I actually like the current backgrounds. They're just the right amount of 'interesting' while never obstructing what's happening in the foreground.
Also, is there a way to specifiy that a mission should have a random background?
One issue I did notice was that when selecting ships and requesting info on them, an incorrect codex page would be displayed.
Thanks, glad you like it :)One issue I did notice was that when selecting ships and requesting info on them, an incorrect codex page would be displayed.
Hmm... haven't noticed that myself. Do you remember any specifics?
What's the easiest way to get the updates?
What's the easiest way to get the updates?
Updates as in an RSS or twitter feed?
Ships assigned using a direct order via "Assign Task..." no longer count against towards the total strength of ships given to the assignment, except for "Capture". The effect is that directly assigning a ship to a task is less likely to cause other ships to be reassigned away from it.
The most common use case is when I see a single enemy frigate or fighter squadron breaking past the main lines of combat to get to a nav point in the rear, and I want to assign a single, say, heavy fighter squadron to go hunt it down *before* it captures a comm array and puts another thirty points of enemy reinforcements on the field. But I don't want to take more than that one ship I've assigned out of, well, whatever random thing it happens to be doing.
Added "Intercept" assignment available on enemy fighters and frigates.
Assigns fast, nearby craft with appropriate weapons. Interceptors are especially preferred.
"Harass" (which prefers ships with medium-range weaponry) is now only available on
enemy ships of destroyer size and above.Added this, just for you :)CodeAdded "Intercept" assignment available on enemy fighters and frigates.
Assigns fast, nearby craft with appropriate weapons. Interceptors are especially preferred.
"Harass" (which prefers ships with medium-range weaponry) is now only available on
enemy ships of destroyer size and above.
Btw, the Capture -> Control -> Capture mechanics should reduce the importance of such intercepts, too. If you happen to let one enemy ship through, as soon as they uncap your point, a ship of yours will get dispatched to retake it.Yes - that's more than adequate for nav & sensor platforms (and mimics my normal response to having such get taken - in the current public build, it's not worth two command points to pre-emptively defend them). It's really just the comm relays where allowing it to be temporarily tagged is dangerous enough to be worth spending command points on intercepts - the others provide their main benefit over time to whoever holds the node, while comm relays give nearly their full benefit instantly upon capture.
The "defend" task also works sometimes, though I've had occasional issues where the game switched which ship was supposed to be defending, and the node got captured while slower ships were in transit and nobody was actually there. (Which then resulted in an assault command and half my fleet haring off to pick off one destroyer... that was not one of my best games.)
I look back at version .33a and its practically a different game... with similarly styled graphics.
In just a few months you've made some astounding progress. I'm seriously looking forward to this next release. (esp. after seeing the new feature list after having gotten internet again after a few days0
This is true, but the larger-scope work does not lend itself very nicely to being bulletized until significant chunks are done :)
Right now, I'm working on the cargo/inventory screen, which will be used everywhere from post-combat salvaging to trade to pretty much anything that involves any inventory interactions. Next up: post combat salvaging. Then, finally, a persistent fleet (right now it resets every time you run the game). You can already fly around with a fleet.
Well, those are more like the next couple of things on the todo list - there's quite a bit of fleshing out that need to happen all around that. Also, I'd really like to get in a few basic skills so there's a couple of viable character builds - hopefully that can happen for the upcoming release.
Huh? Upcoming? Never said that!
We'll probably have a Thanksgiving release. Unless Alex has a life, that is. In the latter case, it's a Christmas release.
We'll probably have a Thanksgiving release. Unless Alex has a life, that is. In the latter case, it's a Christmas release.
Our thanksgiving is already over silly Americans :P
Literally the same place as Alex. Vancouver. At least, for some reason I believe Alex to be in Vancouver.
Literally the same place as Alex. Vancouver. At least, for some reason I believe Alex to be in Vancouver.
No, that would be David :) I'm in Maryland, right next to DC.
ooh, autoresolve. Always good for those curbstomp battles.
ooh, autoresolve. Always good for those curbstomp battles.
Come on man, you must have something new you can add to the change list to keep us busy until the big update. :'(
Come on man, you must have something new you can add to the change list to keep us busy until the big update. :'(
Alright, I'll update it this weekend :) You're right, enough big features are actually done to make a reasonable list.
Will there also be map/game modes that don't have the control points? It might also be because I am just terrible with the fleet control system, but it's very difficult to manage the capture and defence of the control points when you don't have absolute control over each ship. Often the battles end up with the AI constantly sending single ships to capture a point, but when I defend it often sends half my fleet to do the job etc.
Renaming what was 0.35a to 0.5a to reflect the amount of stuff being added.
Latest changes (as of 12/11/2011)
Campaign mode:
- Single star system with several planets, moons
- Can engage an enemy fleet, with both sides picking a strategy prior to battle (attack/defend/escape)
- Use marines to board enemy ships after battle
- Salvage disabled ships and cargo after battle
- Cargo management - a single UI to manage fuel, crew, supplies, weapons, marines, and other cargo
- Fleet management - control how ships get assigned crews
- Refit ships using the weapons that are available
- Ships require sufficient crew to be deployed for battle (crew experience not tracked/used quite yet)
- Persistent ship damage after battles, including locational armor damage
- Combat autoresolve - let your second in command fight the battle, or exit a battle midway through to autoresolve the rest
I really enjoy having a little battle damage to take care of at the end of a battle, even better if my enemy retains some damage even after getting away.
Oh man oh man oh man ...
0.5a looks amazing. I'm so excited, think I need to go jogging early.
0.5 sounds pretty exciting so far. Can't wait to get my fingers on it :)
Ok, while there is a lot of cool stuff, I must express a bit of concern over the "never autofire" setting for missiles: does this mean any standard approach to implementing a missile-type weapon (data-file-wise, as oppose to balance-wise) will create a non-autofiring weapon? I have a pair of missile racks that are designed to output a lot of small missiles or rockets over a large period of time.
Missiles with limited ammo (10 for small, 20 medium, 30 large) never autofire - it's pretty much never a good thing when it happens
Which brings me to a question, are there any differences between an AI's fire routine and setting a weapon group on your ship to autofire?
so where is 0.5
so where is 0.5
so where is 0.5
Largely on my hard drive/under source control, in assorted to-do lists, and inside my head :D
Hey Alex how is boarding going to work? You've mentioned it numerous times.. but is it interesting at all? Or is it just basicly i have 1000 guys they have 500... i win?
Boarding sounds like a good blog post topic for sometime soon, eh? Here's hoping. I suspect that the boarding/salvaging will just be done in some screen or two after the battle's done where you click on a "board" or "salvage" button for each ship. I'd just be pretty surprised if Alex threw in any pretty bells and whistles for the first iteration of it.
