The Empire Box scroll bar is in a terrible location. I scroll the screen left every time I try to use it. How about dumping it and just using up and down arrows in some other location instead, like next to the command console at the bottom of the screen? Also, it would be nice if, in the Empire Box, the name of the planet the camera is nearest to would highlight or change color or something. It would make it easier to quickly pick it out in the list.

The Beta1 runs well on my system and shows a lot of gaming potential but there are many issues that need work. Be warned, I've included a lot of points and suggestions in the following.


Problems and Suggestions


#1. Map and gravity well sizes are far too small. There is no room for tactical maneuvering/trickery in the game as it is now. The game's ships are so fast and travel such short distances that they are in weapons range within seconds of arriving in your system, which gives the game a frantic feel. This certainly kills any attempt at an EPIC feel to the game.

Recommendations:

-Make the maps and gravity wells MUCH bigger.

-Also, making sure that modders can modify map and gravity well sizes will go a long way to increasing the number of purchases and long term customer satisfaction.


#2. The present Phase Lane system allows newly arrived ships to immediately move a bit backwards and then jump through the planets gravity well.

Recommendations:

-Make the Phase Lanes have relatively small 3D entry/exit zones in each gravity well that directly face their points of destination/origin. This would force ships to travel at sub light through planetary gravity wells to reach specific Phase Lane entry points to the next system. It would also allow ships that accidentally enter a heavily defended map to simply go back the way they came in order to escape.

-To work with Phase Lane entry/exit points, Phase Space Inhibitors would have to be changed a bit. Perhaps instead of preventing Phase jumping totally, Inhibitors could instead GREATLY increase the time ships require to jump into Phase Space. Inhibitors can create a small spherical zone around themselves. Any hostile ships in that sphere would require a huge increase in time to be able to jump into Phase Space. This would also mean that you would need several inhibitors in a system to cover all Phase Space exit/entry points.


#3. The Phase Space Lane system tends to force a blockade/siege warfare mindset in players. We've seen enough forced bottlenecks lately in games like Empires at War, Space Empires I-V, and so on. It would be nice if this game could be more original and less limiting..which would again add to the epic feel. It is interesting how an old game called Star Wars Rebellion didn't need to use bottlenecks...unfortunately, that is about all that I can say was good about Rebellion.

Recommendations:

-All planet gravity well maps should have several (ie 4+) Phase Space Lane links to other planets. This would make the game more fluid and reduce the importance of fortifying Phase Space Lanes. It would also help prevent players from getting stuck in a corner with no hope of expansion (or at least prevent huge difficulties in breaking out).

-Certain techs could be allowed that allow you to ignore Phase Lanes altogether and simply choose your desired destination. If this is too overpowering, limits can be put on ship 'jump' range, or ship transversing speed, or even ship size/type.

-Of course, you could always just get rid of the forced Phase Lane idea altogether and let players jump to where they want to go


#4. Camera rotation has an irritating momentum effect. Some people might like it, but other won't.

Recommendations:

-Simply make it optional.


#5. Some ship weapons are firing beyond their weapon arcs (I noticed a few others had this complaint).

Recommendations:

-Check and fix weapons that aren't properly set for angle limitations.


#6. Weapon impacts from powerful weapons on small ships should have a greater effect (once again, noticed others posted about this idea).

Recommendations:

-Ships hit by powerful weapons should be pushed around a bit. Maybe the weapon impact graphic effects can be increased a bit for certain weapons.

#7. Game should have a clearer size class difference between ships (instead of Frigate and Capital Ship). A lot of players would like to see a Frigate/Destroyer/Cruiser/Battle Cruiser/Battleship system.

Recommendations:

-Frigates are fine as they are, but the game should implement Destroyers, Cruisers, Battle Cruisers and Battleship classes. Just make sure that the increase in abilities of the larger ships don't totally remove the use for smaller cheaper/nimbler/harder to hit ships.


#8. As it is, the differences in size between a Frigate and Capital Ship is way too small. Based on the game's present size difference when compared to Frigates, Capital ships would be classified as somewhere between Destroyers and Cruisers.

Recommendations:

-Ship classes need to be scaled a little more realistically. Your big super ships should look and feel like they are big super ships.

#9. Planets are too small. This takes away from the immersion and believability of the game.

recommendations:

-Planets, asteroids and stars should be increased in scale.


The Following from this point on are just features I would like to see included in the game.


#1. It would be cool if some planets were bigger and were more valuable than others. They could even have bigger gravity wells.

#2. Some planets could have moons that offer additional resources. The extra moon could even increase the gravity well zone.

