First of, well done on the campaign so far, it can be really challenging. There are just some tweaks needed before you get it out of beta.
Annoyances:
Enemy fleets appearing out of nowhere.
When an enemy attacks one of your planets, a completely different fleet will appear at the planet they came from. So whenever an enemy attacks, it will pretty much duplicate the amount of enemies you will have to face.
A single enemy planet can attack two or more of your planets on the same turn.
The fleets will not be split up, they will all be at full strength. This is very illogical. The enemy forces will triple when his happens.
Enemy fleet’s counter attack is unstoppable and prevents retreat.
If an enemy planet happens to attack you on the same turn you attack them, they will arrive at your empty planet and capture it without a battle, while you still have to battle their fleet to capture their planet, also, the retreat button is disabled for the battle.
-Threat level seems meaningless
Enemy planets can attack an empty planet, even if threat level was 0% at the end of your turn. Also, threat level is usually stuck at 100%, telling you you have inferior forces, even if you have a much better fleet than the one the server decides to send at you.
My suggestions:
Enemy planets can be empty too. If an enemy fleet attacks you, they will leave their planet empty. However, the same fleet that attacked you will regenerate back on that planet, even if it has no shipyards. for example, 20% each turn. Let’s say the enemy fleet attacks you with 10 cruisers, the next turn 2 cruiser will be on the enemy planet. In 5 turns there will be 10 cruisers again, but it won’t increase after that.
Never allow a single enemy planet to attack more than one planet on a single turn.
If an enemy attacks your planet at the same time you attacked theirs, only a single battle should take place and retreating should be allowed. If you win, you capture their planet and your planet remains yours as well. If you are defeated or retreat, you will lose your planet like normal.
Or both fleets could simply arrive at an empty planet and conquer it without a battle. That might be quite funny actually
Threat level should be the % chance an enemy planet will attack your planet next turn. If it’s 0%, the enemy will never attack that planet next turn. If it is 100%, the enemy will always attack your planet next turn. Threat level will go up by 15% each turn for each enemy planet that is connected to it. Each of your frigates will reduce it by 2%, every 16 fighters will reduce it by 3% and a cruisers will reduce it by 5% each turn. This means the threat level will go up unless you have at least 8 frigates or 5x16 fighters or 3 cruisers, when connected to a single enemy planet. Threat reduction could also be based on fleet cost instead of unit types.Threat level could start at 50% when you conquer a planet. Values could be tweaked depending on difficulty setting.
I think the main issue which would solve all of this is to make the enemy play in the same confines as the human player. It would be more ‘realistic’ that way too and I feel more enjoyable as a result. Right now it feels like the AI is ‘cheating’ because it is not following the rules that are understood for the player. The feeling is kind of like playing a game of Risk with a friend, but your friend can place units on his territories whenever he attacks you (amongst other advantages). Maybe we can make each side start with a single planet and have the rest of the planets be unoccupied? Then both sides start on even footing and play by the same rules. I know that I’m just playing against an AI so it doesn’t really matter that the game is stacked against me, it’s just an ‘added challenge’, but I can’t help but feel the challenge is a bit artificial for this reason.
The campaign mode is amazing though, don’t misunderstand me. Thank you so much for your work and implementation of this! It adds so much to the game! You’ve done a lot of work already so I’ll understand completely if you don’t want to make these changes. =)
I think in the case where 2 fleets heading in opposite directions meet in WH lane there should be a null space map and a battle ensue wile in hyper space. range speed and shields should all be at 50%. the winner of this fight should get 2 options retreat or continue to original detention. for the player should be his choice
for the AI it should be based on this set of IF’s
If fleet strength is less then 50% of original strength before battle started retreat
if more then 1/3 of fleet has taken damage to hull retreat
if more then 1/2 of frig’s and below have been destroyer then retreat
i think this AI logic string would suit to help the AI make a good choice on continuing to press on the the world it planed to attack or recall back to its planet of origin
as for the game set up at beginning i think each race should get one home world and the rest have a nutrual setting with a med garrison fleet… in order to claim a nutrual world you must defeat its garrison. these planets do not build fleet, do not regen fleet and do not attack other worlds they do however repair all remaining ships after a battle and any ships of the player or AI that failed to make a retreat and were captured.
the AI should only be able to build fleet, repair fleet based on te same confines of game macanics as the player AI only ship types where ship types can be built repaired and on the resources available per turn … But the AI should start with one main combat fleet and be limited to be able to build only those ships
