0.4 Design Pad
Contents
Outline
This page is a notepad/preliminary design document for the designers to prepare for 0.4, which deals primarily with space combat and ship design.
Current Decisions
- Slow Paced - the combat should be slow faced, to avoid a clickfest. This may mean long tactical combat, but is preferable to clickfests.
- Maneuvering - Somehow, facing of ships and their location on the "battlefield" must matter
- Timing - combat will operate in turns, at least internally to the engine. These turns may be hidden from the player. Around 3-5 seconds each
- Pausing - Combat may be paused. Details still to be determined, but will include auto pause at end of each turn and play-through, which never pauses unless players explicitly do so
- Order granularity - orders must not be too detailed, but also not too generic. Need to strike a balance that hits the sweet spot
- Ordering - Orders may be given at any time (paused or not), and are queued to be processed in subsequent turns
- Simulation - turns play out in real time, executing orders that have been given
Detailed Discussion
Pace
Summary: The combat should be slow faced, to avoid a clickfest. This may mean long tactical combat, but is preferable to clickfests.
Maneuvers
Summary: Facing of ships and their location on the "battlefield" must matter
Timing
Summary: Combat will operate in turns, at least internally to the engine. These turns may be hidden from the player. Around 3-5 seconds each
Pausing
Summary: Combat may be paused. Details still to be determined, but will include auto pause at end of each turn and play-through, which never pauses unless players explicitly do so
Order Granularity
Summary: Orders must not be too detailed, but also not too generic. Need to strike a balance that hits the sweet spot
Giving Orders
Summary: Orders may be given at any time (paused or not), and are queued to be processed in subsequent turns
Simulation
Summary: Turns play out in real time, executing orders that have been given