but I can't help but spit out ideas

anyway, firstly, if I understand correctly, the battle engine of the game is yet to be done.

1. What if I told you that I know a guy who coded a engine that looks like it could put EVE online to shame? I could ask him if he would be willing to give it to BOTF2.


2. The engine that is being made - will it support glowmaps and glows
*explanation*
GLOWMAPS - basicly a copy of the normal texture, but completely black except for those parst that are supposed to glow (engines, windows, bussard and stuff). When applied in-game it makes the ships light up nicely

GLOWS - a set of very small maps, each containing a sphere of a different color. These maps are plastered on small planes on specific poins on the ship and tehy allways face the camera.. and they can go on/off in sequance... basicly blinking light.

they can be handeled differently than this, but this is the standard.

--
About the shiplist. I would reccomend hte following steps:

1. Go trough the Downloads section at armada modding, check the 3DMax files section and ask for permission for anything you like. there's a lot of very good stuff there (I made the Norway and Saber by using d/l ed models as reference)

2. Go trough the Armada 2 downlaods and if you find a model you like, e-mail the creater if he can send you the mesh.

This should speed up the process of bulding up the whole shiplist.

---------------------------

Also, I'll post here and example of how I tihnk the ship file should look. Here's a sample file for a ship from Freespace 2:



$Name: GTD Orion
$Short name: TCap
$Species: Terran
+Tech Description:
XSTR("For over 30 years, the GTD Orion class was the largest ship in the Terran-Vasudan armada. Over two kilometers in length, bristling with dozens of death-dealing turrets, the Orion is as awesome in repose as it is in battle. All GVTA Orions have been retrofitted with the latest anti-warship beam weapons, as well as flak and AAA turrets for dealing with fighters and bombers. The Orion's cavernous hanger bays easily accommodate more than two dozen fighter or bomber wings.", -1)
$end_multi_text
$POF file: OrionAdv.pof
$Detail distance: (0, 3500, 8000, 16000 )
$Show damage: NO
$Density: 1
$Damp: 0.2
$Rotdamp: 1.5
$Max Velocity: 0.0, 0.0, 18.0
$Rotation time: 150.0, 150.0, 150.0
$Rear Velocity: 0.0
$Forward accel: 20.0
$Forward decel: 10.0
$Slide accel: 0.0
$Slide decel: 0.0
$Expl inner rad: 100.0
$Expl outer rad: 2400.0
$Expl damage: 400.0
$Expl blast: 6500.0
$Expl Propagates: YES
$Shockwave Speed: 600.0
$Shockwave Count: 4
$Default PBanks: ()
$Default SBanks: ()
$SBank Capacity: ()
$Shields: 0
$Power Output: 100.0
$Max Oclk Speed: 8.0
$Max Weapon Eng: 100.0
$Hitpoints: 110000
$Flags: ( "capital" "big damage" "in tech database")
$AI Class: Captain
$Afterburner: NO
$Countermeasures: 0
$Scan time: 2000
$EngineSnd: 138
$Closeup_pos: 0.0, 0.0, -2000
$Closeup_zoom: 0.5
$Score: 1000
$Subsystem: Turret01a, 3.0, 3.0
$Default PBanks: ( "BGreen" )
$Subsystem: Turret02a, 3.0, 3.0
$Default PBanks: ( "Terran Huge Turret" "Terran Huge Turret" "Terran Huge Turret" )
$Subsystem: Turret03a, 3.0, 3.0
$Default PBanks: ( "Terran Huge Turret" "Terran Huge Turret" "Terran Huge Turret" )
$Subsystem: Turret04a, 3.0, 3.0
$Default PBanks: ( "Terran Huge Turret" "Terran Huge Turret" "Terran Huge Turret" )
$Subsystem: Turret05a, 3.0, 3.0
$Default PBanks: ( "Terran Huge Turret" "Terran Huge Turret" "Terran Huge Turret" )
$Subsystem: Turret06, 0.625, 2.0
$Default PBanks: ( "TerSlash" )
$Subsystem: Turret07, 0.625, 2.0
$Default PBanks: ( "TerSlash" )
$Subsystem: Turret08, 0.625, 2.0
$Default PBanks: ( "AAAf" )
$Subsystem: Turret09, 0.625, 2.0
$Default PBanks: ( "Bgreen" )
$Subsystem: Turret10, 0.625, 2.0
$Default PBanks: ( "AAAf" )
$Subsystem: Turret11, 0.625, 2.0
$Default PBanks: ( "BGreen" )
$Subsystem: Turret12, 0.625, 2.0
$Default PBanks: ( "Terran Turret" )
$Subsystem: Turret13, 0.625, 2.0
$Default PBanks: ( "Terran Turret" )
$Subsystem: Turret14, 0.625, 2.0
$Default PBanks: ( "TerSlash" )
$Subsystem: Turret15, 0.625, 2.0
$Default PBanks: ( "Standard Flak" )
$Subsystem: Turret16, 0.625, 2.0
$Default PBanks: ( "AAAf" )
$Subsystem: Turret17, 0.625, 2.0
$Default PBanks: ( "Standard Flak" )
$Subsystem: Turret18, 0.625, 2.0
$Default PBanks: ( "Terran Turret" )
$Subsystem: Turret19, 0.625, 2.0
$Default PBanks: ( "Standard Flak" )
$Subsystem: Turret20, 0.625, 2.0
$Default PBanks: ( "Terran Turret" )
$Subsystem: Turret21, 0.625, 2.0
$Default PBanks: ( "Terran Turret" )
$Subsystem: Turret22, 0.625, 2.0
$Default PBanks: ( "AAAf" )
$Subsystem: Turret23, 0.625, 2.0
$Default PBanks: ( "AAAf" )
$Subsystem: Turret24, 0.625, 2.0
$Default PBanks: ( "Terran Turret" )
$Subsystem: Turret25, 0.625, 2.0
$Default PBanks: ( "Terran Turret" )
$Subsystem: Turret26, 0.625, 2.0
$Default PBanks: ( "Standard Flak" )
$Subsystem: Turret27, 0.625, 2.0
$Default PBanks: ( "Terran Turret" )
$Subsystem: RadarDish01, 2, 0.0
$Subsystem: RadarDish02, 2, 0.0
$Subsystem: RadarDish03, 2, 0.0
$Subsystem: navigation, 5, 0.0
$Subsystem: communication, 5, 0.0
$Subsystem: weapons, 15, 0.0
$Subsystem: sensors, 5, 0.0
$Subsystem: engines, 35, 0.0
$Engine Wash: Default900
$Subsystem: fighterbay, 0, 0.0

