Request: Simultaneous combat

[Groggy]

I've noticed that when combat occurs, one side gets to fire all its weapons first, then the next side does, etc. I think it would be a nice feature in a future Version of SEIV to implement simultaneous combat, perhaps even simultaneous movement, within the combat engine. I've seen battles between two evenly matched fleets where one side is annihilated but the other isn't even scratched because of the fleet firing order. This is especially true when a fleet comes through a warppoint, all ships in both fleets are mixed in with each other. The first fleet that gets to fire has a decidedly unfair advantage, and at point blank range to boot.

[tbontob]

Good point.

Simultaneous is not really simultaneous!

[Arkcon]

Originally posted by Groggy:
I think it would be a nice feature in a future Version of SEIV to implement simultaneous combat, perhaps even simultaneous movement, within the combat engine.

Patches were supposed to randomize who got to go first, but you're right. It would be a cooler game if the ships fired at each other simultaneously. That would make hot seat play even more confusing, but how often does any one play hotseat?

In the days when I played AD&D (OMG, I wouldn't admit to that in public anywhere else), simultaneous combat was still resolved one side at a time, just that the counterattack was possible regardless of the outsome of one side's attack.

The battles in SE4 could work in that fashion -- components would not be destroyed when hit, the damage would be stored and then in between turns damage to components would be applied.

[ September 20, 2002, 23:05: Message edited by: Arkcon ]

[tbontob]

That would go a long way to making the game truly simultaneous.

[tesco samoa]

I would be happy if all ships arrived at the same time .... Not this ones and twos

[tbontob]

And nice to be able to co-ordinate the arrival of ships to a location at a specific time.

[Gandalph]

True simultaneous combat????, WOW what a concept!!!

[Grandpa Kim]

The alternation of one empire fires and moves then the other empire always did seem a little extreme to me. How about alternation by ship. Initiative could be resolved by speed, experience etc. This would make a big difference in large fleet engagements where it really matters, but would make no difference one on one. I do still think the defender at a warp point battle should have an advantage; perhaps a bonus to each ship/unit's initiative.

Unfortunately, this is all just wishful thinking. I doubt Aaron would ever do this.

Kim

[TerranC]

Originally posted by Grandpa Kim:
The alternation of one empire fires and moves then the other empire always did seem a little extreme to me. How about alternation by ship. Initiative could be resolved by speed, experience etc. This would make a big difference in large fleet engagements where it really matters, but would make no difference one on one. I do still think the defender at a warp point battle should have an advantage; perhaps a bonus to each ship/unit's initiative.

Unfortunately, this is all just wishful thinking. I doubt Aaron would ever do this.

that's not the question: the real question is COULD he do that?

And Also, the idea of a permanently ready-and-able fleet is lost to me:

A fleet has been stationed over a warp point for 60 turns.
It's orders are to destroy any unidentifiable ship coming through it.
The fleet has been drilling and running continous sweeps of the warp point to see if anybody is coming through.
Nobody has come through for 5 Terran Years (60 turns).

And then, bam, a fleet comes through.

There should be a penalty because in a situation like that since the crew will not run continuous drills for 5 years under the circumstances, and even if it did, the surprise would still leave the defenders finding their jaw.

That creates 2 options:

1. Keep the fleet on a short patrol perimeter along the warp point. although some ships may go through, there is no disadvantage, with the continuous able stance. The defending fleet may even have an advantage as the crew now has the whole drill in their heads: a result of 5 year patrol.

2. Keep the fleet on the warp point. NO ships would get through without you/the fleet commander knowing about it, but they suffer disadvantages, with idleness.

The "idleness" penalty would come when:

A Ship/fleet has been sitting active in a sector for more than 25 turns.
A Ship/fleet has not recieved any orders in 25 turns.
A Ship/fleet has not recieved any reinforcements in 25 turns.
A Ship/fleet has not encountered any of their ship/friendly ships/fleets *encountered=being in the same sector* for 25 turns.

Mines and satellites will have a more workload, since they don't recieve idleness.
Fighter squadrons also recieve idleness, but for 2 turns.
Freighters and bases do not recieve idleness.

Shore-leave is now a new scrap menu item: where the ship is under a semi-mothballing where it's ship maintenence is reduced by 75 percent, and that it does NOT destroy ship experience. The crew after a shore leave will not be affected by idleness for 50 turns.

Planets with spaceports/resupply depots/space yards have the option to perform shore leave.

As soon as you start to temper a shoreleave ship with other scrap options except scrap and analyze, the ship turns mothballed, and cannot be unmothballed for 5 turns.

Scrap and Analyze is turned off for a ship that is shore leaving.

shore leave is only allowed after 20 turn service, only Lasts 1 turn, and after shoreleaving does not recieve shoreleave for 20 turns.

You cannot turn off shoreleave, it turns itself after 1 turn, you may put an extended leave for an experienced ship that Lasts 5 turns, a shoreleave automatically terminates with the presence of an enemy ship/s and cannot be turned on with the presence of enemy ships.

[Mylon]

The idea of ship idleness is just a little too complex for my tastes and also would have to take into account race traits such as happiness, emotionless, whether the fact the ship is using a computer or not, ect...

I do like the idea of iniative. It isn't truly simultaneous, but it's close enough. It would also make sense that smaller ships, fighters, and seekers would all get a huge bonus to iniative.