more stuff we need

[apache]

Like the topic says...yet more brainstorming on making the game better/easier/more fun/more logical/whatever.

1) In the planets screen, there should be a way to filter out specific types of planets to colonize. In other words, be able to set some filter so you only see gas/rock/ice planets. I would also like to see the 'breathable' filter changed to be able to select specific atmosphere types. This would help for late in the game when your empire is breathing oxygen, but you have a bunch of conquered peoples that breathe methane or something.
2) Updating facilities in a large empire SUCKS!! There needs to be some sort of 'update old facilities' button somewhere, probably in the colonies screen. This would simply check every planet, and if they have facilities that can be upgraded, the upgrade should be put into the queue. Also, I can't seem to think of any time where you actually would want an obsolete facility to be built, so this should also update all queues that are slated to build outdated facilities, and modify the queue so that all those old facilities in the queue are now the new facilities in the same spots in the queue. If an old facility is currently being built, well I guess I don't know what should be done about that.
3) Change the feature that doesn't let you change prototype designs once they are added to the queue to make it so you can't change prototype designs once they are currently being built. Its really silly to have your shipyard building a cruiser design, and you just get battle cruiser technology, so you put in a prototype battle cruiser as the next item in the queue, but you can't change the design next turn when that old cruiser is still not finished, and you have some brand new jacketed photon engines to equip the battle cruiser with. Run on sentence, I think, but you get the point.4) Mines. Make them less pointless to design. I suggest adding some sort of sensor package (say it takes up 5kt or one slot on the mine design) so they can be either dumb mines which blow up no matter who goes through, or smart mines which have less explosive power, but won't blow up friendlies.
5) I find it incredibly annoying when the AI colonizes in my space. I know the AI is programmed to colonize a system, and claim all adjoining systems, then colonize them, but something needs to be changed so that it does not colonize or claim an ally's territories. Maybe it should discontinue claiming surrounding systems if they are already claimed by an ally, if it has a trade alliance or better with that ally.
6) Make technology trading less hit or miss with the AIs. Sometimes I may want to get say Physics 2 from an AI, but they accept the trade, and all I get is level 1, which I already have. Maybe if you can specify a level of that technology that you want when proposing a trade. So you could offer level 1, 2, 3, and 4 physics in return for level 2 astrophysics, and level 3 and 4 propulsion.
7) Another thing I want when composing a message is the ablity to bring up a map with system names on it and other stuff, pretty much like the map in the corner. Its a real pain when you want to suggest a border with a human player, and forget what systems are which, or maybe you want to trade a sytem with the AI, but can't remember if you are giving him a border system or your home system. Also, in addition to this, for trades, it would be really nice if, next to the names of ships for trade, it told you what system they were in.
Well, thats all I can think of for now.

[dumbluck]

quote:

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Originally posted by apache:

2) Updating facilities in a large empire SUCKS!! There needs to be some sort of 'update old facilities' button somewhere, probably in the colonies screen. This would simply check every planet, and if they have facilities that can be upgraded, the upgrade should be put into the queue.

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Umm, there already is one. I think it's in the construction menu (the wrench button), bottom right hand corner.

[Mysterial]

quote:

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Originally posted by apache:
4) Mines. Make them less pointless to design. I suggest adding some sort of sensor package (say it takes up 5kt or one slot on the mine design) so they can be either dumb mines which blow up no matter who goes through, or smart mines which have less explosive power, but won't blow up friendlies.

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Mines blow up friendlies? I never saw that. The player that hits them has to have no treaty or a negative treaty (War or Non-Intercourse) to be hit. Otherwise, AFAIK they don't even know they're there unless they have a Partnership treaty with you.

[mac5732]

In regards to upgrading ships, go to the ship design window, click on ship you want to upgrade then hit the upgrade button, your ship will auto be upgraded, you can also add or subtract components if you wish, you only have to give it a new name and click create. therefore if you have old cruiser being built and get a BC, design your BC, then either click and take the old CA out of the build process and your new BC takes its place if you put in build, or up upgrade old CA design to new, then either do as stated above or once old CA is built, hit the retro-fit button and it will be upgraded to the new design. I think it is even possible to say hit upgrade CA, you go to the upgrade screeen, change ship design to BC instead of CA and you can then upgrade to BC size if you want to do this.

