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Author Topic: A List of Small Suggestions  (Read 7259 times)

SafariJohn

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A List of Small Suggestions
« on: August 13, 2015, 10:32:07 PM »

Rather than make several topics at once, I’ll stick all these small to fairly small ideas here. :)


Hyperspace Gates

In one of David’s wonderful illustrations there is a hyperspace gate. Many jump points are very conveniently located next to important planets, such as Jangala. Wouldn’t it make sense, then, that these jump points are actually Domain-era hyperspace gates? I think it would be really cool if hyperspace gates were depicted in-game in place of at least some jump points.


More Fringe Jump Points

I toyed with suggesting the idea of a “hyperspace limit” around a solar system instead of fringe jump points, but I couldn’t think of a way for it to work well with dropping in on stars. Instead, why not have four or more jump points arrayed around the edges of each system. It cuts down on both player and AI fleets trekking from one side of a system to the other because they used or want to use a fringe jump point.

Tarsus Up-armament

A Tarsus with even a green crew can hold out against a Standard Lasher until its CR runs out, if it has autocannons instead of light machine guns in its front turrets. Since Tarsi are supposed to be tough freighters, I think it would fit if the Standard variant was equipped with aforementioned autocannons.

It also might be interesting to have an uncommon version of the Tarsus with a fifth turret in the middle on the right side; I notice there’s a partially painted over turret mount there already. Perhaps make it a small missile mount? A Salamander launcher would fit nicely.


The Pirate Who Lived

I’ve noticed that pirates tend to stay out picking on weak fleets until they finally die. Only a few of the biggest fleets live long enough to finally return to port after they finish their X amount of months voyaging.

I propose two more conditions for a pirate fleet returning home.

One: if the fleet loses too many ships they limp back to lick their wounds. They might already do this; I’m not sure.

Two: if they gather enough plunder. Rather than try to track individual cargo to measure this, simply track how many ships they’ve destroyed. I’ll call this the “plunder rating”. When a pirate fleet leaves port, they pick a plunder rating based on the size of their own fleet. Then they act as normal. As they destroy ships, they fill up their plunder rating. Larger ships could be worth more and freighters more on top of that. Once they’ve filled up their plunder rating, they return home to enjoy their loot.

This plunder rating system could actually be applied to NPCs from any faction if they’re going out to raid their faction’s enemies.

Spoiler
This could also be tied into the next version’s persistent NPCs to create dynamic bounties. When a commander completes a successful cruise, he or she is assigned a bounty based on their final plunder rating. Each subsequent cruise could result in an even higher bounty. Bounties might be split between different factions based on whose ships have been destroyed by the NPC.

Losing ships could reduce the NPC’s bounty by an appropriate amount as part of it is paid out. It might be interesting to try to pick off a couple of weak ships from a large fleet to secure a small bounty. Should this synergize with bounties split between factions to increase payout? For example, you come across a pirate with a ¢3000 bounty from the Hegemony and a ¢1000 bounty from the Independents. You destroy a ship in the pirate’s fleet worth ¢500 in bounty. Do you get 500 credits total or 500 credits from each faction?
[close]
« Last Edit: August 16, 2015, 07:41:25 PM by HartLord »
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Linnis

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Re: A List of Small Suggestions
« Reply #1 on: August 14, 2015, 06:35:06 AM »

Hyperspace gates:

Makes sense, no reason why not I would think.



Fringe Jump points:

To expand on this, random gates placed in formation seem artificial and boring. How about once a fleet flys far enough away from the system they can activate hyperspace via map abilities.

To enter the fringe of a system, one could approach a system's star and when activated, would appear on the fringe and the location would depend on what angle you approached to system from.


Pirate who lived:

Still too early i think, we are still missing some of the fleet interactions, short term fix maybe we can ask you know who  ;) to include it in dem mods?
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TheDTYP

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Re: A List of Small Suggestions
« Reply #2 on: August 14, 2015, 07:22:39 AM »

I like your ideas for Hyperspace tweaks, the game feels a bit TOO big right now. Usually that would be fine, but it's just that there is A LOT of empty space. But hey, that's what outer space is, so... moving on.

