The Future for SE IV? Does it have one?
 

Will Malfador continue to support the game following the release of this latest patch? Or will it leave well enough alone and call it quites?

SE IV has been out now for nearly two years, and by all rights its game over man. Most publishers stop supporting their games after the year and a half mark. That is if your lucky. At what point does Malfador say tough **** SE IV fans, buy SE V?

Will there be an SE V? I doubt it. Since they did not make any money off of SE IV, there can be no SE V. To have an SE V, will mean that Aaron will have to incorperate a 3D combat system. Since most Four X games since 97 and on have had 3D combat, one has to really wonder why SE IV did nt have it. I don't think not having hurt the game, in fact I think it made the game that much more enjoyable. However, an evolution must be made. So will there be an SE V? I will bet no.

The cost is too high to produce it.

Re: The Future for SE IV? Does it have one?
 

<font size="2" face="Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif">Given the healthy modding community here, obviously there are still plenty of people interested in the game, and interested in improving it.

<font size="2" face="Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif">Where did you get that tidbit of information? I mean, they didn't GIVE SE4 away, theys old it. They didn't sell it for $5US a pop, they charged reasonable rates.

<font size="2" face="Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif">IT does not neccessarily follow that combat MUST be 3D, "because veryone else is doing that" ... nor that an evolution MUST incorporate 3D anything.

Would it be nice? sure. But not required.

<font size="2" face="Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif">Unless you have access to MM's books, you can't know that for certain.

Now, stop trolling. Please.

Re: The Future for SE IV? Does it have one?
 

I think ManOfWar is just peeved that the troll thread he started about fan shipsets got locked, so he's trying to start another troll thread with plenty pointless and incorrect premises.

Boo.

PvK

Re: The Future for SE IV? Does it have one?
 

<font size="2" face="Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif">dunno, it could be the Last one, since DO is also in production
<font size="2" face="Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif">I doubt Malfador would ever say tough **** to the fans http://forum.shrapnelgames.com/images/icons/icon10.gif
But i wouldn't be upset or surprised if they stopped supporting it now.

<font size="2" face="Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif">Uhm, Richard said several times that SE4 is their top selling title, i would find it hard to believe if there was no profit made then.
And 3D combat isn't mandatory, i don't think GalCiv has 3D combat.
I do think 3D realtime (pausable) combat would be an improvement, but that would surely drive the production cost up. And i think there are other ways SE5 could improve over SE4 than just graphics, AI and diplomacy for example.

[ August 16, 2002, 17:53: Message edited by: Lemmy ]

Re: The Future for SE IV? Does it have one?
 

Hey I made a mistake with that "other" thread. This one is as it reads.

My point is that the COST would prohibit the inclusion of 3D combat, and since no publisher will even look at a Four X game without 3D combat, the reason to produce it is null and void.

Hell I would love to see SE V, but I fear that it would not be "cost effective" to produce it.

Re: The Future for SE IV? Does it have one?
 

"My point is that the COST would prohibit the inclusion of 3D combat, and since no publisher will even look at a Four X game without 3D combat, the reason to produce it is null and void."

heh. Not Shrapnel. Check out Dungon Oddysey for more proof of the "gameplay over graphics" style http://forum.shrapnelgames.com/images/icons/icon7.gif

Phoenix-D

Re: The Future for SE IV? Does it have one?
 

Gentlemen,

In agreement with many who enjoy this community, I support the "game-play over graphics" strategy that MM and Shrapnel sell. The ability to mod and improve the game away from the developers allows me to invest personal time into the game. This vastly increases the Lasting playability of this game.

I have enjoyed/endured many many strategy games in the 20 years or so that I have been playing, as I am sure anyone posting here has. SEIV is simply (and I mean that literally) the most mind engaging game I have enjoyed since the original CIV game.

That is not to say that I do not enjoy other morw graphic oriented games and genre's, such as Everquest, or Star Trek games. Never having been a "twitchy" gamer I do not always enjoy playing visually action oriented games as much as I do strategy games.

Finally, what makes a game truly enjoyable is those I play it with. The community around this game is so positive that I doubt I would have ever bought the game if this community didnt exist.

Cheers!
Trajan

Re: The Future for SE IV? Does it have one?
 

You couldn't be more wrong. Aaron is going to first off continue to support SE:IV for the near future. It is STILL selling at a fairly nice clip, and is still our top selling game.

