Something I notice 2d games lack is the development of a sense of place in the surroundings of the player. In wide, expanding 3d views, the vastness of an unexplored planet teaming with alien life has great potential to be breathtaking, but 2d games have to be taken in bit-by-bit, since the whole world is right out of camera range. In the depths of a planet's crust the intended mystery is cool, but on a wide open surface it's nice to know what's ahead right out of the border of the screen since it is after all in view of the character, a fact that always frustrated me just a little. Not knowing what's in your own view is in my opinion a platformer limitation (think Sonic games). I'd like to propose ideas for a slight fix if it's not already planned for implementation: 1) Unmanned Probes While on the surface of any planet, an item that you can throw out and hover for a limited range around your character, giving you the edge on terrain knowledge. It would have much greater freedom of movement than the player, ensuring its usefulness. It will take over camera controls for as long as is active so you can scout the resources, dangers, etc. of your surroundings up close and personal-like. A few added effects they could have is filling in a minimap, mounted weapons, or higher max range per item level. May be able to be shot down by hostiles. 2) Astral Projection Skill A learned skill, maybe even item, that allows camera control to float freely from place to place and is able to penetrate thin walls or all terrain, maybe even containing it's own light source or view enhancement. Not targetable by hostiles (at least physical ones) and light on the inventory. Rather than be intended as a clipping/wall-hack, it would help provide a player with an idea of the surroundings. I think this would increase immersion as well as provide relief from what is often a frustration. It would also likely be a coveted skill/item with much usefulness. Since a lot of people download mods and 3rd-party programs just to look around an environment that would have to otherwise be explored by jumping, climbing, and otherwise trekking over, it seems almost necessary to plop something like this right into the game as a feature. (oh man I clicked the wrong thread section)
I personally think this as a bit redundant/safemode . If the planet has a high danger level, you'd better be extra careful. Both of the suggestions here take out that risk. I know how some people use programs to see their whole map, but that's usually because they can either: A- Kill anything dangerous in that area B- Already surpassed or attained that level C- Creating something huge, and have too much dignity to simply poof the materials I just find this to take out the risk of exploring normally. It's their choice to use those programs anyways, so it will ruin it for them in the end. ~Jake
Your idea makes sense to me. If someone doesn't want to use it then they aren't forced to, but at the same time it only makes sense that you could use technology to do a little bit of scouting and reconaissance in advance (later tech maybe gives you a map and radar of the area)? There are always ways to make it more dangerous. For instance, making things immune to the tech in some way or camo-ed will make it even more dangerous since people will be reliant on this technology (hopefully) by that point. Hehehe, just imagine pumping into something that'll kill you in two hits and you weren't paying enough attention cause' your radar didn't pick it up. We shouldn't have to dumb down the game to keep a decent challenge level. The more you put into a game to aid a player, the more chances we have to catch him/her off guard and really challenge them.
That would be just plain mean if something was undetectable by radar xD Although if something like multi screen panning was available, I would like to see it only used outside where there is light, as underground it would be just dark
Dangerous planets should be mean . . . and scary. Your tech should be just as much of a strength as it is a weakness, especially when encountering the unexpected and since we're exploring the universe, well, almost everything should be unexpected. I think that some sort of sonar or probe should be available underground as well. Maybe less effective than it would be on the surface, but still effective. Forget scrolling around the screen, map/mini-map that doesn't pause when you access it. There should always be 'surprises' (both good and bad). More tech=less surprises and the more tech, the more surprised we'll be when we can't detect it. Even then, when we do detect something, we should just be able to detect 'the thing,' with little info on what it actually is. We don't know if it'll attack us or if it'll be completely docile. Oh, better yet, make the occasional 'ghost.' Sometimes we detect something that isn't even there. Except for probes. I think probes are an excellent idea. Give them battery life, make'em so anything can one hit kill them, that they'll easily get stuck almost anywhere, and EXTREMELY expensive to make . More tech=better probes, but an even more expensive probe in the end. Of course, this also means that dieing should be costly too. It should cost more to die than it should to make a probe (to justify their use). Most dangers 'should' be avoidable on most planets. It should only be when you first encounter something that it should really be dangerous because you don't know what to expect . . . or when you are being lazy and sloppy. So, maybe most critters aren't actually hostile until you're right next to it, they're in heat, etc. Maybe even make critters have randomized behavior (and attacks) from planet to planet? IE, that goat like critter that you saw two planets ago that was completely docile isn't actually the same creature on this planet: it now attacks on sight, craves human flesh, and spits fireballs. Because it has enough of the same traits you're tech tells you it is a docile 2-planets-ago-critter . . . which you will quickly rectify later after you put out the flames. There should be some standardization, but this way players can be caught off guard when they visit some place new. You kind of have an idea of what to expect, but that doesn't mean anything at all. That would really make the universe fun.
I'd love to see a "UNKNOWN ENTITY" tag when you're scanning/projecting etc and it just has a red target or whatnot over it.
Including these limitations would certainly make it less of a "god item," which should always be avoided. And oh man, the idea of phantom radar blips and interference would be perfect. I like that even better than undetectable creatures. Imagining a person standing between some trees going "What is this blip!? There's nothing here!" is a comical sort of frustration. A range limitation is also ideal, so the probe's most useful trait his helping you plot the next jump, or see just over the next hill so you don't get stuck in something you can't quite see yet. I would actually recommend keeping probe repair somewhat cheap, with a range for probe tier, but making it a nuisance to lose it. If it breaks in the field, to fix it you have to go aaaaalll the way back into space, to your station's crafting area or charge station, and slap it back together or maybe even wait for a certain repair period. Wouldn't really be worth halting a ground mission just to lug back and fix it; just save it for in-between trips. Enemies would probably respawn if you went back just to fix it. That way it's more of a luxury and worth crafting in the first place, and if it breaks down you just go without for a bit. Having it break easily AND drain the pockets is just cruel. OR! For those with all the money, have both options open: Wait a bit, or pump cash into something that will fix it right away. Everyone likes more options!