27 replies to this topic

[theselfescaping]

I wondered when in particular Sins of the Prophets fits within the Human-Covenant War. The time of Halo 3 seems to match SotP best, in terms of gameplay; there would be no 200 Super MAC guns, which would in-game make Earth almost invulnerable, and no UNSC Home Fleet that would actually overpower the Covenant invasion fleet in-game.

 

 

As I compiled space cutscenes from each Halo game, I noticed the Unidentified civilian transport craft from Halo: Reach. I remembered the Battlestar Galactica re-imagined miniseries and the subsequent first episode, watching Galactica fight to protect the escaping civilian ships. I also remembered playing the free game Diaspora: Shattered Armistice, and feeling the intense purpose in fighting to buy time for a civilian ship to rendevous with Galactica.

 

Finally, I recalled playing the Enhanced 4x Mod for SoaSE and thinking, "The only thing this mod is missing is more civilian ships." I realized that I felt more civilian ships would complete the SotP experience as well.

 

I know that technically, for the UNSC in SotP, civilian ships exist in the form of the envoy cruiser, the colony ship, and the trade and refinery ships. However, I feel that including the Unidentified civilian transport craft from Reach would add to the SotP experience, with the presence of large civilian spaceships for players to defend.

 

 

I don't know anything about SoaSE design, except that its hard-coding is moderately restrictive. I thought of 3 ways that the civilian ship from Reach could be included in SotP:

 

1. Replace the ONI Sloop with the Civilian Transport Ship. The ONI Sloop is used to only scout planets and occasionally reveal and destroy mines, as its small pulse laser is "utterly useless." The Civilian Transport Ship can fulfill the same function, even if it reveals mines through being destroyed by them.

 

2. Add the Civilian Transport Ship as a capturable NPC ship. Although it may seem superflous, the player arriving at an NPC-controlled planet and recovering an unarmed, helpless civilian ship could be an enjoyable experience.

 

3. Add the Civilian Transport Ship as a capturable Pirate/Flood ship. The idea is that when Pirates (Flood?) attack a player-controlled planet, Civilian Transport Ships will be used. Again, if the player could recover these civilian ships, it could make the whole battle more fun, even if there are no economic benefits to having a civilian transport ship, unlike the trade or refinery ships.

 

I know that these may be far-fetched ideas, but I honestly feel that the inclusion of more civilian ships in SotP will make the experience feel more populated and purposeful. In any case, if you've read all of this, thank you for entertaining the thought, and thank you to the SotP team for a spectacular mod.

[Crisiss]

1. Definite no. The sloop is the sloop.

 

2. Indifferent to this. Doesn't matter much to me.

 

3. I like this idea. Kind of like the phoenix colony but on a smaller scale.

 

Personally, this could be cool as a refinery ship or just a ship that will go throughout your empire doing whatever. Maybe destroying them will worsen diplomatic relations? I'd assume that counts as an act of war/terrorist action. 

 

Also, SotP is meant to span the Human-Covenant War all the way to the Reclaimer trilogy conflicts. There is no set timeline.

[macabrenoob]

I really do like the idea. i think it would be fun. however, i dont like the ways that you suggested. and i cant think of anything either.

[theselfescaping]

1. Definite no. The sloop is the sloop.

 

2. Indifferent to this. Doesn't matter much to me.

 

3. I like this idea. Kind of like the phoenix colony but on a smaller scale.

 

Personally, this could be cool as a refinery ship or just a ship that will go throughout your empire doing whatever. Maybe destroying them will worsen diplomatic relations? I'd assume that counts as an act of war/terrorist action. 

 

Also, SotP is meant to span the Human-Covenant War all the way to the Reclaimer trilogy conflicts. There is no set timeline.

My ex's best friend taught my speech class, but I'm grateful that I learned that starting with an unreasonable suggestion (replacing the Sloop), and subsequently making more reasonable suggestions, can make the most realistic request desirable haha.

 

I wholeheartedly agree. I actually haven't looked at the Refinery Ship in-game, but the idea is just to have this as a ship moving around/between player planets, performing any/no function, besides further motivating the player to defend their planets. I also think their destruction should worsen diplomatic actions/end a cease fire.

 

I understand, I was just thinking to myself one day, "If I were to write a synopsis/story about SotP, when would I place it?"

I really do like the idea. i think it would be fun. however, i dont like the ways that you suggested. and i cant think of anything either.

I couldn't think of any good ways either, hopefully an update or two down the road, there'll be a way to shoe-horn this civilian ship in...

Edited by theselfescaping, 01 November 2014 - 02:48 PM.

[Crisiss]

For right now the UNSC Civilian Transport seen getting shot down near the end of the mission Exodus is both the refinery ship and the trade ship. That could be changed up, I feel.

