This is how I imagined Orbital units: All units would have an orbit around the planet. There are three types of units, Offensive, Defense and Support orbital units. Support units interact with ground such as radar and laser satellites, they can only affect the air and ground layer when they are directly above the target. While their orbit might be quite fast, the ability for them to change the orbit they have is not. Offensive units in the orbital layer can take out the enemy orbital units, but can't interact with air or ground, but can change orbit much faster than a support unit. Defensive orbital units basically assist support units and are not able to leave the orbit of the support unit they are attached to. So basically we now have Defensive>Offensive>Support>Air/Ground. Maybe something like an electromagnetic pulse defensive could provide a temporary shutdown of the orbital unit it is aimed at, giving a chance for offensive units to move in for the kill. Of course the idea isn't perfect, but I would personally like seeing the orbital in "Orbital Layer" actually being true to the meaning of the word.
In general, I like the idea of satellites orbiting. I don't much like the idea of satellites fighting each other. I do like the idea of satellites essentially either being spycraft or a kinetic kill / rail-gun arsenal. Spycraft should be cheaper to build the kinetic kill satellites. Anti-satellite units should be ground based. They're kinda like a ground-based kinetic kill arsenal. All kinetic kill weapons have to lathe their munitions. Aiming and boosting ground-based anti-satellite munitions should make them more expensive to build than a spy satellite. Unless we're talking about actually flinging them via electromangetism, in which a minimum amount of energy needs to be on hand for the drain it will take fling them. Still, they should still be relatively expensive, if not as expensive as spy satellites. Satellites should be able to de-orbit themselves to devastating affect wherever they land. In orbit to make ground-based anti-satellite weaponry work, you should need a tier 3 / satellite-tracking radar. Should also be useful for seeing enemies on nearby asteroids? Maybe? I don't - just some rough ideas.
There was a time where I would correct you by saying "There won't be a 'Tier 3', only T1 and T2." Given recent events however... I can't be so sure anymore.
Yep, I find it is too small as well. I'm playing in 1080p on a 27" monitor. I think a nice option would be if the 'hover over unit' info popped up in a small, compact window in the centre(ish) of the screen, against the cursor. Similar to 'mouseover' text on a webpage. This would have to be optional though as I'm sure a lot of people prefer it in the corner. I'd like to see it/try it anyway!
They could always go for 'stationary' satelite orbits as an option on the equator, I like the idea of there being important areas of the planet ie. the equator, the poles. It would also be pretty easy on the ui to pick, once a satelite begins construction, an orbit for it thats set until it's destroyed, just move the mouse to change the ring of orbit
Jeez Nanolathe, You're spitting fire today, huh . I won't be criticizing anything yet, since this is a complete first pass at Orbital. I'm just glad we have something. Tuning and Tweaking will come in the next few weeks, I'm sure. But... The one thing I would really want is that the units actually orbit. Just floating in space is fairly boring.
Some might call me bitter. I'd say that I'm a young vinniger at this point. Give me a little more time and I'll blow your head off.
Personally, I think that makes moon orbits more open in terms of game play options, and the number of scenarios you can build in the system editor. And it makes system editing seem more sci-fi-ish
Seems there are two types of people here are: 1. People mad at the orbital units not orbiting 2. People accepting that the orbital units are not orbiting (because the game is in alpha), but will be mad if it stays the same. Is there anyone here who is in support of the orbital layer being air 2.0? (I'm in group 2, by the by.) Maybe I should make a poll...
Again, it's pretty unanimous, nobody wants an Air 2.0. Speak up if you do, or forever remain at peace.
I'm somewhere between 1 and 2 depending on my mood. I just had a scrub ragequit after I nuked him (he was building nothing but T2 econ, Levelers, and Lobbers, and not expanding at all :3) giving the impression that my nuke took out his entire base, so I'm in a pretty good mood right now. As long as it changes I'll be happy. If planets moons and asteroids orbit, and can have there orbits modified, then so too should units. I haven't heard a single voice who likes the idea of floating satellites.
Air 2.0 does not mean not orbiting. It means the mechanics should not make it just another air layer. This doesn't rule orbiting in or out, only the type of units and their interactions. Yes, orbiting does differentiate, but it's not the only way. There's one very big issue with orbiting that I can see; it basically makes orbital units unusable except on planets you completely control. If they orbit, it's trivial to destroy them from the ground, meaning they can't be used in matches that only take place on 1 planet, since your satellites will be passing over their base. There are many reasons why this is a bad thing.
I made a poll that people can vote on here: https://forums.uberent.com/threads/...-workings-of-the-current-orbital-units.50947/ Express your opinions as you will.
Not true, you could make anti-satellite weapons less effective. Remember just because a satellite is above your base, dosn't mean it's in range. It's going really fast and is really high up. I don't think orbit should be able to curbstomp land, but it should have a massive advantage.
So, I just actually managed to play a 4srs game... And while I still don't like orbital, I must say. WOW. There is a HUUUUUUUUGE difference from the Virtual Texturing optimization. My compliments to the graphics programmer, he is doing a WONDERFUL job. I get a smooth as silk 60 FPS on a Scale 2 metal planet, with dips only going as low as 15. I can micro anything that needs to be micro'd, and it never feels like I'm dragging myself through the game anymore. Also the intro music made me wet. Dat orchestral sound, it's so ROUND and EPIC. Perfectly beautiful, 10/10 aside from the orbital.
Polls aren't useful for open-answer questions, and they shoehorn thinking. They are only useful when you have discrete answers, and those answers are the only possibilities. In this case, "Yes" and "No" aren't the whole question; there are many other variables at work. What really matters is "how do they work overall?", which we don't know yet. I wasn't even talking about military satellites. And anti-satellite weaponry doesn't even need to be very effective in this situation, as it gets free shots at them every time the satellite goes past. Just in general, having no choice about your satellites flying over an enemy base, which can shoot them down, rules them out of being used completely in a large amount of game types and situations.
This doesn't solve the problem... either they are so expensive so that the only way to combat orbital is with orbital (obviously a bad idea), or they are cheap enough that it's irrelevant. The issue is, they are flying over your base (or an enemy can easily build a anti-satellite base under the flight path) and you have no way to prevent it.
