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Author Topic: Space combat and The Planet  (Read 3162 times)
Flambo
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Space combat and The Planet
« on: January 24, 2010, 12:53:39 pm »

I just picked up The Ur-Quan Masters yesterday when my roommate asked me if i knew of any good space-themed RTS games.  A quick Metacritic search turned up this, which I downloaded.  It seems like a lot of fun so far, but I have *one* horrible gripe, concerning space combat.

The way the screen zooms in and out in space combat is great.  It makes it much more exciting and chaotic, and is also extremely useful against those pesky cloaking guys.  The way the screen randomizes and flips when you go offscreen is also interesting in terms of strategy.  The gripe I have is over the sudden appearances of The Planet in space combats.  After 5 otherwise flawless fights against a wing of cloakers, it's driving me crazy!  Every time, I'm hit by the planet singling me out from offscreen as I drift gently in front of the cloaking ship, waiting for it to reveal itself.  One time I even drifted past the planet, only to have an asteroid come (also from offscreen) at the precise angle and timing necessary to shove me back into the planet.  Twice I've been hit in the super close-up that happens when you've just killed a ship.

Is there any way to make The Planet any less frustrating?  It's driving me insane!  Even just a little arrow in a gutter on the edge of the screen would be great to make avoiding The Planet more an act of skill and less a prayer to the RNG gods.
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Gekko
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Re: Space combat and The Planet
« Reply #1 on: January 24, 2010, 03:32:45 pm »

Not much to do about that. Planet collisions will always happen, but soon you'll figure out how to optimize your movement so that the collisions are less likely.
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Death 999
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Re: Space combat and The Planet
« Reply #2 on: January 24, 2010, 06:06:32 pm »

If you go straight along one cardinal direction, if you weren't already lined up with the planet, you won't end up that way.
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Resh Aleph
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Re: Space combat and The Planet
« Reply #3 on: January 24, 2010, 11:39:45 pm »

Wasn't there some discussion about adding the arrow thing in a mod?

Where's Shiver when you need him? Tongue
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Re: Space combat and The Planet
« Reply #4 on: January 25, 2010, 11:18:28 am »

The planet is very useful tactically. If your opponent isn't paying attention, he/she gets pasted quite satisfactorily by it.
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Re: Space combat and The Planet
« Reply #5 on: January 25, 2010, 11:52:52 am »

Where's Shiver when you need him? Tongue

Left the community a month or so ago. Sent me a pm saying that he'll be back once 0.7.0 is released or something major happens.
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Cedric6014
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Re: Space combat and The Planet
« Reply #6 on: January 25, 2010, 08:49:42 pm »

Left the community a month or so ago. Sent me a pm saying that he'll be back once 0.7.0 is released or something major happens.

No wonder it’s so quiet around here.

Planet adds a certain random element to the game. It’s only annoying if its you that’s bumping into it.

I’ve never figured out the trick to knowing wear it is, but I do fly in such a way to minimise the risk of collision
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Re: Space combat and The Planet
« Reply #7 on: January 26, 2010, 11:28:57 am »

High awareness is pretty critical, especially if you're trying to drag your opponent into it using the Chmmr tractor beam. Or trying to get your opponent - whom you've annoyed into a berserker frenzy by now and is trying to chase you down - to crash into it.

How many other people have worked out tactics to actually use the planet offensively?
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Re: Space combat and The Planet
« Reply #8 on: January 26, 2010, 10:28:26 pm »

As Death 999 said, going straight up/down/left/right can help avoid the planet.

But the planet is a key tactical element, not just a random factor that gets in the way. More so in Melee than the main game, especially if you're fighting against other players. While random collisions are annoying, the planet actually adds more skill and strategy to the combat because so many ships can use it to their advantage. Most ships can use the planet in some situations.

One important maneuver is the gravity whip, which involve getting close to the planet, flying past it, and letting go of thrust. This gives your ship a big speed boost that's only reduced by bumping into things or thrusting (and small thrusts at right angles to your direction won't reduce speed that much) It's very useful for a lot of ships, try practicing it in Melee. For example, The Earthling cruiser can use it to keep its distance from enemy ships, the Yehat can use it for strafing runs, and the Kohr-ah can use it to get close for a FRIED attack. Orz marines can also gravity whip a little.

