I had some ideas in the past of how to improve HW2 like:
Spoiler
Something I would like Homeworld 2 to have is multiple behaviors for the ships.
I know that in Homeworld 1 we had the aggressiveness level that can change two things in a ship (Attack style, and movement style ) then in Homeworld 2 we have "Tactics" that also changed the formations in squadrons, in both games changes the behavior but you could have more control in both games, even in homeworld 2 they took out the all the list of formations that was very useful, I understand that it was just to simplify the game, but here is my idea:
Tactics, Formations, Movement, Attack Style.
This are the most important things in a ship behavior, then an example how this must work with an Assault Frigate:
Tacticss: The most important one, this one changes the level of Aggression
Evasive : in this one the sihp will not attack even if is attacked.
Defensive : the ship will attack if attacked.
Aggressive : the Ship will attack at weapons range.
Formations :
Evasive :break formation.
Defensive :board formation, a two level board formation could be better.
Aggressive :Wall formation.
Movement :
Evasive :the ships will keep max distance from the enemy (Evasive Tactics: primary sensors distance, Defensive Tactics: max weapons distance, Aggressive Tactics: minimum weapons distance).
Defensive :the ships will stay in place.
Aggressive :the ship will follow the enemy.
Attack Style :
Evasive :Just shoot. (almost the same as the standard for the AF in Homeworld 2)
Defensive :Frontal.
Aggressive :Fly Round. (the one that the Hiigarian Corvettes use)
So also could be easy to use in keyboard
Tactics: F2~4, this one will make all the others at their corresponding default.
Formation: Alt+F2~4.
Movement: Shift+F2~4
Attack Style: Ctrl+F2~4
All this definitions should change depending on the ship.
But a lot of them were almost impossible for me to make, so i got to work and did the ones that were possible for me in the HW2 engine:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Dtxy4PrZ4HA&hd=1
I made a lot of tweaks to weapons, ship speeds, maneuvers, Ai, more races, but that mod was only personal and was never released because of content permisions.
One of the things that I liked the most was the standard speeds between races (.ex Hiigarans 300 m/s, Vaygr 280 m/s), but always keeping the a normal acceleration ratio, In HW1 ships were faster and that was one of the first things I did't like of HW2.
I love HW1 and HW2 but now when I remember that my mod is not the original HW2 always get a little depressed.
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