Newsgroups: comp.sys.mac.games
Path: utzoo!utgpu!news-server.csri.toronto.edu!rpi!wildfire
From: wildfire@aix01.aix.rpi.edu (Douglas B Rusch)
Subject: Re: Looking for Comments/Suggestions for Spaceward Ho! Version 2.0
Message-ID: <zsnh4gg@rpi.edu>
Summary: New ideas for spaceward ho! 
Keywords: Spaceward 
Sender: Douglas B. Rusch 
Nntp-Posting-Host: aix01srv.aix.rpi.edu
Organization: Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute, Troy NY
References: <1991May30.185345.10261@neon.Stanford.EDU>
Date: 30 May 91 21:04:03 GMT
Lines: 71

1. Multi-Player Games - No suggestions.
2. Messages - Yes, this would be nice. Especially if the computer could send
	some during a multiplayer game, just to keep players on their toes.
3.Battles - Retreating would be nice. Either that or have battles take more
	than one turn to complete. In the first case, maybe having admirals
	for fleets who are responsible for their fleets safety. Better admirals
	make better choices and can be given general missions (such as just
	scout [if there is any enemy strength just retreat] or assult [fight
	to the death]). If the fleet dies, there goes your admiral. As
	admirals fight and win, they get better. In the second case the slow
	battles allow players to bring in reinforcements, retreat, or whatever.

	I think there should be tankers, fleets should not have to return to
	a base to repair (or sit on some God foresaken world for centuries
	waiting for a colony ship to stop by).

	Colony ships should not always be lost first. It should be possible to
	defend colony ships with a loss of some offensive ability. Such defense
	should not be complete (thus making the colony ship the last to die),
	but partial allowing the ship to survive a little longer.

	Repair should not occur in the middle of no where, it can take centuries
	to make a ship, but no matter how badly damaged a ship is, it is 
	always fully repaired at the start of the next turn.

	Maybe bases should be added, a location where ships can be refueled,
	repaired, and built. This would add some objective to fleet movement.
	Now, since ships can be built anywhere the only difference between
	planets is the metal it has and it population (or productivity), things
	that aren't seen till a planet has been captured. It also limits the
	speed with which new fleets can be brought into play.

	The different players should have different colors, not just different
	hats. Its hard to tell them apart, especially at the greater scales.
	Also, maybe it would be possible to name the computer players. This
	would add some personality to them. 

	Finally, more options should be added. Most of what I have just
	described could be optional (especially repair or long battles).
	Maybe metal could be made replenishable as an option. More options
	make each game a totally new situation to play against.

	As for computer strategies, there are several problems I have noted.

	1. The computer often runs out of steam towards the end (or metal?).
	2. The computer stops exploring, and often fails to explore the
		regions near the edge of the map fully.
	3. Since the player knows its against a computer, the computer
		should know its against the player, and take
		actions to deal with the hopefully more dangerous human
		mind.
	4. The computer should not resort to sending out a dozen of its
		best ships to check out a dozen different worlds. Since
		they can't colonize those worlds themselves, they
		should be sending
		cheap ships. The ingenious player often has a higher tech
		than I do, but wastes his metal by sending really good ships
		against ten of my not so great cheap satellites. He dies,
		and I just rebuild the cheap satellites. If he 
		sent these ships together with a colony ship, they might
		very well overwhelm all but the most heavily defended worlds
		without losing the colony ship.

Well, thats enough for now. I have many other ideas, but I'll wait and see
what others say. Anyways this is enough for now.

Hope this helps, and I look forward to the next version, because I like
the game alot right now. But most things can always be made better.

Thank You.
 
