Criss' Thread

[jontyfreack]

pipe

Good, good. Continue.

 

[DeepspaceMechanic]

Speaking of which, I have personally laid out the exact "mechanics" of warp gate travel.

The detailing on that warp gate looks sooo nice! Nikola Tesla would be proud

The proposed medium TG freighter sits at approximately 280 meters in it's current wire frame state.

Oh, now that's an original way of wireframing. I think I know how that was made. Did you make templates of scaled-up models of the different block shapes? In this way one can sketch the small-scale model with actual blocks, then the large own with templates, build a hull around it, then remove the light grey basic hull internal framing with the Remove/Replace filter - That's very clever

Our proposal: Build contracts.

Was really excited to read that. I believe that kind of dev team-community interaction would have the potential to replenish life over here at the Dock. I myself have actually intended to ask you about something like this a few weeks ago; seeing all your ambitious plans for future assets, I thought I could help by offering a really neat rocket fuel refinery station (a must-have in space) for some faction to claim as its own. I would really appreciate an opinion on the few shots included in the spoiler below, Criss. (Feel free to remove this post if such material is unwelcome in official threads like this.)

Spoiler: "FrozenOil R39" refinery

 

[kikaha]

i believe Scavenger stations should not have a class. They should be named individually randomly.

 

[The_Owl]

Call it Dave

 

[SkylordLuke]

Greetings citizens! It's time to take a look at another Scavenger build, and the weeks progress on our other projects. Plus a bit of an announcement regarding future player-submitted content.

First, let's take a look at the Scavenger Small Hub Station. I have no clue what class this station should be named. As mentioned in the previous post, it is hard to find appropriate names for space stations for the Scavengers that suite their naming convention. If anyone has ideas, please let me know.

This pirate hub will temporarily serve as the Scavengers trade base. Essentially the homebase until a proper one can be built. As such it needs to accommodate a number of docks. The ships in the Scavenger fleet are very unique, and so the docking structures for each type of ship vary greatly. There are specific parking spots for Scavenger small ships.

The station features a completely re purposed Trading Guild T-180 model freighter. It is embedded into the side of the open hangar, and serves as the backbone for the stations interior space. The internal support structure of the freighter has been converted to support a makeshift floor in which various systems are housed.

Other features include a docked Cestus class scout to serve as a communications array, and stolen modular housing units that form the semblance of an apartment complex. The hangar is dirty, covered in rust, grime, and scrap. It is an unorganized mess of cargo that sits atop thin paneling that cover gaping holes in the structure. Every inch of space is used for the storage of raw scrap salvaged from the fields of battle.

The inside of the station is equally chaotic. Walls appear to block ones path. Metal beams punch through corridors. It is easily possible to get lost inside. This station was certainly the most difficult Scavenger station to build to date. It is also the largest in terms of features and volume.

Due to the Scavenger build style, it is not easy connecting the various parts together. Slabs only work in certain ways and so it is easy to create connections that don't seem stable. While that may be acceptable for a literal garbage faction, I still try to ensure that there is a level of reality in their builds. While the structure may not make practical sense, I ensure it looks feasible.

If you want to read more about the various aspects of this station, some more info can be found in the imgur album linked here.

And now onto the weekly update on our build progress. To start, we have been continuing work on the TG Warpgate. Our time was spent mostly on a rail-like system that connects two ring structures together. Later we will heavily wire and pipe areas of the station to ensure maximum density where it suits the design.

AtraUnam has provided us some assistance in detailing the station. Having a need to wire the station up with all it's coils and components, Atra stepped up and gave examples on how we could do so in a semi-realistic manner. For the moment, these wires are color coded to ensure a proper path. Eventually they will connect to more fundamental structures that power the warp ring.

Speaking of which, I have personally laid out the exact "mechanics" of warp gate travel. In the case of the Trading Guild gates, I have determined the function of all major components of the station. In the future I will outline this with a neat little graphic, but rest assured, there is now a quasi lore based canon system for how this warpgate, and possible future gates will function in universe.

Lastly, the first miniature model for a medium sized vessel was created. Medium sized vessels range from 151 meters, to 300 meters in any given direction. The proposed medium TG freighter sits at approximately 280 meters in it's current wire frame state. It will be quite a change in scale, and I am very excited to see what we can do with larger ships in the future.

Lastly, I want to talk about a proposal that has been making a bit of a bustle on our livestreams. It is clear that Saber and I will never be capable of building all the assets for the game without working at Schine full time. We currently do not work for Schine full time, and so assets will take a while to complete. Our current focus is the primary set of assets that will enable StarMade to function; the stations, ships, and factions that will allow the universe to seem alive.