Also, most of what I said in the first paragraph is strictly conjecture, drawn from what I've read on this forum, a rudimentary education in programming, and a few assumptions, and I have no more insight into Alex's development plans, process, or planned features than anyone else here.
- Renamed "flux damage" to "EMP", no longer raises target ship's flux, but ignores armor and disables weapons and engines.
Will be reintroduced weapons that increase enemy flux? They are interesting because you can overload even with the shield down
interesting... Are we able to change how well a ship shrugs off EMP effects code-side? (and maybe hull-mod/in-game side?)
;Dinteresting... Are we able to change how well a ship shrugs off EMP effects code-side? (and maybe hull-mod/in-game side?)
Yes, in fact there's a hull mod that does this - and that, along with a lot of other ship stats, is exposed through the modding API. So far, all hull mods are implemented in a moddable way :)
That's an impressive list of features, how long do you spend working on the game per day on average Alex? Must be a fair bit judging by the list.
Also, in windows mode, can you make it so that it closes when you press the "x" in the corner? It's painful having to come out of a battle to go to the menu to press exit lol xD
One other quick question, in the campaign mode will we be able to create bases with defenses?
Also, in windows mode, can you make it so that it closes when you press the "x" in the corner? It's painful having to come out of a battle to go to the menu to press exit lol xD
Escape -> Space to confirm, Escape -> Space to confirm :)One other quick question, in the campaign mode will we be able to create bases with defenses?
I can't say one way or the other at this point. Want to see how things play out first.
Also, in windows mode, can you make it so that it closes when you press the "x" in the corner? It's painful having to come out of a battle to go to the menu to press exit lol xD
Also, in windows mode, can you make it so that it closes when you press the "x" in the corner? It's painful having to come out of a battle to go to the menu to press exit lol xD
Once the game is complete, wanting to exit the game will be an obsolete feature anyway, so don't worry about this ;)
Also, in windows mode, can you make it so that it closes when you press the "x" in the corner? It's painful having to come out of a battle to go to the menu to press exit lol xD
Escape -> Space to confirm, Escape -> Space to confirm :)One other quick question, in the campaign mode will we be able to create bases with defenses?
I can't say one way or the other at this point. Want to see how things play out first.
Ooooo spamming those two keys = the way forward! Thanks :D Also is the star system thing in the next update free roam or is it like the missions?
It's free roam! ;D
This. Changes. EVERYTHING!!! :o
This. Changes. EVERYTHING!!! :o
Yep. Which is why:
- The fans are so looking forward to the next updade
- The update has been in the making for so long (it's whole new areas of the game that didn't exist before).
- The devs are unlikely to incorporate new suggestions into the next update - they've got rather bigger fish to fry at the moment.
The last part, by the way, shouldn't be taken to imply the devs of this game don't listen to their fans. They don't always agree, but as far as I can tell they do always listen. And when they don't agree, they usually have a good reason why they don't. I've been very impressed by their attitude and the quality of their work so far - I think many AAA level games would have much to learn from them.
actually, the few AAA titles that have payed attention to what their fans say they want have turned out to be flops. frustratingly i can't think of an example at the moment though
This. Changes. EVERYTHING!!! :o
Yep. Which is why:
- The fans are so looking forward to the next updade
- The update has been in the making for so long (it's whole new areas of the game that didn't exist before).
- The devs are unlikely to incorporate new suggestions into the next update - they've got rather bigger fish to fry at the moment.
The last part, by the way, shouldn't be taken to imply the devs of this game don't listen to their fans. They don't always agree, but as far as I can tell they do always listen. And when they don't agree, they usually have a good reason why they don't. I've been very impressed by their attitude and the quality of their work so far - I think many AAA level games would have much to learn from them.
actually, the few AAA titles that have payed attention to what their fans say they want have turned out to be flops. frustratingly i can't think of an example at the moment though
actually, the few AAA titles that have payed attention to what their fans say they want have turned out to be flops. frustratingly i can't think of an example at the moment though
I see the job of a good designer is to filter the good ideas from the bad. In this case, whilst the Devs ARE listening, its amazing how many times you hear 'yeah, we already tried that. Didn't work.'
Perhaps the problem with AAA in this regard is the ... Lack of manouvreability(?) ... for the coding teams. Maybe in some aspects they almost have to decide what they do before they code it, and damned if it doesn't work?
thats one reason indie games are gaining ground, as well as that DRM crap.I totally agree with this!!
Well, I said "sometime in January" a while back, but the TB video threw the schedule in disarray. I've done little but emails and web server stuff in the last 4 days... never mind that time was running a bit tight to begin with. So I'll revise my estimate to "first half of February" for the 0.5a preview build.
Well, I said "sometime in January" a while back, but the TB video threw the schedule in disarray. I've done little but emails and web server stuff in the last 4 days... never mind that time was running a bit tight to begin with. So I'll revise my estimate to "first half of February" for the 0.5a preview build.
How many more alpha/beta builds are currently planned? If you're aiming for a halloween/christmas release perhaps a new build every 2-3 months would suffice.
0.5 (Feb), 0.65 (May), 0.8, (Aug) Full Release (Nov/Dec)
How many more alpha/beta builds are currently planned? If you're aiming for a halloween/christmas release perhaps a new build every 2-3 months would suffice.
0.5 (Feb), 0.65 (May), 0.8, (Aug) Full Release (Nov/Dec)
Can't say if that amount of time would be sufficient for them but I can say that I do not approve of fans trying to stick release dates which could result in dev pressure :>
Release it when it's done, we can wait~
omg I cannot wait to see how it all pans out if you have a complete star systemHeh, the final version will have (I think) hundreds of star systems
I'm so gunna try and make funny shapes out of the star formations >:D well... attempt... xDomg I cannot wait to see how it all pans out if you have a complete star systemHeh, the final version will have (I think) hundreds of star systems
Oh noes, we all know what those shapes will be.I'm so gunna try and make funny shapes out of the star formations >:D well... attempt... xDomg I cannot wait to see how it all pans out if you have a complete star systemHeh, the final version will have (I think) hundreds of star systems
Toast ;D lmfaoOh noes, we all know what those shapes will be.I'm so gunna try and make funny shapes out of the star formations >:D well... attempt... xDomg I cannot wait to see how it all pans out if you have a complete star systemHeh, the final version will have (I think) hundreds of star systems
omg I cannot wait to see how it all pans out if you have a complete star systemHeh, the final version will have (I think) hundreds of star systems
It'll be procedurally generated, look http://www.fractalsoftworks.com/omg I cannot wait to see how it all pans out if you have a complete star systemHeh, the final version will have (I think) hundreds of star systems
Will the universe be procedurally generated? Static? Or will you be going the route of Diablo and randomly mixing static pieces?
