Feedback Required Which additions would make the game world more vivid and lively

Discussion in 'Suggestions' started by Hummel-o-War, Jun 22, 2019.

  1. cmguardia

    cmguardia Captain

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    In this case it would not be necessary to learn everything. Let's say your suit can make the survival builder with its basic plans. That is normal since it is part of a survival system. This can make the constructor for the base with extended plans. Up to this point, even the thrusters up to the jet are normal, since this is normal in terrestrial technology. Weapons of normal bullets that use gunpowder or similar. Solar energy is already reality, it is not necessary to learn that. But already as I said before with energy weapons and advanced weapons for HV, SV and CV if necessary to learn. Oven is not necessary, deconstructor either. If I would like to see research for medicines, learn the use of each ingredient with a scanner for that use. Research to raise the level of armors! The additional armor!
     
    #101
  2. RazzleWin

    RazzleWin Rear Admiral

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    Yes I agree. But just because I can make a thing that way. Doesn't mean I know how to make it work.
    I'm just a cook.
    How does this repair bay work?
    This constructor does far more then my food processor what do these buttons do?
    I'm just a cook never flew a cv what does it all do? where do I learn how.
    I'm just saying there is more to it then just pulling something out of a magic backpack.:)
     
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  3. cmguardia

    cmguardia Captain

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    MMM. I always consider that if we are alive and we manage to escape in some way from the attack that destroyed our ship, it is because we are very capable people. And if that is not the case ... for that there is the PDA of the suit ... :D
    I would love to find the F1 key for everything in life :p
     
    #103
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  4. RazzleWin

    RazzleWin Rear Admiral

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    Isn't that called school? :) Wait no I forgot it's now called Google :D:eek:
     
    #104
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  5. spacegal

    spacegal Commander

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    Whoa you, all of you, got a point!

    So what if we think tech tree in two subsequent phases?

    Phase 1. In the beginning we could have just a limited set of research blueprints known and these blueprints depends on some class selection done while choosing the game mode/maps. I was a cook so I'll know all the recipes and a predefined set according and believable for the future knowledge; I'm an engineer so I know something more about base buildings and vehicles; I'm a soldier then I know everything about weapon and so on.

    Phase 2. The Robinson's protocol could be modified to include a mission to look for help: someone assigned to a laboratory which could help us researching and explaining to us how to use some future gizmo. Those someone depends on the class: a soldier could be talk better with Zirax, not necessarily be friend with them but simply talk and maybe persuade some of them to help. We may even find a survivor of the Titan alive in some caves, years later its crash.

    So by doing something like that we could have a survival beginning with branches that means more new games, more players, more everything and definitely more involvement, depth and so on... ok sorry, marketing message finished :)
     
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  6. spacegal

    spacegal Commander

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    ...of course the laboratory furnishing could be upgradable such as shopkeepers in Diablo III and each race could have its own bonus: Zirax weapons research +20%; human survivor everything +5%; Talon recipes and wood technology +25% and so on :)
     
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  7. RazzleWin

    RazzleWin Rear Admiral

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    This would work if we could use those alien weapons. Yes I can believe the alien traders have our weapons for sale. We littered their whole planets with them you can't tell me someone didn't pick them up and sale them to a trader.
    But as long as we can't take over a poi that has alien guns on it and we can't use them. I would love if we could do this.
    Making training branches for the different races really isn't feasible right now. We are all using the same powers systems, drive systems. So really not a lot of difference other then the guns.
    Well that's how it feels to me
     
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  8. dazkaz

    dazkaz Lieutenant

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    This is my first feedback in over 2.5k hours of Empyrion.
    One of the things, for me, that would make the game more interesting is to have the effect of the weather visibility, green fog on radioactive planets and red on lave toned down a bit.
    There is little less interesting than flying over terrain you can't see.
    I'm not calling for getting rid of the effect, only that the really thick stuff happens less than clear days. At the moment it seems the weather is balanced more towards bad, than good.
     
