If AI War were 3D

[Legendsmith]

Maybe it would look something like this? (Except better).

This is a 3D model of a bomber I decided to start because I was bored and needed something to do in the commercial breaks while watching LOTR: Return of the King.
It's far from finished and is very, very untextured, but I figured I'd post it here anyway.

The background and explosion were both composited in photoshop.

[Mánagarmr]

Keep working on that and it just might turn out really cool! I like the motion blur.

[Cyborg]

There technically is a third dimension in this game. The camera is just not allowed to rotate into it because everything would look like a line.

[BobTheJanitor]

If AI War were 3D... we'd all still spend the whole game zoomed way out looking at the icons or the galaxy map anyway.

[Nalgas]

If AI War were 3D... we'd all still spend the whole game zoomed way out looking at the icons or the galaxy map anyway.

Bob speaks the truth.  During our last multiplayer session, we were joking that the reason the camera zooms all the way in on your home planet whenever you start/load/join a game is that that's the only time anyone ever sees the non-icon rendered graphics, because they want people to at least occasionally see the hard work they put into them.  Heh.

[Lancefighter]

see: sins of a solar empire

Really though, a 3d version of aiwars would be nothing but a thinly veiled 2d game with a 3d graphics engine. Almost exactly like sins :p 

Actually managing ships in 3d would require a fair deal of effort; most 3d games gloss over this fact (see: homeworld. the third dimension is mostly unused, with flat maps and generally flat strategies, except for tactical engagements utilizing the third dimension) excepting those that go into complete extremes for it; (see: nexus, where up and down dont exist..)

What I'm saying is; a third dimension wouldnt actually change most of the game.

[superking]

more importantly, if AI was were 3D it wouldn't run on my laptop 

[Echo35]

Actually managing ships in 3d would require a fair deal of effort; most 3d games gloss over this fact (see: homeworld. the third dimension is mostly unused, with flat maps and generally flat strategies, except for tactical engagements utilizing the third dimension) excepting those that go into complete extremes for it; (see: nexus, where up and down dont exist..)

What I'm saying is; a third dimension wouldnt actually change most of the game.

I was a big fan of Nexus. Kinda mad they never made the sequel. Tactical ship to ship combat games like that don't exist much. They're either grand strategy like AI War or RTS'y like Homeworld. Which, btw, I was happy most of that game is fairly 2D because the controls and UI are god awful.

[Lancefighter]

Yeah, pretty much.

Nexus was an awesome game with stunning visuals and excellent gameplay.. It provided a goal, and limited resources to accomplish it with, and punished you for trying to do it wrong.

Nowadays, it seems, we only get part of that; The stunning visuals, and goal. Think about it; when was the last time you actually faced a situation in a game where you were forced to reload a save game and come at it with a completely different mindset and/or equipment setup?

More games need to utilize the concepts of limited resources, and punishing suboptimal ideas, in my opinion. While aiwar kinda does this, the only really limited resource is knowledge (and aip, to a point). Its never really a tactical battle of limited resources.. and I seriously miss that.

Staying completely on topic; Are there any games that really do utilize these ideals that I'm just not seeing? >_>

[eRe4s3r]

You should play Shogun 2 with Mods, either

http://www.twcenter.net/forums/forumdisplay.php?f=1752 (TROM3)
http://www.twcenter.net/forums/forumdisplay.php?f=1758 (Radious mod)
http://www.twcenter.net/forums/forumdisplay.php?f=1746 (DARTH MOD)

If you want a tactical challenge that punishes you for stupid decisions.

Example, the pirates in this game will target your main trade lane, which often in war means a drop from 3000+ to 0 income, if you didn't invest in a fleet properly you will regret it when the pirates do come (and they'll come)

If you delay it until then, you need at least 6 to 12 rounds to build a fleet while you are stunned and can't do anything else, for lack of money.

So its not like this doesn't exist in other games, though before Shogun 2 the AI was never clever enough to do anything (and this may even only just be random) but whatever it is, it is challenging.

[Echo35]

You should play Shogun 2 with Mods, either

http://www.twcenter.net/forums/forumdisplay.php?f=1752 (TROM3)
http://www.twcenter.net/forums/forumdisplay.php?f=1758 (Radious mod)
http://www.twcenter.net/forums/forumdisplay.php?f=1746 (DARTH MOD)

If you want a tactical challenge that punishes you for stupid decisions.

Example, the pirates in this game will target your main trade lane, which often in war means a drop from 3000+ to 0 income, if you didn't invest in a fleet properly you will regret it when the pirates do come (and they'll come)

If you delay it until then, you need at least 6 to 12 rounds to build a fleet while you are stunned and can't do anything else, for lack of money.

So its not like this doesn't exist in other games, though before Shogun 2 the AI was never clever enough to do anything (and this may even only just be random) but whatever it is, it is challenging.

I do love me my Shogun 2. How about that new campaign + new clans + etc. expansion/DLC they're coming out with?