SEV suggestions/gripes
 

Well I'm going to give SEV a chance but here are my suggestions/gripes:

1. Troops that are not just small hovering space ships. I'd like to see real ground combat with infantry, tanks, battle mechs, ect. I have to say I hate the current format. This part really bothers me the most. I wish the ground combat was more like Galactic Civ 2. I would almost rather have an automated system then a Star Trek: New Worlds clone.

2. Starships need to look more prominent then their flag markers. I just don't like the giant markers.

3. When fighters are launched they should be divided into groups/squadron. It makes no sense to me that they are randomly spread around the carrier. This seems to be a step back from SEIV. It's a task to organise 100's of fighters. Also, does the number of launching bays make a difference in how many fighters can be launched? A matter of fact sats should have formations too.

4. How about a button to create new ship types instead of having to edit the DesignTypes.txt file. SEIV has this option.

5. I like the variety in treaties but it seems to need to be better organized. I can spend an hour just trying figure out how to create a basic trade treaty.

6. Where is the capital/palace building. This was intended for SEIV but never happend. Losing this would place your empire in chaos until it was rebuilt on another planet. You could even make it a winning condition. What's the point of a home world with out it?

7. Where are the wandering space pirates/monsters? MOO, MOO2, and Birth of the Federation have them.

8. Are there any area effecting weapons? (i guess that will be handled in a mod but should be in) But speaking of weapons is there any difference between anti-proton guns and Meson Blaster? Why go for one than the other. This bothered me in SEIV.

Well, these are items that I hope are addressed. This game has potential but it almost seems like fan suggestions have fallen on deaf ears. I hope this doesn't turn into MOO3. That team dropped the ball. They listened to all of the fan suggestions and then did the complete opposite. MOO is now R.I.P. (I know modders claim it still lives)Have these items ever been brought up by the beta team? I know this may sound negative but I really want this to be a great game.

Re: SEV suggestions/gripes
 

1. Is..not that big of a deal, personally. YMMV, but I think its unlikely to change.

2. This can be modded. (or bugged- there's one amusing shot where a ship covers half the system map..). The flags themselves I don't care for but the rest of the icons are handy.

3. They do that because they grouped in SE4, which made them Very Easy Targets. So SE5 went the other way. It'd definitely be nice if they automatically made mini task forces though. Bays do make a difference in the number that can be launched, but as of the demo they're a bit bugged.

As for sats- you can position them manually using the Sector view screen, if you like.

4. Yes.

5. Its long, but I think the sub-options not displaying until you selected that option would help with most of that

6. MIA. Can always do a Proportions-style homeworld, though.

7. See 6.

8. No AOE unless you count sun-killers. There's a difference between the weapons at low levels, not so much at high by default.

In SEIV there was a marked difference in the performance of the weapons, and that was just +to hit bonuses, damage, reload, and a few special damage types. SEV has a lot more potential that way.

Re: SEV suggestions/gripes
 

1. I'm just going to have to automate ground combat when I play. I think it's the worst part of the game. It's something I have always complained about and was hoping would be changed. It's just too unrealistic.

3. I under stand the easy target problem from SEIV but for organization purposes you need squadrons in SEV. I'd rather have a mix of old an new. I really think subfleets and squadron need to be added.

Thanks for the sat tip.

5. Your idea is good.

6,7 and 8. I hate to say it but I feel the ball has been dropped on these items. These are three features that have been constantly requested and never addressed. Can AOE be modded in?

Part of my problem is that I just don't want to wait 2-3 more years before those functions are modded in. Is there any way some more programmers can be added to the project?

Re: SEV suggestions/gripes
 

I second the fighter squadron idea, then you could also give them experience like fleets get experience. Also I didnt notice, if units can can experience, if they are truely individuals now, then they should...

Re: SEV suggestions/gripes
 

I CAN'T imagine that it will take 2 to 3 years, untill the first mods are ready. personally I think it will take a few weeks before the first try outs are ready and only a few months before the first real mods are there..........

Re: SEV suggestions/gripes
 

How about on the first day of release - is that too soon?

Re: SEV suggestions/gripes
 

I don't like it either, but it is consistent with SEIV. In other words, in SEIV troops were presented like vehicles, and SEV has just added a tactical resolution to it.

I used to mull over the potential of a mod for SEIV in which I reworked all the troop components into "battalions" (cockpit => HQ, defensive components => infantry, weapons => armor, etc...) and replaced the troop pictures with NATO symbology counters (small, medium large troops => regiment, brigade, division). Never got around to working on it, though...

I don't. GalCiv II uses population as troops, with a victorious invasion eradicating the original population of the planet. I find this completely unacceptable. I mean, in WWII the Germans didn't send 10's of millions of men, women & children into France to fight to the death against the 10's of millions of French men, women & children living there - they sent a couple million trained soldiers to defeat the French army and then left a few 100,000 as occupation forces to control the 10's of millions of French civilians. As opposed to that, I'd prefer no ground combat at all just the old "Stellar Conquest" system - upon elimination of defending ships/bases the planet surrenders and is controlled by the victor as long as at least one warship remains in orbit, reverting to the inhabiting race's control if the warship garrison is removed/eliminated.

However, what I'd really like is a system with different troop types as you suggest, designed more or less like the units in SMAC (except a better design system UI, of course), then fighting on a tactical map of some sort.

