Feature requests

[ibol]

Got ideas, big or small? Put them here.

[Kazeto]

Well, I do have a few ... sort of. I mean, some of them will probably look as if they are half-feature-requests and half-complaints, so I have no idea if they actually can be called “feature requests”.

Nevertheless, this is what I have, as far as requests go:

• Would it be possible to get an option of sorts that would disable item auto-installing when buying? Or maybe something like shift + corresponding letter to buy without equipping? I mean, it's not really necessary as it is, but in early game (and possibly later, I count sector 13 as early game) getting enough materials for crafting anything means doing a few trips and buying whatever cheap items there are, and changing the equipment back after every single station visit quickly gets a bit ... tedious, so to say.

• Would it be possible to get a hotkey for auto-shooting? Something like “v”, maybe, as it's near “f” and seemingly not used for anything. I mean, yes, I know it's just 1 key press less ... but when surrounded by hordes of puny monsters that multiply that 1 key less gets multiplied many, many times (and yes, I got an idea for that request after this one trip to a spaceship wreck infested with some weird eyes that multiplied until the end of time).

• Is there any chance of planets with caves getting notes or marks of some sort that are visible on the sector map, or maybe when being over the planet? It's not a big deal for the most part, but those who are completionists will try to go back to get all the caves cleaned once they get enough oxygen in the suits to do that, but flying like a moron over all the planets and landing on every single one just because there might have been a cave quickly gets boring.

And that's it for now. Maybe I'll get more ideas after playing more, or something.


PS. I know I'm just being mean now and all that, but there's a typo in the manual. In at least one place (only noticed that one, didn't read the whole thing) there's a word “effect” that instead should have been “affect”. But I'm only mentioning that ... I don't know, for the sake of completion, I guess. Most people probably wouldn't have problems with that typo anyway.

[ibol]

Wow, Kazeto, for 'complaints' and 'mean', you sound pretty reasonable

Anyway, when I saw you mention 'typo', I was mortified. Until I noticed it was about 'effect'. You may be technically correct (which is the best kind of correct), but I gave up on trying to tell those 2 words apart a long time ago.

Auto-Install:
I have noticed the same behavior when collecting crafting components. There's no reason we can't add an option for that.

Auto-Shoot Hot Key:
That was my intention with the "page-down" key. It is easily accessible from the numpad area, and not used for anything else. I feel like 'v' is slated for something...

Planet/Cave Note:
It is conceivable. But questions arise... Do you just want to know the existence of caves? Or how deep you've gone? What if you've reached the bottom? What if you have explored some, but not all?
- We would need the ability to very quickly calculate those variables, and to display them in an easy-to-understand and not-overbearing way...

This is exactly the kind of thing that this thread is here for.
Thanks!
Bob

[Kazeto]

Originally Posted by ibol

Anyway, when I saw you mention 'typo', I was mortified. Until I noticed it was about 'effect'.

Funny thing is, I noticed because it was that particular word. And even that only because I once spent a week arguing with some stubborn moron on another forum about it; the guy ended up alienating pretty much everyone else who posted in that particular thread (long story, really) and I ended up remembering it. So yeah ...

In any case, there's the guide Cyberis had posted, which generally works as “effect” is usually a noun; sometimes it's a verb though, but in all of those cases you can use either “cause” or “produce” instead (so it needn't ever really be used as a verb).

But I'm digressing so I'll stop that before I get annoying.

Originally Posted by ibol

Planet/Cave Note:
It is conceivable. But questions arise... Do you just want to know the existence of caves? Or how deep you've gone? What if you've reached the bottom? What if you have explored some, but not all?
- We would need the ability to very quickly calculate those variables, and to display them in an easy-to-understand and not-overbearing way...

I guess, optimally, display if there are any cave levels, and if yes then if there are any that are not yet entered. So there would be three possible statuses:

1) No cave. No additional text.
2) Cave, fully explored. Additional text, something like “Fully explored cave” or just “Explored cave”.
3) Cave, with any levels not yet entered. Additional text, something like “Unexplored cave”, or even just “Cave”.

Mind you, keeping it simple would still work (for the most part, people do remember something about the cave being somewhere and about the cave not yet being explored, so unless they stop playing for a few days (or more; many people have good enough memories to remember bits like that for weeks even) just a simple information about caves being there likely would suffice.

And in the same vein, a detailed information about the cave could be used too. But then again, that one might spoil how many cave levels there are (assuming they are not essentially infinite; with mere 120 oxygen I can't really check that yet), and if there's a cave with just 1 spot blocked some people will go crazy ... it's easy enough to get crazy over the 99% exploration on planets with “urban” setting and blocked tiles, at least until that can be seen through.

[Cyberis]

Ibol/Kazeto,
Perhaps cave stats (all the ones Ibol mentioned are awesome!) could be part of a tooltip that would pop up when the mouse is over the planet.

Or maybe you could have a Captain's Log component where we can keep a log/notes as we explore. Even a log that allowed one entry per sector would be helpful. There could even be a right click action when over a planet or a cave entrance that would be "record this in the log" if having a freeform log would cause too many save game problems.

I've already done the "I remember their being a planet with an unexplored cave a few sectors back" and have to go to all the sectors and land on most of the planets to make sure I got all the caves. That cost a few thousand credits for the satisfaction of having gotten everything (except the green and brown, irradiated?, planet since I haven't found a suit that is strong enough to handle that.)

[Cyberis]

BTW,
It's probably too late for the manual but here is a good article for effect (which is a noun) vs affect (which is a verb). Even that article makes it clear that knowing which word to use is not always easy to discern.

[Cyberis]

Kazeto,
I have been to the bottom of some pretty deep caves (11 levels) and every cave I've found so far does have a definite bottom. A few caves have only been one level deep.

[Tuidjy]

Early in the Beta, truly infinite caves existed.

Then, later, there was an exploit which would allow you to make caves keep going after a 'reward' level was generated. I assume those were also effectively infinite, as long as you kept the exploit going.

As soon as I get my copy, I'll see whether that is still in the game.

[Fennrick]

+1 for the "Captains Log" idea. Right now im using wordpad to make small notes for every system (caves, lots of asteroids for mining etc.)Would be cool to have something like this integrated into the game itself.

[MassEject]

Unsure if this has been requested. But at the death (or end) of a game, I would love to see all my actions spat out to a text file or some sort of mission log that I could save and read for later. The cool thing about this game is that YOU REALLY ARE creating your own story. Would love to go back and read these stories.