Ape Apps

@Ansom The multiplayer is another reason why I would prefer to get rid of rovers. A majority of the bandwidth would be used transmitting rover coordinates to client machines, since they are the one thing that is constantly visually changing. For the most part, the client wouldn't even need to receive building stat data and info unless they clicked on a building, for example.

I don't know how moving the rover works exactly, but couldn't the server send the list of successive coordinates in one batch after figuring out the path? Or something more compressed like number of tiles to drive, then turn right, etc.

But yeah as you said best solution would probably be to do pathfinding on the client side.

1. Construction rover (transporting resources back and forth storage) is anywhere on the map
2. Player selects a building and places anywhere on the map (somewhere I'll call construction site), hits "start building" button
3. Client calculates the path and rover goes to the nearest storage building of the construction site
4. Once it arrived, client calculates path from storage to construction site
5. And only then, client says to server "yo, please start building sequence of *this rover* from *this storage building* to *this construction site* with *this path*"
6. Server computes commute time (T1) and resource drop times (T2). meanwhile, rover goes from storage with a cargo (simulated) to the construction site
7. After T1, client starts unloading the rover cargo.
8. After T1+T2, server actually drops cargo from the resources and increments building construction by whatever %, and tells client to start a new commute from construction site to storage
9. server counts to 2T1+T2 and then drops resources increments building construction...
10. etc.

Does that make sense? Would it work that way?? Problem is the "meanwhile"... The rover might do small jumps if the client or server is laggy. Could wait for it though before entering step 9.

This time, please make the technologies more centered on realism and make money, government, and all the people stuff less important. I feel that all the si-fi alien stuff and all the crime and dealing with people's happiness was getting in the way of the original experience of building a proper space colony. In the new game, try to keep technology centered on near future technology. Do some research on real technology before you add something. For any races that are si-fi, I recommend you go all out on the cool ideas. You did really good with the 2 other races in my colony 1. I suggest you add those and two more: A flying race of birds (avians) and a swimming race of fish people (amphibians) so that we can have cliff worlds with flying rovers and aquatic rovers in ocean planets. Also, gas giant planets were you float with helium balloons. When I say the people part was getting cluttered, I mean that I don't like the new crime and education mechanics. They are cool ideas for a city building game, but they get in the way of the outer space feel of the game so I suggest you make a gamemode without those mechanics. Keeping them is fine in a separate gamemode. One more thing I feel is very important is star systems. This is so important it should be in the first game if you have time to backport it! This is basically just allowing a player to have many planets (or regions in the first game) of different types and maybe even different races that can send resources to each other. This would allow people to get resources from all the planet types and experience all the planet types, but to send themselves resources to help on the harder difficulties because their already thriving civilizations can help them.

You know @DKMK100 I do like the idea of going back to the "colonizing" roots and feel, and not so much the city management feel as in MC1. I think MC2 will have a slower pace, in some respects, as far as progression goes. And maybe a more realistic feel to it, like what first settling a new world will really be like.

@bastecklein Yes, it would be great to focus once again on the roots of the game. I do think you should keep the cool fantasy races, but for humans you should remove things like alien artefacts. I think creating a way to let people build a launch pad and send a Lander to another planet and colonize an entire star system is an important feature, as that would allow for the collection of planet specific resources.

You guys have great ideas. I am looking forward to MC2 however its look and feel! On a separate note, can you allow for the remove sound option on Colony Wars. It is really annoying. Thanks.

Indeed I think My Colony 1 was a victim of insane power creep / or was just shifting towards a more city-building game instead of a micro-management game.

A slower pace will make it more realistic along the way. Compared ton MC1, a lot of things should be scaled down, buildings' number of workers, production, population...give more space to the survival-micromanagement aspect rather than the city building tycoon mode is important I think.

I don't know if colonizing other solar systems should be a priority now. Maybe in a far future update when the game is well established we can think of multiple planets in one server/game but now is a bit early.

EDIT : oops bast said "There will of course be support for multiple planets on a server" here. I'm having a hard time keeping up with all of these discussions.

@bastecklein
Though it might be a bit early asking about that.
What factions do you plan to do?

Currently my ideas for factions as follows

• FutureTech Alliance
  FutureTech Alliance specialises researching and learning. Immigrates from FutureTech Alliance has a high IQ rating.
• Red Satellite Treaty Union
  Red Satellite Treaty Union, abbreviated as RSTU, has unrivalled industrial power and best mining facilities.
• Brotherhood of Polaris
  Also simply known as the Brotherhood. This determined group of third-world migrants, has a good endurance against adverse environments. They have the largest population support.
• Project SEED
  A group of ecology masters. With their own advanced life support technology, their colonies have a stable foundation. Their technology also allows terraforming a planet efficiently.
• Daichi Robotics Corporation
  DRC excels automation and cybertechnology. Their refined machines will keep the colony running smoothly with limited population support.
• Black Hand Caravans
  These traders have ways to earn best profits in the market, which allow them to access to a wide range of resources quickly. They also have the best knowledge on fuels, from extraction to energy-efficient usage.