And I don't think any kind of 5th weapon mount should be added to a Tarsus, not every ship can be built for combat, yaknow? Though I do like the idea of one outfitted with autocannons, maybe it would be a good idea to seed powerful caravans with those.

I also have some content-based suggestions but I don't want to make my own topic and over-saturate the forum, so...

1. More pirate markets. Pirates should be a common occurrence in a universe like this, and for the most part they are, but systems like Eos, where the Cult of Ludd lives, are just so boring. A single faction controlling a solar system can be pretty stale, because if you were to be hostile to the Ludd, then there is pretty much zero reason to ever go to Eos. I suggest putting in a pirate or independent market to balance them (well, not necessarily balance) out or tip the scales to have a place to fall back to in the system.

2. I don't know what direction Alex plans to go for content creation, but I would love to see more factions. Not huge ones like the Hegemony, but maybe a myriad of minor factions. Maybe a single system is home to a small group of militarized refugees of the people from The Last Hurrah mission, or those Ko Combine mercenaries (I don't remember where I heard of them, honestly it may even be a mod). I feel that could strongly enhance the game's universe.
« Last Edit: August 14, 2015, 11:22:00 AM by TheDTYP »
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SafariJohn

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Re: A List of Small Suggestions
« Reply #3 on: August 16, 2015, 08:08:09 PM »

Another (I hope is) small suggestion: give stations a sensor strength and sensor profile. For normal stations the player won't see much difference, since they use powerful transponders that can be detected from anywhere in the system, but for secret and hidden bases it adds atmosphere at the very least.

And if factions detecting fleets (and it's not abstracted) ever becomes an important part of the game, then it would be odd if stations couldn't detect things. I suppose planets would also need a sensor strength value in that case.


Pirate who lived:

Still too early i think, we are still missing some of the fleet interactions, short term fix maybe we can ask you know who  ;) to include it in dem mods?

I'm not sure what you mean. The first part of that suggestion is really simple: check enemy ships destroyed, add points to plunder rating, if plunder rating exceeded goal then return to home market.

The second part is an expansion on the first part to connect it to another part of the game, bounties, but is by no means necessary for the first part. Honestly, it probably deserves its own topic, so as a compromise I've spoilered it.

I also have some content-based suggestions but I don't want to make my own topic and over-saturate the forum, so...

I don't mind one bit if put your own suggestions here, so long as they're small.

And I don't think any kind of 5th weapon mount should be added to a Tarsus, not every ship can be built for combat, yaknow?

If adding a fifth turret is the only change from the normal Tarsus, no stat changes or anything, then it only slightly increases the combat power of the ship. It still can't stand up to any ship in its weight class by any means. I put together a mission with a 5-turret Tarsus supported by two fighter wings against 4 -D frigates and I had to pilot the Tarsus to win because the AI would screw it up.
« Last Edit: August 25, 2015, 01:31:50 PM by HartLord »
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SafariJohn

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Re: A List of Small Suggestions
« Reply #4 on: August 25, 2015, 01:31:38 PM »

Add an indicator around hostile fleets. Something as simple as a red ring would do.


Distinct from my earlier suggestion about local hyperspace gates, I suggest adding in the great gates of the Gate Network as discoverable locations, even though they don't work. Yeah, maybe some of them have been taken apart or repurposed for habitation, but it wouldn't surprise me if a few of them were still pristine, in the forlorn hope that one day they will come back online.
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TJJ

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Re: A List of Small Suggestions
« Reply #5 on: August 25, 2015, 03:49:32 PM »

On the topic of Big vs Empty.

Freelancer did a great job of making its sectors feel both large & packed full of stuff.
Obviously a different genre & played from a different perspective, but I think SS could learn some lessons from it.
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Clockwork Owl

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Re: A List of Small Suggestions
« Reply #6 on: August 26, 2015, 07:56:33 AM »

Distinct from my earlier suggestion about local hyperspace gates, I suggest adding in the great gates of the Gate Network as discoverable locations, even though they don't work. Yeah, maybe some of them have been taken apart or repurposed for habitation, but it wouldn't surprise me if a few of them were still pristine, in the forlorn hope that one day they will come back online.

