Re: SE5, Tell Aaron what\'s on your Wish List
 

Ok...you all are scaring me...

When you mean 'Real Time' combat...do you mean its going to be like an RTS type of combat...?

Which would suck...turn by turn combat is what makes the SE franchise what it is. Without it...I'm not sure it will be quite the same.

Kana

Re: SE5, Tell Aaron what\'s on your Wish List
 

Yes, I do mean real-time as in RTS. But remember, only the COMBAT will be real-time. NOT the resource gathering and other aspects of empire building! http://forum.shrapnelgames.com/images/icons/shock.gif You know, sort of like MOO3, only better executed? http://forum.shrapnelgames.com/images/icons/icon12.gif

Re: SE5, Tell Aaron what\'s on your Wish List
 

Better???

This is Space Empires we are talking about, it will blow that thing out of its grave

Re: SE5, Tell Aaron what\'s on your Wish List
 

Not sure if this has been mentioned, but events should be able to occur more than once per turn. Maybe have the number moddable, and/or based on the size of the galaxy? It doesn't quite make sense that a 10 system 'galaxy' is going to have the same number of events as a 255 system one..

Re: SE5, Tell Aaron what\'s on your Wish List
 

And hopefully the 255 system limit will be removed in SEV!

Re: SE5, Tell Aaron what\'s on your Wish List
 

Hopefully the simple txt file and bmp structure for easy modding will remain. Even expand.

Id like to see ALL of the text files have an impact on the game. Such as the way RacialTraits and Cultures gives pluses and minuses. Id like to see Demeaners, EmpireTypes, even EmperorTitles cause AI's to treat you differently.

Re: SE5, Tell Aaron what\'s on your Wish List
 

I'd like to see Convoys http://forum.shrapnelgames.com/images/icons/icon7.gif

I would Love it so that when you build a spaceport it creates a "freighter" that runs automatic routes to find your nearest "processing" world.

I'd love to have it so that you have to build freighters to increase the ammount of resources being brought into a precessing world and so that you have military and civilian kinds of thigns for example:
Freigters and transports are built at spaceports as they are rather civilian ships.
And warships are built at spaceyards because if you think about it why would a planet only be able to build 1 ship at a time?

Anyway it would be GREAT to have convoys play a part in trade as well, like say if I want to transfer 100kt of minerals to player A I'd need to send a freighter to him/her because I always thought it was funny that you'd have miracle trading going on and the like in the middle of a big war.

Freighters would add a whole new level of strategy to the game because I'd love to be able to say "hmmm I'm at war with player C who is between me and Player A maybe I should from my freighters that are trading with player A into convoys!"

Or on the flipside of that I'd love to be able to send a raider squadron to capture freighters or assault convoys and rob resources! muahahahaha!

And I don't think this would be too hard to impliment because something similar was used in Starships Unlimted which is a far less complex peice of programming then SE and done by a far less resourceful group of people.


Maybe something that makes smaller ships useable for example in RTS games small ships are often great to use as escorts because if you sent that Battleship out on it's own it would easily fall to a squadron of destroyers escorting a cruiser....but that's enough detail for that because this has been brought up b4.

Re: SE5, Tell Aaron what\'s on your Wish List
 

Double post sorry:


I would also love to see Q-Ships if the freighters are implimented because I would just laugh my *** off if I saw a frigate closing in on a group of "unarmed" freighters and all of the sudden a Q-ship starts popping shots into it's backside as the Q-Ships shields come on line http://forum.shrapnelgames.com/images/icons/icon7.gif I know it's sick but I have a wierd sense of humor and would just LOVE to see a "freighter" take down an enemy frigate or destroyer that thought it was gonna get an easy pay day.

[ July 20, 2004, 03:52: Message edited by: Starhawk ]

Re: SE5, Tell Aaron what\'s on your Wish List
 

Civilian traffic would be great, but not the type which you watch while your turn is processing

Imagine it
***News Flash***
Yesterday afternoon a Abbidon civilian passenger liner was raided by pirates

Re: SE5, Tell Aaron what\'s on your Wish List
 

Meh passenger liners would be cool instead of just the bulk transports that are used in game I mean think about it a civilian transport would not be the same kind that you'd use to pick up 10,000 troops with.

But yeah to add specifics to what i was saying, every starsystem would have a single space-port in it just as in SEIV but instead of just a mysterious form of resource conveyance you would actually have to send freighters to that world to pick up whatever resources were brought there during the turn (the transfer of resources to the spaceport would be automatic not involving any freighters) and bring them to the nearest refinery world or to whatever other destination you tell the freighter or freighters to go to.

And you can form a convoy much the way you'd form a normal warfleet except you would be able to give it orders like (proceed to the nearest refinery or in the case of an alliance proceed to X race's nearest refinery) and they would automatically begin heading in that direction.

