MM Chat on #se4

[Fyron]

Next Tuesday, November 4th, at 2 PM PST (5 PM EST, 10 PM GMT), #se4 will be hosting a chat with Malfador Machinations as special guest speaker. Topics will naturally cover MM titles such as Space Empires IV, Dungeon Odyssey, Starfury, and Space Empires V.

#se4 is located on the Gamesnet IRC server. For information on how to connect, check out the #se4 Web Site (http://se4irc.spaceempires.net/), which has a connection guide.

If you will be unable to make it, but still have questions for Malfador, please post them here, and we can compile a list of them to ask during the chat.

Hope to see you there!

P.S: If a moderator wants to sticky this for a bit... http://forum.shrapnelgames.com/images/icons/icon12.gif

[E3]

Ask about progress on SE5!
How far along into development is it?
Is there a projected release date?
Is it too late to become a beta tester? *sweet smile*

[narf poit chez BOOM]

will there be normal space travel? just in case i miss it or forget to ask.

[DarkStar]

Not sure if I can make it. I'm sure someone will save the chat log.

The only questions I have was if MM was going to have any more updates to Dungeon Odyssey. I think it was asked in the Last chat if he was going to release another patch. His reply was that there wasn't any more bugs that have been reported.

What I'm asking is more of an upgrade to the game. Quite a few people, myself included, have posted and sent long list of changes that would make the game better, or maybe another module?

I guess I was always hoping he would do some of those ideas and upgrade the game like he was doing for SE4.

The other question is for Space Fury, and if the movement will ever get changed to make it 3D or at least it changed so it doesn't seem like I'm driving a car. I know others have problems with this also.

This wasn't brought up at all in the Last chat. Maybe it's not that important, but I would like to know anyways.

If someone can bring these up to him, and save the chat log, that would be awesome. Thanks! http://forum.shrapnelgames.com/images/icons/icon7.gif

[Atrocities]

well, about damn time. http://forum.shrapnelgames.com/images/icons/icon10.gif

[Fyron]

Wasn't the 2d vs. 3d issue discussed Last time? I thought it was? Either way, I am fairly certain that MM plans on keeping the game on a 2D plane, and not implementing 3D movement. It can still be asked though. http://forum.shrapnelgames.com/images/icons/icon7.gif

[ZeroAdunn]

Finally, one I will be able to make it to.

If somebody wouldn't mind dropping me a line that day to remind me, I am a bit o' an air head. http://forum.shrapnelgames.com/images/icons/icon10.gif

[Fyron]

Question to be asked:
Why are there so many technologies that cost only 5000 points, but that require huge amounts of theoretical tech research? This allows you to just skip past the lower levels of the tech in just a few turns, making it pointless to have them. PPBs and NSPs are prime examples of this.

Any possibility of rebalancing this stuff in the Last patch?

[Asmala]

Other questions to be asked:

Why there is so many useless components/facilities? (e.g. mineral scanners and other single resource facilities, other sensors but hyper optics, graviton hellbore)

Why the race creation is so unbalanced? (lots of useless traits such mechanoids, lucky, advanced power conservation and price of characteristics are unbalanced: Mining, farming and refining aptitudes cost equal, intelligence and cunning cost equal etc.)

[Atrocities]

Will AI issues be discussed?

Will there be another patch for SEIV and if yes, will it address the settings for how many neutrals we can have in a game that currently does not work? Will it also include an way for us to select what images are chosen as random images during game set up so we can customize our mods to use only specility ship sets without having errors BMP could not be found? And why counter intel ability does not actually work?

Will Aaron finally tell us how many copies of SEIV Gold have been sold? http://forum.shrapnelgames.com/images/icons/icon7.gif

[ November 02, 2003, 03:19: Message edited by: Atrocities ]

[Asmala]

Fyron, perhaps you could also ask about the happiness. You've got no reply for your email, I suppose.

[Fyron]

Perhaps you could remind me what that question was... http://forum.shrapnelgames.com/images/icons/icon12.gif I am not seeing it in my sent items box, though that just means I lost the email I sent out...

