Gameplay and UI Suggestions
Posted: Tue Nov 15, 2022 11:12 pm
some suggestions based on 3.27. if addressed then disregard.
UI
projects/technologies need to be grouped under tiers, such as tier 2 drives, tier 3 missiles, and tier 5 reactors. projects should show some basic information without needing to click on them, such as high thrust, medium delta v, hydrogen/rare fuel. clicking on them should show further information such as power and efficiency while also show what further projects or technologies they may unlock. repeatables especially should show potential unlocks and their chances.
drive ratings need to be reworked into something usable, such as delta v rating of 1 meaning 1kps, 10 meaning 100, and 100 meaning 1k and so on. currently rating is useless if not misleading.
weapons should have clear volley size, damage, and reload times with an additional damage per minute value. if damage/penetration varies significantly at certain ranges it should be clearly stated. stats tab should dynamically account for components like laser engines.
there should a refit all option in the fleet ui, allowing you to choose which refit if there are multiple options. refit from the fleet tab should be redesigned and streamlined.
allow us to modify the default priorities of our faction.
post battle screen should be shown in the current battle map with an option to quickly replay the battle.
nations need a new "actions" tab showing 3 lists for current options for war, unification, and federation.
Armies
armies should start at a base of 1 and scale from there. starting at 3 is confusing.
you should be able to target faraway regions or armies. if targeting an army your army should attempt to intercept. attacking should give a rough estimate of outcome.
armies need a patrol option to target nearby hostile armies or Xeno fauna in current nation/union.
navies need better identifiers, such as unique icons. rather than build a naval army, naval priority should instead give an army naval capability.
Fleets
when creating new ships, they should all be added to a dedicated new ship fleet such as "Juliet Alpha", or just "New Fleet 1". Refitted Ships should also be added to such a fleet if it's not possible to send them back to their original fleet.
Refitting costs should in general be lower, and refitting limits relaxed especially for weapon modules. scrapping a ship design should also give back more resources such as 60-90% improving with techs and shipyard tier. it currently hurts experimenting and exploring with new modules and designs when you are punished so harshly for not getting it right the first time.
ships should be divided into sections similar to battlefleet gothic. add a top and lower section for front, body, radiator and drive each with their own hull, armor, component and weapon hp. larger ships can have multiple body sections.
allow us to have the ship attempt face the nearest enemy with a certain section, such as nose, lower front or top body.
allow missiles to have the attack fire mode to be usable in very large battles. missiles also need far larger base ammo to be usable in longer campaigns, currently hard to use them outside of station orbits and ai control. in general missiles should also have a lower reload time but more speed/hp to avoid overkill and further stand out from guns.
each sections hull hp should be shown above armor value in fleet designer.
radiators should only be damaged if they are actually hit. top and lower radiator sections should continue to work independently.
thrust and delta v should have far less combat value if any at all. it currently renders determining actual combat power difficult.
repair modules should allow ships to automatically repair and refuel other undocked ships in fleet.
allow us to choose to deny reinforcements and set starting fleet positions/speed in the battle map.
Councilors
there needs to be mentor positions for old councilors per current council slot, granting their disciple bonus xp and positive trait chance for completing assignments based on their own total xp and traits. once retired they can no longer go on the field.
certain assignments should have the option for councilors to repeat when possible, such as clearing Xeno fauna/bases. once the current Xeno fauna is cleared councilors should look for the nearest Xeno fauna that isn't targeted by another councilor.
councilor types and certain traits should reduce or increase the cost of increasing certain stats. a diplomat should naturally have an easier time ranking up persuasion rather than command. should also modify xp gained depending on assignment.
special orgs should be marked as such and not take up space from total orgs equipped and unequipped org slots. there are also too many orgs in general, consider having orgs take up 1/3/6 stars instead of 1/2/3 and readjust their stats accordingly.
