Planets with more game!

[Periculi]

Or rather, Planets with more functions in the game.

Planets are treated like stations in some respects. They can be altered to having dockscreens and docking ports- which could be adapted to reflect more of an 'in orbit' form of docking.

Planets should be able to have some encounters attached- planetary based craft, surface space ports.

Some planets could be part of a mission- for instance, perhaps the CW is having difficulties with some highly successful warlords who have gained power on a few planets and banded together into a war mongering coalition and declared themselves sovereign! You might be ordered to take out the planet based strongholds of these warlords- how would this work? You need a planetary bombardment weapon- something that you have to have installed when you enter orbit (dock) with the planet in question- the dockscreen could run you through a bombardment conversation that accomplished your mission.

Planets could be set up to run a research mission- perhaps you need a scanning array installed to perform a mission for a research group on a planet with some strange magnetic properties- or you need a sample preservation type of cargo hold to pick up some samples from the planet surface. A landing craft might also be required for this, who knows.

The point is- planets could have a lot more going on. Unique planets can be created just like unique stations- so they only appear once in a game. That could make for some very interesting and rare game scenarios.

[Ttech]

Or rather, Planets with more functions in the game.

Planets are treated like stations in some respects. They can be altered to having dockscreens and docking ports- which could be adapted to reflect more of an 'in orbit' form of docking.

Planets should be able to have some encounters attached- planetary based craft, surface space ports.

Some planets could be part of a mission- for instance, perhaps the CW is having difficulties with some highly successful warlords who have gained power on a few planets and banded together into a war mongering coalition and declared themselves sovereign! You might be ordered to take out the planet based strongholds of these warlords- how would this work? You need a planetary bombardment weapon- something that you have to have installed when you enter orbit (dock) with the planet in question- the dockscreen could run you through a bombardment conversation that accomplished your mission.

Planets could be set up to run a research mission- perhaps you need a scanning array installed to perform a mission for a research group on a planet with some strange magnetic properties- or you need a sample preservation type of cargo hold to pick up some samples from the planet surface. A landing craft might also be required for this, who knows.

The point is- planets could have a lot more going on. Unique planets can be created just like unique stations- so they only appear once in a game. That could make for some very interesting and rare game scenarios.

Yes, this would be really great.

Althoguh, the dock screen would be a bit difficult. But heck, its a great idea, and some of it is possibe now.

[Periculi]

It wouldn't be a dock screen, it would be an orbit screen.

[Ttech]

It wouldn't be a dock screen, it would be an orbit screen.

true, but we'd be using dock screen code.

unless you got some ideas with that one

[Periculi]

My idea would merely be: Use the dockscreen format, but change the image to a planet (or just let the ds pick up the planet graphic like it does the generic stations) and then change the text to suit.

It's essentially the same thing- just as all the game parts are objects, and all the solar system objects are stations so to the methods to interact with a station are all dockscreens, but they can come in different styles to fit the need. If the dockscreen tells us that we are in orbit around a planet- who are we to argue?

Is there a button to make this post not able to be quoted in full? just kidding, ttech

[Apemant]

This is a great idea,,, the 'dock' screen could look like planetary view from Master of Orion, that'd be cool

Like someone said, more dock screens with different graphics would really improve the immersive effect of the game.

I could think of a mission like this: a rebel planet which needs to be conquered. For that, you need to get some planetary bombardment item (which enables 'Bombard' action, previously disabled). However, the first time you invoke bombard, the game kicks you out of the dock screen because the planet has launched it's own defensive fleet; once you destroy the fleet, then you can proceed with bombardment, and thus complete the mission.

In fact, this makes me wonder: is it possible to create a 'system' with no star? Imagine placing a bigger version of the planet instead of the star, then make some defensive turret stations in orbit around the planet... so when you dock with a planet, it allows you to 'E'nter orbit, which transports you to this virtual system (actually the planet orbit) where you would have to destroy planetary defense satellites and its defensive fleet; dock with the planet and bombard it. Then it would automatically transport you back to the system node where the planet really is.

Hmm I think I'm gonna try this, it would be so cool if possible...

[Periculi]

I could think of a mission like this: a rebel planet which needs to be conquered. For that, you need to get some planetary bombardment item (which enables 'Bombard' action, previously disabled). However, the first time you invoke bombard, the game kicks you out of the dock screen because the planet has launched it's own defensive fleet; once you destroy the fleet, then you can proceed with bombardment, and thus complete the mission.

I like the defensive fleet twist! That's a great bit to add.

