Request/reports/ideas
1, 2
posted on December 15th, 2006, 2:23 pm
Last edited by Tyrel on December 15th, 2006, 8:28 pm, edited 1 time in total.
{after finished: ohh how a loong and boring post, what have i done??... 
(but devs pls read)}
While playing the game i usually have many ideas, what i used to forget but i try to share most of them here:
- Federation: Steamrunner class should not be in the Starfleet Command shipyard, it should cost dilithium and tritanium, not credits, like the bottom line artillerys of all the other races! And it should have a weapon like in original Armada2 wich has got AoE damage and explode on target point, not explode on hit.
- Federation: The Torpedo turret should be able to use its special ability by itself, when special weapon autonomy is set to medium/high. I know its not really possible but i'll describe it at the next point.
- Background idea: Im not absolutely sure but it looks like to me, that special weapons are only usable by the Autonomy if they are randomly targeted, or they dont need target as they originate from ship and affect the area around it, or they have a single target. But if they need to be targeted to an area (like the special ability of Torpedo turret) the Autonomy cant use them. I suggest that exchange the targeting method of these abilityes to the method the single targeted abilityes use in the Autonomy.
- Background idea: Predefining: Special weapon autonomy uses the special abilityes unwisely. I know it cannot be programmed that ships use their special abilityes intelligently depending on the circumstances like a human player would do, as the AI cannot predict what you will do next. This way the Autonomy will always shoot for an example Positron torpedo, if it has got enough special energy. The result is: all your Vor'cha -s are shootin (thus temporary depleting) their positron torpedoes to a single target, doesnt matter if its a lonely ship or part of a fleet, nor if its a scout or a battleship...
My idea: I think ships has got a state what tells if the ship is in combat (or idle, moving, mining, etc.) Use that up by the following to rewrite the Autonomy:
[following might be understaded as a programming pseudo code]
If a ship enters combat and has enough special energy, roll (randomize) with {for an example} 33% chance. If the roll was succesful, use special ability on current target and start a timer. Timer counts until duration of special ability. When timer is done and ship has enough special energy, roll with 50% chance and use special ability on current target.
By my hopes that would do the following:
Combat starts, like 1/3 of your Vor'cha -s shoot their positron torpedoes on a single target, that might be still too much if your fleet is big but ways better than all of them is shooting. Vor'cha -s start a timer (some global timer would be nice as time counts for many vessels is only a leak to performance) wich counts for exactly the same time as the positron torpedo affects the hostile ship. This way when the effect vanishes from hostile ship, your Vor'chas wich still have special energy to shoot the positron torpedo (like 2/3 of them) will roll with 50% chance, so like half of them will shoot positron torpedoes again, and when timer is finished again, the remaining 1/3 -s 50% will shoot again etc. etc. Thats far not perfect but still better than the original conception.
Altrough it might need some more improvements like kill the timer and roll instantly when a target switch occurs etc. Im not a programmer, just described the basics of my idea... wich might cannot be done at all, but i hope it can be...
- AI bug: Ships under patrol do not use special abilityes doesnt matter what autonomy you set. (btw accept my gratitude how you rewritten the ship movement algorithms of patrol mode as in original armada 2 ships are stuck in each other and stopped, but here they turn with a nice arch and wont stop when stuck by traffic. grat job!)
No more things get in my mind now but if its not a problem i would add new ideas and stuff later on.
Hope i didnt tired you to hell!
(but devs pls read)}While playing the game i usually have many ideas, what i used to forget but i try to share most of them here:
- Federation: Steamrunner class should not be in the Starfleet Command shipyard, it should cost dilithium and tritanium, not credits, like the bottom line artillerys of all the other races! And it should have a weapon like in original Armada2 wich has got AoE damage and explode on target point, not explode on hit.
- Federation: The Torpedo turret should be able to use its special ability by itself, when special weapon autonomy is set to medium/high. I know its not really possible but i'll describe it at the next point.
- Background idea: Im not absolutely sure but it looks like to me, that special weapons are only usable by the Autonomy if they are randomly targeted, or they dont need target as they originate from ship and affect the area around it, or they have a single target. But if they need to be targeted to an area (like the special ability of Torpedo turret) the Autonomy cant use them. I suggest that exchange the targeting method of these abilityes to the method the single targeted abilityes use in the Autonomy.
