Space / Tactical Fleet Combat Game / AI Progressing

[CarlVon]

Hi Everyone,

About a year ago I started building a tactical combat game (space). The progress have been very good. Me and some friends are now doing fleet combat. The game is a stable Beta. In the next few months I would like to find more players if anyone is interested let me know.

And yes... you finally get to run real capital ships. [:)]

http://www.spacesector.com/blog/forum/thread-965.html

Thanks.

[wings7]

Dan, looks promising! Keep us posted!

Patrick

[CarlVon]

Thanks Patrick,

It really made me happy to get some feedback. We will finish up our current battle this week and then start planning the next phase. Would you know anyone that would be interested in a few months or so? Don't need many. From there I figure I can do a manual etc. And then get the server up and running full time so they can setup battles.

[Twotribes]

Is it just battles? No strategic mode exploring and building and such?

[CarlVon]

Hi Twotribes,

Yes it's a fleet combat game. But it scales so big at this point, I don't want to understate it, this kind of caught us off guard.

To answer your question, if we get enough players, we would love to build an empire level meta game above it.

I know those screenshots don't explain much -- I will make a package soon so you guys can understand. The game breaks in to a few parts, the Strategy, Operational and Tactics are much more rich and deep then we ever expected.

There are no force fields, so angles are VERY important. The flank is one of the worst things that can happen, if you expose your rear, it's terrible, because the engines cannot be armored as much. Sometimes if the fleets are large enough, it looks like line battle with the flanks trying to get side shots and cross angles. Its basically a knife fight, lots of things will get hit, you have to have a solid stomach for many maneuvers. I'm a pretty good raider myself, breaking lines etc. Anyone who can get good timing working during attacks can be devistating.

On the tactical level, knowing the ships, what they can do etc. is a must. But all levels of combat are critical. One of our guys is an excellent pilot, and it works, causing major damage. Even holding formation is tricky when someone pushes you around with a raid.

Kinda goes like this.

1. Strategic Deployment - Fleet Formation (Big Deal)
2. Strategic Plan - This quickly becomes less flexible as things progress, but it needs to be thought out a bit.
3. Operational Level - This is basically the part where you test each other, some times skirmish etc. The whole team will work together here to achieve position.
4. Tactical Level - Once you think you have the better position, many of the ships can accelerate at very quick speeds, this will catch your opponent by supprise, but it will also stiffen your speeds and commit you. Battleships are great, but take time to cool their guns, so they need support, frigates are fast as heck, assault frigate can charge with rail guns, but they need anti projectile support from our assault cruisers. This goes on and on as we can create new ships, but for now 4-5 is enough.

So far, bottom line: There are endless strategies and tactics, staggering some times. It's slow and calm at the start, and will quickly devolve in to a massive bloody knife fight

Our current battle I will post up when we are done, fully annotated so people can see the things that happen. I don't really have anything to compare it too, the game never gets "bogged down", there is no where to hide, you HAVE to fight, no hiding in bunkers here. You can only flee in the first few minutes, if you know what your doing.

[Perturabo]

Sounds very interesting. Any chances for posting screenshots here? The other forums has members-only attachment viewing.
Will it have an AI?

[CarlVon]

Hi Perturabo,

Here's some images I have attached from our current (Medium-Small) Battle . We have positioned on each other and the southern force is striking me on my left flank, first stage is a projectile strike, then will come the lasers

Battle Disposition, I think the southern force has a slight advantage, the battleships on my fleet (north) are a little far out.



Here's a close up of the east flank, I launch projectiles! The board should be scared of the fist.



He messed up his positioning and I scored a devistating hit on one of the frigate. Basically his cruisers (that have anti projectile) were to far away for atiquite protection. But it's FAR from over, this game has a nasty way of making you loose when you get over confident. In this, you can see the interface. Sorry almost too big. This hit was deadly because his CPU, Sensors and COMS are out, he cannot fire anymore. If sensors and CPU are down, and COMS is up, they can use the fleet data relay for target data, but loose either Sensor or CPU and COMMS and your disabled. Larger ships have Backup Systems

[wings7]

ORIGINAL: CarlVon

Thanks Patrick,

It really made me happy to get some feedback. We will finish up our current battle this week and then start planning the next phase. Would you know anyone that would be interested in a few months or so? Don't need many. From there I figure I can do a manual etc. And then get the server up and running full time so they can setup battles.

