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Topic: Needed! Staff for Project! (Read 11257 times)
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evktalo
Frungy champion
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Posts: 50
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Nice tiny character graphics, me likey!
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Holocat
Frungy champion
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Posts: 84
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Um, slow down please? :3
Okay, so we have a game that requires:
-Melee (navigating to other systems/planets is handled in SC1 fashion, SC2 fashion? some other fashion?)
-16 bit RPG style walking around as a 'party' with the following things:
-Conversation, interactive Conversation
-Some sort of shop screen thing.
-Inventory (is this a minigame system like diablo's inventory tetris or just a list?)
-tactical combat (like shining force, taking place on the same map you walk around in)
-The view is standard partial overhead (grid squares, rather than 3-quarter perspective diamonds, correct?)
Questions:
Can you post an interior map? Any interior map that is to scale with whatever sprites you wish to use. If the sprites you posted are not the correct size repost those too. I only need one.
I assume parts of the map itself animate, like screens and blinking lights and scifi stuff like that.
I thought Ur-Quan were predators (meaning not so low attack) and 8 meters long (so taking up one end of the screen? That's a rather big 'Quan.)
What happens other than combat? Are their items on the ground that can be picked up (as opposed to handed to you by the narrator at the end of combat)? Are they in other objects(containers)? Can you put items INTO containers or does everything go, one-way, into the inventory FF style? Are their switches, such as doors that open and close, or levers that do things?
When can combat occur? Can it occur during other things, such as talking, or only during the beginning of a 'level' like shining force's usual padigram of talk-fight-wander-next level?
Can combat and non-combat things happen at the same time, such as purchacing from a trader/bot during combat 'turn'?
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« Last Edit: February 15, 2007, 08:08:05 am by Holocat »
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Neonlare
*Smell* controller
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Posts: 277
Nut Case for Star Control
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-No maps done so far, currently in the Ideas and Suggestions stage, with some of the Storyline arcs being made.
-Yeshum, screens, machinery, so on...
-Exactly, so they're really great boss material.
-Not sure about the Tetris mini game, I think we'd best stick to the FF style inventory...
-Combat's not like Shining Force, it's not whenever you enter a map. Instead, it takes place at random (over a certain value, obviously, otherwise the game would get repetitive) or at certain key points of the story.
-Not sure about that, but it's not a bad idea...
-Random maps would most likely only work on the cliche "Desert" maps where you have to find a path to follow, anything else and it wouldn't make sense (why would a dungeon change the second time you've walked into it?)
Thanks for the suggestions and questions guys!  .
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"would newton's law theory actually work if a Chmmr Avatar did a backwards pelvic thrust towards a planet and would this constitute an X=Y-0 in the part it ran straight into a Supox Blade and lasted long enough to survive?" - Elerium (as Valaggar)
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Valaggar
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You can save a map that has been already visited in the savegame file, so that when you go there the second time you are on the same map. (so the game generates a single random map for each map for the entire game)
But some maps would certainly have to be human-designed, so that they look better - not only quest maps, also some secondary maps, for flavor.
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Draxas
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Mmmm, I thought when the Syreen Ship used it's psi-abilities, it shoot out all the alien crew due to the fact it couldn't support them for long...
This has been changed recently in UQM. Besides, the game illogically capped crew at 12 outside of battle before (so if you had 10 at the start, and stole 4, I guess 2 would have to draw straws to see who gets kicked out of the airlock; the other 2 can stay), and in SC1, invading an enemy colony with a Penetrator instantly granted it maximum crew since they could hypnotize anyone they wanted without resistance before destroying the rest. So it seems that the Syreen's ability is "selectively permanent" according to gameplay rules, and I suspect it was meant to be completely permanent, but someone unintentionally bugged the crew code in SC2 (which is why it was changed in the main UQM release).
Ur-Quan would most likely be a huge boss fight, taking up most of the battle field, I'm hoping of having the first fight with one only revealing the front of the Ur-Quan, and any other encounters to have the full section/ They'd pummel you hard too...
