Transcendence

http://multiverse.kronosaur.com/news.hexm?id=532

Unfortunately, it looks like there might still be a bug with auto-upgrade. You may have to manually download:

http://kronosaur.com/downloads/TranscendenceNext.zip

 No trouble with the auto-update on my end. …I completely forgot I had ever even found that wreck graphic bug, let alone reported it… o.O

Problems with the Benedict missions, if the player tries to complete them as soon as possible:

* Kill Centauri missions given by Benedict takes away money from the player by eliminating available profitable missions offered by habitats. Better for player to wait for habitat missions than to rush through with Benedict.

* The sell mission Benedict gives can pick the SmartCannon from the final exam quest reward, and you cannot progress to the true final quest until the SmartCannon is sold. Then when the final quest is offered, he scolds you for selling the SmartCannon!

The tutorial is too easy to miss. It doesn't trigger unless you ask multiple questions.

I'd also say that 3 Atonements are probably too much. You shouldn't be able to die in a tutorial without doing something obviously stupid and trying to actually defend the freighter rather than letting them shoot it while you hang back and bombard them is a good way to get killed. It would probably be better to use Repentants. The two level drop in shield strength and lack of missiles would reduce the risk of tutorial deaths.

The tutorial also gives the impression that you should leave Eridani after the tutorial even though Arco is still there.

And if you do break from the tutorial or have the right luck in encountering a heavy raider that drops an intact CLAW Benedict can tell you to install it. Doing so could mess up an EI500 run. Other level 3 weapons you chance on not so much, but the CLAWs are two slotters.

Also, if you install the smartcannon without prompting (at least if you do so other than at Starton, eg. the drydock) Benedict will erronously place a mission pointer on Starton.

Another Benedict complaint!

Benedict is a liar! He says he has nothing to offer but training, but the reward of his final quest is the galactic map (which he gives), which can be very valuable. With no other place to get galactic map (Dall at St. K's gives a different reward - new explorer auton), the map can make the tutorial missions mandatory - and failure is not an option!

How will the player get galactic map if he is not a pilgrim, who cannot get Benedict missions?

If Benedict must give a reward, I would rather have targeting program if that will not be given for free like autopilot, and have galactic map be more accessible. Better yet, give targeting program with the SmartCannon so player can use it more effectively, and give Benedict another job to do: teach player how to use the targeting UI.

* * *

I am not fond of the game auto-saving after accepting a mission. Much rather be able to opt-in auto-save rather than opt-out, especially since instructions for opting-in is found only in release notes, which will fade to obscurity as time passes.

Atarlost wrote:I'd also say that 3 Atonements are probably too much. ... It would probably be better to use Repentants.

I agree, their defenses are too strong for starter weapons, and we cannot rely on the SmartCannon reward (because Benedict might tell the player to sell it). Corsair-II ships are nasty early game opponents for starter ships, and they are not as well protected as Atonement ships. Even killing Hammerheads with class I deflectors was tedious with starter weapons, and we are supposed to destroy Atonements that are protected by their (level 4) class III deflectors, especially when most devices above level 3 are removed from shops in Eridani (but not Tau Ceti)?

* * *

The new sounds could use work.

Sound for [D]ock is annoying. When I push [D] repeatedly, I feel bombarded by telephone beeps. Sound should be quieter and less distracting, and/or allow a way to turn off UI sounds (without affecting other sounds like weapons fire) that is accessable with in-game settings and not only possible by editing a settings file that lacks adequate documentation.

The quiet clicks should not click if itempicker list navigation fails due to trying to go beyond the list (via arrows or page up/down).

* * *

I like that (ObjSetProperty obj 'rotation ...) works on missiles. Stuff like drunken missiles with directional sprites should be possible now. Any other undocumented changes in rc1? (Is there a hitscan/point check hidden somewhere?)

o.o Nice to see this update out with the AI fixes

Thanks george!

 Typos in Benedict’s “final exam” dockscreen:

Benedict wrote:“There's an Urak outpost at the edge of the system. The Urak never recovered from the plague that hit their colonies. Now they follow a military dictator and fear all outsiders.”I want you to go out there and destroy their outpust.“

 Extra set of quotes before last sentence. No spacing before last sentence. Outpost misspelled. Last set of close quotes look to be open quotes.[/quote]

Thanks, all! I agree with the Benedict feedback. I'm planning a few changes:

1. I'm switching the galactic map to be standard on all ships. It's already standard in CC and with mods having non-linear topology, I think the galactic map is required.

2. I'll fix the bug with Benedict forcing you to sell the SmartCannon. That's an easy fix. That should allow you to always at least have the SmartCannon.

