quote:
Originally posted by mafia:
but why would one want to "search" for a warp-point? Click Warp, Click edge (of screen), click warp, click edge, click warp, click edge.. click click click click click yawn... 
-m
In Starfire there have always been "open warp points" that are easy to find, and "closed warp points" that you can really only find when you come through them from the other side. This was originally introduced to deal with "on the fly" system generation during a game - if somebody explores a warp point and the die roll to determine where it leads puts the other end in a system that has already been explored by somebody. However, it ends up creating some interesting strategic situations, for example you find a warp point with a "closed" end in one of your opponent's "rear area" systems, or you retreat behind one to hide from an opponent much stronger than yourself. Another reason is that is slows up offensives if you have to spend a lot of time surveying the system you just conquered before moving to the next.