[Request] Fix Complexes - Add Component

[xTemon]

Would like to see the addition of a new component for complexes in AP 2.0, and possibly every other X game.

Basic idea: Quite often non-scripteded/modded complex construction requires the player to manually orient the stations through use of the station placement feature w/ Advan. Stattelite, ship positioning for view, and careful manipultion of stations to align nodes even though you can't view both at once.

Visibility is limited with UI features in the way, and nodes are not readily visible in the Sector Cam station view.

Two fixes:

- Make nodes more visible on Sector Cam and transparency stations. The stations are essentially transparent models lit with golden light. Quite often, even when the nodes in front of you, you can't actually see it for all the lit surfaces. This doesn't hep.

Would be nice to have the nodes highlighted on sector cam and either lesser transparency or lighting, or better visibility of nodes when looking at them. Transparency of the sector map with Sector cam off could be improved too; possibly as a optional feature.

- Add a sphere connection to the tubes. Simple, easy, and affordable. Would take care of all those minor mis-alignments and inconsistencies with distance to object nodes.

Make life a lot of easier for us non-modded station and complex builders please.

edit: Either that, or add in a script to use the station placement function to adjust station orientation and position in Complexes while connected.

Either would be good, though the latter might be a great deal easier on both Devs and players considering it's already been done as far as I know.

[Virtualaughing]

1 Advanced Satelite
2 Press "k" by default
3 "home" "end" buttons are extremely helpfull

[xTemon]

Not really good enough though. If you noticed in my post, I referred to using that function, and suggested it wasn't quite enough overall. Nice feature though; it does help.

One problem with it, is you can only see from 2 perspectives: North Facing, and Down Facing. +/- to zoom. The other problem, as I mentioned, is the lack of node visibility, with exception to those stations where the nodes are on long spars and stick out a ways for top and/or side visibility with rotation on the horizontal access required to see them of course.

Some stations have nodes everywhere too, and most are quite hard to see. Thunderbolt Missile Fab. has 5; two pairs of which, are within very close proximity in each given pair. Right next to each other in fact.

Chelt Aquarium is actually very odd too. It has a node under the command center/living quarters. Given nodes don't have rotational connections that I've see, any use of this one guarantee's it will go right through the Command module.

Might be the Rastar Refinery, but I think it was the Chelt Aquarium. Odd placement on both anyway.

Using the model viewer to check the stations first now. It helps a bit.

[Morkonan]

Just out of curiosity, why such concern? Sure, getting the nodes all aligned nicely makes for a pretty station. But, it's not necessary for it to function. As long as the tubes don't impede traffic, it really doesn't matter what it looks like.

Edit-add: Complexes, by their nature, are usually placed in out of the way sectors where the player doesn't intend to spend a lot of time. Collision detection and the lagfest that a huge complex can generate usually means the player gets to see their huge complex.. once. Then, it's off to another sector, leaving behind a "Do Not Enter" sign on the complex sector's Jump Gate.

[Mustur]

+1

Having highlighted nodes and the option to snap to the closest node or a preview of the resulting tubes would make building complexes much less "complex" (GET IT? ).

Anybody know if the Factory Complex Constructor is compatible with AP?

[xTemon]

@Morkonan: Sure, it will function, and for my Complex in Unknown Sector I don't care, (I'll post a Pic of it here in a bit); but for my Akeelas Beacon Complex, I spent a lot of time-more or less 16 hours and still working-positionng the stations and laying everything out.

I'd really like it to look decent considering the effort, and the fact it is my supply Hub for ships coming out of the Legends Home shipyards. I'll also be jumping ships purchased elsewhere to fit them there. Basically, it's my Command and Control center for Fleets and Transports.

Can't be looking at gruesome tubing all the time now can we?

@Mustur: FCC has been updated for AP, though I think the scripter that made it doesn't play anymore? so maybe not 100% Maybe that was someone else. Anyway, I know I got the TC compatible version and it fried my game. Not literally, but I had to uninstall it to play.

[xTemon]

Actually, another thing that would be helpful, is to put a node connection marker in the model scene that is visible on the Camera View for all stations.

This would be ideal honestly. A little cube or diamond that marks the exact length of one Tube connection from the node itself. Just match the markers up with each other, and all stations can be set to exactly two lengths from each other.

[Aragosnat]

Yeah. Would have also been nice when placing new stations near another one to show any part sticking in or touching another station(s).Just so we can avoid having stations humping each other. They should also alllow use to wear tails too.