Aaron made enough money to quit his day job and make his dream of doing Malfador a full time thing a reality.

Currently he is working on support of SE:IV, DO, and is already working on the upcoming 3D Space combat game in the SE:IV universe. This game will be the test bed for the 3D combat portion of SE:V. Right now we're looking for a new artist to finish up the 3D work, since our artist got a job with one of the MMORPG companies, but that will happen in time. The engine is coming along nicely with placehoulder art.

To be honest i really shouldn't feed this any further, but I wanted to make sure the facts are known.

Re: The Future for SE IV? Does it have one?
 

Oh and your wrong about another thing. We had competition for SE:IV when we negiotiated the deal with Aaron. In fact a large publisher of strategy games recently begged us to allow them to sell SE:IV Gold in retail. However, as normal, the deal just wasn't that good for everyone but the publisher involved http://forum.shrapnelgames.com/images/icons/icon12.gif .

Re: The Future for SE IV? Does it have one?
 

MoW pleasantly surprised me at once :

<font size="2" face="Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif">I can not agree more. SEIV tactical battles suits me very well. I won't mind pseudo-3D like in CivIII, Starcraft, etc. but it is not big deal for me.

And now Richard announce 3D expansion of SEIV !!!!
I'm going to off-license for champaine bottle http://forum.shrapnelgames.com/images/icons/icon7.gif http://forum.shrapnelgames.com/images/icons/icon7.gif

Re: The Future for SE IV? Does it have one?
 

<font size="2" face="Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif">Hold on there oleg. I think you maybe misunderstood him. I don't know anything for sure, but I haven't heard anything saying this will be an expansion of the current game. I believe it's supposed to be a seperate game entirely. But one that is set in the "SEIV universe." Of course I could be off too. But until we know for sure we shouldn't go off to far cause that's how people get disapointed. http://forum.shrapnelgames.com/images/icons/icon7.gif

Geoschmo

Re: The Future for SE IV? Does it have one?
 

Well, bearing in mind that this whole thread is going to be entirely speculation based on unfounded assumptions (unless Aaron makes an appearance http://forum.shrapnelgames.com/images/icons/icon6.gif ), here's my largely unstructured 0.02:

Who's to say SEV won't include 3D graphics? I bet Aaron could do it if he wanted to.

Aaron has been working on SE for, what? 7 years now? 8? That's not a passing interest. OK, he might be sick to death of it- I don't know- but I'm guessing he still loves it, and is still pursuing his vision of the perfect 4X game. If his vision is anything like mine- (and so far it's pretty damn close.) then there is a long way to go. Superlative the game may be, but it still only scratches the surface of the vast universe of possibilities that could be explored in the 4X genre.

MM and Shrapnel have proved with SEIV that you *don't* necessarily have to follow the mainstream to make a success of it. They've done it once and can do it again. I see no reason why SE should not continue to evolve, other than something drastic happening to Aaron or him having a change of heart.

BTW, Although I think MoW was out of line in the Last thread, I don't see any evidence of trolling here and I think this is a valid topic of conversation. We're all capable of being civilised, and there's plenty to discuss.

Re: The Future for SE IV? Does it have one?
 

i want to see a mod of the old 'Tapper' game that incorporates the phongs head cantina. SE4 aliens could stream into the bar, and you would have to serve them up mugs of frothy. there could be a special level with forum-member avatars.

you can stuff your 3d combat, GIVE ME FRANTIC BEER-SERVING ACTION!

Re: The Future for SE IV? Does it have one?
 

Hey Puke, you're down to 3 stars. You want help re-attaining the magic 4?

<font size="2" face="Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif">I've been campaigning for a spinoff game for ages. This would be so cool. The aliens coming into the bar could be race_portrait.bmp images from the pictures/races folder=-)

If the game was really good, it could be released into the public domain to drum up publicity for SEIV=-)

Re: The Future for SE IV? Does it have one?
 

I think the future of SEIV is strong for the time being. I could care less about 3d graphic combat. I hated it in Rebellion and BOTF. The game took for ever to play those moves, and often, very often, crashed.

SEIV Spin off games are a logical and totally supportable concept. I look forward to buying and playing them.

SE V, well, who knows. http://forum.shrapnelgames.com/images/icons/icon7.gif I like to think that there are always possibilities.

