One thing that would make the game so much better

[Undertakr]

Unless I'm missing a setting, there is one thing that gives a huge unfair advantage that I wish could be fixed for the gold Version.

Right now, on maps where you can't see the map, the user see's their sector in the map grid in the position of the sector. So, for example, if your home sector is in the bottom left corner, it displays that on the map from the first turn.

This gives players in corners HUGE unfair advantages.

1) They know they can't be attacked from the boarders of the map.

2) They can tell all of their friends their exact location to help with trade/defense.

3) They can defend their area early on without much exploration.

I think a much better system would be that the Users starting sector is centered in the map so that no boundaries are known until they are found. This gives the race advantage of knowing the map from start a much better advantage (as it should) and it makes everyone equal to start.

Just my .02

- Takr

[Suicide Junkie]

Wouldn't it be the same thing as making warppoints "Wrap around the edges"?

All that would have to be done is to add WPs from far-left to far-right, and from top to bottom when generating the map, rather than recoding the whole map display.

PS: you could do this using the map editor: generate a slew of random maps, add the warppoints. To avoid unfairly knowing the layout of maps from turn 1, pick randomly from a large pool of generated maps, and/or get someone else (or many somebodies) to generate maps.

[geoschmo]

This is an awesome idea. Actually I think Undrtakers concern would also require the galactic map representation to change based on player position. Otherwise even with wrap-around warp points you could still tell your buddies where you are in the quadrant.

But wrap around warp points would really change the way you play the game. I'm going to have to experiment with this a little.

It would give you at least of feeling of three dimentionality in the quadrant. I have never been comfortable with the "edge of the universe" problem. And it would definelty change the way you defend your systems.

I know myself I often will race to the edge if I dont start at one so that I can have a pyhsical barrier that limits the approaches to my systems. This would make that impossible to do.

And really you wouldn't need to make all that many maps. Since the placment of empires is more or less random (Unless you assign starting points in the map generator) The map would effectivley be different every time you played with it.

Geoschmo

[Gryphin]

I have not tried, but I would think it would be possible to post a set of maps on the "senario" section. This would be a good source of Unknown maps.

[Phoenix-D]

The big problem with modding the "wrap around" WPs is that you'll get this big line drawn all the way across the galaxy when "show warp lines" is turned on. One line per wraping WP..

Phoenix-D

[dmm]

I like this idea; however, I dispute that we are conquering the universe. It is only a galaxy, and galaxies really do have edges.

[Suicide Junkie]

Yep. You'll just have to ask yourself whether you feel it is worth downloading the optional maps.

List some of the common/popular galaxy settings, and I'll add a wrapping map pack to my do-do list.

PS: as an alternative, turning OFF all WP's connected would get you a better map. Everybody will be near some edge, and that won't change until WP-SM tech is developed. At that point, does location matter anymore?.

[geoschmo]

quote:

---

Originally posted by Phoenix-D:
The big problem with modding the "wrap around" WPs is that you'll get this big line drawn all the way across the galaxy when "show warp lines" is turned on. One line per wraping WP..

Phoenix-D

---

True, it would look kind of messy. Although this idea might actually be a decent use for the grid map placement. (Does anyone actually use that now?) Having wrapping warp points on a grid map would not change the appearance much because the wrap around lines would fall right over exsisting lines (except for the diagonals) and you wouldn't see them. The effect would be of a systems on the surface of a 3D sphere, represented in a 2D map. Would be very cool to play IMHO.

Geoschmo

[geoschmo]

Ok, download the Sphere Map here.

Geoschmo

[bearclaw]

2 things actually.

1) being able to trade ship designs

2) being able to succeed a portion of your empire to create a NEW empire, much like what happens when a planet revolts. But not nessesarily to give to someone else.

I don't really see that one being used very often But I've had couple times where it would have been useful.