    #108
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  9. Kmio

    Kmio Ensign

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    For me that kind of game is really entertaining but sadly become boring fast either due to the lack of real objectives, achievments and rewarding events.

    If i had to do something to improve the game i would say it will come from new blocks and tech only available under certain conditions and for a short period of time, forcing ppl to interact and if they got the tech and blocks, to use it before it's too late so it gives you an objectiv of the day and a time limitation. Granting some ppl on a daily basis the named blocks and tech maybe with some sort of interactiv event, a beacon drop on your world, an alien crash or whatever, making something like ppl have a "stronghold" and regularily saving them on the cloud so ppl being connected or not wouldnt change the possibility of an assault. And make something like a "stronghold assault and defence" occured battling for said tech, according point or a change system regarding to you result as a defenser or the possession of blocks and tech in case of a successful attack. Limited amount of assaulters at the same time so the whole universe dont knock at your door, that way ppl would have to make strong and well design bases to prevent other to just get easily rid of their defence, same system could be applied on other environment like other planet or space station to incite ppl on exploration.

    Anyway, the things missing on those games always are objectives and reward, at some point you just end hanging around doing creativ stuff

    Btw i would really love to be able of making mechas on space sandbox games one of these days, it's possible on SE with rotors and pistons but still really crude mechanics.

    I m perfectly aware of the utopia of most of these ideas but it's how i see a space sandbox i would like to play more than a couple hundred hours, economy, exploration, possibilites, battles, i really hope the genre will become more famous one of these days so ppl start to spend real money on dev of such games.
     
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  10. Xzanron

    Xzanron Lieutenant

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    If you consider Kerbal Space Program a space sandbox game, then with the latest robotics DLC mechas are definitely possible.

    As for the topic... I love exploration and discovery the most. The challenge of getting to that point, building stuff up getting to the next stage.

    What I think I would totally love for Empyrion is a sort of endless game. Once you get to the highest tech level I'd love to be able to build a capital ship with a Warp drive to take me to another system. Or maybe need to construct a warp gate. When you achieve that you jump into another randomly generated system. You get to choose a number of items (I'd say fixed number, or maybe volume) to stuff in your lifepod.. pick a planet to crash on and start over. Maybe you could even find your old ship (wrecked) once you start exploring space again. Then keep repeating that. Sort of rogue like on a huge scale.

    Just a random thought.
     
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  11. khulkhuum

    khulkhuum Lieutenant

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    Something like this would require an incentive. Currently, there is nothing you could give the player that would entice them to start over (apart from simply the experience of starting over). If you had passive/active skills, bonuses to increase, special loot or new areas to discover (available only after restart), then i think it would tempt the players to get over it again and again. Of course, as long as its interesting.

    No Man's Sky exploration is fun and interesting, but when you do the same thing a 100th time, it loses it's shine.
     
    #111
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  12. Sir Winston

    Sir Winston Lieutenant

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    Folks, I don't think the devs were asking what mechanics would improve the game, but instead asking what aesthetic or decorative aspects would give the game a more robust feel and improve the immersion experience. They are asking us to use our over-powered imaginations to come up with suggestions that would make the feel of the game better, not the playability.
     
    #112
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  13. nexus_absolute

    nexus_absolute Captain

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    Sorry to nit-pick but the thread is titled "Which additions would make the game world more vivid and lively".

    This could absolutely be a mechanic. For example, weather is a mechanic that brings a world to life and makes the environment more vivid and unique to each world.
     
    #113
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  14. Hector G

    Hector G Commander

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    I agree. Starting over on every system doesnt seem appealing at all I could just as easily start a new game. Id rather see something more like X series where you can establish an empire maybe build new bases, facilities, and NPCs that are automated which I do think would add to the liveliness despite the more mechanical aspect of it.
     
    #114
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  15. Ian Einman

    Ian Einman Captain

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    There's a lot of great ideas above, but it is hard to do all of it. What is most important?

    I think that the existing planetary system feels somewhat "dead". There's nothing going on. Everything is static, and only the player can change any of the worlds. In multiplayer it is a bit more lively but even the activities of 40 people are really rather minor in the grand scheme of things.

