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Roadmap for next release

Posted: Fri Sep 21, 2018 12:03 pm
by Vezzra
Ok, I think it's time that we start thinking about what the major item(s) of this release cycle should be. The original plan has been to design and implement the basic Influence and colony upkeep mechanics. Although TheSilentOne, who has done most of the work so far (particularly regarding prototype implementation), has mentioned elsewhere that he won't be available for at least half a year, I still think we should stick with that plan and make that the major feature of the next release.

Other things I think we could/should tackle within this release cycle:
  • Revision/refinement of Fighters/Carriers
  • Revision/refinement of the Imperial Stockpile
Please give your ideas, comments, thoughts, feedback!

Re: Roadmap for next release

Posted: Fri Sep 21, 2018 12:13 pm
by Jaumito
Fleet upkeep. Should be dependent on resources invested rather than just the total number of ships. Maybe make hulls cost 4 (or any number you see fit) times as much for that purpose, to make chaff strategies less desirable.

Re: Roadmap for next release

Posted: Fri Sep 21, 2018 4:58 pm
by Dilvish
On the AI side, we'd have to devote some time to handling influence, fine, and the other AI features I'd be most interested in the AI team focusing on are (i) continuing Morlic's work with using graph theory to improve various aspect of AI planning such as fleet deployment locations and colony placement, and (ii) if time allows, to finally get around to AI Alliances.

Re: Roadmap for next release

Posted: Fri Sep 21, 2018 7:59 pm
by o01eg
I'm interested in Combat Preferred Targetting.
Jaumito wrote: Fri Sep 21, 2018 12:13 pm Fleet upkeep. Should be dependent on resources invested rather than just the total number of ships. Maybe make hulls cost 4 (or any number you see fit) times as much for that purpose, to make chaff strategies less desirable.
Have you look upon part-based upkeep?

Re: Roadmap for next release

Posted: Sat Sep 22, 2018 8:48 am
by Voskhod_02
I recently started playing the game and do think as well that combat preferred targeting would be a great thing to work on, as not to waste firepower on some random small low level targets when you've got a huge battleship that's laying waste on your fleet. Plus, some other user on another thread mentioned the idea to have some species who'd rather shoot at targets from another given species they dislike than on a bigger, juicier target manned by another species they don't have beef with.

Re: Roadmap for next release

Posted: Sat Sep 22, 2018 1:21 pm
by Ophiuchus
Well, obviously i'd like to have targetting preferences in the next release :) (as part of the figher/carrier revision)

And maintenance cost for paused production items (as part of the anti-micromanagement anti-decoy movement).

And actually a stealth revamp (part noisiness, gradual change of stealth).

And I'd hope that we will have a general discussion about how the species inhabit the freeorion universe (e.g. distribution of species variety over planet/star types) in preparation for a balancing pass in the release after that.

Re: Roadmap for next release

Posted: Sat Sep 22, 2018 5:45 pm
by Oberlus
I'd like to see speeds of the ships considered for targetting/combat system, and open the door for tactical engines parts (opposed to interstellar engines, the current ones), and be the mass of the hulls also considered (as a base modifier for speed). The general idea would be that "faster" ships can have a tactical advantage reflected in harder chances to be hit or better chances to hit, and also it could affect the duration of combats (there is a old suggestion on that, I can link it if any of this gets attention).

Re: Roadmap for next release

Posted: Sat Sep 22, 2018 8:40 pm
by o01eg
Also it looks like python2 going to finish at 2020 ( https://pythonclock.org/ ) so next release in 2019 could be the last with python2 support. Will it still be based on python2 or will move to python3?

Re: Roadmap for next release

Posted: Sat Sep 22, 2018 11:02 pm
by Dilvish
o01eg wrote: Sat Sep 22, 2018 8:40 pmWill it still be based on python2 or will move to python3?
Cj has been making progress on making our Python code 2/3 neutral; I expect there should be no problem having that completed by the next release, and should be the plan. It would probably also be best to start shipping py3 in the prebuilt packages, but I think that wouldn't matter too much really.

Re: Roadmap for next release

Posted: Sun Sep 23, 2018 12:35 pm
by Vezzra
Maybe I should clarify a bit more what my intention for this topic is: I want to collect the major "bullet points" (so to speak) of the next release. These would be major new features, or major revisions of existing features - the major things we want to complete for the next release. E.g. like the new Influence resource and mechanic. Of course there will be lots of other smaller and bigger stuff being worked on, but this list should only be about the "biggies".