:( Just over a week left in this month!He knows so don't pressure him :-\
Will you make it in time? (with the preview release)
I am pretty sure Alex has already mentioned somewhere that it's not coming out this month and instead it's coming out early feb~~
The preview release is supposed to be out in january; the actual .5a won't be out till feb.
The preview release is supposed to be out in january; the actual .5a won't be out till feb.
Naa we won't complain :D If we complain then you'll be stressed. If you're stressed next release will be longer xD Anyways more time = better update :DThe preview release is supposed to be out in january; the actual .5a won't be out till feb.
January for the preview is extremely unlikely now. Everything got pushed back by about a week due to the WTF. Not that I'm complaining, but *you* might be :)
Even though its not out till February can we get more patch notes?
The WTF gave Alex a lot more money to survive with (and hopefully surplus to spend with) so none of us can complain about it.
Or maybe a screenshot of some benign system that isn't likely to change much. No better way to pass the time than with wild speculation!
Ok, ok! Here's a screenshot of the new context menu, in all its tooltip-laden glory (click for full-size):Super cool!
*snip*
Based on the deployed ships, I predict a home victory :)
They are annoying temperamental pestilential frigates thatSounds awesome and overpowered xD Me is tempted to expirmentay with this ship haha
are fast and have the damage output to shred most destroyers
I really hope you remembered an option to turn off tooltips, because I can see those getting really annoying once you know what they do and don't want text covering half the screen.
I assume there will be a delay on the tooltips. Enough to be useful but not annoying. They shouldn't get in the way all the time.The tooltips should be like 60/70% transparent and then become opaque when the mouse is over it :D
Well that's how I'd do it, haha.
I really hope you remembered an option to turn off tooltips, because I can see those getting really annoying once you know what they do and don't want text covering half the screen.
You has 999 posts lmao that's our emergency call number xDI really hope you remembered an option to turn off tooltips, because I can see those getting really annoying once you know what they do and don't want text covering half the screen.
At the moment, they're easy enough to avoid by not mousing over the items. I imagine an "expert" player will never see them due to using keyboard shortcuts for the menu items, anyway.
On topic you could make it transparent :D and make it become opaque when the mouse is placed above them :)
lol pwnt xD wait... are we on about the tip thing at the side of the main menu? o.oOn topic you could make it transparent :D and make it become opaque when the mouse is placed above them :)
Ok, I'm going to "waste" my 1000th post on this: it's a tooltip. When you move the mouse, it goes away.
The comm channel idea is amazing! Seriously, such an elegant solution to the problem of not knowing which ships will likely respond to an order.
Thing is, this would devalue energy weapons...Huh? Are you sure you posted in the right thread?
If ballistics were that dynamic, there'd be no reason to use anything else.
Alex, any chance of an update to the list of changes? People needs to grasp the overall picture of what`s they are going to get soon :)
Wait, so those tooltips are up whenever you mouse over? No delay?
No delay - but where they appear doesn't depend on where the mouse is (they're always off to the side), so they don't get in the way. I experimented with a lot of different ways of doing it... delays always felt irritating, and made things look like they were flickering. Any kind of "nice" fading in/out was very irritating, too. Just felt like being made to wait for information unnecessarily.Ooooooooo. Nice.
I can potentially see a global "tooltip delay" setting at some point, though.
Time consuming features is what is holding up the realise i think that said he wants to make em perfect to make it playable so we go back to waiting for perfection which is fine also dwarf fortress is out so a few more weeks is fine by medwarf fortress rapes the mind q.q
Time consuming features is what is holding up the realise i think that said he wants to make em perfect to make it playable so we go back to waiting for perfection which is fine also dwarf fortress is out so a few more weeks is fine by medwarf fortress rapes the mind q.q
The comm channel idea is amazing! Seriously, such an elegant solution to the problem of not knowing which ships will likely respond to an order.
Added it thanks to this suggestion (http://fractalsoftworks.com/forum/index.php?topic=527.0) :)
Nah boatmurdered is the most epic, nothing beats wholesale mass elephant slaughter.The discussion on how much it frazzles brains really did entertain me haha
Oh my.. I feel... honored! among other things! I really like how that ended up being executed! You even added the current status of the ships o.o I didn't think about that.
Oh my.. I feel... honored! among other things! I really like how that ended up being executed! You even added the current status of the ships o.o I didn't think about that.
It was a great idea - and it happened to fit in perfectly with what was already in place. Thank you for suggesting it - it's not something I was thinking about, but it really helps address what I think is a significant part of the learning curve.
I can't remember, did alex mention if mining ships will be in game?
Looking forward to it, Make us wait and suffer as much as you need, so long as the reward is good :D
Updated the notes.
•Selecting a weapon group that your ship doesn't have allows all other groups to auto-fire (i.e., group 4 if ship only has 3 groups set up)
Unless the 5 key is used for something why not set 5 to auto fire all weapon groups? that way we can still do this when we have 4 weapon groups? If not 5 then another key perhaps?
So what's current ETA on patch? ;D
So what's current ETA on patch? ;D
Just as soon as it's ready :D Which shouldn't be too long.
Really? If you don't shoot it stays on auto. But because there is no use for empty groups I guess it is a nice feature.Unless the 5 key is used for something why not set 5 to auto fire all weapon groups? that way we can still do this when we have 4 weapon groups? If not 5 then another key perhaps?
I don't think I made that quite clear. If you've got, say, just ONE weapon group, setting it on autofire won't do anything - since it's still selected, it'll be in "manual override" mode. This just lets you select an empty group, basically, to give autofire a chance to kick in.
The "manual override" is a new feature - a group will stay on auto even if you shoot. So if a group is on auto, you can switch to it - weapons will start tracking the mouse, and you can fire, all without turning off autofire. It's useful if you want to quickly take over for some directed PD fire, for example, without the hassle of having to turn off autofire (so you can aim accurately before firing) and then turn it back on again.
I don't think I made that quite clear. If you've got, say, just ONE weapon group, setting it on autofire won't do anything - since it's still selected, it'll be in "manual override" mode. This just lets you select an empty group, basically, to give autofire a chance to kick in.
What about if your ship has all 4 weapon groups, but you want them ALL to be on autofire? Is there any way to accomplish that in the new version?
Granted, that's a fairly unlikely circumstance, but I believe that's what he originally meant to ask.
:DThat ship must have no standards ;)
Universal slot type!
Adjusted fleet point calculation at the start of battle so that each side can always deploy at least their flagship.
Adjusted fleet point calculation at the start of battle so that each side can always deploy at least their flagship.
Just a slight worry that this could get abusable by buying a very costly in deployment costs capital ship and then flooding the map with fighters and frigates on the first wave.
Adjusted fleet point calculation at the start of battle so that each side can always deploy at least their flagship.
Just a slight worry that this could get abusable by buying a very costly in deployment costs capital ship and then flooding the map with fighters and frigates on the first wave.
