107 replies to this topic

[a.fake.name]

I'm not sure, never played a campaign for more than 20 minutes. I don't like it's clustered galaxy map. But they do like to script, they even have triggerable cgi movies.

Yeah that sounds like it.

I do and don't approve of the clusters.

Take PR level of detail maps, but use clusters (IE: each cluster is accessed via a relative handful of access points) and the end result would be quite nice.
Or hell, have each cluster have its own detailed GC map.
PR ships in their maps would be really fun.

edit: Oh also, with their clusters you don't have the issue of sending ships/troops to the wrong planet because it's movement circles overlap with the ones you want to move to, a major issue for PR maps (and yes I know it's a minor issue, but for the quality we get in PR that means it's a major issue )

As for the scripting, yeah that is one thing they kinda are/were top tier in, however that scripting is more of an extra in my eyes, it's nice but needs more quality.

Aizen, link me to that ICW mod you talk about, I enjoy non fighter spam strats.

 

Edited by a.fake.name, 19 June 2014 - 05:08 PM.

[megabalta]

They used a palm like cluster map in Awakening of the rebellion, with clusters that consisted of 3 entrances (left, right, center) called fortresses, a central planet, and some sideplanets. And the whole GC map was circular. Interesting concept, but very "unrealistic".

 

I feel your wishes about the GC maps in the new version of PR will come true.

Edited by megabalta, 19 June 2014 - 05:32 PM.

[a.fake.name]

Yeah, the perfect circle aspect was a bit problematic to me too, however at the time I played it (years ago) it was the best map I had seen to date.

As for clusters in PR.... combine them with trade routes (IE: quick ways to move fast across the galaxy).

Your primary entrance points are major trading worlds on trade routes.
Seize the orbital for one of those, you get easy access into the local area's hyperspace routes.
Have other minor worlds (Especially ones with cantinas) sometimes have a direct access lane to the occasional major world or other minor world.
Have these routes set to make vessels using them go slower, as a mechanic to show why the main routes ARE the main routes.
For example, have a backway route to, within a few jumps, go from Toprawa to Tatooine (since that's what got all this started ).

Hell, if someone on the team could share an image file of a complete PR map of the GFFA, I'd be happy to arrange the dots and make preliminary maps for review, I bet it'd save a lot of time too.

 

[Aizen Teppa]

Sure no problem. Imperial Civil War mod vel Thrawn's Revenge. Same thing. Official name TR, mod directory is called ICW. 

 

Of course have DeFreezer on hand. You'll needed, not as quickly as in PR but after ~200-300 weeks most definitively - free advice on that: don't use DeFreezer on save with space/land combat! It will wipe - pretty much - whole reinforcement pool and replace ships with mining facilities, barracks and other fun things... Have you ever tried to deploy mine in space combat? I did but it didn't worked. Mine Facility of Mass Destruction, probably game engine was too terrified of consequences. 

 

I still haven't played everything but on GC scale with 91 planets Pentastar Alignment is defo most challenging. Either you bring your own fighters with Preators, Venators and fleet carriers or you are screwed which is easier said than done. At least initially (before conquering 2-3 extra planets) PA is vastly outnumbered by Empire (Imperial Remnant) and New Republic & with very little income (need to use discounts wisely). Empire of the Hand.is also fun, but they have best fighter (IMHO) in the whole game - Furion. Build 100-200 and laugh (just don't stay too long near Lancers for example he,he). Next time I will have fun with Warlords.

[a.fake.name]

I need to re-DL ICW sometime, haven't touched it in about a year or longer.

Anyone played PRs Thrawn campaign here lately ?

I've had a Imp playthru going for a while, but recently started a NR playthru, intending to have my sole strategy be violence of action.

The Imps lost the orbitals of at last five planets before the first week ended, along with their entire starting fleets on those worlds (and in a few cases, planetry garrisons they'd shifted to space)

I expect to have total victory within ten weeks max, fewer than five quite possible, as long as I maintain the violence of action.

[DoctorWho]

Will the Mandator-class Dreadnaught be included in v1.3?

[evilbobthebob]

Not as far as I know. I can say that is not in the current WIP version. It's not on our "wishlist" of units either, but that doesn't rule it out completely.

[johnchm.10]

There are a few other ships that we want that are of a higher priority like the Mon Remonda and MC90, Imo. Check out the suggestions page

[P.O._210877]

And let's not forget that PR's ships have ALL the weapons listed as canonical. That implies rigging and the bigger the ship...

[Aizen Teppa]

IMHO taking 'canon' too literally gets PR into problems. Example: Corelian Gunships are so tiny that it is borderline impossibility to target them in combat (always bigger target overlay smaller target). Of course it is not strictly problem of PR, but it is most visible issue of all mods I played so far. If AI deploy 200 of CC the only way to deal with them is to barrage area, option which is unavailable (vanilla had it with Broadside/Marauder, but it was stupidly implemented; should be done with turbolasers - Executors will do well here ).