Dan, I personally don't know of anyone but I'm sure you will have some more responses here...good luck and thanks for all your hard work and dedication! [:)]

Patrick

[CarlVon]

Thanks Patrick,

I will get some more things ready and let you know. Hopefully you can join us in the Glory!

[wodin]

If this had an AI I'd be all over it..without one sorry but not interested.

[CarlVon]

Thanks for the feedback Wodlin, it's appriciated.

Ya, at this point it is much too complex to do AI. Except for a good rush . It is hard to get people together to play a game.

That being said, the game is designed with busy lives in mind. It is "scalable" turn based and client / server. It also has full email integration so it can notify players when the turn is ready. It's nice because you can play a few rounds a night and take your time.

Just curious, would you be interested in an Empire Level meta game if there is also no AI?

Thanks!
Dan

[Twotribes]

Make it hotseat able and I would be interested.

[CarlVon]

Hi Twotribes,

Yes, it already is. All one would have to do is open 2x clients on the same computer and alternate. It is full client / server so you could do that or just play from 2x computers at once, once all users have ended their turn, the game cycles and all ships / firing etc runs.

I'm just starting to build the lobby system tonight . ie; Ability to choose an mission etc.

[wodin]

Empire meta game and hotseat is better than nothing..bu maybe Slitherine is interested and will invest and help you do an AI aswell?? If not I can ask Scot at HPS but I doubt they would be able to help with AI etc..

[CarlVon]

Thanks, perhaps AI can be something for the future. But for now the game plan:

1. Get a lobby system completed in the next month or so, so people wanting to give it try can login and shoot at each other, hot seat as well .
2. Get you guys a step by step of a good battle so you can see the scope etc.
3. Get some life flowing through, keep in mind we can basically design anything. The ship design system has no limits.
4. If the user base grows, I would like to start to move up one level to logistics (ie; starbases, supply lines etc) But that doesn't matter, need people playing and giving input first. My view will be pretty narrow right now.

[Meanfcker]

I have played a couple of games with Dan through the development process.
This game is stinkin fun!
It is very difficult to perform a credible fake with Newtonian physics dictating every movement, and fake you must, in order to achieve superior concentration of force at the decisive point and the decisive moment.
This game looks deceptively simple, but it is complex and very cerebral.
The game starts out with everyone comfortable with 20 to 60 second cycle times, (this is dictated by the players, lowest preferred cycle time has precedence and will stop the game at that time, in order for ship orders to be changed, or not as the map dictates), and generally stays that way until everyone starts coming into range of the big guns! At that point the game usually starts to scale down to one second intervals (with 16000 m/s combined approach velocities). The lasers obviously have a optimal targeting range and things get very busy at that point.
For those of you who have bothered to read Mahan, this game is an awesome platform on which to try and emulate Monk, and De Ruyters and Suffren.
Very fun game, Dan has done some fine work here.
Wish I had more time to play.
Meanie.

[CarlVon]

Thanks Mean,

I look forward to getting back to our current fight soon. This is the fight that I'm taking screen shots of as we go. It should be a good one! If I can just take out 1 of your battleships my life would be complete .

[Meanfcker]

Think Asteroids, but these asteroids gather into groups and shoot back!

[CarlVon]

We are just finishing up a big battle, I will post a full after action report for everyone's viewing. It's bloody .

[Stilletto]

This looks very, very interesting. I would love to see an AI, but if not a good Empire level game on top of it would help a lot. Either way I will be watching your progress.

Had to come back and edit this and mention I never would have seen this if it wasn't for Wodin's Tactical Wargames Facebook page. Love that page wodin!!