Well, REKT is a space game...

Damocles wrote: ↑

Thu Oct 31, 2019 7:28 pm

Now Talvieno should make a space game.

Nope, @silverware

Just release the code already. What is even being worked on? Who cares if it's a mess? That's what's expected. Just release it as is. Add some comments over time by updating it after releasing it if you want, but either admit you're never going to release it or just do it already.

OK, who's smurf account is this? Maybe I need to make one called "soundtrackwhen" to combat it!

<chortles>

Apocalypsewhen?

Well, if I were to create a puppet account, it would have to be SaintCyprian.

"Cyprian has been known ever since as a man with a patience problem, but to his credit he recognized it and tried to amend his ways. He even worked hard on a book called On the Advantage of Patience, in which he offers some pretty tremendous advice on the subject."

I already said my piece so there's absolutely no reason for me or anyone else to be smurfing. I don't like where we are at, but much like Star Wars, I have no control over where it will head or if something will be done with the franchise at all.

Take the good with the bad, pencil out your ideas about how LT should work, post them here, explain the game play loop and how the game would be engaging. Sell the idea of Limit Theory, sell it and provide a roadmap of how you'd propose someone build the game. Work out the technical problems, gain a clear understanding as to what Josh went through to try to get us this game. Then go game searching.

Find games which have the features you would want in Limit Theory, discuss how the pieces would mesh together. Outline each feature in detail, how it relates to game play and enhances the game. Then re-evaluate your previous pitch. Is what you want something that has been done before but not combined in a unique way? If so, you're in luck, the game is possible to make.

BFett wrote: ↑

Wed Nov 06, 2019 7:52 pm

Find games which have the features you would want in Limit Theory, discuss how the pieces would mesh together. Outline each feature in detail, how it relates to game play and enhances the game. Then re-evaluate your previous pitch. Is what you want something that has been done before but not combined in a unique way? If so, you're in luck, the game is possible to make.

And here's your starting point:

Colored entries represent items that were promised at or during the Kickstarter.

Will be in Limit Theory 1.0:

• Technical:
  • Windows support
  • Linux support
  • Super hi-res display settings
  • Joystick and controller support
  • VR support
  • Powerful modding capabilities
  • Advanced game customization controls
  • Release on Steam
  • Release on GOG
• Core game:
  • Dynamic lighting
  • Music and sound (some sound optional for those that want silent space)
  • Visible damage on ships (beyond health bars)
  • In-game ship/station editor, with ability to import/export designs
  • Ability to name assets
  • Customizable UI
• Basic gameplay elements:
  • Infinite universe
    • Procedurally-generated history per universe
    • System maps (local and global)
    • Warp rails
  • AI
    • Ship AI that can mine/trade/explore
    • Unique-per-NPC AI (each NPC is its own "person")
    • "Leader" AI (CEO-types)
  • Ships:
    • Shield and armor systems (instead of pure HP)
    • Custom ship outfitting (weapon/armor/shield hardpoints)
    • Carriers
    • Fleet formations
    • Combat and mining drones
    • Automated turrets (that aim and fire automatically)
  • Space stations and associated docking
    • Player-owned space stations
    • Player-constructed space stations
    • Asteroid bases
    • Ability to control weapon fire from an owned space station
  • Colonies on planets
    • Non-seamless planetary landings
  • Graphical:
    • Planetary rings
    • Ice fields
    • Post-destruction debris
• Gameplay mechanics:
  • Research
  • Tactical dogfighting and associated AI
  • Large-scale conflicts that change the LT universe
  • Pirates
  • Colonies have "personalities" based on factions and locale
  • Law enforcement
  • Wormholes and associated mechanics
  • Real market systems
    • Information as a tradable commodity
  • Ship-based:
    • Ship power distribution and management
    • Destructible subsystems
    • Stealth mechanics
    • Scanner mechanics
    • Mining drones and extended mining mechanics
  • Industrial production lines (factories to produce ship parts/ammo/trade goods from raw materials, ore refineries, etc.)
    • Player-owned station/ship-based production chains (Projects)
  • Fleets:
    • Fleet command, from "follow me" to RTS-cam mode
    • Owned fleet operations: trading, mining, missions
  • Factions
    • Reputation system
    • Player faction creation and management
  • Mission systems of all types, combat/trading/exploration
    • Ability for player to post missions for NPCs

---

May or may not be in Limit Theory 1.0:

• Core game:
  • Dynamic shadows
  • Gas giants
  • Planet's surface lights visible from space
  • Procedural character backstory (depends on character creation mechanic)
• Basic gameplay elements:
  • Ingame news console at stations
  • Alien/ancient artifacts/relics/ruins/wrecks
  • Ancient battlefield "asteroid fields"
  • The ability to alter a ship's basic design after initial building
  • Unguided, unpowered bombs
  • Fixed weapons (such as spinal/broadside cannons)
  • External carrier landings (landing on an upper deck)
  • The ability to fly "beneath" shields to attack directly
• Gameplay mechanics:
  • Bounty system (likely)
  • Optional permadeath mode with recycled universe (likely)
  • Colony creation, ownership, and management
  • Tracking of discoveries (Discovery journal/log)
  • Illegal goods
  • Terraforming
  • Warp rails as non-ship cargo transfer lines
  • Sandbox mode

