Incline Remnants of the Precursors - Merry Christmas, bitches

[Endemic]

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Eurasian_Steppe

From your description of Steppe planets in-game: "...dominated by harsh winters and arctic environments" =! temperate grassland. It sounds like it fits taiga/borderline tundra to me.

 

[RayF]

Maybe I should change the phrasing of that. I was just showing you the inspiration for the artwork.

 

[Endemic]

Maybe I should change the phrasing of that. I was just showing you the inspiration for the artwork.

I get what you were aiming for (halfway between Terran and Tundra), but in-game stats and the artwork make Steppe seem like a smaller Terran planet instead.

 

[RayF]

I wouldn't say smaller as much as less habitable... i.e. less like Terran. The idea is that Terran, Jungle and Steppe planets have ocean-sized bodies of water but the population maximums vary to due climatic differences (Jungle = a ittle too hot, Steppe = a little too cold)

Then once you get down to Arid, Desert & Minimal planets, the population maxes are dropping because of increasing scarcity of water.

 

[Endemic]

I wouldn't say smaller as much as less habitable... i.e. less like Terran. The idea is that Terran, Jungle and Steppe planets have ocean-sized bodies of water but the population maximums vary to due climatic differences (Jungle = a ittle too hot, Steppe = a little too cold)

You've got differing planet sizes within those classifications though, so it isn't always that clear cut. In this screenshot I have an Arid 70 and an Ocean 65 in range:

There are also Arids that are 40 or 50 to start with.

 

[RayF]

Right. There is a base size for each planet type plus a variable. It's very possible to have a "large arid" have a higher population max than a "small ocean" even though the base for ocean is larger than for arid. This is how it worked in the original game.

 

[Endemic]

Right. There is a base size for each planet type plus a variable. It's very possible to have a "large arid" have a higher population max than a "small ocean" even though the base for ocean is larger than for arid. This is how it worked in the original game.

So you prefer just listing the population cap rather than using classes like "Tiny", "Small", "Medium" etc?

 

[RayF]

Right. There is a base size for each planet type plus a variable. It's very possible to have a "large arid" have a higher population max than a "small ocean" even though the base for ocean is larger than for arid. This is how it worked in the original game.

So you prefer just listing the population cap rather than using classes like "Tiny", "Small", "Medium" etc?

There are no planet size classes. There's a default size for each type plus a variable amount.

Size classes also imply different surface gravities and that's not a thing in this game.

 

[Endemic]

Size classes also imply different surface gravities and that's not a thing in this game.

Fair enough. I wouldn't mind having that as a variable, it woul distinguish the Psilons and Bulrathi more, for example.

 

[RayF]

Size classes also imply different surface gravities and that's not a thing in this game.

Fair enough. I wouldn't mind having that as a variable, it woul distinguish the Psilons and Bulrathi more, for example.

Are you having trouble distinguishing between the Psilons and the Bulrathi?

 

[Endemic]

Are you having trouble distinguishing between the Psilons and the Bulrathi?

I'm talking about gameplay. High-G v Low-G planet preference, etc. Not saying you should clone the MOO2 system, of course, but a few more racial traits would be nice.

 

[RayF]

Are you having trouble distinguishing between the Psilons and the Bulrathi?

I'm talking about gameplay. High-G v Low-G planet preference, etc. Not saying you should clone the MOO2 system, of course, but a few more racial traits would be nice.

I was just funning with ya, of course. The thing is that High vs Low G is important if your races don't have distinguishing gameplay. Ideally, you'd have a race that could only colonize Low-G planets, for example, so their only recourse would be to glass enemy colonies on High-G planets, or something like that.

Currently, what I am doing (mentally) is using gravity as a justification for the "one planet per system" limitation of the game. In this hypothetical scenario, there are lots of other planets in each system but their gravity is too high or too low for life. After all, what little we know about the effects of low-gravity environments on humans is mostly very negative. So, in the FICTIONAL ROTP universe, races are generally constrained to only living on terrestrial-sized planets which is why you only see one per system.

(Yes, I am fully aware that many systems have multiple Earth-sized planets, but that's a lot less to hand-wave away than gas giants and Mars-sized planets)

 

[Lord Rocket]

it might be worth reminding peeps that no new changes/features (over MOO1) will be added until after v1.0 is ready

 

[Endemic]

Currently, what I am doing (mentally) is using gravity as a justification for the "one planet per system" limitation of the game. In this hypothetical scenario, there are lots of other planets in each system but their gravity is too high or too low for life. After all, what little we know about the effects of low-gravity environments on humans is mostly very negative. So, in the FICTIONAL ROTP universe, races are generally constrained to only living on terrestrial-sized planets which is why you only see one per system.

(Yes, I am fully aware that many systems have multiple Earth-sized planets, but that's a lot less to hand-wave away than gas giants and Mars-sized planets)

I know, but you're sticking to MOO1 in that respect, to avoid micromanagement issues. There's already the larger galaxy sizes for more planets.

 

[RayF]

Example of ground combat death animations: https://remnantsoftheprecursors.com/2017/09/26/death-animations/

 

[RayF]

Vaporizing and Disrupting... https://remnantsoftheprecursors.com/2017/09/28/more-ways-to-skin-a-sakkra/

 

[spectre]

I like the crater left by the frst two animations. I wonder, if it were possible to leave the victim's legs standing on the vaporizing and disrupting animation to serve a similar function. Perhaps not on all deaths, but just for a bit of variety.
Technically, it doesn't do a lot for the game, but little touches like this matter, imo. And would a bit of life to those otherwise simple (in a good way) anims.

 

[RayF]

Technically, it doesn't do a lot for the game, but little touches like this matter, imo.

This is exactly why these animations are being done. If you don't have all of the ceremony and little touches, then the game might as well just be a spreadsheet.

The disruptor and the vaporizer are intended to leave no trace. All of the other attacks will leave something behind, even if it's a burnt corpse.

 

[RayF]

The new Sakkra ship artwork is in the game... baby steps to Alpha 5! https://remnantsoftheprecursors.com/2017/10/01/alpha-4-19-swoops-in-with-new-artwork/

 

[RayF]

This gives an idea of what the Darlok ships will look like...
https://remnantsoftheprecursors.com/2017/10/05/first-look-darlok-ships/

 

[Endemic]

Not bad, although I'll probably be turning off those engine animations

 

[RayF]

I've made a video on the steps involved in creating a foreign-language translation of the game. Anyone interested in doing something like this, let me know:
https://remnantsoftheprecursors.com/2017/10/13/alpha-4-21-is-here-with-a-call-for-translators/

 

[Endemic]

Alpha 4.25 is out, some more bug fixes have been implemented: https://remnantsoftheprecursors.com/2017/10/23/alpha-4-25-retreating-fleets-fix/

 

[Grotesque]

this thread needs more love

 

[Endemic]

There's not much to discuss. Next update isn't for a while:

What’s coming in Alpha 5
This is the tentative feature set for the next Alpha. There is no scheduled date currently since I need to get a feel first for how much time the artwork will require. If I had to guess? March-April 2018.

Turn-based Ship Combat – players will be able to tactically control their ships in turn-based combat

Ground Combat Death animations – when soldiers die, you’ll see it. This was originally planned for Alpha 3 but pushed back due to schedule constraints.

Additional User Interface redesigns – planned for the next alpha are the Ship Design, Map, and Galactic Council UI. Maybe another if time permits. Ship Design was planned for Alpha 3 but also pushed back due to schedule constraints.