Let's Talk Transports

I haven't applied because my expertise is in web design and dev, not game design and dev.

More importantly, I don't want to move to Seattle. Texas is the best state.

Actually code is implicitly copyrighted, just like books and other works. If it wasn't the GPL and other software licenses wouldn't work. Algorithms and techniques might be subject to patent - whether they should be is still a subject of debate. Most are not patented. So a developer would be breaking copyright if he literally copy-pasted code from one game to another, but using a similar technique to implement a feature (e.g. transports) based on his prior experience is usually fine.

Of course, IANAL.

I am afraid I have to disagree. If that would be true, we couldn't use any code at all, since for the most lines of code perform functions that are very basic and very common to all softwares.

What you can copyright is the *entire* software. Not each single line of it, so that no one will be allowed to use the same coding techniques.

So, where is the difference in copying one line of code, or two, or 1.000? It would be ridiculous that since you wrote in your application, at line 12763...

$( 'button' ).click( function() {

...no one else will ever be allowed to use the same expression. It isn't really how it works.

The GPL and MIT licenses, in fact, cover the entire software. Software companies are well aware of this. In fact if they can, they keep their code secret. Like Microsoft Windows. An other example is Android. Google took many parts from Oracle OS. Even so, Oracle still struggles to sue Google.

Here: Oracle Seeks to Revive Claim Google’s Android Copied Code

So, you see.

Same goes for books. I can't copyright single words. Not even sentences, or paragraphs. Only an entire novel is covered by the Author's right. Same goes for code

Well first post, here goes:

I was a massive SupCom fan back in the day (was too young for TA sadly), and the TII Broadsword gunship/transport is still one of my favorite units in that game. The Broadsword could only transport one unit at a time, however because it doubles a gunship it allowed for loading up units, clearing an LZ and dropping an assault force and getting out to collect reinforcements all in one go.

Now as far as I know this transport in PA does not feature any type of weaponry, but if it has a similar speed to say a fighter, I can see how a squad of 20 can completely catch an enemy on his blind side. So I'm surprisingly okay with it being as is. (although anything is better with guns)


As to the matter of Naval transports (both naval units transporting land, and air units transporting naval) I'd say the game would be better for having them. But while we're on the subject, I believe the astreus should gain the capability to transport naval units up to a certain size. Because currently you can make water planets, but the only way to colonize them is to send a commander.
And due to the inability to build either a teleporter, nor drop any actual units, such worlds can only be taken out via the use of Halley asteroids or nukes (if these are moons, or primaries).

Then again the locking down of planets in general is an issue that requires a lot of attention, but on any solid body you can generally attempt to build a gate, meaning you have at least one way to be a pest.

Sorry, I was in a rush earlier. I read it once upon a time.

Maybe I should read it again

Standby for update.....

I blame Knight for linking the entire misbegotten thread, rather than the only post in it that matters.

Yes, blame me for encouraged informed discussion! ;p Context can be very important and there isn't always a "magic Answer"(aside from SOON that is) that can answer everyone's questions because different people can approve things from different angles with different assumptions/biases.

Besides it's like 3 and a quarter pages, not exactly a novel or anything! ;p

Mike

Point. There have been lawsuits over files and functions, but it does have to be a substantial enough piece to break some statistical chance of independent creation. The vast majority of single lines wouldn't qualify, and can be freely used in different combinations.

Single unit tranporters that seems like it would take forever to transport a dox or another unit to have effect on another planet. I wouldnt mind have transporters that hold a group of units to help out with planetary invasions. I couldnt imagine 100 tranporters in orbit. The lag the lag oh my. But all very good suggestions above.

We're not talking about Inter-Planetary Transports here, just regular old fashioned flying(and others too I guess) ones.

Mike

You're talking about a completely different topic.

We're talking about sub orbital transports.

I'm hoping interplanetary drop ships or transports will be added shortly after these get fully implamented.

True.
But that just means I'll grill you harder when you link the Scale Megathread some day.

Assuming I'll ever feel the need to do so. ;p

Mike

If they include larger air transports in t2 then there is nothing for me to worry about... i personally am not so much a fan of single unit tranports But who knows they might turn out very usefull for early suprise attacks
Areacommands ferryponts and factoryassist should help with that well i think

Im not concerned with transporting 1 unit at a time as much as Im worried about how air units cause lag when there are many. If they perfected the game to run smoothly with 1 transport per unit I wouldnt mind it. But that all depends. I just dont know how we can have aa planes, bombers, and now transports. PA might look like a slide show during the game.

Well it's a bit too early yet to say that will be the outcome with any certainty.

Mike

I know there still is alot of work to do in the game. I have faith in UBER!!

My thinking on multi-unit transports is that the SupCom model is needlessly overwrought. I can imagine the extreme difficulties of arranging units into a shape which can be picked up simultaneously.

But that system is actually not necessary in order to have a transport unit that contains multiple units. For example, an aircraft carrier can simply have a bay that aircraft fly into, and/or a launcher that it uses to fling aircraft out. It can contain a large number of units without a great deal of implementation difficulty; they move into the unit and 'disappear' while being added to the transport's storage. Voila, multi-unit transport with none of the headache.

Extending the same concept, suppose a large transport unit had little drone transports slaved to it. A naval ship meant for transporting land units could use little flying drones to pick up and drop off land units. A large number of these little transport drones would allow the transport to pick up and drop off many units simultaneously, and would give the transport considerable reach to grab or drop its cargo units. These lifter drones are single-unit transports, but they can enter the host transport and thus 'load' the land unit into the ship. Rather like the (very clunky) Hulk from TA, except its ridiculous boom-arm is replaced with the ability to lift many units in parallel instead of one at a time, and that the lifters are not physically attached to the model.

Using independent lifter drones allows a multi-unit transport to pick up and drop off multiple units while never actually needing to coordinate those units, or load them all at once. Each lifter flies out, picks up just one unit, and returns to the transport and disappears, loading the unit in the process. Dropping off a group of units is the reverse; all the lifters leave at once, each carrying a unit. They drop the units and return to the transport.

Really glad someone linked to the past thread on transporters to give some history on the subject

(@brianpurkiss If you can put the link of neutrino's comments on your first post it might clear up some issues of why Uber isn't doing the multi-transport approach. )

I do feel tranports shouldn't be used to move base destroying armies, nor should they be able to land in someones base that is well defended. Circumventing terrain should come at the cost of the transport and the fragility of losing those transports if the operation doesn't go well. With that said, there is risk and reward with transports that is offered, when otherwise wouldn't be available. Bases are close together due to planets still being pretty small. (most planets are scale 1-4)Once we hit those scale 5-8 planets, then it really does help to have transports reach the enemy quicker then navigate crappy terrain.

The only way terrain would really be circumvented is if the transport becomes to durable and fast that it doesn't need protection and much worry of caught in transit.

So, Fragile, semi-slow transports that is stlil faster then land travel is my suggestion for transports to be "risky" yet "rewarding" for both sides of the coin.

Good idea. Done.