Starfleet Command 4 will continue to utilize the methodology that made the SFC series of games one of the best selling Star Trek games ever.
SFB provides the perfect background framework to handle the combat stuff, management, etc. IN regards to the GUI, we're going to offer the SFC3 style UI OR the EAW / OP UI.
Bottom line. It's the GUI. Please read the posts and don't start a SFB or nuthin crusade when we've just announced that we're going to do this.
Regards,
I'm not starting an SFB or nuthin crusade, I think it totally possible to make a great ST combat game that has nothing to do with SFB. It's just that SFC3 (out of the box, some of the mods were actually pretty cool) wasn't it. That's what I meant but embrace SFB or totally abandon SFB. Taldren developed themselves into a corner by leaving in a lot of SFB element while taking away others that made the whole system "work."
There's a lot more to it than the GUI. EW versus Angular velocity, how does the Cloak work, attrition units, seeking weapons, 4 shields versus 6, etc . . . Starship Customization never sat well with me either, this is a Military Naval simulation, not "Pimp my Ride." Starship CONVERSION however would be really cool! Imagine buying an F-NCL and getting it converted to whatever variant you could afford after X amount of time.
The best bet, IMHO, is leave the game moddable enough so a server admin can make the call.