Re: The Future for SE IV? Does it have one?
 

"Aaron made enough money to quit his day job and make his dream of doing Malfador a full time thing a reality."

Good for him! http://forum.shrapnelgames.com/images/icons/icon7.gif

Re: The Future for SE IV? Does it have one?
 

For me it depends on what you mean by 3D combat.

If you mean 3D, Real Time, first person shooter combat, no thanks. I hate real time. I will probably not even bother playing the SEV demo if it's a real time game, as much as I love SEIV.

I would like to see a little more depth in the combat engine though. Moving ships around in three dimensions instead of two would be cool. Ships stacking, angles of fire, momentum factors in movement, that sort of thing.

3D rendered graphics I don't care about one way or the other. I am sure they would be very pretty. As long as they don't require so much programing time that game play suffers. But I would think they might make it more difficult to mod imagaes and stuff. So that might be bad.

Geoschmo

Re: The Future for SE IV? Does it have one?
 

<font size="2" face="Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif">I think this is the closest to the correct analysis of this thread...

Re: The Future for SE IV? Does it have one?
 

<font size="2" face="Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif">regardless of it's intended purpose, it did give us some interesting information http://forum.shrapnelgames.com/images/icons/icon7.gif

<font size="2" face="Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif">One way to avoid going to far of is to capture Richard and interrogate him on it. http://forum.shrapnelgames.com/image...s/rolleyes.gif http://forum.shrapnelgames.com/images/icons/icon10.gif

Re: The Future for SE IV? Does it have one?
 

<font size="2" face="Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif">I think this is the closest to the correct analysis of this thread...</font><hr /></blockquote><font size="2" face="Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif">Even if this is true, I do not think we shall be denied to get something positive out of it. However disrespectfull I am to the real-time "strategy" games, I am willing to admit that tactical combat can be turned to real-time with considerable benefits to se-5. Moo3 team is, IMHO, on right track here. After all, you are supreme leader of star empire and shall not be bothered with aiming of every single cannon !

Re: The Future for SE IV? Does it have one?
 

I think it is a useful thread.

Re: The Future for SE IV? Does it have one?
 

<font size="2" face="Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif">Then I wonder what he meant by this:

<font size="2" face="Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif">Test bed for ... eh?

[ August 16, 2002, 20:55: Message edited by: Elowan ]

Re: The Future for SE IV? Does it have one?
 

As I understand it now, Space Empires: The System Wars is to be a real time game based on a combat in a single space empires system. It's hoped that this will serve as the basis for combat in Space Empires V.

I would like to see SE:V optional between turn-based and real time - similiar to turn based and simualtaneous in SE:IV.

Re: The Future for SE IV? Does it have one?
 

The game I was talking about is the next game in the series. It will have SE:IV in the name, but it will be more of a homeworld meets starcraft style of game.

If that is succesful it will be the tactical combat engine for SE:V. SE:V, from everything I have seen, will still be turned based.

Re: The Future for SE IV? Does it have one?
 

<font size="2" face="Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif">Oh yes, combat needs some sort of 'simultaneous' resolution to resolve lots of balance problems. I think that 'impulse' turn-segments would work as well as 'real time' since all that 'real time' actually means is many small steps executed very quickly so it looks like it's in motion. http://forum.shrapnelgames.com/images/icons/icon7.gif Why waste the extra processing time on display for animation's sake only? Just have 64 or 128 'impulses' in a turn and have ship and weapon initiative to calculate who goes when.

Re: The Future for SE IV? Does it have one?
 

Elowan, you are right on, as confirmed by Richards later statments. What I was cautioning oleg about was that he seemed to be reading into it that the 3D combat was going to be an "expansion" for SEIV, not a test bed for SEV.

Geoschmo

Re: The Future for SE IV? Does it have one?
 

now a RTG combat engine would be real nice.

Re: The Future for SE IV? Does it have one?
 

Just to refute one of the things said in this thread: SEIV problably is giving a lot of money to MM/Shrapnel, because even without much "marketing", everyone knows about it and recommends it.

MM/Shrapnel don't have (at least i don't know one) a distribuitor in Brazil (where i live)...

To get my copy of SEIV Gold i had to search a lot, because you simply can't find it in Brazil, until i found a friend that have a friend that had a friend that bought it in the US and don't knew what to do with it (i suggested that he gave it to me, but he don't accepted, so i had to buy from him the game, paying a very high price).

