Topic: My SFC4 wishlist

[James Formo]

My idea of the perfect trek game.  Keep in mind I don't play online and prefer dynamic conquest campaigns over campaigns that progress in a mandatory order.   The main idea is to take the best from all 3 SFC games. Then I have a few ideas of my own.

1st what I like best from each SFC version.

SFC1  A) the tutoriols where as soon as you kill a ship a new one is created indefinitly

SFC2  B) the number of races, especially in OP.
           C) the conquest campaign

SFC3  dont have it yet. Obviosly it looks better graphically


So what I want is to have 16 races. Am I greedy or what? hehe.  8 from the Alpha quadrant and 8 from the Delta quadrant.
The timeline would be a few years after Voyager gets back.  


I'll just explain my idea in the Delta quadrant since it is more unique. Keep in mind I love micro-management.


Ok.  The idea is that you are exploring the Delta quadrant using a single ship. You arrive by way of a wormhole.  It could be done with any Fed ship because the missions would adapt to its BVP rating.  There would be some resource gathering involved. Don't panic yet, not too involved.

The main idea is that most battles would be against a single vessel of about the same bpv. But through your long range scanners you would be alerted to the arrival of enemy reinforcments. Your scanners would tell you an ETA of said ships. Say 5 or more minutes.  So you would not be able to throw everything at the 1st vessel, (like mines) or you will be unsupplied when the enemy reinforcements arrive.  If you kill the 1st vessel and withdraw while enemy ships are still present. That would be considered a draw and you would not gain the hex.

Here is the new twist.  Since there often would be just 2 or 3 ships total in combat at one time, the CPU  would be able to handle much more detail with nebulas, asteroids, planets and suns.  The maps would be big and contain a sun and several planets and moons.  

Instead of just having 1 type of magic screw, there would be perhaps 3.  Maybe 2 would be better. Thinking as I type.
You could have a screw for the hull, seperate one for weapons and a 3rd for shields. After defeating the 1st ship you would need to repair your ship. When the battle started you would only have maybe 2 hull screws, 4 weapon screws and 1 super magic shield screw that fully charges 1 shield facing.  

The planets would contain resources that are of the 3 material types to replace the screws.  This way you could scan the palnets for resources and beam down a party to mine them.  Each planet would have only 1 resource type. So you would need to prioritize.  Your scans could be done from any range on the map, so you need not be that close to tell which planet has which resource. The planets would also be bigger so you would have chances to hide from the enemy and buy time to mine and repair.  

The time it takes to allocate a hull screw would have to be play tested, but I think 20 seconds might work to start.

The AI could also do the same.  So if you only cripple the 1st ship, you have big trouble when it is reinforced by a second and then makes repairs.

There could be a 3rd wave as well.  If you defeat all waves you win the hex.  

Well thats the base of it.  Want to think on it some more. Perhaps if you defeat a new enemy you may have an opportunity to form an alliance with it. Then you could supply at its bases in return for aiding its ships from there enemies.


 

[Azel]

Throw in a colision option and better warp speed option...and I am with you on this  

[Vestras]

Wouldn't mind haveing a Capture option myself. Its what bugs me in teh SFC3 Campaigns. I capture 5 decent Pirate Ships, And all i get is 200 extra Prestiege...I want a LOT more prestiege, or the option to keep the Fleet

[James Formo]

Keeping the fleet would be cool.  I like that idea.   And maybe  limit to 1. If the mining is used for captured ships as that would be hard to manage on a fleet.  Or instead of getting prestige for captured ships. Basically it is salvaged for its resources.  So you get shield, hull and weapon screws from it. Or you could gain technology from it. Like you get a 2% increase in speed because of what you learn from studying it. Or your shield strength could gain 5%.  Make these bonuses 1 time and very rare.



I'd like to see all Fed ships class CL and above be able to use a delta flyer. The flyer could be assigning to fly to a planet to gather resources and return to ship to make repairs while the main ship is in combat. Or the flyer could be used to attack and draw fire. Have it so it never gets destroyed like in Voyager lol, when it takes 80% damage it returns to the ship and can't be used until the next mission

I want the game to have 6000-8000 polygon hi-rez textured ships  and require a 2gig CPU.   It won't be long and that will be the norm anyway. CPU wise I mean.


