to set the difficulty level. Ie, Rookie- Veteran- Elite. Not necessarily just more enemies added in for higher skill levels, but different missions that are harder(much harder).
Also, your skill level should reflect the skill of enemies attacking you. And some reds will see you and flee or bribe, but others will be lured to attack you because they are very good as well.
Identifiable Alliance-Federation police and military, from merc's and pirates. Also having your reputation with a specific faction(in EA that would be respectively Alliance, Feds, Clans) systems change based on your reputation with a rival.
So, if I go cultivate peace and good will with the people of Pices and Cerulean and so on, the Alliance systems grow hostile to me, not immediately red maybe, but lower a notch.
I would like to be able to attack large(capital ships, battle carriers, super freighters, whatever you want to call them) crafts directly with missiles.
I'd like to be able to either lock on to them with my targetting system, or have special missiles that are only good for Carrier type ships.
Random catastrophic events occurring througout the game, that change what I go through, so it is hardly ever the same replaying a campaign.
Ie, A planet being destroyed by Vonari Carriers, A star going supernova, a black hole expanding to a dangerous size, solar flares knocking out communication or ships, asteroid storms right in the middle of battles.
And these would occur right in the middle of gameplay, and as part of the campaign.
The Vonari may destroy a planet, and thus I'm sent on a mission because of this, in-mission, a random Space event like a comet whizzing by happens.
I'd like to have planets defend themselves with flak cannons much like a Carrier when you get close, if the system you are in is hostile.
A plug-in campaign system that allows the programmer(Vice;)) or someone else, to extend the campaign without modifying the executable file.
Thus, Vice can add more to the campaign every month or so, and we get more playabilty + don't have to DL a huge setup program all over again.
Realistic missile detonation and cannon ricochet. So for instance, an enemy ship shoots a missile at me, but I dive behind a station and it blows up harmlessly. With me being so close, I should get damaged somewhat.
Same with asteroid fields.
Cannon ricochet. Since we can't destroy many things in the universe with our cannons, the energy blast should hit and fly off at an angle, possible hitting nearby ships or yourself.
Example in EA: If I shoot at a container or asteroid, the shot should richochet off and go till it hits something or goes too far and dies.
Again, identifiable ships. Not just a certain type, like Ufa-25/80, Vonari Black Eagle, F-144E, but with a flag or symbol on the ship itself, maybe on the tail or wing.
Something that positively identifies a ship as Federation, or Alliance, or Onyx Clan, etc.
And Pirates don't have any symbol, so ships without ID are automatically targets.
Random enemy actions. Sometimes they will just flee, either slowly or with a jump drive.
Or, they will go nuts and just keep slamming their ship into yours, or firing everywhere madly.
Or, they will surrender.
Being able to add in your own types of ships and even new carrier types. Sort of almost being in control of a certain faction, where you are able to pick which ships they use and customize them down to the last detail.
Not just what the ship looks like, but the # of cannons, the shield level, the maneuverability, the engine speed, etc.
Fuel transferring. Being able to buy and sell(or in a combat game, just transfer) fuel, in-game, ship to ship.
Note: This is not what I'd like to see in an update to EA, just what I'd like to see in a space-sim, and I'm using EA as an example.
Jeremy
-
Yorick
- Ensign
- Posts: 1
- Joined: Tue May 23, 2006 9:46 pm
more idea
Flight Model:
I'm not a huge fan of true Newtonian Physics in space shooter games (although I like the idea of switching between Newtonian and IDS). Some improvments might include.
1. A more sophisticated arcade mode where sliding and turn rate are affected by the orientation of your craft (with respect to you current velocity vector) and the direction you are trying to turn (you might be able to turn faster vertically than horizonally for example). You could create a system where steep turns dramatically drop your speed. These features/limitations could very with the ship/upgrades you are using.
2. More differentiation between IDS/Arcade and Newtonian Mode. The good news for arcade mode is that you can turn (change course) relatively quickly. The bad news is this ability costs you much lower maximum velocity and you have to leave your engines onl all the time (fuel cost). The good news about Newtonian mode is that you can cruise forever at unlimited velocity and that you can shoot any direction regardless of the direction you're moving. The bad news is that changing course can be a real problem.
Situational Awareness:
1. Your 3D radar on a 2D screen doesn't work well for me. I prefer the star wars model where you have one circle that represents the half sphere in front of you and another circle that covers the half sphere behind you.
2. The "pad-lock" view supplied of the current target (at the top of the hud) is very helpful. It would be more helpful if it maintained a constant perspective. Right now, it I turn my ship so that it is facing away from the target, the target appears to rotate as well. (I suppose you could argue that this is a nice way to view all sides of a target without actually having to to move to the other side of it).
3. It would be nice to have relative velocity (with respect to the target) information in the hud display.
4. I've already mentioned that it would be nice to be able to vary the size of the field of view.
Gameplay:
1. Smarter bad guys. I've yet to see one make a serious effort to avoid gunfire on the first pass (they just fly in a straight line). Also, I've yet to see one make a serious effort at evading a missle (by manuvering or with counter measures). They seem to be content to fly in a straight line and get blown to pieces. BTW, smarter missles might be interesting as well. Since the missles appear to use some type of lead vector computation, it is easy to make them overshoot.