Re: SE5, Tell Aaron what\'s on your Wish List
 

You know what else would be cool?

Messenger skiffs http://forum.shrapnelgames.com/images/icons/icon7.gif

As in if you want to send a message to another race you have to send a courior ship but meh that might be going too far.

Re: SE5, Tell Aaron what\'s on your Wish List
 

I'd like SE5 to allow you to review, edit and cancel Messages you send to other empires. http://forum.shrapnelgames.com/images/icons/icon10.gif

Re: SE5, Tell Aaron what\'s on your Wish List
 

<font size="2" face="sans-serif, arial, verdana">I agree, this is a must in SEV.

Re: SE5, Tell Aaron what\'s on your Wish List
 

Here's my $0.02:

1. Currently, bLasting a planet's inhabitants into oblivion from space and then setting up a new colony is much easier than invasion, so much so that building troops and troop transports is, IMO, basically a waste of time. To this end, I'd like to see ship-based weapons (with a few exceptions, like Planetary Napalm) made less effective vs. planets, and troops more effective and both faster and cheaper to produce.

2. Expanding on that idea, I'd like to see an option for some kind of tactical planetside combat. It doesn't need be anything complex, but it would be nice to watch (and direct) as my forces take the enemy world's capital.

3. Maybe different planet types, e.g. volcanic, barren, terrestrial, oceanic, etc. I always thought "Rock, Ice, Gas Giant" was kind of a weird, arbitrary selection.

4. On the RTS combat issue, I think it would be a very interesting option, adding an interesting new twist to the gameplay, but the keyword there is "option". God forbid that it become the default. That would be one of the signs of the Apocalypse, wouldn't it?

5. Modular ship construction- each size ship would have a certain # of hardpoints for Weapons, Engines, Armor, and Other (Bridge, Life Support, Crew Quarters, Shields, etc). Weapons would have firing arcs determined by the hardpoint position they occupy, and the ship's various sides would also have armor Ratings, meaning that hitting a ship repeatedly on the same side will be more effective than from all around. On the flip side, maneuvering one ship around another to expose different flanks will be a viable defensive strategy.

6. Ship movement in combat would be a matter of maneuverability as well as speed. Depending on size, engine quality, etc. ships must move forward (or reverse?) a certain distance between turns, depending on their speed at the time. It just seems odd that right now, given the same type of engines, a dreadnought is just as maneuverable as an escort.

7. This could easily be done now with a simple AI mod, but has anyone noticed how the default AI never seems to accept Subjugation treaties? They will surrender to you completely, but they never let you Subjugate them. Weird.

8. Somewhere else, I saw the possibility for "either/or" tech requirements mentioned- i.e. research in tech X requires a certain level of research in either Tech Y or Tech Z, but not necessarily both. Also, this same poster mentioned the possibility of exclusive techs, meaning that you could research "Good" or "Evil", but once you go down a certain path, you can never get any techs belonging to the other, even by trade or conquest. These are cool ideas, and I support them.

-Stavetor

Re: SE5, Tell Aaron what\'s on your Wish List
 

<font size="2" face="sans-serif, arial, verdana">Excellent idea! I'd also like to see more penalties for worlds with harsh environments - so there is more incentive to use the climate change facilities. Also, I think that lifeforms coming from rock planets should never have undomed colonies on gas giants and vice versa - the conditions are just too alien for them to thrive.

Re: SE5, Tell Aaron what\'s on your Wish List
 

IMO, troops are too powerful right now... they win or lose pretty much instantly.

Managing the troops you have is somewhat of a hassle, though...
More flexible capture-related strategies are needed, and some troop-strategies for ground combat would be good too.
- Hold out for reinforcements
- Bombard & Defend
- Neutral/Normal
- Full assault

Having population produce "mobile" militia each turn automatically would be cool. If you strip them off too fast, happiness and creation rates would drop...
A bunch of mods add infantry troops, which are pretty much what this would be.

Experience for troops? Oooh, that would be cool.
Collect and promote the veteran infantry and tank commanders for the homeworld push http://forum.shrapnelgames.com/images/icons/icon7.gif

Re: SE5, Tell Aaron what\'s on your Wish List
 

<font size="2" face="sans-serif, arial, verdana">ok this is good but in order to get rid of the micro management this would cause i would suggest a screen where you spend X number of X resourses to set up a convoy to X system-must have spaceport

Re: SE5, Tell Aaron what\'s on your Wish List
 

Gentlemen,
First I want to say "Thank You" for making a product that has given me and my friends years of enjoyment. It is truly satisfying playing you games (SEIII, SEIV) and having the ability to mold it to our wants and needs that keeps it interesting on so many levels. We are very excited about the prospect of SE V and we are eagerly awaiting it's release. The reason I am writing though is to propose some ides that we have talked about that we would like to see. All of these idea's come from a compilation of several
games that we have played over the years that had some cool features but never seemed to be able to put them all together. Your game is the only one
that I have seen that has been able to even come close to this.

