![](smile.gif)
![](wink.gif)
Not many can claim 25 years on the Internet! Join us in celebrating this milestone. Learn more about our history, and thank you for being a part of our community!
quote: Original post by Wavinator
Alright, somebody else doing upgradable starships (YES!)
I''m playing around w/ this idea, two (except I''m trying to see if you can control a single unit and a team)
Major thing to worry about: Control. How can you give the player the most control over what''s happening where. The really fun thing about these types of games (I think) is the tactical decision making. But precise control is a real problem (which is why so many, like the great X-Com, started out turned-based).
Couple of other things: Can your team lose equipment? How detailed are the unit options? Is there any planned automation, like waypoints or rules of engagement?
quote: Original post by ahw
HEy, while you are talking about customizing ships, I jsut have to ask. Do you have any resources on what is inside a real battleship ? Because I don''t have any problems coming up with an odd cool looking spaceship, but the thing that annoys me in my need for consistency is that I jsut don''t know what is all inside. I mean, you have reactors, you haves shields, weapons, crew, etc ... but how is it all organised ? how does it work ?
quote: Original post by ahw
HEy, while you are talking about customizing ships, I just have to ask. Do you have any resources on what is inside a real battleship ? Because I don''t have any problems coming up with an odd cool looking spaceship, but the thing that annoys me in my need for consistency is that I jsut don''t know what is all inside. I mean, you have reactors, you haves shields, weapons, crew, etc ... but how is it all organised ? how does it work ?
I know it''s a bit OffTopic, sorry
quote:
as for the issue of equipping, I must say I am a fervent admirers of the Mechwarrior series. My personal favorite bit being of course the briefing and equipping of the mechs before going on to a mission. This is just *so* cool, I can''t make any constructive criticism. I think I just love it because of the feeling that you are really controlling *everything*.
quote:
I remember a game called Delta force of something (no, not the one with the voxel rendered landscape, the one I am on about wa ages ago, in the Vietnam war, with ugly polygons).
You had to equip your 4 guys and go on to a mission.
I think the equipping/managing items part is really a mistake to put into an RPG. It just smells so much like wargame ...
You should only deal with your one character. But the problem comes when you want to give stuff to other characters, or you want to get back your stuff, etc ... I don''t see an easy solution here, unless you try to give more depth to dialogs with your team members...
quote:
I don''t really think having to deal with each of your wingmen is a very enjiyable thing. I''d rather work very hard on making the AI better. Maybe not clever, but at least a good follower, that doesn''t make utterly stupid decision.
For instance, avoid having a computer controller wingman that has the one "Armaggedon nuclear warhead launcher" in your team, and suddenly starts firing at the enemy while you are ahead of him, getting hit in the process. Or the flamethrower in your team getting jiggy with his trigger and toasting you when the enemy attack, or ... you get the idea. If you can equip your wingmen, and let them do their stuff, work hard on *HOW* to use the weapons effectively. It''s not just, "should I shoot or not". Maybe even have communication initiated FROM your wingmen, rather tahn always from you. "Sir, shouldn''t we use the Death Bringer Mega Cannon now, they are close enough, if you would jsut get out of the way ?". I would *love* that
youpla :-P
quote: Original post by ahw
You should only deal with your one character. But the problem comes when you want to give stuff to other characters, or you want to get back your stuff, etc ... I don''t see an easy solution here, unless you try to give more depth to dialogs with your team members...
quote:
I don''t really think having to deal with each of your wingmen is a very enjiyable thing. I''d rather work very hard on making the AI better. Maybe not clever, but at least a good follower, that doesn''t make utterly stupid decision.
quote:
Maybe even have communication initiated FROM your wingmen, rather tahn always from you. "Sir, shouldn''t we use the Death Bringer Mega Cannon now, they are close enough, if you would jsut get out of the way ?". I would *love* that![]()
quote: Original post by Anonymous Poster
The control may represent a problem, that''s right. To be honest, we didn''t already figure out totally how to do combat in our game. It''ll probably be turn-based (not sure yet), while the rest of the game''s real-time. You are sitting in one of the ships, so you shouldn''t loose this unit
quote:
You can send away other ships, mainly to trade, but they cannot fly into undiscovered sectors as long as you are not with them. There will be automation functions like waypoints, load/unload cargo, maybe even buying/selling goods. Probably you only control combat if your own unit is involved, otherwise the outcome will be generated automatically.
quote:
Equipment can be destroyed on combat. The whole thing will be a bit more detailed than in Privateer (but comparable)
quote: Original post by Wavinator
Notice something here: What kind of game are you playing if you sit back and let the AI units do all the work? You''re straying into strategy game territory (which I''m fine with, ''cause I''m already there) Just thought I''d note it. It''s a design I''d like to see more people work on, as I''d like to play it myself. There''s the potential of growing from a privateer to a business, with a fairly simple paradigm, which I think is kinda cool.