Interesting, I suppose that Alex will be balancing both sides when he accounts for the expensive Flagship in the Fleet points? In other words, I am guessing Alex will give the other side the same relative bonus in order to make it balanced. So whichever side has the most expensive Flagship will modify the fleet point calculation and the other side will also receive a little boost to balance it a bit.
Just a guess on my part though. ;D
Who said it would all ways be a fair fight :D
I do have a question regarding how casualties will be handled(not sure if this has been answered already) In a persistent campaign when the player loses a ship/fighter wing in a battle, will that unit be gone for good? Or will it simply be a matter of going to a space station and repairing the unit?
Yeah I agree, it depending on the ships health would be easier imo :)I do have a question regarding how casualties will be handled(not sure if this has been answered already) In a persistent campaign when the player loses a ship/fighter wing in a battle, will that unit be gone for good? Or will it simply be a matter of going to a space station and repairing the unit?
i'm pretty sure it depends on the state of that unit: if it is disabled in the fight you can repair it on the go, that costs supplies(is that the right name?). If it gets destroyed there is no way of getting it back.
can we see a screenshot of the space station? :3
I do have a question regarding how casualties will be handled(not sure if this has been answered already) In a persistent campaign when the player loses a ship/fighter wing in a battle, will that unit be gone for good? Or will it simply be a matter of going to a space station and repairing the unit?
The battle station is not completely operational, shall we say.
You annoying fanboy prattle has not helped you conjure up a new build nor has it given you clairvoyance enough to predict the release date!
You annoying fanboy prattle has not helped you conjure up a new build nor has it given you clairvoyance enough to predict the release date!
Your overconfidence is your weakness, I have indeed conjured up the 15th as the release date. :) ha ha
Your overconfidence is your weakness, I have indeed conjured up the 15th as the release date. :) ha ha
wheeeey haha :D what was mine? O.o
Your overconfidence is your weakness, I have indeed conjured up the 15th as the release date. :) ha ha
wheeeey haha :D what was mine? O.o
You foresaw a release on the 9th, and only now, at the end, do you understand. Your feeble skills are no match for the power of the Starfarer! You have paid the price for your lack of vision!
;D
lol. ;D
As a side note, this website is for the win.
http://en.wikiquote.org/wiki/Star_Wars_Episode_VI:_Return_of_the_Jedi
Thats from Strikes back man....... *facedesks* I blame that I haven't seen it in years lmfao... but still was hard to resist xD
alex when can we get our crubby mits on 0.5aWhen it's released ;)
I wonder how many more times that question is going to get asked before release. XD*looks into the future* 31 :D
I wonder how many more times that question is going to get asked before release. XD*looks into the future* 31 :D
and I *** up on the quote xD
and I *** up on the quote xDDon't worry about it lol I've done that before too xD
Will we get some kind of advance notice before the preview gets released?
Nooo! D: I want to be able to plan ahead.Lmao, I'd be satisfied with the month it's going to be released xD
Release dates are generally given when the game is done or very close to finished. Since Alex needs only a short period of time between finishing the preview and putting it up for download, you'll only get a release date a day in advance, at best.
Alex, considering all the new stuff you are putting into 0.5a - will we modders be able to mod the starting sandbox ship as well as factions and their available stuff in it? I ask mainly about ability to mod in/out the certain ships, weapons and mods in/from sandbox.
You could even set up, say, a supply fleet that delivers and drops off mod-specific weapons to the orbital station, for the player to buy.
Oh wow! :) So I'm guessing this means that you could try taking a 5 fingered discount from the supply fleet before it reaches the orbital station? ;D
Oh wow! :) So I'm guessing this means that you could try taking a 5 fingered discount from the supply fleet before it reaches the orbital station? ;D
:) Though naturally, that might lead to unpleasant consequences... but I've already said too much!
Oh that's cool.. wait what? This isn't in the preview is it?
Blah every time i see you post i keep hoping its you saying the games up for download :(
Hey, as long as the new version is out by the 14th, everything will be fine, fine, fine. ;D
Bahahaha. No, that wasn't the reasoning behind my date. Oh that's funny. No, the reason is I've limited myself to playing video games only on oddly dated Wednesdays this year. And it would be awesome to be able to wake up on the 15th and play the new version!
I highly doubt he'd post the release in this thread. If you see a post here, rest assured that the preview is not yet finished and you are wasting his valuable time by forcing him to reply to posts here.The thread will be renamed when it is released.
Think about it and let the horrible truth sink in... ahaahahahahaahahaHAAHAHAHAAHAAHAAHAHAH!!!
Blah every time i see you post i keep hoping its you saying the games up for download :(
Lol. :) I feel ya, but at least Alex usually has some cool insight or info for us, to dull the pain a bit. ;D
Patience dear Avan. ;DThe time for patience is long past!
[The time for patience is long past!
The reviewer didn't mention any bugs or crashes, so I'm hoping we get a hint on when we can expect it
@amosolov Ha. Your alphas are more stable and fleshed out than many beta versions I've played.from twitter
So in all seriousness, when are we looking at Alex? We're past early February now!well according to his twitter "quite soon", but when that is.... can't wait though getting more and more exited with every bit of news
The build @dominictarason got was a pre-preview, if you will. The real 0.5a preview will be out quite soon - a few things left.
So in all seriousness, when are we looking at Alex? We're past early February now!
So in all seriousness, when are we looking at Alex? We're past early February now!
It has been said several times here and elsewhere that the current "possible" release time would be mid feb, not the start of feb. In all likelyhood I imagine polishing may push that back even thurther. However I would glad to be wrong. The test version may come out earlier who knows.
So in all seriousness, when are we looking at Alex? We're past early February now!
It has been said several times here and elsewhere that the current "possible" release time would be mid feb, not the start of feb. In all likelyhood I imagine polishing may push that back even thurther. However I would glad to be wrong. The test version may come out earlier who knows.
seems a legit date, enough time to polish some things or add the mod supportSo in all seriousness, when are we looking at Alex? We're past early February now!
It has been said several times here and elsewhere that the current "possible" release time would be mid feb, not the start of feb. In all likelyhood I imagine polishing may push that back even thurther. However I would glad to be wrong. The test version may come out earlier who knows.
Well everyone knows that the 15th is the foreseen release date for the preview version of 0.5, duh. ;D lol.
Just 5 more days...
seems a legit date, enough time to polish some things
but i'm going to laugh if Alex is to release it on the 14 at 23:59 :P
I'm sure it won't get pushed back any further, but it does raise interesting issues; people are paying for an alpha, and in the old days people expected bugs and crashes and so on. With customers becoming increasingly demanding, small devs like Alex obviously now feel pressured to present these incredibly polished experiences in alpha to avoid the negative publicity of people complaining about unfinished software...but of course by definition that's what an alpha is.