In regards to facitlities, there are two ways to upgrade them. 1 is to use the wrench as stated, at the top, the other is in the either the colonies or empire buttons at top of screen. Look on the far right, lower down and you should see upgrade facility button. I also believe it gives you choices on which planets you want to see or show. These will auto upgrade your facilities by putting them into your build que and upgrading them on your planet. It takes a turn or two before upgrade takes place depending on what you already have being built. It also shows a scrap facility button if you just want to scrap them and build something else.

In regards to trade, when you trade with AI/human you only get 1 upgrade from what you already have, example you have level 1 missles, AI has level 3, you ask for trade, if accepted, you will receive level 2 missle, not level 3, you would have to trade again for the next level. Its also the same the other way around until top level is reached.

just some ideas mac

[ 27 November 2001: Message edited by: mac5732 ]

[MegaTrain]

Regarding trading technologies:

I can't confirm that it would work with AIs, but try this:
When you request a trade, request MULTIPLE copies of the SAME tech. I know it works with human players, giving 3 copies of Computers gives them levels 1, 2 and 3, all in the same turn.

You do have to be careful, though, because you can't specify EXACTLY which levels to trade. If you have propulsion up to 10, and the other race has propulsion up to 3, then trading them 3 copies of propulsion will give them levels 4, 5 and 6.

If you're giving or trading lots of techs, make sure they have the prerequisite techs, too. To trade for full computers, without knowing what they have, you would trade:
INDUSTRY
COMPUTERS
COMPUTERS
COMPUTERS
COMPUTERS
COMPUTERS
COMPUTERS (or however many levels there are).

[apache]

Oh geez. Looks like I can't write too well, because I think everyone misunderstood what I wrote. Except for that facilities upgrade thing. I never knew about that. Or maybe I did know, but forgot. Eitherway, thanks a lot.
Ok, first, I don't think I wrote anything about upgrading ships, it was late, but I am pretty sure I didn't put that in. I do know how to upgrade ships, so thanks, but that was useless info.
On mines, no they don't blow up friendlies right now, but my suggestion was to change them so that they do, unless you build in a sensor component into them. That way mine design and placement can be done with thought, and strategy.
On trading, yes I know how to get multiple technologies traded right now, however, I just sometimes encounter the situation where I think an AI has 3 levels of tech better than my own, for example, so I try to trade that AI for those 3 levels, but it turns out I was wrong and he only had 1 level better than me, so I get that same tech level 3 times in return for the trade. It would make more sense for the trades to request specific levels, so the AI can tell you he can't trade that stuff with you or whatever. I have successfully traded with the AI before for multiple tech levels. In a game recently, using the TDM modpack, I traded the earth alliance for 7 levels of planet utilization to get myself atmospheric converters. Well, I guess its a minor or irrelevant thing, but I think it would make tech trading easier and more efficient.
Hope this clears my post up a bit. And thanks again for that wrench info. Gonna make my life so much easier.

[dogscoff]

The upgrade thing was a misunderstanding of your point 3). I see what you meant, and I agree with it completely. Why can't I edit my prototype design when it's in a build queue? If it's being built, then fair enough, but if constuction hasn't started yet..?

[dumbluck]

You used to be able to edit designs that were in the build queue. I think they took it out mainly because of the old "I've got one turn left to build on my BC. Oh, look, I just got a new tech in engines and shields! We'll just edit that design, never mind that we are changing almost half the components in the design, it'll still complete in one turn...." They took it out at...v1.35, I think? Anyway, I think that was why. (Don't quote me on that, it's been a long time since that happened....)

[dogscoff]

Like I say, I'm not suggesting that we should be able to change a design that is *in-build*. If it's queued up to build though, but there are still items in front of it, where would be the harm in allowing us to edit it then?

[Menschenfresser]

Mysterial,
Are you sure you can see the mines of those who you have a partnership with? I am pretty sure in all the games I have played both PBEM and against the AI, I have never seen another guys mine field unless I ran into it.

???