---

Will not be in Limit Theory 1.0, but may be added post-release:

• OS X support - according to Josh, it is extremely difficult to support the game on this operating system, but he may try to tackle it post-release and release an OS X version later.
• Mobile stations
• Player modification of colony productions (new buildings on colonies, etc.)
• Warp node disruption for warp rails
• Player-constructed warp rails
• Pareidolic icons as ship communication avatars
• True civilian ships/factions/planetary evacuation
• Management of planetary governments and politics
• Crew management
• Orbital bombardment

---

We have no plans to implement the following, although players may be able to mod them in:

• Moddable:
  • Multiplayer
  • Procedural languages/scripts
  • Megastructure backgrounds in systems (a system inside a dyson sphere for instance)
  • The ability to travel between stars with normal flight
  • Ramming mechanic
  • Minefields
  • Space whales
  • Multiple currencies
  • Towing cargo/other ships with tractor beams
  • Realistically-sized systems
  • Organic/alien vessels and stations
  • The ability to create self-replicating ships
  • Planetary destruction (planetglassers and planetbusters) (only moddable to a point)
  • Advanced hit systems (damaged systems half-function and can fix themselves, etc.)
  • Boarding/salvage operations ala Homeworld
  • Voice acting
• Not moddable:
  • Seamless planetary transitions
  • Steam achievements
  • First person infantry-style gameplay

That's an awesome list, Flat, well done and thanks for putting it up.

Ringu wrote: ↑

Fri Nov 08, 2019 4:51 pm

That's an awesome list, Flat, well done and thanks for putting it up.

I can't take credit for that list, Ringu; that's just a manual copy I made of the Official List that Talvieno created and Josh blessed: viewtopic.php?f=11&t=6134

I'll take some credit for ruthlessly nagging Tal that a list like this would be appreciated.

And I did at one point do a poll that suggested what seemed to me to be the key features of Limit Theory.

But no, this one was Tal's. My only complaint is that because the Official List post is locked, I couldn't quote it -- instead I spent an hour copying the basic text and reformatting it by hand. Grrrr.

Flatfingers wrote: ↑

Sat Nov 09, 2019 12:23 am

But no, this one was Tal's. My only complaint is that because the Official List post is locked, I couldn't quote it -- instead I spent an hour copying the basic text and reformatting it by hand. Grrrr.

Well, definite points for remembering where it was and all the reformatting work, anyway! And of course, huge points to the Mighty Tal as well

I do remember the poll now that you've mentioned it, but on the basis that I can't remember what I had for breakfast usually, I'd never have been able to do what you did with the results

I do love this list a great deal. Makes me feel like defining an MVP wouldn't be difficult, and TBH it makes me feel like some part of that might be do-able in Unity (I'm learning to use it at the moment, and it seems more easily capable than I'd anticipated).

Flatfingers wrote: ↑

Sat Nov 09, 2019 12:23 am

I'll take some credit for ruthlessly nagging Tal that a list like this would be appreciated.

The credit is well-deserved, too, because if it hadn't been for that thread you made, I don't think I would have done it. Glad we still have it though.

edit: Actually, I wonder if I could post Josh's internal list here now, seeing as it's been over a year since Josh announced he was done with LT . I can't see that it'd do any harm. It had links to things and Josh's thoughts on what was done/how much, what he did and didn't want to add, and what he thought about each particular topic/mechanic/gameplay element. Would you guys be interested in seeing that?

Talvieno wrote: ↑

Sat Nov 09, 2019 8:54 am

Would you guys be interested in seeing that?

I find it amusing that this is even a question.

0111narwhalz wrote: ↑

Sat Nov 09, 2019 10:11 am

Talvieno wrote: ↑

Sat Nov 09, 2019 8:54 am

Would you guys be interested in seeing that?

I find it amusing that this is even a question.

Of course we would be interested in seeing that. We've been asking for said list for a few years!

0111narwhalz wrote: ↑

Sat Nov 09, 2019 10:11 am

I find it amusing that this is even a question.

Aye, but it doesn't hurt to ask, especially considering I don't have any form of permission to post such a thing. You never know if someone might say "No, keep it private." After all, the last time Josh and I talked about it, he said he didn't want it made public... but that was at least a year and a half ago, and well before the announcement that LT wouldn't be completed. It may not mean anything now, seeing as LT isn't going to happen, and I'm past the 1-year NDA mark that covers most things (if not all), so I feel it doesn't hurt to ask. It's a bit of a gray area.