.com.unity Forums
  The Official e-Store of Shrapnel Games

This Month's Specials

BCT Commander- Save $8.00
winSPWW2- Save $5.00

   







Go Back   .com.unity Forums > Shrapnel Community > Space Empires: IV & V

Reply
 
Thread Tools Display Modes
  #1  
Old January 19th, 2009, 04:19 PM
Atrocities's Avatar

Atrocities Atrocities is offline
Shrapnel Fanatic
 
Join Date: Dec 2000
Location: USA
Posts: 15,630
Thanks: 0
Thanked 30 Times in 18 Posts
Atrocities is on a distinguished road
Default The Things That Worked In SE V

Hands down the game failed to inspire me. That is why I stopped playing it pure and simple. However there were a lot of things in the game that I felt worked and worked well and would love to see in the next version of this game.

1. Scalable ship and base sizes.
2. 3d planet and systems views.
3. Combat
4. Planetary combat (Please improve this to use 3d objects.)

There are more but I leave it to any who choose to post to point them out.
__________________
Creator of the Star Trek Mod - AST Mod - 78 Ship Sets - Conquest Mod - Atrocities Star Wars Mod - Galaxy Reborn Mod - and Subterfuge Mod.
Reply With Quote
  #2  
Old January 19th, 2009, 08:45 PM
Arkcon's Avatar

Arkcon Arkcon is offline
Colonel
 
Join Date: Jun 2002
Location: Connecticut
Posts: 1,518
Thanks: 0
Thanked 0 Times in 0 Posts
Arkcon is on a distinguished road
Default Re: The Things That Worked In SE V

I personally got over the user interface designs problems, that seemed to be a deal killer for some people.

The balance mod is very important too. Most significantly for me, the endless tiny incremental tech tree that came with unmodded SE5 was not an improvement. I remember some noobs complained that they finished the SE4 tech tree, and were bored. But that's not what Space Empires was about -- you shouldn't get to complete the tree, you should have conquered the galaxay by then, or have died trying. Truly, on PBW, no one gets to live, unmolested, while they research every tech.

I didn't much care for ground combat. It ran slowly on my old box, and there wasn't much to do, really. 'Tho I'm sure that could be modded.

I actually do look forward to SE6, if there is one. SE5 is more evolutionary while SE4 was revolutionary. Maybe they'll be some more tricks up MM's sleeve for the next version, while some of the grunt work of interface is done.
Reply With Quote
  #3  
Old January 20th, 2009, 09:17 AM
Azselendor's Avatar

Azselendor Azselendor is offline
First Lieutenant
 
Join Date: May 2003
Location: Gettysburg Sector
Posts: 785
Thanks: 7
Thanked 5 Times in 5 Posts
Azselendor is on a distinguished road
Default Re: The Things That Worked In SE V

I have to agree with the above comments

The interface was cumbersome and far from elegant with too much eye candy used to gloss over the failings. In many ways, playing SE5 felt like trying to play SE4 with SE2's interface.

If there is an SE6, I look forward to a 'getting back to basics' on the interface with a good 3D upgrade. SE5, in the meantime, shall have to remain unused on my computer.

I also hope Aaron can re-release starfury on xbox live arcade in the future
__________________
@Azselendor #BoldlyGoing
/ Space Empires // Orlando Pest Control
Reply With Quote
  #4  
Old January 20th, 2009, 03:34 PM
Hugh Manatee's Avatar

Hugh Manatee Hugh Manatee is offline
Second Lieutenant
 
Join Date: Feb 2003
Posts: 470
Thanks: 0
Thanked 0 Times in 0 Posts
Hugh Manatee is on a distinguished road
Default Re: The Things That Worked In SE V

I still fail to see what all the fuss was about the interface, once you learn a few hotkeys, the right click menu, and learn how to scrap facilities, the only truly "clunky" part is the design screen when you have to build stuff bigger then light cruisers(like I wish I could switch decks with a hotkey or while I'm holding a part, not sure if I can or not, I've never looked into it). Aside from that I just save a few layouts in the colony, queue, fleet and planet displays, and turn on all the system/planet info I need in the empire options and I'm good to go.

I used to play myst and riven a lot, maybe thats why I can get around in SEV and Blender better then the average user...

I liked the space combat as a simultaneous, real time system with strategies or pauses to issue orders.

The Hex Grid, it was wierd at first but I'm liking it. I kinda wish the planets revolved, maybe had moons. I still like Stars! floating points and vectors with the fuel usage determined by engine quality. I'd like to see SE6 have a full on revolving planetary system, the planets to have moons and a non-grid based movement system with combat based on weapon range.... Think like each system is a small revolving Stars! map connected by the warp points.

