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Author Topic: Starsector 0.6.2a (Released) Patch Notes  (Read 214898 times)

Megas

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Re: Starsector 0.6.2a (In Development) Patch Notes
« Reply #135 on: December 29, 2013, 12:36:54 PM »

The thing about old games, is they had limits.  Anyone remember flickering sprites, like in Adventure for the Atari 2600?
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Debido

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Re: Starsector 0.6.2a (In Development) Patch Notes
« Reply #136 on: December 29, 2013, 01:10:18 PM »

Thanks Xenoargh  ;D I wouldn't mind clicking on her!

Nobody has ever, ever complained that a game gave them too much help, in terms of understanding the mechanics.

That's just not true, though. There are a lot of people who despise the hand-holding many modern games force upon the player. And consequently also a lot of people who rejoice about retro style games where discovering the game mechanics is already part of the game. Just google "games hand holding" or something like that to see what I mean.

I'd suggest these people are often people who have been playing games for long enough, however id still advocate training for first time players. It could be the first space game person plays for all we know. Catering to this audience is still as important because they paid for it.

If you really like you can even parody it, like in Far Cry 3: blood dragon....damn that was funny.

You're right though Xenoargh most games used to come with a manual, I remember the manual for B17 Flying Fortress for Atari 1024STE, now THAT was a manual nearly half an inch thick. That was quality documentation, though that was a rare case as only about 20-30 % of games came with a manual, and if they did it was filled with lots or pictures of enemies and such and didn't give you detailed game mechanics - you still had to learn that the hard way.

Anyway Alex, having help or suggestions presented by an officer would be good for reasons specified earlier.

Though one help tip would be the second in command resolving a conflict may not always be as favorable as if the player takes direct control, I think new players should be aware of the pros and cons of auto resolve. I personally almost never use auto resolve as it doesn't give any real benefit.

@thaago: I can see why you would like audio briefings, and that could be a possibility. However getting in voice actors is expensive, and we'd need to have the game finalized with all the mechanics finalized so that the audio help is accurate. To say nothing of greater expense if you want to release to a global audience and need to have it translated into multiple languages.

Text pop ups are cheap, easy to implement and let the player absorb the information at their own pace. Not everyone has an IQ of 100 to understand an audio prompt straight away, and not everyone has good hearing. On top or that translating text to other languages is as easy as dropping it into google translate, and getting a pro text translator for final presentation is less expensive as well.
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Debido

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Re: Starsector 0.6.2a (In Development) Patch Notes
« Reply #137 on: December 29, 2013, 01:14:22 PM »

The thing about old games, is they had limits.  Anyone remember flickering sprites, like in Adventure for the Atari 2600?

And text rendering was muddy on an old dilapidated TV screen, I often struggled to see menu and inventory items in Monkey Island.

 
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xenoargh

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Re: Starsector 0.6.2a (In Development) Patch Notes
« Reply #138 on: December 29, 2013, 01:48:27 PM »

I went ahead and did it.  Here's your "Communications Officer", Barbi Gunz.

This is proof: the game totally needs Space Barbie / Plisskin / Terminators to give you "friendly reminders" every ten seconds.  Hey, listnin!


Sorry for the derail, Alex.  Going to go do serious stuff now :P
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Debido

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Re: Starsector 0.6.2a (In Development) Patch Notes
« Reply #139 on: December 29, 2013, 03:27:11 PM »

Alex can you please have Barbie Gunz as the first officer? if only as a placeholder and in game Easter egg/joke...until Mattel pick up on it anyway. The game could do with a little light hearted comedy.
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xenoargh

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Re: Starsector 0.6.2a (In Development) Patch Notes
« Reply #140 on: December 29, 2013, 03:47:24 PM »

Being sued by Mattel is probably very un-fun (although this is almost certainly defensible as parody) and I don't actually think Alex should risk that, since David could design an original character that was still fun, rather than use a simple paint-over. 

