Time

posted on November 1st, 2009, 7:24 pm

Ok I just had a brainwave.

How interesting would it be if the Races within the game updated in real time. Imagine this: For every 3/4 months that passes within real time, 5 years passes with Star Trek time. This would mean the eventual development of technology and making the universe more realistic than ever. Hell I'd love to hear in February that by May/June  the Federation may have developed a new type of Torpedo, by which time the year has escalated from say 2390 to 2395?

Obviously not the most practical idea, but just sounded cool

posted on November 1st, 2009, 7:50 pm

hehe yep, indeed a cool idea. however someone has to make all that content, thats getting obsolete all the time not a very attractive situation from my point of view

posted on November 1st, 2009, 7:53 pm

Aha yeah me and Dom just discussed that, so I propose that for every 2 months that passes in reality, 1 year passes within the universe. Maybe that way the newly implemented technology would stay useful, while updating the political agenda of races over the years. 

posted on November 1st, 2009, 9:33 pm

Could it not been done with some kind of temporary global modifier. That way all the existing weapons could be used but then overridden by the global file to give slight enhancements based on whatever changes the timeline dictates.

So like: 2381 - "The Federation develop improved guidance systems for torpedoes allowing them 3% more chance of hitting small ships". Then then global file could be modified to reflect the change for Quantum and Photon Torpedoes. The base file would remain intact but the global file would simply override the default values.

This method would allow you to have random events too. Some events could be negative maybe.
"The Federation release a dodgy batch of replicators to the colony worlds - Shipyard buildtimes are increased by 8% for the next 2 realtime minutes while they get back on track"

If it could be implemented, the the devs would have a quick way of doing updates to the time line.

... or would that make A2FO explode?


lol, having just written that, it's occurred to me how that would make balance updates easier to manage. I'd suppose that if it was possible, you would have probably already done it by now.

posted on November 1st, 2009, 9:35 pm

I doubt it'd make FO explode... may cause a bit of hair loss, though...

posted on November 1st, 2009, 9:43 pm

Could it not been done with some kind of temporary global modifier. That way all the existing weapons could be used but then overridden by the global file to give slight enhancements based on whatever changes the timeline dictates.

So like: 2381 - "The Federation develop improved guidance systems for torpedoes allowing them 3% more chance of hitting small ships". Then then global file could be modified to reflect the change for Quantum and Photon Torpedoes. The base file would remain intact but the global file would simply override the default values.

This method would allow you to have random events too. Some events could be negative maybe.
"The Federation release a dodgy batch of replicators to the colony worlds - Shipyard buildtimes are increased by 8% for the next 2 realtime minutes while they get back on track"

If it could be implemented, the the devs would have a quick way of doing updates to the time line.

... or would that make A2FO explode?


lol, having just written that, it's occurred to me how that would make balance updates easier to manage. I'd suppose that if it was possible, you would have probably already done it by now.

That would just be plain amazing

posted on November 1st, 2009, 10:04 pm

well i guess u cud have an invisable object that cnt be targeted which have a series of auto replace weapons with time delays that cause event messages and new tech tree releases (would need the fleetcaps to limit the builds in the time eras) so yh more work but cud still work. also i guess refits will be a good feature to add

posted on November 2nd, 2009, 3:50 pm

Well I'm sure the developers would look into it, if provided a detailed plan? 

posted on November 2nd, 2009, 4:07 pm

maybe this could be used for the noxter for advancing in the techtree: they may start with with a techtre that is blcoked with two conditions: the researching, and the time. only if a special amount of time passed the species evolved enough to do special things.

posted on November 10th, 2009, 9:54 pm

Could it not been done with some kind of temporary global modifier. That way all the existing weapons could be used but then overridden by the global file to give slight enhancements based on whatever changes the timeline dictates.

So like: 2381 - "The Federation develop improved guidance systems for torpedoes allowing them 3% more chance of hitting small ships". Then then global file could be modified to reflect the change for Quantum and Photon Torpedoes. The base file would remain intact but the global file would simply override the default values.

This method would allow you to have random events too. Some events could be negative maybe.
"The Federation release a dodgy batch of replicators to the colony worlds - Shipyard buildtimes are increased by 8% for the next 2 realtime minutes while they get back on track"

If it could be implemented, the the devs would have a quick way of doing updates to the time line.

... or would that make A2FO explode?


lol, having just written that, it's occurred to me how that would make balance updates easier to manage. I'd suppose that if it was possible, you would have probably already done it by now.

Actually wow.

This could give a cool atmosphere to the community, and create such an interesting feature in mp - for instance:
Borg got some small torpedo advantage. You (with your favourite Other Race) might find the next few games that much more difficult to survive in - you take a few losses and they (your Borg-favouring friend) might rack up some wins. But then perhaps they get dished some slight disadvantage in the next rotation - what's a Borg player to do? Either they struggle on as their favourite race, hopefully having enough knowledge of the strengths and weaknesses to work around the problem, or they try a different race!
I know I tend to be a little bit afraid of playing some races, but it wouldn't take much encouragement in this situation.
Plus there's the general anticipation of what we might get next! The major downside I can see though is the frequency of changes - it would have to be a fast rotation, and pretty regular - else some players could end up feeling particularly left out.

On another note, given the latest file structure can a program making the liks of the above possible be that hard to make? I'm sure I've seen very similar things for A2, just not with the simplification on top this would need. Although unfortunately this would be (at least initially) a totally separate project from FO - making it is one thing, but I'm sure the last thing the devs need is stress over troubleshooting something else!

posted on November 12th, 2009, 10:33 pm

maybe this could be used for the noxter for advancing in the techtree: they may start with with a techtre that is blcoked with two conditions: the researching, and the time. only if a special amount of time passed the species evolved enough to do special things.

Unfortunately the passage of time is not an indication of an advance in terms of evolution. Evolution Takes time but time ≠ evolution.

posted on November 12th, 2009, 10:37 pm

I assume you mean evolution in the vernacular? I.e. progress? (evolution in itself just means any sort of change which is neither negative nor positive - and all change takes place over time).

posted on November 12th, 2009, 10:40 pm

I meant as in the 'noun' 

1. any process of formation or growth; development: the evolution of a language; the evolution of the airplane.
2. a product of such development; something evolved: The exploration of space is the evolution of decades of research.

posted on November 12th, 2009, 10:57 pm

Aka progress . If a group of organisms evolves (in the scientific sense) it is a neutral change.

posted on November 12th, 2009, 11:14 pm

Aka progress . If a group of organisms evolves (in the scientific sense) it is a neutral change.

Guess I am just looking at the 'subjectivity' of the term. evolution and progress for one, may be de-evolution or regression for another.