FreeOrion

I'm also hoping that open space, althoug slow will be useable for those who are willing to wait to suprise the enemy.

Also having nebula's that either slow or speed up travel would be cool. A nebula that speeds up travel would be like flying through open space at the speed that a starlane allows. So when nebulas and starlanes overlap, then you can expect suprise attacks through the use of nebulas. And in that case, starlane chokepoints won't be so useful anymore.

utilae wrote:



I would like this, too, even if pathetically slow and a potential loss of ships due to space debris, pirates, or whatever.

I have no idea how AI is gonna work out with ppl stocking up on defense on a choke point where all starlane goes to get to other region problem. Programmer says its easier to program, but I don't think so. Moo3 all over again. ><

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If defense is part of the focus system and the focus system uses some kind of AI to build buildings based on focus, then all the computer AIs would have to do is choose the primary and secondary focus.

So what does everyone think about Nebulas. What I have said about them above. Do you think that nebulas that allow faster travel, as fast as star lanes will makes things alot more interesting. Because starlanes would be rendered useless, if they are surrounded in a nebula that allows you to go just as fast.

nebulas are then just multiple starlanes (are a simulated equivalent)
ever system is conected to every otehr system via star lane within a nebula.
hmm... i think i'v heard of such an idea before...
the only difference is the optical effect.

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Ok, that might be true, but the optical effect of it is important. Most people might not even think of it as multiple starlanes being connected.

Of course it is not entirely true that it is just multiple starlanes connected. Cause traveling in open space would allow you to go faster while you are in the nebula. But once you leave the nebula and are still going in a straight line to that distant planet, your in normal open space, which is dead slow.

right again. so this seems quite interresting. only hope "dead slow" is not realry that slow and can be improved with tech

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I would like a large ratio, like 10:1 for normal space versus starlane.

A ship can travel to next system in 3 turns by starlane or 30 turns by normal space.

A nebula would increase normal space travel by 3 times.

So if the 30 turn route had 50% of it's route in a nebula, the trip would be 20 turns. (50% of 30=15. 15/3=5. 5+15=20)

Technology would reduce some turn times, but the general ratio would remain, so starlanes would almost always be the choice to prefer.

I would like normal space travel to be allowed, so I could bypass a chokepoint or attack the system without going through the chokepoint.

I still don't see the issue. I mean, if "stocking up on huge defences" on a single starlane corridor is a concern, have it so system defences only engage when the system is attacked...

Or, when ships enter the system and want to go to the next system, they have to run a gauntlet. So if you had 20 ships, you might loose 3 or 4 from system defences, but now you've entered their core systems.

Or, have a ship class that is small but can slip past systems undetected, designed solely for 'hit and run' raiding

Or, when the designers construct the starlane matrix, have it so that starlanes are much more 'connected' to each other, meaning to enter into your cluster, you'd have at least 5 or 6 entry points (maybe includihg a wormhole).

Or, have a technology that allows players to "blink" past a system.

Or, have starlanes fluctuate over time. Some new ones are randomly created, others slowly fall apart. so building massive defences on system A won't do much good if suddenly a new entrance opens to your homeworld.

Or, finally, have the equivalent of "space artillery". firing bombs through a starlane to explode on the other side, causing small amounts of collateral damage.

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There are three kinds of people in this world - those who can count, and those who can't.

Or, have the option of more starlane connections on the map, so that true chokepoints are rarer - there is more likely to be a way around them.

I'd actually like to see the option for a map as fully connected as a Delauney triangulation (connects a system to all of its bordering neighbours with no crossovers - check out this link for an example applet) - it would certainly change the pace of gameplay.

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The COW Project : You have a spy in your midst.

i agree with davey, multiple connections has to be the preferred option - that way there is no major choke point problem at all. i mentioned just this earlier in this thread in a little detail (how do i do links on this thing?)

guiguibaah's ideas are pretty cool; to be honest i'd like a game that implemented most of this sort of thing and let players decide what to use - game testing would then refine the relative advantages of each just to make sure no one of them is a dead winner. i thought "space artillery" stood out though - could make gameplay pretty interesting if you have to defend against the odd nuke coming at you, and gives weaker empires some sting.

not so keen on starlanes fluctuating over time, just adds a little too much randomness to the game. building artificial starlanes on the other hand could be good - that was briefly mentioned on the thread "the void" so i wont repeat myself and bore you guys. and yeah, would be good if nebulas actually did something interesting.

For planetary bysed defense I would say this should be true, but for System defense and normal starships I would give the defender the choice to attack the intruder. As for Mines/Satelites/Starbases this is again a seperate issue based on the decision how these are placed.


This seems nice. smal ships have a good chance of passing through minefeelds. Cloaking devices should defenetly work this way and smal ships (if there is just one ore a few) should even have a good chance of not beeing detected in a unfriendly system.


this could be a slider on startup, but if you turn this too high we loose the advantage of frontlines and all the AI bennefits we saw in this.


what do you mean by "blink" ??


this way neither I nor the AI can actually plan anything. I could go in with a fleet attack a system and after conwering it it may not be connected to my empire any more. This could be a rare event but nothing more.
Building or destroying starlanes artificially (at high costs) on the other hand can be very usefull and are not as unforseeable and luck depending.


This sounds very nice and I would be happy to see something like this in FO

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Not what I meant. Say two ppl are playing on a map. Because there is no off-raod traveling, the only way to attack the other guy is thru this one planet, where the guy stocks up all his defense to protect rest of his empire. I am worried about how you gonna plan to attack some planet with all those defenses when defense > offense?

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That's what the crusaders thought they attacked the Citadel at Antioch in 1099.

That's why the Krak de Chevaliers was built.

That's why Hitler went around the Maginot line and Hannibal through the Alps.

The likelyhood of there being only one way to get to a place is not very high. The likelyhood of the way you -want- to go being the way the other guy expects you to go and thus foritified in anticipation of it...well, that's why it's a strategy game.

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Surprise and Terror! I am greeted by the smooth and hostile face of our old enemy, the Hootmans! No... the Huge-glands, no, I remember, the Hunams!