Arcade Game?

[Instar]

Originally posted by Renegade 13:
The game must run differently on different systems. On my machine the speed is just fine. Cutting it back by 4X would make the game unplayable. Although I do agree that the turn rate should be reduced, maybe by 30-50%?? (Especially for the destroyer ) But this is just me and it sounds like quite a few of you are having some trouble with this, so good luck!

Well, it does run differently, with different frames/sec, but the game is supposed to scale with that I think.

[PvK]

Yes, the speed of gameplay is (should be) the same on different-speed processors. The frame rate suffers on slower ones. If on a really slow system game events actually take longer, then that's a bug and/or a system that isn't strong enough to run the game properly.

I don't think the game will ever run faster than designed on a faster computer, though. It should just have a higher frame rate. Again, if that's not the case, then it's a bug.

However, I would agree that the default game as designed runs quite fast, resulting in almost arcade-like gameplay. Many players don't seem to mind, but I think that it's designed to be more of a "Diablo in space" action/strategy game, than a large ship simulator. Apparently it's designed to make manual piloting, keeping the enemy in view, and making instant decisions, part of the gameplay.

You can mod the game so that ships are slower pretty easily, as Phoenix-D did. However it will take more work to adjust the balance appropriately, in terms of times allowed to complete missions, and the difficulty of fighting enemy ships when you no longer have the major obstacle of trying to figure out what is going on and decide what to do in a fraction of a second.

PvK

[Instar]

I remember games that actually did not scale up or down based on how fast the system could run. You need an emulator (I use Kickstart) to run Doom nowadays.

[PvK]

Yes, there are games like that, particularly ones made in the 80's or early 90's, when computer speeds weren't changing all that terribly much, and games were often written to just run the gameplay as fast as possible.

Sometimes there are subtle side-effects on intermediate-era games too, like Aces Of The Deep. If you run it on a 66 MHz computer, as were good when the game came out, all is well. If you run it (or the Win95 re-hash voice command Version) on a Win95 era computer with say, 200 MHz or more, it mostly runs correctly, but suddenly the anti-aircraft guns go from being historically inaccurate, to ultra-deadly, apparently because the collision-detection is being done much more frequently.

PvK

[bor]

I suspect it is playing differently on different computers nonetheless. Some people are calling it barely playable unless they crank the speed up to eight. Now, perceptions and preferences vary, but 8 on my comp is running so fast that I can't see anyone who wasn't on amphetamines finding it playable or enjoyable.

[DeadZone]

I only use 8x if I dont intend on saying in the system (warp to warp run)
Just it gets annoying when I start getting shot at, slow down the game, but Im already gone too far away from the target

[The Harv]

I am way above the requirements so I don't think I have suffered from poor framerates.

If you try to justify the arcade action as the game is suppose to be like a "Diablo in space" then the game is a failure and poorly designed. If the game is moving so fast you can't really try to keep enemy ships within certain arcs then why have different shields for the arcs? Diablo is an arcade game that has nice simple stats and the system works. It doesn't work with the mechanics set up in this game.

Saying you can mod the game to make it playable (for aparently a fair # of us)is a sad statement about a game.

To be honest I am really surprised the demo was released as is. That this would not be considered a serious issue causes me some concern.

I was rather excited about this game and could not wait to try the demo. I really hope this issue is resolved in the product (Not by mod!) and a new demo is released. I just can not bring myself to purchase something I have to rely on mods to make playable. Mods should enhance and add additional campaigns and such.

I really, really hope this is resolved.

Thanks Phoenix-D for the mod. Helps out a lot but not sure it is perfect. Been buying improved engines but my speed stat is not going up. I'm at work so can't check to see if there was a read me or such which covered this.

Originally posted by PvK:
Yes, the speed of gameplay is (should be) the same on different-speed processors. The frame rate suffers on slower ones. If on a really slow system game events actually take longer, then that's a bug and/or a system that isn't strong enough to run the game properly.

I don't think the game will ever run faster than designed on a faster computer, though. It should just have a higher frame rate. Again, if that's not the case, then it's a bug.

However, I would agree that the default game as designed runs quite fast, resulting in almost arcade-like gameplay. Many players don't seem to mind, but I think that it's designed to be more of a "Diablo in space" action/strategy game, than a large ship simulator. Apparently it's designed to make manual piloting, keeping the enemy in view, and making instant decisions, part of the gameplay.

You can mod the game so that ships are slower pretty easily, as Phoenix-D did. However it will take more work to adjust the balance appropriately, in terms of times allowed to complete missions, and the difficulty of fighting enemy ships when you no longer have the major obstacle of trying to figure out what is going on and decide what to do in a fraction of a second.

PvK

[Phoenix-D]

"Thanks Phoenix-D for the mod. Helps out a lot but not sure it is perfect. Been buying improved engines but my speed stat is not going up. I'm at work so can't check to see if there was a read me or such which covered this."

That would be included in the "I couldn't mod the components file" problem. That and I probably didn't really need to drop the top speed.

[Wydraz]

Originally posted by The Harv:

I was rather excited about this game and could not wait to try the demo. I really hope this issue is resolved in the product (Not by mod!) and a new demo is released. I just can not bring myself to purchase something I have to rely on mods to make playable. Mods should enhance and add additional campaigns and such.

I agree. It would be nice if the full game had a simple switch (as many space sims do) giving you the option for "realistic" combat and "arcade" combat.

[Suicide Junkie]

What exactly are you looking for, then?
- The mod on a CD?
- The "stamp of approval" from MM?
- Aaron's signature in the readme?

The first run of CDs won't have it, since they've already been stamped out by whatever company Shrapnel uses for that sort of thing.
So... you'd be downloading an update to recieve it, no matter which way its done.

If you just want to be assured that it is or will exist, don't fear.
I've already got one more suited to my tastes, with much slower, but still dangerous combat, along with a bunch of other features.
When I occasionally play stock, its seems like instantaneous victory or defeat in comparison

In my mod, you can dance with heavier ships for a while (a minute or two for DS vs CR) if you are well prepared, but you're not going to win unless you've got a some pretty big tricks up your sleeve. Allied ships waiting in ambush, perhaps.
I don't allow most of the "Emergency repair" components either. Only energy and hull, and those I rarely use. Maybe when a lucky hit takes out both primary and backup lifesupport, and my repair bay is disabled too.

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Of course, the "switch" is already right there. Pop open notepad, and change things however you like. Divide firing rates in half, slash turn speeds, bump armor strength up by a factor of 10, no problem.

If you ever want more or less of an existing feature, it can almost certainly be done.