Better yet, a more or less operational level game on a hex map of the planet (a Goode-type projection like used in the board game "Invasion:Earth", only fewer hexes per planet - that one is on a 20 x 36 hex grid, which is too big for a 4Xer ground combat module). Units would be designed from "equipments" (vehicles, crew served weapons & infantry squads) similarly to Norm Kroger's OPART, with the "equipments" designed a la SMAC. That's probably too much to ask for, though...

Re: SEV suggestions/gripes
 

In my Space Food Empires mod, I represented troops as "weapons" that could placed on troop vehicles. Different troops would have different damage and hitpoint amounts.

Re: SEV suggestions/gripes
 

Have you seen the troop model in Carrier Battles Mod? It uses infantry as small, cheap, high HP, low damage units and tanks as big, low hp, high damage units. The infantry are there to soak up damage, the tanks to absorb it. I'm sure something similar can be devised for SE5.

Re: SEV suggestions/gripes
 

I think it's too quick to invade a planet. There should be a time limit as to how long the combat can go so that it can take several turns to effectively invade a planet. Plus there needs to be more militia seeing as how I land with 100 troops and all they can muster is a couple weak militia (this is on their homeworld.

Also, where are the anti ground troop weapons. There should be weapons to put on weapon platforms to repel invading troops. All in all I think using troops is a cheap tactic to gain territory very quickly seeing as how if you manage to land at all the planet is yours.

Re: SEV suggestions/gripes
 

Perhaps your opponent should be building troops of his own? I mean, would you call it "cheap" if you attacked his systems and glassed his planets without issue because he had no ships to oppose you?

EDIT: and yes, I realize this is an AI issue in that case. http://forum.shrapnelgames.com/images/smilies/wink.gif

Re: SEV suggestions/gripes
 

I was going to suggest AI issues seeing as I don't PBW. It makes it kind of a deal breaker for me to buy the game if the AI can't build enough ships to fight me.

Also, the reports of 50 troops being contructed clutter the news.

I find that my ships refuel in enemy systems off of enemy resupply depots.

Re: SEV suggestions/gripes
 

I still maintain that troops should be treated more like ships than fighters. The quantities of troops that can be easily landed on a planet brings my system to its knees, often causing the game to freeze, and is rarely necessary anyhow. I say make them cost ~3 times as much and weigh ~10 times as much. Giving weapon platforms the ability to hit ground troops at ranges and damages far exceeding them would also make things a lot more interesting.

Re: SEV suggestions/gripes
 

Well I hate the current troop use. I'd rather see the MOO2 version then this. I just hope mods address this.

Re: SEV suggestions/gripes
 

Another good solution would be to require special launch-bays as are needed to deploy other types of units. Then you can limit the number of troops that can be landed per turn. Now it's just 'as many as your transport can carry'. MM almost did this in SE IV. There is an unused 'Launch Troops' ability in the abilities file.

Re: SEV suggestions/gripes
 

You mean it's posssible in SE5? http://forum.shrapnelgames.com/images/smilies/eek.gif
I suppose a workaround would be creating a "Landing Pod" unit type which is the only type of unit capable of dropping troops, if "drop troops" is even a vehicle capability listed in VehicleUnitTypes.txt... but I doubt that would work, as ships are not listed there, so you couldn't remove the ability from ships without removing all ships and redefining them as units... http://forum.shrapnelgames.com/images/smilies/frown.gif

Re: SEV suggestions/gripes
 

Main UI gripes with demo: 1) "Enter" key sometimes works, often doesn't. 2) Can't click into text box to change the middle of a name; you have to use the left arrow. 3) Tab key doesn't change tabs in UI; you have to click. 4) Clicking on sector with planet should pick planet by default; instead it picks nothing. 5) Clicking on planet brings up a large, pretty window, low on info. "What is it building??!!" You have to left-click, then click again on the construction tab. Aargh! 6) Default system magnification shows only MOST of the system. 7) Wierd inconsistencies in shortcuts for closely-related tasks. (But you can change that in full game, so that's not a biggie.) 8) Only 1st item in each planet's queue is shown in the overall construction queue (Shift-Q). 9) Planetary construction queue has picture where there should be info: "What does this planet already have??!!" You have to left-click the picture, then click on the Facilities tab.
10) PageUp and PageDown no longer work; you have to use the mouse scroll wheel.

In summary: Too many clicks. Carpal tunnel syndrome producer.

Re: SEV suggestions/gripes
 

Drop Drones?

Drop Shuttles (Fighters)?

Drop Pods (Satellites) ?

Re: SEV suggestions/gripes
 

Forcing the player to use limited release components wont solve the problem. The player will simply build ships with lots (or if it per ship) many small ships. The outcome will be the same: Player arrives on planet with a bajillion troops, and stomps all over the three to five defenders. Maybe troops should take up more cargo space. Or, if that's too easy, the AI should build a competetive defense force.

There's another problem with making it even more expensive for the player though: The choice of just glassing the planet from orbit vs landing troops will become a no brainer. Why waste time with marines? Just bring a colony ship instead.

Re: SEV suggestions/gripes
 

Keep in mind, it does cost 1/10 of a bajillion in resources for maintenance. http://forum.shrapnelgames.com/image...ies/tongue.gif