Fissure

I was just wondering what the consensus was on having more than one type of resource. Yes, in Cata we have crystals, but they really aren't different as it's still RU's.

I was thinking that we should keep the crystals, but use them as a power source instead of using them for building materials. The fleet command guy does say that they are radiating massive amounts of energy.

Any flames, comments, flames, questions or flames?

John Sheridan

No. Resourcing does not need to be more complex. Resourcing is boring. Better to focus on the combat. Multiple resources is better for turn-based strategy games.

Savage

i agree with john.

i see it as sort of the star trek particle thingy where it breaks things down into atoms and organizes them into the type of matter they need to be. im not an avid star trek watcher...can someone post some more details on that thing?

Fissure

Survey says: *buzzer*

I didn't think it was an awesome idea, but it seems like most other RTS games have more than one (AOE has 4!) so I figured I'd throw it out there.

APOLLO(SLS)

The device you are referring to, Savage, is called a "replicator". The replicator is the ultimate achievement in recycling in the Star Trek universe. Nearly any form of matter can be reproduced in any shape desired, basically using the ship's garbage as the main matter resevoir.

The replicator uses their transporter technology to impose a desired matter matrix upon matter drawn from the resevoir, thus it has the ability to create anything provided the resevoir has enough of each given type of atom necessary present to create the requested item. Given the fact that the ship houses over 1000 standard personel, plus any number of scientific observers, dignitaries, etc, there is probably a LOT of refuse for them to draw upon.

Foodstuffs are recycled from *gasp* the organic waste products produced by the ship's occupants. Don't know how fond I would be of eating replicated food.

Maverick_3058

Considering the air you breathe is organic waste products from other occupants on this planet, it couldn't be that bad, particularly since it's been broken down into component atoms and rearranged in-between.

Treknobabble aside, I think that staying with the basic RU's is fine, rather than making up some bullshit resources that your ships somehow need. Total Annihilation had it good with simple matter and energy.

Changeling

I find it hard to agree with you. I find that multiple resource types add to the creativity and complexity of the gameplay.

Fissure

While I am not a huge supporter of multiple types, there is no way you could call them "bullshit resources." Like I said, the crystals emit enormous amounts of energy and it seems to me like the Somtaaw simply didn't know how to harness that energy but were only able to harvest the compressed RU's. Of course, since the crystals can be used for RU's and the crystals are made from compressed asteroids (I think I got that from the Kristalzupacken map description) they might be able to be converted into each other.

iwanthw2

I think multiple types of resources would be cool, like steel, electronics, energy, anti-matter, etc. Certain ships could have the ability to produce certain resources, like electronics or anti-matter. I like resourcing that is a little more chaotic than just telling one type of ship to gather one type of resource one time in the game.

kiith mirgath

Wouldn't energy be counted as RUs if there were no other resources in the game.(Except SUs forcrews etc)

Savage

ahhh, thx Apollo...i still stand by that idea....id rather concentrate on combat.

kiith mirgath

But if there were limited amounts of resources needed to build certain ships, like if you needed some rare metal to build the hull of capital ships wouldn't it encourage combat overthose areas where there those resources were located.

Baamir Niirfa

Actually normally I would agree with you. You see the resourcer breaks it down into the individual atoms. So you see you could build proccessors in your carriers, resource controllers, and mothership to proccess your RUs into carbon (for food), whatever kind of metal they use to build starships in HW, and crystal formations which would give you research abilities. But really, John is right. Its too complex. Plus the mothership. resource controller, and carriers already have those systems. If they didn't you wouldn't be able to build the resourcers in the beginning. PLUS no more support modules. No more. They didn't even look like personal quarters. They were just stupid. If you don't have the sense to have as much space for your crew as you should in the start then why bother building more for you. This is an error also common in AOK, StarCraft and other games. Babies weren't suddenly born and turned into soldiers.

Savage

heh...i dont think you need any more encouragement to attack a player in a RTS. besides we fight over regular resources just as fiercely.