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For the next in the series


UnderLord
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I would like to see dual controller support so I can use my Nostromo Speedpad and my Saitek joystick at the same time.

I would also like to bind groups of fighters to hot keys so that tacops is not my only solution for ordering multiple ships at once.

I'm sure there are more but I'm too tired to think much right now.

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Since we're posting wish lists, would it be possible to reexamine the missile - pta - IOD speed and power balance issue? Based on modern naval combat and the works of a number of Sci Fi writers (Cherryh, Weber, stirling, etc) it would seem logical that missiles would be powerful enough to cause significant damage against cap ship shields and armor, but would be vulnerable to point defense systems (like the PTA system). Currently, small numbers of missiles are too weak to do significant damage to cap ship shields, but have such strong armor that they don't ever seem to be knocked down by PTA fire. While it is possible to do severe damage by salvoing twenty missiles at once, the economic cost of such a tactic is prohibitive. Additionally, missiles are extremely vulnerable to electronic jamming, which almost always works (and even if it doesn't, missiles don't do appreciable damage to cap ship shields).

Fighters, on the other hand, are all but useless against anything with a PTA system because the PTA turrets almost never miss (except when approaching from a blind spot, but the AI pilots rarely do this) and they seem to disporportionately kill pilots while leaving the ship intact.

Finally, the IOD's of many vessels (like the Megaron class carrier) are absurdly powerful, able to burn through shields and wipe out an enemy stormcarrier in under ten seconds. It would seem to me to be a reasonable choice to make missiles more powerful damage wise, but more vulnerable to point defense, IOD's less powerful, electronic jamming less effective, and PTAs less accurate. That way, any one weapon is effectve in its assigned role, but is not capable of trumping any other weapon completely.

Just some ideas I thought might be worth consideration, if there are any plans to make adjustments to the combat model in the next installment. Given this series' careful focus on creating a credible space combat simulation, I suspect that most players would welcome and could handle the additional complexity that tweaks like this would bring to the game. Also, since I've already gone and overstepped my extreme newbie status, might I suggest that a more robust EmCon system might be an interesting addition? The use of active and passive sensors and the associated ability to engage in "cat and mouse" games and lay ambushes could add a great deal to gameplay. Currently, the cloaking system fills this role, but seems to me to be too powerful, particularly when in the hands of the AI (who never seems to run out of fuel for the device or decloke to clean up radiation). I'd much rather see a system that depended on careful planning and skill to catch the enemy off guard, rather than technical superiority or a large supply of irridium. Just my two cents worth, I enjoy playing the game for what it is now, but given the rebalancing of weapons systems that I understand has historically occurred in each iteration of this series I thought I'd contribute my perspective on this issue, just in case SC was planning to revisit it again.

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I have to agree with Saint. While I have enjoyed these games for a few years and will probably play them until I can no longer click a trackball button, I have been a little taken aback by the fact that ONE cap ship can take out a star station in less than 30 seconds.

I can just imagine the glorious battles as two cap ships have a knockdown dragout, using everything at their disposal, that lasts a couple of minutes or more. Like two pugilists in the last round of a championship fight.

Another thing I would like (although even I can probably see why this would not be feasable) is the ability to record gameplay to playback later with exterior views that can be adjusted on the fly just as they work in-game. What a great after action MP tool this would be!

Oh man, I think I'm gonna go catatonic if I keep dreaming these dreams!

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quote:


Originally posted by UnderLord:

Man this derek guy sure can pump out alot of games huh?


Why yes, yes he can.

The reason is because he doesn't have a real job, thereby affording him loads of time to write code. It has also been rumored that he is a bot. Bots don't need sleep or food or any of those other niggling little things that the rest of us require.

A'right, tea time is over, get back on that keyboard.

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quote:

Another thing I would like (although even I can probably see why this would not be feasable) is the ability to record gameplay to playback later with exterior views that can be adjusted on the fly just as they work in-game. What a great after action MP tool this would be!

Oh man, I think I'm gonna go catatonic if I keep dreaming these dreams!

go to Freeware / shareware stuff go to there search clikc the freeware only button and do a search for "making demos" or "recording onscreen" something like that there is software that you can run while playing the game that will record everything that is on the screen as a movie sorta like the built in demo recorder for counter-strike and then you can play back =) I'v thought of doing this myself.

If i ever get done with my 2d space game when i implement battles between the player and space stations i will have it so the player (if he's uin the right ship with the right firepower) all alone can take out a star station.

The only reason the players in UC or BCMG can take out a star station in so little time is because they cloak if you don't fire missles and are cloaked you have a less chance of getting hit by the stations defences i know i used alot of missles and got hit alot by the stations defences.....alot while cloaked so you use PTA fire and the likes no missles if you want to capture the station that is.

But if you go in not cloaked your toast so there is some balance its just people would rather not die. besides if you didnt have Fleet C&C how would you ever take down a station by yourself if it was super hard?

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Actually, I have found that it is fairly easy to take down a starbase (at least in a megaron class carrier). The key is to hyperjump to the starbase's supply station rather than to the station itself. Due to the way that the game appears to calculate how close to an object a jump takes you, you can get to knife range on a station immediately while using this trick. Then you hammer the station with main guns while jamming every time they launch one of these unholy SDM missiles (I'm really pissed that cap ships can't mount something comparable). The hardest part that I've found is not destroying it too quickly, but leaving it time to put out an SOS so it can be boarded. I've captured two stations and taken out a half-dozen more and I've never bothered with cloak at all. To my mind, it's only really useful for multiplayer (which I don't generally play), which is why I support an emcon system in the game (as per my post above) which would be more tactically flexible and useful to players.

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I like the cloak i just HJ cloaked to the supply station and take it out with main guns then i just get it to 300 hull or 280 and then it will auto fall down to sos levels and as soon as it sends the SOS capture it i did this last night and it seemed to work fairly well gotta turn your guns onto 10% after it falls below 1000hull and shut off your PTA just incase.

I did it fairly well and not in a long time at all the station didnt seem to mind eaither since i had my cloak on LOL

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