Dear Starmade Players

[NovaInvictus]

Greetings, players.
Im not gonna say what has already been said. So instead, look at this quote.

[ WARNING: TEXT WALL ]​

And who do you think pushed the metas and exploits that resulted in countermeasures that caused issues in the first place, and were so toxic that changes in moderation were necessary?

Don't defend that disposable minority of the playerbase. Starmade PVP was made by PVPers. If the PVP dies, Starmade and it's remaining majority of players remains. Those that are here for just the PVP, that's their problem for having that unrealistic expectation of what SM is. That "last bastion" b.s. is just holier-than-though elitist crap that has no place in any community. The short-sighted and self-absorbed PVPer mindset, distilled into meta-junky mentality, produces this same rhetoric of gloom and doom that has pushed away players long before the recent changes in mechanics.

Schine is playing the long game, as are the players who can openly acknowledge the need for experimentation and failures in a still-fluid game. Patience is what is lacking here. Starmade has no shortage of problems. Creating more problems is the specialty of pushy children who don't want to be constructive and want things fixed now, which is pointless since many of those fixes will be overridden or unnecessary later on anyways, swept away in the next stages of development. It might take years or even a decade to finish this game, all the better reason to keep those around who aren't juvenile trolls or angry, demanding adults. The mix of non-toxic veterans and a good ad campaign will instill new life to a playerbase that was never really supposed to be big at this stage in the first place (you can thank the Yogscast and subsequent Youtube coverage for that premature popularity).

Exercise something other than doom-saying and ego-boosting, preferably patience and constructive criticism.

P.S. The above response was intentionally harsh. Most players do not fall into the category of meta-junkies or trolls, and PVP/PVPers are not inherently negative or toxic. Take these paragraphs with a grain of salt and TRY not to take it personally.

Starmade doesn't need many new players. It hasn't for some time (again, that sudden boost from Yogscast/Youtube gave it more than it needed). What it needs are better players, those who contribute to the game and existing community positively. That, or to rid itself of the existing toxicity (something that has been worked on to great effect). You can't expect to have a stable house on an unstable foundation, so before the walls or roof go up, SM needs to settle it's base. Part of that base must include players who do or are willing to understand the development process of games.

You already hit the nail on the head when you said "it's less work to add all content and then fix those systems once, without doing it every time new content comes out", but what you didn't mention is that it is also better for the flow of development. Polished mechanics in a fluctuating game break. That's how it goes. If new players are complaining about the "unpolished" things, then they can come back later. If we lose them entirely, ¯\_(ツ)_/¯ they weren't going to handle the game well anyways, so why have them stay. The next set of potential players will come along, and the next, and the next. If that's too stretched out for you, then you can move on to something else, and like those other impatient players, return at a later date if you feel so inclined.

Starmade isn't the family dog. It can be revived. <---wow look how totally supercalifragilisticexpialidociously edgy that is i almost cut myself typing it wow

So, I have created this thread for us to discuss how we can revive this game. Hopefully this will become a forum dedicated to positive and constructive feedback to starmade and schine teams.

 

[kulbolen]

its a terrible idea but you should do it anyway.

 

[kiddan]

I don't feel this is worth discussing until there's more to combat and other gameplay aspects that aren't in the game yet. Otherwise, there isn't much to do other than build right now. After the Universe Update if released this should become a more relevant discussion.

 

[Dr. Whammy]

Not the first. Certainly won't be the last. Do whatever floats your boat. ...and whatever you think will keep Schine's from sinking.

 

[Scypio]

¯\_(ツ)_/¯

 

[NeonSturm]

My opinions:

I don't like that everything is tied to a faction you must choose. I think it destroys gameplay to separate players so much.
A solution could be char-families per account+server which create small bases.

A solution to Player-Killers (including homebase-raids) is to mark attackers as PK-enemies for 24h (kills don't destroy reputation) and increase a bounty-quest for every kill they made for the territory holder. Chars are not immortal, only one char per account is free.

