[larrybush]

I just read the Last transcript with Aaron Hall and it answered some of my wants in SEV (thanks Aaron). He said he was chatting with his left hand and coding the map editor with his right! Since your working on that here's a suggestion that would truly help us solo players (like me)

1) Allow for me to create a map with just the stars (their name, location and associated image files). Allow me to push a tool button to randomly flesh out the solar systems within. Then I can use my real star maps without knowing every detail in them. The use of formulas would be nice too! Like if its a binary system then use "binary1" thru "binary3" in creating the solar systems. This way we could tell the game or map editor the kinds of solar systems that would be expected with the varying star types.

and this one's kinda hard to explain...

2)Since it appears to me that the warp point movement style is hard coded maybe it would be possible to "fake" other styles of FTL drives... If the map editor uses squares or hexes just allow a feature or mod that would connect all the edges of all the squares/hexes with invisible warp points and lines together as a grid, so that it appears to be movement from square to square or hex to hex. With the addition of a component ability type that allows warp point movement, you could create warp engines, hyper drives and only these ships could move through visible or invisible warp points. With these features you could simulate the Star Trek, Bab 5 and Star wars FTL types by using variations of the expanded warp point styles..