There's not really a whole lot I don't like about the new SEV, random AI wierdness and some parts of the stock research tree aside not a whole lot bugs me.
Reply With Quote
  #5  
Old January 21st, 2009, 11:29 AM
Fyron's Avatar

Fyron Fyron is offline
Shrapnel Fanatic
 
Join Date: Jul 2001
Location: Southern CA, USA
Posts: 18,394
Thanks: 0
Thanked 12 Times in 10 Posts
Fyron is an unknown quantity at this point
Default Re: The Things That Worked In SE V

Planets do have moons... they are just in different sectors than the parent planet now. It's trivial to adjust them back to the Same As positioning, but you will run into clipping issues from the overlapping models.
Reply With Quote
  #6  
Old January 21st, 2009, 09:09 PM
Arkcon's Avatar

Arkcon Arkcon is offline
Colonel
 
Join Date: Jun 2002
Location: Connecticut
Posts: 1,518
Thanks: 0
Thanked 0 Times in 0 Posts
Arkcon is on a distinguished road
Default Re: The Things That Worked In SE V

... and the Balance Mod's implementation of Fyron's planet mod did allow for rotating planets and stars. Which was a bit of eye-candy I did like, especially with the mild atmospheric glow.

Last edited by Arkcon; January 21st, 2009 at 09:16 PM..
Reply With Quote
  #7  
Old January 22nd, 2009, 08:51 AM
Azselendor's Avatar

Azselendor Azselendor is offline
First Lieutenant
 
Join Date: May 2003
Location: Gettysburg Sector
Posts: 785
Thanks: 7
Thanked 5 Times in 5 Posts
Azselendor is on a distinguished road
Default Re: The Things That Worked In SE V

I liked the idea of ground combat, but I'm a fan of games like starcraft, warcraft, command and conquer so that's what I've come to expect for any ground combat game.

Damnit, I want to be able to call down orbital bombardment in ground combat!
__________________
@Azselendor #BoldlyGoing
/ Space Empires // Orlando Pest Control
Reply With Quote
  #8  
Old January 23rd, 2009, 07:53 PM
Hugh Manatee's Avatar

Hugh Manatee Hugh Manatee is offline
Second Lieutenant
 
Join Date: Feb 2003
Posts: 470
Thanks: 0
Thanked 0 Times in 0 Posts
Hugh Manatee is on a distinguished road
Default Re: The Things That Worked In SE V

Quote:
Planets do have moons... they are just in different sectors than the parent planet now. It's trivial to adjust them back to the Same As positioning, but you will run into clipping issues from the overlapping models.
yeah that's what I mean, like in SE4(iirc) the moons were in the same sector asthe planet and you could colonize them, and in combat didn't they used to show up in addition to the planet? I remember loading a moon up with fighters and weapon platforms, they were like cheap space stations.
Quote:
... and the Balance Mod's implementation of Fyron's planet mod did allow for rotating planets and stars. Which was a bit of eye-candy I did like, especially with the mild atmospheric glow.
Revolving, as in orbiting, as in it moves every turn around the sun.

Just a dumb thought, is it possible to have a component give movemnt points to another ship? like say you could get the tractor beams to pull space stations and crippled ships around... Always wanted that...
Reply With Quote
  #9  
Old January 24th, 2009, 12:56 PM
Ed Kolis's Avatar

Ed Kolis Ed Kolis is offline
General
 
Join Date: Apr 2001
Location: Cincinnati, Ohio, USA
Posts: 4,547
Thanks: 1
Thanked 7 Times in 5 Posts
Ed Kolis is on a distinguished road
Default Re: The Things That Worked In SE V

Well, you could give it a movement ability with a scope of "Sector - This Player"...

*bangs head on wall* Why did I never think of this before?!?

Just have to make sure it doesn't apply to PLANETS...
__________________
The Ed draws near! What dost thou deaux?
Reply With Quote
  #10  
Old January 25th, 2009, 09:53 AM
narf poit chez BOOM's Avatar

narf poit chez BOOM narf poit chez BOOM is offline
Shrapnel Fanatic
 
Join Date: Mar 2003
Location: CHEESE!
Posts: 10,009
Thanks: 0
Thanked 7 Times in 1 Post
narf poit chez BOOM is on a distinguished road
Default Re: The Things That Worked In SE V

...Now that is an excellent idea.
__________________
If I only could remember half the things I'd forgot, that would be a lot of stuff, I think - I don't know; I forgot!
A* E* Se! Gd! $-- C-^- Ai** M-- S? Ss---- RA Pw? Fq Bb++@ Tcp? L++++
Some of my webcomics. I've got 400+ webcomics at Last count, some dead.
Sig updated to remove non-working links.
Reply With Quote
Reply

Bookmarks

Thread Tools
Display Modes

Posting Rules
You may not post new threads
You may not post replies
You may not post attachments
You may not edit your posts

BB code is On
Smilies are On
[IMG] code is On
HTML code is On

Forum Jump


All times are GMT -4. The time now is 07:14 AM.


Powered by vBulletin® Version 3.8.1
Copyright ©2000 - 2024, Jelsoft Enterprises Ltd.
Copyright ©1999 - 2024, Shrapnel Games, Inc. - All Rights Reserved.