Topic: My Rant Concerning Already-Discussed-Topics  (Read 937 times)

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kv1at3485

  • Guest
My Rant Concerning Already-Discussed-Topics
« on: June 16, 2004, 05:20:00 am »
Like many others, I have fond memories of old and obscure DOS games.  What shocks me is that there are so many good ideas in those old 'classics', but for some strange reason, many of those good ideas fail to be combined in today's games.

Now, I've never played SFB, although I am fascinated by the system, and I've played SFC1 and SFC2:OP.  I have nothing against the SFB system, or the closer-to-canon system used in SFC3.  But what annoys me about the entire SFC series are the severe restrictions of the games.

First and foremost of my complaints is the lack of ways to modify the gameplay elements, and/or lack of easy ways to modify gameplay elements.  I know I've said this before, and I apologize for whining again, but what about some built in editors?  We've seen that things like making new ships and scenarios can be done, but only by a relatively small few (and hats off to those few!), but that it no way to make the game appeal to a wider audience, or at the very least involve more of the community that is.
Example that I've used before: the FreeSpace community.  Thanks to the FreeSpace mission/campaign editor (FRED), that game's community is still alive and kicking after five years and won't be gone anytime soon.

My second complaint is that (even with todays methods) the number of gameplay elements that can be modified are few.  Who here wishes that new weapons could be made?  (Or for SFC3'ers...)  New shield types?  New powerplants?  New engines?  etc., etc., etc..  Would it not add so much more to the game to be able to make totally custom vessels with custom subsystems?
 I remember an old game called "Turbo Trek" where I could make my own ships with customized subsystems, and then I could make my own scenarios, all using editors that came with the game.  Sure, functionality in "Turbo Trek" was limited, but that was back in 1991 using Turbo Pascal!  Surely we can do better today!

Perhaps not so much a complaint as it is a suggestion for improvement...  The hex campaign map.  There have been suggestions to make the map free of subdivided units and 'real time'.  For example, you'd order your fleet to move to another spot on the map, and then you'd see the little fleet icon move to the desired spot according to the fleet's speed and the elapsed time.  I would like to see something like this as well.  Fleet interceptions, anyone?
And yes, this idea stuck with me after playing another old game called "Campaign."

I was impressed by the economic system that is used in F&E, and I can only wish for a more logical economic system for SFC's strategic map.  Now I appreciate that the current SFC system is adventageous for its shear simplicity, but perhaps it is too simplistic.  I can begin to imagine the quagmire that would result due to a radical upgrade of the econ system, but I can dream, can't I?

It would not be an unfair assessment to conclude that what I'm aiming for is not for another SFC game, or at least not a game that could be appropriately titled "Starfleet Command" capability wise.  You could say that my dream is a spacecombat computer game that would allow the reasonable recreation of many sci-fi universes with relative ease.  Personally, I think it would be great to be able to convert SFC to B5, or even a universe of my own devising.  In the end, it would be a game that would appeal to a far wider audiance, and have much staying power.

I guess that ends my series of ill-conceived thoughts.  My apologies for assaulting your senses.

Merlinfmct87

  • Guest
Re: My Rant Concerning Already-Discussed-Topics
« Reply #1 on: June 16, 2004, 02:24:12 pm »
Hail fellow DOS user!  

kv1at3485

  • Guest
My Rant Concerning Already-Discussed-Topics
« Reply #2 on: June 16, 2004, 05:20:00 am »
Like many others, I have fond memories of old and obscure DOS games.  What shocks me is that there are so many good ideas in those old 'classics', but for some strange reason, many of those good ideas fail to be combined in today's games.

Now, I've never played SFB, although I am fascinated by the system, and I've played SFC1 and SFC2:OP.  I have nothing against the SFB system, or the closer-to-canon system used in SFC3.  But what annoys me about the entire SFC series are the severe restrictions of the games.

First and foremost of my complaints is the lack of ways to modify the gameplay elements, and/or lack of easy ways to modify gameplay elements.  I know I've said this before, and I apologize for whining again, but what about some built in editors?  We've seen that things like making new ships and scenarios can be done, but only by a relatively small few (and hats off to those few!), but that it no way to make the game appeal to a wider audience, or at the very least involve more of the community that is.
Example that I've used before: the FreeSpace community.  Thanks to the FreeSpace mission/campaign editor (FRED), that game's community is still alive and kicking after five years and won't be gone anytime soon.

My second complaint is that (even with todays methods) the number of gameplay elements that can be modified are few.  Who here wishes that new weapons could be made?  (Or for SFC3'ers...)  New shield types?  New powerplants?  New engines?  etc., etc., etc..  Would it not add so much more to the game to be able to make totally custom vessels with custom subsystems?
 I remember an old game called "Turbo Trek" where I could make my own ships with customized subsystems, and then I could make my own scenarios, all using editors that came with the game.  Sure, functionality in "Turbo Trek" was limited, but that was back in 1991 using Turbo Pascal!  Surely we can do better today!

Perhaps not so much a complaint as it is a suggestion for improvement...  The hex campaign map.  There have been suggestions to make the map free of subdivided units and 'real time'.  For example, you'd order your fleet to move to another spot on the map, and then you'd see the little fleet icon move to the desired spot according to the fleet's speed and the elapsed time.  I would like to see something like this as well.  Fleet interceptions, anyone?
And yes, this idea stuck with me after playing another old game called "Campaign."

I was impressed by the economic system that is used in F&E, and I can only wish for a more logical economic system for SFC's strategic map.  Now I appreciate that the current SFC system is adventageous for its shear simplicity, but perhaps it is too simplistic.  I can begin to imagine the quagmire that would result due to a radical upgrade of the econ system, but I can dream, can't I?

It would not be an unfair assessment to conclude that what I'm aiming for is not for another SFC game, or at least not a game that could be appropriately titled "Starfleet Command" capability wise.  You could say that my dream is a spacecombat computer game that would allow the reasonable recreation of many sci-fi universes with relative ease.  Personally, I think it would be great to be able to convert SFC to B5, or even a universe of my own devising.  In the end, it would be a game that would appeal to a far wider audiance, and have much staying power.

I guess that ends my series of ill-conceived thoughts.  My apologies for assaulting your senses.

Merlinfmct87

  • Guest
Re: My Rant Concerning Already-Discussed-Topics
« Reply #3 on: June 16, 2004, 02:24:12 pm »
Hail fellow DOS user!