2. Alliances that are more apparent and that have more consequences. For example, if you bribe a red system green, you might end up turning a formerly green system yellow or even red. Moreover, if you switch sides to often, you might turn everyone red.
3. A dynamic economy that is a little more "dynamic". After you've sold your 100th freighter to the same space station, someone aught to say, "Sorry, we have all we need." Moreover, the "hidden" storage containers aught to go empty every once in a while.
Size: Your space seems very small. I realize that part of this is necessary to make for reasonable game play (visual sighting on a 50 meter craft moving a 2K-meters per second at a distance of 1000Km is absurd). Nevertheless, it would be nice if your games had more of a sense of scale (Space stations and Super Freighters that are truely huge compared to the fighters; Nebula that are at least as large a planet; Distance between planets that are larger than a couple of diameters of said planets)
Regards,
Yorick
I'm not a huge fan of true Newtonian Physics in space shooter games (although I like the idea of switching between Newtonian and IDS). Some improvments might include.
1. A more sophisticated arcade mode where sliding and turn rate are affected by the orientation of your craft (with respect to you current velocity vector) and the direction you are trying to turn (you might be able to turn faster vertically than horizonally for example). You could create a system where steep turns dramatically drop your speed. These features/limitations could very with the ship/upgrades you are using.
2. More differentiation between IDS/Arcade and Newtonian Mode. The good news for arcade mode is that you can turn (change course) relatively quickly. The bad news is this ability costs you much lower maximum velocity and you have to leave your engines onl all the time (fuel cost). The good news about Newtonian mode is that you can cruise forever at unlimited velocity and that you can shoot any direction regardless of the direction you're moving. The bad news is that changing course can be a real problem.
Situational Awareness:
1. Your 3D radar on a 2D screen doesn't work well for me. I prefer the star wars model where you have one circle that represents the half sphere in front of you and another circle that covers the half sphere behind you.
2. The "pad-lock" view supplied of the current target (at the top of the hud) is very helpful. It would be more helpful if it maintained a constant perspective. Right now, it I turn my ship so that it is facing away from the target, the target appears to rotate as well. (I suppose you could argue that this is a nice way to view all sides of a target without actually having to to move to the other side of it).
3. It would be nice to have relative velocity (with respect to the target) information in the hud display.
4. I've already mentioned that it would be nice to be able to vary the size of the field of view.
Gameplay:
1. Smarter bad guys. I've yet to see one make a serious effort to avoid gunfire on the first pass (they just fly in a straight line). Also, I've yet to see one make a serious effort at evading a missle (by manuvering or with counter measures). They seem to be content to fly in a straight line and get blown to pieces. BTW, smarter missles might be interesting as well. Since the missles appear to use some type of lead vector computation, it is easy to make them overshoot.
2. Alliances that are more apparent and that have more consequences. For example, if you bribe a red system green, you might end up turning a formerly green system yellow or even red. Moreover, if you switch sides to often, you might turn everyone red.
3. A dynamic economy that is a little more "dynamic". After you've sold your 100th freighter to the same space station, someone aught to say, "Sorry, we have all we need." Moreover, the "hidden" storage containers aught to go empty every once in a while.
Size: Your space seems very small. I realize that part of this is necessary to make for reasonable game play (visual sighting on a 50 meter craft moving a 2K-meters per second at a distance of 1000Km is absurd). Nevertheless, it would be nice if your games had more of a sense of scale (Space stations and Super Freighters that are truely huge compared to the fighters; Nebula that are at least as large a planet; Distance between planets that are larger than a couple of diameters of said planets)
Regards,
Yorick
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Vice
- Administrator
- Posts: 11563
- Joined: Fri Apr 25, 2003 1:38 am
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Interesting. The problem I have with a split style system is you then have to contend with two seperate displays (sometimes, even on opposite sides of the screen). For one critical piece of information like ship/object directions, I'd much rather have one display to deal with. Perhaps there could be a way to seperate objects in front of the player's view vs those behind on the single radar display. If this were to be done, what setup might work best do you think? Different color intensities, changed pointer shapes, something else?1. Your 3D radar on a 2D screen doesn't work well for me. I prefer the star wars model where you have one circle that represents the half sphere in front of you and another circle that covers the half sphere behind you.
How would you want that displayed?3. It would be nice to have relative velocity (with respect to the target) information in the hud display.
This will be available in the new engine. In fact, it will be an important function to help adapt the game's appearance to widescreen monitors that will be supported. You'll be able to increase the FOV by as much as 45 more degrees, if desired.4. I've already mentioned that it would be nice to be able to vary the size of the field of view.