3. I'm not averse to toning down the Penitent attack. In testing, (with Sapphire with SmartCannon), I never once failed to complete the mission. The Atonements don't target the player (and the EI7000 is pretty strong). Constant barrage of SmartCannon fire killed all three Atonements before the freighter reached the Sisters. What ships/weapons were you using?

4. I agree that finding the Benedict mission should be easier. Blowing off the questions should still lead to Benedict.

Keep the feedback coming. Benedict needs a lot more polish.

george moromisato wrote:3. I'm not averse to toning down the Penitent attack. In testing, (with Sapphire with SmartCannon), I never once failed to complete the mission. The Atonements don't target the player (and the EI7000 is pretty strong). Constant barrage of SmartCannon fire killed all three Atonements before the freighter reached the Sisters. What ships/weapons were you using?

My death was using the Wolfen with the SmartCannon. The problem is that you have to not defend the ship like you'd defend a real escort. I've found that getting between the freighter and the enemies is the best way to handle high ranked Korolov missions and even though the Penitents don't retarget that's still suicide here.

Benedict wrote:Now they follow a military dictator and fear all outsiders.

How paranoid- its like they think folks are going to send murder-hobos to annihilate their remaining population centers or something

george moromisato wrote:Thanks, all! I agree with the Benedict feedback. I'm planning a few changes:

1. I'm switching the galactic map to be standard on all ships. It's already standard in CC and with mods having non-linear topology, I think the galactic map is required.

2. I'll fix the bug with Benedict forcing you to sell the SmartCannon. That's an easy fix. That should allow you to always at least have the SmartCannon.

3. I'm not averse to toning down the Penitent attack. In testing, (with Sapphire with SmartCannon), I never once failed to complete the mission. The Atonements don't target the player (and the EI7000 is pretty strong). Constant barrage of SmartCannon fire killed all three Atonements before the freighter reached the Sisters. What ships/weapons were you using?

4. I agree that finding the Benedict mission should be easier. Blowing off the questions should still lead to Benedict.

Keep the feedback coming. Benedict needs a lot more polish.

I killed the atonements just fine with a smart cannon on the sapphire but it wasn't particularly easy.

George, you might have never failed to kill the ships, but you, just like most of us here, are an experienced player. A total newb, would just barely be learning to work the controls at this point. A tutorial mission should let that kind of player get their feet wet with very little chance of death. Right now, it's too easy to die.

I agree with Atarlost that it should be 3 penitents, or a 2+1

Blitz wrote:George, you might have never failed to kill the ships, but you, just like most of us here, are an experienced player. A total newb, would just barely be learning to work the controls at this point. A tutorial mission should let that kind of player get their feet wet with very little chance of death. Right now, it's too easy to die.

That gives me an idea:

Folks are also saying you should be able to get the missions if you skip out on the intro messages, right? How about it gives easy tutorials if you go through the full intro sequence and gets more challenging if you skip it?

Blitz wrote:I agree with a Atarlost that it should be 3 penitents, and or a 2+1

My gut feeling is two (or three) Repentants and one Atonement. Repentants have poor offense.

kay.py wrote:Folks are also saying you should be able to get the missions if you skip out on the intro messages, right? How about it gives easy tutorials if you go through the full intro sequence and gets more challenging if you skip it?

That sounds like more work for George without enough gain. If player wants a harder start, just opt-out of the tutorials and miss out on a free SmartCannon. (I can always use the weapon or the money during early-game poverty.) Tutorial missions should be optional as long as the galactic map reward gets taken out of them.

EDIT - If player wants to do the tutorial, he should not need to push so many buttons to ask all of the questions before he is allowed to take part. People who do tutorials are one among the following: genuine newbies who need the help and not UI hurdles, completionists who feel compelled to do everything (recordable) in the game, or munchkins who want to squeeze every last bonus from everything for optimal play.

The Penitent attack seems fine to me. Like George said, the EI7000 is very tough and it's a good preview of what fighting strong ships will be like. The mission is intended to be optional, so there's no reason for it to be trivially easy.

That said, it might be cool to see the freighter get damaged and then invoke Restore and/or Defend, coupled with a notification and minimap effect if it happens offscreen. This would give players a preview of the sort of powers they can expect to be granted by Domina.

I am a big Smartcannon fan, but I don't feel that Wolfen players should be given one. The Wolfen already has strong starting weapons and doesn't benefit as much from the tracking. A portable analyzer or maybe a new kind of halo gem that invoked a weak Domina power like Strengthen would be more the ticket.