But i'm happy saying: this is the best money that i spent in a long time!

(looks like i talk too much... sorry folks)

http://forum.shrapnelgames.com/images/icons/icon12.gif

Makinus

Re: The Future for SE IV? Does it have one?
 

We do plenty of marketing, just not the expensive wasteful types that most publishers change their developers. Trust us we are much more aggressive on the marketing in the long term than most publishers.

And if you know a good distrbiutor in Brazil, have them contact us.

Re: The Future for SE IV? Does it have one?
 

Richard, do the universe a great deed of justice and NEVER EVER give up the SE titles... NEVER!

Despite all odds, that title defies and industry dead set on having the bigger flash.

I will admit, games like homeworld and Imperium Galatica look great with thier movie style space battles, but SE4 jsut has the scope of gradure that makes my lips curl in insane laughter.

If anything, SE is just beginning thier franchise. In time, I expect we can see everything from board games to novels to movies to annoying plush phong for the kiddies.....

Re: The Future for SE IV? Does it have one?
 

You know when you boil right down to it, SEIV offers far more than any other game in the 4 X market. That is 1) Support, and 2) Modding

Par non, those are two of the key factors in SEIV's appeal for me. Not too mention the game play, the mods, the community, etc.

Re: The Future for SE IV? Does it have one?
 

<font size="2" face="Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif">HUZZA!!!!!!!! When will you take my money? Please? I want to give you money http://forum.shrapnelgames.com/images/icons/icon7.gif

On another note:
Have you guys SEEN the battle graphics for Moo3 (due to be released in a couple of months)? It looks like a bunch of the exact same colored ships shooting the exact same colored spooge at other exact same colored ships. Frankly, SEV doesn't have much competition in the in-game graphics department...

Re: The Future for SE IV? Does it have one?
 

However I like SEIV, I LOVE Moo/Moo2 and was planning to buy Moo3, but after seeing those pictures I am horrified. What the hell they are doing ???

[ August 18, 2002, 07:55: Message edited by: oleg ]

Re: The Future for SE IV? Does it have one?
 

<font size="2" face="Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif">Ooh! Ooh! I want one! Can I have one? Can I? Please

Re: The Future for SE IV? Does it have one?
 

<font size="2" face="Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif">Test bed for ... eh?</font><hr /></blockquote><font size="2" face="Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif">Read more carefully. http://forum.shrapnelgames.com/images/icons/icon7.gif

The first sentence mentiones SE:IV, yes -- but it mentions it in PASSING, as a reference to teh SE4 -universe-, not the game itself. IOW, the participants will be the races (and maybe Neutrals) from SE4.

Later he mentiones SE5. Space Empires FIVE.

That's where the 3D combat system may be -- Space Empires FIVE.

IOW, rejoice, there are already -intentions-, and even basic plans, to eventually release SE5.

But don't get all frothy-at-the-mouth over 3D combat in Space Empires FOUR; won't happen.

[ August 18, 2002, 16:35: Message edited by: Pax ]

Re: The Future for SE IV? Does it have one?
 

<font size="2" face="Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif">How about adding travel time to the weapons? Then you don't have to worry about who fires first, as long as you fire before you are hit.

Re: The Future for SE IV? Does it have one?
 

I think SE4 is one of those games that will always have some life , as a cult classic.

I am so glad to hear the future plans for the SE series. Thats all great news.

Congrats to Aaron for escaping from the Rat race!

Re: The Future for SE IV? Does it have one?
 

<font size="2" face="Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif">make every weapon a seeker type weapon http://forum.shrapnelgames.com/images/icons/icon10.gif

Re: The Future for SE IV? Does it have one?
 

As long as there is money in my wallet SE4 has a future with me http://forum.shrapnelgames.com/images/icons/icon7.gif http://forum.shrapnelgames.com/images/icons/icon10.gif . The next generation(s) of the se4 series will always be a must have on my list.

Re: The Future for SE IV? Does it have one?
 

<font size="2" face="Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif">Ooh! Ooh! I want one! Can I have one? Can I? Please</font><hr /></blockquote><font size="2" face="Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif">my god, as long as they dont talk.

*tug on the string* . . . . "mineral planets are the best!"

Re: The Future for SE IV? Does it have one?
 

