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

Author Topic: Two Unrelated Suggestions  (Read 4060 times)

BillyRueben

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Two Unrelated Suggestions
« on: December 06, 2012, 08:46:48 PM »

1. The ability to rotate the camera.

Simple. I like to fight from the bottom of the screen upward. I don't like to fight from the top of the screen downward. If I get flanked, I'd like the ability to pause the game, go in to the command screen, and hit a button to rotate the camera 90 degrees in either direction.

2. Experience bonus for personally destroying enemy ships.

It doesn't have to be huge, but I like getting that extra little something for being a good pilot/captain.
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Alex

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Re: Two Unrelated Suggestions
« Reply #1 on: December 06, 2012, 10:02:28 PM »

As far as #1 - this came up a while ago... let me see if I can dig it up - ah, here. I thought I'd said more there, but I guess there isn't that much else to say.

... looking at it again: ironically, there's a post from you in that thread :) Edit: just to be clear, I do see that this isn't exactly the same.


#2 - I like that idea. I think in general you can expect the experience gaining scheme to become more... sophisticated, let's say. This kind of thing is very likely to become part of it.
« Last Edit: December 06, 2012, 10:10:12 PM by Alex »
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jimy

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Re: Two Unrelated Suggestions
« Reply #2 on: December 07, 2012, 05:13:08 AM »

A question Alex:

Do you plan to have global experience points that you use for everything or do you think you're going to make different experience points for different skill classes like combat and industry?
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Gothars

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Re: Two Unrelated Suggestions
« Reply #3 on: December 07, 2012, 06:16:02 AM »

A question Alex:

Do you plan to have global experience points that you use for everything or do you think you're going to make different experience points for different skill classes like combat and industry?

It's pretty safe to assume that they will stay global since the entire skill tree is based around that premise.

The interesting question is now how non-combat activities like trading, mining and industry building can earn you XP in an fair and balanced way.
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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.

Reshy

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Re: Two Unrelated Suggestions
« Reply #4 on: December 07, 2012, 09:48:58 AM »

As far as #1 - this came up a while ago... let me see if I can dig it up - ah, here. I thought I'd said more there, but I guess there isn't that much else to say.

... looking at it again: ironically, there's a post from you in that thread :) Edit: just to be clear, I do see that this isn't exactly the same.


#2 - I like that idea. I think in general you can expect the experience gaining scheme to become more... sophisticated, let's say. This kind of thing is very likely to become part of it.


You know Alex, it might be amusing to render the combat with a 3D camera while 2D sprites duke it out.  There should however be two things if you ever made a rotating camera.  A 'Home' command that snaps it back to the default angle, and that the key bindings aren't attached to any keys that you might press accidentally.
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BillyRueben

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Re: Two Unrelated Suggestions
« Reply #5 on: December 08, 2012, 10:59:30 AM »

A few more unrelated suggestions:

1. Focus Fire

I think it would be cool if the player could focus all of there fire on a single portion of a ship, and then be given a reward for doing so. If a ship was disabled with minimal armor damage, it would lead to extra loot at the end of a battle, and possibly a ship that wouldn't need 100% repaired if you can successfully board it.

2. Missile Range Hullmod

We have hullmods that increase the range of ballistic and energy weapons, why not missiles?

3. Ship "Hull" Bonuses

More than a few times, I'm towing around a ship I just boarded simply to repair it and sell it at the next station I happen by. It would be nice if ships that have no OP spent get a few small bonuses (increased speed/maneuverability, increased repair rate, decreased skeleton crew requirements). They are still useless in combat, but you take a little less penalty for dragging it to a station.

EDIT:
Oh, and one more:

4. All Weapons Autofire

If I set all of my weapon groups to autofire, and I make sure that Weapon Group 1 has no weapons associated with it, please don't make the weapon auto grouping shove something back in to the first weapon group. I would like all of my weapons to be able to autofire from the start of the battle so that I don't end up in a firefight and wonder why all of my main weapons aren't firing like they are supposed to.
« Last Edit: December 08, 2012, 11:04:32 AM by BillyRueben »
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Gothars

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Re: Two Unrelated Suggestions
« Reply #6 on: December 08, 2012, 01:53:24 PM »

3. Ship "Hull" Bonuses
More than a few times, I'm towing around a ship I just boarded simply to repair it and sell it at the next station I happen by. It would be nice if ships that have no OP spent get a few small bonuses (increased speed/maneuverability, increased repair rate, decreased skeleton crew requirements). They are still useless in combat, but you take a little less penalty for dragging it to a station.

The improved stats don't make so much sense to me, but I'd like the decreased skeleton crew requirement. It happened too often that I got caught by a bigger fleet after a successful battle and had to leave my captured, under-crewed ships to escape. If a ship is capable to operate all guns, systems and shields with 50 crew, why can't it at least use it's engines to escape with 40? Maybe a second crew level like "emergency crew" could be introduced (~ 20% skeleton crew?) that is sufficient for running away.

4. All Weapons Autofire
If I set all of my weapon groups to autofire, and I make sure that Weapon Group 1 has no weapons associated with it, please don't make the weapon auto grouping shove something back in to the first weapon group. I would like all of my weapons to be able to autofire from the start of the battle so that I don't end up in a firefight and wonder why all of my main weapons aren't firing like they are supposed to.

I'd like that very much, I was about to suggest this for ages. There are some ships that just need all the attention on maneuvering and shield management. I usually just slap a single Harpoon or something on, which works but looks and feels awkward. And for small ships like the shuttle it ain't a solution either.

I'm not sure that your implementation would work well though. I rather like the auto advancing to empty groups. Maybe a general weapon group de-selector key like pressing 0 would work better.
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The game was completed 8 years ago and we get a free expansion every year.

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Alex

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Re: Two Unrelated Suggestions
« Reply #7 on: December 08, 2012, 02:03:04 PM »

Just a very quick note: you can select an otherwise-unused group. So if you have 4 groups, pressing 5 lets all 4 groups autofire.
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BillyRueben

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Re: Two Unrelated Suggestions
« Reply #8 on: December 08, 2012, 02:07:18 PM »

Just a very quick note: you can select an otherwise-unused group. So if you have 4 groups, pressing 5 lets all 4 groups autofire.

I'm aware, but you have to remember to do it at the start of every fight, which can lead to some issues.
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Gothars

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Re: Two Unrelated Suggestions
« Reply #9 on: December 08, 2012, 02:08:03 PM »

Ooh...I was not. Well, thanks :D
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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.

Gabrybbo

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Re: Two Unrelated Suggestions
« Reply #10 on: December 08, 2012, 03:15:21 PM »

Just a very quick note: you can select an otherwise-unused group. So if you have 4 groups, pressing 5 lets all 4 groups autofire.
Talking about this, could the "all groups autofire" command be bound to a key like the one just at left of the "1" key (for me it's "\", I don't know about other layouts)?
At the moment if we use all 5 groups we can't have all of them on autofire. :/
It's not that important, but something that I always forgot to suggest. :)
« Last Edit: December 08, 2012, 03:18:32 PM by Gabrybbo »
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erynr73

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Re: Two Unrelated Suggestions
« Reply #11 on: December 08, 2012, 03:31:25 PM »

2. Experience bonus for personally destroying enemy ships.
It doesn't have to be huge, but I like getting that extra little something for being a good pilot/captain.

You should only get an xp boost if your playing with 100% damage to your ship (or at least much bigger boost).
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