I thought Ur-Quan were predators (meaning not so low attack) and 8 meters long (so taking up one end of the screen? That's a rather big 'Quan.)
Ur-Quan are roughly that size, on average. That's approximately 25 feet long, which means they're the length of 3 humans. While that is pretty big, it's not "can't see the whole boss" big. I could see them taking up a larger than normal portion of the tactical grid (2-4 squares, depending on how you want to scale them and how you interpret the Ur-Quan's girth), but certainly not half a battle map.
Like I've said before, the loss of the Sa-Matra, the Revolution of the Yehat, the Aparant Extinction of the Thraddash and Illwrath, and the Fjorn and Scheen joining forces with the Alliance have seriously crippled the Ur-Quan, bashing them backwards, against what would normally be expected, they actually need help. That's when the Druuge seize their opportunity. They did this, mainly because the Ur-Quan were expanding into their space, and if you can't beat them, join em. Or rather, get them pinned into an agreement. The Ur-Quan couldn't care much for it, because they need to win the war, then they'll start focusing on slaving again.
The Ur-Quan seem too proud to ask for help, and the Druuge too slimy to give it; they seem more likely to strike at the Ur-Quan's rear when the don't suspect it, so that they can endear themselves to the side that seems most likely to win. After all, there's no use in trying to have good relations with a species that's made enemies of everyone else in the galaxy, and should they win their war somehow, is quite likely to turn around and enslave or obliterate their allies.
This also doesn't consider the Kohr-Ah at all, who would likely try to exterminate any non-Ur-Quan in their path as they retreated. Even if the Kzer-Za were willing to attempt to negotiate a desperate alliance with the Druuge, the Kohr-Ah would simply try to eliminate as much of their race as possible as they passed through. And the Kzer-Za most certainly wouldn't fight their bretheren over a race that's nothing more than another batch of slaves; they don't have the time, resources, or motivation to start yet another doctrinal war, especially since they knew the Kohr-Ah were winning (or won, depending on the timeframe) the last one before the Sa-Matra went up in flames.
I might add a "Tactics" section for the non Psi races, but the Psi have to be unique otherwise there's really no point of them being there.
Why is that? Lots of races seem to have powers or abilities that are roughly analagous. Both the Pkunk and Utwig can see the future, for example.
Like said, secret organization, you can't go willy nilly asking for weapons from stores without getting looks. Your not seen as "part of the military" who get standard equipment. Infact, like said before, they'll deny your existance is something goes horridly wrong.
The universe is a dangerous place, where the weak eat red-hot flaming death! Or something to that effect, I forget the exact quote.
Point being, even civilian craft need to be armed and ready for battle or boarding; there are plenty of races just itching for a fight or eager to engage in piracy (the VUX fit both bills quite nicely). I imagine most races have a bustling arms trade, and most of your allies (and humanity itself, no doubt) are not likely to be exceptions. Now, there's no guarantee you will be able to procure the most technologically advanced military hardware through these channels (though I'm sure some races have few or no qualms about providing said hardware, for the right price, to say nothing of black markets or more illicit traders), but I can't think of a reason why they wouldn't exist at all.
Boarding of ships will most likely be in only special circumstances, like "Boss" ships and such forth. Boarding a small ship like the VUX Intruder doesn't seem useful, and especially when you can't pilot it.
No tug boating empty vessels, but the main ship will be upgradable.
Taken together, these two make some sense. Still, salvage is fun, and you could always rip apart the intact vessels if you can't fly them (at a shipyard, of course, thus the necessity of having towing capability). How about attaching that Intruder's laser module to the flagship? Or perhaps, some other race wants technology samples for study...
Combat's not like Shining Force, it's not whenever you enter a map. Instead, it takes place at random (over a certain value, obviously, otherwise the game would get repetitive) or at certain key points of the story.