Aiming for Tuesday for the release (SeaBee: my apologies. Zarcon: Hah! You were one day off. Unless it ends up being one day late. Would you rather be right or get it one day early? aerandir: right on!).
Ok, guys - I come bearing official news. A parley with the forces besieging Fortress Fractal, if you will :)
Aiming for Tuesday for the release (SeaBee: my apologies. Zarcon: Hah! You were one day off. Unless it ends up being one day late. Would you rather be right or get it one day early? aerandir: right on!).
Modwise: actually, 0.35a mods will be compatible with the game. There are some new data fields, but it uses benign defaults if they are not found.I'm sure it won't get pushed back any further, but it does raise interesting issues; people are paying for an alpha, and in the old days people expected bugs and crashes and so on. With customers becoming increasingly demanding, small devs like Alex obviously now feel pressured to present these incredibly polished experiences in alpha to avoid the negative publicity of people complaining about unfinished software...but of course by definition that's what an alpha is.
That's a very interesting point. I don't know that I'd call the alphas so far "incredibly polished" (thank you, though!), but I just want to make sure the releases are playable games in their own right. I personally wouldn't want to just run some tech demo every couple of weeks, and so that's not what I want to deliver. As you point out, the perception of quality is also a consideration. I just wouldn't say that it's the main reason.
Still, it's been *far* too long since the last release. That was due to some poor planning on my part, resulting in a change of direction (and the addition of the campaign mode!). Subsequent releases should be a lot more timely.
What? Tuesday? That is a strange day to release it, since it is valentines day.... So yeah, I'll leave it at that. ;) Guess I'll have to wait until the 15th anyway.
Well, at least its after the two midterms that I actually have to study for >.>
And since on wednesday, one of my long classes got canceled, I am going to spend the morning playing. ;D
Ok, guys - I come bearing official news. A parley with the forces besieging Fortress Fractal, if you will :)
Starfarer WILL be my valentine. Yes! Blowing stuff up, conquering a solar system, my ideal Valentines day... Ehhh on second thought I should probably go talk to some girls :D
:P this forum offers alot of different stuff I must say, and the posts are just wierd, but awsome :DWe are an... eclectic group one might say.
You haz powweerrrzz xDWhat? Tuesday? That is a strange day to release it, since it is valentines day.... So yeah, I'll leave it at that. ;) Guess I'll have to wait until the 15th anyway.
I have forseeeeeeeen it. lawl. ;)
UNLIMITED POOOOWWWWWWAAAAAAAA!!!!!!!!!!With "UNLIMITED POOOOWWWWWWAAAAAAAA!!!!!!!!!!" comes a huge electricity bill xD
??? :P :D ;D
Added individual fighter damage tracking to the campaign. Carriers and other ships with hangars speed up repairs.Carriers don't repair instantly fighters?
would hope they can carry more wings then ???Quote from: AlexAdded individual fighter damage tracking to the campaign. Carriers and other ships with hangars speed up repairs.Carriers don't repair instantly fighters?
Quote from: AlexAdded individual fighter damage tracking to the campaign. Carriers and other ships with hangars speed up repairs.Carriers don't repair instantly fighters?
Quote from: AlexAdded individual fighter damage tracking to the campaign. Carriers and other ships with hangars speed up repairs.Carriers don't repair instantly fighters?
It's pretty fast. The way I see it, carriers stockpile parts/dormant fighter hulls/etc, and that's why they're able to provide immediate replacements in combat. You can look at after-combat repairs as simulating replenishing those stockpiles. (Yeah, there's still a hole here where if the wing is repaired by a carrier in combat right before battle ends, you don't need to do repair it after - will look at that if it ends up being a problem).
Well, there isn't any such module just now - but yeah, the solution would be to keep track of in-combat repairs and then incur a supply cost based on that. Definitely don't want the player to artificially prolong battles just to get some free repairs in.
- Ship repairs
- Ships are repaired gradually
- Rate is based on amount of crew (both present on the ship, and surplus crew in the fleet)
- "Automated Repair Unit" hullmod now also affects out-of-combat repairs
- Repairs cost supplies
- Repairs can be suspended/resumed to manage supply use
What the ARU does is help bring disabled systems and engines back online faster. It doesn't actually repair damaged hull or armor in combat, but it *does* speed that up outside of combat. I can see how that was confusing, though.
Exciting! I'm interested in the missile behavior. Will they try and intercept targets more aggressively? Previously they seemed a bit lethargic.
Out of curiosity, where is the setting to change the damage ratio? (ie, under settings, or a thing on each mission, etc)
For reference, what time is it coming out? (with respect to GMT) [If that is even known yet]
When I finish testing it and doing other miscellaneous release-related things. Not quite sure.
Hmm. Well, it won't be until at least mid-afternoon, EST, if that makes your decision any easier :)
- You can zoom out one more level (and zoom in one less) while piloting cruisers and capital ships
- Improved missile guidance AI
- aware of flanking, will try to do it if possible
Awesome! Can't wait and best of all i don't have to because i got work first ::)
Sometimes that is a good thing ;)
Toady won! :o (Looking forward to playing both games today!)
"Yeah, yeah. So I didn't buy you flowers, or a card. And dinner is burnt. And the paraffin from that lamp smells a bit funny. But you know what? I'm sitting here with you, the love of my life, when I COULD be simultaneously torturing Dwarves and annexing a small portion of the galaxy. And you are finding it hard to remember why you married me?"
cant wait to play it how long wil it be for it is released ?
In 6 hours it will be 15th of Feb here.... :'(
In 6 hours it will be 15th of Feb here.... :'(
yeah same here :(
I've a question regarding experience levels:
Firstly: how essential is it going to be? (see second questions for intention)
Secondly: How is the computer going to be affected by spawns from losses taken? In particular I want to give this example that Im worried about: In cannon fodder having high ranking troops was a great boon but it was so easy to lose troops that you rarely ever kept more then 1-2 high rankers alive and the rest of the squad where green horns.
Now I recognise that starfarer is nothing like Cannon fodder but this creates a certain scenario. I will inevitably lose vessels and men, having to replace them with green horns. I will also inflict losses on the enemy fleets. IF the enemy can resupply through spawn rules veterans faster then I can then I will encounter a bleeding dry scenario where I cannot get most of my fleet above green because they die to easily.
I hope I got my worry accross propely I fear I may not of expressed it right. Since crew ranks affect firing accuracy my fear is I could be on the bad end of the scale in a drawn out game.
Wait a second... what happened to RC1 and RC2?
Lol, I love how the small pirate fleets that run from my fleet of doom frigates (which are all stolen from the pirates) say "Greetings, honorable commander! We are a humble League merchant trading fleet headed for resupply. We would be honored to assist you in any way."
What does it mean if you're using 8.3 hangar space? It lets me do it, but slows repairs?