Watch for major AI changes/improvements, far larger scaling system for the new graphics engine (with persistent jump drives to help offset the increase in scale), hybrid arcade/newtonian physics system, capital ship tracking, scaleable mission difficulty (on a per mission basis, if desired), and several other points mentioned.
[Edited on 7-7-2006 by Vice]
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tha_rami
- Commander
- Posts: 892
- Joined: Tue Jan 25, 2005 2:20 pm
- Location: Netherlands
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Vice, imho, the current radar works perfect. I wouldn't change it, if I were you.Interesting. The problem I have with a split style system is you then have to contend with two seperate displays (sometimes, even on opposite sides of the screen). For one critical piece of information like ship/object directions, I'd much rather have one display to deal with. Perhaps there could be a way to seperate objects in front of the player's view vs those behind on the single radar display. If this were to be done, what setup might work best do you think? Different color intensities, changed pointer shapes, something else?
tha_rami - The best way to predict the future is to invent it.
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Twitter - Weird news, life updates & game-related news
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Twitter - Weird news, life updates & game-related news
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MMaggio
- Captain
- Posts: 1542
- Joined: Tue Jul 29, 2003 1:56 pm
- Location: Jupiter, Fl
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I could see the radar screen split horizontily with everything in front of you on the top half, and behind, on the bottom.
Otherwise, leave it alone.
That's my two cents!
Otherwise, leave it alone.
That's my two cents!
\"To kill hubris with humility is a goal rarely achieved by men\"
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Nemesis
- Lieutenant Jr. Grade
- Posts: 64
- Joined: Sat Jan 29, 2005 11:53 pm
- Location: Germany/ASC Nova ;-)
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OK. I am not able to get my bearings in an 3D-environment. I remember being completely lost playing HALO, but the 3D-radar is actually the best thing I've ever seen! Even I can work with it perfectly.
There will come a day, when those, who are Vonari, strengthen their claws to join the hunt.
We are Vonari. Ours is the prey, ours is the honor.
Our enemies shall shiver at the sound of our voice, when we take revenge on those who tried to crush us at the dawn of our race.
-Vonarian Warrior-Oath-
We are Vonari. Ours is the prey, ours is the honor.
Our enemies shall shiver at the sound of our voice, when we take revenge on those who tried to crush us at the dawn of our race.
-Vonarian Warrior-Oath-
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verbosity
- Captain
- Posts: 1155
- Joined: Thu Sep 07, 2006 7:38 pm
- Location: Deep Space 9
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yup I'm a 3d radar man too,
I'm playing these games with a mouse and keyboard, and without the 3d radar I wouldn't stand a chance... in battle it's essential, but its also goos to determine spin if I spin out of control.
It's also good for spotting where canisters stations etc are - something I use often in EA which I'd find harder if it were using another system...
I'm playing these games with a mouse and keyboard, and without the 3d radar I wouldn't stand a chance... in battle it's essential, but its also goos to determine spin if I spin out of control.
It's also good for spotting where canisters stations etc are - something I use often in EA which I'd find harder if it were using another system...
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Centerfuse
- Ensign
- Posts: 1
- Joined: Sun Dec 17, 2006 3:41 pm
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Every point Saber brought up is dead on. We need the ability to land on planets, and not just one base. I mean a WHOLE planet. Ther don't have to be cities on every corner of the world, but it would be amazing to have seamless transfer to a planets atmosphere that allowed you to traverse an entire planet, no just one planetary base.
Another request is more ships. Better yet, ships designed for different classes, like a ship designed for smuggling with extra cargo (not to much) good speed and excellent firepower. And the best part about that is that if you make the different ships types general, then they can be creatively used to accomplish any "job" you sign up for in the space world..
Another request is more ships. Better yet, ships designed for different classes, like a ship designed for smuggling with extra cargo (not to much) good speed and excellent firepower. And the best part about that is that if you make the different ships types general, then they can be creatively used to accomplish any "job" you sign up for in the space world..
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verbosity
- Captain
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- Joined: Thu Sep 07, 2006 7:38 pm
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Ships more ships,
give me Ships!!!
Then I can take over the universe
give me Ships!!!
Then I can take over the universe
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verbosity
- Captain
- Posts: 1155
- Joined: Thu Sep 07, 2006 7:38 pm
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on this subject I now find I have to argue,
many players never start to play because of the nature of the space we play in? Would it be possible to make the features a bit more mouse friendly in training / easy modes
or an extra training level just for 3d flight. and another for game functions???Or both???
I only ask as at least 3 people have been turned away from these games , and they have all played FPS'
many players never start to play because of the nature of the space we play in? Would it be possible to make the features a bit more mouse friendly in training / easy modes
or an extra training level just for 3d flight. and another for game functions???Or both???I only ask as at least 3 people have been turned away from these games , and they have all played FPS'
verbsleagues.co.uk sw3dg web stats systems
uaithne.com eco-living project
rulerofzu.com free fantasy mmorpg
jesterscup.com webby stuffies
uaithne.com eco-living project
rulerofzu.com free fantasy mmorpg
jesterscup.com webby stuffies