1. The idea of a Galactic Senate or Forum (Someplace where races can setup sanctions, outlaw weapon types etc)
2. The establishment of Neutral Zones on races borders (Someplace where races can setup trading stations to maintain communications with other races, like Babylon 5 or Star Trek)
3. Pirates and Privateers (Birth of the Federation had a cool feature that required you to guard your trade routes or they could be
raided. This would prolong the life of smaller type ships and allow other empires to openly disrupt trade between other races. Also, it would
provide another source of income for the empire. 4. Visible trade routes (with a on/off toggle for viewing purposes).This would be the second part of the Pirates/Privateers idea. Like I said
I saw the idea in a few games but Birth of the Federation had the best use of it. It required no ships to be built to travel the routes it just
established the actual routes they would travel if they could be seen. The only ships seen were the escort ships protecting the routes or the pirates raiding them.
5. Weapons Arcs, another cool feature that I have seen in quite a few games is weapons arcs of fire. Pax Imperia "Eminent Domain" had the best Version of this but it would balance tactical combat for smaller ships more true to life. Larger ships move slow and have heavier more
damaging weapons and smaller ships strike faster and more often and can out maneuver larger ships. I think this is a dynamic that SE V could exploit to it's advantage in the combat model, of course this would work better in turn based combat but Pax Imperia pulled it off in real time to some extent.
6. Turret Mounts, SE IV made excellent use of mount types, but I think turret mounts would tie in nicely to weapon arc features. Turret mounts could allow more weapons to be mounted on the outside of the ship and cover a larger arc. But these weapons could also be easily targeted and
damaged before other critical systems or spinal mounted weapons.
7. Finally, limit the use of Dreadnaught and Battleship type ships. These types of ships should be monumental under takings by a civilization and they should represent the true power of that race. Having a fleet of 800 dreadnaughts just cheapens them and doesn't really impress the manpower it takes to run a behemoth like that on the player. Maybe allowing 1 Dreadnaught and 2 Battleships per planet owned or just enabling player to turn off massive ship hulls if they want. This would force players to utilize smaller ships more effectively and give them longer life. It would also reflect real life more accurately (even the U.S. has NO active Battleships in service because of there cost and need).
8. Some type of war weariness program. The endless AI wars waged against players, even when the AI is losing horribly still wage for decades. Even the most war like race (with maybe the exception of a hive mentality or Klingon type empire) would pause to re-arm, re-fit and re-train.

These are all just ideas that me and my friends have "what if'd" and have tried to MOD into our own Version of SE IV to see if we could get them
to work. I still think you guys do an awesome job at what you do and look forward to seeing the end product no matter what!

Re: SE5, Tell Aaron what\'s on your Wish List
 

<font size="2" face="sans-serif, arial, verdana">Klebdog, I think you've got a very good point here. I would like to see much smaller fleets in SE5. Fleets of 100 ships should be very hard to build and maintain, and every ship should count. Perhaps a much steeper curve on the costs of the hulls and a higher cost for the larger mounts would help. Larger ships should be very expensive to maintain relative to the overall economy of the empire.

All the excellent ideas here about captains, crews, and admirals, would benefit from having smaller fleet sizes as well - each ship and crew would be more heroic and "real" and less of a statistic. And naming ships would be more rewarding, too (BB 0312 is just so uninspiring).

Plus with real-time combat, smaller fleets would be easier to manage (and easier on the CPU, too) - especially if there are going to be weapon arcs and directional shields, etc.

Re: SE5, Tell Aaron what\'s on your Wish List
 

I think there should be a ship componet that would resupply ships in space but it would take to much space for a use on a ship size. So you could use space stations,star base, and battle stations as stageing points-if built off away from planets

Re: SE5, Tell Aaron what\'s on your Wish List
 

<font size="2" face="sans-serif, arial, verdana">to improove it make it not planet dependant but by ship count. Lets say every 2 x ships lets you build 1 y ship or something like that.....Or even make it modable that would be great.


dont be hash on me im still learning english http://forum.shrapnelgames.com/image...s/rolleyes.gif

