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  #1  
Old July 12th, 2002, 06:38 AM

Phoenix-D Phoenix-D is offline
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Default Re: Space Empires 5

"More Detailed Planetary Stats - related to the one above. Planets should have varying amounts of space (with population, cargo, and facilities taking up the same space), gravity (with certain populations only tolerating a specific range of gravity), atmospheric gas DENSITY (a population might need X density of methane, but anything more than Y density of oxygen is poisonous, and total density has to be more than Z, etc), temperature, radiation or lack thereof, planetary volatility (think earthquakes, storms, volcanoes, etc.)."

Why. Can we say "micromanagement HELL?"

Newtonian movement and gravity: I know of very few *sims* that even try, and these guys only have to deal with a few ships at a time. SE needs to deal with hundreds (and don't even suggest dropping the scale just for this..)

"Coordinate system for maps - this would be an awesome improvement to the current grid system. However, I don't think it's too likely to happen. For one, this was requested a lot for SEIV (along with hex-grids, if it had to be grids), and it didn't happen there. When you think about it, it's just a whole lot easier to make a grid system than a coordinate system (or a hex-grid)."

How is this any different than what we have now? A grid system is just a slightly modifed cordinate system with low grain (i.e. you don't get 1.45352653, just 1)

Phoenix-D

[ July 12, 2002, 05:39: Message edited by: Phoenix-D ]
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  #2  
Old July 12th, 2002, 08:46 AM
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Will Will is offline
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Default Re: Space Empires 5

It wouldn't be micromanagement hell if the game told you what populations could live there. Could have a system level icon for your own population like there is now. Green star means your population can live there comfortably. Red star means not-so-comfortably. When examining the planet, it can show habitability Ratings for each known species. Could make a switch somewhere that changes the system-level icons to be for a population other than your own. More detail doesn't always mean more micro-management

The coordinates don't need to be taken to extreme numbers of decimals. A simple map having a 130.0x130.0 system would be fine (and still quite an improvement over the current 13x13). Newtonian movement wouldn't be feasible with the grid now used in SEIV, it would be far too choppy. There would still be a "grid" for combat purposes, so ships don't have to be at the exact coordinates for combat, just within a certain block.
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  #3  
Old July 12th, 2002, 11:17 AM
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Default Re: Space Empires 5

IMHO Phoenix-D is right about the MMH. I don't see why adding lots of variables to the planets will make it any more interesting. It is just more moving around people for the best location.
A script language for the AI would be just neat and variable damage/damage absorption for different types of incoming damage would be cool. Further it would open a great deal of variety to the weapons and it would be much harder to build/find the "perfect" weapon.
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Old July 12th, 2002, 11:59 AM

Zarix Zarix is offline
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Default Re: Space Empires 5

SE5 might have some kind of 3d. As we can see in "Call for Artist" thread Malfador is looking for 3d artists.

A lot of little features could make the game more realistic but they have some problems. Besides micro management they would increase the size of save game files. Already in multiplayer games the files can be pretty big.
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  #5  
Old July 12th, 2002, 03:26 PM
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Default Re: Space Empires 5

Quote:
IMHO Phoenix-D is right about the MMH. I don't see why adding lots of variables to the planets will make it any more interesting. It is just more moving around people for the best location.
I think the important part of this idea it the fact that it would allow for one race's terraforming to become another race's environmental catastrophe.

If we had separate variables for gravity, radiation, temperature, and various atmospheric gasses, it wouldn't be any more complicated than it is now.

You'd just build a terraforming facility, and each year it would tweak each variable 1% towards your race's ideal settings.
Add in a small, natural, unterraforming factor, so that planets will return to their natural state if left alone, (and also limiting the terraformer's maximum conditions change as it fights mother nature)

A Rage world with a Terraformer (vaccuum breather machine race) would start reducing the pressure of all the different gas types, shift gravity and temperature to average values, and reduce radiation.
A Terran world with a Terraformer would shift gravity towards 1g, temperature to 25 degrees C, and shift radiation towards the low end, while Increasing oxygen pressure and decreasing all others.
It would all be automatic when you build the facility, just like atmosphere modders now.

Planet Images would change whenever a new gas takes over the top concentration (or when the total pressure drops to a certain value).

Your planets would fall into a few categories:
- Very nice planets, naturally fit for your race.
- Terraformable planets
- Poor worlds that will always require a dome (facility).
- Enemy-held worlds that are very nice.
- Enemy-held worlds that were very nice until they were terraformed by aliens.
- Enemy-held worlds that were marginal before being terraformed even worse by aliens.
- Enemy-held worlds that will never be livable by your race.
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Old July 12th, 2002, 03:39 PM

Zarix Zarix is offline
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Default Re: Space Empires 5

SJ, that is a pretty good idea. With one change it would be nearly perfect. The terraforming facility should of course change the conditions to optimal by default. But there should be also possibility to change conditions to whatever one wants.

[ July 12, 2002, 14:39: Message edited by: Zarix ]
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  #7  
Old July 12th, 2002, 03:41 PM
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Default Re: Space Empires 5

Quote:
Originally posted by Zarix:
SJ, that is a pretty good idea. With one chance it would be nearly perfect. The terraforming facility should of course change the conditions to optimal by default. But there should be also possibility to change conditions to whatever one wants.
No, you would want it to change the conditions to whatever is ideal for the population currently on the planet. If that's not optimal, then you don't want optimal. That's the point.

I have a question though. Not that it matters for game play or anything, and I won't use the "R" word, but how exactly would terraformers change the gravity of the planet?

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