Any One Still Playing This Game?

Suicide Junkie · #1 October 27th, 2007, 01:17 PM

The sliders/spinners from SE4 race setup. Far superior interface to use than a pile of checkboxes for +/-5%

Showing estimated time to completion on build queue items... NOT the time it would take if it were the only thing in the queue.
Throw in a small indication of how many resources have already been invested in the item too.

As an extension of #2:
Same deal with the flags. Make them 2D overlays, smaller, and pack them together so a sector with three races in it is understandable. A larger flag can be ok if there is only one race in the sector.

Kana · #2 October 27th, 2007, 02:28 PM

Bring back SE3 construction.

Fyron · #3 October 27th, 2007, 04:38 PM

Kana said:
"Bring back SE3 construction."

We have part of that already, since projects will maintain their built amount status if you move them down the queue (though sadly these amounts aren't actually listed for anything but the first item). The only thing missing is transferring them to another queue, which I'm not sure would be very feasible to introduce into the codebase at this point.

Kana · #4 October 28th, 2007, 01:47 AM

What I mean't about SE3 Construction, is that the ship is in space, in a partially built state, and each turn that it takes to build it, depends on the amount of components that can be added.

IE construction by component, not by resource value. Heck it would be even better, if it was by tonnage instead of even components.

Xrati · #5 October 28th, 2007, 09:39 PM

Fyron, on the three points, the key one being the "not having any fun" one... Esthetics aside, the game is just not enjoyable in the state that it currently is. It needs to be reworked to offer a better interface and that is the most important issue in playing a game! It needs to want a player, to looking forward to continue playing. The game lacks that appeal. SE4 had that appeal even before all the mods.

Fyron · #6 October 28th, 2007, 11:27 PM

It can't be reworked if we don't tell Aaron what is wrong with it specifically, though. What features make it unappealing? What changes would make such features better? It's not constructive to just say its unappealing. Aaron has made numerous changes and enhancements at specific request in the past, but he can't do much more without more feedback.

Artaud · #7 October 29th, 2007, 08:03 PM

I seem to recall that a great deal was said about SE5's appeal (for some) and lack of appeal (for others) around the time of its release. There were a lot of specifics back then.

SE5 is just a very different game with a very different feel.

This past weekend I almost downloaded the demo (again) with the idea of doing exactly what you suggest--coming up with a bunch of specifics. But I looked again at the screenshots and that was as far as it went.

With all due respect, I doubt that anything I personally could say would have any impact on any further development of SE5. I'm not an "insider." I was not a playtester. I've never created a mod for SE4. I *helped* create a race, and I've written some conversation and design name files, but that's it.

My assumption about SE5 when it came out and I played the demo was that Aaron just decided to take his game in a direction that I did not want to go. It's his product. He has the right to aim it at whatever section of the market he wants to.

I suggested features way back *before* SE5 came out. I was suggesting features for years. None of the things I wanted to see most in SE5 are there. Fair enough.

It may not be constructive to just say that the game is simply "unappealing." But who really--especially among us who were *not* playtesters to begin with--has the free time and the energy and the inclination to put together a detailed analysis of SE5 this far down the road?

What I would *love* to do is contribute toward the further development of some of the great mods for SE4.

Fyron · #8 October 30th, 2007, 03:12 AM

Being an insider is irrelevant. Aaron constantly implements things that take the beta testers by complete surprise, often from suggestions of totally random players.

You don't need that detailed of an analysis... Surely you can spare a few minutes typing up the things that annoyed you the most? You don't think SE5 development has stopped, do you? Its an ongoing process, just like SE4 was for years after release. There obviously won't be any radical changes like getting rid of slot layouts, but there are still lots of things that could be done...