Re: SE5, Tell Aaron what\'s on your Wish List
 

Encrypted mods! http://forum.shrapnelgames.com/images/icons/icon10.gif

What I mean by this is, in SE4 everyone can see the full game settings. But what if you want to have a real "feeling of wonder" in your game, so you go and create a mod for people to play (or write a script to randomly generate one! http://forum.shrapnelgames.com/images/icons/shock.gif see http://www.shrapnelgames.com/cgi-bin...;f=23;t=012091 and look at the "d" operator!), and compress/encrypt the files into a single mod file that is not human-readable! Of course the game would still need the ability to read normal mods, but the encryption would make for a more exciting game... you never know what surprises lie in store!!! http://forum.shrapnelgames.com/images/icons/icon10.gif http://forum.shrapnelgames.com/images/icons/icon10.gif http://forum.shrapnelgames.com/images/icons/icon10.gif

Re: SE5, Tell Aaron what\'s on your Wish List
 

<font size="2" face="sans-serif, arial, verdana">I would disagree with this. I really like having thousands of ships (or at least hundreds!). Although some people would obviously like limits to this, so the best option would be for it to be moddable. That way I could have my thousands of ships, and other people could limit it to a few dozen if they felt like it.

On second thought, the limit exists already. In the game setup you can limit the number of ships per empire, so this is basically what you were suggesting for SEV! http://forum.shrapnelgames.com/images/icons/icon7.gif

Re: SE5, Tell Aaron what\'s on your Wish List
 

<font size="2" face="sans-serif, arial, verdana">I would disagree with this. I really like having thousands of ships (or at least hundreds!). Although some people would obviously like limits to this, so the best option would be for it to be moddable. That way I could have my thousands of ships, and other people could limit it to a few dozen if they felt like it.

On second thought, the limit exists already. In the game setup you can limit the number of ships per empire, so this is basically what you were suggesting for SEV! http://forum.shrapnelgames.com/images/icons/icon7.gif </font><hr /></blockquote><font size="2" face="sans-serif, arial, verdana">Nope he was suggesting a limit based on ship sizes, I second such a request, user settable.

Re: SE5, Tell Aaron what\'s on your Wish List
 

I would like the ability to add variable values in the game for modding purposes. For example, I would love to be able to index the cost of all research on a certain variable (say, number of planets), making research more expensive as your Empire gets bigger.

It would be something a bit along these lines: the user sets up a variable value (Number of planets here), and then makes a table that would list the effects of a given value of "Number of planets" on the cost of research. So, for instance:
- Under 100 planets: modifier of 1.00 to research cost
- Between 100 and 199 planets: modifier of 1.20 to research cost
- Above 200 planets: modifier of 1.50 to research cost

One of the purposes of this kind of values would be to make maintenance or construction more expensive as an Empire becomes bigger, thus lessening the importance of expansion. It would also reduce the gap between huge Empires and their tiny, helpless neighbours. But there would be quite a few possibilities with altering values dynamically this way.

Hmm, my explanation isn't exactly what I would call clear... *Grumbles*

Re: SE5, Tell Aaron what\'s on your Wish List
 

<font size="2" face="sans-serif, arial, verdana">I stand corrected. I too would be in favor of such an option, as long as it was user settable. Next time I guess I should read the post I'm replying on a little more carefully!

Re: SE5, Tell Aaron what\'s on your Wish List
 

What about different planets with resourses that you need for building certian more advanced technolgy(ship comoponets)----It would add a more strategic point to the planning of your empire and build up of ships

Re: SE5, Tell Aaron what\'s on your Wish List
 

Hotkeys.

Re: SE5, Tell Aaron what\'s on your Wish List
 

In the cultures, I agree that a "Warrior" culture can enjoy a combat bonus to attack and defense, but the Bezerker should suffer a defensive penalty (-5 or 10%) to go along with their attack bonus.

This was probably already mentioned, but I just didn't look through all 80 pages of great ideas here.

Re: SE5, Tell Aaron what\'s on your Wish List
 

How about a berkerser warrior class - offense, defense and building increase BUT

Lowering of research, intel, resource gathering and perhaps limits on special racial abiilties.

Re: SE5, Tell Aaron what\'s on your Wish List
 

This is I would like to see in the new game:

First: Keep it turn based. If you go real time the game will lose a great deal of it's appeal. Real time games are fine for shoot'em ups for kids. But I like to think that SEIV/V has a little more going for it than that.

Second: Keep the ability to customize everything, but expand upon it. For example, allow players to name systems they don't own. We're not out in space, but we've named just about every dang star we can see, so why can't the players? The only real important thing as far as game play is concerned are the coordinates of the system. Not the name.

Allow for Languages. If you can't speak Nloam, you don't know if they want to give you their riches or their plasma beams. Include a basic language generator that allows you to generate your own language based on Consenant/Vowel/Consenant structure. Use this to create unique language text files for use in planet, ship and character naming.

Diplomacy, diplomacy, diplomacy.

A little more reliance on spatial sciences, including planetary science. Planetary physical descriptions that include diameter, AU, Atmospherics, Hydrographics, gravity, etc, which affect the various races. True random gerneration of planetary characteristics based off of a percentage system.

