The Tech of Planetary Annihilation - ChronoCam

o m g

***happy dance***

I was reading and reading to find the answer to this and it got turned into how PA has their own server stuff and other stuff. I was curious to know if the CC effects the Bandwidth negatively or positively.

Other then that.

good read, thanks for writing.

I've been thinking more about the notification system a bit more....

@forrestthewoods
you wrote

I was thinking instead of just your traditional notifications "your base is under attack" or "nuclear launch detected", the ChronoCam tech can do so much more.


@mikeylow and I have been discussing GUI stuff.
We are currently assuming that the notification system will be embedded into some sort of text box.
Possibly even directly in the chat log.

Notifications would come in the form of a Link to the unit info.

• Select the unit.
• Open new window to observe unit (very useful for units on other planets)
  
• Open ChronoCam instance to view the notification as it happens.

If the ChronoCam tech you guys built can be leveraged so the notification system can be an actual aggressive tool of war instead of just a "help, help, you're under attack", then it's not just for casting and replays.
It would be so much more integral to the part of gameplay if it was a tactical/strategic tool for the player.


For example, the ability to "tag" your buildings under construction as a "critical" and "important".
I'm just going to use a nuclear missile launcher as an example...

(who doesn't love nukes?)
but it could be any building the player wants.

• Tag a nuke launcher you are building as "important"
  
• If nuke is attacked, you are notified.
• When the launcher is completed, you are notified.
• When the nuke launcher is loaded, you are notified.

By using notifications and the ChronoCam sim, you are able track what is truly important to the player.
The moment the nuke is done and ready to go, this can happen.

• Notification alert (containing link to Unit, Unit in new window, ChronoCam)
  
• Click unit select directly from the notification
  
• Click location to launch nuke.

That way, the player never has to take his eyes off the action.
Strategically speaking, the player can utilize it right away to take full advantage of the advantage he has.




Here's another possible use.
When you tag your units, you are notified when they are attacked or destroyed.

• Let's say you send scout planes out all over the map on 3 different worlds.
• You could use them somewhat like probes (initial scene, Empire Strikes Back on Hoth).
• Your scout plane dies.
• You are alerted in the notification window that your "tagged" unit was destroyed.
• This time, the notification only has 2 links, (you can't select a dead unit).
• So you have "window to unit location" (where it died) and you have ChronoCam feed of the scout's glorious death.
• Now you will know where it died (without having to look all over the map on multiple worlds).
• And by watching the ChronoFeed, you can see the enemy's unit composition.

You are no longer a micro/macro monster.
But you can be everywhere at once, including back in time!!!

Thanks for writing that post! It was a great read and now I've even more amazed at your skills!