Things you'd like to see...

[smc415]

Something that I would like to see, and this may be just a Noob thing, and not very useful once I am more skilled. What I would like to see is an enhancement to the F3 screen to display what action each titan is actually performing within the two menus(move/attack). Perhaps better stated would be a display of the state of the titan respective of the command modes.

I know this can be displayed by selecting each titan individually, but making information available is always seems to be a good thing.

Also while I am very much a Noob, I have been playing the game for over a week. So I am somewhat less of a Noob than before.

I think this change would make things easier for new players.

[Sleeping_Dragon]

I like smc415's idea.

How hard would it be to add a coulmn(s) to the right of the existing columns in the F3 menu that shows current attack command and time remaining to completion and current move command with time remaining to completion? Would be nice to have all that info on one screen.

[widowmaker]

I hate to dredge up an issue that's already been argued and a fix added to the patch, but I think it's worth it. On the reduced maintenance cost for unassigned Titans, would it be possible to put a time delay on the maintenance cost reduction? Reasoning: a squad has a member who switches Titans frequently (SRM to LRM, for example). The maintenance crew doesn't know which Titan he's going to use until he hops aboard and hits the CZ, so they have to keep both in combat-readiness. On the other hand, if a Titan were unused for a significant period (say 3 battles - 3 months), they could consider it inactive and mothball it. It would then cost less per month until it was allocated a jock, at which point standard mantenance would apply. One would have to take care when allocating Titans; if one activated a mothballed Titan, then decided not to use it, one would lose the mothballed cost break until the Titan was re-mothballed.

This may be complicated code-wise, as I don't know how Larkin has everything organized. Each Titan would need a counter indicating how long since it was allocated a Jock. This could be compared to the squad's current total battles to determine if the Titan was mothballed or not. New thought: if the counter instead kept track of the last battle # the Titan participated, a quick difference function determines mothballed status, and the above-mentioned problem of losing the mothballed cost break goes away. Not sure if I like that. Anyway, this "last battle participated" could be an addition to the Titan's description on the squad "Titan Roster". The same stat could be added to the "Jock Roster", with the last battle # the Jock participated being listed. I don't recommend mothballing Jocks, though; they don't pack well in styrofoam...

As I said, not sure how easy the code would be to implement. The current fix is fine; I just read the entire thread tonight, and had the time-delay idea while reading the rest of the argument. Feel free to accept, reject, comment, criticize, praise, or even ridicule the idea.

Love the game. Working on addicting friends to it.

widowmaker

[widowmaker]

Darn it, got so caught up in the other idea I forgot this one. I like the idea of listing the PU's required to recycle an energy weapon on the weapons table. The current listing of the recycle time is misleading; ammunition fed weapons will recycle consistently at the given rate, but energy weapons will only recycle at the given rate when fully supplied by the engine. However, energy weapons will always recycle when they have received their allotment of PU's, no matter how long it takes. Viewed in this manner, it's a matter of consistency.

widowmaker

[widowmaker]

On the F3 screen, when the "call/done" button for the squad is hit, the entire squad switches to opposite the current setting. Just to be clear: if one has 4 jocks, and one calls attack on 2 of them on F3, then hits the squad call attack, the 2 who were called become done, and the 2 who were done become call. This can be carried to the point where the squad button reads call, yet each jock reads done, and vice versa. I think hitting the squad call/done button should change each jock to whatever the squad button currently reads. So if one calls 2 jocks, then decides to go ahead and call everyone, hitting the squad call/done does the trick.

widowmaker

[LarkinVB]

I like smc415's idea.

How hard would it be to add a coulmn(s) to the right of the existing columns in the F3 menu that shows current attack command and time remaining to completion and current move command with time remaining to completion? Would be nice to have all that info on one screen.

Obviously there is no space at all for this.

[LarkinVB]

I hate to dredge up an issue that's already been argued and a fix added to the patch, but I think it's worth it. On the reduced maintenance cost for unassigned Titans, would it be possible to put a time delay on the maintenance cost reduction?As I said, not sure how easy the code would be to implement. The current fix is fine; I just read the entire thread tonight, and had the time-delay idea while reading the rest of the argument. Feel free to accept, reject, comment, criticize, praise, or even ridicule the idea.

