simple changes for simpler empires

Discussion in 'Feedback' started by mr_quackums, Nov 25, 2008.

  1. mr_quackums

    mr_quackums Member

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    i was inspired by blizzard and Aquillion (and Alceister's ranting on offtopicness) from here: http://forums.empiresmod.com/showthread.php?t=7311&page=3

    blizzard:
    Aquillion:
    in short 2 major issues need to be worked on

    1, more information for and about engies: the "i need health/ammo" signs which show up on the minimap need to be displayed in your field of vision somehow and people need an easy way to know when engies can revive and drop ammo the simplest way to do both is through icons over player's heads. i know the devs are busy, but im sure someone can draw up something in paint that would work for icons (hell, a few are already in game and just need to be copied from the minimap) and even though i dont know shit about coding, im sure it couldnt take more than a few mins to implement these changes.

    and 2, voice menu overhaul: one problem with empires since i started playing in 1.07 was the voice menu. it seems like a minor point because no one uses it (or if they do they modify it through config files and/or have been playing forever) but if it was more simple and less cumbersome more people would use it, and there actually allot of useful things in there which need to be made more accessible.

    plus one actually from me: i know more than a few people from here play dwarf fortress, and perhaps some of the dev team also. i think it would increase community confidence and reduce the amount of stupid suggestions/questions if the devs laid out a detailed update schedule like DF has. it need not be as in depth as the DF one but something simple can work as long as the presentation of it makes it seem as though it is set in stone, after all its main purpose is for the community to have some general map and even though maps do not have to be 100% accurate to get the job done, but they do need to be generally reliable. it could also help the team get their own agenda set, i have no idea if this is an issue or not but sometimes it seems like it is. i suggest either a page on the website, or a stickied and locked post in the forums.
     
  2. Beerdude26

    Beerdude26 OnThink(){ IsDownYet(); }

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    Hmm, people who see what devs are trying to realize, I like

    This is what the developers will attempt to do (from what I have gathered, please do correct me if I am mistaken). They will set out a type of "redesign-document", streamlining Empires so it ties teamwork more inherently into the game and balances everything out correctly.
     
  3. Aquillion

    Aquillion Member

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    Actually, you know what I'd like to see from the devs, if they ever get a chance?

    What they see as the basic principals of Empires -- what they're trying to do with the game, what they see as its good points, what they see as things to avoid, and so on, in terms of broad goals and gameplay mechanics.

    Basically, a list of the sorts of arguments that are good for convincing them on a suggestion, and the sorts of arguments that can shoot down a suggestion. We already have some basics that you can see in most threads -- realism isn't important, teamwork is good, etc. But I'm curious what else they consider.
     
  4. Metal Smith

    Metal Smith Member

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    How should I say this.

    From what I understand, most of the devs have a lot to do IRL. Families, friends, and other relationships that makes putting forth the amount of commitment that making empires perfect would require. These people aren't doing this for something to put on their resume's. They aren't doing it because there is some gap in society and gaming that must be filled. They do it because they enjoy it. It's a hobby.

    that last bit. That is the reason they keep on going with empires. They don't want to leave it half assed or half finished. Unfortunately they only have so much time during the day.

    This means a process like changing to OB takes 500 hours of work. Well, they get 7-10~ hours a week, that's 50~ weeks.

    If this was their job, or they had nothing else to do (Student with time on their hands for example), they may be able to put in 4-5 hours a day, making roughly 500 hours or work at 35 hours a week only take 10 weeks.


    You guys seem to expect the mod team to do this on the person with a lot of time on their hands schedule. I don't think they are on that schedule. That is something a large part of this community seems to have accepted, and they get annoyed when someone new comes in, posts 500 ideas. The majority of them have already been shot down. And then that person gets upset that said community doesn't agree with their opinions, and won't give their reasons for that disagreement for the 500th time.

    That's my point of view. I'm perfectly content to play empires, possibly get bored and not play for a while, then pick it up again. Wait for a new version to come out, and slowly dread the day I have to upgrade my 6 year old PC to play it.


    *edit* really, if you know how to look for the information, the devs tell you exactly what they are doing. They can't put a time line on it though.
     
