[MOD iP] New Dimensions [Alpha 4.2] (Update 06/09/10)

[HalcyonSpirit]

Just had an idea. Well, not so much an idea as something to consider when making this.

For these long trips through space, I always imagined trade convoys and such. In the current game, once you have access and money for jumpdrives, trading becomes... well, rather dull. Even things on the other side of the map can be gotten to easily with little-to-no threat to the player because the player can just jump to the needed system.

What I am imagining now is a better role for trade convoys and, specifically, the TL class of ships. Right now all the TL is really good for is storage and station-building. What if you made it so that there were stations that required huge, HUGE amounts of resources in one go (either just one resource or multiple simultaneously)? For instance, you could make an existing factory require the same amount of resources per unit of product, but have it so that they're producing in much larger batches that need large quantities of the resources for each cycle. You'd have much more of a reason to escort a large group of freighters or a couple TL-class ships through space, especially since in most cases you wouldn't be able to jump directly to a sector, to get your delivery through. It'd make TL-class ships more appealing for trading.

Making TL-class ships much more viable for the trading would lend a hand to creating the sense of a much larger universe than we currently have. You just aren't a big business until you have a few of them flying around!

EDIT: And if you can make the AI use trade convoys more frequently as well, that'd be even better!

[Alexal]

Will you make an adaptation to the upcoming 2.5 patch?
Or may be you are planning a new version?

[Gavrushka]

@ Halycon - I love the big trade fleet idea - You could develop that further and use the various Guilds round the map for huge trade missions too - 240,000 energy cells in 4 days or the like (with an agreed pick up point for the resources - a genuine haul my goods mission) - not 6 minutes (realism out the window). - You could get up to date flight information leading to detours to avoid hot spots, many ' external events' could be applied to these missions.

I think we're all well overdue for another screenshot by the way.... Go on, just the one...

[djrygar]

nice idea with large deliveries/convoys. And 'protect convoy' missions would make bit more sense (if we forget about out of thin air spawning)



the thing that I'd love to see the most is main storyline evolving aroud defeating xenons (or khaak). Not exactly like O.F.F. The big goal of game would be to defeat all xenons. But they would be governed by Improved Races script. Also there couldn't be xenon-spawning in defeated xenon sector.

Also wonderfully would be removing all regular pirates and use just Pirate Guild instead.

ah.. dreams. ;D easy to say hard to do.

[escondido]

so guys...no more information about this new mood !!??

[Ketraar]

Well we are still in Alpha 2 testphase, we are still evaluating testers feedback while working on alpha 3.

Also RL and other time consuming things happen, its been a bit quiet, but stay tuned for news and/or feel free to post ideas.

We may also open alpha 3 to non-German speaking users which may want to help test that one.

More info in near future.

MFG

Ketraar

[Boredom]

I think all ideas intended to bring some realism to the game are to be taken very carefully. Small details like restraining jumpdrive use, or making more and bigger and tougher hostile fleets (just a couple examples), making it more difficult to gather some savings for a new ship or a so needed factory, will take a big toll on the total game play time, where the asset logistics, overall micro management and fleet management will take too much time to be enjoyable.
The player will eventually be able to manufacture most or all of the logistic items (weapons, missiles) to fit a fleet, but unless theres multiple huuuge factories to make the required amounts needed, which will take a long long time to achieve, its necessary to rely on NPC factories and EQ Docks for this; that may mean a ship waiting at every HEPT for the cycle to complete, and more ships to keep those factories supplied. Those will have to be babysitted all the time, because they will likely get blown up somewhere. This seems like too big of an effort for such simple things like getting some guns. Or using a jumpdrive for a quick snatch before NPC traders can fetch.
It seems realistic that TL/TS/M6 and above have jumpdrive capabilities, while M5/M4/M3 rely on carriers. It makes a ton of sense, and i enforce that rule on myself. But the idea of a "jump event" capable ship, that can allow nearby fighter escorts to jump without the need for a carrier, seems reasonable, in case there is no carrier available or it gets blown up, for the sake of making things look right.
IMHO, the original idea of using EC to power up the jumpdrive is r*******, ships having power generators on board and all. The Advanced Jumpdrive (by Cycrow) is a so much blessed welcome feature, and its nothing less then what it should have been from the very beginning, and it should be kept.
Id say this game is all about space combat and getting the assets to do so, not babysitting a fleet of haulers through 10 sectors in the hope of making a little profit before NPC get there first, run ruined if a ship gets blown up somewhere else. That may seem fun, but maybe so for a couple times. Unless its REALLY REALY worth it, like a specific very very well payed mission.
Making it too much harder will eventually get old but for the most no life hardcore players, which are probably only a handfull, while the rest like to try new stuff, deal with the management and have fun blowing up things.
After all this is not a MMORPG, where everything is really dynamic and theres player interaction, its Player vs NPC, objectives and goals are absolutely necessary to keep the wheels turning, or boredom will get in pretty quick. I would be bored if i had to play at least 6 hours a day for months just to get a crappy M7 with guns and stuff, that is if, for some magical reason, ships were not getting blown up all the time and needed to be replaced. Or many many reloads and frustration.

