Suggestion for Adding Ground Depth to Game

how Stardock can enhance its 3d feature

from Sins Forums

It's obvious why Stardock has flatly declared ground fighting off limits for this game: in addition to the cost of tacking a whole new game onto the old one, it would upset the balance of the gameplay.

But here's an idea for adding some simple ground sims into those interstices of gameplay where there aren't enough resources to order up the next action and the player is reluctant to drive up black market prices:

Player zooms to the portion of the planet directly under a tactical defense unit, a trade port, or a broadcaster, and adds a fixture on the ground that will enhance the function of the orbiting unit. Once the fixture is added, some enhancement sims can be randomly generated around it over time. Another player trying to take over the planet later would see these sims when zooming in to tag the fixtures as bombing targets.

(Sims design shouldn't be too costly for the game developer: There are only four planet types and three factions. It would be the equivalent of designing a few new ship types.)

Rules for adding ground fixtures: They should not cost any resources, since the idea is to set them up when resources are low. But they should not be possible until both "civilian infrastructure" and "emergency facilities" are fully developed.

The player challenge would actually be at the point of placing the orbiting units: If they are not directly over an appropriate terrain, such as a land mass, there will be no possibility of adding an enhancement fixture later.

End result:

- Gameplay that actually requires the 3D navigational features that are already in place

- Something for the player to do when resources are low and the black market is volatile

- Extra eye candy and the sense that the vast battles in space correspond to assets on the ground.

2,724 views 2 replies
Reply #1 from Stardock Forums Top

just while glancing at the idea, one visual problem is that the planet revolves while orbital structures do not.

then, if you want to place an important structure, like a military lab, phase disruptor, shield generator etc behind the planet, but orbital structures revolve with the planet, then all the enemy has to do is time his jump appropriately to circumvent the act of shielding it behind the planet

gameplay wise, it could be useful, but i think you are thinking too much in terms of eye candy, everything you are suggesting can be done with the click of a button and it could all go on behind the scenes... i can see alot of people regarding your ideas as they are as cluttering the flow of the game

still, boosting income rates etc via extra ground structures... could be interesting... extra ground based planetary defense systems could also be good

Reply #2 from Sins Forums Top

you might be running into performance issues with alot of users.

My pc barely makes it though huge maps with 3+ players as it is ( i usually have to start disabling all the eye candy by mid game- planet rings, planet elevators, asteroids, debris clouds, etc...)

 

Star Control: Origins