#3. 3D tactics and strategies need to be offered to take advantage of the 3D maps. While some might say 3D tactics and strategies would make the game more complex for the average gamer, it is important to remember the average gamer isn't into Science Fiction Space Empire building games. I would guess most of us interested in this game also played and loved the Homeworld series, and 3D tactics would not be a problem for us...in fact, we would prefer complex 3D tactics.

#4. Speaking of Homeworld, I used to love the blinking navigation lights. They made the ships look so lonely and added a lot to the game atmosphere. I hope SoaSE will also be adding navigation lights on ships and structures.

#5. Fighter Craft really need to dock before jumping into Phase Space.

#6. Ships that are grouped with the Ctrl function should stay in formation, and should jump into Phase Space at the same time.

#7. I find the present level of ship durability in the Beta is fine. I don't see any need for changes in that regard.

Wow, that was quite a bit. I hope that this post helps the game developers in making an epic game that is a hit for YEARS to come. Thanks for letting us help through the beta guys.

Tactics yes. But really the strat map should remain 2D. as long as you have phase lines a 3D map wont add any gameplay complexity other then obscureing your view and makeing it harder to navigate. I dont know why people get the idea that a 3D map gives more options.

A planet with 3 phase lines to and from it in a 2D map, will if moved to a 3D map, still be just that... a planet with 3 phase lines to and from it.

We plan on adding more lights and effects on ships/structures in future builds. Just to makes sure they are working properly for you, can you check your repair or broadcast center?

I can't speak for the OP, but I don't see any lights on either the Repair Station or Broadcast Center. Now, for what I really wanted to post about: Can you make the messages clickable? I keep seeing things like "TDN Whatsit has reached level 4," but if I want to perform some action on/with TDN Whatsit I have to search high and low to find it.

When you recieve a message like "Your fleet has reached [system]" or "[shipname] has reached level X" Maybe you could make the system in question blink on the empire tree or something,becuase in a bigger game, i can't keep track of which system is where, except for the few i fortified or have shipyards in.

also, the exclamation mark in "Pirates!" look really cheesy

Third point, the message box on the top doesn't always disappear gain after I scroll in it.

I would just like to say i like this it's the best looking and most stable beta i've ever seen. But i would also like to suggest the ships moving while they fire and another vote for no phase jumping through gravity wells.

P.S. sorry if these things have been covered.

Hit the space bar to jump to any message but we are looking at ways to improve this access.

hmmm I've noticed this and it bothers me... my trade ships don't actually ever dock with the trade station... also, the trade station and the research station in the game seem REALLY bland... they need lights or moving parts or something...

I must agree with jnewl that when you click on a news you will be taken to that point.
sometimes you get like 2-3 news at the same time, but I really wanted to go to the planet where the enemy fleet is

I think its too easy to research all the topics in the techtree. This is suppose to be a 4x game, and in those games you can research for a whole day and still wont get like 50% of all the techs, just look at Galciv 2 .

it would be great with a frigate class missile-boat. and minelayers would be great! or maybe have mines as a tactical building, which makes it impossible to just keep laying mines with the ship when the antimatter has charged.

a missile type of defence structure would be nice.

The "laser attack" with one of the capitol ships should only be able to shoot at the direction the ship is currently facing. it looks pretty silly when the laser beams goes 90* from the direction the ship is facing.

I must say I think the ships (especially the frigates) shouldnt just speed up as fast as they can to the enemy, then making a complete stop and then they all start to fire against each other until one side dies. more movement would be nice.

and is it possible for ships to dogde incoming fire by moving out of the way, or does all weapons have a homing ability ?

I noticed that when my colony ship entered "hyperspace" 100 of its antimatter was used, howabout if you dont have the right amount of AM you wont be able to phase jump. and there could also be a tech to lower the cost of the phase jump.

If you double click on a ship, I would rather have it select all of the same type of that ship in that system, then having it center on it. I think the mousewheel does that already.

That was some really great ides Paradoxnt! especially that idea with orbiting planets etc.!

and also I think you should be able to force your fleet to move at the same speed as the slowest one if you want, instead of having your smaller ships rush ahead, taking a beating until your bigger ships comes into range.

I would just like to say that i agree with Paradoxnts suggestions in both his long posts 100% . My dream would be for the gravity wells to be huge, spherical, with fog of war (making every planet a major battlefield with potentially multiple battles taking place if several players are hungry for it). I don't know how much of those suggestions are going to be followed (with beta 1 it feels like the game is taking a different, more classic RTS-like route to me), but I hope at least some size and pacing paramaters can be modded in the final game

I'm also not entirely sure about phase space lanes. Perhaps a tech could allow you to not use them, but with limited range and longer travel times, thus giving the enemy some time to set up a welcome party for your fleet?