I'll bet we could make a planet based system- seems like the system types are flexible enough. I think even the star's glowing effect can be changed- maybe it could be tightened up closer to the planet to act as atmosphere effects.

[OddBob]

I looked into planet based systems for a hard science mod, it's perfectly possible to do. I particularly like it as a sort of 'zoom' though where you retain the original layout and warp the player to the planetary system when necessary.

What I'd like to know though is if you can set something up so that to exit the planetary system you would just fly to the "edge" of the map and it would automatically gate you out.

[Apemant]

I looked into planet based systems for a hard science mod, it's perfectly possible to do. I particularly like it as a sort of 'zoom' though where you retain the original layout and warp the player to the planetary system when necessary.

What I'd like to know though is if you can set something up so that to exit the planetary system you would just fly to the "edge" of the map and it would automatically gate you out.

my thoughts exatcly... here is one possible solution: once you enter the 'planet' system, set up a recurring timer which ticks every 10 secs or so. In the code of the event, check the distance between player ship and the planet, and voila! Call objGateTo... but where? It can't be done (right now) without setting markers to the star systems, right in Transcendence.xml... but let's say we just accept it that way.

So how it would work: the planetary 'system' would also have an entry marker, somewhere far enough from the planet. The planet itself might have some defenses, like in armed satellites much like turrets around CW stations. It would also have a fleet of defensive ships. You could even make planets undockable until all the defenders are eliminated... boy, this sounds better by the second... heh ... anyway, once you destroy the planet (by docking and (B)ombing it) it could automatically objGateTo you back to the original system via a marker previously set to the position where you docked the planet. Alternatively, as soon as you entered planetary 'system' it would set up a timer and periodically check the distance from the planet, and take you out if you go too far from it. That way you could even abort the attack, retreat, regroup, rearm and then charge again.

Man, I think I just have to try to make all this work

[Periculi]

YES!

Ok, in a node for the star system you make links to nodes for the planets.

In the same star system you use a special set of planets that have own markers and also some proximity check- if you get close enough to them they gate you into the planetary node at the outside 'edge' of the ss.

Since the planets get markers (check how the start marker is set in Eridani) it would be easy to jump back to them, again once you are a given distance from the center of the planetary system you gated into.

That would give you 10 nodes for- let's call it the Sol system with the 9 basic planets and the solar system model on top, markers for gating between them and a whole new depth of play potential.

Do everything Apemant mentioned to make planets like SuperBases, maybe they could be the very very very much harder to beat stations for basecracking, plus require the specialty weapon to perform orbital bombards.

[Ttech]

YES!

Ok, in a node for the star system you make links to nodes for the planets.

In the same star system you use a special set of planets that have own markers and also some proximity check- if you get close enough to them they gate you into the planetary node at the outside 'edge' of the ss.

Since the planets get markers (check how the start marker is set in Eridani) it would be easy to jump back to them, again once you are a given distance from the center of the planetary system you gated into.

That would give you 10 nodes for- let's call it the Sol system with the 9 basic planets and the solar system model on top, markers for gating between them and a whole new depth of play potential.

Do everything Apemant mentioned to make planets like SuperBases, maybe they could be the very very very much harder to beat stations for basecracking, plus require the specialty weapon to perform orbital bombards.

I still don't know where to get the images or where to place each of them.

[Periculi]

What if we controlled the entry to a planetary space through a dockscreen- the basic, initial entry might be through 'customs' for a commonwealth planetary system, but if certain ship devices were present other entry options might present themselves- such as sneaking past customs with some blackmarket equipment.

In this case, the dockscreens of planets in a regular star system set up would gate the ship to the planetary system at a marker on the outer border of the system- if the player is coming through customs they might arrive at a customs station near the outer orbits, if they sneak past customs they arrive at a void marker, if they use a special trading lane they arrive at a shipping station, whatever. Various entries could have fees for passage.

Ttech:

In transcendence.xml find:

Code: Select all

<!-- STAR SYSTEMS *************************************************************

Read the comments.

Below the comments you will find the planet and system features tables.

