Request for Comments: Ship Design
Posted: Sat Feb 24, 2007 3:30 pm
Despite appearances, v0.4 ships and combat design is ongoing. In support of this, I'd like some brainstorming on the subject of ship designs. In particular, what possible basic frameworks for a ship design are there, what pros and cons do they have, and what is preferred by FreeOrion community members?
This isn't an official poll or design thread, but rather is a source of ideas, and just as importantly, reasons behind ideas. This means that, if you have a suggestion, please try to give some reasons why it is good or bad, or interesting features about it. Problems or good features or comments about other ideas are also useful. Conversely, a list of types of ship parts you thought of, with no context of why they would work well together isn't very helpful.
For this thread, some assumptions to make and other considerations:
* Review of the V0.4 Design Pad is advised before commenting. What's there isn't (currently) up for discussion, but is the basis for discussion.
* Ships exist on both the strategic map and in combat. It is necessary to consider how a design system is applicable to both. Similarly, ships will be useful for things other than juts shooting at and being shot at by other ships, and a ship design system needs to accomodate these roles.
* The level of detail of ship designs should be appropriate, given that:
** Individual ships as the basic unit the player controls.
** Ship facing matters (in some to-be-determined capacity).
* Ships might be used in task forces of different ship types, or in groups of similar or identical role / properties, depending on available forces and the situation.
* It's not set it stone yet, but it seems likely that ships will have a size property, which is one of a few fixed options. These might be Small, Medium, Large, and Huge. Each size will likely have different advantages and disadvantages in and out of combat, none being the best at everything or particularly better than the others.
Also, consider reviewing some previous threads:
http://freeorion.org/forum/viewtopic.php?t=931
Some issues to consisder (but not be limited to):
* Should ships have more than one type of weapon on them? Having more than one weapon requires a way to pick which to use in a given situation, which compilicates the UI. Having only one or more than one weapon of significantly different strategic role or range on a single ship would affect the strategic nature of combat, and lessen the tactical distinctiveness of different designs.
* Should the method used to place parts in or on ships be broken down into various directions in some way? Ship facing should matter in the end, but does this require design system with sufficient detail to distinguish between directions or position within a design?
* Should desing be done by free-form fill-it-up with parts, subject to mass / power / volume limits, or should there be specific slots for particular part types, or should the design involve connecting together parts on a 2D (or 3D?) grid of some sort, with no pre-set restrictions on layout? Are there other alternatives? This point in particular needs justified answers, not lists of slot or part types.
* Should there be various predetermined hull types, shapes or "kits" tailored towards a particular ship role, or kits not tailored to a role but still different from eachother in ways different from how part selection functions, or should ships properties be determined only by their parts, or parts and size? If kits, should they be only available for a particular size, or in any size? What sort of limits should they have, given the other particulars of what constitutes a design?
Thanks for contributionis and patience with the drawn-out v0.4 design process.
This isn't an official poll or design thread, but rather is a source of ideas, and just as importantly, reasons behind ideas. This means that, if you have a suggestion, please try to give some reasons why it is good or bad, or interesting features about it. Problems or good features or comments about other ideas are also useful. Conversely, a list of types of ship parts you thought of, with no context of why they would work well together isn't very helpful.
For this thread, some assumptions to make and other considerations:
* Review of the V0.4 Design Pad is advised before commenting. What's there isn't (currently) up for discussion, but is the basis for discussion.
* Ships exist on both the strategic map and in combat. It is necessary to consider how a design system is applicable to both. Similarly, ships will be useful for things other than juts shooting at and being shot at by other ships, and a ship design system needs to accomodate these roles.
* The level of detail of ship designs should be appropriate, given that:
** Individual ships as the basic unit the player controls.
** Ship facing matters (in some to-be-determined capacity).
* Ships might be used in task forces of different ship types, or in groups of similar or identical role / properties, depending on available forces and the situation.
* It's not set it stone yet, but it seems likely that ships will have a size property, which is one of a few fixed options. These might be Small, Medium, Large, and Huge. Each size will likely have different advantages and disadvantages in and out of combat, none being the best at everything or particularly better than the others.
Also, consider reviewing some previous threads:
http://freeorion.org/forum/viewtopic.php?t=931
Some issues to consisder (but not be limited to):
* Should ships have more than one type of weapon on them? Having more than one weapon requires a way to pick which to use in a given situation, which compilicates the UI. Having only one or more than one weapon of significantly different strategic role or range on a single ship would affect the strategic nature of combat, and lessen the tactical distinctiveness of different designs.
* Should the method used to place parts in or on ships be broken down into various directions in some way? Ship facing should matter in the end, but does this require design system with sufficient detail to distinguish between directions or position within a design?
* Should desing be done by free-form fill-it-up with parts, subject to mass / power / volume limits, or should there be specific slots for particular part types, or should the design involve connecting together parts on a 2D (or 3D?) grid of some sort, with no pre-set restrictions on layout? Are there other alternatives? This point in particular needs justified answers, not lists of slot or part types.
* Should there be various predetermined hull types, shapes or "kits" tailored towards a particular ship role, or kits not tailored to a role but still different from eachother in ways different from how part selection functions, or should ships properties be determined only by their parts, or parts and size? If kits, should they be only available for a particular size, or in any size? What sort of limits should they have, given the other particulars of what constitutes a design?
Thanks for contributionis and patience with the drawn-out v0.4 design process.