Don't Touch Warp!

Sounds good if they can do it, and it looks like they will be able to. I can see a new type of warp in play for longer distances within the solar system. If they can, then my second part of my proposal is null and void. Just hope the DEVs don’t touch the present warp with too many effects. Probably will need a name change as warp drive is usually associated with tunnel like effects. I suppose they could go with a higher tier ‘warp’ for longer distance and call it Jump Drive Warp or whatever. But either way, it’s kind of a you call it ‘Tomato’ I call it ‘Tomato’ kind of thing which in the end isn’t all that much of an issue - it certainly won’t drive gamers away.

To be honest, I really don’t care if there is a loading screen between systems because it is just dead space anyway, especially when existing systems are so large. But sure, no loading screens in any given system and the option to coast un-powered in between destinations - but in system. Being so large I can’t see how or why anyone would coast from system to system/star to star.

I like the current concept, but I think there are things that need to change. For instance, I don’t think you should be able to leave warp faster than you entered (speaking in absolute speed, relative to the star). I also think using it to decelerate by any significant amount should cause damage, with the damage increasing by amount of speed lost.

I also think it currently accelerates too quickly, but that will depend on the final system design. Smaller solar system means slower acceleration is needed.

Ok. First off thinking about it, I really like most of the aspects of the current “warp” system, and it’s due to gameplay implications I think it needs to be changed a little.
It’s great that it doesn’t remove you from the world. That’s also the main reason “warp” isn’t a fitting name. It uses the same Newtonian physics as normally flying arround in the prototype, this underlines that it really is the same space and physics.

I think the philosophy of using it should change from Activate/Deactivate to Single Burst Burns. Everything else is actually pretty good.
What the “warp” drive actually does is switch you to flight assist mode, take controll of lateral trust away from you and increase max acceleration of all engines to insane numbers, yes all, not just the front and back ones and that’s ok if the interface, the phylosophy changes.

My proposial is to make it simmilar to the boost button. You have to hold it for “warp” to engage and stay active. If you release it the ship returns to normal operation. Also limit it’s use. Maybe allow to enter it in both Flight Assist on and off modes. In On mode it would act like it does now. In off mode you can directly controll the “super acceleration” with your joystick axis or front back buttons.

This could have the drawback that, for balancing reason and enjoyment, the max “in warp” time could be more then twenty seconds. In that case I would stick with a toggle button to not anoy the player but still have it auto switch off after the max time/energy/fuel runs out.

This would encourage people to use it as it actually functions, more of an extension of the newtonian flight system then some totally different system.

Warp needs to be more separate from regular flight. I mean added effects, increased starting speed, and of course what was already mentioned: don’t keep the warp speed when exiting warp.

I’m not much in favor of a jump mechanic (especially not with loading screens). Just provide a warp autopilot (with target destination) and different warp levels (warp 1, warp 2, warp 3).

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I think current “warp” should be renamed to something like “Super Boost” or “Reactor Injection” (anything really) and have interplanetary travel be “warp” where it really removes most controll from the player. Or screw it it could also be called “jump”. I just really would like the ship to not jump but move really fast trough the system.

See this for the system I support for interplanetary flight:

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Yeah, loading screens probably won’t be necessary given Battlescape runs on a procedural engine. Guess as long as there aren’t too many planets visually populating an area we are all good. Just want to keep the present warp visually uncluttered.

I just now watched your video and, wow! I really like it. The outro mixed very well with the end of the song. You should add in the title of the game and put it in the gaming category.

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And post it in reddit and all.

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fair point.

I just noticed that if you use the autopilot to exit warp you can rapidly come to a standstill without having to use the mouse wheel to decelerate warp speed to exit.
Exit speed is still around 2km/s, but using the boost button and autopilot-stop you can come to a complete standstill in a matter of seconds.

Here is a video demonstrating exiting warp with autopilot-stop:

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Thanks Ovrki1. Was worried they might take it down with too much description because of the music - they might think I am trying to market something so I didn’t want to push my luck. Anyway, it did take awhile to do and get the music right because the footage was uncut to emphasis no loading screens. :grin:

Yeah, I will do that today. Thanks

EDIT: I just joined Reddit and put it in Battlescape thread. Thanks again Lucas.

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Thanks TARS, I will do that next time. :blush:

Please don’t make any teleporting travel. It breaks the sense of the game world. I hate this in EVE Online where i jump from gate to gate and i’ve no idea where i am in relation to everything else. If there will be a method of fast travel faster than the current sub-light warp speed let us still see around us traveling to the destination similar to EVE’s warp (select destination, ship spools up and off you go, reaching the destination in 20 seconds).

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My understanding now is that instead of teleporting we will have different warp capabilities depending on distances. I just hope the present warp isn’t changed too much and that the longer more distant warp drives do have more tunnel like effects. Either way no loading screen so very cool.

Not sure what you mean by not having an idea you are in relation to everything else, as EVE has a Galaxy and system maps. I will say this though, 20 seconds sounds appealing after spending 10~20 minutes traveling between points in ED.

One change i would make right now is to return your speed to the base warp entry minimum, rather than dropping out at the same speed you are “at warp”. Gameplay wise it feels unintuitive, lots of people manually drop warp only to crash into a planet, and it’s inconsistent with the concept of “warp” (in warp, you arent going faster, the space is shrinking around you, so it doesnt make sense for momentum to apply to a momentum independent technology.)

Interstellar jumps can be done properly so that it doesnt just feel like a shiny loading screen (ED, blegh) by having star positions update around you as you follow the jump line, and maintaining the ability to drop out in deep space if you really want to. Battlescape is just a single system though, it shouldnt need jump drives.

Also you don’t need to triple post, there’s an edit button.

No Madflies were killed in this video

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Keith actually mentions the jump drive, and jump fuel, in… I think it was the BlueDrake video from last weekend. It sounds like jump drives, and jump fuel, are planned for Battlescape. That kinda suggests that the plan is for warp to remain sub-lightspeed. Or, at most, a small multiplier of the speed of light.

I don’t under stand why limit it to lightspeed sense the whole point of a warp drive is to go faster than the speed of light so I think they should make it atleast 2x that speed also I would prefere to open a worm hole over a jump drive that way a whole group could follow so you don’t just jump out of a battle.