 

I would gladly see some re-scaling up of 'insects' and scaling down biggest 'mammoths'. Game engine simply cannot handle such over-sized ships. Take it from myself. I prefer to build 50 Preators than any Executors or Sovereigns (building only if I need some planet defended at all cost early or build-able Hero). Smaller battle-cruisers are much more manageable, movement is smoother instead moving a at pace of 'reverse crawl' (2 steps forward, 1.5 step back).

[a.fake.name]

Rather than ruin the game to make things look pleasant, why not take gunships and other tiny capitols, and give them a unit icon like snubcraft have for selection purposes.

In fact, using that methodology, you could resize everything for better performance as well as making maps seem bigger.

Unless it's done like that, I have to 100% disagree with Aizens suggestion.

[evilbobthebob]

Well space scaling was adjusted in the current version. I'm probably going to be putting a space combat news piece out this week which should have some screenshots showing the changes. I should point out that the relative scaling of various craft is very important for their survivability.

Edited by evilbobthebob, 22 June 2014 - 05:02 PM.

[skie9173]

I've never once had problems targeting small craft like CC and the like. Between pause and being able to scroll in or out as needed (or using pause and scrolling together) scaling seems fine to me.

Larger ships have maneuverability issues, but that's more pathing than anything.

If anything has to be done, then add icons for small ships, leave larger ships as are more or less.

[Aizen Teppa]

Rather than ruin the game to make things look pleasant, why not take gunships and other tiny capitols, and give them a unit icon like snubcraft have for selection purposes.

In fact, using that methodology, you could resize everything for better performance as well as making maps seem bigger.

Unless it's done like that, I have to 100% disagree with Aizens suggestion.

 

Forgive me, but you missed the point completely. My desire is not adjust PR to look more "pleasant". It's about making efficient and manageable battlefield. It's pretty much the same problem we had in 1.0 and 1.1 where AT-AT could shoot across whole map because it was bigger than anything else on the planet. Icons could work for small number of such units but in swarm you'll just get big blob of gluttonous, yellow mess on the screen. And AI ALWAYS deploy CC in swarms, running like mad at full tilt to overwhelm defense. I have no problems with swarms, but give me a bloody chance to target incoming ships. The only option (apart from modding Executor to barrage area with turbolasers) is to hit pause button, target, obliterate, hit pause, target, obliterate............ The bigger the screen - the bigger the problem with clicking such tiny, microscopic objects. I decided against up scaling some ships  in 1.2. Always running into performance issues with bugs well explained already. Waiting for 1.3.. Seriously capped swarm production will certainly help.

 

I said many times that I would love to see bigger maps. Big is best like Orks use to say  And I tend to agree most of the time he, he. BUT main problem is performance. While my old i7 can handle probably any map in any - within reason - size guys running PR on laptops and .... very ..old e.g. 775 (man so many years, hard to believe) won't be to happy about it. Let's run a test, if PR team would be kind enough to supply skirmish space combat map which is let's say 5x (or more?) bigger that currently used. Then we can evaluate performance issues with some epic conflicts, say... 400 v 400.  There is no other mod which looks more epic than PR during space combat.

 

Will wait what Our Evil Bob the Bob & rest of the gang have in store for us.

[abesinay]

I think I'm most excited to see what they have in store for ground combat, don't get me wrong I love space but I think the real treasure EAW has to offer is the invasion mechanic of GC. Hashed at and refined in the typical PR style and you could have something as good as when bread was first sliced, buttered, and slapped on mashed peanuts.

[a.fake.name]

I think I'm most excited to see what they have in store for ground combat, don't get me wrong I love space but I think the real treasure EAW has to offer is the invasion mechanic of GC. Hashed at and refined in the typical PR style and you could have something as good as when bread was first sliced, buttered, and slapped on mashed peanuts.

Agreed, however the main thing there would be the need for better ground maps.

Much like with space and GC maps, they need to further refine and enlarge the playable space so that it provides better room in which to maneuver.

[abesinay]

Yea I always felt the play space was too small to let anything really cool develop on its own, but is it possible to make massive ground maps?

[evilbobthebob]

The largest possible size for land maps is 20x20 "patches" (largish areas), equivalent to around 2.4 x 2.4km at PR scales. For comparison, I try to make maps for PR to be a minimum of 8x8 patches in size, equivalent to around 1 x 1km. You might say "wow bob why don't you make them 16x16 or something, that's only twice as big". Unfortunately, as map editor, doubling map sizes actually quadruples my workload since the area of each map quadruples. To produce maps of a consistent quality at those sizes just wouldn't be feasible.

[a.fake.name]

2-3kmx2-3km would make for a nice increase with minimal workload increase, and would be perfect for certain of the more iconic maps.
Hoth and Coruscant being two main examples.

[johnchm.10]

Speaking of, I trust that the pathing has been at least tweaked? I've taken a liking to the juggernaut and it seems like it likes getting stuck on any and all terrain, which I don't need to tell you can lead to bad things.