This could quickly become troublesome, if not implemented correctly. Tactical combat is much more intensive than simple FF style "statistics duels," and consequently takes a lot more time to resolve. Having to deal with random tactical battles every few steps is a good way to descend into tedium before very long. It would probably be better to assign these random encounters to fixed locations in a given map, most likely (a-la Shining Force) at the room entrances. Of course, in-person negotiations that go sour could easily result in battles (with the added difficulty of probably having civilaians caught in the crossfire; having a shootout in a crowded starbase is not reccommended, but that doesn't mean it won't happen...), which could easily have severe diplomatic consequences ("You idiots and your cowboy diplomacy just caused over 3.5 million RU of collateral damage to the equipment in that Fjorn starbase! How long do you expect them to stay in the alliance now?"). I suppose, if you wanted to get really complex, you could allow the player to attack anyone they choose at any time (Fallout style!), initiating a tactical battle right then and there against whoever happens to be around, but that might be a bit much.
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Jumping *Peppers*
Frungy champion
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Ah, Fallout....
A couple of things to add:
I like the idea of salvaging equipment. Remember, salvaging isn't really a new thing, UQM had it, too. (of course, it's never explained how you magically get the RU from the ships without actually having to tow them back.  )
Another thing: I don't think the game should have random encounters, IMO. It should be a combination of scripted battles and encounters with enemies on the map screen, UQM-style. (i'm not sure how you'd impliment that for land battles, though) That way you'd have a way to avoid enemies, if you were fast enough.
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Maybe a precursor were just like "Hey I built this mushroom thing, it can traavel between plaaanets!" and the others were like "Yaaaay!" and then they all deliriously clapped their hands and giggled like little schoolgirls. |
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Neonlare
*Smell* controller
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Nut Case for Star Control
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Mmm... MAYBE These'll sort some stuff out...
Psi:
I can't have every single race throwing Psi-Beams and stuff at one another, that would just completely break the system, I'll think about this more though...
Random Encounters:
Maybe if we did it "Semi Random" like UQM did, where you could actually RUN AWAY from the battles and such...
Equipment Sold on Ships:
People, no one seems to be understanding this, yeah, bases are giving away weapons and stuff, but the Melnorme have the BEST ITEMS and are selling them rather cheap. You wouldn't setle for the second and pay double the amount for the first would you?
Syreen Ship:
I don't see an Ur Quan being tammed, there's normally only ONE on each ship, and they're captains of em.
Ur-Quan Size Issue : Mmm, I see about the whole Ur Quan Size thing now, so yepers, I guess then they won't take all the map up then...
Druuge and their ways:
Good points, I can see it might not exactly go down well with the Kohr Ah, but like most Guns for Hire, they'd be "employed" via broadcast, because well, with a pincer attack going on, the Ur Quan could actually get stomping on the Alliance Arse again (being in the center of the map and at attack from all angles is not good).
I think Kohr Ah would prefer Survival than their Ideals until they get a firm footing again, then again...
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"would newton's law theory actually work if a Chmmr Avatar did a backwards pelvic thrust towards a planet and would this constitute an X=Y-0 in the part it ran straight into a Supox Blade and lasted long enough to survive?" - Elerium (as Valaggar)
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Holocat
Frungy champion
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from a technical perspective, they need not be; If push comes to shove I can just convert everything into a common format on this machine, no problems there.
As to levels, could you, you know, do one? I suppose I don't really need one to figure out how to do stuff, but it'd be nice, and tell me how big, generally, you want your levels to be.
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guesst
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Ancient Shofixti Warrior
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So is there anyone actually doing any coding on this project or is it still all hypothetical? 4 pages already and I might have missed it, but noboby's stepped up and offered any code.
If not, keep in mind that until anyone does produce something that you're shouting into the void. ANd when someone does appear, whatever suggestions you want will be entirely at their discression.
Coders have the power. Idea people are a dime a dozen.
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. And people would know where it's from instantly (used in many flashes).