Aye...
Ships being more to scale might be nice too... Freighters being big and hard to slow, X-fighters small and easy to stop...
Course.. having said that, the capital ship thing I raised up a few posts ago could be done off that...
0.48.3 - Notes on the new space combat system
and why would I (or anyone else) put myself (or my ship) on the line to protect you GK? the wage you were offering would have to be at least as substantial as the best trade route in the inner sytems - call it danger money. somehow I dont think you'd be able to afford protection 
as for ai bots - where's the fun in that?
now, if certain people's piracy starts getting on the nerves of a group of pals/co-traders in space, nothing wrong with starting and co-ordinating a vigilante group, which will be of mutial benefit. the better the co-ordination, the better the results. and the heightened risk factor of takin you're own ship out after a killer - much more entertainin
or are you all scared enough to need AI?
as for ai bots - where's the fun in that?
now, if certain people's piracy starts getting on the nerves of a group of pals/co-traders in space, nothing wrong with starting and co-ordinating a vigilante group, which will be of mutial benefit. the better the co-ordination, the better the results. and the heightened risk factor of takin you're own ship out after a killer - much more entertainin
or are you all scared enough to need AI?
Its not so much A.I as it is ... err.... a missile fired from a .... brainless non-ship ship part... and I mean from stations people! Not actual flying ships dispatched to fight! Well, the game's current population doesn't really warrant vigiliante groups, and the games space trading population even further restricts that.
true. AFAIK the game population will be addressed by publicity that fooli's got up his sleeve for next month. big trick will be keeping the visitors - which is, in part at least, up to all of ustheseer wrote: the game's current population doesn't really warrant vigiliante groups, and the games space trading population even further restricts that.
as for the space trading polulation - tru for now - but I'm hopin this whole piracy aspect will broaden the appeal of that, interest seems high for now. if even 50% of that interest remains after novelty value has worn off, space will become much less predictable and much more challenging - as a (mainly) space player, this is definately something I'm looking forward to. vigilante groups etc can and should develop naturally as part of that unpredictablitiy as the game feel changes and more people become involved in space.
its a huge learning experience (esp for the coders) figuring out what what works and what doesnt in this game, without it merely being turned into a clone of all those other (IMHO) more structured/restricted and therefore more limited games out there, with player communities whose ideas and involvements are undervalued or ignored (unlike here - even the nutty/too hard to code ideas get a response....)
its also been a huge learning experience on a personal level - not only have i gotten to know people in the 3 months I've been playing, and been able to advise other (sometimes more seasoned) players getting stiuck in space - I've been teaching myself photoshop and started texturing models - some of which are in use
, and I've started playing with 3d modelling stuff and am coming up with my own wierd and wonderful creations. great fun - all from an online freebie game (and i still have time to go to work & have a life ....) Long may it continue
slightly rambling, and semi-off topic, but hey....
always nice to read someone really gettin it :]
Its important to remember what the experience is like for those new players who aren't (yet) into the whole thing you've described.. Its very easy to be blinded by how much fun all the creative possibilities are, and forget that most new people see it as just a game - they won't see how cool all the stuff you can do is.. their main opinion on the game is gonna be based on whateva they see/do on the first world they go to, or their first encounter with someone in space.
I'll be doin my bit to try to make it as smooth and fun a process as possible.. any help from the community to make the experience better is always appreciated.
Heres my current rough plan/schedule for the next month or two..
Next week - 0.48.3 - with 'complete' space combat, new gal radio & whateva other bits come up.
End Nov - Add walk-thru tutorial for new players to space, finalise galactic items, add some more specials in remote systems, finish nice new landscape renderer, fill in more help screens. (Possibly - Add asteroid mining, space bounties)
First week of december - Finalise gal economy, activate pirating, finalise the arrangement of the starting systems and add some new 'staff' planets - Zion 2 (A slow, market economy & crowfighting combo), a new, long-term traditional economy (thats never reset), maybe another like republic but shorter + maybe something short and blasty.. (And ideally, enuf woomphing and subspace to make a server list for iridisbeta)
Second week of december - 0.50.0 (Might haveta skip a few numbers ;] ) - which'd be left unchanged until the new year, except for any critical fixes.
Mid December - Reset galaxy (Probably 15th Dec). Make a mini announcement to mailing list. (and hopefully 'stress-test' the new systems a bit)
Late december- 'Press release' to lots of sites.
.. therell no doubt be various other bits added too - including stuff to make world creation easier and more varied - but thats the main plan. (Now is a good time to submit (or re-submit) those critical requests/bug reports, if you think theres something significant that ive missed off there).
Its important to remember what the experience is like for those new players who aren't (yet) into the whole thing you've described.. Its very easy to be blinded by how much fun all the creative possibilities are, and forget that most new people see it as just a game - they won't see how cool all the stuff you can do is.. their main opinion on the game is gonna be based on whateva they see/do on the first world they go to, or their first encounter with someone in space.
I'll be doin my bit to try to make it as smooth and fun a process as possible.. any help from the community to make the experience better is always appreciated.
Heres my current rough plan/schedule for the next month or two..
Next week - 0.48.3 - with 'complete' space combat, new gal radio & whateva other bits come up.
End Nov - Add walk-thru tutorial for new players to space, finalise galactic items, add some more specials in remote systems, finish nice new landscape renderer, fill in more help screens. (Possibly - Add asteroid mining, space bounties)
First week of december - Finalise gal economy, activate pirating, finalise the arrangement of the starting systems and add some new 'staff' planets - Zion 2 (A slow, market economy & crowfighting combo), a new, long-term traditional economy (thats never reset), maybe another like republic but shorter + maybe something short and blasty.. (And ideally, enuf woomphing and subspace to make a server list for iridisbeta)
Second week of december - 0.50.0 (Might haveta skip a few numbers ;] ) - which'd be left unchanged until the new year, except for any critical fixes.
Mid December - Reset galaxy (Probably 15th Dec). Make a mini announcement to mailing list. (and hopefully 'stress-test' the new systems a bit)
Late december- 'Press release' to lots of sites.
.. therell no doubt be various other bits added too - including stuff to make world creation easier and more varied - but thats the main plan. (Now is a good time to submit (or re-submit) those critical requests/bug reports, if you think theres something significant that ive missed off there).
Aye yeh :]. Any help from those of you who really want to help the game grow will be most welcome, particularly in the second half of december, when sitting about in the starting systems (on planets or in space) and welcoming newbs & answering their questions will be one of the most important things that can be done to increase the game's population.big trick will be keeping the visitors - which is, in part at least, up to all of us
