10/2 Update: Coming Very Very Soon

[x4000]

Hey folks,

So here's what's up:

1. We're working on our budget.
2. We're working on finalizing the design document (obviously affects the former).
3. We're working on the video and the copy and so forth for the Kickstarter page itself.
4. All the various tech prototyping and so forth is done to our satisfaction, so we're ready to rock on that front.

Schedule-wise:

1. I expect to lock down the "for 1.0" design document by the end of Tuesday at the latest, but ideally by the end of tomorrow.
2. We're planning on actually launching the KS itself sometime in this coming week.  Still figuring out the ideal day, etc.

What I could use from folks here:

1. Understanding on the fact that for reasons of scope, the lock-downs on the "for 1.0" design document may involve less discussion than we've had prior to now.
2. That said, understanding that post-1.0 (stretch goals, DLC, or otherwise) the world is still our oyster.
3. And THAT said, understanding that even pre-1.0 certain parts of the design document are pretty fluid (those are marked as such), because they are xml-data-driven.  So if you don't like xyz ship or whatever, there's not a reason to freak out; there will be plenty of time for us all to discuss during or after the KS, and for people to mod and present alternatives during alpha and EA.

4. Any help that can be given on feedback of our KS presentation as we start showing you the pitch and early versions of all that stuff would be very much appreciated.
5. Any holes in the design document in the sense of "what about X feature that was in Classic?" that have not been addressed, please bring those up to me!

[Vyndicu]

Looking forward to see the kickstarter page.

[PokerChen]

Just a couple of notes:

1. Remember to update the ship triangles revisions from the latest thread.

2. Will you need to finalise decisions w.r.t. asteroid belts as gameplay areas? For example, decide that a particular large rock/dwarf-planet in an asteroid field counts as a valid planet to warp to.

3. Dynamic wormhole connections, classically exerted via nomad planets. Will there be the tech to support this in principle, so that, even if you guys don't add it into 1.0, a community modder can produce a "wormhole stabiliser" for the AI to use and project.

[kasnavada]

How does the AI invade again was not in the document last time I checked.

Looking forward to other videos =).

[x4000]

Cheers folks!

1. Remember to update the ship triangles revisions from the latest thread.

I think I did?  The ship definitions themselves don't have that yet, but I just haven't moved over that stuff yet.  But outside of the ship definitions themselves, did I miss anything?

2. Will you need to finalise decisions w.r.t. asteroid belts as gameplay areas? For example, decide that a particular large rock/dwarf-planet in an asteroid field counts as a valid planet to warp to.

I've just now clarified that under the things we won't do for 1.0, but that are in the limbo section of the document for possible post-1.0, expansion, dlc, stretch goal, etc, lists:

Asteroid Belts and/or Dwarf Planets as Playable Areas
These are something that could be very interesting to explore sometime in the future, but much more design work would need to be done with them, and our baseline budget doesn’t allow for that.  The general design of this game (compared to Classic) is a lot more conducive to doing this sort of thing, though, which is good.

3. Dynamic wormhole connections, classically exerted via nomad planets. Will there be the tech to support this in principle, so that, even if you guys don't add it into 1.0, a community modder can produce a "wormhole stabiliser" for the AI to use and project.

Also now clarified that one on the list:

Dynamic Wormhole Connections (Nomad Planets)
These were popular and interesting, and at one point we were considering doing something along these lines in this game via having planets actually orbiting on the galaxy map.  That said, it quickly became clear how research-intensive and prototype-intensive this process would be.

It’s not something that would fit for 1.0 here, but something in this general area (shifting galaxy map topography) interests us greatly.  This isn’t something that modders could add in, but the underlying game design makes it so that we’ll be able to add it in without having to completely redo some part of the code or whatever (well… depending on how extreme this model eventually became).

How does the AI invade again was not in the document last time I checked.

Yep, I need to get that on there today.  There are some things addressing the AI, but in the main there are not a lot of things that are that different from Classic in terms of the basic AI functions.  If you have any specific questions you want an answer to (just give me some indication slightly more specific at least), I'd be happy to address them.

Thanks!

[Cinth]

I think I did?  The ship definitions themselves don't have that yet, but I just haven't moved over that stuff yet.  But outside of the ship definitions themselves, did I miss anything?

Section 7 is updated with the newest triangle.  Section 8 isn't (actual ship designs). 

[x4000]

Excellent, thanks.

Apologies for being absent for the last couple of hours.  I've been making videos relating the to interface for Blue, so that she can do her mockups of that pronto.  I'm just bouncing around like crazy at the moment.

[Cinth]

Excellent, thanks.

Apologies for being absent for the last couple of hours.  I've been making videos relating the to interface for Blue, so that she can do her mockups of that pronto.  I'm just bouncing around like crazy at the moment.

I bet you didn't call her Craig, say you'll try to be brief, and made the video much longer than intended

[x4000]

You got one part of that right, but I'll let you guess which part that was.

[Cinth]

You got one part of that right, but I'll let you guess which part that was.

I bet you didn't call her Craig

You know, I fell out of the chair writing that.  Our history with videos and all 

[PokerChen]

I think I did?  The ship definitions themselves don't have that yet, but I just haven't moved over that stuff yet.  But outside of the ship definitions themselves, did I miss anything?

Hmm, no, it's good. A complete ship list can wait until post-KS launch?

[Cinth]

Hmm, no, it's good. A complete ship list can wait until post-KS launch?

Outside of last minute tweaks, the list is pretty much ready to be posted.  Even then, it's still subject to change

[Misery]

Good grief, that design document sure got a hell of a lot longer than it was when I last checked it.

I'll be honest, I'm glad we didn't have something that huge for Starward.  I would have gotten lost in it.

Are these sorts of things traditionally this long?  I've never worked with one, I've always just jammed things in whenever it seemed like a good idea.



Granted I'm still going to read through much of this since it's interesting. 

And it's exciting to see it near that lockdown point finally.  The KS should be even more interesting.

[eRe4s3r]

I have only few very importation bits related to the KS to add

You wanna launch your KS next week? But do you actually have the KS front video recorded, cut and polished yet? Don't skimp on that, that 1 video, the first minute, is what makes or breaks a KS. If you show the video to an AI War 1 fan and he doesn't say "woah, gimme!" after 30 seconds, then remake the video until he does And even a non- AI War fan should be interested in it after 1 minute.

Making these KS videos seems to me the absolute most important thing. And of course, updates on the KS page need to be daily, and staff needs to be there answering comments. So be sure not to put the time-range into something where staff isn't around 24/7

And a paypal pledge option should be there * potentially after funding is reached, but it has to be there ;P

[Cinth]

Chris has been working on the video