Coming off of all of 2 minutes of perusing the ship catalog, can we not buy freighters yet? Or do I simply need to go to another station? Just curious.
going over cargo should result in increasingly dramatic speed drops, and going over fuel... I guess you just can't take any more, unlike cargo where you can start dumping spare weapons in the mess hall, to the detriment of the crew's eating abilities and ship's thrust/mass ratio
going over cargo should result in increasingly dramatic speed drops, and going over fuel... I guess you just can't take any more, unlike cargo where you can start dumping spare weapons in the mess hall, to the detriment of the crew's eating abilities and ship's thrust/mass ratio
I've got a rather unusual idea for handling it - that's all I'll say about it for now :)
What does it mean if you're using 8.3 hangar space? It lets me do it, but slows repairs?
8/3. Yeah, exactly. For now, limits (such as cargo/fuel/crew capacities) aren't enforced, but hangar space is the one case where going over actually does something - slows fighter repairs.
ooh, starting ship is randomized? also I am outside waiting for the midterm to start
not random for me :-\LOL! That has just made my day haha xD I haven't tried it yet, downloaded it, just not installed it :P going to try it now though
all i get is a *** frig w/ 2 short range low ammo guns
18th relaunch and it's been this ship every time
I got a lasher in my one game so far
Alternatively, a + / - along the top border of the item box that are clickables. That is the most intuitive to me at least.
Also, a fuel gauge needs to be shown when traveling on the map.
I'm gonna make a thread in bugs for UI enhancements. Not really bugs, but whatever.
The chance for a ship to be in good enough shape to board is fairly low - so, just win more battles and you'll get the opportunity eventually.
No penalty. Supplies are currently only used for repairs.
Basher? Lasher? Brawler? ???Hah! Meant to say Brawler. The system police/port authority security assault gunship.
Edit: Oh, hey, are the Tri-Tachyon's actually attacking the orbital station by Corvus II (where you start)? They seem to fly...around it, but there are no great explosions, and eventually the hegemony fleet comes back and scares them away.
Until the hegemony fleet is weakened, that is.
While there are a few odd things I've noticed (things that are sure to be fixed in future updates as the game isn't finished) are that its difficult to figure out while in game what size and type hardpoints your ships have when your buying things, and what the OP is or could be based on what you're buying. Unless I've missed something (which is completely possible) I keep having to buy one or two things, leave the station, fit them on to make sure all the numbers check out, then re-dock at the station. With the small fleet I got (before losing it all in an ill chosen battle and getting stuck in a Dram class tanker) that wasn't too bad. But with a large fleet it'd be miserable!
Also, is there a way to plot a course to something off screen? The system map doesn't seem clickable and I keep mis-aiming when trying to fly across the entire system. Having to pop open the map ever few seconds gets tedious.
Ah, also a time saving idea for the trade menu: when you have something selected and held on your cursor and click on an item in either your cargo or the station you don't switch what your holding for what is now under your mouse. What you were holding is dropped and goes into the first available slot and you're left with a free mouse to pick up what is under it now or to click elsewhere.
actually, i do have one rather gnarly issue. when engaging in 1 on 1 combat, the AI has a tendency to be far too cautious, to the point of not even attacking at all. I have spent far too many battles where the enemy just hovers right outside of my range, and since all the ships have about the same speed, a battle that could have been over in 3 minutes ends up taking an hour or more.
This is especially annoying when piloting ships with low range, low tech weapons.
actually, i do have one rather gnarly issue. when engaging in 1 on 1 combat, the AI has a tendency to be far too cautious, to the point of not even attacking at all. I have spent far too many battles where the enemy just hovers right outside of my range, and since all the ships have about the same speed, a battle that could have been over in 3 minutes ends up taking an hour or more.
This is especially annoying when piloting ships with low range, low tech weapons.
Hmm. I haven't had that happen. Have you tried backing off, and then accelerating forward as it starts to follow? Also, if your ship has missiles, they can end a 1-1 very quickly. If you can point out a specific matchup of ships, I'll take a closer look.
Re: IRC - sorry, I'm not up for that right now. My head is spinning from all the things going on today :)
I've actually had the same issue. I lost because while trying to get an NPC to engage me for 10+ minutes, I didn't notice that my other guys were getting whittled down. Which is my fault, but I could never even get to his hull. The times I could catch up for a second, I could only do minimal amounts of shield damage, then he'd get too far away. He never even hit me sitting still, that's how overly cautious they are sometimes.actually, i do have one rather gnarly issue. when engaging in 1 on 1 combat, the AI has a tendency to be far too cautious, to the point of not even attacking at all. I have spent far too many battles where the enemy just hovers right outside of my range, and since all the ships have about the same speed, a battle that could have been over in 3 minutes ends up taking an hour or more.
This is especially annoying when piloting ships with low range, low tech weapons.
Hmm. I haven't had that happen. Have you tried backing off, and then accelerating forward as it starts to follow? Also, if your ship has missiles, they can end a 1-1 very quickly. If you can point out a specific matchup of ships, I'll take a closer look.
Re: IRC - sorry, I'm not up for that right now. My head is spinning from all the things going on today :)
I've actually had the same issue. I lost because while trying to get an NPC to engage me for 10+ minutes, I didn't notice that my other guys were getting whittled down. Which is my fault, but I could never even get to his hull. The times I could catch up for a second, I could only do minimal amounts of shield damage, then he'd get too far away. He never even hit me sitting still, that's how overly cautious they are sometimes.
Heavy blaster is good, but pulse laser adds pew pew factor :).
PS. Do you guys know of a decent medium laser I can use for sustained fire? I dont want to use the mining laser as it sounds ineffecient but the other energy types seem like the projectile types.
PS. Do you guys know of a decent medium laser I can use for sustained fire? I dont want to use the mining laser as it sounds ineffecient but the other energy types seem like the projectile types.
Is there a way to travel to another system or are we limited to the starting star system in 0.5a? That FTL fuel keep hinting there's more to what I've seen so far.
Are there any penalties for going over the 'limit' in the inventory and manpower system? I seem to have more than I can carry (for example: 200/50) but the game plays just fine...
Is there a list of features contained in the 0.5a?
Is there a way to travel to another system or are we limited to the starting star system in 0.5a? That FTL fuel keep hinting there's more to what I've seen so far.
Afraid not at the moment. It's probably best just to sell all the fuel you ever get as you don't really need it to fly around the system.QuoteAre there any penalties for going over the 'limit' in the inventory and manpower system? I seem to have more than I can carry (for example: 200/50) but the game plays just fine...
The hangar limit doesn't seem to effect anything yet.QuoteIs there a list of features contained in the 0.5a?
Do you mean the one on the front page?
Just want to throw it out there that this game is fantastic.
