Does it exist or is it possible to generate random encounters after warping? It would be great to be able to set a low % random encounter trigger after each warp to make it possible to generate random encounters. This could be a set of micro scenarios (like a fetch mission) or spawn a set of attack drones, or just a Hail from another ship with a conversation tree strictly for flavor. Seems like it would be a great tool to use in a scenario as well. It would be great if the player could set the probability level as well, even if just low / medium / high. Thoughts?
Yes. Sort of. I think. Maybe. Basically, it should be possible to set this up using the PDA I believe but I have not tested it.
It will get kind of annoying to keep getting hammered immediately upon arrival when the game forces no shield for jump and there is nothing at all you can do about it.
It could be a small probability setting and not all encounters need be hostile. So say one of ten jumps, or less maybe one in fifty, triggers an encounter. Long enough that it isn't expected every time and is unique. I admit I hate games that cycle random encounters so often you've memorized them. This would be so low you wouldn't see any encounter twice, or maybe some could be set to repeat or weighted for higher probability. It may be just an alien vessel that hails you and gives you a bit of gossip, or a stranded ship that is willing to trade for some refined pentaxid, maybe a trader with special deals (epic weapons?) for sale that would have you hoping to run into him again. It could also be a single contract killer trying to assassinate you and saying some kind of cryptic message that has you wondering who you ticked off. Also a patrol group just inside detection range and closing but with enough time to warp away if you're paying attention. A unique POI to explore. Definitely something that doesn't happen all the time, or even frequently, but scenario creators can make a pool of possible encounters that the script pulls from based on RNG. This would add more variety to your play through. You could possible even download specific encounters to add to your own game if you found ones you thought were neat. People could make random encounter packs.
Thinking it could also be used for RP credit. If you help the stranded ship you get +RP with that faction but if you leave them stranded you get -RP.
^ Or just fix shields. If people start to get their ships trashed under circumstance they can do nothing whatsoever about - they will eventually say 'fuck this' and find something else entirely to do - ie a different game.
I think that would be pretty cool. I remember suggesting something along these lines, maybe @michaelhartman89 did also, and some others. The idea was to have some kind of "procedural quest" generation that could provide simple missions randomly, to keep the game alive at all times or after "beating it", if such a thing can be done in a game like Empyrion with no "end game" as such, for now. But what you suggest might be already possible, like has been mentioned here. Edit : some more pointers : if you are interested in trying stuff, look at these: The EWPDA thread : https://empyriononline.com/threads/tool-ewpda-empyrion-web-pda.82979/ The tool's page: https://empyrion-homeworld.net/tools/ewpda
What I would like to see is have it built into the game so that you could just subscribe to encounters like you do blueprints, or if building a scenario you just add those encounters into a folder to be called from. Kazhul, you are just looking at it from the negative side, like it's some sort of wave attack. It doesn't need to be like that, though some scenario creators could make it that way and people could choose to take that challenge. I'm thinking it would just be a surprise event spread out through the game. There used to be a really old game called Starflight that did just that sort of thing but that was way before you had the option of community created content. I think it would be nice not to have to script the game to have events like that but just fill the folder and go. If you don't like it then empty the folder. I think it would be a great tool in the creative tool belt.
Yes, would be cool as an opt-in-or-out setting, without having to subscribe to a scenario. For now, I think it's possible with a simple scenario that could be presented at start of the game, where the player can decide to accept the challenge or not, just like the actual tutorial (that can be skipped). If the player accepts, then there are triggers that can be flipped when entering specific playfields or playfield types, for example, so it's not totally random, but close enough if lots of playfields are included. Take a look at the tool I gave you the link for, and click on tabs to see what kind of triggers, conditions, events and rewards are already available.
I think ravien_ff is doing something similar in his PE scenario but I believe he uses custom warp destinations to achieve it. So he can pop a message up when you warp out of the starting system the first time or control what you see when you warp but that then requires a second warp out and has to be scripted for each system, I assume. Not random and not easy.
Not easy because someone has to make the scenario, sure. But can be random if "playfield type" is chosen instead of a specific playfield. I guess... Edit : the links are for a "scenario helper" tool, very cool. Have a look, then you may get new ideas! I wrote michaelhartman so he could chime in here to see your suggestion, as he was one of many players that were very rpg and "quest" oriented.
