Final Frontier 1.18 (Website and first FF-map released)

Optimus Prime · Post by **Optimus Prime** » 25 Jan 2006, 14:14

for the 1.09 i have a new model of a standard bomb with new textures. I hope that most ppl like it, else i will turn back to the blue star.
But you should know, that the starmodel is made out of 112 polygons - not much, but every bomber throws 5 of them means 560 polygons. If you are attacking with 50 bombers thats 28000 polygons only for the bombs and nothing more.
The new model is out of 13 polygons would reduce the overall count of 50 bombers to 3250 instead of 28000.
We will see how the ppl like it or not...

DayDayRules · Post by **DayDayRules** » 25 Jan 2006, 14:19

oh ok nvm then. i didnt realize that :S

FizWizz · Post by **FizWizz** » 25 Jan 2006, 16:48

Okay, idea.

FF is in space, and there's no gravity in space, so bombs don't really get dropped (well, they do, but that's because these maps have gravity). What if instead of using drop weapons, bombs were more like rockets, except mostly warhead, and a little booster just to keep their flight path stable?

Guessmyname · Post by **Guessmyname** » 25 Jan 2006, 17:40

Like the HW2 Bombers?

Optimus Prime · Post by **Optimus Prime** » 25 Jan 2006, 18:40

the idea is not bad, but wouldnt have any different effect than the bombs have now. I mean u need gravity on every map else the explosions would look really bad ( i mean the parts flying around not the fireexplosion). If the bomb is dropped or with an intern booster there would be no difference (only if i would give it a aiming ability what i wouldnt do). So all in all: work for nothing you would notice

Edit: ok there is a real disadvantage of this idea: If the bombs are rockets you wouldnt be able to do an areaattack... so i must cancel this idea before testing how it would look.

FizWizz · Post by **FizWizz** » 25 Jan 2006, 19:15

do people use the areaattack command?
I realize that making bombs low-velocity LoS weapons would make little difference, but that is the point of keeping them low velocity, they stay weapon-like if they do that. I can see (or at least reasonably guess) two differences that changing to LoS bombs would make:

1.) attacking flying targets (by which I only mean capital ships; releasing bombs @ enemy fighters and corvettes is simply nonsense): Currently the only reason bombers can even attack enemy capital ships is because they have a higher cruisealt (~200 iirc) than capital ships (~70-140 iirc).

2.) aiming at said targets: I'm not 100% certain, but from what I've seen I think that bombers target the point on the ground/water that's below the target, not the target itself. If I am right, it is only the size of capitalships' collision spheres that make bomb-to-warship contact possible. I don't think that bombers make any change in course either when they begin their bombing run, which means that simply by moving, capships can avoid some of the fire. LoS bombs can lead on a target, which wouldn't be hard for the pilot, considering how big and slow capships are.

Now of course re-balancing would have to be done, but I think that using LoS bombs would be a better system.

Optimus Prime · Post by **Optimus Prime** » 25 Jan 2006, 19:26

hm i personally love the area attack function. I mean if u have 50 bombers there is nothing better than areaattack :D.
Another "Problem" of ur method is that the rockets would have a short range. If they attack a big ship, they wouldnt be able to fly not into the ship and so it would look stupid if all the bombers collide with their targets. The bombers now fly over the ship they want to attack and i think that looks the best.
Perhaps i can make ur idea to work in a good way, but i think at the moment there are a lot of things with a higher priority (the old bombers need to be fixed, more maps, balancing).
If all is done, i will try to work on your idea if it is really wanted.
I hope u understand this.

Optimus Prime · Post by **Optimus Prime** » 25 Jan 2006, 19:51

Change Log

FINAL FRONTIER "The Next Generation Of War" 1.09
========================================================
- Removed: Lvl 2 Bombers removed and replaced by the stealthed variant (without stealth). Reason: The old bombers are the reason for the crashbugs and i dont know how to fix them at this time
- Balance: Decreased HP of Undine and Hellhawk Bombers -200 HP
- Balance: Decreased Damage of Bomberturrets -50% (Arm) -70% (Core) and doubled the reloadtime (not the Energybombs)
- Balance: Increased Cost and Buildtime of the Predator +400 metal +10000 energy + 4000 buildtime
- Balance: Increased Range of small Battlestations rockets 850 (750) and velocity 550 (450)
- Balance: Increased maxangledifference for the sledgehammer to 14 (8)
- Balance: Increased Turnrate of Blaster 22 (14)
- Balance: Reduced Area of Effect of light EMP Weapon 35 (125)
- Balance: Decreased Costs of lvl 1 antifrigates/corvettes/commander towers -1000 Energy and -200 metal.
- Balance: Increased Weaponvelocity of the Flaks 1850 (950) to make them more usefull against bombers
- Changed: Increased Size of Flaktowers by 1.5
- Changed: Small Battlestation now have reduced turnarea for their rocketpacks so that they dont fire through the station itself
- Changed: Increased Metaloutput of lvl 1 mines 0.0013 (0.0012)
- Changed: Reduced Damage of the Fusiongun done to other commanders 2000 (2500)
- Changed: Doubled the metaloutput and energyusage of metalmakers +2 (+1) -160 (-80) and increased their costs and HP
- Changed: Flak sound changed
- Changed: The Nightmare is now a Battleship and the Deathhand a Dreadnought
- Fixed: forgot to add Floater=1; to the medium teleportable ODS - fixed now
- Fixed: Missed hit sound from GatTurrets. Now added
- Removed: Old Loadingscreen
- Added: New Loadingscreen

