Starship battles

Unknown_Enemy · Post by **Unknown_Enemy** » Thu Jan 31, 2002 2:40 pm

While playing STUN, and when controlling a battle in a star system, I sometime have problems to quickly identify a ship.

To my point of view, each races' ships are too similars. To differentiate them, well just think to the ships in good old Ascendancy.

So, minor thing, but it could help.

madmax88 · Post by **madmax88** » Thu Jan 31, 2002 6:12 pm

It ain't really the few differences between the ships that makes it hard to understand when there are lots, but basically the information around'em : range,system info, shields, armor. It creates a chaotic grid and you spend quite some time looking for the right info.

It might just be a question of color hierarchy.

- All ships of an unknown, peaceful or allied race should have dark green(for instance) info.
- Enemy ships, pirates should have dark red.
- And your own race should have a color brighter than any other.

Therefore this means you'd also have to change a few things in the game. Instead of having different colors representing the shield indicator for instance, replace it by
100%-75% three concentric circles around the ship
75%-50% two circles
50%-25% one circle
25%-1% doted circle
And so on...

You might also consider implementing keyboard shortcuts that would allow the player to toggle enemy and\or own race info ...on and off.

Then again, opinions differ and others may think it's just fine like it is now. Can be.
<img src="tongue.gif" border="0">

phat_hamster · Post by **phat_hamster** » Fri Feb 01, 2002 12:54 am

I have missed Ascendency since I dumped W9x for good, STUN: DG has finally filled that void . <img src="tongue.gif" border="0">

I agree that there are some difficulties quickly identifying ships. Maybe there could be right click menus for each ship and planet so that you could quickly change/issue orders.

Andrew Ewanchyna · Post by **Andrew Ewanchyna** » Fri Feb 01, 2002 5:54 am

Why have a right click when you can currently left click and see them in the Focus area at the top of the screen or move your cursor over them.

As for too much info around them, you can reduce clutter from the Views (the eyeball) button.

I use different colored droplines to identify each race, how could that be any simpler.

As for changing the # of sheilds/armor rings, well, try placing multiple armor on a ship to see why your idea wouldn't work.

Would having the ship's name displayed, like when you're focused on one, help? An extra 'clutter' option could always be added.

Unknown_Enemy · Post by **Unknown_Enemy** » Fri Feb 01, 2002 2:25 pm

Well, the point is that a player needs to identify friends or foes ships in a glance to keep the momentum.

And at the moment it is sometime difficult.
So unstead putting up some new information windows I would suggest to differentiate each side's ships.

possible hint : colors, lots of sides have almost the same colors for their ships.

madmax88 · Post by **madmax88** » Fri Feb 01, 2002 2:39 pm

Then again, all of this is simply a matter of personnal taste, how players like their games.

Which brings one specific point in line of fire... mods.

Just having a folder with all the graphics in it would allow players to customize the game to their liking. And i can't stress this to much, would it not be great! <img src="biggrin.gif" border="0"> <img src="biggrin.gif" border="0"> <img src="wink.gif" border="0">

phat_hamster · Post by **phat_hamster** » Fri Feb 01, 2002 8:50 pm

You are correct that a right click is not necessary for unit identification. It would be useful for quicker unit commands, however. I will agree that is not needed, but would be a nice touch.

If there were only one change you do in an update, I would have to agree that customizable graphics would be the one.

As a side note, thank you for developing such a great stategy game, we whine only because we are attached to the game. <img src="biggrin.gif" border="0">

Andrew Ewanchyna · Post by **Andrew Ewanchyna** » Sat Feb 02, 2002 10:24 pm

Well, then whine away ...

I'll look into better identification in the next patch.

I'll also look into allowing user mods of ships and races.

I'm already looking into adding random events.

madmax88 · Post by **madmax88** » Sun Feb 03, 2002 3:39 am

Sweat! <img src="biggrin.gif" border="0">
If you must look into better identification, well you might want to allow the font you're using to be changed.
Something a little less "1981's Odyssey II" <img src="wink.gif" border="0"> <img src="tongue.gif" border="0">
Don't take this personally, i'm a graphic designer and have a strong background in interface design, especially with the space genre.

And always nice to see developpers care about the game they've done after their release. With most of the space games i've bought, i sometimes couldn't even get someone to help me with technical issues... so keep this up.

I just got my copy of sudg yesterday...what a feeling i had when i first fired my newly upgraded laser beam against the hull of a bloody pirate and had to tap into the propulsion system to blow the ship apart. <img src="biggrin.gif" border="0"> <img src="eek.gif" border="0">
btw: Is it still possible to hail pirates?

Vaaish · Post by **Vaaish** » Sun Feb 03, 2002 8:01 am

Hehe Yep, a change of typeface would be good, it popped out at me when I started up, but I never got around to saying anything about it.

RepoMan · Post by **RepoMan** » Sun Feb 03, 2002 11:28 am

+1 on the change of typeface. That OCR font... well, "retro" is about the best thing you can say about it

I see what Andrew's getting at with it, but it doesn't do much for readability, and even OCR machines don't depend on it anymore, so it's actually (ironically) one of the most dated fonts you could choose!