- Background idea: Predefining: Special weapon autonomy uses the special abilityes unwisely. I know it cannot be programmed that ships use their special abilityes intelligently depending on the circumstances like a human player would do, as the AI cannot predict what you will do next. This way the Autonomy will always shoot for an example Positron torpedo, if it has got enough special energy. The result is: all your Vor'cha -s are shootin (thus temporary depleting) their positron torpedoes to a single target, doesnt matter if its a lonely ship or part of a fleet, nor if its a scout or a battleship...
My idea: I think ships has got a state what tells if the ship is in combat (or idle, moving, mining, etc.) Use that up by the following to rewrite the Autonomy:
[following might be understaded as a programming pseudo code]
If a ship enters combat and has enough special energy, roll (randomize) with {for an example} 33% chance. If the roll was succesful, use special ability on current target and start a timer. Timer counts until duration of special ability. When timer is done and ship has enough special energy, roll with 50% chance and use special ability on current target.
By my hopes that would do the following:
Combat starts, like 1/3 of your Vor'cha -s shoot their positron torpedoes on a single target, that might be still too much if your fleet is big but ways better than all of them is shooting. Vor'cha -s start a timer (some global timer would be nice as time counts for many vessels is only a leak to performance) wich counts for exactly the same time as the positron torpedo affects the hostile ship. This way when the effect vanishes from hostile ship, your Vor'chas wich still have special energy to shoot the positron torpedo (like 2/3 of them) will roll with 50% chance, so like half of them will shoot positron torpedoes again, and when timer is finished again, the remaining 1/3 -s 50% will shoot again etc. etc. Thats far not perfect but still better than the original conception.
Altrough it might need some more improvements like kill the timer and roll instantly when a target switch occurs etc. Im not a programmer, just described the basics of my idea... wich might cannot be done at all, but i hope it can be...
- AI bug: Ships under patrol do not use special abilityes doesnt matter what autonomy you set. (btw accept my gratitude how you rewritten the ship movement algorithms of patrol mode as in original armada 2 ships are stuck in each other and stopped, but here they turn with a nice arch and wont stop when stuck by traffic. grat job!)
No more things get in my mind now but if its not a problem i would add new ideas and stuff later on.
Hope i didnt tired you to hell!
posted on December 15th, 2006, 2:39 pm
No you didn't 
I find your ideas pretty nice.
I find your ideas pretty nice.
posted on December 15th, 2006, 7:46 pm
No you didn't
I find your ideas pretty nice.
Thanks, that makes me feel im not that great idiot like i've felt myself at the beginning
posted on December 15th, 2006, 7:49 pm
Last edited by Tyrel on December 28th, 2006, 8:10 am, edited 1 time in total.
Ok, by now i've realised its not a good thing to open new posts every time something gets in my mind so i will extend this one from now on.
- Dominion: Bug: Perimeter can fire to Artillery range if ordered but will only fire automatically on targets that are in Long range or closer.
- General AI Suggestion: Again about the Patrol Mode: Patrolling ships, once a hostile ship enters the area, will stop on the Patrol route once they approach to Long range with the hostile ship and wont move just face the hostile. If the Patrolling ship has Short or Medium range weaponry, it cannot shoot this way. Please make Patrolling ships to stop as far from hostile ships as far their weapons can shoot, so not only Long and Artillery range ships are effectively usable for a Patrol. Ohh yeah, and as far as i've noticed Movement Autonomy doesnt matter, just like the Special Weapon Autonomy. I think that the algorithm of Patrol Mode accidentaly disables all the Autonomyes.
- General AI Bug: Low Movement Autonomy is bugged, as it should make ships hold position. But if you move ships by selecting more than one, i think the program automatically gives them an unorganized formation what they try to hold. (so formation buttons dont order ships in formations, its automatic, formation buttons just make it look better) Here's the problem, moving in formation with multiple ships requires the AI to use elements of Medium Movement Autonomy, and it mixes up all the stuff. Ships in Low Movement Autonomy state will still have a chance to move when a combat begins, or they might act weird sometimes. Clicking the STOP button fixes the problem, but that should be fixed correctly. (Im not absolutely sure that the above described thing causes this bug, but had no better idea.)