Beyond that however is a plethora of ideas that we would love to explore, but are not integral to the success of the game, and therefore fall to the sidelines. Our proposal: Build contracts.

In short, a faction (Schine team members roleplaying) will offer a contract for a new ship, station, or structure. Players will vie for the contract, and if awarded, their builds will be accepted into the game.

We will require certain specifications, depending on the faction the new assets will belong to, and it's function. Design cohesion will be a big deal regarding this, and as such, this process isn't likely to start before the new power system or new stations are in the game.

There are still some details we want to iron out, and chances are you will be signing over your work as Schine's property when all is said and done. To give you an example:

The Trading Guild may require a new freighter model for it's small ship line and will put fourth a contract. Players will need to design a vessel that shares visual design elements of TG ships. It will need to accommodate the same docking or cargo requirements as the T-180 freighter. We may have specific requirements regarding systems or other special features. When players build their proposal, they will submit it to the faction (Schine) for evaluation. Those whose vessel(s) suit the needs of that faction best will be chosen and indoctrinated into the fleet.

We eventually plan for a way to recognize repeat winners if such a case were to arise as well, but those are details that can wait for later. There is still a bit of discussion to be had regarding this. I am very excited for the possibilities though, and it allows for us to essentially create multiple contracts at the same time to grow our asset library substantially in a short amount of time. Please leave your thoughts here or visit us during the livestream so we can get your feeback. Thanks for reading!

well!! Finally :D was waiting on any news about player submited content for ages!

 

[jstenholt]

Criss has summoned the Skylord.

 

[Top 4ce]

Beyond that however is a plethora of ideas that we would love to explore, but are not integral to the success of the game, and therefore fall to the sidelines. Our proposal: Build contracts.

In short, a faction (Schine team members roleplaying) will offer a contract for a new ship, station, or structure. Players will vie for the contract, and if awarded, their builds will be accepted into the game.

We will require certain specifications, depending on the faction the new assets will belong to, and it's function. Design cohesion will be a big deal regarding this, and as such, this process isn't likely to start before the new power system or new stations are in the game.

There are still some details we want to iron out, and chances are you will be signing over your work as Schine's property when all is said and done. To give you an example:

The Trading Guild may require a new freighter model for it's small ship line and will put fourth a contract. Players will need to design a vessel that shares visual design elements of TG ships. It will need to accommodate the same docking or cargo requirements as the T-180 freighter. We may have specific requirements regarding systems or other special features. When players build their proposal, they will submit it to the faction (Schine) for evaluation. Those whose vessel(s) suit the needs of that faction best will be chosen and indoctrinated into the fleet.

We eventually plan for a way to recognize repeat winners if such a case were to arise as well, but those are details that can wait for later. There is still a bit of discussion to be had regarding this. I am very excited for the possibilities though, and it allows for us to essentially create multiple contracts at the same time to grow our asset library substantially in a short amount of time. Please leave your thoughts here or visit us during the livestream so we can get your feeback. Thanks for reading!

Yes. Just, yes.

 

[Criss]

I would really appreciate an opinion on the few shots included in the spoiler below

It is presented in a spoiler so it's okay.

I think you have the start of something really nice. There are a few areas that could use more detail, such as areas on the brown hull. Even if it's sparse and subtle. Material changes and depth changes could help. Also make sure you want the various brightly colored parts to stand out as much. A lot of that station is neutral colors, like browns and blacks. The orange shipyard structure stands out a lot. Make sure that if you break the pattern you've created, you break it a lot. Right now it looks like a brown and black colored station with a random orange shipyard attached to it, instead of a cohesive brightly or neutrally colored station.

 

[kiddan]

Next up: Trading Guild Farm Station!
Only joking, of course. Keep up the good work, looking lovely as always!

 

[DeepspaceMechanic]

I think you have the start of something really nice. There are a few areas that could use more detail, such as areas on the brown hull. Even if it's sparse and subtle. Material changes and depth changes could help. Also make sure you want the various brightly colored parts to stand out as much. A lot of that station is neutral colors, like browns and blacks. The orange shipyard structure stands out a lot. Make sure that if you break the pattern you've created, you break it a lot. Right now it looks like a brown and black colored station with a random orange shipyard attached to it, instead of a cohesive brightly or neutrally colored station.

Thanks for the advise, Criss, much appreciated! - Actually, if I were the one to give a few tips about possible improvements to someone else showing off this station, I would've said the exact same things, because the points you brought up were my own exact dissatisfactions with this project. Repainting the light brown tanks atop to light grey basic hull, and the shipyard arcs to dark grey armor were next on my to-do list. Should've added that it's still a WIP.

Anyways, I'll be waiting for you guys to announce the build contracts.