[xTemon]

Yeah. Would have also been nice when placing new stations near another one to show any part sticking in or touching another station(s).Just so we can avoid having stations humping each other. They should also alllow use to wear tails too.

Not sure why you would want a tail.. As for stations coming into contact with one another, I've only done it 3 times. That is, I placed 2 and another between that contact the first two on an extender. It was an hour or so before I saw the shields and watched it blow up.

Actually, it was my fault. I thought if the game allowed them to overlap with no warning indicators, it wasn't a problem, so I left it. I had saved just prior to them exploding, but could only reach it to tractor the center one away from the other two. Gave me somewhere to place the replacement, but the others were only shield damaged, so virtually unaffected.

Not sure why it took so long to blow up. I thought it was supposed to warn you somehow, but apparently not. Doesn't stop you from dropping one on top of another by hitting 5 and accidently clicking instead of mousing over the station you want to align it with either.

[Smart_Bomb]

what do you think of my post I made here:

http://forum.egosoft.com/viewtopic.php? ... 04#3806404

[Aragosnat]

Yeah. Would have also been nice when placing new stations near another one to show any part sticking in or touching another station(s).Just so we can avoid having stations humping each other. They should also alllow use to wear tails too.

Not sure why you would want a tail.. As for stations coming into contact with one another, I've only done it 3 times. That is, I placed 2 and another between that contact the first two on an extender. It was an hour or so before I saw the shields and watched it blow up.

Actually, it was my fault. I thought if the game allowed them to overlap with no warning indicators, it wasn't a problem, so I left it. I had saved just prior to them exploding, but could only reach it to tractor the center one away from the other two. Gave me somewhere to place the replacement, but the others were only shield damaged, so virtually unaffected.

Not sure why it took so long to blow up. I thought it was supposed to warn you somehow, but apparently not. Doesn't stop you from dropping one on top of another by hitting 5 and accidently clicking instead of mousing over the station you want to align it with either.

Busy fox tails are sexy silly. But, yeah. It would be to avoid those pesky reloads as well as helping to make the most compact complexes.

And yes @Smart_Bomb.. Tis a good idea. Would have been nice if they had time to have done such a thing first time around too.

[Nanook]

Would like to see the addition of a new component for complexes in AP 2.0, and possibly every other X game....

If wishes were horses....

I highly doubt Egosoft is going to devote any resources to something like this, considering they're almost fully involved in working on Rebirth. There are a lot of issues that could be fixed in TC/AP, and previous games. Your suggestion is mostly just a cosmetic thing, so even if they were to fix a few things in those games (highly doubtful, btw), I'm guessing it would be far, far down the list. Sorry.

[kurush]

I actually fail to grasp what has to be added to complex building. I can think of a couple of things that should better be removed (such as this animation that happens every time), but after somebody discovered that two clipping stations no longer lose shields once they are connected into a complex, IMO nothing else is really necessary...

[xTemon]

As promised, the pic of my Unknown Sector Complex. I've added a Silicon Mine and Crytsal Fab since, but here it is..

http://cloud.steampowered.com/ugc/46973 ... D4E06FB0B/

[Aragosnat]

Yeah. Getting rid of the animation for you ship would be great. Never saw a reason to see that at all. But, when the station is built. IT is nice to know if we missed hving our stations humping each other. Yes. Making them into a complex avoids that. Even though the really should have had. Clipped stations should have gone auto boom.

[CharitonPericles]

Yeah. Getting rid of the animation for you ship would be great. Never saw a reason to see that at all. But, when the station is built. IT is nice to know if we missed hving our stations humping each other. Yes. Making them into a complex avoids that. Even though the really should have had. Clipped stations should have gone auto boom.

Station building is a fascinating mix of broken features and good developer intents went awry. For example, a combination of station clipping feature and collision detection that can actually throw your station 20 km away from your intended location really tells the story of how thoughtful egosoft people are when designing their game. Actually, it is unlikely that any design effort has been spent.

[Aragosnat]

Yeah. Getting rid of the animation for you ship would be great. Never saw a reason to see that at all. But, when the station is built. IT is nice to know if we missed hving our stations humping each other. Yes. Making them into a complex avoids that. Even though the really should have had. Clipped stations should have gone auto boom.

Station building is a fascinating mix of broken features and good developer intents went awry. For example, a combination of station clipping feature and collision detection that can actually throw your station 20 km away from your intended location really tells the story of how thoughtful egosoft people are when designing their game. Actually, it is unlikely that any design effort has been spent.

More then likely as they are a small company. But, at least with Rebirth we will not have to worry to much. Unless we are foolish and want to create a seprate station near by for some odd reason.