Comprehensive (observable part at least) universe map for star control

And that can be related to the game how?

I'm guessing because SC2 had a flat version of the Galaxy map. Which is why ALpha Centauri was so far away when it's actually our closest star. I'm hoping for a 3d map...just not a 3d spinning map ala SC3

Realism

Wrt a 3d map, i dont know i like the sc 2 2d map, you can see everything at a glance, 3d map i can imagine will give you a limited overall perspective and take away the feel of where you are currently at, and how far you will be travelling towards that distant planet, the map is very much part of the overall experience on the vast distances in space and created that atmosphere in SC2.

Except if you mean 3d as in a rts game where the objects are 3d, but you can still see everything on one page/screen ? zooming in and out i guess could also work ?

I really like the Star Control 2 map, which is easy for the human brain to comprehend, and allows for placement of speceific stars in a way that can nudge you to visit them. I mean, it's not like realism has ever been a fundamental aspect of Star Control. As with all fiction, suspension of disbelief is crucial to everything.

I like the visual appeal of the maps you linked to, but they are really difficult to interpret properly without context.

You could safely say that Star Control is very anti-realism. To use one of my favorite game design motivational posters.  

 

How would your "realism" change this "perfection"? Just trying to understand what you don't like about SC2 galaxy map.

 

My guess is that, while a 3D map doesn't have to follow the actual Universe's blueprint to true perfection, a well done 3D map might add to a player's immersion, since we all recognize that space isn't a two dimensional affair. That being said, I wouldn't mind a 2D map either. Regardless, I simply want something that's easy to navigate.  Nobody wants an unwieldy map with lots of dead space. 

I sometimes wish I could type in a planet's name in SC2 to have the cursor jump to that position.  Maybe something like this could make it's way into Stardock's map?  Perhaps the ability to bookmark planets as well while being able to add notes on each.

Y'all do realize that all you'll get is 1 (ONE) galaxy. Not a universe. Just one galaxy. Most likely a small part of it too. With just about .00000001 of an average amount of stars in a galaxy. So you might as well just forget about all the realism you dreamt about.

Is it? I still can't get my head around it because of the "Galactic Spin" thing. Supposedly the center of the Milky Way is to the north west of the map. But I am still unsure if it is supposed to be a top down map.

On topic, I think there should be a 3D map, but navigation should still be done in a 2D map. When you start to travel between stars, it switches to the 3D map. 

Yeah, OK. That part is difficult. I meant that the map itself, with the fixed layout of the stars and the spheres of influence are easy to comprehend. I never really considered the galactic spin and the arrow.

Q: How will these star clusters work?

A: In the base game, player will start 2112 with the first human contact with an alien race. From there, the humans will launch their first interstellar ship and begin exploring this area of the galaxy. The ship will be highly customizeable (both visually and in terms of equipment).  Thus, by the end of the base game, the player's ship will have evolved into something truly unique while at the same time gathering a fleet of alien allies to fight the primary antagonist and their allies.

By the end of the game, the player may want to explore other star clusters.  From within the game, the player can visit other star clusters. The suite of tools we're creating will be called the Precursor workshop.  If you've played GalCiv III or seen what we're doing with Ashes of the Singularity, you will have an idea of how powerful these can be.  In essence, Precursors (the people using the workshop) will be able to make their own universes and share them with others from within the game.

 

So, basically we'll get a few SC2 size maps. 3D or 2D is just the matter of taste. I prefer 2D.

3D maps are obviously another dimension of complexity and can be a bit disorienting when viewing as a 2D projection.

SC1 and SC3 both used two-dimensional projections of a spherical three-dimensional star cluster, which weren't impossible to figure out but were a little confusing as they weren't true 3D so it was often difficult to tell how far your position was relative to other stars, which I think is something of a barrier to gameplay immersion.

SC2's flat map may seem "dated" but it's easy to comprehend and there are many modern games that take place in space and are fully realized in 3D, but use 2D map layouts. Just look at GalCiv where everything is built in 3D, but most of the action is effectively restricted to two planes to simplify gameplay.

I think a 3D starmap has the potential to be cool but not necessarily in the spirit of Star Control (more like a space combat sim) and would potentially just over-complicate the game. Not saying it couldn't work, but such an approach would also require a lot more design effort and may not fit into either the game's budget or design ethos.

Any thoughts, Vaelzad?

I believe everyone can agree that the most important functions of the map are:

• It needs to be something that players can easily comprehend and use. 
• Its main purpose is to help you travel the galaxy and give you the information you need to do it. 
• You should be able to look at the map and be able to tell where you are, where you want to go, and what alien races you may encounter in your chosen route to your destination.  
• Player should also easily be able to record locations of interesting things they find in their adventures that they may wish to return to at a future time. 

We are exploring 2D and 3D options for the map. Ultimately if using the map feels like a hassle then its not doing its job. I'll definitely be sharing what we are doing at a future date with everyone. :) 

 

Different propulsion methods.  The sub-par game known as Star Control 3 used "warp bubble" technology.  Basically it was Star Trek.

Star Control 2 used hyperspace.  The system names weren't necessarily what they were in Real Space.  

Star Control 3 also did not have the magnitude of star systems that Star Control 2 had as well. Do not get me started on the failings of "the game that should not have been made". :) 

That's exactly how I remember it! 

^ I don't even remember it... 

This looks pretty cool. http://www.solarsystemscope.com/

Yeah, I really like the visual appeal and the music! But i would rather not have to rotate the solar system maps as part of the game. Something like this, but with a forced perspective would be great.

^ option to lock the view? Love that interface, perspective view panels and all that nonsense.

In game I'd love more eye candy though like comets, asteroids, everything animated & full 3D.

Ability to pop-up a close up view on a planet/star with all its satellites fully animated etc.

Yes, it looks cool for 1 solar system. But it has to be zoomable into "fake" 2D view from far away to see whole galaxy and easily navigate there.

^ The systems map could be a separate entity. Just like SC2.