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A few suggestions for the future.


Guest David Sanftenberg
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Guest David Sanftenberg

Frankly, I can't get these things off my mind any other way. Here's a few things that would be cool to see in 3020.

1. First person EVERYTHING onboard your battlecruiser. Take a stroll down to the officer's quarters and walk by marines and off duty personell in the corridor. Personally take over guard duty in the brig and watch that prisoner try to escape. Oversee repairs on the ship. The possibilities are endless.

2. I guess this would fall under first person, but I'm thinking about surface battles in the first person, by taking over a marine. It'd be cool to have like a Quake 2 style FPS during planet ops when marines are on the surface duking it out. Perhaps a better example would be DOOM. I dunno...

3. Here's a goodie, and my last one for now. What about making the BC3020 world totally cohesive. I believe that as it is now, it would be impossible to fly from one star system to another without using a wormhole/fluxfield. What if this were changed? Imagine a universe where you could actually explore uncharted territory, flying between star systems with hyperjumps, right in the middle of the void. Perhaps finding disabled spacecraft, cargo pods, stray comets/asteroids, even orphaned planets. Fly for a few months and you could go between star systems without using jump points. Tell me if this is a good idea or not.

This ends my rant. smile.gif

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Guest CoolWorld

Hi,

David, I admire your last suggestion about being able to explore sectors. In fact, this gave me an idea. Instead of having to jump through Wormholes, Jumpgates and Fluxfields, I would find it nice to be able to use the jump engines to travel between sectors. The freedom of navigation inside systems and between sectors could be interesting. Maybe during flight in an area we could have a second kind of engine. You know, like in StarTrek. The Enterprise has Impulse engines for sub-light and Warp engines for warp speed...

.....just an idea I had smile.gif

Cmdr. CoolWorld

GVC-Battleaxe

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[World Space]

The reason I partioned the game galaxy and linked them is because there isn't a machine on the planet that will update that large a world in a single space.

It can be done but the game would be unplayable. I have no intentions of changing the way the universe is created. That technology took years of R&D and a ton of money and time spent. It works.

The suggestion to make it all one world space is like saying, lets remove all the sides roads from Florida to New York because the I-95 conduit is good enough.

[Personnel]

The plan for BC:3020AD is to have better personnel models with various animation states. There won't be any first person control but if the animated models are cool (crouching, running, jumping, running+firing, standing etc), then it should be ok. Besides, all objects are 3D entities anyway, therefore you can order them around just like ships (you can do that in the current version anyway). The difference in BC:3020AD will be that you will have special waypoint orders for ground troops. So if you drop a team of marines at a zone, you can pretty much give them waypoint orders to do certain things, just like ships.

Imagine watching from the external over-the-shoulder camera view of lead marine as he runs around wasting the opposition or planting mines around a site. Since you have control, you should pretty much be able to drop the whole crew at a safe distance and then, using waypoints, tell them where to go, what to do and how.

eg.

waypoint1 - approach with caution (crawl)

waypoint2 - attack

waypoint3 - move to

waypoint4 - deploy

waypoint5 - move to

You can then bring that person back using the

transporter or the shuttle, from waypoint5.

If you drop marines using a shuttle, you should see them running (running animation)

toward the first 'team' waypoint you set in tacOPS. If they are fired upon, then depending on their AI level, the animation will change to running+firing, prone+firing or crouch+firing. If you've played Rainbow6 or SpecOPS, then you know what I'm talking about. The models are being created in 3DStudio Character Studio because I can't afford motion capture technology.

[First person Battlecruiser]

This has been in my specs for the Strike Pak boarding module for quite a while. Doing that sort of thing requires an FP engine which I don't have. I have no intentions of developing one. I have been evaluating Eclipse3D (free) and will be looking into the Shogo engine ($250K) for this purpose. If I get the engine, then the Strike Pak should allow you to walk around a fully modeled ship as well as any other ship/station you board. I would have loved to put in FP for the bc only, in bc:3020ad but I don't have the technology nor do I have the time. I am considering it though. Imagine walking into engineering and seeing models of your engineers (fully animated models as described above) milling about or walk into the marine quarters and see them sleeping (when they should be working). Better yet, how about running down a corrider and come across marines running after intruders. Meanwhile, the 3D world is still going on outside so if you walk to the bridge, walk up to your console, press a key and hey presto, you are in the normal bridge view of your battlecruiser ready to fire. Won't it be cool to walk into an interceptor bay and see the ship model actually there? So perhaps from the bridge you schedule a launch for IC1, you warp to the launch bay and just in time to see the ship drop out into space? Way cool man!