I think these problems with the Autonomyes half of my posts are about, are basically the problems of Armada 2 and not Fleet Ops, thus not your fault guys, but pls if you can (and if it doesnt take a year) try to fix them or make them less annoying.
- Federation: Suggestion: Avalon class's fighters are too slow, increase their movement speed please. They're totally unusable against moving targets, tho imo in space combat fighters should not just used to destroy pretty big stationary ships/stations, but for ambushes too. If you wish to make more figter based combat in the future and more motherships, please take a look at Conquest: Frontier Wars and check how that works there. (but if only avalon will have that ability, it doesnt worth spending much time for fighters, just give them speed)
- Romulan: Investigation: Im not sure if im correct with that as i wasnt able to test it properly, but i've played with a guy online and the D'deridex seemed underpowered. I was with the Federation, i dont know what researces he made, i had shields on tech level 2 and weapons on level 1 (if we take that starter tech is level 0). We've dueled 1v1 with a Sovereign and a D'deridex, he used his special ability too, but doesnt matter, his ship was crashed to spacedust when my Sovereigns hull was around 80-90 percent... We've tryed it more times and it always ended similary... Its correct if the sovereign has got better sensors, engines and shields than the Warbird, but weapons, i think the D'deridex should have bigger firepower than a Sovereign.
- Dominion: Bug: C-17 Siege Cruiser uses up all its special energy for Phaseshield if its used by the autonomy and not the player. I think it is because of the autonomy thanks to some minor bug, doesnt notice if the Phaseshield is online and tryes to start it again, thus it repeatedly uses Phaseshield ability fast and depletes all the special energy... This way the Phaseshield holds only for 2sec and not 8, for as long as it could last if used at the right times. (100/25energy = 4*2sec = 8sec) Hehh and anyways it uses the Phaseshield unwisely at some random time in a battle, not when the ship actually takes damage. Edit: Maybe that wasnt correct, i will need some tests to make it sure...
- Dominion: Exploit: C-11 Interception Destroyers Energy Beacon ability is sort of overpowered as 5 or more of these vessels standing close to each other can actually use this ability unlimitedly. There are 2 problems with that: The major one is, that they're like a moving special energy recharging station, they can quickly reload lots of special energy to other ships including the Hyperspace Artillery. The other problem is actually a bug with the ability or a problem with the description. It says it affects a short range area around the ship, but it seems medium range to me + it says it replenishes 10 special energy points to all vessels including itself. With 5 of these ships thats 50 special energy points, but its more. You can click the ability till the ends of time, they wont lose a single point of special energy, tho the ability costs 65 points, thus they should lose 15 points per click.
- Romulan: Bug: Generix Class (Support Refit) Plasma Bolt Costs 8 special energy instead of 80 as the description says... U guys were in a hurry with programming and forgot to type a zero somewhere
- General Sound Bug: Ship decomission uses the sound of ship repair (at shipyard) but when the ship is totally decomissioned, the sound still continues to play till the ends of time or until you send a ship to repair at the same shipyard. Repair's sound (as its the same as decomissions sound, and once repair started it will overtake the previously playing sound) works fine and stops when done. If asked for, i can send you a save game wich continually plays the sound without an actual source. The sound starter was a decomissioned ship, as described above.
- General AI Bug: Ships once cloaked turn to yellow alert wich is a pretty cool thing, BUT when you decloak they forget to go back to red alert, so they wont shoot automatically...
- General Suggestion: Make miners remember to wich refinery you sent them and on to wich ore you sent them to harvest and drop off the ores, and regardless of the distances or anything else, make them use these 2 objects for their operations as far as they exist.
Edit Dec. 23.:
- Klingons: Suggestion: Playing Klingons feels like you're blind, give them some more sensor range or give them sensors tech. research pls.
- Klingons: Suggestion: The Negh'var should have cloaking ability too, as they do have in Star Trek Role, as far as i know...
- Klingons: Bug: I wasnt really able to discover why, but SuS'a' class doesnt rlly like to automatically fire at Long range, as the description says.