More on the capture ship idea. Yes you have to be able to keep at least one. Cause  the idea is like the Voyager series. You have the same ship as you select to start the campaign with throughout.  So you need to be able to capture ships for variety.  This would make capturing so much more fun. If you captured the 1st ship. You could hide it behind a planet  or nebula to make repairs and maybe help out in the 3rd  or 4th wave.

I want solo missions that might last 1 and a half hours.  With a few quick ones for variety. So there would need to be an option to save in the middle of a mission so you could return to it at the same point.

Yes collisions too.  That might be another use of a captured ship.

[Kanethered]

What I would really like is for taldren to focus on refining the EAW/OP games that we already have rather than come up with something totaly new. The fixes and improvements should at least include:
  More control over wingmen and especially fighters and PFs. Perhaps a disingage command?
  Fighters and PFs for everone in their proper numbers   (including planetary defense squadrons)
  Better Ai for computer oponents
  Planets that can fire seeking weapons as well as launch fighters/PFs
  A set of editors for ships, missions, maps, weapon damage/to hit tables as well as their respective graphics. Using the  best features from FMSE and Admiral would go a long way to this end, everything else would be gravey.
  The addition of the lost SFB races and their technologies
  And last but definitely not least....
   A campaign centered around fleets fighting for control of the known galaxy, not based on individual captains climbing         through the ranks. A strategic system could be implemented such as was done with Shogun: Total War; or even better by licencing F&E from ADB. Just think of how great it would be to take charge of an empire. You control what gets built and where it's deployed to crush your enemies. In campaign turns you would decide how to allocate your limited resources for new construction, repair and upgrades as well as where to send your fleets. when enemy fleets are in the same sector combat occures and you should have the option of letting the computer fight it out abstractly or taking control of the fleet personaly and fighting in 3d. As an after thought crew quality could also be tracked. A turn based campaign that could be played over multiple sessions with live opponents would be excellant.
But what ever way Taldren decides to go , please give us a comprehensive set of editors to create mods that don't require programing skills. IMHO that would keep SFC alive FOREVER. Just look at how many third party "adventures" are available for Neverwinter Nights. Well over 2000 in about a years time.    

[Reverend]

Didnt we just go over this already?  Remember Continuous Space, or MY attempts at rounding up a good company or series of programmers?
I wish we had planets we could beam down too with materials.. I wish we could fly via warp by ourselves... I wish people weren't so namby pamby... I wish there was a 2.0 USB Force Feedback #(%&Sucker that looked like Jeri Ryan so that I could get my jollies while I play SFC! I spent weeks of effort trying to get other companies and other programmers interested in a Paramount copyright push... Paramount didnt write back, but I'm sure had my attorney had more backers besides little old me, we could've approached them with a logical offer. I wasn't asking for money either. I posted a lengthy letter on Genreal Forums, and got about 100+ views, and maybe one reply.
Sorry if anyone is taking offense,  I am just very disappointed, as I thought someone would at least approached me of it,  just once.
So, we can wish and wish until we are blue in the face, but if no one wants to try anything, then its wasted time. At least Korah, and Chris Jones, and Pelican did something(s).

The planets and materials thing was a pretty good idea BTW.  

[E_Look]

And when your landing party... uh, away team beams down to the planet, you have to look for and catch the wampus so that you can grab his bag of gold, while the rest of your team has to mine crystite to sell on the open market so you can afford to buy lots of magic screws or bribe more legendary officers to transfer to your little ship!

M.U.L.E. (Atari) anyone?  

[James Formo]

lol   E_Look    

KanetheRed,  I had hoped that SFC3 was going to be an improved SFC2 kind of like you mentioned.  Ah well. I agree SFC needs a tool for creating missions that is straight forward. My all time favorite game is Starcraft. They had a mission editor you could use to program triggers and all you needed to know was english.  That adds life to games.  I created some humdinger mission that took 15 hours to play.  


Reverend, I hadn't heard of Continous space. If it was posted in forum other than modeling I might have missed it. Usually read this one.  I am serious about SFC4.  Hope it happens  and gets back more to SFC2 wth the management. Bring missles back too. Just make them less powerful and only on DN classes and planets/bases.  


Here I'll put some pressure on Taldren/Activision. I will not model another ship for SFC until SFC4 is released as per my ideas stated above.  There that should get the ball rolling   lol    

Oh and be sure to add E_Looks away mission. Sounds like fun.  You could have 3 away teams all on seperate missions. Then your ship should  perform erractically because of it being undermanned so you get a negative attack shift.
Bring back ECM/ECCM.  