Heck, I always wonder what ol' Square Jaw McGraw (the default portrait, which practically everybody uses... btw, I think that should be randomized every new game and explained... I doubt a lot of newbies even know they can change their portrait) would be like as your annoying, bootlicking sidekick.

I don't think they'll bother suing if it's in a mod, though.
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Hopelessnoob

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Re: Starsector 0.6.2a (In Development) Patch Notes
« Reply #141 on: December 29, 2013, 03:54:39 PM »

Something similar to this is needed as an Officer. Hurry up and give us officers Officer Barbi Gunz is great.
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BillyRueben

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Re: Starsector 0.6.2a (In Development) Patch Notes
« Reply #142 on: December 29, 2013, 04:44:29 PM »

I really hope this is just "forum fun" and not something that's seriously being suggested. I love the serious and potentially dark tone of this game, and I'd hate for that to change.
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Debido

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Re: Starsector 0.6.2a (In Development) Patch Notes
« Reply #143 on: December 29, 2013, 04:58:10 PM »

Well if there is a diverse selection of officers it won't hurt the seriousness of the game if there is an Easter egg character, even if she is only enabled in Dev mode or something. Otherwise keeping with the tone they will need to be a bit grittier artwork to keep in with the rest of the game tone.

Still it looks like she will be the default officer for Vacuum  ;D
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xenoargh

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Re: Starsector 0.6.2a (In Development) Patch Notes
« Reply #144 on: December 29, 2013, 05:31:07 PM »

I'm totally joking (although I did actually implement that, it's not like I care if Vacuum doesn't come across as grimdark).  

I'd like to see your fellow captains be able to talk to you, like Alex suggested, but in a much more serious vein.  Simply adding a picture next to the text is quite powerful; it puts a face and a sense of character on what's being said.  

That said, the lack of any real humanity and any interactivity other than bare-bones killing, looting and selling in the title continues to be a real problem.
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Debido

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Re: Starsector 0.6.2a (In Development) Patch Notes
« Reply #145 on: December 29, 2013, 06:23:55 PM »

The only other new player aid that I would add would be the targeting assist pip that's been in fighter planes since Vietnam, and computer games since the 90's I think. Conditionally it would only if you had the same guns that were linked OR any group of guns set alternating. Either way telling new players to 'pew pew here in this pip' will help them get into the habbit of leading the target and predicting it's path a bit.

The pip is only to help them learn target leading, later on they'll realise the pip is only targeting the centre of the ship and doesn't take into account things like shield placement, strafing tactics or trying to hit the exact same angle on the ship repeatedly to pierce the armour and damage the hull.
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OOZ662

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Re: Starsector 0.6.2a (In Development) Patch Notes
« Reply #146 on: December 29, 2013, 08:26:03 PM »

The thing about old games, is they had limits.  Anyone remember flickering sprites, like in Adventure for the Atari 2600?

Funny you should say this about a game which has detailed and indepth mods that have to turn away 32bit riffraff users because the save files won't fit in RAM... ;D
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Umbra Eterna

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Re: Starsector 0.6.2a (In Development) Patch Notes
« Reply #147 on: December 29, 2013, 09:47:39 PM »

Does anyone have an idea of when this patch is going to be released?
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Thaago

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Re: Starsector 0.6.2a (In Development) Patch Notes
« Reply #148 on: December 29, 2013, 10:02:47 PM »

Hi Unpocalypse, welcome to the forums!

The patch is going to be released SoonTm - ie whenever Alex feels its in a polished, ready state. The wait can be pretty long when he's implementing new things. I'm personally rooting for another bugfix release before another feature, but thats for my own selfish (computer can't handle some mods I love) reasons :P.
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Histidine

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Re: Starsector 0.6.2a (In Development) Patch Notes
« Reply #149 on: December 29, 2013, 10:42:09 PM »

I'll admit, conventionally attractive tutorial babe probably beats talking paperclip as far as sources of ingame advice go.
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