Starmade Q&A: Stuff confirmed so far

[Mariux]

This is intended to be a list of features and plans confirmed in the last Q&A livestream. I'll be honest, I haven't watched the entire stream, in fact, I've just watched it until around 1:15, so if something is missing, please tell and I'll add it to the OP. I'll also be adding things as I watch the recording of the stream during the next hour or so. Things I'm most uncertain about are colored blue, so if I'm wrong please tell and plese do correct me if I'm wrong on anything else.

- Slabs. Come in sizes of 1/4, 1/2 and 3/4 of a block. Come in all types of hull. Smaller wedges also planned. Crystal slabs are a possibility.
- New spawn station. Largely detailed, huge in size, full of hidden secrets and easter eggs.
- Advanced AI that's capable to dock to carriers and follow waypoints is planned.
- Cross-entity rail movement are not a priority.
- Better graphical effects, (missile explosion particle effects and such).
- High-poly blocks planned. Will use LOD system to make them less performance intensive.
- More complex AI factions planned. There will be 5-6 of them that are preset and the rest will be procedurally generated to fill in the gaps. Players will be able to interact with other factions in many ways. Custom random stations with LUA scripting. Server admins will be able to set up their own factions with random stations. Economy will be demand-driven.
- Planet optimizations planned, will be bigger, have more types. Devs also considered polygonal Space Engineers-like planets, though no serious talks happened and this is not a priority.
- Personal equipment, like jetpacks and armor is planned. More personal weapons planned, devs are yet to work out the details.
- If food is ever implemented, it will most likely be used for maintaining NPCs or giving PCs buffs.
- Scaled explosion effects planned, but not a priority.
- Lore for the game is currently work in progress. Interacting with other factions and lore will be entirely optional and you will be able to play the way you want.
- All types of fauna will have variable levels of rarity. Space whales will be a rare sight. There are regions where certain creatures are more likely to appear.
- Space whales unlikely to be implemented until the next year. Won't be called space whales.
- There will be tools to download and publish templates in-game using Starmade registry.
- Capital ships are planned to be available around mid-game. Hyper space blocks as a capital ship system that affects warping time in some way was also mentioned.
- Logic tubes to be optional.
- Visual and audial feedback when your ship is damaged to certain levels.
- System for helping target other ship's certain systems. Will work as an extension for the scanner system.
- Proper liquid system planned, but not at the highest priority.
- More features for display blocks planned: more tags, logic interaction and LUA scripting.
- Random NPC skins planned, custom skins for your own crew also a possibility.
- Large/small ship balancing.
- Cross-entity support for NPCs.
- Faction permission system overhaul.
- Directional thrusters planned, servers will be able to adjust between arcadey and Newtonian physics systems and to anything in between. How the thrusters handle will also depend on your game's setup.
- Final release of the game will be at around 30-40 dollars.

 

[kiraen]

A few things I remember, some comments on clearification and organization.

(also keep in mind this was a quick check before bed, so I'm half asleep and human )

- More complex, procedurally generated AI factions planned. Players will be able to interact with other factions in many ways.

They also talked about procedurally generated stations thru lua scripting. Server admins will be able to set up their own factions and random stations.

- Personal equipment, like jetpacks and armor is planned.
- More personal weapons planned, devs are yet to work out the details.

These two should be listed together. There was some talk about crafting and customizing weapons as well, but Sabre is handling this and wasn't available for the Q&A.

- If food is ever implemented, it will most likely be used for maintaining NPCs.

Food is also possible for PCs, but it will be for bonus effects. Starvation will not be implemented.

- Capital ships are planned to be available around mid-game.

There was a quick comment about 'hyper space' blocks effecting 'warping time' as a capital system.

- Visual feedback when your ship is damaged to certain levels.
- More visual and audial indicators when piloting ships.

These should also be listed together. There will be audio feedback for damage as well. An entirely new HUD is going to be designed, eventually.

- More features for display blocks planned: more tags, logic interaction and scripting

I think it would be a good idea to mention that the scripting here will also be done in lua. If you don't know lua, now would be a good time to learn as it appears it will be utilized heavily for customization.

- Directional thrusters planned, servers will be able to adjust between arcadey and Newtonian physics systems and to anything in between. How the thrusters handle will also depend on your game's setup.

It should be noted that while Newtonian physics are available, they are not the intended way to play the game. Newton causes to many problems.

 

[Mariux]

A few things I remember, some comments on clearification and organization.

(also keep in mind this was a quick check before bed, so I'm half asleep and human )


They also talked about procedurally generated stations thru lua scripting. Server admins will be able to set up their own factions and random stations.

These two should be listed together. There was some talk about crafting and customizing weapons as well, but Sabre is handling this and wasn't available for the Q&A.

