[RandomTiger]

Totally. The things you want to do overlap many of the core ideas I've had for games in general.

In freespace it always seemed a bit silly that your character get chucked out of the alliance just because one mission failed.

Im just careful now about getting excited about things that are so ambious because projects like that have a tendacy to be scaled down or just collapse.

Best of luck to you.

[ShadowWolf_IH]

I apreciate it.  If it helps at all, other than waiting on the pof's, load, icons and models, i got the tables ironed out for fighters and bombers from all four realms.  Took a different approach to the design of each one.  out of the four priority areas chosen, (Speed, Manouverability, Hull Strength, and Shield Strength)  each realm was given a random number from 1 thorugh four to find their top priority as far as ship design went.  that gave them a +10% to standard in that field.  second priority was a +5%, third was no change, and then 4th priority from that list was a -10%.  It shaped up like this.

Terran Coalition

1.  Manouverability     +10%
2.  Speed                      +5%
3.  Shielding                    0
4.  Hull Strength          -10%

Vasudan Commonwealth

1.  Shielding                 +10%
2.  Hull Strength             +5%
3.  Manouverability           0
4.  Speed                      -10%

Vasudan Imperium

1.  Hull Strength           +10%
2.  Speed                      +5%
3.  Shielding                    0
4.  Manouverability       -10%

League of Interplanetary Races

1.  Speed                    +10%
2.  Sheilding                  +5%
3.  Manouverability         0
4.  Hull Strength          -10%

We figured that different philosophies on ship design would add a personality to each realm.  I could have gotten more in depth on it, but i decided to hit mains, firepower is pretty much even across the board, in relation to each class. with the exception of those weapons that are realm specific.  More to follow.

[RandomTiger]

Shouldnt this be in the modding forum?

[ShadowWolf_IH]

probably but...

Who cares! Fun over reality.

lol

actually i put this post in there as well, but this is the one people replied to.

[Star Dragon]

You came up with the same idea i was thinking about! You notice in FS that as you progress in the storyline you get more ships and weapons to choose from? Well expand a little on that to include the different classes of cap ships (yes I kow that was mentioned before) as a progression. I don't mean only adding "atttack my target" either! I mean the whole range of commands depending on your rank (you can be denied also though the choice can be a legal one , depends on the mission) like telling a cruiser to retreat too early (will get you the rep of being a coward!).

As for brass flying into combat there are TOO MANY examples to justify it but here's two...

RICK HUNTER started out a scrub and became the Major General of the RDF and almost was never far from his beloved Skull 1...

and 20 years earlier... Derick Wildstar, also started out a scrub, became teh captain of the Argo/yamato. He was in the Black Tiger space fighter wing and even as a captain he had a direct ladder from the bridge to his own person launch rail off one of the 19 inch plasma cannon turrents. Now that is RHIP! (Rank Has Its Privilages)!!!;7

I think it's a great idea cause it also gives the player the power/responsibility of command. Sure they get more options, but they have to live with the consequences of their commands (and the lives they affect). Lose a colossus, that's like 30,000...

[ShadowWolf_IH]

When i say total command of your fleet, i mean you get to command decisions, the decision as to where your fleet is heading.  Who you are attacking.  But Star Dragon you may have just forced a thought into my head.  Through the use of sexp's, ie the chase command, we can maybe find a way to actually have the player command cap ships.  Attack this target, clear the area, etc etc.  NO PROMISES on this.  But as far as making command decisions, as to where to attack or defend, that's already set up.