Diplomacy
relations value should be set between -100 and 100, with most actions only having a small effect on relations to avoid wild swings.
investigating or detaining councilors should show us an estimate band of their relations with us and other factions. also give us estimates of the impact assignments and trades will have on relations.
allow us to initiate diplomacy with allies without having to contact a councilor. if an action breaks NAP, we should receive a warning before committing.
allow us to start monthly trades with willing factions, cancellable at any time. allow pro alien factions and the initiative to trade with aliens for exotics.
factions should mainly consider their own needs over relations when trading. having protectorate start trades demanding resources and orgs should be a thing of the past. ai should be much more willing to trade resources when it benefits them.
add 3 unity projects: the Mughals, the Khanate Hordes, and the Ottomans. make it easier for councilors to increase unrest in big nations.
National diplomacy may need a bigger overhaul, doesn't feel right yet.
Factions
more needs to be done to differentiate how they play, such as unique replacements for certain habs, priorities, technologies, councilor actions and components.
immortal leaders need to go. starting faction leaders should have a hidden mean time to death set at game start. a replacement of 2 possible options is given on death depending on how well the campaign is going. a thriving campaign gives you a faction leader who builds upon the previous leader with bonuses and options that reinforce the current direction. a failing campaign gives you the desperation leader with more powerful and alternative options and a modified win condition but with bigger tradeoffs and the removal of certain capability.
certain leader options have a chance to be unlocked upon reaching certain prerequisites, such as researching advanced ai technologies allowing you to upload exodus leader consciousness on time of death, or grafting savant leader with alien DNA.
Technologies and Projects
in general projects need to be cheaper and technologies more expensive. the balance is off here.
it should be clearer what projects a certain technology will grant access to.
allow us to go further into the automation/bio path. give us the option to make fully autonomous ships that can withstand greater g forces and more efficient designs without life support but requiring more mission control and unable to carry marines or councilors. also allow us to build massive autonomous colonies, exchanging life support systems and upkeep with increased energy and mission control requirements.
or go the other path and allow us to have genetically and cybernetically enhanced humans who can withstand slightly higher acceleration, have higher boarding strength, and require less mission control to maintain.
Stations and colonies
There needs to be a much bigger jump between tier 1, 2 and 3 stations and colonies and their modules, on average of 10x the benefit and 12x the cost, crew and upkeep of the previous tier. Partially this is to save our wrist and fingers, but also plays into space efficiency vs cost efficiency. The less mindless repetition the better. It would also allow us to get higher populations into space.
Campaign
ai is bad. really bad. factions are bankrupt without me doing anything to them, and they will not accept reasonable trades due to unwarranted hostility. without sabotaging them they are also far behind in projects. space ai seems to be nonexistent except for extremely basic alien movements.
needs to be a way to disarm alien nukes, even if it has a low success chance. detaining aliens should give a bigger bonus to assaulting alien invasion bases. alien invasion armies need a longer window of vulnerability.
there needs to be more goals and interactions for the early game outside of earth, and the creation of an expansive mid-game. currently it feels like you jump straight from early to early-end game.
the delay to starting viable space economies is also too long. Costs and technologies should also be reexamined to create a better game pace.
alien aggression should scale slower but higher. currently they curb stomp you to the dirt early and then don't do much. this disincentivizes players from fighting aliens early, but also essentially guarantees a win later on. space faction ai is so helpless it's as if it doesn't exist, while alien ai fleets wait to be destroyed or strand themselves in orbits with no fuel. there is no initiative or plan for space, it doesn't feel lived in or contested.
here are some examples of goals and events to liven our campaigns before the end game:
have motherships become dedicated colonizers and repair/resupply vessels, with each one costing the aliens a huge amount of time and resources to replace at their main base and a primary target for the anti-alien factions to hunt down.
have assault fleets be created at dedicated bases spread around the solar system, each one requiring several years to rebuild with a mothership.
have a war on mercury when an anti-alien faction sets up base there, with the savants launching an alien assisted armada to purify it. or the aliens launching a dedicated campaign to cleanse the moons of Jupiter.
or really anything you can come up with that would make for a fun and engaging playthrough.