Apart from the char-issues, I want the especially laggy algorithms either replaced or being optional and I think I can recall the lightening alg update to be a lag-introducer for me.

Also updating the keyboard config to include temp keymaps (by toggling temporary or just the next keymap event overrides some keys) would be very neat.

I don't care so much about AI anymore as long as it reliable does it's job. They may even teleport when players don't look at them.
NPCs should be good at fleeing very well or be so spare that it isn't worth hunting them.
But when they are in groups, they should have a lot of escorts and explode via warheads to kill the loot once they are about to die.
When you have a certain reputation, they may not even appear to you as one of their scouts tracks you and warns the others.
Or they appear in such a high number that it is impossible to beat them because they have intel on who kills their intel-satelite-bases.

The biggest changes I would make instantly I have listed here in detail:

1. Everyone has a family of chars on each server, like "BigBoss NeonSturm" plus "WaaghBoss NeonSturm" ...
   • But when you die, you need to make a new character with your family (half-joking: 1 baby per day allowed, in 3 days adult (grow when played), 500 plants and 5000 water required, attribute bonus for giving currently-n/a milk to babies, first char free)
2. Vector shields with individual perks in the ABOVE-LAYER over a global shield mechanism supported by hull mitigation.
   • They might be 2x efficient by mitigating discharge per attack with power but block only 80% damage so that the global shield must take the remaining damage.
   • If advanced hull has 20% damage mitigation (shots with less than 20% initial strength will only select the block and if they penetrate all hull, they apply at max 20% hp as damage to selected blocks), global shield does not even trigger to protect these blocks, others have only 15% and 10% for example.
3. Weapons:
   • Instead weapon blocks, I would place weapon-crates connected to a cheap universal weapon computer.
     • 5 weapon blocks offset before it counts and counting ones would fill the weapon crates like cargo hold - easy swapping!
   • For Beam: You should be able to put aim-marks on a target through target-centered view.
   • For Cannon: It should built up 5 seconds of charge within 10 seconds even under use. Same dps, better downtime compensation.
   • For Missiles: They should target an aim-mark (similar to beam) so that they cannot miss.
   • Light version: Weapons < 10 blocks should not need a turret but fire through slaved output-blocks with 50% dps malus.
     
   • Medium version: Like now. Turrets.
   • Heavy version: 5° fire angle, fire with 75% charge or charge for 2-3 seconds for extra dmg. 125% reload.
     • Incompatible with output blocks.

BTW:

1. Anomalies should be possible through the new rule system:
   • Factions can control anomalies (via the admin-system for buffs/nerfs when station name contains "x", etc).
   • Maybe you see that your shield cap is only 10% when the territory owner prefers ships with high armor values.
   • Maybe they enhance jump drives toward or away from a station so that the territory owner is more agile than common ppls.
   • Maybe they enhance weapon ranges, but only for entities within weapon range of a station.
   • Maybe stations in a system buff each other when one gets attacked to encourage building more than one.
2. New rule system also allows:
   • Certain chars from a family get mining bonus, combat bonus, ... depending on their choosen role (maybe first letter for now).

Implement all this and you have a whole new game.

 

[Lone_Puppy]

My opinions:

I don't like that everything is tied to a faction ...

Some good ideas here! May be better sparking up a suggestion thread and post a link to it here with maybe some highlights.
The other members of the community can offer suggestions and comments on your thread.
[doublepost=1540766761,1540766427][/doublepost]

Greetings, players.
Im not gonna say what has already been said. So instead, look at this quote.



So, I have created this thread for us to discuss how we can revive this game. Hopefully this will become a forum dedicated to positive and constructive feedback to starmade and schine teams.

Interesting quote.
Yeah, I agree to take everything in a developing project with a grain of salt, except when it's something planned for. Then you just have to accept that this is the way it's going to be. For me, I'm not a fan of the new power system, but I'm happy to work with it an learn it. There's always future tweaks to look forward to. Plus, Schine is so open to suggestions from the peanut gallery, I find that pretty amazing and freaking awesome.

