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Freeman69! Sounds like Christmas for me!
In case of the combatsystem: Maybe you could try to release some conceptdemos of how combat would work so we can discus the pros and contras?
I am not a big fan of turn based combat. It takes out the speed of the entire game. I realy can see the strategic chance, but it is somehow strange to fly arround the galaxy in realtime and have to stop in action parts.
no I agree with a game like this you wouldn't want turn based combat.
I'm designing the program to make the inclusion of missions easier to add. The technical part is recognising certain events and being able to script missions so that events trigger the next step.
I'm leaning towards the player navigating in hyperspace, like in Babylon 5. So you steer towards a hyperspace beacon which brings you back into normal space when reached. That way, I can include a beacon, or directional sound, for a distant target location. But it's just an idea at the moment. When making a long trip, you would have to re-enter normal space to refuel.
I may also be able to add wormhole shortcuts through space.
Combat would be in real time and part of the flight sim, when flying to and from planets. Just like elite.
The main trick is allowing the player to identify and chase ships and objects through space.
I'm experimenting with simulating a doppler change in tone to provide a more immediate indication of whether an object is moving towards you or away, in combinaton with amplitude and stereo positioning.
I'm using simple sounds built into the language, which includes 8 different simple waveforms or voices.
Objects and ships would sound like beacons playing a simple pattern very fast, so you can distinguish between missiles and ships.
The pattern reverses when the object is behind you.
It's all experimental at the moment.
The size of the universe is undetermined at the moment. At minimum, it needs to be large enough to explore, and allow navigation while avoiding anarchy systems. But we're talking hundreds of star systems at the least.
The universe would be procedurally generated, with a few creative touches.
I'm still working on the method of creating a simple solar system, and how much it could contain.
This has to be joined up with the ability to create missions and spawn ships, both enemy and neutral.
hmmm I wonder. I've been thinking about this. are you going to have ship engine sounds in the game? because I'm wondering if you could for example target a vestle, when the vestle is targeted you could have a series of beeps like you would get for missile tracking. the closer the beep sounds are together the closer the vestle is. you could have the beeps and the engine noise of the specific vestle changing in relation to where you are. so you could hear it off to your left or right. increase in pitch of the targeting beep could mean it's above you a decrease is below you. when the target is centered you could have a constant beep or a different type of sound.
before you you go into the actual game you could have a training mission. some mainstream games do this. this would talk you through the main controls you would need for flight navigation etc.
how are you going to deal with hyperspace? depending on what you say I might have some ideas on that.
Hi Darren
The initial tests I've been doing involve the use of basic tones in a pattern, rather than audio samples or effects like engines.
I want the player to feel like they are in a real environment, with ships and other objects passing by, chasing you or being chased by you.
The problem is providing a system to help the player identify the position of an object, or multiple objects.
It is in 2 dimensions only, like Treasure Islands, but you will be dogfighting at speed.
Using the stereo bias of left and right, provides information on objects to the left or right, but doesn't help when the object is behind you.
I'm aware of 3D sound, but I don't know its capabilities or how to do anything, even if its available.
The amplitude or loudness of an object can give an indication of distance.
I'm using a subtle change in pitch to mimic the doppler effect, which works okay.
At the moment, I have a system for prioritizing objects and assigning them to one of just a few sound channels. So you might hear a missile coming after you, as well as the ship that fired it, and perhaps a nearby asteroid.
On top of all this you will have throttle changes, weapons lock indicator, detection of sun and planet, weapons fire, shield and hull damage and warnings.
So it could get quite busy.
My current idea for hyperspace is that you can enter hyperspace anywhere, and you navigate through hyperspace like normal space.
You would hear beacons in front of you and to the side, much like your idea for ship engines.
If you've set a distant target system, then you would hear that too, possibly.
You would exit hyperspace on reaching a beacon. If you run out of fuel then you could become marooned in hyperspace.
I'm leaning towards being able to exit anywhere, but if you're not near a beacon then you would end up in a system with just a star.
This would also allow you to be diverted and ambushed by aliens, like in the original Elite.
The odd wormhole, in normal space, would spit you out directly into another, distant system.
Wormholes would be one way and bypass hyperspace.
Some of this is dependent on how the program develops when I add new functions. Sometimes a good idea can be difficult to implement, and a simpler but more effective solution appears unexpectedly.
Hope the above provides a flavour of what I'm aiming for.
Just an update on my next project:
Experiments with using sound to provide position and movement information has led to using a solid tone for objects in front of the player and a trill or warbling tone for those behind. The doppler effect works okay to indicate movement towards, or away from the player. The player can identify the object type, broadly speaking, by its general tone and duration, as well as determine its position.
For the universe, I'm moving towards a grid of 100 by 100 star systems, accessible via hyperspace, with 600 populated systems. But all stars can be visited. Flying through hyperspace is an alternative to working with a 2D map.
The universe is connected to the flight sim, which is connected to ship and object types and includes environmental zones. Ships vary in type and equipment. And trade is linked to system politics. There's a lot to do.
The game will hopefully be a 2D version of Elite, flown using the keyboard, mouse or joystick. Rate of turn and forward speed can vary, like in a plane, so it should have a dogfighting feel.
And I'm designing it to make the inclusion of a few missions easier.
Will be back in touch when done, but all the elements of the game are feasible.
nice one. are you going to try and make the universe bigger at some point? what will you be able to do with the unpopulated systems? what sorts of features will you include in the game?
Hi Darren,
10 thousand stars to visit isn't enough, he asks, smiling?
The plan at the moment is to have a procedurally generated map, which will include a network of wormholes leading to distance stars, bypassing hyperspace. I will have nebulae and asteroid belts. Stations around planets and different kinds of planets which you may be able to land on if your ship is properly equipped.
The game will revolve around trading between populated systems and combat, just like the original. I want to add missions which will make some use of the unpopulated systems. I may make more use of the unpopulated systems, but that will take more planning.
There will be alternative ships to buy, equipment to purchase. Possibly an automatic rail gun turret as well as a main beam weapon.
You will scoop up cargo, and broken down asteroids and sun skim for fuel, like the original.
Lots to work out, especially the missions.
yes lol I realised 10000 stars lol although if it's proceedually generated it will get bigger I think. what about different factions and organizations? you could do missions for the military or other such factions.
@Darren. One of my favourite games is Sid Meiers Alpha Centuri, where you take control of one of a number of different factions and compete for dominance. Also Birth of the Federation, where you can be one of a number of different races.
I would love to build a game with complex interation between multiple factions, but given the constraints I'm working within, that's a step to far at the moment. I have tried, in the past, and had a galactic map where territories changed as one faction invaded another's territory.
Maybe I could do a simplified version of that, with trading opportunities affected by the faction in control. And just refer to the factions in the mission text. The original Elite had government types. I could extend them to include active factions.
yeah the original elite didn't really give much affect to the various government types. apart from the obvious where you could sell firearms etc.
with the way you are coding this game does it allow for future expantion and if so could you expand it to include stuff like this?
Treasure islands now has a page on the database, find it here
I've also cleaned up and expanded the page for Echo quadrant as well.
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