[Reverend]

Allright, James, I'll back you. It is common knowledge I am a sucker for a sweet talker; besides, I know how to appy pressure, as in how much and when and where. I do remember Starcraft, and liked it mainly for the idiot-proof (read- Reverend can do it too). SFC+ series would be nice with such a tool- our friend Pelican made a few great ones that are sure nice to have. I believe I have a few ideas for some fun ones too, but I cannot write C++.
If you really are interested in such a venture, then let us contact Active X- we speak quite a bit, and he invented the Campaign for Continuous Space, which took up a couple of really long threads. The proposal itself was concise, realistically workable, and polite. Taldren nor Activision didn't bother to even make a response. I myself approached three companies, as well as Paramount, and all of them said- you need money, and we need a petition signed before we'll even think of it. That is what has happened so far, James... if you're serious, great. If we're all just conjecturing, thats fine too- either way, lets please establish a line.  

P.S. Do not know whether it was a joke or not, but Taldren norActivision doesn't care whether anyone makes their own fixes (models, mods) to the game or not- if no one touched the game, they would not add anything either. Approaching them is a waste of time, very likely.

[DonKarnage]

what could be realy fun is that once you captured a enemy ship that lather that ship is aivalable like any other ship,( ex: i pay the fed and i capture a klingon d7, later you can have it whit your fleet( refit with fed technologie) or make it aivalable to buy).

a special multy players option, insted of playing battle in multy players you have actual multy players mission like in the single mission but with other player to play agains (ex: a play the fed and i must escort cargo in the solar system andthe other player(s) is a romuland that attack the cargo) that can be fun.

also the bonus point if you capture enemy ship.

more ship class not just variant of 1 class for each type of ship like 1 for the frigate 1 for the destroyer ect, and be able to chose betwen tos - tmp and tng time era insted of the early era is tos middle is tmp and late is tng and for advance well ship from the 29th century (the only one know is the one in voyager)

more race and more monster type more more more more ship and planet and asteroid *maniacle laughfing*

one special mission should be to protect a planet again an asteroid that mennace to crash on a planet and salvaging unkow ship that will give your race new technologie.

[Reverend]

Wow Karnage, excuse my lack of grace, but those ideas totally kick ass. Never heard either of them brought up, yet very fun when you imagine... more fun if we attempt.  

[James Formo]

Quote:
Allright, James, I'll back you. It is common knowledge I am a sucker for a sweet talker; besides, I know how to appy pressure, as in how much and when and where. I do remember Starcraft, and liked it mainly for the idiot-proof (read- Reverend can do it too). SFC+ series would be nice with such a tool- our friend Pelican made a few great ones that are sure nice to have. I believe I have a few ideas for some fun ones too, but I cannot write C++.
If you really are interested in such a venture, then let us contact Active X- we speak quite a bit, and he invented the Campaign for Continuous Space, which took up a couple of really long threads. The proposal itself was concise, realistically workable, and polite. Taldren nor Activision didn't bother to even make a response. I myself approached three companies, as well as Paramount, and all of them said- you need money, and we need a petition signed before we'll even think of it. That is what has happened so far, James... if you're serious, great. If we're all just conjecturing, thats fine too- either way, lets please establish a line.  

P.S. Do not know whether it was a joke or not, but Taldren norActivision doesn't care whether anyone makes their own fixes (models, mods) to the game or not- if no one touched the game, they would not add anything either. Approaching them is a waste of time, very likely.

I am serious in the fact that I'd like to see this version come out. I am busy woth real life atm and don't have too much time for anything other then a few ideas here and there.  If it was ActiveX original idea with continuous space then I will back his original idea. Then perhaps some of the other ideas that people have shared above could be brought into that version.

I wouldn't be able to do anything money wise, except buy the game when released of course .  I know the company has to make  profit off it, so they must have an idea of the market for this type of game.

My email is makeitjames@hotmail.com    Like I said I'll be busy till I get settled in at work.

[**DONOTDELETE**]

Galaxies At War!

TNG alone wont save squat...as we have seen

[starforce2]

is SFC4 being seriously considered?  