 

[El_Poulpy]

I am all for the contracts. It can even add depth to the lore universe with some ship manufacturers names

 

[Criss]

Greetings citizens! Today we'll be taking a look at the weeks progress, new models for future projects, and an idea regarding new player ships.

First, our progress on the warp gate has slowed in pace. We have laid out the general structure and now focus our attention on details. Personally I am wiring the station up with some semi realistic components. Afterword we will expand on the details surrounding the support structures to give it some density.

Saber has been working on tractor-beam like structures on the end of the station.

In other news, I've made an effort in the past few weeks to try and sort out all current and future projects on our miniature model pallets. It might not be too long before we move onto medium sized vessels. Below I have a shot of our mini B-190 frigate next to the proposed medium sized cruiser. It's exciting to start working on a larger scale. There are more options, more details, and there is a natural evolution of the style as we expand into a larger ship class. For example, the wings that dominate our small TG ships have disappeared on the medium size model, and more broad sloped surfaces will take their place.

In addition to the cruiser, I decided that the Trading Guild should field at least one more ship in the medium sized range for it's military. In an attempt to create something different than the cruiser, I decided to go with a drone carrier. I am quite excited for this build, as it implies a level of austerity that the Trading Guild has yet to see.

Of course these miniature models do not present scale very well, so here are the general frameworks rendered in game alongside a B-190.

Before I talk about the last bit, I have discovered a drone design that was created quite a while ago. It's currently not used by the TG. The plan was to introduce this as a smaller more readily deploy-able drone for the Trading Guild Carriers. It is yet to be seen whether such a small drone would be worth the space on a carrier or in a fleet.

Lastly, we should talk about the possibility of starter ships. In a short discussion on stream, Saber and I discussed how we would want to approach starter ships in StarMade. Naturally a new player may not have the skills at the start to create a decent functioning starter ship.

Starter ships will be approximately the size of the Trading Guild B-130 Patrol Ship. These starter ships will come with a more liveable interior and multiple systems to encourage a player to test areas of gameplay and allow them to get a start in the universe. We are thinking starter ships should be a jack of all trades, master of none sort of vessel.

Trading Guild starter ships would likely feature a larger cargo hold, salvage system, cannons and a decent shield system.

Outcasts would likely receive a better salvager system, decent propulsion enhancements and some defensive weapons.

The Scavengers would likely host the most weaponry, and a small salvage system.

Eventually I would like to include a proper introduction for the game. If all goes well, these ships will be offered to a player once per server after completing some introductory missions for a faction. Further ships will require payment in either materials or credits. This system is still very much just a proposal. We are nowhere near ready to include such a system. Regardless we would like to know what you think of this and the other topics mentioned in this post. Leave your feedback here or visit us on stream and thanks for reading!

 

[kiddan]

Starter ships will be approximately the size of the Trading Guild B-130 Patrol Ship. These starter ships will come with a more liveable interior and multiple systems to encourage a player to test areas of gameplay and allow them to get a start in the universe. We are thinking starter ships should be a jack of all trades, master of none sort of vessel.

I like the idea of using starter ships to not only give players property they can reverse engineer, but also as an asset that encourages exploring different aspects of gameplay. This gives the player enough resources to find what they want to specialize in as well as a small slice of many systems that could be moreso prioritized, be it through editing said starter ship or creating new designs from scratch. Starter vessels definitely sound worth looking into.

Before I talk about the last bit, I have discovered a drone design that was created quite a while ago. It's currently not used by the TG. The plan was to introduce this as a smaller more readily deploy-able drone for the Trading Guild Carriers. It is yet to be seen whether such a small drone would be worth the space on a carrier or in a fleet.

I'm not super educated in good drone design, but the protruding details make this drone much larger and a bit heavier for the amount of systems it looks like it could fit. Maybe add more systems at the expense of some armour? Again, I'm not super experienced in drone building, but I'd encourage testing different system:armour ratios to a considerable extent since you're thinking about space efficiency.

I like the way the small warpgate is coming along, it really does look like a giant machine so far, which is a factor I'd deem important. Keep up the good work! =)

 

[Crimson-Artist]

unless you're planning on offering players a choice between these 3 starter ships at the beginning I think that it would only make sense to have faction specific starter ships if the player can choose their starting scenario. for example the way you can choose your new game start in x3.

 

[Criss]

unless you're planning on offering players a choice between these 3 starter ships at the beginning I think that it would only make sense to have faction specific starter ships if the player can choose their starting scenario. for example the way you can choose your new game start in x3.

