Beta Test....Part 2

[Steel]

Hi all,

Well, bear in mind these little reports aren't anything like what Beta testing is really like. Its hard work and you do the same thing over and over and over again......

But I think you'll like them. Next one in X-News.

Cheers,

Steel

********************* text below ***********************

I’ve just downloaded a more upto date version of the beta. I am told the cockpits have changed, so that’s where I start. Straight into a new game and I am placed in the driving seat of my Argon Nova. I am getting quite used to this ship now. I like it. I like it a lot. Fairly fast and very responsive, I rotate the ship on its axis just to satisfy myself that it still feels quick and nimble. It does.

Now the cockpit! As I gaze around I am greeted with a collection of readouts and consoles, all scrolling away showing streams of text moving upwards and flashes of diagrams. Coloured lights blink on and off between them. The console is angled away from me on the left and right, its high-resolution graphics fit nicely with the rest of the cockpit design. Do they show anything of use? No, its eye-candy, put there to enhance the ambience of the ships. Like the majority of graphical touches this game keeps surprising me with, it just looks fabulous.

I am tempted to go and search out other ships just so I can check out their new arrangements too, but time for that later. I want to investigate some other new toys first.

At the bottom of the screen is the working console. This is overlaid on the cockpit graphics, but only taking up a small part of the space along the bottom of the screen. It’s opaque and has a reddish hue to it. It contains all the usual accustomed information like, speed, hull, shields, lasers and so on, plus some things I don’t understand yet. On the right hand side of the screen, this red coloured Perspex rises up in a rounded block. This part houses the 3D radar, familiar lines moving around as it tracks the local traffic.

I select an option and the working console vanishes, leaving just the new graphical touches. Mmmm…..this is good, or so I think. I turn the active console back on later as flying around without speed and weapon indicators is not for me. Still, it only takes up a small area of the screen as I said.

OK, that only took a couple of minutes and I am already feeling at home, important readout positions etched into my brain. What else have we got?

First, I have configurable radar. I can set it to “Auto” or in set increments from as little as 500M to 50 klicks. Nice. I move the ship around using the stick and I notice little manoeuvring thrusters light up in the corner of the window, they arc this way and that, following my movements. Small touches, but they make a difference. I hit the thrusters to maximum. The ship begins to shake and the targeting reticule joins in. Just like hitting the turbo in X-BTF and as the ship attains the selected speed, the shaking dissipates. I set the speed to zero and the cockpit frame lurches as the ship attempts to slow. I like these effects so much; I accelerate and decelerate a number of times to see them again, acting like a child with a new toy!

Now, if you read a previous report, you’ll be well aware that some ships have turrets. The Argon Nova I’m in has a single turret in the rear and I can switch display to that whenever I want. But I’m curious as to what the ship gets upto while I’m playing “rear gunner”. Also, what does the turret get upto while I’m Mr Pilot?

I won’t bore you with the details of how (it’s all in the menus), but I can select each turret on my ship and assign it a given AI script. There are some available in the beta, “Attack my target”, “Kill enemies”, “Missile Defence” and so on. I am tempted to assign “Kill enemies” (who wouldn’t?), but I know that I can set who are, and who are not enemies, globally. I don’t want to be on a trading run and have the trigger-happy rear turret go mental just yet, so I leave it set to “None”.

Ah, what I can do though is also assign AI to my ship. There are sub-options grouped together. For example “Piracy” has an option to set “Plunder ships in sector……”. I’m smiling at that one. “Collect wares from this sector” and “go here”, “do this”, “do that” are available. I decide to tell the ship to dock at the large rotating sector station that’s about half away across the sector from me. The ship immediately follows my command and begins to point towards the station, thrusters powering up. I decide to let it fly itself and I jump into the rear seat.

I want to investigate docking next……

Beta Test Part 3 can be found here: http://www.egosoft.com/x2/forum/viewtopic.php?t=4063

[Stormsong]

*bump*


Excellent! *drool*. You're going to have us all going mental in anticipation by the time X2 is released. As long as these "Beta-test" reports come regularly, and BurnIt! post those mini-videos, we'll stay reasonably satisfied. At least 'till the demos are released. Then we'll really go ape sh*** . I feel like a little kiddie again, waiting for a long awaited birthday prezzie or something.
That reminds me, we need an X2 version of this , I'm not the creative type for making smilies.

cheers
JadeElf

[silentWitness]

[Stealth]

An AM3 with a TURRET?

WOOOOHOO!

[padre]

ships with turrets, is that only a turret, or other weapons plus turret?

[Stormsong]

[The_Rock]

I do like the sub-options (more please or add later in future versions pls )

keep em coming...

[Brody]

Man, am I fired up for this game.

Steel - I really enjoy these Beta descriptions. They bring a lot to the forum, and I thank you for your continued good work.

Keep it up, my friend.

Brody

[Dutchman]

Oh man, Steel, I could just imagine the picture before me, having the screenshots in mind and then reading your story, I almost felt being there.

X2 will be a dream come true, since I played Elite on my c64 I've always dreamed about having that kinda game with all fabulous features, X2 will forfill all this and even more maybe.
Graphicly it's stunning, the feeling of it is a bit sinister but awesome, all the things you can do are overstounding, and the new threat is scary but intreging.

To me this game will become a statement among elite kind of space simulations.


Wonderfull work Bernd Lehahn !!!
It's much more appreciated then you might think.
And thanks Steel for these kind of updates.

Cheers,
Dutchman

[Shimrod]

Scripts for turrets? Lemmie at 'em! Can they automatically switch their weapons, depending on the speed and type of ship they are tracking?

[Tiberian Commander]

Excellent! Steel that's just like reading a book very good, i would have rated it but some pll have down rated me, so sorry i can't rate it.

[cappedup]

Cheers Steel, that is excellent stuff. As descriptive in the right parts as it needs to be..

I like the programmable radar, used to wind me up that.. as for the turrets.. hehe ill let the others rave about.. i dont see myself getting much trading done though ..

thanks, and keep it coming.

[Adamskini]

woot \o/

[Tiberian Commander]

Thanks Cappedup you have revived my thumb

[The_Abyss]