Individual governments for individual planets, which can later break away or revolt (and have a chance of succeeding).

A functioning economic model that includes resources that you can actually use, combine to create new resources and trade. Manufactured trade goods. Raidable (and displayed) trade lanes. Trade ships. trade centers. Something to do while you are building your empire other than blow something up.

Don't center the game so much on combat. I'd like to see more attention paid to the worlds and politicians that make up your empire. For example, world leaders are never really in total control. There are *always* dissendents, either in the underground or in another political party. Bring them into play to create political infighting in your own empire - if it becomes too much infighting your empire begins to crumble (and what I mean here is something along the line of the former Soviet Union and the way it crumbled). Let these guys be charactes with their own personalities and names taken from your own name file.

The ability to elect or appoint named governors with individual characteristics and personalities that are randomly generated. PM me or email and I can go into detail if need be.

Don't overkill the graphics eyecandy - I'm sick of games that look like they were geared towards 12 year olds. Use realistic graphics for ships and planets, but keep them small and to the point. Planets from IV were for the most part okay. Ships and races by and large needed work.

Take the game out of the Warp Point box. This has been one of my greatest frustrations with an otherwise cool game (aside from the lack of tradeable resources). Include stargate technology or something akin to that, but lose the warp points. Or at least allow for interstellar travel.

Include differnt types of propulsion: Solar Sails, Ramjets, Ramscoops, Ion, Nuclear, Jump, Warp, etc.

Allow players/races to join mid game as break away governments of existing races. Combine this with new player/races just developing interstellar travel in an unexplored part of the map.

*BIG* maps. Space is HUGE. Allow for 10,000 stars or more. Set it up so that there are areas that really never will be visited by the players. It helps create a sense of mystery. Our galaxy is 30,000 light years across with trillions of stars in it. Even if we had space travel, we'd *never* get out there to all of the stars.

Allow multiple games to be hosted in the same galaxy at the same time. Crossovers *could* happen if players are close enough. Players that like to play more than one game at a time would find this aspect interesting, I think. Run it something along the lines of SimCity's Regions with multiple cities that can interact.

Consider a low res 3d map instead of the old style 2d map. I've not seen this done before except in some stellar mapping programs Stars (not the game). That alone would set the game apart if you forced your players to think in 3d. Allow for zooming in and out, and rotating the map.

Change "Facilities" to "Colonies" or "Cities". Allow for randomly generated planetary maps that can be viewed, which show resource and colony locations (player can designate where to place colonies on planets). Have POC's (points of control) on planets so you can actually have a planetary conflict. Keep the maps simple, but versitile.

Show fleets and ships as a simple ">" or some such. Tactical icons can be low res graphics.

That's about all I can think of at the moment.

Cheers,
~Shane Watson

[ July 26, 2004, 07:52: Message edited by: Shane Watson ]

Re: SE5, Tell Aaron what\'s on your Wish List
 

That is a big wishlist but some good ideas there that havent been thought of before esp crossover of PBW games in the same galaxy.

Id say expand the game away from just warp points - but make jump gates more a mid to mid late game technology - i have expanded upon this in this thread. Warp points would be the mainstay but jump gates could provide more strategy in protecting them - but you would build two haul one out with a ship and then have to defend it - but it would allow a limited number of ships per turn to travel from the backwater planets to the frontline - think airports in civ ie limit it to perhaps 8000 kt worth of ships per turn per gate ?

Do you send through a small fleet of lots of ships or a few large unprotected battleships to the frontline.

Diplomacy and a upgraded resources aspect of the game.

Big maps yes for sure 1000 star system games

Revolt and rebellion - perhaps allow whole systems to break away or perhaps if one planet breaks away until you quell the uprising or sign a permanent treaty or have x amount of ships in system there is a sliding scale % chance that other planets will switch sides

If a AI player is removed from the game allow a rebelling race to take their place.

Allow upwards of 50-100 races per game - great for massive systems with massive PBW games. - in said cases allow allainces to win if they take over the whole galaxy. Allow team play ie team 1 with 2 players - team 2 etc permanent game long co operative alliances.

Somehow upgrade the ground based combat system - imperium galatica alliances 2 comes to mind as a base to work from.

Re: SE5, Tell Aaron what\'s on your Wish List
 

Yeah, it is kind of big, isn't it? haha. didn't realize it Last night when I posted it. Trouble is that's only a small portion of what I have in mind.

I think the biggest thing that I would push for is some serious realism. For instance, if you are traveling at sub-light speeds, then you are moving at a fraction of lightspeed and that should be shown in system.

For example, break the map legends down thus: -I'd have to look up most of these distances, but they're easy enough to find and or figure.

