I just replayed one of the levels, and noticed (or re-noticed) some bugs/defects/less than optimal features.
- If you want to grab an artifact, you have to dig order the terrain to be dug up, then order the artifact to be collected. I feel that a modified click of some kind should order both to occur. Also, in the case of artifacts imbedded in durable (10+) terrain, I feel that the lack of display of cost left for digging is a flaw, as it makes timing more difficult.- In CW1, you could build queued setups, that would not stall if designed right, (as the network grows with each collector or relay built, allows next thing(s) to be built) In CW2 however, this doesnt really work, as you operate in anywhere that the phantom energy field covers.(relay) This means you must manually build each reactor and the correct number of them, on the fly, in the beginning. If there was a modified click that would reduce the priority of the structure (the second one placed like this would have lower priority that the first, and so on), so that it would receive packets only if all normal priority structures have the power stored(or being generated fast enough that it will be stored when requested) or already sent. This would allow the more advanced setups to occur without stalling, as they would wait for their request to be able to be filled without destroying the economy. This can technically be done manually, though If I had designed the newer systems the characters of CW2 use, I would have learned that worlds are easily lost with a distribution system that doesn't prevent (or reduces) human error. After all, there are aircraft today that have AI that prevent the pilot from turning so sharply that the wings tear off, so I would hope that people of the 137th century would have advanced that even more.
I'm sure there was more here, but I seem to have lost it while figuring out how to type the first 2 points out.Quote from: Ebon_Heart on May 21, 2011, 06:04:59 AM
this is all stuff I like about cw2 believe it or not, you can't plan ahead... and planning ahead doesn't work well anyways, even with simple matters like moving blasters in to place. You have to constantly focus on what to build next, what to move where, and even when to run like hell.
- The other point I remembered with this, where if you try to tell a blaster to land at it's current location, it doesn't work, and ignores the order. I made a separate topic in bug reports for that however, as that is what the sticky said to do.- Anouther idea, for blaster handling, is 2 toggle options, that set it to attack creeper or drones, or both, or neither.edit: fixed title spelling, spell-checker detect should work on title too, though somewhat off-topic, and i doubt it is fixable due to forum setup.
edit2: added new Idea
edit3: Commented out things that were already fixed.
convenience*
I think we mentioned back in the beta that terrain values do not show if there is an object embedded in the terrain (other than creeper).
The build issue is certainly problematic - yours is the first suggestion I've seen that even remotely addresses it.
And thanks to our resident spelling Naxi[sic]. :)
In CW1, if you selected one of a system (i.e., SAMs), the whole network showed up. so you could see the coverage. It would be helpful if, for example, the phantom Coil network was similarly organized. If it is, and I just haven't figured it out yet, I apologize.
Note: Way to go, Virgil, et al. This game is the creeper's pajamas! And major "Yay!" for Control-C. Saved me hours already.
Thanks for a quantum leap over an already quantum... well, you get it.
Quote from: ctuna on May 20, 2011, 11:48:30 PM
In CW1, if you selected one of a system (i.e., SAMs), the whole network showed up. so you could see the coverage. It would be helpful if, for example, the phantom Coil network was similarly organized.
I've been barking up that tree since Phantom Coils were introduced into the beta...
this is all stuff I like about cw2 believe it or not, you can't plan ahead... and planning ahead doesn't work well anyways, even with simple matters like moving blasters in to place. You have to constantly focus on what to build next, what to move where, and even when to run like hell.
My big convenience suggestion is adjustable target priority, so you could, for example, set blasters to focus on creeper first, then drones. So they don't see a drone then all turn on it, overkill it, then get flooded by creeper.
Quote from: Blaze on May 21, 2011, 12:57:45 AM
Quote from: ctuna on May 20, 2011, 11:48:30 PM
In CW1, if you selected one of a system (i.e., SAMs), the whole network showed up. so you could see the coverage. It would be helpful if, for example, the phantom Coil network was similarly organized.
I've been barking up that tree since Phantom Coils were introduced into the beta...
I would have to say, quite literally (bonus 2)
Quote from: ctuna on May 20, 2011, 11:48:30 PM
In CW1, if you selected one of a system (i.e., SAMs), the whole network showed up. so you could see the coverage. It would be helpful if, for example, the phantom Coil network was similarly organized.
Yeah, I'd like that too (and Blaze has indeed been suggesting this for a long time).
Quote from: Ebon_Heart on May 21, 2011, 06:11:48 AM
My big convenience suggestion is adjustable target priority, so you could, for example, set blasters to focus on creeper first, then drones.
That would indeed be great; I suggested something similar in beta. I would however like to not set their priority (they already have, with drones at #1), but prefer being able to let them fire at drones (or Creeper)
only.
I often need my blasters to take care of the drones, while the Creeper isn't causing a major threat (yet). The ammo spent on the Creeper is just wasted, so I end up dis-/arming my blasters every few frames.
QuoteThat would indeed be great; I suggested something similar in beta. I would however like to not set their priority (they already have, with drones at #1), but prefer being able to let them fire at drones (or Creeper) only.