If you dont really care about what i think, mind that you read it all the way here. And yes, i hope this comes out a muddafreakin kickass mod, even more, a legacy.

[Killjaeden]

Id say this game is all about space combat and getting the assets to do so, not babysitting a fleet of haulers through 10 sectors in the hope of making a little profit before NPC get there first, run ruined if a ship gets blown up somewhere else. That may seem fun, but maybe so for a couple times. Unless its REALLY REALY worth it, like a specific very very well payed mission.

If you don't like trading or fleetmanagement you miss a big part of the game. In vanilla you don't need to trade or manage a fleet.
A single ship is enough to jump to a specific point in a specific sector in no-time and level that place.

If you can't jump to every sector anymore the hole universe feels a lot bigger therefore making a better impression of a 'universe'

[CraterFace]

*SNIP*

"Combination of ATAG and TriMod"

ATAG = Adding Think And Gameplay

[hotrod08]

Hi all THANK YOU FOR SOMETHING NEW (to me any way) lol
heck of a good idea I would wecome the chance to help test on any level individual sectors or complete mod again thank you exellent work

[Robert Foster]

Now this looks like a TS ship.
http://www.after-domination.net/mod-ftp ... adi_TS.jpg
Freaking awesome.

I wonder how the TL looks.
Hope its bulky but the same aspect as this one.
I miss BTF TL.
It was big and you know it was a TL.
Lately Egosoft has been slimming its ships.
So a TL does not look like a TL, but more like a M5.......lmao

This Paranid TS here just looks awesome (both ships)
http://www.after-domination.net/mod-ftp ... nid_TS.jpg

This ship is very creative, Love it.
http://www.after-domination.net/mod-ftp ... lit_TS.jpg

See, THIS is how the Split is suppose to look.
Just awesome guys.


When is this coming out.?

I have an idea, The third picture the idea comes from.
Taking the engine part. and doing that shape throughout the whole ship.
But basically making the ship into an ( X )
but the same length as the TS.

[djrygar]

I just wanted to ask (very politely )- is there any action going with this mod? I'm very eager to see some updates about progress, we havent heard any news for quite long time...

[Ketraar]

My statement from Dez. 3rd still applies, maybe we can make alpha 3 available next week or two. Note that any alpha testing will have to be done in a private forum though, don't expect any public releases in near future.

MFG

Ketraar

[djrygar]

thank you!

no Santa this year it seems ;>

really hope you will bring us something one day;>

[paulwheeler]

I am looking forward to seeing how this mod develops. I've often thought that the ease of availability of the jumpdrive spoils the feel of X3. The idea of having clusters of sectors with jump gates only on the border sectors sounds great. It also gives a meaning back into border sectors. In the vanilla game I don't think that the border sectors are any less safe than the core sectors. I hope you'll also make the sectors a lot larger than they currently are.

In the mean time I wonder what would happen if you simply changed the ware size of the jumpdrive to XL in the vanilla game? This at least would eliminate jumping for most fighters. Would it mess things up too much?

[Ketraar]

In the mean time I wonder what would happen if you simply changed the ware size of the jumpdrive to XL in the vanilla game? This at least would eliminate jumping for most fighters. Would it mess things up too much?

We went a step further and made it ST class. Of course some ships now get ST class like M7 for example, this alone makes one big difference in game play. Think of all quick jump&buy runs you no longer can make. And when you finally can buy ships with ST class (as in with jump capability) those don't really fit the trading role, due to their speed and (missing) docking possibilities. Makes you rethink most strategies.

But there is much more...

MFG

Ketraar

[HalcyonSpirit]

We went a step further and made it ST class. Of course some ships now get ST class like M7 for example, this alone makes one big difference in game play. Think of all quick jump&buy runs you no longer can make. And when you finally can buy ships with ST class (as in with jump capability) those don't really fit the trading role, due to their speed and (missing) docking possibilities. Makes you rethink most strategies.

But there is much more...

*unmitigated, joyous applause*

So... beautiful... Music to my ears. Whenever you get a public version out, you already know I'll SO BE THERE.

[Apollo303]

This looks absolutely amazeing, really looking forward to the full release and that probably is gonna be quite awhile away but still im looking forward to running this.

May i make a suggestion, just an idea really, you have probably have already got names and such for those new Super Freighters, but i was just thinking about calling them Capitol Freighters.... anyways was just an idea, keep uo the great work

[Ketraar]

you have probably have already got names and such for those new Super Freighters, but i was just thinking about calling them Capitol Freighters

Yeah, well we used some "spare" names which also have sound output, sounds kinda dull when you target a ship and betty says: " *spaceflywhispering*... Superfreighter" or just nothing

The used names are nice though

MFG

Ketraar

[Apollo303]

Well i just got to thinking about names so i got a few newish ones if your interested, again just ideas tho

Argon - Pallisade Capitol Freighter
Boron - Algeas Capitol Freighter
Paranid - Herculean or Hercamedes Capitol Freighter
Terran - Angelica Capitol Freighter
Split - Caileyan Capitol Freighter
Teladi - Vulturion Capitol Freighter

Well thats my donation, hope you like them, obviously you don`t have to use them but it`s nice to try and get involved in something new.