------

So for BOTF2 it could be something like this:

#ShipName: Galaxy
#ShipType: Heavy Cruiser
#Model File: Galaxy
#Description: (" Blah, blah")
#Impulse speed: 5
#Turn rate: 6
#Acceleration: 3
#Explosion damage: 1000
#Explosion radius: 200
#Shields: 2800
#Shield_Recharge: 28
#Hull: 1600
#Cost Dilithium: 1000
#Cost Duranium: 1000
#Cost Crew: 700
#Mantainance Cost: 50
#Produced at: Large shipyard
#Tech_Bio: 6
#Tech_Weapon: 6
#Tech_Energy: 6
#Tech_Propulsion: 6
#Tech_Computers: 6
#Tech_Construction: 6
#Upgrades to: Galaxy II
* * *
more stuff
***

#Weapon_1: (Hp1, 2, 3, 4 ,5 ,6 ,7 ,8 ,9 10, 11, 12 ,13 ,14 15)
+ Phasor X (damage 85, beam)

#Weapon_2: (Hp 16, 17, 18, 19, 20)
+ Photon Torp (damage160, torpedo, maxshot 4)



Weapon_number: (HP - list of HP's for the weapon)
+ Weapon name (damage done, weapon type, fire arc restriction, max number of shots per turn)

The potential usability of the engine would depend greatly on the language and frameworks being used for development. I would assume C++ and either Direct3D or OpenGL for rendering. If your friend is using Direct3D, it would likely be possible to use for Star Trek: Supremacy.

Is the engine in question only a graphics engine, or does it have a predefined framework for space battles (i.e. support for ships, predefined weapon/particle effects, etc)? Also, how well documented is his API? If your friend is willing to donate a license to use his engine, someone (like me) will still have to figure out how to use it. Unless, of course, he's interested in BotF2 and would like to help develop the combat engine, in which case I'd love to talk to him.

