Suggestion: Lighthouse effectiveness radius

For what's not in 'Top Priority Game Design'. Post your ideas, visions, suggestions for the game, rules, modifications, etc.

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godel
Space Dragon
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Suggestion: Lighthouse effectiveness radius

#1 Post by godel »

Some idea of how many lighthouses I need to build to get the lighthouse effect for my net of stars would help.
Having a radius of effect bubble that I could toggle on would help.

I just got a fresh copy of FO and may need to update this comment sometime.

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Kassiopeija
Dyson Forest
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Re: Suggestion: Lighthouse effectiveness radius

#2 Post by Kassiopeija »

Thumbs up! I like this one

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MatGB
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Re: Suggestion: Lighthouse effectiveness radius

#3 Post by MatGB »

Alt+c, zoom in so the zoom level is 50.

The UI needs improving, I would like to be able to set the radius level without having to zoom, but it's there.

On a related note, I'm definitely of the opinion that the current implementation of lighthouses is too much of a micromanagement thing. I'm thinking that you get the speed bonus if either there's a lighthouse or you've researched Interstellar Logistics, if both then the range is doubled (to 100), meaning you a) don't need to build them at all but b) you only need to want to build them at key strategic points not everywhere along a route.

The current setup simply goes against the basic design philosophy of the game so needs to change.
Mat Bowles

Any code or patches in anything posted here is released under the CC and GPL licences in use for the FO project.

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Kassiopeija
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Re: Suggestion: Lighthouse effectiveness radius

#4 Post by Kassiopeija »

tbh I find the distance scale below the turn button rather redundant - I seem to be unable to move it around. Am I inclined to place my finger or a lineal over it and use that to measure manually at the screen?

Your idea sounds good though it will only mitigate the problem, reducing the amount of lighthouses by 50%. There still remains a desire to measure 100uu exactly also on starlanes that aren't exactly vertical or horizontal.

godel
Space Dragon
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Re: Suggestion: Lighthouse effectiveness radius

#5 Post by godel »

I generally do post them along key places.
The key places usually change in the course of a game, leaving many lighthouses there.
The key places include all paths from the ship and troop generation planets to the shifting front lines. This can be very long.
And since I want to light a path, they must be clustered along that path. But how many? how dense the cluster? Do I really need one here?
I lost a game concentrating on LH not ships.

I never notcied the distance scale. But I never knew what the white circle in the Sept 2015 release meant, nor what one of the two buttons on the build stuff means (I do know that one allows multiple builds on one entry.) The game has mysteries, and figuring out the game is currently part of the game. (why would anyone want to destroy their own system just to block anyone from using its pathways??)

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MatGB
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Re: Suggestion: Lighthouse effectiveness radius

#6 Post by MatGB »

Kassiopeija wrote:tbh I find the distance scale below the turn button rather redundant - I seem to be unable to move it around. Am I inclined to place my finger or a lineal over it and use that to measure manually at the screen?

Your idea sounds good though it will only mitigate the problem, reducing the amount of lighthouses by 50%. There still remains a desire to measure 100uu exactly also on starlanes that aren't exactly vertical or horizontal.
Alt+C, then select a system.

Scale circle to measure these things right there for you.
Mat Bowles

Any code or patches in anything posted here is released under the CC and GPL licences in use for the FO project.

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Kassiopeija
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Re: Suggestion: Lighthouse effectiveness radius

#7 Post by Kassiopeija »

alright got it thanks

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