It requires a static solar system to be done. It could also be done with a random solar system but wouldn't work as well since all random solar systems share the same sun warp playfield types.
Man, I wrote so many suggestions back in the day! Some are lost to my post history and some are pinned in the suggestions. In fact, I know we all did. I'm sure everything we have said has been said 1000 times on these forums and it's lost to thousands of pages of thread history. I have always considered myself to be to rpg/rts dreamer when it comes to Empyrion. I want total control over everything that goes on: I want to hire Npc's to do tasks, crew my vessels, fight with me and pilot/crew other vessels in my fleet. StarMade has it, but that's a pixelated game that I don't feel like playing anymore. If I had the ability to control these fleets and play empyrion from the console/ nav computer on my bridge, while being able to systematically slaughter systems of zirax and Polaris establishing my dominion over a portion of the galaxy like I can in Homeworld or Stellaris; then I would say that Eleon has achieved the impossible in gaming history. I'm definitely all for missions, and random encounters as well. Whatever Eleon can do to make the universe feel more alive is a step in the right direction! But I think we are still ignoring the elephant in the room.....the AI, animations and combat are still atrocious in Empyrion. I hope that gets some well deserved TLC this year; not to mention all the placeholders. Although we are light-years ahead of where we were in 2016-2017 when we were discussing these things, I feel we still have light-years to go. Everyone has been doing a fantastic job working on POIs, lore and missions. I can't wait to see where we'll be in a couple years. This community has been evolving so much over the years, and I think it has kept a diehard fanbase that wants to make this game into something unlike anything we've ever seen.
Here's something I found in my suggestions: Employer/Employment opportunites: - Class system or Job opportunities: This game needs a wild frontier as well as a civilized society with available roles to pick: trader, soldier, explorer or are you a nomad, surviving on a cold, icy barren world living off the land. - Hiring mercs? Working for farmers, security, government? Employing, befriending, and enslaving NPC's. - Cooperation with the local populous, earning respect or rapport though our actions. Maybe earning their trust leads to bigger, better missions or positions in their faction. Most notably, earning the trust of pirates through illegal smuggling and raiding supply lines - NPC's working for the player can gain xp from their tasks and rank up as well. This would give them bonus stats in whatever they are doing which would allow them to do/take more damage in melee, harvest more goods, persuade others, mine faster.
Npc's - NPC'S that are walking around and interact with each other and not just standing there (half way there in 6.6) - NPC's performing work tasks; maybe mechanics, janitors, naval officers, cooks, police officers, homeless. -NPC's in formal wear, work clothes, rags, tactical gear. We need a large variety of different models. - Scripted conversations for most NPC's, maybe some stories for some or just a few comments on the weather. It would be nice to be able to hear about political and historical events. What is the current state of the galactic empire if there is one? - Variety of various Character models, and maybe quite a few that raise some eyebrows. - If we have traders and trade stations, then where are the other local trade ships. Maybe they could be static and invulnerable to the player, but it would be nice for them at least to be there. - An active, galactic law enforcement branch or faction, please refrain from making it all droids. This approach is overused in these type of games. - Major NPC warring factions. Maybe one that is fighting the surge of Drone Installations that could pay us for eradicating drones and Zirax bases. - Families, friends and coworkers; visible relationships between NPC's that would flesh out the realism aspect. - Cities, air traffic, rail and tram systems, space elevators, Trade routes, ship yards, research stations, and gas & asteroid mining rigs, run by NPC operators. Cantinas with dancera, alien music and intercoms with alien chatter - Giving them work orders through easy in-game scripting engine. NPC Character: walk to here, pick up item , put item in box, refill generator when empty. Give us an easy point and click command system to control friendly units like the triggers. - More NPC's in general, going places, and just living their lives on some planets. Patrols of LEO's, Air Taxi's, larger settlements. - Political system and government in place. Perhaps some messages, audio clips or something of that sort. - large space battles between npc factions. - Reputation with Npc's, I would love to be able to build some rapport with these cultures and see them settling in my area to build a new community. http://empyriononline.com/threads/the-future-of-npc-factions.11007/ http://empyriononline.com/threads/npc-companions.10025/#post-103098 