Ideas for a Galaxy Forge 3

the suggestions I have for galaxy forge next version is ability to eisily add independent colonies/malilitia's

harpo

:)  I'd like to see us carry over state of ships, levels, damage, etc... to a new map. Like end with 3 of 5 caps barely intact, damaged, shields half gone, smoking... :)  To a new map where we start with enemy and i in the same state as the previous game. 

Does this make sense or am i just rambling?

-Teal

That would be cool. you could make new scenerios because you could have a massive fleet that is almost totally destroyed, or you could make chokepoints full of militia forcing you to destroy them to get past.

Selecting which model/texture shows up... would be nice, but do you really want to spend that much time micro-managing during map creation?  -same applies to planet size, belt details, asteroids...

Worlds that orbit... Do you really want to blow up your computer with all the calculation required to maintain structure and fleet position, not to mention phase jumps, cannons, and things like rebels and pirate raids?

Easily added Independent Colonies... Wait for 7 Deadly Sins, Padawans.  Otherwise check my posts for information.

Carry over fleets to next map in a "Campaign-Mode" style game... impossible -NO CAMPAIGN FOR U.  Might have to find a way to access some save data, but transferring forces/structures located on map A to locations on map B probably can't be done. (Scenario Templates m8, they're your answer -Map 1, 2, 3, 4... a series of maps to play one at a time).  Carry over damage, etc... impossible!  Keep dreaming though.

I much prefer GalaxyForge 1.0 for easy use.  Just add in the fixed start points, wormhole interconnectivity, and easier scenario template creation that doesn't require a PhD. in Computer Programming.

:)  Not to discount what you say SemazRelan, because you've been at this longer than i, but we currently have a GF that will give us a map that we can place ships in and their numbers, like in one of the small first maps where we have a pre-made fleet. And i heard, just hearsay okie, but i thought way cool if it is, that the beta's in the beginning allowed to start a ship at a certain level. And save games is just a text file that feeds info to the game when it loads, so isn't it far closer than impossible to get that data loaded into a new map?

Here is an idea, old game is saved, info is dumped into a file, we start up a new game, box pops up and asks "Do you want to load the previous game data?"  Not all of it. Lets just say the ship and damage and count data. The planets in the new map are radomized. Our position gets randomized as well, dropping us and the enemy in relative positions to where we were before, but not same map data, not same planet names or positions, just relative. Anyway, if i could ever get to be a real modder instead of just a file tweaker, then i'd try to dig into the save games and see if i could figure out something. Alot better than me asking someone else to do it, but hey, maybe you're right, maybe it cant be done. I'm just thinking you know, its how you approach the problem, that is all, maybe there is a way, we just havent' figured it out yet.  :)  Just playful teasing and asking, not meant to be a pain, take care,

-Teal

:)  You know what might be very cool too?   What about "Just in Time Research"?  I mean, remember HomeWorld where we couldn't get the corvette til a certain time in the game?  What i mean is, right now, i build up in a close circle around my homeworld, i max out the logistic slots, try to unlock the planets and the first line of frigates, make a cap to guard things and a small fleet of available frigates that dont take research, like the disciple and scout and colony, unlock the siege and the purge antifighter, then go to the next small closest planet, overrun the militia and take the planet, build up my logistic slots again, until i have most of my research done, i can spend hours in this all the while fighting off pirates and tec or vasari and getting a larger and larger fleet, unlocking the research trees as i go. And finally when all research is done, i max out my fleet and then run across the system decimating and getting decimated in turn, haha. The last rush and the opponents are of course way more powerful by then and it makes for a hard road, but more fun too. 

What might be cool, is say, have all the first line frigates in the first page available with no research, maybe average out the damage between all of them on that page so no one is too little help, and no one is overpowered. But say, the next page, the cruisers can't become available until i take an opponents world, not the militia. That unlocks the second page of planet upgrades, the second page of available ships (cruisers) and perhaps even caps. Say only the first two caps are available for what we might call the "opening" part of the game.

Then as we progress, the cruisers, their abilities, and the higher level caps (lets say the deadlier abilities and longer range weapons and more powerful weapons are then available?