Let's look at a system object:

Code: Select all

		<Comet>
			<Group>
				<Station type="&stCrateredPlanet;" 
						showOrbit="true"
						/>

				<Orbitals distance="2d4+2" scale="light-second" angle="random">
					<Label attributes="asteroids,comet,frost"/>
				</Orbitals>

				<Trojan probability="10">
					<Lookup table="FrostTrojans"/>
				</Trojan>

				<AntiTrojan probability="10">
					<Lookup table="FrostTrojans"/>
				</AntiTrojan>

			</Group>
		</Comet>

First the primary object is selected as a statiion: <Station type="&stCrateredPlanet;"

Where is stCrateredPlanet ? Look in the module Worlds.xml and find:

Code: Select all

	<!-- Cratered Planet -->

	<StationType UNID="&stCrateredPlanet;"
		name=				"(planet)"
		scale=				"world"
		sovereign=			"&svIndependent;"
		>
		<ImageVariants>
			<Image			imageID="&rsWorlds1;" imageX="0" imageY="0"   imageWidth="128" imageHeight="128" />
			<Image			imageID="&rsWorlds1;" imageX="0" imageY="128" imageWidth="128" imageHeight="128" />
			<Image			imageID="&rsWorlds1;" imageX="0" imageY="256" imageWidth="128" imageHeight="128" />
			<Image			imageID="&rsWorlds1;" imageX="0" imageY="384" imageWidth="128" imageHeight="128" />
		</ImageVariants>
	</StationType>

This object refers to images. They are found as rsWorlds, the resource entity, which points to a file in the Resources folder named Worlds1.jpg, and identifies the specific graphic via x and y sizes.

In transcendence.xml find:

Code: Select all

<!-- IMAGES *******************************************************************

There is precisely how to point to a image resource.

So, now you know about the system tables and the way to load images, now in transcendence.xml below the system tables look into the station types, the random systems use tables to choose system table elements which in turn generate the stars, planets, asteroics and other interplanetary objects. After this is set up random location tags place the stations.

Further down in the systemtypes tag you will find Elysium, Eridani, and Saint Katharines. These are mostly static systems and provide good examples of the methods to place specific system features.

[Ttech]

What if we controlled the entry to a planetary space through a dockscreen- the basic, initial entry might be through 'customs' for a commonwealth planetary system, but if certain ship devices were present other entry options might present themselves- such as sneaking past customs with some blackmarket equipment.

In this case, the dockscreens of planets in a regular star system set up would gate the ship to the planetary system at a marker on the outer border of the system- if the player is coming through customs they might arrive at a customs station near the outer orbits, if they sneak past customs they arrive at a void marker, if they use a special trading lane they arrive at a shipping station, whatever. Various entries could have fees for passage.

Ttech:
Read the comments.

Below the comments you will find the planet and system features tables.

This object refers to images. They are found as rsWorlds, the resource entity, which points to a file in the Resources folder named Worlds1.jpg, and identifies the specific graphic via x and y sizes.

All clear?

I can't find that code (see it) exept in Repy scren. :/ I'm guessing you have aprety good idea what your thinking of.

[Periculi]

Yes, I know exactly what I am thinking of.

But I am really not sure what you mean by repy scren.

[Apemant]

In the same star system you use a special set of planets that have own markers and also some proximity check- if you get close enough to them they gate you into the planetary node at the outside 'edge' of the ss.

Oohh, I missed this part! O yea, I'm going to rewrite my mod to work like this, with proximity checks in recurring timer events, and automatically transport you to the planetary system! Since I made 8 different entry points in the planetary system, perhaps I can even make you 'approach' the system approximately from the same direction you really approached it in the main star system where the planet is! Now that'd be awesome heheheh

Hmm but the problem remains that this proximity check should be extremely quick, like in, you'd have to check it more than once per second, or else you might just 'fly by' the planet if you are in a fast ship. How fast are these recurring events? Do they lag the game if there are many of them, called very often?

Edit: crap. They aren't slow per se, but they have a nasty side-effect: although they work fine while you are in the system, when you leave the system they stop firing (naturally) but they seem to sort of 'stack' and then when you reenter the same system, all those 'stacked' events fire simultaneously, resulting in a nasty lag if there are many of them - and there ARE many of them if I'm checking the proximity several times per second.

So there should be some workaround, like turning off the timer when you exit a system and turning it back on when you visit it again. However, there are no suitable events for this, other than rewriting player ships and adding <OnEnteredGate> event, and then inside check the system we are in... that sounds rather clumsy... anyone has a better idea?

Funny thing is, Antartica and BlackMarkets have such recurring events which never gets canceled once they are started, so if my theory is correct, they are the cause of the occasional lag when you enter a stargate. I seem to remember that if you enter Antarctica system, leave it without solving it, and then come back MUCH later, it does lag quite badly right after the gating-out effect (immediatelly before entering the system).