Unknown_Enemy · Post by **Unknown_Enemy** » Mon Feb 04, 2002 2:27 pm

Humm, I dont quite agree as I like the retro style found in STUN, it reminds me a little something about fallout.

Then if I was writing about ship identification, it is just because I like the game and care about it.

Andrew Ewanchyna · Post by **Andrew Ewanchyna** » Tue Feb 05, 2002 3:39 am

Oh, not the fonts again! I've cornered myself into a little box on this one. I'm using fixed spaced (non-proportional) fonts with a rather miniscule size (5x9 pixels). Being the control freak that I am, I carefully measured every text area on every button and menu to ensure that the worst case would fit (stuffing text anywhere I could). When Matrix asked me to change the font at the end, Marc sent me a bunch of nice looking fonts but I *really* didn't feel like changing the font size at all.

Oh, I get it <img src="biggrin.gif" border="0"> . You want to be able to modify the fonts yourself!

I'm glad to see that Unknown_Enemy is in reality an ally <img src="smile.gif" border="0">

You graphic designer. Just use the h key to call up the comms popup and hit the hail button. I think that's how it works now. You'll let me know if it doesn't, I'm sure.

"Don't take this personally, i'm a graphic designer and have a strong background in interface design, especially with the space genre."

So what space game did you work on, madmax88?

madmax88 · Post by **madmax88** » Tue Feb 05, 2002 8:25 am

Hum,
looks like i've inflated my own airhead.

I'm sorry you've had a bad day but please don't take it all on me.
My point was, i'm not trying to denigrate your or any of your coworkers' work, but simply stating an opinion.
Far from thinking i can do anything and know everything : sorry i sounded like it. Still no need for insults.
<img src="eek.gif" border="0">
I've worked with a few web-based companies, worked on games that died dur to lacks of funds. Worked with UbiSoft for a while until i realised how deeply unsatisfactory this company was for me. Then again, and i'm sure you know, it's hard to get accredited for the work you've done when none of it is being published. Currently working on a game called Warped.

Andrew Ewanchyna · Post by **Andrew Ewanchyna** » Wed Feb 06, 2002 2:07 am

Relax madmax88. I never take posts too seriously. My post wasn't meant in a mean spirit, in fact, quite the opposite. I was in a happy, goofy mood. What do you think all those smiley-things were about? <img src="smile.gif" border="0"> <img src="biggrin.gif" border="0">

Now go back and re-read my post in that light <img src="wink.gif" border="0">

I was genuinely interested in what you'd worked on, that's all. I love hearing about other people's projects. For example, there's a cool new space adventure game from the boys at Digital Eel called Strange Adventures in Infinite Space. Go take a look at it here.

I enjoy the banter and read posts even if I don't always answer them. But the internet is notorious for miscommunications. I think that's why they invented those smiley things.

Anyways, I have no problem allowing people to change the main font in the next patch. It dawned on my while I was writing the post. It's just a gif file that needs to be run through one of my utilities. Would love to see what people could do with it. As long as you let me know what you want, then I'll try to do it.

madmax88 · Post by **madmax88** » Wed Feb 06, 2002 4:58 am

It's all good.
Thanks for clearing that up though. <img src="wink.gif" border="0">

If you make that gif file available to us, i would like to try and take a few years off the font... <img src="wink.gif" border="0">
5x9 is not a lot, but enough.

I wish you could have tried space merchant at some point, great game. Free and Massively multiplayer. There was 60-70 people logged in during peak hours, over 10000 players registered.

You can find remains of it (old html version) here: http://www.shareplay.com/spacemerchant/

phat_hamster · Post by **phat_hamster** » Wed Feb 06, 2002 9:31 am

I vote for keeping the current font, first, I think it works with the game's overall feel and second, I would rather have gameplay / balance changes come first.
Random events sound cool -- black holes or other events to disrupt trade routes, or planetary weather events that add/subtract from research and economic totals.

A_Master · Post by **A_Master** » Thu Feb 07, 2002 11:52 pm

Wow, some major issues for a game that is already on the market. Also I'm concerned with the memory managment in another forum. I'm using a P2 - 266. Most people I know who would play this game have simular. Will it be a problem?

For the Ascendancy fans. A cheat that I came up with but never posted is to find an ancient ruin. Save game. Search. Keep reloading game until the random technology find is the most advanced power generator. Once you get that, you can cruise the galaxy with impunity.

madmax88 · Post by **madmax88** » Fri Feb 08, 2002 4:56 am

I've had no problem so far, not a single crash due to memory problems or game bugs. And i don't necessarily own a bomb.
<img src="wink.gif" border="0">

Andrew Ewanchyna · Post by **Andrew Ewanchyna** » Fri Feb 08, 2002 8:17 pm

I've actually tested the game on a P2 266 without any problems. It's computers that have small cpu caches that I'm concerned about (e.g. celerons).