There are a few ways we can go about it. We can either introduce a completely neutral starter ship to them during a one-time tutorial, or we can give them the choice to choose a faction early on. The problem is one forces the player to commit, or to pick an unspecialized vessel that isnt tied to a faction. Both are problematic. I have already proposed an introduction sequence but we have yet to talk about its implimentation

 

[kiddan]

There are a few ways we can go about it. We can either introduce a completely neutral starter ship to them during a one-time tutorial, or we can give them the choice to choose a faction early on. The problem is one forces the player to commit, or to pick an unspecialized vessel that isnt tied to a faction. Both are problematic. I have already proposed an introduction sequence but we have yet to talk about its implimentation

What if you could somehow steal a faction's starter ship earlier on (essentially dropping out of a tutorial), only slightly risking your relation to the faction, as the ship isn't very important to said faction? The player would be a mere petty thief alongside the grand scheme of things.

 

[Criss]

What if you could somehow steal a faction's starter ship earlier on (essentially dropping out of a tutorial), only slightly risking your relation to the faction, as the ship isn't very important to said faction? The player would be a mere petty thief alongside the grand scheme of things.

Well, due to the nature of the factions, the plan was to align the player with the Outcasts primarily until the end of the sequence. The Outcasts are the most neutral faction of the three, right in the middle of aggressiveness and passive economists that the other two factions represent. By the end of the sequence they would have been introduced to the other two, and given a choice from there.

I suppose the problem lies in how the player completes that tutorial. Are they given a ship temporarily? If they are working with Outcasts for a majority of the tutorial, should they get an Outcast ship? When they finish should they hand that ship back to the Outcasts unless they commit to their faction?

I suppose the easy option is for the Outcasts to just have one of those three ships to give you and you can choose. Almost as if they found them or salvaged those two other ships and that was how you were presented your options.

 

[Crimson-Artist]

Well, due to the nature of the factions, the plan was to align the player with the Outcasts primarily until the end of the sequence. The Outcasts are the most neutral faction of the three, right in the middle of aggressiveness and passive economists that the other two factions represent. By the end of the sequence they would have been introduced to the other two, and given a choice from there.

I suppose the problem lies in how the player completes that tutorial. Are they given a ship temporarily? If they are working with Outcasts for a majority of the tutorial, should they get an Outcast ship? When they finish should they hand that ship back to the Outcasts unless they commit to their faction?

I suppose the easy option is for the Outcasts to just have one of those three ships to give you and you can choose. Almost as if they found them or salvaged those two other ships and that was how you were presented your options.

actually i was thinking why does each starter have to represent one of the 3 factions? you could side step all of this by just making each a one representative to the type of gameplay style that each faction is based on. Trading Guild=Trade, Scavengers= Combat, Outcasts= Exploration.

by having the players choose a vessel from one of the 3 factions you kinda put the subtle notion that choosing one of them means that they are effectively joining/having sympathies for that faction. Its like being given the company car. Its technically your car but everything about it screams "not mine". For a game about the freedom to do whatever you want it would be better to design completely original starter ships for the player so they they feel like they are their own force in the universe.

For instance in the item descriptions mod im writing one of the lore bits is the implication that players are not from the frontier. that we are outsiders having appeared mysteriously into a universe we don't understand. Our unique capabilities are tied to the origins of all of the factions but we as players come into the game ignorant of the power dynamics and conflicts that are currently effecting the universe. That way players can be a clean slate and not feel like they are living in someone else's sandbox but one that they can make their own.

 

[Criss]

actually i was thinking why does each starter have to represent one of the 3 factions? you could side step all of this by just making each a one representative to the type of gameplay style that each faction is based on. Trading Guild=Trade, Scavengers= Combat, Outcasts= Exploration.

by having the players choose a vessel from one of the 3 factions you kinda put the subtle notion that choosing one of them means that they are effectively joining/having sympathies for that faction. Its like being given the company car. Its technically your car but everything about it screams "not mine". For a game about the freedom to do whatever you want it would be better to design completely original starter ships for the player so they they feel like they are their own force in the universe.

For instance in the item descriptions mod im writing one of the lore bits is the implication that players are not from the frontier. that we are outsiders having appeared mysteriously into a universe we don't understand. Our unique capabilities are tied to the origins of all of the factions but we as players come into the game ignorant of the power dynamics and conflicts that are currently effecting the universe. That way players can be a clean slate and not feel like they are living in someone else's sandbox but one that they can make their own.

The tutorial only aims to introduce a player to these factions. They are not aligned to anyone at the end, they are given options. Search out those factions or start out on your own. The tutorial sequence could be completed with a more random ship as you suggest. Players could then complete a separate quest line to acquire those more specialized starter ships.

 

[StormWing0]

hmm maybe have a hub at spawn that gives out ships for credits? Some kind of shop tab that sells filled BPs of ships and stations for a credit price?