A few simple things to make FO more playable

[eleazar]

You can just fly past monsters (and i assume) enemy imperial ships, currently.

Filed a bug report that the bottleneck function of starlanes would work.
https://sourceforge.net/tracker/?func=d ... tid=544945

[Geoff the Medio]

You can just fly past monsters (and i assume) enemy imperial ships, currently.

This should be changed in SVN.

[Dart00_Tech]

Darn...I loved this bug XD

[eleazar]

You can just fly past monsters (and i assume) enemy imperial ships, currently.

This should be changed in SVN.

Cool.
How's the ground combat? From the commit messages it is starting to sound like it's close to working.

[Geoff the Medio]

How's the ground combat? From the commit messages it is starting to sound like it's close to working.

It seems to be working as intended. You drop a planet's shields to 0 (if necessary), select one or more in-system troop ships, and then click the invade button on the planet. Dropping troops consumes the troop ship, similar to colonization - I think this is good for balancing, as one can't conquer a whole empire with one troop ship, and there's no issue with reloading troops after doing an invasion. Between turns, the ground combat is resolved; whoever has the most troops on the planet wins or retains control of it. Sitreps are generated about ground battles and when someone conquers a planet.

[Dart00_Tech]

It seems to be working as intended. You drop a planet's shields to 0 (if necessary), select one or more in-system troop ships, and then click the invade button on the planet. Dropping troops consumes the troop ship, similar to colonization - I think this is good for balancing, as one can't conquer a whole empire with one troop ship, and there's no issue with reloading troops after doing an invasion. Between turns, the ground combat is resolved; whoever has the most troops on the planet wins or retains control of it. Sitreps are generated about ground battles and when someone conquers a planet.

Is there going to be plunder or something from conquering a planet for the first time...like a bonus?

[Geoff the Medio]

Is there going to be plunder or something from conquering a planet for the first time...like a bonus?

Haven't made any plans for such.

[Bigjoe5]

Is there going to be plunder or something from conquering a planet for the first time...like a bonus?

Eventually (like, after space combat is implemented) there will probably be a more robust (but equally abstracted) ground combat system that allows the player to choose specific ground combat missions other than capturing the planet, such as stealing specific technologies that are in use on the planet, or destroying/capturing specific buildings.

[eleazar]

I've noticed that multiple monsters in the same system don't display the correct fleet icon. The "head" changes to the scout narrow-pointy shape, even when monsters are the only ones in the system. I think the scout "head" is used as the generic or fall-back icon.

Eventually (like, after space combat is implemented) there will probably be a more robust (but equally abstracted) ground combat system that allows the player to choose specific ground combat missions other than capturing the planet, such as stealing specific technologies that are in use on the planet, or destroying/capturing specific buildings.

I wouldn't say, "probably", more like "maybe".

but lets not discuss that in this thread, which i'd like to keep focused on the more immediate and implementable future.

[eleazar]

Galaxy map fleet icons.

Ground Invasion Landing Craft are distinct enough to have their own. (yeah, i gotta make that icon first)

Also how are the fleet icons assigned? Would it be a pain to show a different icon for weaponless monsters?

It's a little confusing how the icons of mixed fleets work differently than multiple fleets. Ideally the same logic would be used to decide which "head" icon to use on the galaxy map when multiple fleets are in the same system. Note how the little triangle "scout" icon is used instead, even for multiple monster fleets.

[Geoff the Medio]

Also how are the fleet icons assigned?

If there are multiple fleets, it defaults to a generic icon. Otherwise, it checks a few properties of the ships in the fleet:

Code: Select all

    // get file name prefix for appropriate size of icon
    std::string size_prefix = FleetIconSizePrefix(size_type);
    if (size_prefix.empty())
        return boost::shared_ptr<GG::Texture>();

    // get file name main part depending on type of fleet
    std::string main_filename = "head-scout.png";
    if (fleet && fleet->HasColonyShips())
        main_filename = "head-colony.png";
    else if (fleet && fleet->HasMonsters())
        main_filename = "head-monster.png";
    else if (fleet && fleet->HasArmedShips())
        main_filename = "head-warship.png";

    return ClientUI::GetTexture(ClientUI::ArtDir() / "icons" / "fleet" / (size_prefix + main_filename), false);

Would it be a pain to show a different icon for weaponless monsters?

No, that would not be difficult.

Ideally the same logic would be used to decide which "head" icon to use on the galaxy map when multiple fleets are in the same system.

Something to that effect could be done, though would be very slightly awkward to set up.

[Nighthawk]

Further question: Is bombardment, as seen in the MoO series, Space Empires series and a few others going to be included seperate from combat (like the MoO series), or will it be part of combat, meaning that ships can bombard a planet and then quickly escape?

I'm for the former, because A. It is easier to program in without a 3d combat system, and B. Seems more fair, and more likely (I imagine bombarding a planet while most of it's defenses are still working would be a terrible idea)


>>> EDIT
Split out discussion of "Bombardment" to this topic

[eleazar]

Weren't ships supposed to be slowly repaired when they were within supply range? That doesn't seem to happen, nor when they are in one of their systems.

[Geoff the Medio]

Weren't ships supposed to be slowly repaired when they were within supply range? That doesn't seem to happen, nor when they are in one of their systems.

Repairing hasn't been implemented. I don't remember if or what was decided about how it should work though... In particular, how fast should repair happen, and does it require a ship to be at a shipyard, or anywhere in supply range, or should there be repair ships of some sort?

[eleazar]

Weren't ships supposed to be slowly repaired when they were within supply range? That doesn't seem to happen, nor when they are in one of their systems.

Repairing hasn't been implemented. I don't remember if or what was decided about how it should work though...

I didn't really remember either, but this sounds good:

• * Ships located in a shipyard's system are fully repaired (current health set to max health) at the start of each turn, except on turns in which the ships engaged in battle.
  * Ships located within the fleet resupply network of their empire are slightly repaired by having their current health meter increased by some to-be-determined small amount each turn.
  * Ships located outside their fleet resupply network do not repair between turns.

5% or 10% maybe?