This is a classic example of improvements I usually reject. To much work for little gain. Sorry widowmaker, you are not the first. Keep up suggestions.

[smc415]

Sleeping Dragon elaborated on exactly what I was talking about. I sometimes(possibly too often) go to the F3 screen to call one or more of my titans. Sometimes I call attack on say titan A, thinking I know that titan B is performing a scan. The only trouble is that Titan A is the one actually performing the scan, and I have just thrown it away. It may be a noob thing, but it would be awfully useful if a screen that allows me to execute a command that might throw away time units or possibly cause my titan to fall, would also let me consciously make that decision. I mean you may be able to mentally track what each of your titans is doing, but I certainly haven't reached that level of control.

Obviously there is no space at all for this.

OK, I am guessing that the window size is fixed in the release, and it is not possible to expand the window size through a patch. How about a couple of simple indicators on the current screen that would indicate that calling that titan would 'break' an action. Possibly just bold and highlight the CALL text if the titan is currently carrying out an order. The implementaion SD described would be better though.

[Thorgrim]

Guys, don't forget you can check the status of *every* jock/titan with the status keys 1-8. You can see exactly what they're doing in the first page, mode status, if you can't remember.

[Thorgrim]

I like the idea of listing the PU's required to recycle an energy weapon on the weapons table. The current listing of the recycle time is misleading; ammunition fed weapons will recycle consistently at the given rate, but energy weapons will only recycle at the given rate when fully supplied by the engine. However, energy weapons will always recycle when they have received their allotment of PU's, no matter how long it takes.

Well, like I said, it's not hard to memorize - 3 PU each, except for SL (1PU), and ML and PL (2PU). Notice that a BRG doesn't *always* recycle at 3PU/sec, even if 3 PUs are always available. There's a "formula", and the provided recycle times are the minimum times, for reference.
Also notice that if you have 4 PUs available and 2 BRGs to recycle, one will recycle at 3PU/sec and the other at 1PU/sec, not both at 2PU/sec.
Finally, the weapons table is not the official weapons stats sheet. It's a tool that gives you all the info in a single page. For more complete info you should check the factory help. Weapons that require more than 15 PUs to fully recycle will start recycling at 3PU/sec, etc. It's in the manual and the guide too.

[LarkinVB]

OK, I am guessing that the window size is fixed in the release, and it is not possible to expand the window size through a patch. How about a couple of simple indicators on the current screen that would indicate that calling that titan would 'break' an action. Possibly just bold and highlight the CALL text if the titan is currently carrying out an order. The implementaion SD described would be better though.

Some answers back I already stated that I added color coding F3 for the patch. I'm also adding an experimental action mode status display for your whole team with the '9' key.

[Sleeping_Dragon]

I'm also adding an experimental action mode status display for your whole team with the '9' key.

SWEET! I know you can get indivial jocks from 1-8.. but I always forget which # is which jock, then I have to look close to find the actions. It's good to have all this info in one place. Thanks Larkin

[smc415]

Guys, don't forget you can check the status of *every* jock/titan with the status keys 1-8. You can see exactly what they're doing in the first page, mode status, if you can't remember.

Not when you are about to interrupt their action in the F3 window.

[smc415]

Too Cool. I must have missed that. Your work is very much appreciated.

[widowmaker]

Well, like I said, it's not hard to memorize - 3 PU each, except for SL (1PU), and ML and PL (2PU).

Yes, it is easy to memorize 1 PU for a SL, and 2 PU's for ML and PL, but what if I want to know at what point a BRG drops from 3 PU's to 2 PU's? When does it drop to 1 PU? If I know the total requirement, I can make these calculations myself and act accordingly.

Notice that a BRG doesn't *always* recycle at 3PU/sec, even if 3 PUs are always available. There's a "formula", and the provided recycle times are the minimum times, for reference.

I know the formula, and I like the formula. But if I don't know how many PU's a weapon needs, I can't use the formula. And the only thing I said would *always* happen is:

However, energy weapons will always recycle when they have received their allotment of PU's, no matter how long it takes.

Which is true.

Also notice that if you have 4 PUs available and 2 BRGs to recycle, one will recycle at 3PU/sec and the other at 1PU/sec, not both at 2PU/sec.