In System maps:
Light Second - smallest measurement
Light minute
Light Day -largest insystem measurement.

Out System Maps or Stellar Cartography

Lightyear
Parsec -3.26 lightyears, btw, but could be converted to just 3 lightyears for gameplay.
Sector: A sector could be handled in one of two ways. 1. It could be a predefined measurement in the game consisting of say 100 square parsecs. 2. It could be player defined on their tactical map (something that I'm actually in favor of.

Take this idea another step and say that anything that is not a physical constant in the game can be player defined.

Keep the game open ended. Provide a basic physical structure for the players to customize (beyond mods - allow in game changes to government, say, or to policies. Allow players to set up abstracts like puppet governments that have a certain amount of autonomy but are ultimately controled by the player, but eventually can break away - but that doesn't mean they do.

Other thoughts:

[edit] I keep forgetting this: CREWS FOR THE SHIPS with a nameable character* Captain.

Governors characters (I think I mentioned this in my Last post, don't recall): Allow for the governmental figures to be characters that are personality driven with their own agendas who can be appointed, fired, assinated, defect or rebel.

*Names for characters can be taken directly from a pregame generated language file for the player/race.
--- [end edit]---

Allow for racial development based on the planet's physical characteristics, which influence evolution. For example, things to take into account would be the type of star -- how much radiation is the planet getting based on how close it is to its primary. If the planet is outside the biozone - the area that is far enough from the star for water not to evaporate, but close enough for it not to freeze, variable by star type - closer for cooler type K and M, further out for G and F stars - it's simply not going to develop life.

Give planets classification types based on physical characteristic. I can provide an extensive typing chart if needed/wanted. For example:
Class A: Asteroid
Class M: Mulitple Climate Rocky world.
Class J: Jovian World
Class C: Cold Rocky World
Class I: Ice World -- which, btw, would technically be a frozen water world. And, why the hell can't I colonize a frozen world if I can colonize a rocky one? Where is the logic in that?.

And so on. There are more that can be further defined.

Has anyone here played Marc Miller's RPG Traveller? I did a lot back in the day. They had a very elegant and very simple method of keeping track of literally TONS of data. They used a method call the "UPP", which was the Universal Planetary Profile. It used the same basic structurre as their character profiles. So, for instance a world listing would look thus:

Vland 0307-A967A9A-F
After the name, the first four digits where the location in the subsector of planet. Each of the following digits corresponded to a chart outlining what that classification meant. So, fter the dash would be listed, in order:
A: Starport Classification - A being best
9: planetary size - 9 was larger - earth was 7
6: Atmosphere
7: Hydrographics - in this case, literally 70%
A: Population level - in this case, billions - you could go from tens of individuals to 10's of billions on a planet.
9: Government Type -- They had *so many* different types of governments it was unbelievable, including everything from corporate, clans, hive, democracies, republics, dictatorships, etc. But they wheren't just labels. They directly affected the given planet with +'s and -'s.
A: Law Level: potentially impractical for strategic game play, but interesting to note.
F: Tech level. -- Each world had a local technology level dictated by a crossreference of it's population level, starport classification, government and lawlevel. An intersting note I'd like to see carried over. Just because you know how to build something doesn't mean you *CAN*.

Also usually included after the tech level would be trade codes - what was available locally. For example, some of the basic trade classifications for planets were:

Agriculture
Asteroid Belt
Barren World (no one there, produces nothing)
Desert World (0%-10% Hydro rating)
Water World
High population
Ice Capped
Industrial
Low Population
Non-Ag
Non-Industrial
Poor - essentially a third world environment
Rich
Vacuum World - no atmosphere

There were further specific trade goods that were availble, but I think that goes beyond the scope here for the moment.

That said, I'm not suggesting that you rip Traveller for game mechanics, but I am suggesting that we use a model similar to theirs because it worked very, very well.

Digressing back to 10,000 systems for a moment from my previous post - before I found SEIV I played a game called XPACE. You could literally go up to 10,000's of star systems, with planets. It was huge. Epic, as a matter of fact. I loved it. Unfortunately, my computer was old and crashed and killed the program. I've not been able to find a replacement copy. My point is I know it can work because I've seen it done.

One way that the volume of stars could be handled is not to generate the stats until the player visits the system. So you've got the basic top level information such a location and spectral type, but nothing beyond that until someone goes there.

---

Okay, enough for the moment. I've got to get to work. There will be more, I'm sure http://forum.shrapnelgames.com/images/icons/icon10.gif

Cheers,
~Shane

[ July 26, 2004, 16:17: Message edited by: Shane Watson ]

Re: SE5, Tell Aaron what\'s on your Wish List
 

I don't think this has been mentioned, Have Pre Space Flight Planets that can Randomly evolve into a space fligt planets .

