Rumours, Suggestions, Features on the Next Update

[geoschmo]

This is just my opinion, but I think all the problems with balancing the missles come from making them available at game start, but not allowing point defense until after a lot of research. With SEIII missles come around about the same time as PDC, so you can make them tougher to kill without making them impossible to beat early on.

So either require some research to get to missles, or allow some weak form of point defense early on. Then you can do a better job of balancing them so they Last longer without throwing the early game so terribly out of whack.

Reasonable?

Geoscho

[CW]

I'm always on the look out for little bits and pieces of suggestions on things like game balancing. You guys should check out my mod when it comes out in another half a year!

[Baron Munchausen]

Originally posted by geoschmo:
This is just my opinion, but I think all the problems with balancing the missles come from making them available at game start, but not allowing point defense until after a lot of research. With SEIII missles come around about the same time as PDC, so you can make them tougher to kill without making them impossible to beat early on.

So either require some research to get to missles, or allow some weak form of point defense early on. Then you can do a better job of balancing them so they Last longer without throwing the early game so terribly out of whack.

Reasonable?

Geoscho

Or have a smaller class of missiles available at first and make the CSM start a few levels up the tech tree. If missiles do less damage per hit then they will not be so unbalancing even without PDC to counter-act them.

I've always thought that armor should be available right away, at least basic armor. How hard is it to make steel armor if you've got steel for ships? Then put emissive armor and other 'fancy' stuff further up the tech tree where it belongs.

[ June 20, 2002, 17:33: Message edited by: Baron Munchausen ]

[Jmenschenfresser]

I think the of giving missles simulated evasion is easily accomlished by shortening the range of PD. Just say that only in the Last two sectors before hitting a target are the missles on a "direct" path. Before that they spiral, zag and loop around making them impossible to hit.

To me there is no realism if a barage of 20 missles are launch and none get through. If PD reaches one square, two at max, then point of defense is really a local thing. No more PD ships covering your entire fleet.

Which brings up another gripe I have been harboring, which pertains largely to missle attacks, but to all attacks as well using beams.

I would like the options to give my ships a spread or covering fire order...where they would divide up their shots or missles between as many targets as their trackers allow. At present, trackers don't really add much to strategic combat, unless your volley destroys a ship. After being able to track 2 ships, three if you are facing an inferior opponent, they become a bit worthless. With this order you could tell a missle ship or WP to launch its missles at multiple targets.

Don't you hate seeing your WPs launching 30 missles at one ship...or seeing the AI do it. Would be a good thing to have in conjunction with high damage weapons: null-space, PPB (if your opponent doesn't have phased shields), psychic sigularity thing, engine damaging.

Think about it...a lvl 5 tracking device and five null-space cannons. With luck you could reduce five ships to one movement in one turn.

[jimbob]

or allow some weak form of point defense early on. Then you can do a better job of balancing them so they Last longer without throwing the early game so terribly out of whack.

I think that flak was introduced in one mod... was it Ultimate?? Can't remember, but I thought it was a good idea. I'm thinking of making an "in house" mod for some guys I play hotseat with, and I'm going to add flak for WeapPlatforms and blister packs for Ships/Bases. Available in maybe 3 levels, all Point Defense. The first level will be available right at the start.

I'm also going to add a type of shield that requires NO research... and the game will still be balanced! I remember some board game from eons ago in which one of the shield systems was just the expulsion of huge volumes of water. It didn't provide a great amount of protection, but did defract beam weapons to a small degree and decreased chances to hit for incoming fire due to the defracting image of the defender. So I'm making a component that has these properties, but that uses a whole heck of a lot of supplies to do it. It will be outclassed by shields and ECM quite early though.

I'm also thinking of decreasing the accuracy of all weapons by 20% across the board to make ships harder to hit in the early game and fighters in the later game (there is a recent thread regarding this and weapon mounts).

And then the new patch... oh the possibilites.

[DavidG]

Originally posted by Baron Munchausen:
Heh... yeah, I suppose the biggest fault in the UI is the lack of wheel- mouse support. Once you get used to it, it's really frustrating trying to use a computer without it.

Well after recently trying to add wheel mouse support in my modding program I think implementing this is really really really frustrating!! Can you say CRASH CRASH CRASH!

One think that would really nice, which someone else mentioned in another thread, is the ability so see what was in a system the Last time you had a ship in it.

[Nodachi]

There have been some interesting points regarding missiles and PD in this thread. Here's what I've done in the mod I'm working on:

• Missile II - Less damage, slower, and less resistant.
  
• Missile III - Stock SEIV
  
• Missile IV - More damage, faster, more resistant.
  
• Missile V - More damage, faster, more resistant.

I've changed PD so it is available after Missile III, no other prerequesite. I think this balances out better.
Also in the name of balance I added Shields III or IV (I can't remember off the top of my head ) as a prerequesite for PPB. To me it just makes more sense, you shouldn't have the solution (PPB) before you encounter the problem (shields).
Just my little bit of rambling,
Nodachi
Edit: I'd kill for spell-check!

[ June 21, 2002, 07:19: Message edited by: Nodachi ]