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« on: February 18, 2022, 03:33:34 AM »
[size=24pt]NOTICE: These are all opinions, framed as requests. Some are explained or elaborated roughly, some are not. Almost all are purely Vanilla, but some ARE vanilla/mod interaction changes.
It's perfectly find if you think some of these requests are unreasonable, or if you wholeheartedly agree. Please check any outrage or indignation at the forum door.[/size]
Please fold some of the most common 'utility'-style mods into the vanilla gameplay. Or, if you'd rather, please allow/prompt the player when starting a new game if they, for instance, want to use the normal weapon arc, or Leading Pip. Whether they'd like to have Console enabled or disabled. I won't dive too far into that, but many other games provide a fine example at how to quickly make a player aware of their UI options (modded or otherwise). A lot of these I think border on 'essential' mods.
Please allow some of the initial sector generation choices to remain selected. Portrait and name have a 'randomize' button right there... if I'm starting a new game, I'll hit that button if I want it randomized. Randomizing it by default just adds an extra step to a repetitive process. If you're making your own faction, the name and prefix also qualify. Even BETTER would be bundling all of those into a save point BEFORE sector generation, not after. So that if you're not liking your initial choices or the RNG Gods are frowning on you, it's a simple process to just Regenerate Universe.
Please add support for mouse buttons, and 'push button to fire' controls.
Please either merge the Fleet and Refitting screens, or add duplicate buttons for things like Strip, Mothball, etc. Bouncing back and forth doesn't do the game any favors. I don't know if 'windows' are an option with the engine, but opening up some features/options in a forward window might help with navigation.
Please either merge the Intel and Sector maps, or add duplicate buttons for things like traveling to a specific planet on the mission screen, or seeing local events alongside your fuel range.
Please add projectile speed to non-missile weapons.
Please allow the '?' button on the refitting screen to reflect S-mods, and visa versa. If a modifier is shortening weapon turning, or PD distance, as the player I need to see that reflected on the actual weapon card, rather than nestled in flavor text on a D-Mod. And if I INCREASE my firing distance through an S-mod (or Story Points, or Crew Experience, or other modded means) I need to see that reflected as well.
Please add additional important information to built-in weapons, and other systems that currently show nothing outside of the refit screen.
Please clarify or modify the language to distinguish between Energy Weapons, and Energy Damage. In the same way that Projectile weapons do Kinetic damage.
Please allow for info linking. That's a big subject, but a few examples include: Faction to Planets to Diplomat, Home Faction to Governor to Planetary settings, Object in Production que to detailed stats, Faction to Planets listed on the world map. In short, there are few logical links between systems, and a hard reliance on WASD and number keys to navigate otherwise simple tasks.
Please allow more diplomatic interactions and tasks. A way to interact beyond attacking, fetch-questing, or handing over cores.
Please consider adding more trade goods.
Please add 'Large' to the map sizes listed.
Please consider steps to reduce the reliance on Simulation for equipping ships. That could include animated actions, a moment of 'firing' after a weapon is dropped into a slot, fighters hovering over the model after being equipped. Something that demonstrates the normal, expected behavior... not dissimilar to the idle motions on the Title screen.
Please show the ship SIZE on the Refit screen. The lines between Destroyer and Cruiser are almost impossible to see unless you're in the Purchasing menu, or the ship class is both the name and the size. Many are, but it's no requirement and gets passed over quite often with ships added by mod. A baseline of 'required' fields would need to come from the Vanilla side.
Please, please consider modifying the Battle Screen parameters to match the Map Screen parameters once combat starts. Aka, if you're fighting in an asteroid field... or in the corona of the sun...
Please put a larger buffer around the suns to avoid planets, warp points, stations, and fleet pathing to at least avoid the worst of the 'sun diving'. It's clear that the NPCs don't take corona damage..... but they should.
Please consider a throttle system instead of individual buttons for speed.
With more space for buttons, please consider more diverse 'stances'
Please put a larger time delay between a fight, and the ability to Salvage the fight debris.
Please consider a 'Camp Follower' system rather than mixing support skills into the player tech tree. Having a designated fleet 'Mechanic' slot, and 'Wing Commander', or whatever else, and let the player choose support skills like faster fighter regen, better salvaging, increased readiness, etc.
Please, please give the entire 'skills' section a good, hard look. It feels painfully incomplete... but it doesn't appear to allow adding/removing/modding.
Please allow a more 'handy' system for things like Faction stats, deployed fleets, mission icons... if a player comes back to their game, the process of 'getting up to speed' currently involves a lot of pages, a lot of inference, and a lot of flying around. Alongside that, please allow communication (assuming a Coms Array) between myself and... well... myself as I govern several colonies. Or to coordinate with my other Governors. Being incommunicado until you physically set food back on the planet is painfully restricting.
Please, please add a Market (even a limited one) to player planets. Even the worst Luddic space heap has both a Faction market, and a black market. Every. Single. One. The lack as soon as you start your own faction is glaring.
Please consider forking the current Starsector, and a modernized version with officially updated engine and tools. That doesn't mean abandoning the current iteration... but it's not getting any younger or 'more supported'. Even if this has to be DLC for an extra fee...
Please consider the steps necessary to address the current rate of game updates. There were Two in 2021, alongside 5 blog posts. Not gonna say how or what that SHOULD be, but please consider addressing it if those numbers aren't to your preference either.
Please make room for more optional buttons, optional pages, optional click zones, optional radial menus. Resources that could be used to... mod in more than just the set number of planet spots (yes, it's been mentioned) but could just as easily include other things like a Diplomacy window, orders to your factions beyond just making more ships and weapons. Optional colors in the weapons menu. Optional buttons in the Refitting screen. Optional buttons along the bottom beyond the 7 available. I think if you make (for example) an 8th button available, modders would jump at the opportunities to integrate more firmly with the vanilla UI.
Updates, changes, modifications all require hours, and hours require money.
Please, please take my money, and put it towards additional hours. Need more? Please take more.
Or don't. That's okay too.
It's simply a list of requests.