Star Wars Rebellion had 3D combat, which you could pause to give orders or change camera angles.

It also had the largest swap file requirement of any game I've ever owned, 150M free on the HD.

When a programmer has been working on the same thing for a long time, switching to an entirely different task can be refreshing. I imagine that DO was a welcome break for Aaron, and actually improved his productivity on his SE-related work.

Re: The Future for SE IV? Does it have one?
 

Great news!!!

Im happy to hear, that there is a SEV planned!

I will buy it!

Greetings from Stuttgart/Germany
vonManstein

Re: The Future for SE IV? Does it have one?
 

<font size="2" face="Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif">I strongly support this. You probably would not need so many impulses per turn, though. The number needed is just big enough so that whatever is the fastest object in the game (some seeker, probably) moves every impulse.

The right impulse sequence could eliminate the need to worry about initiative. Every impulse could be divided into four phases - first both sides designate movement for all ships that can move "this" impulse and which the player wishes to move (not moving would require expending a movement point in place), then all movement is implemented simultaneously, then both sides designate fire for all units that can fire "this" impulse" which the player wishes to fire, then fire is resolved simultaneously.

Any ship which can move "this" impulse would be highlighted somehow during movement designation until you move it. Any left over when you click "end movement" burn their movement point in place.

Weapon recharge times would be in impulses instead of tactical turns (example, if there are 30 impulses per turn, a weapon which could fire every turn under today's system would fire every 30 impulses, satisfaction of the recharge being carried over across the turn boundry). Any ship which can fire "this" impulse (both has a weapon charged and a valid target in range) would be highlighted in some way until you designate its fire. Any left over when you click "end fire designation" would just hold fire until next impulse.

Any impulse in which nothing on either side can move or fire would just be skipped.

This would solve a host of balance issues. Then you just need a bigger tactical map and a disengagement rule. The tactical map should be sized such that the fastest posible ship could run from its starting point (whether attacking, defending or entering via warp point) in a straight line for 30 impulses without hitting the map edge. Any ship could disengage as its move in an impulse in which it can move (thereby exiting combat, ending combat if it is the Last unit on its side) if it is out of range of all enemy weapons and either (a) at least as fast as the fastest enemy ship currently in the combat, or (b) the interaction of its separation and speed to each remaining enemy ship is such that if it were to run and be chased, it could not be brought into weapon range before the end of the battle (i.e. the 30th turn). Disengaged ships would have to move out of the system map sector at their next strategic movement opportunity, and could not do anything to the planets, etc.. before moving out. You should also be able to disengage through a warp point by sitting on it and expending a movement point. During movement, ships that can disengage should be highlighted distinctively from those which can move but not disengage.

On the system map, I would apply something akin to impulse movement as well. Orders would be entered during your turn as today, but nothing would move yet. Then there would be a simultaneous impluses execution, with execution interrupted for another orders phase if any ship enters a system containing hostile forces. The "attack" order could be used for one of your ships/fleets against an enemy ship/fleet in the same system, in which case would always move toward its target every movement impulse until it caught up & initiated combat or the target split or warped out or cloaked (any of which would pause order execution to allow new orders).

Re: The Future for SE IV? Does it have one?
 

BB,

Your "impulse system" sounds clever but a little bit too complex for my personal taste. I would love to see the normal SEIV tactical combat in SEV. Just a little bit pepped up.

with:
-better looking ships, ships with different "shapes" and user modded sizes. Why not having a dreadnought model which is 2 squares wide and 3 squares long, while another dreadnought type (of another race) is 4 squares long and just one square wide. Why not having a round "death star" model which occupies 4 or even 9 squares on the playing area.

-shooting and moving initiative depending on technology and race.

-advanced ground combat. But please no big planet surface a la fading suns. (none or just a small)

-4 different shooting angles (left, right, front, behind)

-turning and manoevre rules.

This and some other small tweaks should be enough to have a formidable time with SEV.

sorry for my bad english
klausD

PS: like many fans of SEIV (and its predecessors) I dont care alot about all these fancy 3D stuff. I like the game as it is. A revolution is not necessary when the basic system is very good.

Re: The Future for SE IV? Does it have one?
 