- General Bug: When loading a save game in wich you have ships cloaked nearby hostile ships, there is a little chance they get discovered without a tachyon detector nearby. I can send you a save game containing that bug if needed.
- Federation: huh maybe a Question?: Well, i know Defiant class is one of the most advanced ship classes of 24th century starfleet, but isnt it a bit too strong atm in FO? Defiant is a small ship, howcome its stronger than an Akira or an Excelsior Refit?
- General AI Bug: Previously i've mentioned Perimeter can fire at Artillery range but it barely opens fire automatically on targets that far away, it better likes Long range and closer... Well maybe that was a mistake by me, i think it was another bug led me on this wrong path...
Here it is: All the stationary objects, HQ-s, weapon platforms, low movement autonomy ships... Well everything has got a chance to pick a target wich is out of their range, and they wont change target until that one is destroyed. For moving ships its not a problem, but for stationary objects or ships on patrol (as they dont move in range when they're patrolling, see it described somewhere above) thats a pain in the... *coughs*. So please if you can, rewrite the targeting algorhytms to make them target hostiles only within their weapons range, otherways you end up staring at half of your defenses actually doing nothing while under siege... Its bcos they want to shoot on a target too far away, and they dont notice they should switch.
- General (and sort of important) suggestion: Please somehow make us able to turn on or off special abilityes. For an example right click them on the interface if we want/dont want the units to use that ability, just like in warcraft3. Reason is, thats its sort of annoying when your ship has got more than 1 special ability and you dont wish it to waste its energy to some of them. For an example you got a support ship wich is able to launch a destructive bolt for 80 energy and able to recharge friendly vessels shields for 40 energy. You wish it to "heal" allies in battle, but as soon as the battle begins it fires the special weapon and then watches your ships as they get ripped apart, cos there is no energy to aid them. And there are many many examples that would make this simple feature really important and liked by everyone. Ohh man, but its not your FO devs. fault again, its again Mad Doc's fault, again! C'mon, how were they able to release this game so unfinished and bugged...
- Landscape Bug (well correct me if thats a feature not a bug): Fluidic nebula is sometimes bugged (tho not always, its seems to me it happens when the ship is on the border of the fluidic nebula). When a ship from inside the nebula opens fire at something the ship becomes visible (the fluidic nebula hides ships), just like when a cloaked ship opens fire. The only difference is, that at some point it still remains invisible. The platforms/ships return fire at the ship inside the fluidic nebula, but they have 0% chance to hit, as long as the ships from outside enter the nebula too, or the ship inside leaves the nebula... Thus The ship inside is able to fire at ships outside, but it also becomes sort of invincible. If you cant find the reason of this problem i suggest just simply give another effect to the nebula wich blinds sensors.
Edit Dec. 24.:
- Klingon: Bug: When you have multiple BortaS class vessels selected and you try to use Attack Probe ability, as soon as you click with it somewhere in the space, the game crashes! I think it happens because all the BortaS want to place their attack probe at exactly the same point, wich is ofc impossible.
- Dominion: Bug: Perimeter can fire to Artillery range if ordered but will only fire automatically on targets that are in Long range or closer.
- General AI Suggestion: Again about the Patrol Mode: Patrolling ships, once a hostile ship enters the area, will stop on the Patrol route once they approach to Long range with the hostile ship and wont move just face the hostile. If the Patrolling ship has Short or Medium range weaponry, it cannot shoot this way. Please make Patrolling ships to stop as far from hostile ships as far their weapons can shoot, so not only Long and Artillery range ships are effectively usable for a Patrol. Ohh yeah, and as far as i've noticed Movement Autonomy doesnt matter, just like the Special Weapon Autonomy. I think that the algorithm of Patrol Mode accidentaly disables all the Autonomyes.
- General AI Bug: Low Movement Autonomy is bugged, as it should make ships hold position. But if you move ships by selecting more than one, i think the program automatically gives them an unorganized formation what they try to hold. (so formation buttons dont order ships in formations, its automatic, formation buttons just make it look better) Here's the problem, moving in formation with multiple ships requires the AI to use elements of Medium Movement Autonomy, and it mixes up all the stuff. Ships in Low Movement Autonomy state will still have a chance to move when a combat begins, or they might act weird sometimes. Clicking the STOP button fixes the problem, but that should be fixed correctly. (Im not absolutely sure that the above described thing causes this bug, but had no better idea.)
