Ophiuchus wrote:I also wouldnt want to copy the "board" like in traveller (which is hmm fully-connected which would mean a lot of extra starlanes which would need to be introduced; this would clutter up the galaxy in an evil way). What i would want would be a few shortcuts only possible to pass with the right tech (e.g. connecting galaxy spiral arms like a spider-net). Also i think currently very long starlanes (by starlane boring) are too cheap fuel-wise. So a starlane nexus could generate many close 1jump, some longer 2jump and a few very long 3jump starlanes.
I am completely lost by what you are saying here. Currently there are no "multiple jump" starlanes in FO, nor would that even
make sense for FO. Also fuel is set by you ship and the distance, not starlanes. Traveling a longer starlane will consume more fuel. The Starlane Bore or Starlane Nexus should not change that. I also don't know what you mean by "long starlanes". Both simply just generate whatever connections they can, and I haven't noticed any tendency toward longer starlanes when I use them.
Ophiuchus wrote:@labgnome I personally prefer a single mechanic giving a range of options over a collection of unconnected mechanics. This is how a lot of content in freeorion works (e.g. a single damage mechanic covering 4 types of weapons with 4 layers each). And yes, the idea reminded me of good old traveller needing a different kind of drive to jump over stretches of empty space.
??? It would all still be a single mechanic and would have multiple options. Again I am not sure what you are talking about here. A range of options, is exactly what I was talking about. Everything would still use starlanes. it's just a question of what set of starlanes. Everything else would work the same.
Ophiuchus wrote:A KISS minimal proposal for a "mountain terrain" would be:
- a second type of starlane which can be detected and used only with researching the right tech
- after researching this single tech you are simply shown the second type of starlane as well (so you see "more" starlanes)
- this second type has a different properties than normal ones (e.g. cost 3 fuel to use, ship needs minimal speed to use, no or limited supply network propagation, maybe ships get extra stealth while travelling along that lane ...)
- the second type of starlane is shown in a bit different way, so you know that your enemies might not be able to use them (maybe s-curved instead of straight lines)
- no UI for showing if enemies can see
- if enemies use a starlane you cannot see - show the incoming ships anyway if in detection range (they seem to be directly in space then)
- universe generation uses this for shortcutting and difficult-to-reach regions (treasure planets with guardians, vacuum dragon breeding grounds...)
- starlane boring uses this
That proposal would be pretty similar to current starlanes and without many unexpected side-issues.
If we are going to introduce new types of starlanes I don't see any reason to necessarily keep things "similar" to the current system, so long as we are still operating within the design guidelines for the game. But on some of your specific points. I wouldn't want the new starlanes to nessisarily have different properties than the current starlanes. 10 fuel should be 10 fuel, speed 20 should be speed 20, supply 2 should be supply 2, anything else just sounds confusing and frustrating. If the starlanes are going to be hidden, then ships traveling along them should also be hidden, otherwise you know where the starlane is, because there is no "off-road" travel. It would defeat the point of hidden starlanes. The last two points seem to contradict your statement earlier:
I also wouldnt want to copy the "board" like in traveller (which is hmm fully-connected which would mean a lot of extra starlanes which would need to be introduced; this would clutter up the galaxy in an evil way).
As well as your conclusion, because we would need to change the way galaxy generation, starlane bore, starlane nexus and the Experimenter outpost all worked. Since that would seem to require making every galaxy maximally connected at generation, but then hiding a portion of of the starlanes. Personally I do think that outright creating and destroying starlanes is too valuble of a strategic tool to not actually have be available in the game. I wouldn't be opposed to a starlane changing tech, perhaps as a prerequisite to the starlane bore, being introduced once we have multiple types of starlanes, but I don't think the mechanic should replace being able to create or destroy starlanes.
Ophiuchus wrote:I think the feeling for interacting with these mountain starlanes should be: hard to climb, powerful and sneaky.
I now perminently regret having refered to starlanes as "difficult terrain". I think you are completely misunderstanding me. This is in fact prety much the opposite of what I would want interacting with these starlanes to be like. I would not want them to be more costly to use once you found them, just for them to be unavailable until you had the right technology, otherwise "blocking" or "hiding" that path. Using the other starlanes should be a reward for investing in exploration and technology, not a further obstacle to the player. Unless I am completely misunderstanding you.
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