UI
projects/technologies need to be grouped under tiers, such as tier 2 drives, tier 3 missiles, and tier 5 reactors. projects should show some basic information without needing to click on them, such as high thrust, medium delta v, hydrogen/rare fuel. clicking on them should show further information such as power and efficiency while also show what further projects or technologies they may unlock. repeatables especially should show potential unlocks and their chances.
drive ratings need to be reworked into something usable, such as delta v rating of 1 meaning 1kps, 10 meaning 100, and 100 meaning 1k and so on. currently rating is useless if not misleading.
weapons should have clear volley size, damage, and reload times with an additional damage per minute value. if damage/penetration varies significantly at certain ranges it should be clearly stated. stats tab should dynamically account for components like laser engines.
there should a refit all option in the fleet ui, allowing you to choose which refit if there are multiple options. refit from the fleet tab should be redesigned and streamlined.
allow us to modify the default priorities of our faction.
post battle screen should be shown in the current battle map with an option to quickly replay the battle.
nations need a new "actions" tab showing 3 lists for current options for war, unification, and federation.
Armies
armies should start at a base of 1 and scale from there. starting at 3 is confusing.
you should be able to target faraway regions or armies. if targeting an army your army should attempt to intercept. attacking should give a rough estimate of outcome.
armies need a patrol option to target nearby hostile armies or Xeno fauna in current nation/union.
navies need better identifiers, such as unique icons. rather than build a naval army, naval priority should instead give an army naval capability.
Fleets
when creating new ships, they should all be added to a dedicated new ship fleet such as "Juliet Alpha", or just "New Fleet 1". Refitted Ships should also be added to such a fleet if it's not possible to send them back to their original fleet.
Refitting costs should in general be lower, and refitting limits relaxed especially for weapon modules. scrapping a ship design should also give back more resources such as 60-90% improving with techs and shipyard tier. it currently hurts experimenting and exploring with new modules and designs when you are punished so harshly for not getting it right the first time.
ships should be divided into sections similar to battlefleet gothic. add a top and lower section for front, body, radiator and drive each with their own hull, armor, component and weapon hp. larger ships can have multiple body sections.
allow us to have the ship attempt face the nearest enemy with a certain section, such as nose, lower front or top body.
allow missiles to have the attack fire mode to be usable in very large battles. missiles also need far larger base ammo to be usable in longer campaigns, currently hard to use them outside of station orbits and ai control. in general missiles should also have a lower reload time but more speed/hp to avoid overkill and further stand out from guns.
each sections hull hp should be shown above armor value in fleet designer.
radiators should only be damaged if they are actually hit. top and lower radiator sections should continue to work independently.
thrust and delta v should have far less combat value if any at all. it currently renders determining actual combat power difficult.
repair modules should allow ships to automatically repair and refuel other undocked ships in fleet.
allow us to choose to deny reinforcements and set starting fleet positions/speed in the battle map.
Councilors
there needs to be mentor positions for old councilors per current council slot, granting their disciple bonus xp and positive trait chance for completing assignments based on their own total xp and traits. once retired they can no longer go on the field.
certain assignments should have the option for councilors to repeat when possible, such as clearing Xeno fauna/bases. once the current Xeno fauna is cleared councilors should look for the nearest Xeno fauna that isn't targeted by another councilor.
councilor types and certain traits should reduce or increase the cost of increasing certain stats. a diplomat should naturally have an easier time ranking up persuasion rather than command. should also modify xp gained depending on assignment.
special orgs should be marked as such and not take up space from total orgs equipped and unequipped org slots. there are also too many orgs in general, consider having orgs take up 1/3/6 stars instead of 1/2/3 and readjust their stats accordingly.