Yes, I know. But because I only have 4 PU available, I want to know when my first weapon will drop to 1 PU/sec. That way, I can fire a second weapon as soon as enough power is available to recycle it at 3 PU/sec.

Finally, the weapons table is not the official weapons stats sheet. It's a tool that gives you all the info in a single page. For more complete info you should check the factory help. Weapons that require more than 15 PUs to fully recycle will start recycling at 3PU/sec, etc. It's in the manual and the guide too.

Are we talking about the same thing here? I'm refering to the weapons table in the Factory that one uses to put weapons on one's Titans. If this isn't the "official" weapons table, what is it? I have checked the factory help, I have read the manual cover-to-cover, and I have downloaded and read the unofficial guide. None of them list how many PU's energy weapons need to recycle; they all just explain how recycling works.

All those issues aside, I have a question about the recycling formula. Weapons needing more than 15 PU's recycle 3 PU/sec (power permitting), but what about weapons needing exactly 15? Are they 3 PU/sec, or 2? Same question at 6 PU needed, is it 2 PU/sec or 1? Also, what priority is used to determine which weapon gets first crack at available PU's? Does the weapon needing the most get first shot? Or does the first weapon on the Titan's weapon list go first? I know C.C. weapon, punches, and kicks are near the bottom of the feeding chain, above only jump ports, but if 2 MLs and 1 SL are all fired, and only 4 PUs are available, which weapons get fed?

Anyway, I'd like the PU requirements listed in-game. It's something I'd like to see.

widowmaker

editted for spelling

[Thorgrim]

The manual, in page 23, explains in detail the recycling cycles for the ML and the PG. Is that what you want to see somewhere?! I don't think you can be serious. It's explained in the manual for those people that are curious enough to want to know, and investigate further - that's what you should do. But it's not for the "average" player, who shouldn't exactly care for that kind of detail level.
As for the total requirements, they were in the factory's weapons table, but I'm not sure if they're still there. I think Marga changed it to recycle time instead of PUs because someone requested it... Anyways, check the unofficial weapons table and it's all there. That's the one I was refering to.

As to what you said, quoted like that, it is pretty obvious :rolleyes:

If you want to know your available power status, just check the jock's status window, 1st page. It lists your available power for the current second, as well as other interesting figures. It's explained in the manual, page 32.

BTW, *more than* 15 (and more than 6) is pretty clear to me. 15 is not more than 15, but it is more than 6. Does that help? Same for 6.

[widowmaker]

No, I'm not asking for a listing of the recycling cycles (3,3,3,2,2,etc...). That would be overkill to put in the manual. I want to know the total requirements (as page 23 says for the ML and PG, which need 9 and 33 PU's, respectively). Knowing the total requirements, I can recreate the cycles on my own.

And though I wonder about your definition of "average", I submit that the PU requirement is a significant weapon stat, and thus should be readily available to any player. After all, the manual lists the PU requirements for and heat caused by movement--is the "average" player going to care for that? I know I have. I was checking those heat numbers frequently during the Android Rebellion campaign. Heat's an issue in that one.

As for the unofficial weapons table, I have this problem: no MS Office, no MS Excel, no way to open the file.

Thanks for clarifying the formula. I assumed it worked the way you described, but the difference between ">" and ">=" isn't always expressed properly, so I wanted to be clear.

I guess I could create a custom Titan with 1 of every energy weapon, create a special squad jock to pilot it, fire every single one of them his first turn, check the status window, write down every weapon's PU requirement, watch the Titan blow up, then keep the list handy.

Just thought it would be easier to have it in-game.

widowmaker

[widowmaker]

This is a classic example of improvements I usually reject. To much work for little gain. Sorry widowmaker, you are not the first. Keep up suggestions.

I figured it would be too much work. Maybe in the expansion

widowmaker

[LarkinVB]

As for the unofficial weapons table, I have this problem: no MS Office, no MS Excel, no way to open the file.

You do have acroread, do you :rolleyes: ? Download the guide as PDF from the top sticky thread.

[widowmaker]

What about adding a button to the HQ for creating special squads? Don't get me wrong, the current system works fine, but it feels somewhat like a backdoor. Having a button or menu option for creating special squads would seem more polished. I know this one would take some coding, so I guess this idea is along the expansion/sequel lines.

widowmaker