Arcade Game?

[Phoenix-D]

"Thanks Phoenix-D for the mod. Helps out a lot but not sure it is perfect. Been buying improved engines but my speed stat is not going up. I'm at work so can't check to see if there was a read me or such which covered this."

That would be included in the "I couldn't mod the components file" problem. That and I probably didn't really need to drop the top speed.

[Wydraz]

Originally posted by The Harv:

I was rather excited about this game and could not wait to try the demo. I really hope this issue is resolved in the product (Not by mod!) and a new demo is released. I just can not bring myself to purchase something I have to rely on mods to make playable. Mods should enhance and add additional campaigns and such.

I agree. It would be nice if the full game had a simple switch (as many space sims do) giving you the option for "realistic" combat and "arcade" combat.

[Suicide Junkie]

What exactly are you looking for, then?
- The mod on a CD?
- The "stamp of approval" from MM?
- Aaron's signature in the readme?

The first run of CDs won't have it, since they've already been stamped out by whatever company Shrapnel uses for that sort of thing.
So... you'd be downloading an update to recieve it, no matter which way its done.

If you just want to be assured that it is or will exist, don't fear.
I've already got one more suited to my tastes, with much slower, but still dangerous combat, along with a bunch of other features.
When I occasionally play stock, its seems like instantaneous victory or defeat in comparison

In my mod, you can dance with heavier ships for a while (a minute or two for DS vs CR) if you are well prepared, but you're not going to win unless you've got a some pretty big tricks up your sleeve. Allied ships waiting in ambush, perhaps.
I don't allow most of the "Emergency repair" components either. Only energy and hull, and those I rarely use. Maybe when a lucky hit takes out both primary and backup lifesupport, and my repair bay is disabled too.

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Of course, the "switch" is already right there. Pop open notepad, and change things however you like. Divide firing rates in half, slash turn speeds, bump armor strength up by a factor of 10, no problem.

If you ever want more or less of an existing feature, it can almost certainly be done.

[it depends]

Just to add onto the specs...
A7N8X, Barton 2500(@10.5*200), Geforce3Ti200.
Game speed seems perfect at normal settings, maybe a little quick when i get into a 1 vs 3 fight, but hey, it's not like that should easy.

Do like the turn rate mod idea though, as my destroyer does ridiculously tight donuts.

[Phoenix-D]

Ok, just to make sure this isn't a game problem:

Anyone who thinks the game is too fast, or too slow, stop your ship, press F7 and click directly behind. Measure the time it takes to turn completely around. For a destroyer, this should IIRC be about 3 seconds, for a cruiser 4 seconds.

I'll put out an updated Version of the demo mod later. 2x slowdown and no adjustment to maximum speed, I think.

[Wydraz]

Originally posted by Suicide Junkie:

Of course, the "switch" is already right there. Pop open notepad, and change things however you like. Divide firing rates in half, slash turn speeds, bump armor strength up by a factor of 10, no problem.

Tinkering in notepad is not a 'switch'. I just thought that many players who are not into modding would like that option. Most people cannot open a data file and instantly figure out what they need to change, including me. There will be new players who will be turned off by the arcade speed of combat, and some already have been by the demo.

I personally don't have a problem either way. I've grown accustomed to the arcade style, but in my own mod I'm most likely going to slow things down a bit, as that is the kind of game I want.

[ October 01, 2003, 19:48: Message edited by: Wydraz ]

[PvK]

I think the people who need to run at speed 8 are doing it to pass the time during uneventful travel, or their computer is way below spec or running in software mode or something.

Yes, turning takes about three seconds. It is too fast for a starship simulator, for my tastes. It's ok for a light strategy/arcade/RPG game, which is what it is. Other things besides speed which complete the design are things like the inability to do everything while paused, the need to manually avoid crashing into other ships and planets, and the way the ships and bases are about as big as planets, and their sizes are taken literally for collision detection, accidental weapon hits, the limited viewing arcs, the lack of navigation commands, range and firing arcs from different firing points on the ship, and the way days of game time pass in seconds of real time, even on the slowest game speed setting.

However, it's clear that MM and many of the playtesters don't mind all that much, and actually enjoy the design as a light strategy/action game with abstracted time and space and the need to fight at arcade speed, the responsibility to avoid collisions and check the views for threats manually, etc. These things will bother some players (myself included), but not everyone.

Yes, it'd be nice to have two game designs in one. It'd also be rather tough to pull off, for various reasons. Some mods like SJ's will help for those players whose tastes are somewhere in between, no doubt.

PvK