Official SE5 release date announced - September 12 - Page 8

Gandalf Parker · #71 September 4th, 2006, 01:29 PM

I agree there. Im not sure if the 3d graphics were a good tradeoff. Its gone to a shelfware distributor and it looks very shelfware but truthfully that wasnt on my list.

Id rather have had larger maps, more AI's, more involved AIs (then purely for my own dreamsheet command-line hosting, output files for web pages, and a linux text-mode host)

AMF · #72 September 4th, 2006, 02:35 PM

What is the map limit? Can it at least go to 255 systems? Is it PBW compatible?

Actually, nevermind. I'm gonna stop asking questions - I'll just work myself up into a lather and get wiggy.

I'll just wait and see. But, I too am not a fan of form over substance...hopefully it won't be. I'm sure it will be great.

Caduceus · #73 September 4th, 2006, 05:03 PM

The map max is still 255, from what I've heard.

StarShadow · #74 September 4th, 2006, 07:25 PM

Well basicly, the whole 3d thing for a start,I think the time spent on 3d candy would have been better spent on AI/Diplomacy, also, I'm still quite iffy on how tactical combat will be. I might end up liking it, but it doesn't seem very likely. Also, I'm not a fan of the Starfury system of ship design, but I might be able to mod it to something I like better.

Possum · #75 September 4th, 2006, 08:06 PM

Quote:

Atrocities said:
Remember that when most anticipated sequels to loved games come out, they are immediately trashed, bashed, *****ed about, hated, despised, thrown out, returned, and generally do improve over time as a following develops. Keep in mind that when SE IV was released it was continually updated with patches and new features.

Atro, you know, that statement triggered a forgotten memory.

When SE4 first came out, people were *****ing like mad about the fact that, (unlike SE3), you could only build one thing at a time on a given planet.

And I bet when SE3 came out, (I wasn't here that far back!), people *****ed about some change from SE2

My only thought on the subject is that while I have unlimited faith in Malfador, I have, errrr, how to say this nicely, certain reservations about Strategy First.

Gandalf Parker · #76 September 4th, 2006, 10:25 PM

Just to devil-advocate my own previous post...

You all realize of course that the 3D wasnt necessarily done for us. We all stayed with SE thru the things that sent other people away. So of course we would rather see that extended than invest in eye-candy. The pretties were added to impress the fickle public who cant see past 2d graphics. It goes hand in hand with shifting from what I think of as a publicity and online publisher to a marketing and shelfware one.

I can just hope that it achieves the larger player-base that it was meant to hook into. Hmmmm do I hope that? Maybe not. But Im sure they are hoping for it.

Fyron · #77 September 5th, 2006, 02:06 AM

It's not all about the "pretties..." There are game mechanics to think about too. Personally, I think the concept of a continuous time combat engine is far superior to the insanity of the SE4 combat engine. Sure, you can build a turn based system that tries to emulate continuous time with complex initiative and phases and all that, but why do that when you can just make it actually be continuous time?

It's not like Aaron went and built a Total War type 3d graphics engine for the game... It'd never get done if he tried to do that by himself.

Possum:
I don't think anyone will be able to ***** about SE5 construction queues.

AMF · #78 September 5th, 2006, 02:14 AM

Ok, so where do I go to pre-order this darn thing?

Q · #79 September 5th, 2006, 05:35 AM

I agree with Fyron that an improvement of the combat engine compared to SE IV will certainly be most welcome.
And certainly you can't please everybody, but that makes modding possibilities even more important.
Which implies: make as little hard coded limitations as possible!
Therefore the maximum number of 255 system would be a bad news IMO if it is hard coded.

Raapys · #80 September 5th, 2006, 12:20 PM

Sure, you can build a turn based system that tries to emulate continuous time with complex initiative and phases and all that, but why do that when you can just make it actually be continuous time?

I'd prefer a complex turn-based system, really. All other considerations aside, real-time combat is and will play differently, regardless of the ability to pause whenever, etc.