In order to commuciate with them you would have to enter orbit of the planet. You could advance them with your technolgy tooo

This would be good with this idea of, There was one of these planets behind enemy lines and if you got a ship to this planet you could give them technolgy if they agreed to attack the enemy.


Next with the idea of getting rid of warp points, I would say keep some of them but you need more advanced tech to discover them but they wouldnt connecting sectors but rather be out anywhere but they would be rare and connect far sides of the map\Galaxy.
As for the Size of Sectors keep the same with a grid line showing them.

Also someone mentioned being able to rename sectors---heres my thought (sorry if its been mentioned) Have an underlined name you cant see so it would be digits so that coorinites wouldnt get messed up so you wouldnt even know that the name was even there and you could name it BUT you could only name it if you were the first or conquered it unless no planets were there in that case you would need to build something there to rename it..


THats my idea

Re: SE5, Tell Aaron what\'s on your Wish List
 

I hope to see some sort of "export to video" option, and the player written movies that will inevitably be created from that.

Re: SE5, Tell Aaron what\'s on your Wish List
 

Race Specific buildings that can give you a bonus, and some kind of commodities that can be sold that can give bonuses.

Re: SE5, Tell Aaron what\'s on your Wish List
 

<font size="2" face="sans-serif, arial, verdana">Absolutely. Please, let's not have SE become a kiddie game.

<font size="2" face="sans-serif, arial, verdana">Again, yes.

<font size="2" face="sans-serif, arial, verdana">I've longed for a deeper economic model since I began playing SE4.


<font size="2" face="sans-serif, arial, verdana">Absolutely. If I'm an emperor, let me appoint and dismiss governors.

<font size="2" face="sans-serif, arial, verdana">I agree 100%. If the screen shots for SE5 look like the game is descending into cuteness, I won't buy it.

You and I have many of the same ideas on how we want SE5 to look. Unfortunately, I doubt that much of what we want will ever make it into the game. Computer game designers these days invariably choose to aim their product at the teenybop market.

Re: SE5, Tell Aaron what\'s on your Wish List
 

I have no problem with developers wanting to do a real-time game. But there are too few good PbEM games for me not to cringe at the idea of turning one into a real-time arcade game. Let the Xbox people cover that territory. The possible improvements to SEIV is still a fertile area without trying to cross genres. IMHO

Re: SE5, Tell Aaron what\'s on your Wish List
 

<font size="2" face="sans-serif, arial, verdana">No one is talking about a real time main screen, just real time combat. For PBEM play that would be 100% IRRELEVENT, as you don't (can't) use tactical combat anyway.

Re: SE5, Tell Aaron what\'s on your Wish List
 

Although the main screen would be rendered real time and in 3D, that's for zooming in on planets when you click 'em and showing the ships in orbit and all that good stuff.

Definitely turn based, still. Just real time eye candy.

Re: SE5, Tell Aaron what\'s on your Wish List
 

<font size="2" face="sans-serif, arial, verdana">I don't think that will be the case for SEV. Look at the people who visit these forums...most are in their 20's, 30's, or even 40's. Turn based strategy games invariably appeal to those who want to actually have to think a little bit to play the game. If Malfador went for the "teenybop market" they would lose the niche they have found here, and the game would sell very few copies, due to the fact that it probably won't be very well known to your average gamer.

Re: SE5, Tell Aaron what\'s on your Wish List
 

<font size="2" face="sans-serif, arial, verdana">Malfador Machinitions is not in any way, shape, or form like big name game developers. They actually listen to the fans, and consistently implement fan-submitted suggestions into their games. Assuming they are practical, your suggestions have a fairly good chance of making it into SE5, especially if other people request similar features.

I can practically gaurantee you that SE5 will not be aimed at the "teenybop" market. That would drive away 99% of SE4's fanbase, which would ruin MM.

Re: SE5, Tell Aaron what\'s on your Wish List
 

MM are doing what they do best - making SE5 the best game possible - and im sure with the quality and diversification and feedback of the older 20+ fan market it will be one of the best 4x space games out there that isnt real time but turn based strategy.

Re: SE5, Tell Aaron what\'s on your Wish List
 

<font size="2" face="sans-serif, arial, verdana">How is a beserker race not already a warrior race? What else would they be beserk about, organic farming? http://forum.shrapnelgames.com/images/icons/icon7.gif

The beserker should take a penalty to defense because they obtain a great offensive bonus. That is their defense...that they will hit a bit more often and an opponent may not be in any shape to hit back effectively.