I think these problems with the Autonomyes half of my posts are about, are basically the problems of Armada 2 and not Fleet Ops, thus not your fault guys, but pls if you can (and if it doesnt take a year) try to fix them or make them less annoying.
- Federation: Suggestion: Avalon class's fighters are too slow, increase their movement speed please. They're totally unusable against moving targets, tho imo in space combat fighters should not just used to destroy pretty big stationary ships/stations, but for ambushes too. If you wish to make more figter based combat in the future and more motherships, please take a look at Conquest: Frontier Wars and check how that works there. (but if only avalon will have that ability, it doesnt worth spending much time for fighters, just give them speed)
- Romulan: Investigation: Im not sure if im correct with that as i wasnt able to test it properly, but i've played with a guy online and the D'deridex seemed underpowered. I was with the Federation, i dont know what researces he made, i had shields on tech level 2 and weapons on level 1 (if we take that starter tech is level 0). We've dueled 1v1 with a Sovereign and a D'deridex, he used his special ability too, but doesnt matter, his ship was crashed to spacedust when my Sovereigns hull was around 80-90 percent... We've tryed it more times and it always ended similary... Its correct if the sovereign has got better sensors, engines and shields than the Warbird, but weapons, i think the D'deridex should have bigger firepower than a Sovereign.
- Dominion: Bug: C-17 Siege Cruiser uses up all its special energy for Phaseshield if its used by the autonomy and not the player. I think it is because of the autonomy thanks to some minor bug, doesnt notice if the Phaseshield is online and tryes to start it again, thus it repeatedly uses Phaseshield ability fast and depletes all the special energy... This way the Phaseshield holds only for 2sec and not 8, for as long as it could last if used at the right times. (100/25energy = 4*2sec = 8sec) Hehh and anyways it uses the Phaseshield unwisely at some random time in a battle, not when the ship actually takes damage. Edit: Maybe that wasnt correct, i will need some tests to make it sure...
- Dominion: Exploit: C-11 Interception Destroyers Energy Beacon ability is sort of overpowered as 5 or more of these vessels standing close to each other can actually use this ability unlimitedly. There are 2 problems with that: The major one is, that they're like a moving special energy recharging station, they can quickly reload lots of special energy to other ships including the Hyperspace Artillery. The other problem is actually a bug with the ability or a problem with the description. It says it affects a short range area around the ship, but it seems medium range to me + it says it replenishes 10 special energy points to all vessels including itself. With 5 of these ships thats 50 special energy points, but its more. You can click the ability till the ends of time, they wont lose a single point of special energy, tho the ability costs 65 points, thus they should lose 15 points per click.
- Romulan: Bug: Generix Class (Support Refit) Plasma Bolt Costs 8 special energy instead of 80 as the description says... U guys were in a hurry with programming and forgot to type a zero somewhere
- General Sound Bug: Ship decomission uses the sound of ship repair (at shipyard) but when the ship is totally decomissioned, the sound still continues to play till the ends of time or until you send a ship to repair at the same shipyard. Repair's sound (as its the same as decomissions sound, and once repair started it will overtake the previously playing sound) works fine and stops when done. If asked for, i can send you a save game wich continually plays the sound without an actual source. The sound starter was a decomissioned ship, as described above.
- General AI Bug: Ships once cloaked turn to yellow alert wich is a pretty cool thing, BUT when you decloak they forget to go back to red alert, so they wont shoot automatically...
- General Suggestion: Make miners remember to wich refinery you sent them and on to wich ore you sent them to harvest and drop off the ores, and regardless of the distances or anything else, make them use these 2 objects for their operations as far as they exist.
Edit Dec. 23.:
- Klingons: Suggestion: Playing Klingons feels like you're blind, give them some more sensor range or give them sensors tech. research pls.
- Klingons: Suggestion: The Negh'var should have cloaking ability too, as they do have in Star Trek Role, as far as i know...
- Klingons: Bug: I wasnt really able to discover why, but SuS'a' class doesnt rlly like to automatically fire at Long range, as the description says.