[Asmala]

When I posted my conclusion about happiness, you disagreed (what a surprise http://forum.shrapnelgames.com/images/icons/tongue.gif ) and said you're going ask how it really works http://forum.shrapnelgames.com/images/icons/icon12.gif

[HEMAN]

Atrocities you been reading my mind,RIGHT ON,ALSO things players can send Gamesnet IRC chat like ;
(a) How far along is the final se4gold patch and post list of addition?.
(b) Additions:Will you add ai to launch satilites in battle.Or build orbital mining base on asteroides http://forum.shrapnelgames.com/images/icons/shock.gif .
(c) Can you fix AIs anger/action demeanors to be forgiving to Players in Single player games? http://forum.shrapnelgames.com/images/icons/shock.gif .Ai is unforgiving once you go to war.
(d) Fix treatys like example;SP games able to cancel war treaty with ai, or truce treaty http://forum.shrapnelgames.com/images/icons/shock.gif http://forum.shrapnelgames.com/images/icons/shock.gif ?.

[tesco samoa]

Hi. We set the time early so our friends who are not in the America's could attend the DevChat. I am looking at installing some chat ware on the work lap top so I do not miss it.

[Ran-Taro]

Would someone be kind enough to ask whether MM would consider (or have they considered) adding monetary economies / government types / cultural and diplomatic victory conditions to SEV (not IV)?

Would it be worth sending well thought out ideas for these playstyles to MM, or would it absolutley be a waste of time?

I'd appreciate it if someone would consider asking those questions.

[narf poit chez BOOM]

i'm not going to be there. new job. so, would someone consider acting like a nut and wacking people over the head with hammer's for me? http://forum.shrapnelgames.com/images/icons/icon10.gif

[Fyron]

Ran-Taro, MM takes all suggestions seriously. Go ahead and send what you want off to them. http://forum.shrapnelgames.com/images/icons/icon7.gif

[Ran-Taro]

Originally posted by Imperator Fyron:
Ran-Taro, MM takes all suggestions seriously. Go ahead and send what you want off to them. http://forum.shrapnelgames.com/images/icons/icon7.gif <font size="2" face="sans-serif, arial, verdana">Yeah, I'm just thinking it's probably a lot of work to add in big features like that, so it might be ruled out simply by the timeframe they have.

It wouldn't be worth the time writing up the ideas I have if there's no way they would even consider them because of something like that.

Oh, well it'll probably be fun to do anyways.

[David E. Gervais]

Originally posted by Ran-Taro:
Yeah, I'm just thinking it's probably a lot of work to add in big features like that, so it might be ruled out simply by the timeframe they have.
<font size="2" face="sans-serif, arial, verdana">I think you should send your idea to Aaron. If Aaron likes it, there is alaways a chance of it going into SE5.

Cheers! http://forum.shrapnelgames.com/images/icons/icon10.gif

[ November 04, 2003, 10:39: Message edited by: David E. Gervais ]

[Ran-Taro]

Originally posted by David E. Gervais:
</font><blockquote><font size="1" face="sans-serif, arial, verdana">quote:</font><hr /><font size="2" face="sans-serif, arial, verdana">Originally posted by Ran-Taro:
Yeah, I'm just thinking it's probably a lot of work to add in big features like that, so it might be ruled out simply by the timeframe they have.
<font size="2" face="sans-serif, arial, verdana">I think you should send your idea to Aaron. If Aaron likes it, there is alaways a chance of it going into SE5.

Cheers! http://forum.shrapnelgames.com/images/icons/icon10.gif </font><hr /></blockquote><font size="2" face="sans-serif, arial, verdana">Thanks, will do. Hope you guys like 'em. If not hope you have something unimaginably better in mind http://forum.shrapnelgames.com/images/icons/icon7.gif

[dogscoff]

I may or may not make it tonight. If not, please could someone ask on my behalf whether there is any chance of us fanfic writers getting to write "officially" for se5. Maybe a few short stories could be included in the manual, or maybe we could work with scenario-builders or write detailled back stories for the stock races. This Last suggestion would be especially cool if the much-requested "animosity" setting (ie Druks always hate EEE etc) makes it into se5.

Thanks.

[ November 04, 2003, 15:31: Message edited by: dogscoff ]

[Mephisto]

That would be really cool! Some short stories for SE5. I'm all for it!