Have you thought about changing the missile guidance AI to be lead-pursuit instead of chase-pursuit? The vast majority of modern guided missiles work that way, and it would generally improve the consistency of missile weapons.
Hey guysThere is already a difficulty setting; go to settings -> gameplay. By default, a ship piloted by the player will take half damage.
I really like the new campain but i got a few questions: 1. Will there be a difficulty setting later on? 2. Why can i click on Asteroids and Planets? Are they planned for interactions? 3. How will be the campaign after this first "mission"? Do i have to clear this solar system or how does that work?
Btw its really hard for me to get more than 2 ships in the campain, i bought a destroyer + my starting frigate but i cant tell you how often i died. Maybe im too bad but is it possible to buy shields on the station?
I believe it already does.
I believe it already does.
Went back and checked, pretty much all homing missiles are chase-pursuit. The salamander MRMs obviously behave a little different, but it's still chasse-pursuit.
It'll be the lower of two values - slowest ship's speed, OR average speed reduced by size penalty.
Speaking of fleet sizes I was thinking about something while at work (way more interesting than actually working) and I became curious about how things will scale up to the full size game. Its a nebulous though for sure, and I know will become more clear as the game develops, but as a specific example I thought it would be really awkward (and expensive with fuel) to take a fleet like the ones we build in the game so far and go exploring. It would seem awkward to be a massive fleet of 20 ships randomly jumping to different systems in search of new worlds and new civi... wait, wrong universe, but you get the idea.
I guess the question is: how will the game handle issues like this? Will we have a place, a base if you will, to store ships and supplies that we'll come back to to pick what we want? If so, what will those ships do when at base? Or will be we able to call for ships and supplies to come to us? I'm guessing it will have something to do with the grayed out "outposts" tab in the game right now, but was wondering if someone would be able to clear it up. Will be be able to order around AI fleets loyal to us and have them fly around/between systems like the factions to now?
Well, its not so much about movement speed IMO (In fact, I don't think there really should be much of a linear velocity penalty for raw fleet size at all; penalizing angular velocity/turn-rate is fine in my books)
Here is why sending a large fleet to explore is silly: its a huge investment of resources, and its only going as fast as the slowest ship (or slower, based on the planned mechanics); you can do a lot more exploring (cover more area) in a shorter amount of time with smaller fleets or single ships than you can with a single large fleet.
I meant in a more general sense to go with the whole "fleet commander" feel of the game, where you don't take direct control of fleets other than your own just as you don't take direct control over ships other than your flagship. Besides, I wouldn't want to have to follow who knows how many fleets around the sector to make them do what they want. I want to be able to tell the commander of a fleet "Go trade and make the organisation money" or "go explore" or "go kill those bad guys because I'm too lazy to." Same concept as the battle screen, but on the scale of the whole sector.
Hmm, tried downloading the new version, one on website is corrupted according to my laptop and my download password has been blocked, is there any other way that I can download the new version?
But I have Symantec Endpoint protection, and I'm pretty sure I haven't downloaded anything lately, but I'll see if there is. Thanks for respondingHmm, tried downloading the new version, one on website is corrupted according to my laptop and my download password has been blocked, is there any other way that I can download the new version?
You could first try removing the malware from your computer. That kind of situation is definitely not normal.
But I have Symantec Endpoint protection, and I'm pretty sure I haven't downloaded anything lately, but I'll see if there is. Thanks for respondingHmm, tried downloading the new version, one on website is corrupted according to my laptop and my download password has been blocked, is there any other way that I can download the new version?
You could first try removing the malware from your computer. That kind of situation is definitely not normal.
So the longer i play the campaign mode, the more items/ships the npc deliver to the station? Is it possible to fly every available ship in the campaign? want to try a big carrier like the atlas. ;D
So the longer i play the campaign mode, the more items/ships the npc deliver to the station? Is it possible to fly every available ship in the campaign? want to try a big carrier like the atlas. ;D
Yes your fleet gets HUGE! Eventually... Just make sure you save often. Plus you can also capture/board ships... Ive never had an NPC deliver at Atlas class carrier though, or a Paragon Battleship.
I'm really loving this game! It's incredibly impressive for a title in its alpha state.
I'm curious about the unpredictability of battles, though. At the moment, it's difficult to judge when it's "worth it" to engage an enemy. If some of my ships get destroyed but I can board and acquire a better vessel, that's fine. But boarding seems a bit random?
Small fleets are too fast to catch and letting big fleets attack might result in a Pyrrhic victory (for the player). Which leads to reloading the battle until you get a worthwhile outcome.
Are there some obvious mechanics governing the boarding of ships that I've missed?
I meant in a more general sense to go with the whole "fleet commander" feel of the game, where you don't take direct control of fleets other than your own just as you don't take direct control over ships other than your flagship. Besides, I wouldn't want to have to follow who knows how many fleets around the sector to make them do what they want. I want to be able to tell the commander of a fleet "Go trade and make the organisation money" or "go explore" or "go kill those bad guys because I'm too lazy to." Same concept as the battle screen, but on the scale of the whole sector.
agree with this. i dont dislike the idea of multiple fleets but i also dont want to be burdened with trying to multi task flying them all around
also i dont personally agree that i should be able to reinforce a fleet with ships from a different fleet not in the battle.. from the system view when combat does happen it happens very quick.. fleets touch and bang combat is over.. i see that as time in the system view is sped up so those combats are really fast.. while when your in combat time is "normal" speed. so your fleets to me anyway.. would never be able to reach you in time to help anyway unless they were exceedingly close together before combat happened.
But I have Symantec Endpoint protection, and I'm pretty sure I haven't downloaded anything lately, but I'll see if there is. Thanks for respondingHmm, tried downloading the new version, one on website is corrupted according to my laptop and my download password has been blocked, is there any other way that I can download the new version?
You could first try removing the malware from your computer. That kind of situation is definitely not normal.
Tried the version off the website just to make sure and it worked fine for me. So, not sure what's going wrong here (but malware, or some other system malfunction seems like a possibility...). I'm guessing if this was a problem with the actual build I'd have heard about it by now :)
Make a bug report thread. the savegame is an xml file, so you could possibly edit it. also, the game keeps a backup of the most recent saveOpening the save game files seem to crash the game every time I press load game. Have to delete the save game folder and re install.
ps. any way to define fleets directly from code? datafiles are fine, but api lack this extremely usefull ability. (i want to fill world with random single ship fleets just to test hull against each other.
When a new version?
What are you working on now?
thank you
Is there going to be another blog post soon? I'm a real sucker for concept art and lore....
Been too busy with bugfixing and getting the next "maintenance" release ready. Have a couple of things I want to write about, but... :)
Now, I have been one in the past to beg for a hotfix release, but this time, I would like to ask a serious "why?"
Now, I have been one in the past to beg for a hotfix release, but this time, I would like to ask a serious "why?"
