alanschu Posted January 19, 2006 Posted January 19, 2006 It can get pretty chaotic. I always suck at selecting units though. <{POST_SNAPBACK}> Sounds like a lot of micromanagement. Does it get in the way of tactical planning? <{POST_SNAPBACK}> Well, for me, it doesn't so much get in the way of tactical planning...but perhaps execution. I'm sure with proper grouping I would do way better though. I do wish you could zoom out just a little bit more though.
Llyranor Posted January 19, 2006 Posted January 19, 2006 Yes, execution. That's always been my main gripe with standard RTS games. Micromanagement having too much of an emphasis, with the player with the most clicks-per-second having the edge even with inferior tactics. Hopefully, with games like Supreme Command and Sins of a Solar Empire, what with their supposed emphasis on strategy (more than micro/tactics), strategy will play a bigger role in the genre. (Approved by Fio, so feel free to use it)
alanschu Posted January 19, 2006 Posted January 19, 2006 I agree. Though it was interesting enough, with the galactic map and all that too, that I may consider picking it up.
Llyranor Posted January 19, 2006 Posted January 19, 2006 The galactic map would have interested me, if it weren't turn-based (similar to the Total War series, it seems). Counter-intuitive, perhaps, but when you take into consideration that the only mp mode that will allow it is 1v1, it holds zero appeal to me. MP Skirmish by itself is just about every other RTS ever released. I'm a coop player, whether it's against other players or AI. Hopefully, Sins of a Solar Empire will be what EaW *could* have been. A RT4X game, where you manage an empire in real-time, acting as both emperor and fleet commander (or multiple fleet commanders at once, since it's all in real-time and you can have multiple battles going on at once). Automation and good AI is the way of the future, as opposed to current micromanagement - granted that the AI must be actually good, of course. When grand-scale strategy is more important than dancing your units or clicking on memorized order patterns, I'm in. (Approved by Fio, so feel free to use it)
alanschu Posted January 19, 2006 Posted January 19, 2006 I didn't get the impression that the Galactic Map was turn based. There's a play/pause button, as well as an accelerate time button. If it's turn based, then it is a wierd turn based interface. It's funny that you mention that good AI is the future, as I was part of a research project last summer where the focus was on a smart AI for RTS games.
Llyranor Posted January 19, 2006 Posted January 19, 2006 My bad, then. In any case, 1v1 is what killed it, not the turn-based aspect in itself (which would have led to a 1v1 only system - which it is, so it's all moot). AI in RTS is very important. AI should be what's doing the micromanagement. The player should be doing the strategizing. Otherwise, I'm better off playing an action game. The design philosophy behind future are what's promising. Supreme Commander's "Tanks are very very slow" and "Maps are very very large" by design makes it so that fast-clicking won't really save the day, but long-term planning and bigger strategies will. Same with Sins of a Solar Empire. The fact that it takes a capital ship around 70 secs to get from a planetary near-surface to far-orbit given the sheer size of space (thus, you need this long to go to "hyperspace", or retreat) means that planning ahead is much more important than fast-clicking. Let's look at some of that game's facts: "Star - 50,000m Planet - 15,000m Capital ship - 500m Fighter - 20m The distance from the atmosphere to the far orbit is on the order of 40,000m. A single solar system is on the order of 8,000,000 m from end to end. The distance between the 2 closest solar systems is around 250,000,000 m." (Approved by Fio, so feel free to use it)
alanschu Posted January 19, 2006 Posted January 19, 2006 The 1vs1 point is a bit disappointing. Though I'm not sure what else they could do with a SW game.
Llyranor Posted January 19, 2006 Posted January 19, 2006 The 1vs1 point is a bit disappointing. Though I'm not sure what else they could do with a SW game. <{POST_SNAPBACK}> 2 players sharing one side could have been implemented, if the devs actually thought that coop would be important. (Approved by Fio, so feel free to use it)
alanschu Posted January 19, 2006 Posted January 19, 2006 (edited) Unfortunately coop doesn't seem to be high up on the list. Though I did talk with a fellow from Bioware that was telling me that coop is actually more difficult to implement that it sounds, which is why it often doesn't make the cut in today's games. I can't really remember his explanation though, as it was a few months ago...but I do remember it actually being a plausible explanation. Though I don't think he was talking about RTS games. It would be "interesting" to have two sides share the same team in Empire at War. People would be bickering about resources and what to build and all that. I miss coop Edited January 19, 2006 by alanschu
Llyranor Posted January 19, 2006 Posted January 19, 2006 Civ4 coop (Approved by Fio, so feel free to use it)
Llyranor Posted January 19, 2006 Posted January 19, 2006 Actually, I'm busy for the next week On the other hand, that's what the Xfire network is for. We have a couple of others that play Civ4 as well. Speaking of which, we haven't been playing enough Civ4 together. But let's not get off-topic. Which we haven't already. In other news, EaW with coop would have been cooler. (Approved by Fio, so feel free to use it)
alanschu Posted January 19, 2006 Posted January 19, 2006 On the other hand, attacking with a fleet of star destroyers is still crazy fun! (even though you can't do that in the demo)
Deraldin Posted January 19, 2006 Posted January 19, 2006 (edited) and the Han/Chewie Combo can hijack enemy vehicles. <{POST_SNAPBACK}> I wonder if I can hijack that AT-AT with Han/Chewie... " EDIT: W00T! It works! I can take over the AT-AT! Edited January 19, 2006 by Deraldin
alanschu Posted January 19, 2006 Posted January 19, 2006 Hehehe. Though I still suck enough at the game that that is hard for me. Haven't played RTS games since Starcraft.
Jorian Drake Posted January 19, 2006 Posted January 19, 2006 Hehehe. Though I still suck enough at the game that that is hard for me. Haven't played RTS games since Starcraft. <{POST_SNAPBACK}> Then its time to try some
Plano Skywalker Posted January 20, 2006 Posted January 20, 2006 the bottom line: this game is going to ROCK!
Gabrielle Posted January 20, 2006 Posted January 20, 2006 Braggarts and their fast connections. <{POST_SNAPBACK}> Sheesh. When I had dialup I managed to download stuff like this and more. All you really need is patience. <{POST_SNAPBACK}> I have not been know for my patience. When I want it, I want it now.
thepixiesrock Posted January 20, 2006 Posted January 20, 2006 It's so hard to please Gabrielle. Lou Gutman, P.I.- It's like I'm not even trying anymore!http://theatomicdanger.iforumer.com/index....theatomicdangerOne billion b-balls dribbling simultaneously throughout the galaxy. One trillion b-balls being slam dunked through a hoop throughout the galaxy. I can feel every single b-ball that has ever existed at my fingertips. I can feel their collective knowledge channeling through my viens. Every jumpshot, every rebound and three-pointer, every layup, dunk, and free throw. I am there.
alanschu Posted January 20, 2006 Posted January 20, 2006 I downloaded huge demos with my dialup to. 28.8k at that. I just do it while I'm sleeping.
Llyranor Posted January 20, 2006 Posted January 20, 2006 I downloaded the BG2 demo back in the dialup days. 600 meg goodness. (Approved by Fio, so feel free to use it)
Gabrielle Posted January 20, 2006 Posted January 20, 2006 I downloaded huge demos with my dialup to. 28.8k at that. I just do it while I'm sleeping. <{POST_SNAPBACK}> I did that a couple of times when I downloaded some huge BG mods. Some of them took days. Good thing for Netants download utility, I can pause it while I do my regular stuff online.
Llyranor Posted January 20, 2006 Posted January 20, 2006 Once you go broadband, you can never go back. EVER. (Approved by Fio, so feel free to use it)
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