[Parasite]

Most people are now gone from this forum. Too bad I can't do IRC here at work. http://forum.shrapnelgames.com/images/icons/icon9.gif

[tesco samoa]

People if you had a question that was not asked please post it here. On friday i will email the questions and post the answer

[Fyron]

Get your transcript here!
Chat Transcript 11-4-03 (http://www.spaceempires.net/home/modules.php?name=Downloads&d_op=getit&lid=337)

[HEMAN]

HEY Fellow FANS; Check out interesting replies from Arron;

ekolis; all right Aaron... you promised a final patch for SE4... any thoughts on which of our numerous suggestions might be incorporated? http://forum.shrapnelgames.com/images/icons/icon7.gif
Malfador; For the next SE4 patch, I'm going to try and get in as many fixes as I can (and still release it before the end of the year). http://forum.shrapnelgames.com/images/icons/shock.gif http://forum.shrapnelgames.com/images/icons/shock.gif

Malfador; The first priority on the SE4 patch is to fix outstanding bugs. Additions come after everything else works. http://forum.shrapnelgames.com/images/icons/icon7.gif

CaptainKwok; For the Last SE:IV patch, would it be possible to create an ability that allows for specific component damage by using its family number? Also, what about adding a few "dummy" abilities that we can use to force AIs to use specific comps?
Malfador; Dummy abilities should be easy enough. But I need a few more details on the specific component damage by family member.

Malfador; The AI in SE4 does remember, but they also modify it based on their current situation. For example, if the AI is already at war, it will not declare war even against a hated enemy.

Atrocities; Question about SE IV: The next patch will it include a fix for the Counter Intel Facility (Reglious Tech)
Malfador; To the question of the Counter Intel Facil fix: it should get fixed if its on the list. Email it to me and I'll throw it on top.

<Malfador> Thanks everybody for the chat! If you have a list of items you want to see fixed or added, just email them to se4@malfador.com. I have a hundred page document with every request every made for SE4. Its just a matter of sorting through all of them!

[ November 05, 2003, 00:27: Message edited by: HEMAN ]

[Instar]

Dang I missed it. http://forum.shrapnelgames.com/images/icons/icon9.gif
I was too busy with getting a student job, but a *really* good interview.
Geez I can't wait for SE5. Oh maaaaaaaaaaaan.

[Atrocities]

If you have any suggestions, ideas, bugs, other for Aaron for either SE IV or V, organize your material and email it to him. The soon the better for SE IV stuff.

[Puke]

can someone post a full log? or was that it, just a couple people harassing the man about a final patch?

[David E. Gervais]

Originally posted by Puke:
can someone post a full log? or was that it, just a couple people harassing the man about a final patch? <font size="2" face="sans-serif, arial, verdana">I don't want you to look bad puke, but just 5 Posts down Fyron has a link to the full transcript. Did you read that? or did you think heman's post was the full extent of the chat?

http://forum.shrapnelgames.com/images/icons/tongue.gif

Cheers!

edit: just in case you overlook the link again,.. here it is..

The full Chat Transcript 11-4-03 (http://www.spaceempires.net/home/modules.php?name=Downloads&d_op=getit&lid=337)

[ November 05, 2003, 17:20: Message edited by: David E. Gervais ]

[Puke]

Thanks! and I'm used to looking bad!

It was such a short 2 line post, that I overlooked it!

[Ragnarok]

Hmmm, I couldn't make it but I sure can't wait for SEV. I'm drooling over it already. http://forum.shrapnelgames.com/images/icons/icon10.gif

[Fyron]

Good things come in small packages. http://forum.shrapnelgames.com/images/icons/tongue.gif

[tesco samoa]

you just keep telling yourself that fyron http://forum.shrapnelgames.com/images/icons/icon10.gif

[Atrocities]

How many of you look like Aaron?

[Fyron]

Originally posted by tesco samoa:
you just keep telling yourself that fyron http://forum.shrapnelgames.com/images/icons/icon10.gif <font size="2" face="sans-serif, arial, verdana">Umm... yeah... phallic humor aside, my statement is still true (yet very clich). http://forum.shrapnelgames.com/images/icons/icon6.gif

[tesco samoa]

not me.