The engine was intended for space battles. He was making a MMO/Nexus mix.

I sent him and e-mail to see if he's willing to give the engine and the specs.


EDIT: I allmost forgot - I have a whoe table of blalanced stats for all canon (and some non-cannon) Start Trek warships. I made a huge Armada 2 re-balance for my own amusement and it turn out great
In case you are interested I can post some stats.

Do you like this?

http://www.strategyplanet.com/hwshots/hw1.shtml

If so then here is the source code to that engine and game.

http://www.3dgamers.com/dlselect/games/ ... e.exe.html

Ooh it would be cool if we could get the combat system going...

...

I know i've posted this a milion times Trashman, but Dafedz has already sorted out - and balanced - the stats of the ships.

You can find them in the

(6th link from the top)

all balancing is done by both dafedz and captain chao, so stop asking to redo them.

They definitely are done Trashman, and have been for quite some time. Ok, i'm bringing up the occaisional comment or problem to Dafedz's attention - the most recent of which is that we haven't got any stats for non-combat stations such as shipyards - but these are generally few and far between.

Just check out the link that I provided, I assure that it is all there. Could you give us a link to the info that you you've read as well? We can update it to avoid these problems in the future then, Trashman. Afterall, if one person is confused, there's bound to be others.

Specifically, the ship stats are located under the Ship Stat Balancing link.

DIE EVIL LISP DIE!!! YOU WILL NEVER TAKE ME ALIVE!!!!

Sorry, couldn't help it. Natural reflex from my AI class. Parentheses are the devil. WTG, Lost In Stupid Parentheses.

*twitch*

I'd expect impulse speed and agility to be seperate stats. I can't see how it would be more complicated. The Sovereign was pretty quick, particularly in First Contact/Insurrection, but wasn't exactly the Defiant in terms of maneuverability. An equation involving agility and impulse modifiers would make for a pretty easy system of determining the maneuverability of each ship. And it'd be easier to balance each ship.

While true, this is one of the canon things that need to get broken for gameplay. Dominion ships are already crazy. So having more crazy ships than what the other empires get with less crazy ships is a pretty solid way to turn the Dominion into a pretty overpowered empire. Considering that joint alliances with several empires were required in order to slow them down goes a long way in describing how they are in canon.

But for the game, that is not realistically possible. They'll need to be scaled back in some way in order to be playable and balanced.

then why not make there ships worse if your trying to stick to cannon whats the point in changeing things give then weaker ships but faster buliding time coz last time i check cads and kilgons didnt have weak ships in cannon and i would be annyoed if kilgons didnt get strong ships coz they are a strong race

Althought the games here will try to be as close to cannon as possible. Due to gameplay concerns not everything can be cannon. For reasons such as balance.

The Dominion is the Ferengi replacement. Ever wonder what the Purple race was? The Dominion.

The problem with the Dominion was two-fold:

First, they're strong. And when I say strong, I mean He-Arnoldswartzahulkhoganman strong. Secondly, they had HUGE fleets.

However, upon examining the whole "huge fleet" deal, the Dominion had very little resistence from any other major empire. With very little threats, any ships that are built will likely remain intact. Thus, with very little chance to lose ships and continuing to build additional ships, that results in huge fleets.

Last I checked, there was going to be a variety of different modes for single player BotF2, one of which included canon mode. As such, the Dominion will start in the Delta Quadrant and will encounter very little resistence as it expands it's boarders towards the Alpha Quadrant. Thus, with a rather large empire and little major engagements, you should wind up with a huge fleet. But it's going to cost a fortune and those fleets will have very little experience. Thus, the Dominion will NEED those huge fleets in order to match the more experienced crews of the Klingons, Federation, Romulans, and to an extent, the Cardassians.

Accounting for crew experience, each Federation ship, for example, should be able to destroy a single Dominion ship of equivilent technology and role or lower. Thus, we have uniqueness and balance.

By massive fleets for whatever race, that simply means that the ships are easier to produce and maintain. But if everyone leaves you alone for 500 turns, it's a good bet you'll have a massive fleet yourself. Enter the Dominion.