It depends on what you mean by "hotfix". To me it means a release within a day or two to address game-breaking issues. Something like a random and frequent crash, for example, would qualify.
What I'm aiming to do now is make a release within a week (or two, on the outside) - with a bunch of bug fixes and some feature improvements. Since I'm in the middle of some of those right now, yeah, it'd be something of a pain to cut a build (before someone chimes in about code branching - I'm familiar) - but more importantly, I don't think there's anything that can't wait a week or so.
Plus, I do so love "torturing the anxious people" :)
... uh... what?
its in response to kahabut. referencing MOO2 (master of orion 2) and phase shields / time distortion devices
if you play MOO2 and really pay attention to what some of the research does you come out with what i had posted as the best ship load out in the game. something im sure other people have figured out at some point or another (though only me and one other friend of mine ever figured it out and we refused to tell anyone else LOL)
essentially i dont think the game needs that kind of crazy power in combat LOL.
oh god LOL we dont need a uber my one doom star can kill your fleet of doom stars load outs LOL..
Phasing Cloak
Stellar Converter
Doom Star Construction
Megafluxers
Subspace Teleporter
Time Warp Facilitator
what you get. 100% invisibility for up to 10 turns (if you never fire weapons, takes 1 turn of not shooting to go back into cloak for 10 more turns)
a weapon that can not miss and envelops target
largest ship in the game
25% more space for more stuff
teleport on battle screen up to 18 squares before your ship actually moves
and a free second turn.. ( to move and NOT shoot to go back to 100% cloak.)
your turn you move and fire (preferably all the while staying far far out of the other sides range. with the stellar converters unlimited range) then the second turn from time warp facilitator you move again and not fire. and re cloak rinse repeat until entire other side is obliterated. you can successfully annihilate any computer opponent without ever being shot at like this.. they wont even move because your invisible.
anyway me and my friend used to play this game a heck of a lot... and when we did hot seat play (lan play was just to slow) we always agreed to not use this setup if we fought each other LOL other wise it just turned into a waiting game.
Ah ok, haven't played MOO2 so I wouldn't know.
I whis MOO3 would never have happened :(
stop giving alex ideas how to spend his time... (besides slaving away at new features for the masses...)I whis MOO3 would never have happened :(
What is this MOO3 you speak of?
stop giving alex ideas how to spend his time... (besides slaving away at new features for the masses...)I whis MOO3 would never have happened :(
What is this MOO3 you speak of?
(Although I have begun to think that the Tri-Tachyon ships may be too much better than the others.)
There are useful midline and low tech ships, but I do agree that there are a few EXTREMELY good Tri-Tachyon ships, with not really any midline or low tech ships that approach those highs.
Low tech ships, on the other hand, have crap for shields but have miles of armor to protect themselves, and are armed exclusively with kinetics and missiles, which means that none of their offensive armament is properly countered by high tech ships, and their protection is well suited to defending against energy attacks.
I don't think he mentioned missiles to be used against shields rather, it is the kinetics that are meant to damage shields. The missiles are for damaging the hull once the shields are downed by the kinetics.
What's wrong with the longsword? Longswords are cool! And antiquated.
No, because I was specifically talking about the interplay between defensive systems and offensive weapons.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3v4j3mvrDyQ
A plate carrier will not stop that kind of damage. It is designed for a different era of warfare, after all. That's what I'm trying to say, with high tech ships not necessarily being 'better'. High tech ships would be designed to deal with the weapons around at their inception, and may not necessarily be prepared to deal with a more 'barbaric' weapon system.
the better one would be Kevlar easily stopping high velocity small caliber rounds, but a knife slips easily through the weave.
Ceramic plate inserts in body armor is actually a bad analogy here, the better one would be Kevlar easily stopping high velocity small caliber rounds, but a knife slips easily through the weave.
One of the purported features of ceramic body armor is that it is largely impervious to bladed weapons.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ceramic_plate (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ceramic_plate)
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ballistic_vest#Stab_armor_and_combination_stab-ballistic_armor (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ballistic_vest#Stab_armor_and_combination_stab-ballistic_armor)
And I've gotta agree with Iscariot, if you defend your ship from smart guided munitions by using ECM and Spoofing/Overloading the sensors of a missile, you'll be wholly unprepared to deal with dumbfire artillery.
No, because I was specifically talking about the interplay between defensive systems and offensive weapons.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3v4j3mvrDyQ
A plate carrier will not stop that kind of damage. It is designed for a different era of warfare, after all. That's what I'm trying to say, with high tech ships not necessarily being 'better'. High tech ships would be designed to deal with the weapons around at their inception, and may not necessarily be prepared to deal with a more 'barbaric' weapon system.
The bodkin arrow was never produced to defeat bulletproof type IIIa ceramic plate armor. But a shot from one or two can definitely break the plate just by force, making the third arrow lethal.
No protective armoring that could be used by a Person could protect against Cannon shots, a hellebard/axe swing, a big ass hammer.
the better one would be Kevlar easily stopping high velocity small caliber rounds, but a knife slips easily through the weave.
Kevlar can stop knives too, it's just more effective against ballistics.
That's very misleading, there is no pure kevlar vest which can stop a knife stab. Kevlar with with metal backing/inserts/chainmail weave, yes.
(Also, an arrow is going to go right through a kevlar vest, and if it's Teflon tipped fired from a 100 pound compound bow, it's going to go through multiple vests)
That's very misleading, there is no pure kevlar vest which can stop a knife stab. Kevlar with with metal backing/inserts/chainmail weave, yes.
(Also, an arrow is going to go right through a kevlar vest, and if it's Teflon tipped fired from a 100 pound compound bow, it's going to go through multiple vests)
Teflon just protects the barrel of a gun from the harden metal bullet no? Putting it on the tip of an arrow seems a bit pointless. In any case, think we need to make the distinction between the vests worn by civilians and the ones that militaries use. Rifle rounds are substantially more powerful than pistol rounds, due to their weight and shape. Against civilian vests it's pretty much going to go through. Military vests that incorporate protection from sharp pointy things aimed at them tends to have a lot more protection against this sort of projectile.
As for knives, it depends on how skilled and trained the stabber is. At some point, any knife will go through armor given enough pressure and speed. Knife resistant vests function quite handily in fact. There are youtube videos of it resisting the knife edge quite well.
Teflon is extremely low friction and facilitates armour penetration
Teflon is extremely low friction and facilitates armour penetration
When you compare it with weight of the projectile, it's going to matter far more than whether or not the tip is a little bit more slippery than other surfaces. The tip has to force open the weave of of the kevlar at the very least. This, while it doesn't create much friction does provide resistance to the arrow. Compared to an ordinary metal finish the material is going to provide a marginal effect, it is the sheer weight of the projectile that provides much of the results.