Re: Malfadors New Site Is Up WITH SCREEN SHOTS!
 

Scrap BMP, use PNG. This format support alpha-channel at least.

Re: Malfadors New Site Is Up WITH SCREEN SHOTS!
 

I'm sure you'll be able to move the camera to get different views, such as top down etc!

Re: Malfadors New Site Is Up WITH SCREEN SHOTS!
 

It is possible to rotate system. But I agree, zoomed out planets look horribly - sharp edges, slightly distorted proportions (flaw of early 3d-engines). I hope it will be improved in time.

Re: Malfadors New Site Is Up WITH SCREEN SHOTS!
 

Amen to that suggestion

Re: Malfadors New Site Is Up WITH SCREEN SHOTS!
 

My only nitpick is that the stars waste a huge amount of space in the system veiw. Why not keep the stars small?

Re: Malfadors New Site Is Up WITH SCREEN SHOTS!
 

because stars aren't small?

Re: Malfadors New Site Is Up WITH SCREEN SHOTS!
 

Short and sweet answer

The long answer is that the hex grid in se5 is alot bigger than the grid in se4 so there is room for stuff to make more sense size wise.

Re: Malfadors New Site Is Up WITH SCREEN SHOTS!
 

Time to discuss the screenshots.

I notice in the first shot the system has a modifier that moves all points generated automatically to the Norak. Does this mean that the Norak have built a spaceport, or they are natural merchants, or it means something else?. I ask because it's strange that it is one of the system modifiers.

Re: Malfadors New Site Is Up WITH SCREEN SHOTS!
 

It could also be a screenie from early in the alpha, before space ports were coded in.

Re: Malfadors New Site Is Up WITH SCREEN SHOTS!
 

I wonder what "Experience Types" refers to on the help screen.

Re: Malfadors New Site Is Up WITH SCREEN SHOTS!
 

1) Noticed that planets have no indicators of SY's (or other facility's) presence in the system window. Either this option is disabled by default (it's ok) or not implemented (it will be done later, I hope). Small floating symbols (similar to empire flag on top of a HW) could be very nice.

2) I don't like the way system wide modifiers are displayed: system window will be littered with a text if a lot of storms are present in system. Button with a poping window is more comfortable.

Re: Malfadors New Site Is Up WITH SCREEN SHOTS!
 

Imho PNG is also the way to go, it offers compressability, alpha channels, etc.

And on the screenshots, I that we will be able to hide/show much info, that way it is flexible, people who like lots of info can turn it on, and ppl who dislike lots of info can turn it off. also game/Wide (or profile/wide if you're going to work multi-user) settings would be nice (now if you didnt want ships clearing their orders when seeing an enemy presence you'd have to set it anew every game) differences between games should be doable tho, so the settings in game-wide should be only the starting ones and not change games already in progress.

Hmm maybe this post better first in the wish list :/

Re: Malfadors New Site Is Up WITH SCREEN SHOTS!
 

OR it could be a facility/etc other than a Spaceport. Notice the text "ALL resources will be transfered to Norak". What if another race establishes a colony in the system? If *all* points are indeed transfered to the Norak, the other colony would be producing resources for the Norak..... I don't readily see how it would be handled if multiple empires had colonies in the same system. Perhaps the empire with the most spaceports or the like gets ALL production (or a larger fraction) than the other? If so, that would mean that production is not planet-based, but first pooled into a system resource pool, and that the race with the most opportunities for inter-system transport gets a larger portion of the resources, even if the other player produces EVERYTHING. Would be handy for a "parasite" player - such a player would have very low production but ample possibilities to clandestinely transfer other empire's production to their own galactical resource pool.

Re: Malfadors New Site Is Up WITH SCREEN SHOTS!
 

I wonder how a black hole will look in 3D

Re: Malfadors New Site Is Up WITH SCREEN SHOTS!
 

I noticed it did say ALL points, but then I forgot to point it out. Actually the first time I thought it meant all warppoints led to Norak space.

Re: Malfadors New Site Is Up WITH SCREEN SHOTS!
 

*If* (non-existant chance, but still) what I mentioned (ranted) earlier is true, it would be a very...... well, to phrase it this way, cool addition to the game. This way, as I said, parasitical empires can exist without having to spend over half of their facility space on intel centers. Also, some sort of (roleplaying) "tradeoff" would be possible this way, i.e. your ally is strapped for cash in a war so you scrap some spaceports in systems where he has colonies as well, thereby providing him with an extra flow of resources without you having to grant him the amounts every turn through gifts. Also, this would open up roleplaying possibilities - simulating blockades, privateering and such.

Re: Malfadors New Site Is Up WITH SCREEN SHOTS!
 

When talking over IRC, quite a few have us agree that planets need to look smaller, or the system larger and planets more spaced out, as they look too cramped, just like they did in SEIV

Re: Malfadors New Site Is Up WITH SCREEN SHOTS!
 

About "All points go to Norak" thingy:
I bet we see some economical aspects of Alliance in action.

Re: Malfadors New Site Is Up WITH SCREEN SHOTS!
 

