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small Universe in box style = no go

SystemSystem Member, NoReporting Posts: 178,019 Arc User
I really like the game but...

i really have a problem with the room like sector blocks and the small universe.

I find it most disturbing to go through rooms and have to load every time i go from one sector to another.

I find it hard to go with this because in many games you can go explore the distance without loading and sector space isn't that overloaded that there is a reason it should be done in boxes with loading screens.

Could we please change this to be atleast without those rooms...and can we make the universe be as big as it should be?
Post edited by Unknown User on

Comments

  • Archived PostArchived Post Member Posts: 2,264,498 Arc User
    edited February 2010
    Its simply because of their instanced based system. Each sector has multiple instances for load bearing. Do I think they could do it better ? Possibly but thats what it is. I do think they should find a way to move between instances more seamlessly.
  • Archived PostArchived Post Member Posts: 2,264,498 Arc User
    edited February 2010
    EaglePryde wrote: »
    I really like the game but...

    i really have a problem with the room like sector blocks and the small universe.

    I find it most disturbing to go through rooms and have to load every time i go from one sector to another.

    I find it hard to go with this because in many games you can go explore the distance without loading and sector space isn't that overloaded that there is a reason it should be done in boxes with loading screens.

    Could we please change this to be atleast without those rooms...and can we make the universe be as big as it should be?

    Even if they make big worlds it will still be instanced. That is how the game engine is. So loading screens will stay.
  • Archived PostArchived Post Member Posts: 2,264,498 Arc User
    edited February 2010
    mickeyx wrote:
    Even if they make big worlds it will still be instanced. That is how the game engine is. So loading screens will stay.

    Instancing will stay but I do believe there should be methods to make moving between instances almost seamless and possibly even without loading screens.

    You could have it so the entire galaxy is 'visible' with more detail (planets, ships) revealed by moving into those areas. If the instance data is loaded in the background and instances pre-assigned before you arrive it can be very seamless.
  • Archived PostArchived Post Member Posts: 2,264,498 Arc User
    edited February 2010
    You could even instance huge maps with ease. Just depends how you split it and render it at distance. Most instancing is also done in different systems.

    So really i don't see why they did it that way...it's just feels unnatural and really kills the trek feeling. The rest of the game is fine and needs just expanding and some more twists and turns
  • Archived PostArchived Post Member Posts: 2,264,498 Arc User
    edited February 2010
    The Sector Space Map is like the weakest part of this game. I don't remember anything in ST remotely like it. The series had a much better interface. The Captains just said "Go to XXXX system" The same mechanics could be used for all known space. Warp out, the loading screen should be the ship flying through space, then Warp in to destination. Simple effective.

    The star background should be the interface for manual flying, any selectable start is in range to warp to. The 3D engines would make short work of even 100k stars projected into space, and only a 100 or so need to be selectable.

    IMHO: should be 3 levels of flight

    Open Space at Warp Speed, Stars are presented in 3D space. You can select a known star by name, by just clicking it from mission. Unknown stars would be selected from the main screen. The actually travel time would be ignored. Jump would be limited to warp speed (10 = 1000 light years). Wormholes could be used to attach further areas.

    Solar System Level has all planets, and can travel at warp speeds around it, you would start at the destination planet designated buy the mission. If manual the A planet would be present while the system is loaded the captain would select the planet or asteroid belt. Nebulas and such just pick a spot.

    Subwarp, what we have now, in combat and exploration.

    The biggest thing would be a star system is fixed once you discover it, you can return to it. You log would have a list of all the locations you have visited. You could also , get it coordinates and share with others. These would be developed by players. If you find a star system unknown by anyone, you can proceed to use its, Possibly name it (only one per player)

    later expansions: You could set up the planets, the quests on those planets. Any player only gets one system to build on, and up to 3 planets can be made with normal, more through C-Store, possibly buy additional star claims via C-Store as well. Also exceptional setups could be promoted to "known" and the player gets another system to play with.
  • Archived PostArchived Post Member Posts: 2,264,498 Arc User
    edited February 2010
    Sector space could benefit massively just from some minor graphical changes.

    1; Vastly (like 85%) decrease the opacity of the 'interface' like elements.
    (The grid, the 'space roads' the planet orbit circles, everything but the names)

    2; Decrease ship size in sector space by 10 to 20%.

    3; Make the star-field more deep and beautiful and bright.

    All this would cause the space to feel bigger and less 'interface like'

    Finally;

    5; add a warp-star effect around your ship (only visible to you) when it is in motion whose length of streak and speed are proportional to your current selected speed.

    All those relatively small changes (EASILY placed in a patch) would vastly increase the experience of Sector Space.
  • Archived PostArchived Post Member Posts: 2,264,498 Arc User
    edited February 2010
    I don't know, I like Sector Space as it is now. We often could notice these kinds of maps with ship movements (like in some DS9 episodes, I remember) and it's open enough for everyone to move to their destination without being too visually heavy. All the stuff that has been said here might as well be followed by "in my opinion" and as there's thousands of opinions for thousands of people playing, making even one of your suggestions might make half of the population dislike it, etc...
  • Archived PostArchived Post Member Posts: 2,264,498 Arc User
    edited February 2010
    ****tor wrote: »
    I don't know, I like Sector Space as it is now. We often could notice these kinds of maps with ship movements (like in some DS9 episodes, I remember) and it's open enough for everyone to move to their destination without being too visually heavy. All the stuff that has been said here might as well be followed by "in my opinion" and as there's thousands of opinions for thousands of people playing, making even one of your suggestions might make half of the population dislike it, etc...

    you mean stellar cartography. That wouldn't represent the normal view you would have while on the bridge...because you ARE a captain. And Star Trek was never a couple of rooms, neighter did other space games have such small space to travell.

    Either way it's not welcome to have small rooms. And it's not something we could have done better with the software we have at present. In present times this should be an easy task to make a whole universe without a "room" style. Even with instancing.

    And in Star Trek you would say where you want to go and directly warp there...there wasn't any room feeling or going around the corners through 3 sectors...it always was a direct path from A to B
  • Archived PostArchived Post Member Posts: 2,264,498 Arc User
    edited February 2010
    mickeyx wrote:
    Even if they make big worlds it will still be instanced. That is how the game engine is. So loading screens will stay.

    Excuse me..loading screens for what? It's not much art there...and not much player ships eighter...you could load these things on the fly in the background.
  • Archived PostArchived Post Member Posts: 2,264,498 Arc User
    edited February 2010
    EaglePryde wrote: »
    Excuse me..loading screens for what? It's not much art there...and not much player ships eighter...you could load these things on the fly in the background.

    Exactly my thoughts. BUT Ill give Cryptic a pass on it for now. Lets have the game be stable enough as is before we seek improvements like this. Id say it could be done maybe next year.
  • Archived PostArchived Post Member Posts: 2,264,498 Arc User
    edited February 2010
    kanid wrote:
    Exactly my thoughts. BUT Ill give Cryptic a pass on it for now. Lets have the game be stable enough as is before we seek improvements like this. Id say it could be done maybe next year.

    Sure it will take some time if they will do it at some point. But it is something that should be changed at some point to make the game more trek. Like i said in my first post is that i like the game but things should change sooner or later.

    Stability is the first thing that needs to be done. Then some balancing and additional bug fixing. Content additions and later on the problem with sector room space and universe proportions.
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