Another useful tactic is camping near the planet. If you get in the right position and thrust carefully, you can just orbit the planet which makes it difficult for some ships to approach you without hitting it, or even use the planet as a shield in a few cases. Planet camping is more difficult than gravity whips though (except for the Arilou), and not as useful, but it's good for some ships in certain situations.

With that said, stay away from the planet with a Chenjesu!
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Flambo
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Re: Space combat and The Planet
« Reply #9 on: January 26, 2010, 10:37:44 pm »

I really like the planet most of the time.  I've seen the enemy bump into it once or twice, but never because of any intended action on my part.  The randomness of it is great for keeping you on your toes, so long as it spawns in such a way that it is humanly possible to react to it.  The thing that gets me are the times when it hits me from just off screen, or when combat starts with me so close to it that I can't possibly escape being hit (sometimes twice).

I've figured out a few really basic tricks to avoid the planet hurting me.  These are basically a.) don't go off screen if you can avoid it, b.) don't drift in a single direction too long, ever c.) end your combat engagements as quickly as possible, to reduce the time random factors have to come into play.

The lingering irritating thing here is the third part.  Short combat engagements pretty much mean that you've fit your ship with way more power than the other ship can withstand.  Fights like these are gratifying the first time, but are overall much less satisfying than the long, anxious, wit-and-patience fights where the player is dramatically out matched.  My particular favorite here is when the player is against the Ilwrath, in a ship that turns and moves quickly but has only a couple of unguided Guns or Blasters to go "fishing" with.
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Mugz the Sane
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Re: Space combat and The Planet
« Reply #10 on: January 27, 2010, 12:48:31 pm »

As a general tactic, I use a lot of hit-and-run attacks (particularly with Orz and Arilou) and during the run phase, skirt close to the planet to make use of the gravity whip, and doing that often enough against a hunam player gets him/her good and riled - usually to the point where they're chasing me down and getting whacked by the planet because they're not paying attention anymore.

Using a gravity whip as a start point for a hit & run works nicely too - except with Arilou (damn immunity to gravity).

Big and slow ships I tend to avoid using, since their poor maneuverability makes them planet-fodder. Chmmr works very nicely for a gravity-whip hit-and-run - particularly with their tractor beam, and the beam can be used again to drag your chaser into a nice crash.

Although I try not to do that too often, since a buddy of mine destroyed his own keyboard (on my bloody (literally) head!).
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Re: Space combat and The Planet
« Reply #11 on: January 27, 2010, 07:57:40 pm »

I really like the planet most of the time.  I've seen the enemy bump into it once or twice, but never because of any intended action on my part.  The randomness of it is great for keeping you on your toes, so long as it spawns in such a way that it is humanly possible to react to it.  The thing that gets me are the times when it hits me from just off screen, or when combat starts with me so close to it that I can't possibly escape being hit (sometimes twice).

The planet is not a random element; its position is fixed on the battlefield. Once you find it the first time (whether painfully or not), remembering where it is relative to you is very helpful in avoiding it. As long as you realize that the battlefield is actually shaped like the inside of a sphere (approximately), and that the planet occupies a specific coordinate, you should do better.
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OrzBrain
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Re: Space combat and The Planet
« Reply #12 on: January 28, 2010, 08:23:35 pm »

Simple way to fix this: change the zoom method to step zoom instead of smooth. That way you will have a wider field of view and can see the planet coming better.
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Cedric6014
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Re: Space combat and The Planet
« Reply #13 on: January 29, 2010, 01:34:24 pm »

The planet is not a random element; its position is fixed on the battlefield. Once you find it the first time (whether painfully or not), remembering where it is relative to you is very helpful in avoiding it. As long as you realize that the battlefield is actually shaped like the inside of a sphere (approximately), and that the planet occupies a specific coordinate, you should do better.

I'm not so sure about your sphere theory. The melee aena as two-dimensional. I think is more of a chess board where you see about one quarter of it at once. You wrap around to the other side when you drift off the edge.

But yes, the planet is a fixed position. I've never been able to keep track of it though as there are no other fixed objects to track its relative position
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Re: Space combat and The Planet
« Reply #14 on: January 29, 2010, 02:07:47 pm »

Perhaps you could try installing Elvish_Pillager's mod. I heard somewhere that there are no planets there in melee.
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