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Starsector 0.97a is out! (02/02/24); New blog post: Simulator Enhancements (03/13/24)

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Author Topic: Starsector 0.7.2a (Released) Patch Notes  (Read 355131 times)

Issac Fisher

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Re: Starsector 0.7.2a (In Development) Patch Notes
« Reply #60 on: February 02, 2016, 02:05:03 PM »

Nice changes all around, especially the AI stuff. Interesting.

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Added Centurion-class frigate (system: Damper Field)

Is this the midline combat frigate I've been craving since 2012?

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Conservation efforts have been successful and a small number of Buffalo Mk.II's have been spotted in the wild



Still appreciating this so much xD
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Sy

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Re: Starsector 0.7.2a (In Development) Patch Notes
« Reply #61 on: February 02, 2016, 02:19:46 PM »

...What are those missiles? Clarents?
the ones in the gif? just the vanilla small 2-OP 'single shot' Reapers.
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Alex

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Re: Starsector 0.7.2a (In Development) Patch Notes
« Reply #62 on: February 02, 2016, 02:37:21 PM »

Oh, wow, this reminds me about a conversation we had some years ago about the AI analyzing the success of its current behavior and potentially switching tactics. I would be very interested in hearing more about the specific cases this occurs in.

There are two similar cases. The first is if it's failing to back off successfully, but hard flux levels are stable and it's not taking much damage (and a few other factors), it will lower shields.

The other case is like the above, but in the case of a slower ship - that's not trying to back off - also not being closed in on by a faster enemy.

In both cases, the idea is to mitigate/avoid the "keeping shields up and preventing flux dissipation for no visible reason" behavior, which can also lead to ships trying to back off continually.


Speaking of the jump point tooltip, it is possible to have some place hidden from it? I think pirate stations or abandoned ones (and a lot of modded stuff) would be better if not directly exposed to the player. It kinda defeat the goal of having limited sensor range if you "knowk their global location from hyper. Also, I have in my mod a triangular wormhole and I have no doubt it will mess that tooltip up.

Not at the moment, as stations and such are always visible on the map anyway. If that changes, I'd imagine the tooltip would get some work as well.


So what is the Cerberus now that the frigate-sized combat freighter, Wayfarer, is being added?

Exactly what it was before :)

Is the pirate Mudskipper simply called Mudskipper Mk 2?

Indeed it is.


Didn't see it in the notes, you chose not to give the Odyssey a 360 arc for one of its large turrets? =/

Looked at the sprite; I don't think it'd look good.


Still appreciating this so much xD

:D
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Dri

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Re: Starsector 0.7.2a (In Development) Patch Notes
« Reply #63 on: February 02, 2016, 03:28:26 PM »

Hey Alex, on an excitement meter numbered 1 through 10, how excited are you over the stuff you'll be working on for the next 4ish months? :O David has hinted at exciting things.
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Alex

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Re: Starsector 0.7.2a (In Development) Patch Notes
« Reply #64 on: February 02, 2016, 03:51:41 PM »

Probably 11.
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Dri

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Re: Starsector 0.7.2a (In Development) Patch Notes
« Reply #65 on: February 02, 2016, 03:55:47 PM »

You ain't messin' are you? If not... SNAPS, can't wait for that future blog post unvieling the goods! >8D
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Zaphide

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Re: Starsector 0.7.2a (In Development) Patch Notes
« Reply #66 on: February 02, 2016, 04:20:59 PM »

... Alex and David are actually having a competition to see who can be the biggest tease... :D
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Sy

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Re: Starsector 0.7.2a (In Development) Patch Notes
« Reply #67 on: February 02, 2016, 04:36:36 PM »

... Alex and David are actually having a competition to see who can be the biggest tease... :D
...and they are both winning!
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Solinarius

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Re: Starsector 0.7.2a (In Development) Patch Notes
« Reply #68 on: February 02, 2016, 08:09:54 PM »

More ships, more weapons = more fun. That's the selling point of mods for me. The game hasn't nearly reached a point where there's good variety on every size level. It could have twice as many ships and weapons and still not reach a point of diminishing returns IMO.

In my opinion, there can't ever be enough weapons, but I prefer a more realistic, military-esque selection where there's niches within niches within niches, rather than a smaller, arcade-esque selection where most weapons try to be unique snowflakes. That's one thing I really liked about Ironclads. Weapons, weapon everywhere. Also, choices, choices everywhere.
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Toxcity

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Re: Starsector 0.7.2a (In Development) Patch Notes
« Reply #69 on: February 02, 2016, 08:25:01 PM »

I don't think trying to aggressively fill every niche is a good thing. It leads to balance problems, and bloats weapon choices with redundant and unusable options.
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Cycerin

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Re: Starsector 0.7.2a (In Development) Patch Notes
« Reply #70 on: February 03, 2016, 08:33:21 AM »

Probably 11.

How can there be any excitement left after the mudskipper mk. II?
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Sy

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Re: Starsector 0.7.2a (In Development) Patch Notes
« Reply #71 on: February 03, 2016, 08:59:59 AM »

How can there be any excitement left after the mudskipper mk. II?
Mudskipper mk III confirmed! \o/
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Alex

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Re: Starsector 0.7.2a (In Development) Patch Notes
« Reply #72 on: February 03, 2016, 09:00:54 AM »

How can there be any excitement left after the mudskipper mk. II?

That's ... a fair point. "11 in a post-Mudskipper Mk. II world, where everything is gray", then.
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Gothars

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Re: Starsector 0.7.2a (In Development) Patch Notes
« Reply #73 on: February 03, 2016, 02:17:27 PM »

In both cases, the idea is to mitigate/avoid the "keeping shields up and preventing flux dissipation for no visible reason" behavior, which can also lead to ships trying to back off continually.


Interesting. I really can't think of any other game that does something like this (although you would't necessarily notice it).It sounds like the AI is collecting a lot of data for a fairly minor action (although with potentially big consequences). Do you think this could be the base for further and bigger dynamic behavior changes?

Things like "keep shields up longer if you've been hit on armor for x damage in the last x seconds despite low flux" for cases were you can circumvent an enemies shield with some trickery (like facing away and then turning in quickly). Or a more general "change behavior to b when taking x damage while dealing less than y damage" to make enemies less predictable.

You could even link it to personalities, e.g. an aggressive officer reducing desired target distance after dealing some damage (bloodlust) or a timid officer increasing desired target distance after being hit (scared).

Well, lots of possibilities. Are you interested in exploring them further?
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The game was completed 8 years ago and we get a free expansion every year.

Arranging holidays in an embrace with the Starsector is priceless.

Alex

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Re: Starsector 0.7.2a (In Development) Patch Notes
« Reply #74 on: February 03, 2016, 03:40:43 PM »

The data collecting isn't at all expensive, actually - had some concerns about that at the start, but those turned out to be unfounded.


...

Well, lots of possibilities. Are you interested in exploring them further?

Maybe? I don't want to get sucked into redoing things because there's this theoretically better way of doing things - or, at least, more data that could be considered. Simpler solutions are generally best, and I think this'll just be one more tool to use when fixing issues. It's pretty easy to use trends to come up with nonsensical behavior, too, so it's not exactly a silver bullet and one has to be careful.

For example, the "bloodlust" vs "scared" example - doing something like that might open up the door to the behavior being gamed by the player. That might sound neat (lure them into a false sense of security! it's a neat concept when the AI actually has awareness of that concept) but in practice stuff like that would be a repetitive exploit.

Something like countering "circumvent shield trickery", on the other hand, sounds like it would be a good use for this.
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