    Accordingly, what I think is most important is to make the world ACTIVE. I will list some things I think will help with this, in rough order of importance.
    1. Factions need to build POI's. Get rid of the "regeneration" concept, and replace it with factions slowly establishing outposts and placing POI's.
    2. Add more empire factions to compete with the Zirax. Different factions need to actively attack one another and conquer or take out each other's outposts. They should play out sort of like a 4X game, slowly expanding across the system if left unchecked.
    3. Add more trading/commercial factions similar to the Polaris. They set up trading outposts. But they also claim mines that are nearby and become hostile to you if you try to mine materials.
    4. Add more native factions similar to the Talon. They exist only on a single world, and are initially hostile to outsiders (including you). They resist and actively attack invading factions like Zirax.
    5. Add pirates, which stage raids on POI's and steal stuff. They can also attack and try to board vessels and steal stuff.
    6. Add trade ships that fly between faction installations. They carry materials and can be attacked by pirates (or you). These need not be space vessels, on land they can be HV's. They may fly in convoys.
    7. Add patrol vessels around POI's. Not just SV's and CV's, but also HV's.
    8. Balance the factions such that when a faction's population becomes "low", the faction is reinforced so it isn't really possible/practical to extinguish a faction. Conversely, if they get too powerful, their growth will stop. (This avoids "Zirax conquer the universe" scenarios which would make the game less lively.)
    9. Add more dangerous animals, in larger quantities, and make it possible for them to attack POI's. Why can't a native village be subject to a dinosaur rampage? Or you go to a trading station and find only bodies, with the buildings full of giant spiders.
    10. Add the concept of multiple systems. Make the existing system smaller. Change how warp drive ranges work so that SV warp drives can travel within a system, but only a CV warp drive can travel to other systems.
    11. Make money and trade a more important part of the game. You should be able to buy/sell large quantities of materials as needed.
    12. Rework the mining system so instead of drilling for everything, you can set up mining bases and earn materials over time. You also have to defend these bases, which can be conquered/raided. Note that factions will also set up these operations.
    13. Rework farming so that it is possible to set up larger scale automated farming operations to grow food and produce stuff (pizza, etc.) Note that factions will also set up these operations.
    14. Add the ability to set up a transport network so you can assign a SV/HV/CV to go to location A and pick up Cobalt, and take it to location B and drop it off (or sell it).
    15. Add the ability to assign patrol vessels to your POI's, that can fly around and extinguish threats, as well as defense vessels, that respond when the base is attacked.
    16. Add more materials. I understand that the existing system was likely made to keep things simple, but the idea that basically everything can be constructed from 7 fundamental metals is dumbed down too much. It makes resource hunting rather boring and lessens the potential for trade to be an important part of the game. A deeper tech tree with more enhancements to existing technologies might help with this.
    This would fit within the existing mechanics and not really change the nature of the game, but it would change the feel of the game, making it more dynamic and lively. Making friends or enemies of various factions would become more important and affect your operations more. Some factions really want to get rid of you, and they should remind you of that frequently with weaponry.

    Some people may not like the more active factions but I really think creative/freedom modes are meant for people that just want to build or explore. Survival mode should be exactly that, you trying to survive and thrive in a dangerous world.
     
    #115
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  16. Ian Einman

    Ian Einman Captain

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    Most of the stuff I suggested is to beef up factions & POI, so it may seem odd that I just "liked" your post. But the thing is, I don't think it is mutually exclusive. Right now, most planets do have AI aliens on them. I want to see that aspect beefed up.

    HOWEVER, there's also a place for entirely unoccupied/uncivilized worlds. Maybe no trace of sentient life, or only abandoned POI remaining. A more interesting world to explore. A world that has no life on it at all offers its own challenges - you do have to build everything from scratch. You can't buy anything, or steal or raid anything for easy materials.

    It would also add variety, why does every planet need POI? Would every planet realistically be settled already?

