Earth

[Aeonic]

Whatever happened to earth? I see Earth Industries, but I see no Earth, and I haven't read anything about why its not in the game.

[Aury]

Earth got pretty badly beat up in the syrtian war; it's still there though, but it's not important; st.k's is where all the fun stuff happens now. Earth does export a number of foodstuffs however (I think one item comes from cali after some earthquake of the 2200's or something).
Mars was rendered inhospitable.

Apparently 1.1 will have a supposedly non-linear branch of its topology that goes to Sol... so...

[Aeonic]

Non-linear would be awesome. I was just wondering why you never encounter the Sol system in Transcendence, and where do they get all this Earth stuff when Earth, by the looks of it, must be on the other side of the quarantine zone?

[Aury]

In T, you only get to see a fraction of the QZ. Lots of it isn't allowed because the game doesn't give you the gates. It's actually all there, just not connected to the visible, in-game network.

[Little Modder]

George, will you add some new gates in the 1.0 version? (some gates in the QZ)

[Aury]

I think that sol and all that comes in 1.1

[george moromisato]

I think that sol and all that comes in 1.1

I'm conflicted and I haven't thought too deeply about it. Basically, there are a few issues:

1. Adding more systems at a given level changes the balance of the game (since it becomes easier to find equipment for a given level--in some sense, it reduces the randomness of the game).

2. One possibility is to have certain systems only randomly appear--but it would suck if some games you can get to Earth and other games you can't. So I don't think that's viable.

3. Another issue is forcing players to visit every system. It would be nice if there were some trade-off to visiting systems so that in some strategies it makes sense to by-pass systems. Not sure what the game mechanism for that would be.

4. One thing I'm considering is having a branch at St. K's that goes to Earth and beyond. At the end of that branch there might be another quarantine point, which might require different tactics (or equipment) to overcome. Thus the player could choose one path or the other. But this would require a great deal of new content.

5. Finally, after 1.0, I'm going to spend a lot of time on post-Human Space content (Ancient Races, etc.) and I'd rather do that than spend time creating more Human Space content. Thus, don't expect Earth to show up in 1.1.

[Blitz]

I'm conflicted and I haven't thought too deeply about it. Basically, there are a few issues:

1. Adding more systems at a given level changes the balance of the game (since it becomes easier to find equipment for a given level--in some sense, it reduces the randomness of the game).

2. One possibility is to have certain systems only randomly appear--but it would suck if some games you can get to Earth and other games you can't. So I don't think that's viable.

3. Another issue is forcing players to visit every system. It would be nice if there were some trade-off to visiting systems so that in some strategies it makes sense to by-pass systems. Not sure what the game mechanism for that would be.

4. One thing I'm considering is having a branch at St. K's that goes to Earth and beyond. At the end of that branch there might be another quarantine point, which might require different tactics (or equipment) to overcome. Thus the player could choose one path or the other. But this would require a great deal of new content.

5. Finally, after 1.0, I'm going to spend a lot of time on post-Human Space content (Ancient Races, etc.) and I'd rather do that than spend time creating more Human Space content. Thus, don't expect Earth to show up in 1.1.

Option 4.. i.e. multiple approaches to the same destination with differnt skills required sounds best but, as you said, this would take up a lot of time as lots of new content would need to be added. And I think that this can wait for a while and progression to post heretic systems is more important.

However, I think there is a simple way to implement this through a system of dead end offshoots.

1. Each Offshoot has 2 to 3 systems. The solar system, for example, could be a nonrandom system at the end of an offshoot.

2. The offshoots are completely optional and players should be rewarded with either low priced goods from which you can make lots of money, mineral rich asteroids from which you can make lots of money, a good (and very importantly, non-essential) item through a simple mission, a wingman or simply Teh l00t.

3.The offshoots should not reward the player till the end of the offshoot so that it becomes a sort of side mission that the player will undertake out of his/her own volition.

4. These offshoots could probably used to enhance the storytelling part of the game if desired.

5. You could have multiple offshoots at different levels of the game - even post-heretic.

Later, if you think it's the right way, you could convert these into option 4 in future versions if you think it's the right way to go...but I think multilple branching paths to the same destination idea is totally awesome...

EDIT: maybe it is more appropriate to place this in bugs and brainstorms...please move it if you think so.

[Little Modder]

yeah, it is a very cool idea to make two paths to the galactic core. but it is a lot of work, so if it is possible, we can wait for 1.4 or something like

[Retroactive]

With the availability of Adventure extensions, this could be ground for modders to cover rather than George.

[Aury]

TX2 will do that btw.

[schilcote]

Fuel is a good reason to take the most direct path. Going to Sol will give you more time to get sw33tl00t at the cost of using up more fuel gallivanting about.

Maybe some sort of thick-nebula thing that your ship has friction against so you pretty much have to have your thrusters running the whole time you're moving through it.

[goat not sheep]

you're being sarcastic right?

nebulae already do that. o.o

[Prophet]

Earth could emerge as a late game system if the ares history were ever to be explored.

Earth was all but destroyed by the syrtis conclave (now ares) under direction from Domina. This is one big historical plot-bomb that never gets mentioned in the game.

A new mission could run parallel to the CSC antarctica mission, and rather than try to broker a peace deal between the two races, the player could take a side and would have to travel back to Sol to retrieve something. Along the way they might meet the descendents of followers who would provide insight and historical information.

Perhaps Oracus is sleeping on the ruins of Earth, and the attack by the syrtis was instrumented by Domina in an attempt to destroy him. Perhaps he is still on earth and once we cross the quarantine the Iocrym or another ancient race send us back to Earth to recon recent events.

If it were to fit into the story, then it would be great, but adding it just for the sake of having a "you are here ->" marker is kind of silly. Personally, I don't feel the need to have Earth, I've never felt the game was lacking without it.

[Blitz]

I think earth should be a side mission which gives very interesting but inessential plot points. Something to add to the atmosphere and replayability for a new player but not of much concern to the powerplayer who's played the game a few times...