 

With a cease fire in place nothing could be destroyed so it wouldn't end one.

[theselfescaping]

Good point, I just looked up the SotP Hermes-class freighter and realized that it was the Unidentified civilian cargo ship from Halo Wars.

 

Oh okay, I didn't know that.

[SternuS]

Worsen Diplomatic relations? While destroying its empire, killing millions and mercilessly slaughtering women and children, I'm sure he'll get mad when you'll destroy his civilian transports.

 

Maybe, make them be a particle effect triggering when you abandon a colony, or it gets destroyed.

[m468]

The only thing that this would work as would be a refinery ship. But Im hesitant at that as we have much better ships that would fill that role from lore.

[theselfescaping]

It certainly doesn't have to be the Reach civilian ship to fill that role, I just used it as a tangible example of how a civilian ship could be used in-game as an unarmed ship the player can "rescue" from hostile NPCs/Pirates, and/or as an unarmed ship that the player can defend. I would be very excited for any civilian ship to fulfill both/either of these functions in the mod.

Edited by theselfescaping, 01 November 2014 - 06:41 PM.

[m468]

It certainly doesn't have to be the Reach civilian ship to fill that role, I just used it as a tangible example of how a civilian ship could be used in-game as an unarmed ship the player can "rescue" from hostile NPCs/Pirates, and/or as an unarmed ship that the player can defend. I would be very excited for any civilian ship to fulfill both/either of these functions in the mod.

Won't work in sins

[Crisiss]

It certainly doesn't have to be the Reach civilian ship to fill that role, I just used it as a tangible example of how a civilian ship could be used in-game as an unarmed ship the player can "rescue" from hostile NPCs/Pirates, and/or as an unarmed ship that the player can defend. I would be very excited for any civilian ship to fulfill both/either of these functions in the mod.

As a general rule if it's not already in the game in some way shape or form it is not going to be possible within Sin's engine. The game is unfortunately hardcoded to an incredible degree and if the game was not you would be looking at a much different mod.

[theselfescaping]

Ah, SoaSE hardcoding strikes again. Still, thank you all for entertaining the thought with me. Defending inhabited planets and space stations provide more than enough detail to motivate the player to fight.

[Sev]

Got some ideas for some civie ships.

 

1) Currently there is no way to change the 'culture' status of the planet. As much as people hate it, it does have an effect on trade and mineral extraction rates. Perhaps making them able to increase this on only the planet they are orbiting.

2) Give them some support abilities based around the logistics section, such as increasing the planet's health, structure and ship build rate (I know the Argonev can end up having a faster ship build rate than a normal shipyard. Not sure if it can be put as an ability),

3) Mobile bombs comes to mind.

 

Also, what ever happened to the random rebel raids? I enjoyed those.

Worsen Diplomatic relations? While destroying its empire, killing millions and mercilessly slaughtering women and children, I'm sure he'll get mad when you'll destroy his civilian transports.

I like that idea, though the Advent had a similar ability, but it put bounty onto the attacking player instead.

[Crisiss]

Got some ideas for some civie ships.

1) Currently there is no way to change the 'culture' status of the planet. As much as people hate it, it does have an effect on trade and mineral extraction rates. Perhaps making them able to increase this on only the planet they are orbiting.
2) Give them some support abilities based around the logistics section, such as increasing the planet's health, structure and ship build rate (I know the Argonev can end up having a faster ship build rate than a normal shipyard. Not sure if it can be put as an ability),
3) Mobile bombs comes to mind.

Also, what ever happened to the random rebel raids? I enjoyed those.

I like that idea, though the Advent had a similar ability, but it put bounty onto the attacking player instead.

1. Very good point. This could be a good use for them.
2. Meh. That's what diplomacy vessels are for but you could do creative stuff with that I guess.
3. Indeed... but that's asymmetrical warfare and I doubt the devs would do it.

Rebel raids can't happen without culture issues. Culture issues can't happen without culture. Culture can't happen without cultural stations.

Maybe we should try to make SotP a true 4x. Make it less focus on the Xterminate and more on the Xploit part.

[Zero]

You could keep the Halo Wars ship as the refinery transport and this one as the trade ship? I mean it does have cargo crates on the belly...

[m468]

I would prefer to use something like the CAA Heavy Burden for something like that.

 

http://www.halopedia...AA_Heavy_Burden

[Mrripley9]

What about the trade ship? We could replace the  current trade ship with the one the OP mentioned? I like that idea. 

[Crisiss]

What about the trade ship? We could replace the  current trade ship with the one the OP mentioned? I like that idea.

Look at the two posts above you.

[Demosthenes]

I like Sternus' idea of a planet abandonment particle that shows civilian evacuation ships.

[theselfescaping]

I like it as well, it makes the planets seem more inhabited or interactive.