    Right now, the AI is the only real challenge. I think that's why many people's suggestions are in that area. But if they beefed up the creatures a bit, and made the world itself more dangerous, that would be a great way to make things more lively.
     
    #116
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  17. Ian Einman

    Ian Einman Captain

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    I think gas giants are important. They are so common in the real universe that to just not have them is unrealistic. The fact that they typically have multiple moons, some of which can be terrestrial sized planets, is interesting. They can just be rendered in space, and you can get close to them but perhaps instead of entering the atmosphere, it just warns you that you can't enter or your ship will be ripped apart by gravity.

    Definitely need more plant and animal life, although as part of it they need to make it more relevant - they need to find a way to make you spend more time out of your SV, otherwise does the critters wandering around the world matter much if you're always 200 m up or flying around space?
     
    #117
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  18. khulkhuum

    khulkhuum Lieutenant

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    I like and at the same time dislike how NMS handles different types of planets and here is why:
    1. You can find planets that are less populated and you see that. Far lower POI numbers, not many resources (some special that you can find only on those planets), as well as very few creatures. This is good. You know you can't find much on these, yet it's still a needed stop because you will find on them uncommon resources.
    2. There are many planets with highly hazardous environments, which you can basically find in every star system. Doesn't matter if it's super cold, super hot, super radiated or whatever. For the player it's a minor inconvenience of having a resource to fill up your shield over and over, especially when a cold/hot/radiated storm hits. What else you have on these planets? EVERYTHING! Plethora of animals, plants and resources... As much as the last one is okay, animals and plants wouldn't survive in such harsh climates (we're talking about temperatures of around +100*C, -100*C or radiation that would almost instantly kill a person).

    Now, i wouldn't mind having very hostile planets that are lifeless, but house very rare resources or special POIs. It could tie into progression, for example mining a rare mineral from a lava/ice planet, so it can be used for building a warp drive capable of travelling between star systems (previous suggestion). Many games do such things in different ways, but it almost always works. An improvement that expands the capabilities of the player.
    - Minecraft forces the player to find diamonds in order to build a diamond pickaxe, which will allow mining obsidian. Obsidian is used for crafting the nether portal. Diamond can only be harvested with an iron pickaxe or better. In the nether you have to farm blazes, the only source of blaze rods.
    - Terraria forces the player to create pickaxes from better materials, because at some point ores require a minimum strength of it to be mined. Some ores like hellstone are in present only in very hazardous area (hell) or like meteorite, which generates at random times after requirements are met.

    In that respect, i don't necessarily like the idea of finding ores/bars of materials that are not present on starter planet in POIs of the starter planet. Sure, Zirax or some other could have imported the goods, but it messes up the need for exploration. With enough luck, you could have everything you need without taking off your planet.
     
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  19. RazzleWin

    RazzleWin Rear Admiral

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    Oh then please share the seed number your using. Or I'm the most unlucky person in the world. Granted you might find everything you might need to get started, but not in the quantity you might need to make anything larger, stronger, better. At least in my opinion.
     
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  20. khulkhuum

    khulkhuum Lieutenant

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    In larger quantities no, but enough to build a few things that will sustain you and provide defence. Not to mention something you can fly in. Do remember that starter planet has low enemy counts and lower difficulty than others.
    In order for me to build a CV with a warp drive i had to visit one other planet for neodymium if i recall. Everything else i salvaged or found around:
    - Power Coils and other components used in better thrusters or some machines - easily obtainable or found
    - Found quite a bit of cobalt, neodymium and zaschosium
    - I already looted 2 advanced constructors, a few types of drills, force fields, lots of hand held weapons with ammo, some landing gear and a few blocks
    - Hardened steel and steel plates salvaged from a titan - good source for making hardened steel blocks
    - I even found a whole warp drive (CV), so i only needed to make a tank

    So yeah, if i didn't have an innate need for gathering more resources to build bigger things, i wouldn't even consider a CV - it allows travelling to distant planets. Building an SV with a warp drive is a laughing matter.
     
    #120

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