I got one thing to say on that:
God damnd cool, I'm so excited bout this game, I cant wait for it... hurry up and squash those bugs beta testers !

Re: Malfadors New Site Is Up WITH SCREEN SHOTS!
 

Because stars are so much larger than planets that they can't be to scale anyway, so why waste so much screen space on something that has little effect in-game.

Re: Malfadors New Site Is Up WITH SCREEN SHOTS!
 

At least Aaron got rid of this absurd situation then your ships were parked in the center of a star.
(0,0) sector seems to be impassable. And this is a right thing.

Re: Malfadors New Site Is Up WITH SCREEN SHOTS!
 

Oooh, perhaps it means that experience is tracked separately for attack/defense against each type of target (ships vs units vs drones vs missiles)

Re: Malfadors New Site Is Up WITH SCREEN SHOTS!
 

Hmm, two things spring to mind.....

-Europa Universalis II with its military alliances
-My idea of a "Galactic Council" as I said in the SEV wishlist.....

God man I can't WAIT for it to be released..... or at least play a demo version

Re: Malfadors New Site Is Up WITH SCREEN SHOTS!
 

Well, the galactic council thing would be Opt-In only.

Although with the advanced treaties, you should be able to have members effectively at war with each other.
Make a PBW game with an OOC rule that everybody has to join and remain in the "Galactic Council alliance", and you should be set.

Re: Malfadors New Site Is Up WITH SCREEN SHOTS!
 

Looking at screenshots 1, 3 and 6:

Does anyone else think that the icons along the top of the system window seem a little bit...I don't know... out of place, difficult to see maybe? I like the icons at the bottom right, with the blue glow behind the images, but I think the top icons would look better with a different color than brown in the background, perhaps the same blue as is behind the bottom-right images. It's just that some of the pictures in the icons seem to blend in to the background brown to me, making a few of them difficult to see.

Re: Malfadors New Site Is Up WITH SCREEN SHOTS!
 

It would also be great if the weird glass pane shine on them was removed... That really doesn't fit.

Re: Malfadors New Site Is Up WITH SCREEN SHOTS!
 

David will be sad, that's his trademark. http://forum.shrapnelgames.com/image...ies/tongue.gif
I really like the combat buttons though, but with those main buttons I'd probably go with a faint blue background grid without the glare spot. But it doesn't matter anyway really, I'm sure it's all easily moddable. http://forum.shrapnelgames.com/image...ies/tongue.gif

Re: Malfadors New Site Is Up WITH SCREEN SHOTS!
 

The Wierd glass pane shine was deliberately placed on the buttons for the sole purpose of agrivating Fyron,.. thus distracting him and giving his adversaries a chance to win. http://forum.shrapnelgames.com/image...ies/tongue.gif

Muahahahahahahaha....

Cheers!

Note this is not the righ (or apropriate) place to discuss game changes. That's what the beta is for, and it is not a public beta. That said, as a beta tester your opinion is noted, but no action will be decided on here in public forms. http://forum.shrapnelgames.com/images/smilies/wink.gif

Re: Malfadors New Site Is Up WITH SCREEN SHOTS!
 

[non-beta tester, random fan mode]
/me whaps David
[/non-beta tester, random fan mode]

Re: Malfadors New Site Is Up WITH SCREEN SHOTS!
 

LOL, it doesn’t take all that much to get him aggravated http://forum.shrapnelgames.com/image...ies/tongue.gif

Re: Malfadors New Site Is Up WITH SCREEN SHOTS!
 

Duly noted.

And here I thought that, since the screenshots were publicly available, comments on them would be ok.

Re: Malfadors New Site Is Up WITH SCREEN SHOTS!
 

You can discuss its just aparently no one will be listening, thats cold David.

Re: Malfadors New Site Is Up WITH SCREEN SHOTS!
 

I'm just pulling his leg (the 4th one hidden under his arm). he can comment all he wants, I'm prfectly capable of adjusting my input sensors to filter him.

Muahahahahaha http://forum.shrapnelgames.com/image...ies/tongue.gif

Cheers! http://forum.shrapnelgames.com/images/smilies/happy.gif

edit: Here's a hypothetical situation.. fyron is in the beta, I'm on the dev team,.. if fyron makes a comment/request here in public,.. and I in turn make the change in the official game, does that make Fyron and myself in violation of the NDA? If we are not supposed to discuss features in the game that have not been made public then it would stand to reason that yes we would (well he would) be in violation.

Note: now that the beta has started, certain restrictions are now in effect. for the beta testers, minor infractions can and most probably be tolarated, but why get in the habbit now? Fyron the Fan has had plenty of time to discuss 'wishlist features' prior to entering the beta.

But this is such a minor thing, but I felt it worth mentionning to make sure the wandering does not go any further.

Don't mind me, I'm just paranoid half of the time and skitso the rest.

Re: Malfadors New Site Is Up WITH SCREEN SHOTS!
 

Alright that makes sense.

Re: Malfadors New Site Is Up WITH SCREEN SHOTS!
 

But it doesnt mean non-betas cant discuss/suggest things, and us betas adapt it and pass it along

Re: Malfadors New Site Is Up WITH SCREEN SHOTS!
 

