It's no secret I don't like DSEs - and you can read all about that elsewhere here on the forums, if you are so inclined. What I have here is an alternative to the DSEs with which we are currently blessed, and it goes like this:
Step 1. Take them out of the Sector Blocks. It makes no sense that *mass quantities* of enemy ships are lounging around in such heavily trafficked areas, waiting to pounce on some unsuspecting passerby. If it was a small group of enemy ships that somehow managed to slip into Federation space, okay, that would be one thing. If it was JUST in the Neutral Zone areas, maybe. But all these vast armadas lurking about in heavily populated areas - in my opinion, it's just plain silly. I mean, there you are, flying along, and all around you are other players, chatting away... and then there's these lone enemy ships just sort of aimlessly wandering about that will sometimes take it upon themselves to chase someone and pull them into what seems to be an alternate reality, filled with enemies...
Step 2. Put them in the Exploration Areas, like the Arucanis Arm or the Delta Volanis Cluster. The mysterious regions of space where a 'Deep Space' encounter would logically occur. Then, when you approach (for example) an Arucanis Arm Anomaly you would get: Scan Anomalous Reading, Explore Unknown System, or Deep Space Encounter.
Step 3. Lose the Armadas! Those things belong in Fleet Actions, where, you know, a FLEET can fight them. Make DSEs smaller - scale them to the size of the team (or single player). No more than a handful of ships, and that's if you really can't come up with something more creative than yet another space battle (think - Nomad, Trelane, Sylvia and Korob, Apollo, 'Galaxy's Child', etc etc.). If that's just too much, have DSEs offer random missions similar to those you've already made: a small scale battle with the usual suspects, an 'First Contact' mission, an 'Aid the Planet' type thing except with a damaged vessel instead of a planet - almost anything could be a DSE - just for the sake of the Great Bird of the Galaxy, no more of those mass quantities of spawn-camping enemies as seen in the current version of DSEs.
It's no secret I don't like DSEs - and you can read all about that elsewhere here on the forums, if you are so inclined. What I have here is an alternative to the DSEs with which we are currently blessed, and it goes like this:
Step 1. Take them out of the Sector Blocks. It makes no sense that *mass quantities* of enemy ships are lounging around in such heavily trafficked areas, waiting to pounce on some unsuspecting passerby. If it was a small group of enemy ships that somehow managed to slip into Federation space, okay, that would be one thing. If it was JUST in the Neutral Zone areas, maybe. But all these vast armadas lurking about in heavily populated areas - in my opinion, it's just plain silly. I mean, there you are, flying along, and all around you are other players, chatting away... and then there's these lone enemy ships just sort of aimlessly wandering about that will sometimes take it upon themselves to chase someone and pull them into what seems to be an alternate reality, filled with enemies...
Step 2. Put them in the Exploration Areas, like the Arucanis Arm or the Delta Volanis Cluster. The mysterious regions of space where a 'Deep Space' encounter would logically occur. Then, when you approach (for example) an Arucanis Arm Anomaly you would get: Scan Anomalous Reading, Explore Unknown System, or Deep Space Encounter.
Step 3. Lose the Armadas! Those things belong in Fleet Actions, where, you know, a FLEET can fight them. Make DSEs smaller - scale them to the size of the team (or single player). No more than a handful of ships, and that's if you really can't come up with something more creative than yet another space battle (think - Nomad, Trelane, Sylvia and Korob, Apollo, 'Galaxy's Child', etc etc.). If that's just too much, have DSEs offer random missions similar to those you've already made: a small scale battle with the usual suspects, an 'First Contact' mission, an 'Aid the Planet' type thing except with a damaged vessel instead of a planet - almost anything could be a DSE - just for the sake of the Great Bird of the Galaxy, no more of those mass quantities of spawn-camping enemies as seen in the current version of DSEs.
What sayest thou?
i wouldent mind if they had a purpose other than just for grinding , make them attack planets and hold them and us players have to take them back with our npc fleets
i dont see this interfereing with episodes as the maps for those are instanced anyway
I don't like the OPs idea - Space that is too safe equals no fun for me.
Having the posibility to get in to a fast fight from sector space is a good thing. If they are gone why bother having sector space at all, aside from eating player time they'd be totally pointless, might as well just have a mission list that instantly warps one to the next mission.
Random encounters are a good fun thing too. I rather enjoy them. If you don't care for them you can plot a course to avoid them, really it's not that hard. About the only times I get hit by DSE when I'm not OK with fighting one are when I'm deep into my character screen while in sector space, so I've learned to look at my screens before exiting my finished missions or after moving to my bridge if in sector space.