- General Bug: When loading a save game in wich you have ships cloaked nearby hostile ships, there is a little chance they get discovered without a tachyon detector nearby. I can send you a save game containing that bug if needed.
- Federation: huh maybe a Question?: Well, i know Defiant class is one of the most advanced ship classes of 24th century starfleet, but isnt it a bit too strong atm in FO? Defiant is a small ship, howcome its stronger than an Akira or an Excelsior Refit?
- General AI Bug: Previously i've mentioned Perimeter can fire at Artillery range but it barely opens fire automatically on targets that far away, it better likes Long range and closer... Well maybe that was a mistake by me, i think it was another bug led me on this wrong path...
Here it is: All the stationary objects, HQ-s, weapon platforms, low movement autonomy ships... Well everything has got a chance to pick a target wich is out of their range, and they wont change target until that one is destroyed. For moving ships its not a problem, but for stationary objects or ships on patrol (as they dont move in range when they're patrolling, see it described somewhere above) thats a pain in the... *coughs*. So please if you can, rewrite the targeting algorhytms to make them target hostiles only within their weapons range, otherways you end up staring at half of your defenses actually doing nothing while under siege... Its bcos they want to shoot on a target too far away, and they dont notice they should switch.
- General (and sort of important) suggestion: Please somehow make us able to turn on or off special abilityes. For an example right click them on the interface if we want/dont want the units to use that ability, just like in warcraft3. Reason is, thats its sort of annoying when your ship has got more than 1 special ability and you dont wish it to waste its energy to some of them. For an example you got a support ship wich is able to launch a destructive bolt for 80 energy and able to recharge friendly vessels shields for 40 energy. You wish it to "heal" allies in battle, but as soon as the battle begins it fires the special weapon and then watches your ships as they get ripped apart, cos there is no energy to aid them. And there are many many examples that would make this simple feature really important and liked by everyone. Ohh man, but its not your FO devs. fault again, its again Mad Doc's fault, again! C'mon, how were they able to release this game so unfinished and bugged...
- Landscape Bug (well correct me if thats a feature not a bug): Fluidic nebula is sometimes bugged (tho not always, its seems to me it happens when the ship is on the border of the fluidic nebula). When a ship from inside the nebula opens fire at something the ship becomes visible (the fluidic nebula hides ships), just like when a cloaked ship opens fire. The only difference is, that at some point it still remains invisible. The platforms/ships return fire at the ship inside the fluidic nebula, but they have 0% chance to hit, as long as the ships from outside enter the nebula too, or the ship inside leaves the nebula... Thus The ship inside is able to fire at ships outside, but it also becomes sort of invincible. If you cant find the reason of this problem i suggest just simply give another effect to the nebula wich blinds sensors.
Edit Dec. 24.:
- Klingon: Bug: When you have multiple BortaS class vessels selected and you try to use Attack Probe ability, as soon as you click with it somewhere in the space, the game crashes! I think it happens because all the BortaS want to place their attack probe at exactly the same point, wich is ofc impossible.
posted on December 21st, 2006, 12:20 pm
posted on December 22nd, 2006, 5:50 am
Hi 
Yep your ideas sound quite intersting, we will have a closer look at them
Yep your ideas sound quite intersting, we will have a closer look at them
posted on December 22nd, 2006, 8:34 am
Thank you Optec, that was all i needed, i will gladly continue to describe what i've discovered or tought, etc. I really hope i can help you guys with that! 
posted on December 23rd, 2006, 7:20 am
posted on December 25th, 2006, 3:01 pm
Last edited by Tyrel on December 26th, 2006, 7:40 pm, edited 1 time in total.
posted on December 26th, 2006, 10:11 am
Tooltip will be updated 
posted on January 5th, 2007, 11:06 pm
Last edited by Tyler on January 5th, 2007, 11:09 pm, edited 1 time in total.
posted on January 7th, 2007, 2:55 am
Last edited by Anonymous on January 7th, 2007, 2:55 am, edited 1 time in total.
posted on January 8th, 2007, 3:04 pm
posted on January 8th, 2007, 3:55 pm
posted on January 8th, 2007, 5:09 pm
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