Absolutly, we should just refrain from commenting about it ourselves. But by all means read the comments posted in the public forums by non-beta members and if someone suggests something that sounds cool, bring it into the beta forum discussion.

That's really the hadest part about being on a beta team. Avoinding talking about the game with non-beta team members. But it's important.

Re: Malfadors New Site Is Up WITH SCREEN SHOTS!
 

The NDA can't be retroactive to old posts that were perfectly OK at the time they were posted. That would just be crazy.

*SJ resumes counting down the hours until his participation in the beta truly starts with the spinning up of the magic disk.

Re: Malfadors New Site Is Up WITH SCREEN SHOTS!
 

Discussing how screenshots that Malfador has made publically available look does not seem applicable to the NDA. As long as nothing is mentioned that has not been made available by Malfador, I do not see any possible infraction.

Re: Malfadors New Site Is Up WITH SCREEN SHOTS!
 

That would be logical.

Of course that doesnt matter to an NDA agreement. If the agreement says not to discuss SEV then its easiest and safest for anyone who signed it not to discuss SEV. I dont think Id press anyone on it. (well, not anyone I liked)

Re: Malfadors New Site Is Up WITH SCREEN SHOTS!
 

Not that anyone has signed it yet..according to the site anyway. http://forum.shrapnelgames.com/images/smilies/wink.gif

But yeah, the normal NDA proceedure is you say nothing, because you might say something without intending to otherwise..

Re: Malfadors New Site Is Up WITH SCREEN SHOTS!
 

Can I make this one suggestion: the star system screen is great, but it would help a LOT if it were easily "revolvable" - Adobe does this cool thing where you hold done the mouse button and "grab" the image, and can move it - for the star system screen, it looks a bit crowded, so it would be nice to be able to avoid the hotkey to rotate the image and just use the mouse to do it (by holding down the mouse key, grabbing the image, and thereby rotating the system image clockwise or counterclockwise)

Thanks,

Alarik

Re: Malfadors New Site Is Up WITH SCREEN SHOTS!
 

I think Aaron stated in a IRC chat that his intension was to have that

Re: Malfadors New Site Is Up WITH SCREEN SHOTS!
 

*dogscoff looks at screenshots...

*FZZZKTTZTT!*

*dogscoff unplugs old keyboard and plugs in a new, drool-proof keyboard.

http://www.invirtuo.cc/phpwiki/index...Dyson%20Hockey - If you can get the malfadorica to work- try hitting "refresh" a few times.


More micromanagement! W00T! /me is a Mm+++

Re: Malfadors New Site Is Up WITH SCREEN SHOTS!
 

All I'm saying (to the beta testers) is Be mindfull of your posts. The Beta Officially started on April 1st. The first order of business is the signing and gathering of NDA agreements, then the CD's get mailed out, then the bug hunt begins then the gameplay polishing starts.

Fyron, I'm not trying to be harsh, I just want you and the other beta testers to "Be mindful of what you post from now on." Common sense should be enough to make things go smoothly.

Nuf said, Cheers! http://forum.shrapnelgames.com/images/smilies/happy.gif

Re: Malfadors New Site Is Up WITH SCREEN SHOTS!
 

You'll have to excuse me, but I take everything literally, so when I read that the gamesphere is infinitely smaller than a Dyson Sphere I assumed the whole game is just an intellectual excercise.

Re: Malfadors New Site Is Up WITH SCREEN SHOTS!
 

Or some sort of "treasure hunt"..... the team that finds the sphere first wins http://forum.shrapnelgames.com/images/smilies/wink.gif so far all winners have been extradimensional creatures..... http://forum.shrapnelgames.com/images/smilies/laugh.gif

no but really.

PLZ MORE MICROMANAGEMENT..... I Luv mm, I'm making a mod that not only lets me define the underwear preferences for my fleet captains, but everything down to the very position of Cadet's nose hairs! (no, just kidding)

Re: Malfadors New Site Is Up WITH SCREEN SHOTS!
 

Smarty-pants =-p

Well, there's infinite and there's infinite. Granted, even a dysonsphere is pretty small on the cosmic scale of things, but I think comparing an object the size of a sports stadium to an object the size of a habitable planet's orbital radius is as close to infinite as my head wants to waste any think-cycles trying to comprehend.

I'll edit the wiki though, just to highlight your pedantry. =-)

Obligatory and only marginally on-topic Schlockery: http://www.schlockmercenary.com/d/20010702.html

Re: Malfadors New Site Is Up WITH SCREEN SHOTS!
 

Please don't feel in anyway that I was criticising your choice of words, I was just showing how my mind works http://forum.shrapnelgames.com/images/smilies/happy.gif

Re: Malfadors New Site Is Up WITH SCREEN SHOTS!
 

What is this "common sense" you speak of?
*Must be some alien phase David picked up while visiting the Planet Jig

Re: Malfadors New Site Is Up WITH SCREEN SHOTS!
 

On screenshot #6, the one highlighting "Iolo Asteroid belt #1", it mentions "Occlusion". I wonder what that means...