Ideas

[Sector 347]

Hello.

Already love this game, but here's few suggestions:

 

- Improved building mechanics: player able to point a "center of mass" (or "axis of rotation" if you want). For now this center considered as last remaining block, if I quite understand...

- Standard scale of blocks: Liked that I could choose the proportions of the block freely. But maybe it's wise to add some typical block scales? Only a few, for example 1x1, 2x2, 3x3... and so on. Will be useful for construction accurate things.

 

- Space graveyards: already seen some sectors with wreckages... But if we put more of them? Make some sectors with LOTS of debrises (like any asteroid field, but consist of wreckage). I think it would look pretty cool.

- Megaliths: giant structures, scattered around the galaxy. Perhaps no practical purpose. Just to give atmosphere.

 

- Bridge block: I like the camera in the game - it's very handy and easy to control... But when your ship becomes bigger, you need a several "observation points" from which it is convenient to watch the enemies, asteroid and other. And sometimes you want to feel youself as a captain :] You can create a block that will be a fixed camera - modes of view: "free look" (i.e. default camera) and "bridge" (or "bridges" if more than one). I think it would be useful.

 

- Player's fleet: It would be useful to add the ability to allied ships to follow the player. For now, new constructed ships anchored to sector with shipyard, where they were built.

 

- Classes: classify all the ships by tonnage/hull, for example:

Сlass 1: 0-100 hp

Class 2:100-1000 hp

Class 3:1000-10000 hp

And so on...

Do not even need to specify the "class" (destroyer or cruiser), just mark, in order to know what this ship is.

 

But overall, the game is looking very nice. I like the unique shape of spaceships and feel of the game. Keep up the good work!

...and sorry for bad English ;]

[koonschi]

Improved building mechanics: player able to point a "center of mass" (or "axis of rotation" if you want). For now this center considered as last remaining block, if I quite understand...

 

That's currently the ship root block, yes. I think I will change it to the actual center of mass.

 

Standard scale of blocks: Liked that I could choose the proportions of the block freely. But maybe it's wise to add some typical block scales? Only a few, for example 1x1, 2x2, 3x3... and so on. Will be useful for construction accurate things.

 

I thought of a grid for the block size when you scale it. I think that'd do the job?

 

Space graveyards: already seen some sectors with wreckages... But if we put more of them? Make some sectors with LOTS of debrises (like any asteroid field, but consist of wreckage). I think it would look pretty cool.

 

It would be, yes. It's a little more complicated than the asteroids, as those are currently indestructible and wreckages are not. This has to do with rendering optimizations. Also, wreckages can be salvaged - And you get a hell of a lot more out of them then out of asteroids, so it could be a balancing issue.

 

Megaliths: giant structures, scattered around the galaxy. Perhaps no practical purpose. Just to give atmosphere.

 

Yup, why not?

 

Bridge block

 

I guess positioning the camera for the corresponding block could be difficult - other than that it would be possible.

 

Player's fleet: It would be useful to add the ability to allied ships to follow the player. For now, new constructed ships anchored to sector with shipyard, where they were built.

 

That's a feature to come, haven't had time for it yet.

 

Classes: classify all the ships by tonnage/hull

 

I had something similar in mind. There are already categories, that can be assigned by scripts. But those are mostly meant for types of ships/stations, like shipyards, transporters etc.

 

Overall those are quite easy to implement features, I think they might one day find their way into the game!

[Sector 347]

INCOMING :D

- Co-axial guns: or "course-weapons" (I hope this sounds right in English). Maybe some type of... heavy beam cannon, for example. See the pic below.

- Mass Driver: kind of cannon that uses resources to fire (in fact it shoots resources). Damage may depend on the type of "ammo."

 

- Maneuverability engine: gives some mobility to your ship (increase drive/rotation speed).

 

- Hyberspace inhibitor: faction structure (just like basic station) which does not allow the player to make a jump to another sector (if the inhibitor is considered as enemy, of course).

[Sector 347]

I wonder whether other ways of moving between sectors, except as hyper-jump? By analogy with the X3, where were the gates and jump drive. Although, I confess, I like the idea of infinite sectors without borders.

And question number two: will NPCs move between sectors, doing some kind of their business, or they will simply drift in the sector?

[koonschi]

Co-axial guns: or "course-weapons" (I hope this sounds right in English). Maybe some type of... heavy beam cannon, for example. See the pic below.

 

Those could be quite cool. I guess they wouldn't be buildable to the front or back sides of blocks as they wouldn't be able to face in the flying direction.

 

Mass Driver: kind of cannon that uses resources to fire (in fact it shoots resources). Damage may depend on the type of "ammo."

 

Could be a really fun weapon, I like that.

 

Maneuverability engine: gives some mobility to your ship (increase drive/rotation speed).

 

Thats already on the todo list.

 

Hyberspace inhibitor: faction structure (just like basic station) which does not allow the player to make a jump to another sector (if the inhibitor is considered as enemy, of course).

 

This could be a little difficult. How would the inhibitor be stopped? If it's a station, it's very possible that a player is too weak to destroy it, and then it's a dead-end sector for him. Or imagine a player who has a ship with mining lasers only, he would not be able to destroy the inhibitor. This could be quite mean.

Maybe the inhibitor could decrease the reload speed of the hyperspace engine, so he has to stay there longer. But making it impossible for players to escape would be quite an unfun feature.

 

I wonder whether other ways of moving between sectors, except as hyper-jump? By analogy with the X3, where were the gates and jump drive. Although, I confess, I like the idea of infinite sectors without borders.

 

I will add some kind of hyperspace gates or wormholes that lead to another sector in the galaxy. And I thought if a player flies long enough in one direction, he will do an automatic hyperspace jump. But I'm really not sure about this.

 

will NPCs move between sectors, doing some kind of their business, or they will simply drift in the sector?

 

They will be able to change sectors, yes.

[Sector 347]

Thanks for reply :]

[Sector 347]

I thought about the huge cloud of resources, that fall out from destroyed shipyard (for example).

As we know, there is a nice FPS drop in such situations. It seems to me problem can be solved by adding high-capacity resource units (x10, x100, x1000, etc.). Just like common one, but with scaled model.