Does this sound cool to anyone but me? I mean, i dont want to turn Sins into HomeWorld, but there was a sense in HW when i was building a fleet, researching the next level of engines or weapons, or higher grade ore extractors that kept me doing two or three things at once. The variety and the interest of seeming to "control" the bridge, ordering squadrons and research labs, and fielding ore-extractors to make sure i had enough raw material to make what i was trying to make all made it very very involved, and interesting.

Don't get me wrong, i love Sins, its just the extractors are placed and run no matter what, and they never run out either, and the research is a anytime kind of thing, and i can see the whole tree, not stumble upon a thing i didnt remember was there, or if we had a randomized research tree?  Haha, then i'd never know what i would find, and that could be you know, frustrating like crazy if im losing and fighting and trying to find a way to fend off the bad guys. But way cool too, to you know, have a research panel slide back and reveal a heavy shield generator that i didnt expect and that saves my smoking and ravaged and almost decimated trickle of a fleet, and fight back with one high end cruiser, patch up my remaining capital and then find a weapons upgrade on the beam cannon and start wasting the bad guys.

Pulled out a save, when i thought it was all over kind of thing, that could be very very exhilerating!!!!   

You know? Find a cool weapon upgrade or an engine that i can change out to make my ship faster, or quieter, or phase jump from anywhere in the well, haha, just a crazy thought there. But i would love Sins to have that kind of interaction, that kind of "I'm standing on the bridge running things" instead of having everything done for me. I'm not saying total micro-management, but im saying it could be layered differently, and "Just in Time Research" and Abilities on some timed activation, rather than level of the ship, say, third level of one ability leads to the first level of the next, that kind of thing, and extractors that have set limits, and ship availability bound to some in-game event would make it way more interactive, and for me, a lot more fun. Just my opinion though, okie?

-Teal

:)  Very Cool TopVasari !!

Of course for multi-map story progression, the enemy forces present would get stronger and strong.  Maybe your entire force for Map 2 isn't available, but only a 2 capitals, 2-3 cruiser wings and 4-6 frigate wings (no colony vessel) going against 2-3 heavy colonies and some AI player who may or may not be easily crushed so you can continue playing the game and take out the heavy colonies... A whole set of maps can be made this way with short descriptions (not inserted into the English.str file, but in the map) that progress the story until an end-game map where you are going after the heart of the enemy AI race consistent with the independent colonies/militias faced so far who are in control of most of the galaxy with forces/structures placed throughout for a real kick ass, hard fight.

For this, scenario templates in abundance would be required, but very doable.  But this is about Galaxy Forge 3... maybe for SINS 2 with not only a good galaxy creator, but a campaign editor.  Who in the hell designs a single/multiplayer RTS style game without a campaign and a much better diplomacy/mission system?  Geez...

Am I just a dreamer longing for the campaign Star/Clad didn't know how to create?

To tell the truth, I pictures SOASE being a massive universe similar to EVE where I'm in control of one of the Empires and hell bent on galactic domination. 

Well you have to admit. the orbiting planets was a cool idea.

And maybe choosing if a planet has rings or a moon. also, ive noticed the moons dont exactly orbit. they kinda just wonder...

And maybe choosing the axial tilt of a planet. Make something like Uranus.

SemazRelan,

                         Your mention of templates is something i am new to, but im going to have to read up on it, haha, i can see me now, building templates and mini-mods til the cows come home, haha, do you know of any tutorials?  I will have to dig in and read up and see if i can give it a try. You say it goes into the map? Hmmm... I have looked at GF once or twice, but have done all my little mini-mods by hand in notepad, haha, crazy i know, but still, it is how i started, just a few months ago, and it feels comfortable. I have heard others use the GalaxyForge, but i am not familiar enough with it yet, to know what im doing, haha. Anyway, thank you for the help, i will give it a try and see if i can get the hang of it.

Take care,

-Teal

Ahhh... SemazRelan,

                                   I found your tutorial, and your video on YouTube, it looks very cool!!! 

So im starting to read up and see if i can open GF 1.1 later and see if i can figure it out. 

Thanks much!!

-Teal

teal I have created the template then i doubleclick on the planet that I want to place the template on then click on the teplate listbox underneath the active template list then select the template  then click on add , then remove the tick for use default template and close the template/group window, and go to the next planet etc..

harpo