Diplomacy
relations value should be set between -100 and 100, with most actions only having a small effect on relations to avoid wild swings.
investigating or detaining councilors should show us an estimate band of their relations with us and other factions. also give us estimates of the impact assignments and trades will have on relations.
allow us to initiate diplomacy with allies without having to contact a councilor. if an action breaks NAP, we should receive a warning before committing.
allow us to start monthly trades with willing factions, cancellable at any time. allow pro alien factions and the initiative to trade with aliens for exotics.
factions should mainly consider their own needs over relations when trading. having protectorate start trades demanding resources and orgs should be a thing of the past. ai should be much more willing to trade resources when it benefits them.
add 3 unity projects: the Mughals, the Khanate Hordes, and the Ottomans. make it easier for councilors to increase unrest in big nations.
National diplomacy may need a bigger overhaul, doesn't feel right yet.
Factions
more needs to be done to differentiate how they play, such as unique replacements for certain habs, priorities, technologies, councilor actions and components.
immortal leaders need to go. starting faction leaders should have a hidden mean time to death set at game start. a replacement of 2 possible options is given on death depending on how well the campaign is going. a thriving campaign gives you a faction leader who builds upon the previous leader with bonuses and options that reinforce the current direction. a failing campaign gives you the desperation leader with more powerful and alternative options and a modified win condition but with bigger tradeoffs and the removal of certain capability.
certain leader options have a chance to be unlocked upon reaching certain prerequisites, such as researching advanced ai technologies allowing you to upload exodus leader consciousness on time of death, or grafting savant leader with alien DNA.
Technologies and Projects
in general projects need to be cheaper and technologies more expensive. the balance is off here.
it should be clearer what projects a certain technology will grant access to.
allow us to go further into the automation/bio path. give us the option to make fully autonomous ships that can withstand greater g forces and more efficient designs without life support but requiring more mission control and unable to carry marines or councilors. also allow us to build massive autonomous colonies, exchanging life support systems and upkeep with increased energy and mission control requirements.
or go the other path and allow us to have genetically and cybernetically enhanced humans who can withstand slightly higher acceleration, have higher boarding strength, and require less mission control to maintain.
Stations and colonies
There needs to be a much bigger jump between tier 1, 2 and 3 stations and colonies and their modules, on average of 10x the benefit and 12x the cost, crew and upkeep of the previous tier. Partially this is to save our wrist and fingers, but also plays into space efficiency vs cost efficiency. The less mindless repetition the better. It would also allow us to get higher populations into space.
Campaign
ai is bad. really bad. factions are bankrupt without me doing anything to them, and they will not accept reasonable trades due to unwarranted hostility. without sabotaging them they are also far behind in projects. space ai seems to be nonexistent except for extremely basic alien movements.
needs to be a way to disarm alien nukes, even if it has a low success chance. detaining aliens should give a bigger bonus to assaulting alien invasion bases. alien invasion armies need a longer window of vulnerability.
there needs to be more goals and interactions for the early game outside of earth, and the creation of an expansive mid-game. currently it feels like you jump straight from early to early-end game.
the delay to starting viable space economies is also too long. Costs and technologies should also be reexamined to create a better game pace.
alien aggression should scale slower but higher. currently they curb stomp you to the dirt early and then don't do much. this disincentivizes players from fighting aliens early, but also essentially guarantees a win later on. space faction ai is so helpless it's as if it doesn't exist, while alien ai fleets wait to be destroyed or strand themselves in orbits with no fuel. there is no initiative or plan for space, it doesn't feel lived in or contested.
here are some examples of goals and events to liven our campaigns before the end game:
have motherships become dedicated colonizers and repair/resupply vessels, with each one costing the aliens a huge amount of time and resources to replace at their main base and a primary target for the anti-alien factions to hunt down.
have assault fleets be created at dedicated bases spread around the solar system, each one requiring several years to rebuild with a mothership.
have a war on mercury when an anti-alien faction sets up base there, with the savants launching an alien assisted armada to purify it. or the aliens launching a dedicated campaign to cleanse the moons of Jupiter.
or really anything you can come up with that would make for a fun and engaging playthrough.