[geoschmo]

Originally posted by spoon:
Art for art's sake, maybe? The game isn't perfectly balanced, though , so a lot of the choices that you appear to have aren't valid (in a competitive game). Making more choices available makes the game more robust, and therefore "better". If the happiness quotient stays the same, as you argue, then why not strive for perfection?

Why not? Frankly because there is no incentive for Malfador as a business to strive for perfection. I can't deny perfection as a noble goal. However, I think giving players the tools to make their own view of perfection is a perfectly acceptable method of acchieving that goal.

When you get down to it Malfador is a business. If the game was so hopelessly flawed that I did not feel I had gotten my money's worth out of it I could totally agree with you and even Fyron. But frankly I have gotten much more then I could or should expect to get out of a game I paid 40 bucks for. Even 80 if you count the Gold Version.

If something about the game bothers me enough I try to make a case to have it changed. Either it does or it doesn't get changed. Fortuntly at least for me the flaws I see with SEIV are not game stoppers. Even parts that are as goobered up as intel and mines are playable. They just aren't as deep as I would like. The weapon balance issue I see as such a non-issue. Mainly because I don't think it's that bad, and also because it's so user customizable.

The kind of changes I would like to see done are more fundamental then could be done in a simple balance tweak. A lot are more extensive then could be expected even in a patch. They require a new Version entirely. So for me it's more of a priority that Malfador start on SE5 then get tied up on an endless, and ultimatly futile search for perfection.

You say it's more of a factor for multiplayer games. I am sorry I don't get this at all. For me playing against a human isn't at all about what weapons I choose, but about the tactics and execution, building an empire, and then watching it get destroyed, or destroying my enemies if I am able. To me it's almost irrelevant what weapons are used.

I guess I have a little brain cause for me it's all I can do to maintain my empire at it's peak. If I had to think too hard to decide what guns were best to put on my ships...

But hey, here's an idea!

Why don't you and Fyron take it upon yourself to acchieve the perfection? Make the mythical "Balance Mod" that so many have started, and noone has finished. Get suggestions from the forum, make the changes, and play test them thouroughly. Heck, I even have some suggestions and will help play test it. But I don't have the time or energy to lead the effort.

Keep it simple though. Don't get off track on new ideas. Just deal with the exsisting weapons, find the problems, suggest and implement simple changes solutions. "Small moves Ellie." No hard code changes. Just stuff that we can change ourselves in the data files and test. And try to form a consensus opinion on everything. If a comromise can't be reached, no change is better then a bad one.

Once you have it ready we can go to Aaron and try with all our might to encourage him to implement them in the next patch lock stock and barrel. That is why I say keep it simple. The simpeler the better. The less possibility for conflicts with other parts of the game the better the chances he will do what we ask.

Worst case he won't add them and you will have what could end up being the standard balance mod for Se4. Combine it with TDM for improved AI and we might be that much closer to what we all think this game can be.

I am not saying "Put up or shut up." because you are free to do nothing and say anything you want. But people take you more seriously if you put some action behind your words.

Geoschmo