I can't wait to see and play in the new universe!

 

[Edymnion]

Greetings, players.
So, I have created this thread for us to discuss how we can revive this game.

There is no need to "revive this game". The number of players is where Schine wants it to be.

They are intentionally not advertising. They only want enough people to do basic bug testing, thats it. When they are finished with all the revamps and move things along into Beta, then they have said they will start the hype train and get the advertising out there.

The game is "dead" because there has been no advertising or word of mouth to bring people in, and this has been entirely intentional.

 

[Reilly Reese]

There is no need to "revive this game". The number of players is where Schine wants it to be.

They are intentionally not advertising. They only want enough people to do basic bug testing, thats it. When they are finished with all the revamps and move things along into Beta, then they have said they will start the hype train and get the advertising out there.

The game is "dead" because there has been no advertising or word of mouth to bring people in, and this has been entirely intentional.

It's like you dissent with other forum goers just for the sake of dissenting Edy.

Not interested in supporting this? Then leave, there's at least 40 clickable links on this webpage right now that can take you somewhere else.

 

[TheDerpGamerX]

It's like you dissent with other forum goers just for the sake of dissenting Edy.

Not interested in supporting this? Then leave, there's at least 40 clickable links on this webpage right now that can take you somewhere else.

no dont click them there all hentai ads and weird shit cuz duke needs his ad money

 

[Reilly Reese]

no dont click them there all hentai ads and weird shit cuz duke needs his ad money

I wasnt even counting ads, but there's all of the nav menu buttons, links in sigs, search boxes, similar threads, post author page links and bookmarks in the browser.

 

[TheDerpGamerX]

There is no need to "revive this game". The number of players is where Schine wants it to be.

They are intentionally not advertising. They only want enough people to do basic bug testing, thats it. When they are finished with all the revamps and move things along into Beta, then they have said they will start the hype train and get the advertising out there.

The game is "dead" because there has been no advertising or word of mouth to bring people in, and this has been entirely intentional.

"If the number of players is where schine wants it to be then they are stupid. This game has zero testers outside the playerbase, and the best testers who found the biggest issues where those PvP players you constantly vilify. And there has been advertising and word of mouth, but it's been negative. And for a game in the condition starmade currently is, it's a death knell. The hype train was scrapped years ago."-Calhoun

 

[jstenholt]

"This game has zero testers outside the playerbase,"-Calhoun

Uh, yeah?

 

[Edymnion]

"If the number of players is where schine wants it to be then they are stupid. This game has zero testers outside the playerbase, and the best testers who found the biggest issues where those PvP players you constantly vilify. And there has been advertising and word of mouth, but it's been negative. And for a game in the condition starmade currently is, it's a death knell. The hype train was scrapped years ago."-Calhoun

Lets break this one apart, shall we?

"Zero testers outside the playerbase", but there is still an active playerbase large enough to get testing information back. Testers for a game of this size in alpha traditionally would be few enough to count on one hand.

"Best testers were the PvP players" who would find exploits, defend those exploits as their "right", wouldn't actually REPORT those exploits to Schine, and would fight tooth and nail to prevent anyone else from getting them closed. All the while crashing servers with exploits like docked hulls when they came loose.

"Word of mouth and its all bad" from people who claimed to love the game and got themselves banned, and are now going full on sour grapes trying to destroy it out of some petty need for revenge?

They devs already said they are intentionally not trying to advertise, and that the plan is to start advertising in earnest once the Universe update is done and they stabilize things enough to go to actual Beta. The answer to "how do we revive this game" is pretty simple, IMO. We don't do anything. We are just bug testers with early access, nothing more. What will "revive" the game is when actual advertising starts and we start getting actual new people in by the droves.

I mean, I appreciate the thought, but there literally is nothing we as players can do about it right now, because that ball is not in our court.

 

[TheDerpGamerX]

Lets break this one apart, shall we?

"Zero testers outside the playerbase", but there is still an active playerbase large enough to get testing information back. Testers for a game of this size in alpha traditionally would be few enough to count on one hand.

