What will be in the final game release.

[Soback]

I was wondering what features are going to be in the final game release. I read through the BC:M product info and these are some of the things mentioned.

┬À New features including: Component Target Acquisition System, CTAS, AI controlled ship-to-ship boarding, Dimension Jumps, player to NPC (and vice versa) comms, radar Fog of war, planetary orbit capability, surface to orbit target acquisition, NPC formation flying etc

The reason I bring this up is, I was reading some of the thread in the demo and it sounds like a few of these features have changed, for example the fog of war on the radar will not be implemented, or so I heard. I have questions about the CTAS(component target acquisition system), ship to ship boarding, and comms, if these features will still be implemented or have they been changed. Also, I am not posting this in the demo thread because it's more about the final game release and also the demo thread is more about opinions and tech stuff.

[Kush]

I think if you go to the Beta Version control page it should answer alot of your questions.

There's a section on what aspects of the game are still a work in progress, and what changes have been made. This version control gives info on what the beta testers are playing, (or will be playing soon) so it should give you a pretty accurate reflection on the final game.

http://www.3000ad.com/files/bcmver.html

[Soback]

That was informative. On the very bottom of the page "Work in Progress" part, was the only place where I found anything about CTAS, and it still didn't say anything about it being in the final release. So, will the things mentioned above be in the final release or will they be added later on in patches. (CTAS, ship to ship boarding etc.) Would be nice if SC could answer this since he knows the most about this. Thanks.

[Gallion]

Ship to Ship boarding was canned when the SC stopped the BC:TE (?) dev process before BCM went beta last year. Do a forum search and you will find his post stating such.

What you see in the bcmver file is what you get. There are several WIP yet to be implemented. As with all software devs these days, when gold day draw nearer - some things get dropped. Only time will tell what makes it in the final bcm gold copy and what gets dropped.

I'll take a stable and relatively bug free product over a feature laden buggy product any day.

TTFN

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Rear Admiral Gallion

ICV-Graf Spee, Spectre (Antis)

Executive Officer, Spectre Fleet

"You can only love or hate something you truly understand."

Official Tester, Battlecruiser Series

Leader, Team 1

[Supreme Cmdr]

Yup

Also, items in that WIP section are WIP and are not likely to be cut from the final Gold, except perhaps for the Dimension Jump feature, which I haven't written a single line of code for.

CTAS will not be cut because it is a critical gameplay component that affects several play modes, including multiplayer.

At this point, if anything is not likely to make it into the final Gold, its probably multiplayer. Simply because, while the engine is already developed and partially implemented, it needs at least a month or more of stringent testing by the external testers. It is scheduled to be the next major patch, after the upcoming v2.3.00 major patch which includes the final terrain. But if it doesn't get out to the external testers by May 1st, the game won't meet its May 15th Gold date (the day it gets sent off to manufacturing). And if I decide to release it without multiplayer (100% my decision), then it would of course be the first patch that is released. Its one thing to ship a solid single player game (which I think we have at the moment), its another to ship a game with a solid single player game and a piss-poor multiplayer game which will only result in bastards renewing their attacks on me. So, I'll probably disable it, get it fully tested and then release it as a patch.

Either way, all dates are mine and I can change them as I see fit. I will probably have Justin create a poll (once May comes around and if multiplayer is not fully tested) to see if the BC fans want the game to ship without multiplayer and released as a patch, or if it should be delayed to June once its been fully tested.

Eitherway, I'm sure that I'll make the right decision. After all, its my product and am not under the control of any publisher.

[This message has been edited by Supreme Cmdr (edited 04-01-2001).]

[Epsilon 5]

What is "Dimension jump"?

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Commander Epsilon 5

GCV - StalkerIV, Orion Starstation (CENTRIS)

Wraith liason officer, Deterrence Battle Group

www.orionfleet.com

'This Far, No Farther!'

[Eclipse]

I believe it was a method of dirrectly jumping from one reagion to another across th e galaxy. I think it was put in for MP reason, but nothing other than a few ideas on it were tossed back and forth. Not even sure it's still in there.

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Commodore Kyle Antilles

ICV-Eclipse, Destiny Starstation (Nevuela)

Commanding Officer, Destiny

Spectre Fleet

External Beta Tester

Battlecruiser Millennium

"You can only love or hate something you truly understand"

[Hector Socas Navarro]

As Gallion said, ship to ship boarding was canned with the BC:TE project. However, the SC recently mentioned that he has plans to incorporate AI-controlled boarding using NPC marines in BCM but it will probably be in a patch after the game is released.

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See you out there, among the stars

Cmdr Nava, GCV Nemesis (Official BC3k tester)

[Kush]

SC, I think you are totally making the right call.

All decisions are yours and should be made based on what you feel is right, but I think waiting to put in solid multiplayer code is very wise.

That's the logical side of me talking. I think I can speak for all of us here by saying we are all DYING for multiplayer, but only put it out when you feel it's right.

ps: It looks as though the beta code is firming up real nice!

[Soback]

Great, I totally agree with the game shipping in single player and getting the patch for miltiplayer later as long as single player is stable and bug free, as for the features it would be nice to have ship to ship boarding since those damn intruders can do it, I would just like to get back at them with my marines. Be really nice if that could be worked into a patch later on. Thanks SC for taking the time to answer.