    Last edited: Nov 25, 2008
  5. mr_quackums

    mr_quackums Member

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    i realise that the devs are busy and work on this project as a labor of love, but im sure a good chunk of their time is spent on the forums and i am attempting to reduce the amount of aggravation i assume that causes them.
     
  6. Beerdude26

    Beerdude26 OnThink(){ IsDownYet(); }

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    This does not yet exist. I am assuming that this what we will try to agree upon first and then streamline the game accordingly.

    It appears some of you seem to forget that 2.2. was merely a port to the OB engine with the odd bugfix and balancing thrown in. I ran ahead of the parade and changed weaponry to be more teamwork-reliant (that, and its code was bugged from 1.07 on) to prepare people for the next version.
     
    Last edited: Nov 25, 2008
  7. blizzerd

    blizzerd Member

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    a good decision, with a limited time budged, its important that before any code is changed, you know where you want to end up

    keep us, as always, updated

    i am truly honored i inspire you, but you spelled my name wrong... twice...
     
    Last edited: Nov 26, 2008
  8. mr_quackums

    mr_quackums Member

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    ^hehe, sry.
     
  9. De_Ghost

    De_Ghost Member

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    you know what would help?
    if you can see what skill and equip the guy running to u has?
    i mean if i'm dead and looking around and a guy run to me holds a calculator and have rev i'd wait a bit longer
    if i'm in a fire fight and the guy beside me have like 2 bullets left i'd run like hell
    so like point the cross hair at ur team and see what he has
    it would also allow us to point the noobs the right way
    i mean if he have like increase ammo as an eng while he can drop an ammo box.....
     
  10. Empty

    Empty Member

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    I've siad it before, I'll say it again.
    Small icons above player heads showing what 'teamwork' skills they have, whether they can drop ammo, repair upgrade, revive, level 3, not much i can think of for other classes.
     
  11. blizzerd

    blizzerd Member

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    Yea empty, i would like to see that too, perhaps make a thread about it when it ends up not being in the new design document once the devs make it ^^
     
  12. No. 6

    No. 6 Member

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    Ya, but they'll already have ammo or health icons above them if they're calling for health or resupply. How about skill info goes right under the name and health when you look at the person. Good squads should be sticking together, you should be able to see everyone.
     
  13. Ikalx

    Ikalx Member

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    We had a lot of suggestions like this in the past - patches on the arms to identify class and things like that too. It came down to something like "if you can provide the icons/patches/whatever, then we will probably be able to implement it". So if you can...it's 1 step closer.
     
  14. Aquillion

    Aquillion Member

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    What format should the icons be in? I mean, just coming up with some simple icons isn't hard...
     
  15. Ikalx

    Ikalx Member

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    That's completely yanked from one of beerdudes posts back in the end of january in the tester forum...that is the limit of my knowledge. [I'm sure someone will edit it if i've overstepped my bounds]
     
    Last edited: Nov 29, 2008
  16. Empty

    Empty Member

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    Well we have plenty of standard icons that can fill that.
    The repair icon
    The heal icon
    The ammo icon
     
  17. mr_quackums

    mr_quackums Member

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    if you want it then do it.



    (yes, you. im talking to you. close the browser, stop downloading you porn, and get to working on this.)
     
  18. No. 6

    No. 6 Member

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    Fine, but tell me where to find tutorials on this. I want to make my own building animation but don't know how the hell to do it. I barely know what a source file is.


    I think we've just reached an all-time low.
     
    Last edited: Nov 30, 2008
  19. Beerdude26

    Beerdude26 OnThink(){ IsDownYet(); }

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  20. Carbon Copy

    Carbon Copy Member

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    Pretty much agree with all of that.

    One thing that gets me though is the website, its the first thing any new player will really see and its not excatly the best.

    For instance why arn't the blogs even posted up on the site? At least it would show this mod is still being developed instead of the last piece of news being 6 months old now at least.

    Id try and have a hack at it if I had the time to but im sure someone on this forum would be able to make a new one with just abit of help from the devs. (Or be given permission)

    Updating the website and the Wiki, all its needs is someone not from the dev team to get this mod out there more.
     

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