[jimkirk]

I have two wishes:

1. Add those damn Cardassians to SFC4
2. Add Eras to SFC4

(This were never implemented into SFC3 )  

[James Formo]

Quote:
I have two wishes:

1. Add those damn Cardassians to SFC4
2. Add Eras to SFC4

(This were never implemented into SFC3 )  

Eras has been suggested. I mirrored this link from the same topic at SFC3.net.  TheNewGuy has posted his ideas for what races to add to 4 seperate eras.

I suggested that due to the number of models involved. The game could be released with 2 eras. Then an expansion pack could add 2 more.

Myself. I doubt there will be an SFC4 version.  SFC3 kind of killed the series in my view. I do not see them coming out with a 4th when after only 6 months most PC stores don't even carry SFC3 anymore.

http://sfc3.infopop.cc/6/ubb.x?a=tpc&s=388607626&f=239607626&m=7826007513

[Reverend]

James- Im sorry, do not be defensive- maybe I can't write as well as I thought.  No, I wasn't shooting at money inquiries, so much as names... names that would potentially contribute to such a cause. Apparently these guys at these companies were wanting to hear of large amounts of names who would buy and/or support such a venture/product... if I knew how to make a poll that asked for email addresses, and physical addresses of interested parties, then such a list would egg them on a bit.
True, ActiveX who mysteriously isn't posting here, had a huge thread with lots and lots of responses on a very similar subject. Rat Boy, who posts everywhere and anywhere, made frequent stops there as as well, as have a few others who have posted here already. ActiveX had this nice little list of things that could either be a patch or a new game altogether....but they (Taldren, Activision) never responded.
So, apparently I didnt word myself correctly- James sounded offended, and I sure didn't mean to offend him(you) or anyone else here... just wanting to remind or inform of past events, and hoping to see if anyone else would speak up for such a venture, or had any ideas on how to make it a reality, other than my seemingly limited ones. I was hoping to get such a game sponsored similar to campaign funding, as in fundraisers, etc. If there was enough people, enough time, and enough push, a game company like CCCP could be coerced into making such a product; oh, they'll lose some money at first towards copyright this, copyright that, but to have a Continual Space Dynaverse, where one has more control over their ship, its functions, and its interactions, surely the fans of this present series would shell out a respectable monthly fee.... everyone else does it- look at all the other online games! SFC, for being the only decent Star Trek tactical combat simulator, still reminds one of a MSDOS game... hexes- great for tactical views, for spatial directional navigation, but Voyager 1 and 2 hasn't shown us pictures of Jupiter with magical lines intersecting it.  

[Reverend]

16 races greedy?... that sounds like needed playablility to me...

SFC4....Galaxies at War... with a free-range sprites.q3....  

[James Formo]

Reverend. I wasn't offended at all. I don't know that there is enough interest anymore. Some will express that they would like to see ERAS at WAR  but then they move on to Freelancer or whatever. I seen in another forum that Freelancer is being modded to have all ST ships in it. I too feel that SFC is the best ST game out there. Yet it hasn't utilized its full potential yet.
I just don't feel optimistic that SFC4 will come about.  Even in this forum there doesn't seem to be much interest in a new game.  I was disappointed with the direction SFC3 took but perhaps many are happy with it.  I hope we can generate more interest in SFC4.  If not then I will continue to mod SFC1 which may be one of the best of the series.

[Reverend]

I never got SFC1.. I've got OP, which is great, especially to mod. I do really love SFC3... the navigational/piloting additions were an absolute nessecity; ridiculous they didnt appear til now... I wish those abilities could be implemented into SFC2/OP; I'd never play another game (except AVP2 or Empire Earth).
I probrobly won't get the list numbers I'd need... Eras at War is a good idea, but that is a option with modding... we needed more out of the game than that. Its fun to listen to conjectures about game layout/options, especially ones you mentioned and the ones ActiveX thought of; but its like fingernails on chalkboards to me, as no one really wants to put forth any effort... kinda hurts the feelings a bit, it does. Especially coming from people who otherwise have so many interesting things to say consistently, except this one subject. I would approach Taldren or Activision, with same ideas, as well as funding ideas, but I have seen they cannot really pay any mind to it. Perhaps that is because ActiveX never thought on funding options, or asked them about such? Hmmm... would that in itself be worth the time, to try again?
I have been a little fussy here on that subject; apparently not too fussy, or I'd have been banned I suppose.