Official SE5 release date announced - September 12

Q · #1 September 12th, 2006, 05:30 AM

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Spoo said:

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Kana said:
I still say that Aaron missed out on a good opportunity to add something special to the game other than glitz and glamour via 3d graphics. With neither the armor, shields, nor weapons on a directional basis, then what is the need for directional damage to components. Its not like you removing ability for the ship to fight from that side...all weapons arc, so there is no reason to destroy facing weapons, and I cant think of any other reason that directional damage, would have any effect. Sounds like useless code, that basically couldnt be finished. Without weapon, shield, armor arcs, there is absolutely no reason for directed damage...

I agree. Non-directional shields/armor is disappointing.

To be honest: I am glad there is no directional shield/armor. Of course it would be interesting if it worked like in starfury and the computer in strategic combat would move the ship optimally and you had some good computer aid in ship design. But if these two "and" are not fulfilled it could be quite tedious and frustrating.
Don't forget that probably 99% of all combats will be strategic.
On the other hand I agree that you could have left directional damage out completely.

Captain Kwok · #2 September 12th, 2006, 08:17 AM

One of the things to keep in mind is that with adding weapon arcs and facings, you make it much more difficult to balance individual shipsets. Unlike Starfury where you might have to balance a dozen or so ships, SE:V has about 150 to worry about. With the directional damage, once shields and armor are down (or special damage types are in use) it plays a minor role such as in a pursuit, where a fleeing ship tends to be hit in the engines first etc. Lastly, fleet battles tend to end up in melees anyway, so if most of these features were active there wouldn't be much difference in the end result.

AMF · #3 September 12th, 2006, 10:58 AM

So...speaking of battles...are the combats now greater than 30 turns, and floating? (ie, don't have corners, so you can do that pursuit thing you allude to...)?

I just keep up with the pestering questions, don't I...

Captain Kwok · #4 September 12th, 2006, 11:47 AM

Combat is time-based and there are no corners. If a gap between a chasing ship and a fleeing ship reaches a certain distance the combat will end.

Ed Kolis · #5 September 12th, 2006, 12:34 PM

Yay! I kinda suspected that you could flee combat in that manner but it's good to hear confirmation of that!
Presumably that distance is moddable, and perhaps it might even be a formula, so for instance if you start with Chemical Rockets going 20 km/s or something and eventually get Hyper-Quasar Drives going 100 km/s then the distance required to retreat could increase throughout the game as the average player's tech level advances? Or is it time-based - based on the speed of the fastest ship in the pursuing fleet? (e.g. "if the enemy ship can't reach your current position within 30 seconds the combat ends")

edit: clarified from "can't reach you" to "can't reach your current position"

RonGianti · #6 September 12th, 2006, 12:48 PM

I just assumed that some shipsets would be better than others, and that you would have to pay for better ship sets the same way you pay for any other advantage at the beginning of the game. Oh well.

So now we have to pay for maintenance on fighters? Oh great. Are they completely useless then? Are they just a little niche item or just something to bypass completely?

Ed Kolis · #7 September 12th, 2006, 01:11 PM

They are now individually targetable, rather than stacked in groups, and the lack of area-effect weapons means that ships with only big guns will be wasting a LOT of firepower trying to blast those little buggers out of the sky

99 drushocka fighters in space, 99 drushocka fighters
Shoot your DUC, blow one up, 98 drushocka fighters in space!
WHAM! 98 structural damage!
98 drushocka fighters in space, 98 drushocka fighter...