The technology is there, the machines are becoming more and more powerful. It just takes a time, money and a kick ass design.

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Guest David Sanftenberg

If there's anyone who can pull it off, it's definetly you. I eagerly await the sequel...

On another note, I recently recieved an E-Mail from the Interplay store, saying my order was put on back order because there aren't currently enough copies available. If that's any idea of how well v2.0 is selling, well...it speaks for itself. They said they're going to E-Mail me when my copy ships, knowing publishers, probably sometime in November. Darn.

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Dr. Smart,

did I read that number right: twohundredfiftythousand bucks? Gee, the people who wrote Shogo will make more money with licenses than with the game... smile.gif

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quote:


On another note, I recently recieved an E-Mail from the Interplay store, saying my order was put on back order because there aren't currently enough copies available. If that's any idea of how well v2.0 is selling, well...it speaks for itself. They said they're going to E-Mail me when my copy ships, knowing publishers, probably sometime in November. Darn.


That sounds about right. frown.gif

quote:


did I read that number right: twohundredfiftythousand bucks? Gee, the people who wrote Shogo will make more money with licenses than with the game...


Yep, $250K (no royalties) for the LithTek engine. Think thats bad? The Unreal engine is $1m per game. Go figure.

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Wow... I haven't even seen a million bucks (and guess I won't see that much in my lifetime, like many others round here smile.gif ) and the Unreal guys want that much just for THE ENGINE?!? Do they extra charge for support (like "24h product support: 100k extra" ? smile.gif )? Or special 3dfx-stuff?

On the other hand... If people really pay a million dollars for it, it must pay off.

Otherwise they wouldn't do it, right?

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I'm not sure if someone has already come up with this idea. But I thought it would be cool to have some sort of visual effect like an animation or video sequence when going through a wormhole, jumpgate, or fluxfield. Except have something uniquely different for each anomaly. Let me know if you think this could possibly make BC 3020AD. Oh, and good luck with the sequel guys.

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Jeremy:

Having seen what happened to Independence War with their animated jump sequences, I'd strongly object to it.

**** Read at your Own Risk******

However, it would be nice to have a better looking wormhole in the game :-). I dont know, maybe the wormhole location marked by a buoy and when you got to 4 kliks of it, the wormhole would open with a nice animation. That would be nice.

Hey Derek, I dont know if this is possible, but wouldnt it be fun to have the wormhole's move throught the region? Since wormholes arent supposed to be stable (I know, in the game they are but still...)why not make em change locations erratically? The buoys would mark the wormhole's most common locations, so the ships would have to check out where in the region the 'hole is to get out of the region... I believe this would add great tactical/strategic elements in the game! :-). No more "jump in, blow stuff up, get out fast"...the wormhole might change location during the battle! What do you think?

Disclaimer: The above is another of my crazy ideas. I am not responsible for any nervous breakdowns readers may suffer after reading this. *grin*

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All the animated objects (wormhole, jump gate, fluxfield etc) will all be different.

No, they will all remain static because it causes problems if they change positions.

I have no intentions of doing animations for jump sequences. It adds nothing to the game.

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I had a thought. It would be neat if the ship's names could be displayed somewhere in the CVD.

This would be for multiplay only I suppose. But it would be so cool. I'm sure there is room somewhere in the CVD to display this.

That way if you REALLY had a roleplay grudge with someone you could tell who they are.

Hope you like it. As usual all disclaimers apply. Your choice. smile.gif

Commander Chavik

ICV Phoenix

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[First Person]

Not need to make the greate 3d FPS engine, anyone who want to play FPS, can play QII, Unreal, H/L, Sin ...... Just the simple, low detailed(I mean polygons) and simple textured rooms, bridges, etc. This may be made by existing engine. Not need to modelled all internals in BC, only basic.

I don't want to see marines inside, I only want to feel, that this ship is a MY SHIP, and I know all of it's parts, and can walk on the MY desks.

