Search found 149 matches

by Sapphire Wyvern
Wed Jan 04, 2006 10:24 am
Forum: Other Game Design
Topic: Colonizing the sun??
Replies: 21
Views: 4250

The only problem with Dyson Spheres is that they don't look very impressive from the outside. :D

A sun surrounded by an spherical lattice with planet-sized nodes would be pretty cool though... and we can come up with awesome graphics for that.
by Sapphire Wyvern
Wed Jan 04, 2006 10:16 am
Forum: Other Game Design
Topic: Electronic Warfare in FreeOrion
Replies: 11
Views: 2360

It absolutely is not . Chameleon allows you to fool your enemies by making large ships appear as minor forces, or vice versa, allowing you to draw your enemies out of position. Stealth is good only for sneaking up on people and preparing ambushes. Obviously, the two work well together: Chameleon fo...
by Sapphire Wyvern
Wed Jan 04, 2006 9:04 am
Forum: Programming
Topic: The Help Thread
Replies: 293
Views: 62390

Soo... should I just use MSVC as a text editor/debugger and use SCons for the actual build/compilation process?

Or is it worth going with MSVC all the way?
by Sapphire Wyvern
Wed Jan 04, 2006 7:32 am
Forum: Other Game Design
Topic: Proposed Space Combat/Ship Design Model:
Replies: 28
Views: 4847

I think it might be worth pointing out the principle gameplay advantages I see for this proposal. These are: 1) A detailed ship design system is used for at least some of the ships in the game. This deeply appeals to me, and I expect many other people. 2) The most important vessels in the game becom...
by Sapphire Wyvern
Wed Jan 04, 2006 7:12 am
Forum: Other Game Design
Topic: Electronic Warfare in FreeOrion
Replies: 11
Views: 2360

The idea is too complicated. Why have two seperate stealth types? The Chameleon type is the same as the Stealth type. It absolutely is not . Chameleon allows you to fool your enemies by making large ships appear as minor forces, or vice versa, allowing you to draw your enemies out of position. Stea...
by Sapphire Wyvern
Tue Jan 03, 2006 9:55 am
Forum: Other Game Design
Topic: Electronic Warfare in FreeOrion
Replies: 11
Views: 2360

So... I spent some time chatting with Geoff, and we came up with some simplifications to this system. So here is my version of the Absolute Minimum for Electronics Warfare. Basically, we abandon the concept of ship Signatures. Cool though they are, they're ultimately not a core requirement. This sim...
by Sapphire Wyvern
Tue Jan 03, 2006 9:26 am
Forum: Other Game Design
Topic: Proposed Space Combat/Ship Design Model:
Replies: 28
Views: 4847

This proposal might work well. Some questions: 1. how do you rush? as in attack enemy early in the game if capital ships are expensive. and in a related problem, how do colonize? if all colony and troops ships must be accompanied by capitals, then how do you out expand someone? would the early game...
by Sapphire Wyvern
Sat Dec 31, 2005 3:47 am
Forum: Programming
Topic: Effects: Describe/Implement as Python-scripts?
Replies: 29
Views: 9145

I'm not very familiar with Python or XML. But you may be interested to know how the Civ IV designers did it.

Seems that they went for a Python/XML based system - there's an explanation of why they chose those languages. Maybe their comments will add something to this discussion...
by Sapphire Wyvern
Sat Dec 31, 2005 2:56 am
Forum: Other Game Design
Topic: Building Production Requirements, Restrictions and UI
Replies: 26
Views: 5463

For the sake of KISS, I prefer one model over the other. I know we can have the combination of the two, but I think we can achieve the result we wanted using just one model, aside from having the prereq tech that unlocks the building. I think it's more fun to have " for every library with in 1...
by Sapphire Wyvern
Sat Dec 31, 2005 1:30 am
Forum: Programming
Topic: The Help Thread
Replies: 293
Views: 62390

Compiling for Windows

Hi everyone. I have a MSDN Academic Alliance copy of MS Visual Studio, so I'm wondering it it's better to use the MSVC build system or SCons. Can I get some advice? I do have some experience with programming, etc, but everything I've done to date has been on Solaris at uni; I've never attempted a &q...
by Sapphire Wyvern
Sat Dec 31, 2005 1:16 am
Forum: Other Game Design
Topic: Proposed Space Combat/Ship Design Model:
Replies: 28
Views: 4847

Proposed Space Combat/Ship Design Model:

There are two types of warship: Capital Ships and Escorts. Capital Ships have hyperdrives, Escorts do not. Hyperdrives are huge expenses, requiring a great many rare elements in their construction, so a Capital Ship is a massive commitment of Imperial resources. However, a Hyperdrive projects a spac...
by Sapphire Wyvern
Wed Dec 28, 2005 8:55 am
Forum: Other Game Design
Topic: Two Combat Systems - 'For Many' & 'For A Few'
Replies: 4
Views: 1184

Re: Two Combat Systems - 'For Many' & 'For A Few'

What do you think if FreeOrion had two combat systems? When there are thousands of ships in a battle, combat system 'big' is used. Entire fleets are moved and strategy consists of flanking, breaking through the line and disorganising the enemy army in order to achieve victory. When there are less t...
by Sapphire Wyvern
Wed Dec 28, 2005 8:48 am
Forum: Other Game Design
Topic: Building Production Requirements, Restrictions and UI
Replies: 26
Views: 5463

Re: Building Production Requirements, Restrictions and UI

A more difficult problem is when to let players enqueue things. Should it be possible to enqueue any available (unlocked) building any time the player wants, at any location, regardless of whether there are unmet prerequisites, and then only apply PP towards the buildings that are on the queue when...
by Sapphire Wyvern
Fri Dec 23, 2005 8:41 am
Forum: Other Game Design
Topic: Different styles of tactical combat
Replies: 9
Views: 1965

Sorry, I'm not familiar with WIPO. Will you please elaborate? Now, as for limiting ourselves to one period in history. The poll question is not "What shall be the extent of FO's Tactical Game Design? . It is what would be most fun to manage as a tactical exercise . Related, but not the same. It...
by Sapphire Wyvern
Fri Dec 23, 2005 8:03 am
Forum: Other Game Design
Topic: "Height" advantage in FreeOrion Tactical Combat
Replies: 17
Views: 4240

Okay, so a 'subspace height' map is considered unnecessary. That's fine by me; I think having to represent it in the UI would probably compromise the graphical look of tacticala combat too much. The real purpose of my bringing up the idea was to encourage thinking outside the usual astronomical box ...