I think having more variey to DSE's could help. If the encounters were like those of Fallout it'd be awesome. Those random encounter were mostly combat but had merchant and specials too, best were the once in a players game type encounters.
What might help is if DSE's were less random on the map. If each sector map were composed of small enemy patrol zones and enemy encounters respawn rate was reduced players seeking/liking DSEs could keep sectors clear for others to use. Have an overlay that shows recently cleared zones in green on the mini-map while for safe travel while that zones enemy is waiting to recock.
Maybe make the space travel lanes that are totally disfunctional now can be made accessable to players - when departing a planet with a space lane allow the player to choose safe passage, normal free flight, or to patrol and select from a list of planets connected via that space lane. Once chosen their ship will travel either unmolested (or with possible special patrol type missions for those policing the lanes) like a slot car through sector space to their chosen destination.
I don't like the OPs idea - Space that is too safe equals no fun for me.
Having the posibility to get in to a fast fight from sector space is a good thing. If they are gone why bother having sector space at all, aside from eating player time they'd be totally pointless, might as well just have a mission list that instantly warps one to the next mission.
Random encounters are a good fun thing too. I rather enjoy them. If you don't care for them you can plot a course to avoid them, really it's not that hard. About the only times I get hit by DSE when I'm not OK with fighting one are when I'm deep into my character screen while in sector space, so I've learned to look at my screens before exiting my finished missions or after moving to my bridge if in sector space.
I think having more variey to DSE's could help. If the encounters were like those of Fallout it'd be awesome. Those random encounter were mostly combat but had merchant and specials too, best were the once in a players game type encounters.
What might help is if DSE's were less random on the map. If each sector map were composed of small enemy patrol zones and enemy encounters respawn rate was reduced players seeking/liking DSEs could keep sectors clear for others to use. Have an overlay that shows recently cleared zones in green on the mini-map while for safe travel while that zones enemy is waiting to recock.
Maybe make the space travel lanes that are totally disfunctional now can be made accessable to players - when departing a planet with a space lane allow the player to choose safe passage, normal free flight, or to patrol and select from a list of planets connected via that space lane. Once chosen their ship will travel either unmolested (or with possible special patrol type missions for those policing the lanes) like a slot car through sector space to their chosen destination.
edit- spelling errors lol
dosent address what the point of these npc is , there useless for anything other than mindless grinding a trained monkey could do
the npc in the game should be dynamic attacking planets and capturing and holding , make planet control give a faction wide minor buff or something ,
cant beleave that npc are still being used so weakly in any game , its not alot better than npc use in 1999 and everquest 1 ,
as i say that wouldent impact on episodes as they are instanced anyway
Comments
i wouldent mind if they had a purpose other than just for grinding , make them attack planets and hold them and us players have to take them back with our npc fleets
i dont see this interfereing with episodes as the maps for those are instanced anyway
Having the posibility to get in to a fast fight from sector space is a good thing. If they are gone why bother having sector space at all, aside from eating player time they'd be totally pointless, might as well just have a mission list that instantly warps one to the next mission.
Random encounters are a good fun thing too. I rather enjoy them. If you don't care for them you can plot a course to avoid them, really it's not that hard. About the only times I get hit by DSE when I'm not OK with fighting one are when I'm deep into my character screen while in sector space, so I've learned to look at my screens before exiting my finished missions or after moving to my bridge if in sector space.
I think having more variey to DSE's could help. If the encounters were like those of Fallout it'd be awesome. Those random encounter were mostly combat but had merchant and specials too, best were the once in a players game type encounters.
What might help is if DSE's were less random on the map. If each sector map were composed of small enemy patrol zones and enemy encounters respawn rate was reduced players seeking/liking DSEs could keep sectors clear for others to use. Have an overlay that shows recently cleared zones in green on the mini-map while for safe travel while that zones enemy is waiting to recock.
Maybe make the space travel lanes that are totally disfunctional now can be made accessable to players - when departing a planet with a space lane allow the player to choose safe passage, normal free flight, or to patrol and select from a list of planets connected via that space lane. Once chosen their ship will travel either unmolested (or with possible special patrol type missions for those policing the lanes) like a slot car through sector space to their chosen destination.
edit- spelling errors lol
dosent address what the point of these npc is , there useless for anything other than mindless grinding a trained monkey could do
the npc in the game should be dynamic attacking planets and capturing and holding , make planet control give a faction wide minor buff or something ,
cant beleave that npc are still being used so weakly in any game , its not alot better than npc use in 1999 and everquest 1 ,
as i say that wouldent impact on episodes as they are instanced anyway