"Best testers were the PvP players" who would find exploits, defend those exploits as their "right", wouldn't actually REPORT those exploits to Schine, and would fight tooth and nail to prevent anyone else from getting them closed. All the while crashing servers with exploits like docked hulls when they came loose.

"Word of mouth and its all bad" from people who claimed to love the game and got themselves banned, and are now going full on sour grapes trying to destroy it out of some petty need for revenge?

They devs already said they are intentionally not trying to advertise, and that the plan is to start advertising in earnest once the Universe update is done and they stabilize things enough to go to actual Beta. The answer to "how do we revive this game" is pretty simple, IMO. We don't do anything. We are just bug testers with early access, nothing more. What will "revive" the game is when actual advertising starts and we start getting actual new people in by the droves.

I mean, I appreciate the thought, but there literally is nothing we as players can do about it right now, because that ball is not in our court.

Calhoun told me to post it go talk to him about it

 

[Az14el]

"Word of mouth and its all bad" from people who claimed to love the game and got themselves banned, and are now going full on sour grapes trying to destroy it out of some petty need for revenge?

holy shit red alert what have you done to this man

I don't think anything that extreme is happening to space lego tbh, i mean i say that every time you come up with this but its kinda feeling like im reading bedtime stories to a baby that just wont go to sleep, the anti starmade conspiracy isn't real, the clone army of alts isn't real. I really think you should give that one up already, the divisiveness of it sucks and it doesn't come off very reasonable sounding a theory in the first place.

 

[Edymnion]

holy shit red alert what have you done to this man

The guy openly bragged about his alts on a regular basis.

And considering how many of the people who were shouting in those threads were accounts less than a month old at the time, with no post history, that magically vanished immediately after? Yeah, they were alts. May or may not have been Red's, but they were definitely alts.

 

[Az14el]

ever consider the bragging of a 17 year old might be just bragging?
you're taking this one pretty far this time man

 

[TheDerpGamerX]

Lets break this one apart, shall we?

"Zero testers outside the playerbase", but there is still an active playerbase large enough to get testing information back. Testers for a game of this size in alpha traditionally would be few enough to count on one hand.

"Best testers were the PvP players" who would find exploits, defend those exploits as their "right", wouldn't actually REPORT those exploits to Schine, and would fight tooth and nail to prevent anyone else from getting them closed. All the while crashing servers with exploits like docked hulls when they came loose.

"Word of mouth and its all bad" from people who claimed to love the game and got themselves banned, and are now going full on sour grapes trying to destroy it out of some petty need for revenge?

They devs already said they are intentionally not trying to advertise, and that the plan is to start advertising in earnest once the Universe update is done and they stabilize things enough to go to actual Beta. The answer to "how do we revive this game" is pretty simple, IMO. We don't do anything. We are just bug testers with early access, nothing more. What will "revive" the game is when actual advertising starts and we start getting actual new people in by the droves.

I mean, I appreciate the thought, but there literally is nothing we as players can do about it right now, because that ball is not in our court.

people sent loads of bug reports and exploits to schine, they literally just didnt respond and put it off. the only reason they did eventually fix it was cuz veilith live streamed all the exploits which basically forced schine to fix them. he did this as a last resort. he, and multiple other people reported this shit many times as it ruined pvp for us. Yes, there were people who kept silent about it, but the vast majority of people who found it reported it. the reason why people go upset and started "flaming and trolling" was because schine ignored their bug reports.

 

[aceface]

There is no need to "revive this game". The number of players is where Schine wants it to be.

They are intentionally not advertising. They only want enough people to do basic bug testing, thats it. When they are finished with all the revamps and move things along into Beta, then they have said they will start the hype train and get the advertising out there.

The game is "dead" because there has been no advertising or word of mouth to bring people in, and this has been entirely intentional.

i know they dont want a lot of players but i think they dont want like 10 people in total cross servers to be playing i think they want more than that. so few bug reports ... so many obvious bugs go unnoticed...