see first post for download link

Andreask · Post by **Andreask** » 25 Jan 2006, 21:35

Man, i d live to see a 0 gravity map just for kicks.
Just make a 0 Grav version of the asteroid battle and lets see how i handles. :D

I mean, all you gotta do is change one number i guess, i ccant do it though, i have no idea of these things.

Zoombie · Post by **Zoombie** » 26 Jan 2006, 00:59

Well there is one problem. You have to have 1 or .1 gravity, or else the game go's wiggy on you... and the smoke clouds/debrie clouds fly away REALLY REALLY slowly. Its cool, but it makes the game a little choppy and looks a bit odd.

FizWizz · Post by **FizWizz** » 26 Jan 2006, 01:29

I think Zoombie came near to it. You don't want zero gravity (if it is supported, I haven't checked), because you want particles and such to fall to the ground eventually and dissappear. It's just speculation, but I suspect that 10 gravity will be low enough to satisfy the zero-G feel in space maps.

Isaactoo · Post by **Isaactoo** » 26 Jan 2006, 02:45

Andreask wrote:Man, i d live to see a 0 gravity map just for kicks.
Just make a 0 Grav version of the asteroid battle and lets see how i handles. :D

I mean, all you gotta do is change one number i guess, i ccant do it though, i have no idea of these things.

All you have to do is open up the sd7 file and go into the maps folder, then open the .smd file and change the gravity=X, then save. (it probably won't be compatible with other peoples though in multi)
I like having the gravity set to 1. Those little fighters take a long time to bail out in smoke

Zoombie · Post by **Zoombie** » 26 Jan 2006, 03:46

I done that once...hehehe the poor saps would actualy be back to FULL HEALTH due to heath regen before they hitsomething and exploded...

DayDayRules · Post by **DayDayRules** » 26 Jan 2006, 03:52

a little off topic, but how do i areaattack?

FizWizz · Post by **FizWizz** » 26 Jan 2006, 04:55

Isaactoo wrote:
Andreask wrote:Man, i d live to see a 0 gravity map just for kicks.
Just make a 0 Grav version of the asteroid battle and lets see how i handles. :D

I mean, all you gotta do is change one number i guess, i ccant do it though, i have no idea of these things.
All you have to do is open up the sd7 file and go into the maps folder, then open the .smd file and change the gravity=X, then save. (it probably won't be compatible with other peoples though in multi)
I like having the gravity set to 1. Those little fighters take a long time to bail out in smoke

omFG I hate it when they do that... Do you know how horrible it is when you get attacked by a horde of Slivers and even after you kill one it keeps raping you with the turreted laser? Same deal with Undines, but now that the turret is removed it ought to be better...

FizWizz · Post by **FizWizz** » 26 Jan 2006, 04:57

Optimus Prime wrote:Change Log

FINAL FRONTIER "The Next Generation Of War" 1.09
========================================================
...(many changes)...
- Changed: The Nightmare is now a Battleship and the Deathhand a Dreadnought
...(more changes)...

Umm... unless you changed its name as well, shouldn't it be Invincible, not Nightmare?

Zoombie · Post by **Zoombie** » 26 Jan 2006, 05:08

I was just in a battle with the Cosmose maps and...and...

my ARM starbombers where blowing the crap out of an enemy base. One was hit, and it was carreining out of controll. I expected them to hit the 'ground' and dissapear disconcertingly.

BUt they just kept going down...and down...and down...and down...and down untill i could barely see them against the blue planet.

It was odd..but really cool looking!

Optimus Prime · Post by **Optimus Prime** » 26 Jan 2006, 12:52

FizWizz wrote:
Optimus Prime wrote:Change Log
Umm... unless you changed its name as well, shouldn't it be Invincible, not Nightmare?

eh sorry... nightmare is the filename and cause i m working all the time with the filenames it confuses me ^^. Sure the name of the ship is sill invincible.

DayDayRules · Post by **DayDayRules** » 26 Jan 2006, 13:50

isnt the name a litte decieving? my 12 olympisus'es pwned an "invincible" once.

Optimus Prime · Post by **Optimus Prime** » 26 Jan 2006, 15:02

hey its just a name :) Else we must rename the planetkiller too and a lot of other units.
Btw 12 olymbus -> must be a metalmap and metalmaps suck

Spring RTS Engine

Final Frontier 1.18 (Website and first FF-map released)