http://empyriononline.com/threads/a-couple-of-thoughts-about-exploration-and-npcs.8866/#post-90684 https://empyriononline.com/threads/...and-a-new-type-of-ai.15322/page-2#post-163495 Story/Lore - storyline or deep lore, cutscenes, end game material - creating a world filled to the brim with civilizations ranging from space faring, to modern society, all the way to stone age. New Environments, Biomes and Geography - Dungeons and Caverns - Cave systems with crystals and stalactites - Metropolitan areas, large settlements - Deep ocean trenches, underwater caves planets like Naboo with the ability to build underwater settlements and cities like the Gungan city. - space stations and settlements with working bars and cantinas, alien music and intercoms, npc's that walk around and perform daily tasks. I just want to feel more immersed in the environment around me like I was in Mass Effect. Trees - I would love to see mineable trees the size of Redwoods or larger like on Kashyyk that we can burrow into and build homes in like Asteroids. - This would allow the players to create remakes of Endor or Kashyyk in Empyrion fashion. - allow players to string up rickety bridges that use snap mechanics to connect with other trees. Asteroids -Make all asteroids mineable. They dont have to give anything in return or just give a new element, Carbon. - this way plenty of people can have asteroid bases Enemies - Giant creatures. Boss-size dinosaurs and sea creatures that can destroy trees and bases. - More Frigates and Freighters to prey upon - Carrier fleet of Zirax - More Enemy factions with ships, drop ships, ground troops, rovers, foot patrols and raiding parties Super weapons - new artillery and upper atmosphere bombs w/ bombsight to snipe POI's in late game
Harvesting and Farming - Raising Lizard mules for milk and food, and maybe taming beasts - Harvesting my crops. I want to build a combine and be able to harvest them using the hv's harvester. This would also be useful to harvest plants in the wild as well Weapon Racks - small arms lockers or peg board/ shadowed boards to put weapons up. http://empyriononline.com/threads/small-arms-lockers.10048/ Late Game Material - This game should be the story of your character going from rags to riches and becoming the manager of a major Mining Corp, Pirate faction, private security agency, ship dealership, etc. - This is the point the player should be hiring npc's to do tasks such as security, farm, mining and also be able to have drones and droids working for them as well. - The galaxy should be fighting for peace against an endless stream of enemy forces trying to desecrate your way of life and enslaving peaceful cultures. -A slow progression of difficulty to allow the player to keep pace with the single player campaign or universe - large pirate factions added as well as patrols of enemies on the surface of planets. What if late game, you would see blockades of Zirax ships at trade stations and an ever evolving "randomized" war that was being fought all over the galaxy. -It should be easier to lose your cv, hv, ba and sv at times in the late game. There should be super weapons that can eradicate your mothership in several shots. - there should also be invasions of patrol ships. - Resources are easy to come by at late game, but if there is an improvement to the in-game market that has items we need late game that we can't construct, then that will give us a purpose to sell goods to vendors. SEE ECONOMY LINK
Conclusion: I posted this all from my suggestion link The current version has plenty of these options already, but there's so many awesome features that could be added to enrich our current experience. I'm amazed that we have so many of the current features, bc back in the day it was all a dream lol. I'm proud of Eleon for doing so much with so little so cheers Eleon, keep up the great work. P.S.: Sorry for hijacking the thread, I love the OP!
Wow. that's quite the wish list. HAHA. The best way to achieve that would be to have tools that the community can use to create some of those things. Community Created Content is a force multiplier. Which is necessary for small program development teams.
It's just one little trigger item to add to the PDA commands. Should not be a big deal. @michaelhartman89 : complex AI systems like what you describe and a global political and economic system would require a much bigger staff than what Eleon could probably afford. I agree with @Talondale that the community content could fill in some aspects, but the framework would still require to be done first. Right now, from my point of view, the main aspect is that most NPCs are too static, and there is no apparent autonomous "life" if the player is not around. Heck, even constructors stop working when we're not staring at them closely... Would be fun to have cities too, or some kind of random content generator for ruins, POIs of relatively small scale, ghost vessels in space, events... The same problem arises for Empyrion as for NoManSky : there is a galaxy to fill and there has to be some variety, and it has to be random to some extent to enhance replayability. Maybe at some point the API will allow some of that!
