[vorlon31]

How would you like planets to feature in Jumpgate Evolution?

[Tim]

I don't think I have an opinion yet... what would be the difference between a planet and a space station? Just a graphic thing, or would there be a different type of economy/flight characteristics/pie?

[Hornet]

I voted #3. Being able to fly into/around the planet would be sweeeeet, but I dont see it happening.

[Tim]

Ahh.. sort of an exploration/look-at-the-shiny-people kinda thing? I could see that.. maybe even throw in some sort of loot chance, or use it as an opportunity to build some backstory?

[netburnr]

I voted "Pretty back drops with AI traffic"

Easiest to code, plus do we really need to be able to land at the planet? I mean as far as Jumpgate Classic is concerned, its not physically possible due to our bodies. Sure it was probably and RP dreamed up to cover up a limitation of the game, but thats fine by me.

Also, I don't think I want planets sucking up our resources, thats why I didn't pick the next option.

edit:

I have nothing against being able to actually fly around the planet, if its possible to code, then go for it!

[Eraser55]

I actually think there are alot of people out there who would want to be able to land on planets.. but to me thats totally different game.

On the other hand, if it was reallly really well made, like a FPS game on ground, that would be cool. Oh.. put Warmonger on the ground.

[netburnr]

Originally Posted by Eraser55

I actually think there are alot of people out there who would want to be able to land on planets.. but to me thats totally different game.

On the other hand, if it was reallly really well made, like a FPS game on ground, that would be cool. Oh.. put Warmonger on the ground.

So now you want two complete games in one? A space sim and a FPS on the ground?


Unless ND were to double their staff, that is just a pipe dream.

About the closest I could see them being able to do is to make a docking area above a planet that has some sort of cut scene of your ship landing which then takes you into a typical station interface.

[vorlon31]

Games off hand that do transitions from space to planet surface are;

Evochron Alliance and its newer Evochron Renegades, plus the oh so impressive looking (but not happening in this life time) Infinity.

Infinity isnt playable past a combat sim I think, so I cant comment on that but the Evochron games allow for atmospheric flight/fights, mining of the planets surface (by skimming its surface with mining teleporters active) with a planatary market in the form of a city to dock at and trade with. The physics of the game change in atmos too as your ship overheats and explodes if you go to fast, falls if you go to slow, goes boom if you kiss the dirt and burns more fuel to boot while down there. While flying though the atmos then pulling up to see the air thin as you break through it into space is good, Im not sure if its an area I'd want to delay beta for to devlop.

But I would like to see planets effect and bolster the markets of stations in its sector.

[vorlon31]

Then again, I WOULD like to fly down into the atmosphere of a Flux* home world and then whilst keeping to a low altitude to avoid detection skim my ship over hills and through valleys before pulling up just before an appointed target, accelerating skyward and dropping the payload full of nukes...... then racing back up into space through the clouds, a second ahead of the roaring broiling flaming inferno of an explosion that my detonating nukes had caused.......


*insert enemy of choice *grin*

[netburnr]

While the imagery you just gave sounds completely bad ass, I just don't see it in the Jumpgate universe.

If the devs are willing to try it, I'd be all for it, but for some reason my head just keeps telling me the code for all this would be very very hard to implement.

[Eraser55]

are you going to code it? man, I dont even worry about that stuff.. Its not me whos going to make it.. I just want to play it.

Eventually, someone is going to make a game with all these wonderfull features. And those wont be afraid of working hard coding that shit. Thats how good games pop up. Do you think Bill Gates worries about coding ? no.. he says, I want Vista to be able to do magical desktop things and he gets what he wants.(but he should hire new programmers)

All Im saying that we(the genius crowd of ideas) should not be rejecting an idea or not writing it up at all because we might think its hard to implement.. thats not for us to think about. I would encourage everyone to write everything up they think about even if it sounds impossible.. Theres nothing to lose.

[netburnr]

I understand what you are trying to say Eraser, but you need to understand the ND development team is not as big as Microsoft. They have a set amount of things they can work on and still release the game in a decent time frame. Like I said before, I like the idea of bringing the planets more into the game, but adding a whole new flight model, and other game dynamics to allow a ship to move into a planet surface is not going to be an easy task.

So you need to ask yourself, if this would push the release back 6 months, do you want that? Or would you like the game to come out with space only, and the perhaps let an expansion pack take care of the above suggestion?

Luckily Jumpgate Evolution will have a lot more development resources than Jumpgate Classic had, so we are more likely to get stuff like this implemented this time around.

Again, I'm not trying to say your idea is bad in any way, just trying to show you my point of view