I often need my blasters to take care of the drones, while the Creeper isn't causing a major threat (yet). The ammo spent on the Creeper is just wasted, so I end up dis-/arming my blasters every few frames.
It'd be so much more convienient if you could set what they'd prefer to fire at, say have the first 2 or 3 blasters set to fire at drones first, then creeper, and have all the other blasters set to fire at creeper. Also, you could set some launchers to fire at the deepest pit, others closest, others farthest, or maybe just pick their target spot, so that you don't have 20+ launchers all firing at the same non existent subcell of creeper.
Quote from: Ebon_Heart on May 21, 2011, 09:31:47 PM
It'd be so much more convienient if you could set what they'd prefer to fire at, say have the first 2 or 3 blasters set to fire at drones first, then creeper, and have all the other blasters set to fire at creeper.
This wouldn't change a thing. A blaster shot is hardly ever wasted, unless 2 blasters fire at a drone in exactly the same frame while just 1 is needed to kill it, which rarely happens. When it does, just spread your blasters a little more.
Quote from: Ebon_Heart on May 21, 2011, 09:31:47 PM
Also, you could set some launchers to fire at the deepest pit, others closest, others farthest, or maybe just pick their target spot, so that you don't have 20+ launchers all firing at the same non existent subcell of creeper.
It's the main characteristic of the launcher that it fires at the deepest Creeper, just like a blaster fires at the closest. That simple principle is one of the elegant parts of the game. Again, spread them out more so they target different area's. (And please note that it doesn't matter when they hit the same subcell when the Creeper is very dense, because in that case all damage is done anyway.)
I agree with you on the second one... but it sucks when you have blasters just keeping creeper inside of a repulsors range, and a drone comes, and they all fire on it, letting creeper leak through long enough to destroy your reactor farms.
I don't see your point. Would you prefer the drone to get through and kill the repulsor or a blaster? Once more: a blaster will only fire at a drone when necessary; after that it will target the Creeper again and not a single shot gets wasted. Place your blasters differently when they shouldn't target drones (but I'm sure you'll find that to be a mistake). If you're still not convinced please post a screenshot of a situation in which drones should not be targeted.
when you have 30+ blasters with full range upgrades that all stop holding back the creeper to shoot at a drone with 4 health, it gets irritating.
I don't see the problem with drones and blasters.
I've never had a problem like that, but I always have 10+ blasters so nothing could get through even if I wanted it to.
Just have two blasters behind the front-most blaster, that way, at least one blaster will fire at the creeper. That saying it's a normal drone...
See the two screen shots, might be overdone, but thats how I handle this "problem".
The only time I have a problem with my blasters targetting drones is when I'm trying to nullify an emitter, and too many blasters shoot at once as opposed to a smaller number of them targetting it over a longer amount of time - which lets the creeper spread just far enough to destroy the nullifier. The only other situation I could see being possible is if you wanted to make sure drones died to friendly creeper instead of blaster fire - which usually has a pretty small impact on energy use, but admittedly it can happen.
You can solve this by building your blasters out of sync. Blasters (without upgrades) will fire every 10 frames (3 times a second) and this frame is determined by the moment you build them. So if you pause the game, build 4 blasters and unpause, they will all fire in the same frame. Build them a few frames apart and they will be out of sync.
In some cases you like them to be in sync however. When 4 blasters fire at the same drone at once, it immediately dies, while it will heal a little in between shots when your blasters are out of sync, thus requiring an additional 5th shot.
I'd like to see the save feature show the elapsed game time, instead of (or as well as) the time the game was saved. When I'm saving various stages in a game to try different strategies, I sometimes have to load several saved versions to get the one where I want to diverge from previous paths. I'm too old to remember where I was and too lazy to take notes.
Quote from: ctuna on May 22, 2011, 07:51:51 PM
I'd like to see the save feature show the elapsed game time, instead of (or as well as) the time the game was saved. When I'm saving various stages in a game to try different strategies, I sometimes have to load several saved versions to get the one where I want to diverge from previous paths. I'm too old to remember where I was and too lazy to take notes.
This is a good idea....
What about being able to put a line of text in with a saved file.
Even better, unless it causes reasonable saving constraints.
Maybe there is a way to save a sequence with notes as to what was expected along the path, with reminders about what to expect or to do when. They could be added to pop up at selected times as selected by the writer, or as a timetable that could be hidden and re-acquired as requested by the player. Coule be hidden or not on request.
Again, this is something that any player could do as off-computer writtten notes, but as sophisticated as this game is, it could be coded as personal notes to fellow creeper-killers or personal reminders of observations and tactics.
Quote from: Ebon_Heart on May 21, 2011, 11:58:09 PM
when you have 30+ blasters with full range upgrades that all stop holding back the creeper to shoot at a drone with 4 health, it gets irritating.
I don't really have problems with it, but how about an option to wait one frame longer by clicking a button?
My one remaining suggestion in this thread still has not really been addressed, so I think bumping may be OK.