Reading the lore material, sounds like there were only one interstellar gate in the sector.
And I won't be much surprised if the system containing it is a triple warzone - Tri-tachyon wanting to dissect and analyze the device,  The Church wanting to destroy the mechanical idol, and the Hegemony trying to protect the Domain asset from the buggers.
(Oh wait... I remember reading that Hegemony and Tri-tachyon will have better releationships)

@TJJ: I haven't played the Freelancer. How did it handled the issue?
« Last Edit: August 26, 2015, 07:58:28 AM by Aron0621 »
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TheDTYP

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Re: A List of Small Suggestions
« Reply #7 on: August 26, 2015, 09:43:07 AM »

Reading the lore material, sounds like there were only one interstellar gate in the sector.
And I won't be much surprised if the system containing it is a triple warzone - Tri-tachyon wanting to dissect and analyze the device,  The Church wanting to destroy the mechanical idol, and the Hegemony trying to protect the Domain asset from the buggers.

@TJJ: I haven't played the Freelancer. How did it handled the issue?

Do you realize how disappointed I'll be if that isn't how it is in the final game?
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Linnis

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Re: A List of Small Suggestions
« Reply #8 on: August 29, 2015, 06:53:39 AM »

On the topic of Big vs Empty.

Freelancer did a great job of making its sectors feel both large & packed full of stuff.
Obviously a different genre & played from a different perspective, but I think SS could learn some lessons from it.

yes, and they did it by making capital ships almost the size of planets. Also planets are extremely close in proximity by ratio. (like marbles in a shoebox)

Thats the trick.

They dint go for "realism" like alot of space sim games, it catered the "realism" to gameplay and "atmosphere".

Like you can bounce off stars for crist sake.



the largeness of the systems in freelancer was because it actually was large, in that players often traveled the "slow" way because of how stations, missions and jump points are placed. and looking at it from an overview everything was packed tight, there is no empty space without something of interest in it. And empty space for the point of empty space only existed in the later player made systems (god thoes where boring)



Lesson is, space in reality is boring... Make it fun
« Last Edit: August 29, 2015, 07:06:13 AM by Linnis »
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Gothars

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Re: A List of Small Suggestions
« Reply #9 on: August 29, 2015, 08:22:53 AM »

Lesson is, space in reality is boring... Make it fun

This is going a bit OT, but this leads me to this idea: To have a (semi-)realistic space game with long travel times that is all about spending those time. It could contain a social interaction game, or online poker, a sci-fi-stylized browser, or provide access to netflix. Almost like a gamified desktop alternative, where your normal entertainment is occasionally interrupted by a engine emergency or pirate attack  ;D
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SafariJohn

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Re: A List of Small Suggestions
« Reply #10 on: August 29, 2015, 08:34:51 AM »

*Watching romance movie*

"I love y-" ALERT! ALERT! WE HAVE BEEN BOARDED! ALERT! ALERT *lots of flashing red lights and screaming klaxons*
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Thaago

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Re: A List of Small Suggestions
« Reply #11 on: August 29, 2015, 10:59:12 AM »

Heh. I'm just imagining installing something like that on a friend's computer without them knowing - 2 days later they must pilot their way out from a pirate attack...
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SafariJohn

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Re: A List of Small Suggestions
« Reply #12 on: August 31, 2015, 10:14:45 PM »

I'm pretty sure I've mentioned this suggestion before somewhere, but anyways:

If the Thumper is going to be using some other weapon's sound, let it use the Thermal Pulse Cannon's sound. I mean, it is the Thumper amirite?
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Tartiflette

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Re: A List of Small Suggestions
« Reply #13 on: August 31, 2015, 11:13:27 PM »

Reading the lore material, sounds like there were only one interstellar gate in the sector.
According to "The State of Affairs" blog post:
"The records and stories only tell us bits and pieces. Exactly 206 cycles ago, all gates in our sector went dead at once. All communication links to the Domain were severed."
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MesoTroniK

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Re: A List of Small Suggestions
« Reply #14 on: August 31, 2015, 11:18:39 PM »

I'm pretty sure I've mentioned this suggestion before somewhere, but anyways:

If the Thumper is going to be using some other weapon's sound, let it use the Thermal Pulse Cannon's sound. I mean, it is the Thumper amirite?

The Thumper already has an improved sound in SS+ :)
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