Bay 12 Games Forum

Please login or register.

Login with username, password and session length
Advanced search  

Poll

What should I call the human capital?

Sol
Earth
Terra
Gaia
(something else)

Author Topic: The Stellar Throne - Discussion about Humans  (Read 773 times)

DreamThorn

  • Bay Watcher
  • Seer of Void
    • View Profile
    • My game dev hobby blog (updates almost never)
The Stellar Throne - Discussion about Humans
« on: June 04, 2013, 04:32:46 am »

Work on The Stellar Throne is progressing well.  I finally got the text renderer working right.  Considering that this is the third time I wrote one, I expected it to be easier.  It's still using deprecated OpenGL functions, though, and the same code is used for rendering all the rest of the graphics, so I have to finish this first.

Meanwhile, I have been thinking on the results of the starship design poll.  Lots of people, even myself, really like to design the ships with no 'artificial' constraints, so I came up with a bunch of ideas that may solve that.  That the option most people voted for (complete customization, but with unique racial techs) seems the best is mere coincidence.  ;)

No matter which approach I choose, though, the Humans' ships (among other things) will be extra customizable, as they will be the 'blank slate' race.

The star map of the game will have only one planet per star system. (a la MoO1)  I feel that having more than one doesn't make the game more fun and slows down the game-play.  Feel free to tell me why I'm wrong, though.  8)

This limitation means that, in the case of the humans, we need to choose between the Sun and the Earth when naming their capital.  Hence, the poll.

Calling them 'Humans' is also open to discussion, although some alternatives only make sense when certain capital names are chosen, e.g. 'Terrans'.
Logged
This is what happens when we randomly murder people.

You get attacked by a Yandere triangle monster.

Svampapa

  • Bay Watcher
    • View Profile
Re: The Stellar Throne - Discussion about Humans
« Reply #1 on: June 05, 2013, 01:17:53 pm »

I'd argue for system names.

That way you could implement a sort of system colonization rather than planet colonization system.

"Yeah, the main colony is on the terran planet in the habitable zone, but we mine unobtainium in the rings of planet five and cultivate native slimy helmets on the moon of planet two."

After all, if there is tech to travel the void between the stars within reasonable time limits, why wouldn't infrastructure span a whole system rather than a planet?

So, Sun Sol.
Logged

DreamThorn

  • Bay Watcher
  • Seer of Void
    • View Profile
    • My game dev hobby blog (updates almost never)
Re: The Stellar Throne - Discussion about Humans
« Reply #2 on: June 06, 2013, 06:47:51 am »

Sol it is, then.

I'll try to get a basic galaxy map view working this weekend, with "horrible programmer art" for now, since I haven't really settled on a style yet.

Logged
This is what happens when we randomly murder people.

You get attacked by a Yandere triangle monster.

Jopax

  • Bay Watcher
  • Cat on a hat
    • View Profile
Re: The Stellar Throne - Discussion about Humans
« Reply #3 on: June 06, 2013, 02:35:11 pm »

I like Svamp's idea about the systems. That way you can have a lot more options in managing your empire. Instead of building up a single planet and being quite limited in options and space you can exploit an entire system. This could also lead to having lots of special or unique properties as they'd be much easier to find in an entire solar system than on a single planet.

Plus, depending on how you do combat you can have entire system defences planning and whatnot with early warning systems and interceptors and orbital bases covering each other.
Logged
"my batteries are low and it's getting dark"
AS - IG

DreamThorn

  • Bay Watcher
  • Seer of Void
    • View Profile
    • My game dev hobby blog (updates almost never)
Re: The Stellar Throne - Discussion about Humans
« Reply #4 on: June 07, 2013, 02:56:49 am »

Thanks.  I'm getting ideas now; which is the whole point of these discussions, b.t.w.
Logged
This is what happens when we randomly murder people.

You get attacked by a Yandere triangle monster.

10ebbor10

  • Bay Watcher
  • DON'T PANIC
    • View Profile
Re: The Stellar Throne - Discussion about Humans
« Reply #5 on: June 07, 2013, 06:18:20 am »

I like Svamp's idea about the systems. That way you can have a lot more options in managing your empire. Instead of building up a single planet and being quite limited in options and space you can exploit an entire system. This could also lead to having lots of special or unique properties as they'd be much easier to find in an entire solar system than on a single planet.

Plus, depending on how you do combat you can have entire system defences planning and whatnot with early warning systems and interceptors and orbital bases covering each other.
It also allows you to differentiate systems, and gives a sense of scale.
Logged

Soadreqm

  • Bay Watcher
  • I'm okay with this. I'm okay with a lot of things.
    • View Profile
Re: The Stellar Throne - Discussion about Humans
« Reply #6 on: June 07, 2013, 09:31:21 am »

I think you should call it "Helios" after the Greek sun god. All the other stellar objects are named after mythology, no?
Logged

Un67

  • Bay Watcher
  • Zombies good Artificial Intelligence.
    • View Profile
Re: The Stellar Throne - Discussion about Humans
« Reply #7 on: June 09, 2013, 04:37:03 pm »

What if you took a bit more of a religious take on it and went with Eden?
Logged

10ebbor10

  • Bay Watcher
  • DON'T PANIC
    • View Profile
Re: The Stellar Throne - Discussion about Humans
« Reply #8 on: June 10, 2013, 06:43:22 am »

Or you could give the player the option to name the system himself, and just prepare a list of pregenned names.

Allows you to add a number of clever references and shout outs, live ZZ9 Plural Z Alpha
Logged

DreamThorn

  • Bay Watcher
  • Seer of Void
    • View Profile
    • My game dev hobby blog (updates almost never)
Re: The Stellar Throne - Discussion about Humans
« Reply #9 on: June 10, 2013, 07:06:40 am »

When the player plays humans, he/she can name it his/herself, of course.  I was mostly wondering about the default value.
Logged
This is what happens when we randomly murder people.

You get attacked by a Yandere triangle monster.

10ebbor10

  • Bay Watcher
  • DON'T PANIC
    • View Profile
Re: The Stellar Throne - Discussion about Humans
« Reply #10 on: June 10, 2013, 07:14:17 am »

I think Sol would be best there. Short and simple.
Logged