Next Upgrade/patch

geoschmo · #1 January 8th, 2003, 05:05 AM

Quote:

18. it would be nice if the system had the Last visited info displayed. IE, I visit a system but decide to not leave a unit there to monitor traffic. It now will show as explored when selected in the galaxy window. I would like something along the lines of "this information is 15 turns old" or "system Last visited on stardate 2404.9". this could be displayed underneath the system name in the upper left corner. It could also show red if it has been more than ten turns since Last visited, but color coding is not necessary, just a nice addition.

That would be a great feature, but it would require the savegame files to be a lot larger. And I mean a lot. This is bad for MP games for Users on dial-up modems.

Actually, I am not so sure it would make the savegame all that much bigger. All the information is there anyway. It has to be otherwise you couldn't have everybodies turn running off of the same .gam file. All that would be needed would be a couple of more bits for each system to say how old the view is for each system for each empire. The coding for the actual color coding or symbols or whatever would be in the game executable, not in the savegame.

Geoschmo

Fyron · #2 January 8th, 2003, 05:19 AM

Geo, it doesn't store the info of what is in the system on old turns in the savegame file. If it did, they would always get larger. But as players start to be eliminated, the savegame files get smaller.

geoschmo · #3 January 8th, 2003, 05:23 AM

Good point. I was thinking of real time info, but we can't exactly be giving that away now can we.

Arkcon · #4 January 8th, 2003, 05:27 AM

Quote:

Originally posted by geoschmo:

quote:
18. it would be nice if the system had

*snip*

That would be a great feature, but it would require the savegame files to be a lot larger. And I mean a lot. This is bad for MP games for Users on dial-up modems.

Actually, I am not so sure it would make the savegame all that much bigger. All the information is there anyway. It has to be otherwise you couldn't have everybodies turn running off of the same .gam file. All that would be needed would be a couple of more bits for each system to say how old the view is for each system for each empire. The coding for the actual color coding or symbols or whatever would be in the game executable, not in the savegame.

Geoschmo

If you want to make it simpler, you don't have to keep track of every ship and sat. Just remember what planets an opponent had colonized. Sure maybe one was just glassed and now you have an opprotunity to colonize ... but really is it worth haveing the colonization minister trying repeatedly on the off chance that happens. Some systems you just don't care about.

Gryphin · #5 January 8th, 2003, 05:42 AM

couslee,
A lot of good ideas. I like quite a few of them. In particular having the maintance cost displayed during the design process.
Just an idea > Yes losing a partialy built ship because you have to build something else is regretable. There are many aspects this game, (and many others) that don't make, "rational sence". They "seem" dumb. There is almost always a reason weather it is play ballance or coding limitaton, or just plain practical.

couslee · #6 January 8th, 2003, 09:29 AM

thanks guys.

RE-18: I am not saying to save the details. I have no problem with the way that is now. You enter a system, you see all the current plkanet date, other ships present, ect.. When you leave the system, all that info disappears and it looks like an empty system, irregardless of planets already colonized, ect. No need to change that. All I was saying, was under the system name an indication of when I Last viewed it would be nice. The game already shows the system now as explored. Make it show explored on what date. that should not cause an big increase in save file size.

#19, Quote reply:
"Why exactly? There's no reason for a construction yard to require an immobile station, which is what bases are treated as in the game. You could always just add a vehicle with the same stats as a base and the ability to add engines."
I may not be putting a construction yard on one. I may want to design a remote mining platform and be able to send it to a nearby asteroid field. Even if it was prohibited from using warp points would be fine. Or I may want to design a station as a defensive or repair base. With one engine, i could build it at the planet and slowly move it to where I want it placed.. It just makes more sence than building a ship with ship yard abilities so i can go build a ship yard.....

#4 Quote reply:
"That's +2 bonus movement, not +2 movement. Otherwise ships with 6 quantum engines would be running around at speeds of 20+ which is game-breakingly fast."
I understand that, that is not what I am saying. I would not want ships with that many movement points. design a ship, put one bonus movement engine on it. You see it has 3 movement. Add one Ion engine and that drops to two movement. You lose the bonus movement when mixing engines. All I was saying, was allow the mixing of engines without being penalized.

#14 Quote reply:
"For offers, that's far too much intelligence information to give someone for no effort."
How so? if both of us have Rock colonization, there is no reason to have it show on the tech list when offering a trade. Likewise, if I have rock colonization, there is no need for it to be on the tech list for the "request" side. I can understand you point regarding the offer side, knowing what you have that they don't could be construed as undue intel. But there is NO reason to be able to request a tech I already have. all that does is clutter the list.

thrilled to know #15 is in the full Version. At least in part. That don't work in the demo.

back to my search for info. can't find what I need regarding captured ships. (I captured one, that has organic weaponry. Now what do I do with it? retrofit command only brings up a list of my designs. How do I change the cheap engines, and retain the weapons. AND/OR I would like to learn those organic component abilities, but that don't seem possible in the demo, or I am missing something)

Phoenix-D · #7 January 8th, 2003, 09:59 AM

"#19, Quote reply:
"Why exactly? There's no reason for a construction yard to require an immobile station, which is what bases are treated as in the game. You could always just add a vehicle with the same stats as a base and the ability to add engines."
I may not be putting a construction yard on one. I may want to design a remote mining platform and be able to send it to a nearby asteroid field. Even if it was prohibited from using warp points would be fine. Or I may want to design a station as a defensive or repair base. With one engine, i could build it at the planet and slowly move it to where I want it placed.. It just makes more sence than building a ship with ship yard abilities so i can go build a ship yard....."

Not really. If you need to build something, but don't have the tools, what do you do? Make the tools. It makes perfect sense to me.

"#4 Quote reply:
"That's +2 bonus movement, not +2 movement. Otherwise ships with 6 quantum engines would be running around at speeds of 20+ which is game-breakingly fast."
I understand that, that is not what I am saying. I would not want ships with that many movement points. design a ship, put one bonus movement engine on it. You see it has 3 movement. Add one Ion engine and that drops to two movement. You lose the bonus movement when mixing engines. All I was saying, was allow the mixing of engines without being penalized."

Balance issue. This can be modded, but it would allow you to get Quantum speed but only paying the Ion price.

#14 Quote reply:
"For offers, that's far too much intelligence information to give someone for no effort."
How so? if both of us have Rock colonization, there is no reason to have it show on the tech list when offering a trade. Likewise, if I have rock colonization, there is no need for it to be on the tech list for the "request" side. I can understand you point regarding the offer side, knowing what you have that they don't could be construed as undue intel. But there is NO reason to be able to request a tech I already have. all that does is clutter the list."

Actually there is a reason. Namely, multiple level techs, and bluffing. If you have ship construction 3, and your ally has 5, you certainly want it listed for a trade!

"back to my search for info. can't find what I need regarding captured ships. (I captured one, that has organic weaponry. Now what do I do with it? retrofit command only brings up a list of my designs. How do I change the cheap engines, and retain the weapons. AND/OR I would like to learn those organic component abilities, but that don't seem possible in the demo, or I am missing something)"

The answer here to all is "you can't". Racial tech- which is what Organic tech is- can't be captured.

Phoenix-D