Food is also possible for PCs, but it will be for bonus effects. Starvation will not be implemented.

There was a quick comment about 'hyper space' blocks effecting 'warping time' as a capital system.

These should also be listed together. There will be audio feedback for damage as well. An entirely new HUD is going to be designed, eventually.

I think it would be a good idea to mention that the scripting here will also be done in lua. If you don't know lua, now would be a good time to learn as it appears it will be utilized heavily for customization.

It should be noted that while Newtonian physics are available, they are not the intended way to play the game. Newton causes to many problems.

Will edit the OP when I can, thanks for the info.

 

[Ithirahad]

It should be noted that while Newtonian physics are available, they are not the intended way to play the game. Newton causes to many problems.

The thing is, these problems are minimal and can almost all be rectified by features. Ships drifting away already is barely a problem seeing as they stop as soon as they hit an unloaded sector (and contrary to what Schema said, they do not keep going afterwards); some kind of passive antidrift system option integrated into AI blocks would help as well...

 

[Lecic]

- Directional thrusters planned, servers will be able to adjust between arcadey and Newtonian physics systems and to anything in between. How the thrusters handle will also depend on your game's setup.

Did they say if thrust would be directional based on the direction the thruster block was facing, or through a slider system as planned? I hope it's a slider system. I don't want to have to rip out all the thrusters on my ship just to replace them at different angles.

 

[StormWing0]

hmm could swear the list was longer.

 

[Drakkart]

- final release version of the game will be around 30-40 bucks.
- demand driven economy.
- stuff that grows and is consumed for trading.

 

[StormWing0]

I don't think anyone asked about those that bought the game but not through steam. Was wondering how that is going to work out. Tempting the idea but don't feel like downloading steam just to not have to buy it for each download. >_>

 

[Dire Venom]

Aeesome:D

 

[dwwojcik]

- Cross-entity rail movement are not a priority.

Dissapointing, but "maybe later" is better than "no".

Devs also considered polygonal Space Engineers-like planets.

Now that is very interesting.

- Logic tubes to be optional.

Awesome.

- Visual feedback when your ship is damaged to certain levels.

YES. This will be epic. Just imagine, an alarm could sound, and a big "WARNING" could pop up, and the screen could start going to static or something... That might be a bit overboard, but some effects such as those,tastefully done, would be very cool.

 

[Mr.Steam]

Devs also considered polygonal Space Engineers-like planets.

I thought Schema said he DIDN"T like polygonal based planets as they have too many problems with terraforming the terrain and it doesn't fit the block theme.

 

[Trekkerjoe]

YES. This will be epic. Just imagine, an alarm could sound, and a big "WARNING" could pop up, and the screen could start going to static or something... That might be a bit overboard, but some effects such as those,tastefully done, would be very cool.

What would be even more cool, is if you could use a ship status block to trip your red alert system when you take damage. This, on top of the damage indications, would add to the immersion.

 

[DukeofRealms]

I don't think anyone asked about those that bought the game but not through steam. Was wondering how that is going to work out. Tempting the idea but don't feel like downloading steam just to not have to buy it for each download. >_>

What do you mean?

 

[kiraen]

- Cross-entity rail movement are not a priority.

Dissapointing, but "maybe later" is better than "no".

The actual quote is "Not yet, but this is also planned". Transferring of cargo between entities was also confirmed. (twitch@20:53)

 

[Mariux]

The actual quote is "Not yet, but this is also planned". Transferring of cargo between entities was also confirmed. (twitch@20:53)

I think it's quite obvious that we will be able to transfer cargo between ships (EDIT as soon as we get the cargo system), otherwise it would be a major game breaker. Cross-entity RAIL movement is a completely different thing.

 

[kiraen]

They we both confirmed.

 

[AtraUnam]

There was a quick comment about 'hyper space' blocks effecting 'warping time' as a capital system.

I really doubt it but I hope this means Schema has actually found a way to mimic the effect of warping space-time in game. There is SO much you could do with a mechanic like that.

 

[Byamarro]

I would like to suggest special coloring for features that are already in dev builds

 

[Ithirahad]

Special... what? Huh? What d'ya mean? Do you mean to suggest coloring for slabs (which is already confirmed so no need) or that there're new hull colors and so you suggest putting that up on the list of planned features? Because I just checked my texture files; no new hull.

 

[godmars]

Special... what? Huh? What d'ya mean? Do you mean to suggest coloring for slabs (which is already confirmed so no need) or that there're new hull colors and so you suggest putting that up on the list of planned features? Because I just checked my texture files; no new hull.

I think he wants the stuff currently implemented in dev build to be highlighted with a color other than blue?