3D Map Idea - Page 2

Arralen · #11 April 20th, 2001, 09:31 AM

You may want to check out the 'Stellar Legacy' project at Sourcefourge.

Most information can be get from the mailing list, though, so look for mailing list info on the project home page at:
http://stellarlegacy.sourceforge.net...ling-list.html

Arralen

dogscoff · #12 April 20th, 2001, 12:59 PM

Anyhon remember Frontier: Elite II ? That had a good 3D galaxy map which you could grab hold of and view from different angles. It also respected the fact that the galaxy (our galaxy, anyway) is many millions of times wider than it is tall (ie a disc rather than a sphere.)

Adding a 3D map to SE would be nice but would not affct gamplay, since relative distance is unimportant (due to the warp point approach to FTL travel.)

Frontier also had very good physics - it was all very realistic with gravity, inertia, thrust etc. Unfortunatly that realism made the ships rally difficult to control, and it was almost impossible to intrcpt or fire on other craft. Coming into orbit around a planet and landing without the auto pilot was nigh impossible (I have managed it once or twice=-)

The thing is space travel is really complicatd and difficult (which is why I'm not wrinting this from my office on Mars=-), so in ordr to retain playability you hav to sacrifice a crtain amount of realism.

�0.02 (*Kerching*)

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There is an exception to every rule. Including this one.

zen. · #13 April 20th, 2001, 03:15 PM

Does anyone remember the original Star Control? Before they added a storyline? It was mostly a space tactical combat game, but if you recall, the single player game showed a rotating '3D' map. You could click on the system and move ships from there to a connecting point on the system map. I think it was a nice compromise between 2D and real 3D, especially considering this was at a time waaaaaay before 3D accelerators came around. Or am I just geezin'?

I also really like the way the starmaps are done in Imperium Galactica II.

zen

Suicide Junkie · #14 April 20th, 2001, 03:41 PM

I still have that game. It runs on four outa six of my machines at home.
From 2Mhz 8086

to 486-66Mhz
under DOS
If you have a 10Mhz machine, you'll get full speed drawing SC's 3d rotating map.

Win 98 dosen't seem to support it, though. win gives an "Invalid instruction".

One sweet game. Trying to hit another Earth Cruiser with those seeking Nukes is tough!
That game has seekers, point defence, cloaking, fighters, shields, crew subVersion

, regenerative "armor", inertialess engine, self-destruct, crystalline weapons, etc.
And the tactical combat is great. You can swing past the planet for a gravity assist, avoid the asteroids. A real cheap tactic is to go into a really low orbit around a planet and launch seekers each time you pop out, and the planet will absorb a lot of fire for you.

Ahh, memories.

zen. · #15 April 20th, 2001, 05:18 PM

I can't decide whether to be frightened of the fact that you have a 2MHz machine or that it's one of SIX computers in your home.

Everything you said definitely brought back memories, tho! heh heh...you know, for such an old game, it had great physics and was just plain FUN! I especially liked the ability to multiplay on the same keyboard.

So it really doesn't run on Win98? Even if you made a customized .pif for it? I haven't made a .pif since Win95...lol.

zen
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Everything's fun and games until you slingshot yourself into a planet.

Trachmyr · #16 April 20th, 2001, 10:59 PM

2Mhz?!? ...isn't that a calculator!

capnq · #17 April 20th, 2001, 11:03 PM

quote:
Does anyone remember the original Star Control?

One thing about the 3D display in Star Control really frustrated me. The warp lines only displayed when you were giving movement orders, and only for the system the moving ship was in. Many times I took a guess which route led where I wanted to go, and discovered that I'd guessed wrong and was stuck in a dead end.

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Cap'n Q