Strategic vs. Tactical

[jowe01]

True, but nevertheless, seeing how the combat actually evolved would tremendously increase the interest in multi-player games. A major element in SE is the development of components with one or the other particular strength. Afterwards, you spend some thoughts on the question how to design your ships. Finally, your fleets are composed in a way which optimises the performance of the whole battlegroup.
And all this just to see a couple of moving red points afterwards ? Very unsatisfactory.
I guess, or at least I hope, that the strategic battleengine functions exactly like the tactical engine on "Resolve combat" (otherwise the whole design process would be more or less futile. If this is the case, why not show the human players in a multiple player game how the combat actually evolved ? This would be so much more fun (or so much more teeth-grinding...)

[General Hawkwing]

I agree, a post battle viewer (like Stars!) would really increase the game experience when in multiplayer mode.

[Jubala]

I agree about the post battle viewer. I have been told that we'll be able to see if any surviving enemy ships where damaged so I won't wish for that again.

As for fighting tactical combats in MP, it could be done if a LAN play option was added. You actually connect to other games running on other computers in a LAN and play. Sim turns would probably work best but I know some people would want turnbased as well. As soon as combat occurs the players involved are taken to tactical mode an dukes it out. During game setup there could be options like, nonfighting players watch, only allow tactic combat between humans, always allow tactic combat or never allow tactic combat.

This would of course mean massive coding of network code so I really don't think it will happen. I don't really know if I want it to happen either. I'm just saying it could be done.

[Rambie]

The battle report lists each ship that was in the battle and what % damage was taken or if it was destroyed.

There isn't a post-battle replay. I wish there was myself. I did like that about Stars!

Rambie

[Possum]

Actually, it *is* possible to use Tactical combat in MP, at least in the v0.56 demo. But only if you set the game up as "Hot-Seat" rather than email. Hence, the comment below about LAN games makes very good sense...

[Blue Lord]

Yeah, but you'd hav to customize the most tactics and formations for you're self becasue in many cases I found that the strategic AI control of you're ships is really bad.