May be anyone know the game called "Parkan". May be not a good example, but it give me this impression.

With a best wishes.

Andrey

Sorry for bad english.

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  • 2 weeks later...

I remember reading about the expansion pack

that would allow you to walk around on your

ship and the various space stations. I'm glad

to know that they are still in your plans. How long down the road do you see these things implanted in the game? 3020? Or later?

That what makes the BC3000 game so great. And it's why i have a lot of respect for Derek. The game is always expanding. Take a look at wing commander. The game has been around for a long time. But, how has the game expanded in all that time? The only difference is the graphics. That's all. But, with BC3000, and BC3020, the game is constantly evolving. For this, i want to thanks Derek. Keep up the great work. Oh! I just thought of something else. Along with

the FP view on the ship, will it also include

planet stations? Thanks.

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Hi Derek....You mentioned that the strike pac

is in early development, and i had a question

about that. If you do put FP in your game,

would it be possible to make it like half life? What i mean by that is, would you be able to walk down the corridor of your

ship, and see people go about thire buisness.

See the doctors work on the injured, watch

the prisoner's in their cells, and so on. Or

would that take the ultimate computer to make it run? I just think it would be so cool

to see that. What do you think about that? Thanks.

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I'm back! :-) Had a great time in Korea...nice place place, nice people. Now to bussiness:

Dave:

That would be so cool! Go and gloat in front of your prisioners...that would hit the spot :-). Lock Karl Reines? *G* Hehe.

The only thing I wish this game had in the future would be a weapons editor. I know I know, I've been asking this too long and stuff, but I believe that new weapons could add even more spice to the game...and who knows? Maybe some of the player created weapons may be approved by the CIC and *perhaps* added to the next BC game? (or better yet, PATCH!).

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The Strike Pak will have a dynamic world similar to the existing 3D space world. No holds barred. You'll be able to walk into the Operations room and catch your marines playing cards when they should be on search order...and similar oddities. The ENTIRE ship and crew will be modelled.

Working on it.

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Thanks for the reply Derek. That sounds like

it's going to be something special. While

we're on the subject, i hope i'm not bothering you with all these questions about this, will that include other ships and stations? Will you be able to board another ship? Could you imagagine a mission where

you have to capture someone, and actually

boarding the ship, searching it, and having

to capture him in FP? I'm getting excited

just thinking about it. I better stop for now. smile.gif

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The Strike Pak sounds cool. It has sounded cool since it first become known and still will when It comes out. Based on Derek's past creations, when Stike Pak comes out, it will supersede any expectations we all currently have.

One thing I would like to see is better transitions for various things. And no I don't want movies. Things like docking which are now juct getting close to the ship and disappearing.

Maybe make it so that the IC's actually approach the correct spot on the top of the BC and having that door open would be nice. Things like seeing the BC enter a jump gate without going through the structure. Things like having a wormhole appear instead of being there all the time. If the wormhole appears at the same location all the time, that's fine. Also for the Hyperion Sub Space device, have it open an anomaly that you can enter. Maybe that can't happen for the same reason wormholes have to be stable.

The basic story is no more instantaneaous transitions.

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What about being able to interact with other

races. I don't know if it is already in the game, or in 3020, but, i think it would be

cool to interact with them. Like, if they

board your ship, or if you board there's,

you can have conversations with them. I ask

this question because i just watched Babylon 5, and thought how cool it would be to have

a relathionship with the different races. Just a thought. Let me know what you think.

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Hmmm, let me see. How about adding something like speech recognition to the game? You know, so you can say stuff like "Engine 50%" or "5 Marines to Launch Bay". Now wouldn't that set a new standard for computer gaming technology? Just a thought.

It would sure beat punching in key combinations all the time.

[This message has been edited by Jeremy (edited 12-03-98).]

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Ya like we all have quad Zeons to run this game. I don't know about you but this game slows down my machine when a battle is going on. I sure as hell don't want my shields to go down when I say shuttle 1 launch. And BC doesn't even support SMP yet so what good would it do.

VR takes alot of CPU and I've yet to see an engine capable of understanding 90% of the words I say.

BTW My machine runs Unreal glass smooth, can run a Quake2 server with 100 Bots and so on.

It also can run VR software using only one of it's CPUs.

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