Re: SE IV The End Of An Era.
 

<font size="2" face="sans-serif, arial, verdana">So? SE5 would suffer the same from lack of a good combat AI with any combat model, other than the Starcraft-style RTS model, which noone wants. </font><hr /></blockquote><font size="2" face="sans-serif, arial, verdana">I was saying that Combat Mission needs more sophisticated AI than many other designs, to work well, and that may be an issue with similar designs for SE5. The Combat Mission tactical AI is very complex and well-done. It's still a source of frustration and limitation at times, though. If it were done about as well as the AI in SE4 or Star Fury, Combat Mission might be an frustrating disaster, with units shooting each other, vehicles ramming each other, dropping artillery on itself, etc. Part of this is because the system puts the details of execution under AI control for a while, to react to the real-time action as it unfolds. I can easily imagine falling into a similar design in SE5, with some big issues. It doesn't have to be that way, but it's a danger.

At least with full-control turn-based orders as in SE4, there is no danger of "the AI did something really stupid and I lost my fleet because of it!" Well, there is if you don't break formation in tactical combat...

PvK

Re: SE IV The End Of An Era.
 

It could be dual turn-based & RTS, like Fallout Tactics, with in RTS units moving and firing as long as they have action points.
I don't think that game its that much of a click fest.
(Oh well, yes it is. http://forum.shrapnelgames.com/images/icons/blush.gif )

[ March 01, 2004, 20:07: Message edited by: SB ]

Re: SE IV The End Of An Era.
 

*staggers out of the thread, muttering something about 'not even thinking of reading all that!'* http://forum.shrapnelgames.com/image...s/rolleyes.gif http://forum.shrapnelgames.com/images/icons/icon10.gif

Re: SE IV The End Of An Era.
 

Aside from 'real-time' combat resolution, another idea I see viable for SE:V that can eliminate most of the quirks with the current SE:IV system is some sort of 'staggered' turn-based movement. Rather than Player 1 moves all his ships and fires, then player 2 moves all his ships and fires - have movement alternate between them like this:

Player 1 - Ships A,B,C
Player 2 - Ships X,Y,Z

Order of Movement/Fire
A-X-B-Y-C-Z

This is more like 'real-time' in its execution and will go a long way in improving combat, and from a programming aspect much easier to do.

Battles between fleets of unequal size can still be handled rather easily, if a player is outnumbered 3:1, then the player moves only 1 of his ships for 3 of his opponents etc.

Re: SE IV The End Of An Era.
 

<font size="2" face="sans-serif, arial, verdana">There sales for Last year out paced SEIV 10,000 to one. Advertising does wonders for the bottom line. You have to spend money to make money.

Also the game is sold in stores.

Re: SE IV The End Of An Era.
 

<font size="2" face="sans-serif, arial, verdana">Yes, this is an old problem. Sometimes I think the designers of computer wargames do never take a look to board wargames. The most problems arising with computer game rule design are already solved by SPI, Avalanche or AH years and decades before.

So the problem of the ship initiative in SE4 could be solved with formation activation as beautiful depicted in the panzergrenadier series of Avalanche Press.

bye
KlausD

Re: SE IV The End Of An Era.
 

Well a more advanced and adaptable AI combat system in SE5 would be helpful

Re: SE IV The End Of An Era.
 

<font size="2" face="sans-serif, arial, verdana">Please stop comparing games of entirely different, unrelated genres. It hurts your arguments more than helps them.

<font size="2" face="sans-serif, arial, verdana">Such as turn based combat, which is needlessly limited.