Re: SE5, Tell Aaron what\'s on your Wish List
 

This idea goes along with getting rid of wormholes for the most part-keep a few-and createing vast open sectors

How about a nebule or spacial storm that spans a couple sectors and they would be like nebule in SEIV

Black Holes that can effect sectors around them but less effective the farther away you get untill its so far where there is no effect

Different idea, if you capture a planet without destroying it you start occupying the planet and there is a chance that they can revolt and become a new independant planet or rejoin there orginal culture, and if you move out\or kill off 50% of the population then the planet becomes part of you culture------Occupation

[ July 28, 2004, 17:04: Message edited by: Colonel ]

Re: SE5, Tell Aaron what\'s on your Wish List
 

I would like to reply to Shane Watson. I like all of your Ideas. I am in a game Last Man Standing. I have over 1080 planets in 90 systems and 3500 ships and 500+ space yards. It takes 2-3 hours per turn just to get it all done. I think this is the biggest problem in any 4e game you get so big that the tools you use to manage a 10 system empire are inadaquate for 90 system or even 25 or so. I think the biggest acheivement would be to fix the ministers so that you can design them to work for you. And reduce the emperors admin time.

Re: SE5, Tell Aaron what\'s on your Wish List
 

Minor add to my Last post

In SEIV at the start you can choose to only be able to colinize home planet type and breathable atomshere i think you should make another option of being able to colinze moons so you would have a third choose mainly i want this because i always put both options on and that annoys me playing and haveing useless moons

HAve the ability to capture a ship and steal the componets off them so say you didnt have cloacking technolgy and you captured a ship you could retrofit a cloak on a normal ship

EDIT:Have a weapons Trade between empires that would going along trade routes and can be raided and with this weapons trade it would give some sort of offensive and defensive bonus to both empires, and if a ship raids one of those lines then that ship gets a offensive bonus to represent that they got weapons from raiding

Have empires that are complete traders and will never make aggresive moves but still able to defend themsleves

[ July 28, 2004, 22:31: Message edited by: Colonel ]

Re: SE5, Tell Aaron what\'s on your Wish List
 

<font size="2" face="sans-serif, arial, verdana">hey Gorza, I've been in that position haha.

Right. The way around this imho is the use of governors. Right now, the way the game is set up you have ministers that are, well, to put it delicately, stupid.

Ideally, you would be able to set policy and let them work it out for themselves - but there-in lies the catch. If my suggestion is implimented, say, these guys are not only going to have a personality, but their own ideas (believe it or not, I've thought an easy way of pulling this off based off of Briggs-Meyer persoanlity typing of all things) and motives. So unless you are tight with your govenors, which in larger games is going to ultimately be impossible, someone would get miffed and start trouble.

So now, you've not only got trouble on the frontier from the pesky aliens who's territory you are moving into, and some of the core systems are starting to slump economically, you've got a govenor starting crap for you in some of the outer colonies.

Do you fire him? And appoint someone else? Is the planet under self rule, or direct Imperial control? What would be the fall out if he is removed? Would it ultimately make more political sense just to off the SOB as a reminder to other governors to stay in line? Would that ultimately back fire if the planet in question found out you had them assassinated or executed and would they lead a rebellion against you for being an overbearing dictator?

Better beef up the local garrison of Imperial Marines just in case...

More later.
Cheers,
~Shane

Re: SE5, Tell Aaron what\'s on your Wish List
 

<font size="2" face="sans-serif, arial, verdana">I hope you're right. But I've been playing computer games for a long time--I'm in my late 40s--and have found that there are fewer and fewer games each year for people like me who are not interested in "shoot stuff, blow stuff up, make huge pretty explosions."

Most games I see in the stores today--the few that still carry computer games--are for the instant gratification, short-attention-span, pretty-picture crowd. I've watched several game franchises sink down to that level.

I have not read all the Posts in this thread, but I'm sure there are several that say "SE4 is lame! SE4 is boring! What SE5 REALLY NEEDS is, like, a 3D engine, d00d!!!" Or words to that effect.

Me, I would love to have more commodities, better diplomacy, governors of varying degrees of competence that I could name (the same way I can name ships) and appoint and fire, etc etc. I like micromanagement, but sometimes I would like to give broad powers to a governor. Assign a number of planets to him/her/it.

You know what I'm talking about. I want to be Cleon II (Asimov's Foundation series), or the Emperor in Dune. Don't you?

I have always dreamed of a computer game that was a complete but very customizable empire/government simulator. SE4 is the closest anybody has ever come. It's a game that will never leave my hard drive.

Re: SE5, Tell Aaron what\'s on your Wish List
 

Because I'm an historian, one of the things I wish for SE5 is a better treatment of organics (i.e., food) as a strategic commodity.

In nearly every game of SE4 I've played, organics are an afterthought unless your race has organic technology and needs lots of organics. You can pretty much build a few farms here and there and not worry. Your people almost never starve.

You mainly worry about minerals, and later, ratioactives.

Organics should be more important than they are.