-------------------------------------------------
Posted by oleg:

After all, you are supreme leader of star empire and shall not be bothered with aiming of every single cannon !
-------------------------------------------------

** Lord_Shleepy rouses from his slumbers and helps his gun crews arm the Super-Devastating-Disintigrato-Blater-Ray-Thing**

That's it boy's! Now wait for it...wait for it...
NOW! ***BLOOOIE***

Ahh...there's nothing like squeezing the trigger yourself and hearing the satisfying **Wazhuum** of your Massive-Planet-Tingler scorching some happless chump.

Re: The Future for SE IV? Does it have one?
 

<font size="2" face="Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif">I think it is more complex to explain than it would be to use. The key thing is that every impulse some of your ships would be highlighted, you would move each one square (or hex, which is better), then click "end movement". Then the screen would be redrawn showing the post movement situation and all of your units which can fire highlighted. You order fire for those you wish, then click "end fire orders" and both sides shoot. Then next impulse. Battles would take longer, but that's what "strategic" resolution is for.

<font size="2" face="Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif">Never got around to buying Faded Suns (tend to dislike games in this genre with too fixed a backstory). My ideal would be ground combat like in the old GDW Traveller-universe game Invasion Earth. I'm OK with any number of systems, though.

<font size="2" face="Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif">I take it by this you mean something like firing arcs as in Star Fleet Battles? It would be cool, but would complicate ship design. You'd need rules for the impact on cost/spaces used for a mount with a bigger firing arc. It also pretty much requires a SFB-style break-up of shields into separate for each hex side, another complication to ship design. I'm all for it, but it is a big change:)

<font size="2" face="Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif">I gave that some thought after my Last post. Here is what I would propose:

In addition to stock formations, you should be able to customize a fleet's formation by assigning particular ships to particular position numbers in the formation.

Assuming a hex grid, turn modes, and impulse movement with simultaneous execution:

Formations have the turn mode and maximum speed of their least manueverable/slowest member.

There would be three types of formation turns could be ordered:

1) Leader make a facing change but stays in the same hex. Inside (relative to the turn) units do the same. Outside (relative to the turn) units move to gain their designated station relative to the leader. On subsequent impulses, outside units move at their individual maximum speeds/turn modes (if greater than formation speed/turn mode) to get on station ASAP, while the leader and inside units hold in place. Once all the outside units are on station, the leader can move again. Inside units move or hold in place as required, using their individual maximum speeds/turn modes (if greater than formation speed/turn mode) as applicable, to get to their station on the new heading ASAP.

2) Units all change facing together and their relative stations become their new formation stations - none moves except exactly as the leader moves.

3) As in SEIV today, where every unit just tries to get to its station, regarding in the outside units getting left behind until/unless the player moves leader manually at a slow rate for them to catch up.

I'd also like to see the ability to attach fleets to fleets, so they would move as one strategically. If that is used, at the biginning of combat you should be given a screen in which to set the fleets in relation to each other on the tactical map.

Re: The Future for SE IV? Does it have one?
 

I suppose it's too much to ask for a proper Newtonian movement system? Proper vector arithmetic, acceleration and displacement handled, Facing changes etc?

(Actually, the facing part is optional depending on the 'ground' scale and time scale.)

Even without 3D, a 2D vector-based game would be so much better than the current battle system.

...and seeing as I like the current system too, going 'real physics' could only make it better!

Steve.

Re: The Future for SE IV? Does it have one?
 

<font size="2" face="Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif">Do a multiselect with the shift-click. Your fleets will move as one for the next month of game time, just like multiselect does for individual ships.

[ August 19, 2002, 16:59: Message edited by: Suicide Junkie ]

Re: The Future for SE IV? Does it have one?
 

<font size="2" face="Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif">Except I have tested this and it doesn't work. Although I suppose I could have screwed it up somehow. Have you tested it? What ended up happening in my tests is fleet A hit the target right before Fleet B, even though they had the same movement. The Combat ended up happening seperately.

I agree though it shold work. I am hoping maybe I just did something wrong.

Re: The Future for SE IV? Does it have one?
 

<font size="2" face="Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif">I know, but I meant nested so that I just give orders to the outermost fleet. For example, 2nd Fleet contains BatRon 4 (consisting of 3 Battleships) and CruRon 22 (consisting of 4 heavy crUsers). For attacking through a warp point I might add a minesweeper squadron. For invading a planet I might add a squadron of troop transports. What I want is to be able to build higher level fleets out of building blocks consisting of lower level fleets.