These items would be release blocking (unless we decide to drop them for this release and postpone them for later, for whatever reason), and I would open "feature request" issues on github, assigned to the "Next Release" milestone to indicate that they are mandatory for the release, for each of these major "bullet points". This list isn't set in stone and might/will change of course, depending on the progress we make on each item, if anyone picks certain ones up at all, or if people start working on and progressing much better with other things, etc. I want to keep that list to as few items as possible, to avoid another excessively drawn out release cycle.

Once we get close enough to wrap up the items on that list, we would start to prepare to get the release out (at which point we start to decide which of the other stuff worked on we'll try to get in too, and which stuff we postpone for the next release cycle).

So, judging by the replies so far, I'd propose the following intial list (which, as noted, is of course subject to change):
  • As nobody objected to the basic Influence and colony upkeep mechanics, I'd stick with these as the top item on the list, the primary feature of the next release. Although it will depend very much on if somebody will actually pick that up and start working on it, especially the implementation (as the guy who promoted it most in the past, TheSilentOne, is currently on hiatus, which might throw a wrench in those plans).
  • Combat Target Priorities (I think that's a better name for the "Combat Preferred Targetting" feature) apparently is a popular feature, is already worked on, so yeah. :wink:
  • As support for Python 2.7 is going to end 2020, getting our Python code at least fully Python 3 compatible/compliant in preparation for the full switch is probably something we can't/shouldn't put off any longer, so needs to be done this release cycle.
Everything else I think can stay optional, at least at this point.

Comments, objections, etc.?

Re: Roadmap for next release

Posted: Sun Sep 23, 2018 12:40 pm
by Vezzra
Jaumito wrote: Fri Sep 21, 2018 12:13 pmFleet upkeep.
The idea has been suggested to completely change the way fleet/ship upkeep works, more in line with the proposed colony upkeep mechanics, to pay fleet upkeep with Influence (simulating the administrative efforts required to maintain your fleets, the crews and all support stuff you need for a space navy). As the requirement for that is the planned primary feature of this release cycle, I'd postpone any tinkering with fleet upkeep until Influence is implemented.

Re: Roadmap for next release

Posted: Sun Sep 23, 2018 1:15 pm
by Vezzra
Dilvish wrote: Fri Sep 21, 2018 4:58 pm On the AI side, we'd have to devote some time to handling influence, fine, and the other AI features I'd be most interested in the AI team focusing on are (i) continuing Morlic's work with using graph theory to improve various aspect of AI planning such as fleet deployment locations and colony placement
Have to admit that I'm looking forward to this stuff getting implemented very much, however, that sounds like some kind "internal improvement" stuff you're going to implement incrementally, not one big new feature that needs to be completed before we can even think of getting the release out.

So not something I'd put on a "major features" list.
(ii) if time allows, to finally get around to AI Alliances.
That's more of a major feature, but obviously something you consider optional at this point, so also not something I'd put on the inital list right now.

Re: Roadmap for next release

Posted: Sun Sep 23, 2018 1:20 pm
by Vezzra
Oberlus wrote: Sat Sep 22, 2018 5:45 pm I'd like to see speeds of the ships considered for targetting/combat system...
That's actually a bit off-topic here, as it's about a specific design discussion, not about what major items should go on the features list for the next release. So I suggest either opening a separate thread or posting this in the current thread about combat targetting (whatever you prefer).

Re: Roadmap for next release

Posted: Fri Jan 04, 2019 8:45 pm
by xahodo
Regarding influence, I'd like to see planets, ships and fleets be able to defect because of influence. There could be new technologies and buildings introduced which increase your influence and/or decrease the opponent's influence.

There could, for example, be a building that prevents defection of ships. Also, a ship component could be introduced that decreases the defection risk of ships in the fleet.

I think it's better to just make a rundown of what I'm thinking of somewhere else on these forums. :) Including potential techs, effects, buildings and ship components.

Re: Roadmap for next release

Posted: Sat Jan 05, 2019 12:07 am
by Jaumito
xahodo wrote: Fri Jan 04, 2019 8:45 pmAlso, a ship component could be introduced that decreases the defection risk of ships in the fleet.
Exactly what the Soviets used to call, a "political commissar". Using such a component probably should cost a bit of happiness.