Subset Games Forum

I thought u guys might like to know what i noticed.

what follows is a quote from the FAQ of the FTL homepage. I think it is written directly by the authors and stands as the most reliable comment on future content so far (check out the part in the brackets).

"What keeps me coming back for more space adventures?

There are already over 25,000 lines of text in the events in the game (and we’re still not done). Many events have secret options that can only be unlocked with special equipment, and most of the events have multiple possible outcomes to keep them fresh. In addition to the events, the huge variety of weapon types and strategies ensures that no game will be the same.


Who are the developers?

We are Justin Ma (artist/designer) and Matthew Davis (programmer/designer). We’re not really based anywhere specific anymore and still figuring out where we’ll end up.

...

What are your plans for player created content / modding?

It’s something we’d love to have, but will likely be outside of our initial scope. We’re open to considering it post release.


What about multi-player?

FTL was designed as a focused, single-player experience and there are no plans to extend it to include multi-player."

Aerowind wrote:I'd say keep the advancing fleet and put a boss on every sector node. The fleet keeps you from grinding it out in Sector 1 so much you steamroll everything, so I feel it's a necessary part of the game to keep the difficulty up. Other than that, just keep increasing the difficulty every sector until you have no option but to fail because you can no longer upgrade your ship.

Granted, that might make boarding a bit too powerful end game.

Things to make boarding difficult at end game.
1. Engi-Medbot Dispersal system.
2. Anti-personnel drone.
3. Powerful drone ships.

I do want to see a long form game like this, but I think the game design needs to be revamped from top to bottom to accomodate it.

So really it'd be a sequel. Or an unrelated game. I really should start a game along the lines of FTL, but more long-form rpg-like with bigger crews and ships. Who's with me!

digdug18 wrote:I like the game, but wish it lasted hours.

This game reminds me alot of the origional Masters of Orion, I just wish it was longer like that game.

I want the sectors to be much bigger, and open ended. A goal is nice, but not really a must have. I don't really like the idea of being chased through the game as well.

Thoughts?

Andrew

It would be nice to have this as a separate mode, like "normal mode" (goal and boss battle) and "endless (or survival) mode".

However, I don't think this should be the "normal mode". As StarWarsOz pointed out, "I think having the chase is a good thing, because otherwise u would be able to get so much scrap and stuff that u could upgrade your whole ship within the first couple of sectors, because there is nothing stopping u from exploring all the beacons".

The ability to explore all the beacons in a sector would also remove the tension that comes with the scarcity of resources, because trade-offs would be only marginal, having little or less impact on the outcomes. For instance, sometimes it happens, due to the scarce resources, that you have enough scrap to either buy a new weapon or fix the ship's hull. This is a very important trade-off to be made, and the decision you make will completely change the outcome of the game. This is very important to create tension, force the player to think his way through, and instill fear of death.

If you have tons of scrap all the time this would stop being an issue, and tension would dissolve as a consequence.

In conclusion, as a separate mode, ok. But the normal mode should remain as it is.

Correction: you would not "be able to visit all beacons" in this mode, as beacons would be endless

I'd suggest simply having actual subsystem damage to balance it out, meaning that you have to use scrap to repair your systems (How do you repair dozens of hull breaches with absolutely no resources??).
An easy way to implement this would be to make systems lose a rank when they turn red, forcing you to pay more scrap to upgrade it again, but I'd prefer a more resource scarce approach, such as requiring scrap merely to repair something.

Kenshkrix wrote:I'd suggest simply having actual subsystem damage to balance it out, meaning that you have to use scrap to repair your systems (How do you repair dozens of hull breaches with absolutely no resources??).
An easy way to implement this would be to make systems lose a rank when they turn red, forcing you to pay more scrap to upgrade it again, but I'd prefer a more resource scarce approach, such as requiring scrap merely to repair something.

If systems lost a upgrade every time they were destroyed, u would have to endlessly upgrade your systems and not have enough scrap to survive, simply.

Upgrades to the systems are hard enough to get normally, having this would make it impossible.
But I like the idea of needing scrap do fix the hull, because i have repaired like 10 breaches when I have no scrap, and that is a bit unrealistic.

But the game is good enough as it is, and lets let the devs sort out what they want to do

I too would love to see a longer game. I can see two forms this could take:

1) The endless chase - keep going as long as you can, with enemy difficulty ramping up until you just can't win anymore. I don't mind the rebels blocking off the sectors over time, but depending on the sector layout the game can be very short or vary long when there's a fixed endgame. Perhaps this mode would also have a "retire" option/event, where you abandon ship at a planet and don't get penalized for dying.

2) A wider universe with an roaming "search area" - instead of only giving one or two options for the next sector, make the galaxy a big circle, with lots of sectors to jump to. Then give the rebels a moving zone in which they have taken control of the search, and those sectors are blocked off, with the rebels chasing you in the sectors on the edge. If you manage to get ahead of the rebels, you might have an open sector with no chase, but if you jump into a sector they control you're dead. The rebel search area would follow you, with how fast determined by various events that happen in the sector (like rebel scouts). You could still have an endgame, but that would require jumping into the final sector, which might also be moving as the Fed fleet tries to avoid the rebels...

It would also be nice to know how many jumps you have at the beginning of the sector before the feds start searching, just so you can plan on what and where you're going...

The game needs a World/Generator so you can select say how much ratios of rare weapons are dumped or scrap or friendly events or hostile encounters. Settings for AI, a Easy, Medium, Hard and Hardcore/Extreme preset.

More Guns with better Effects. No more Fleet chasing you unless you select it from the World Generator.
The game needs to feature ingame Tweaking/Modding Editor Menu. So you can Customize and Build your own ships by PNG or BMP file Upload with layouts, Weapons, Crew and Augments should become available after you unlock them in the main game or the store same goes for advanced tech like Stealth and Drone Control, etc.

FTL needs a total graphics overhaul for Realism, I would use Rhinocerous 3D build the Ship Models then Render them ex. "Topdown View" and the Animations, Copy them to Clipboard and open and save them in good old MS paintbrush. I'd suggested advanced COOP-4-8 players Armadas needed to go up against strong Enemies, it would be top down much like Dark Orbit crossed with Command and Conquer. But when you select a unit it opens up the ship like in FTL1. Control larger armadas to go against Enemy Armadas. You can take over controls and Doors like in FTL but in FTL2 it should have Autopilot. People in your crew should be assigned to Systems. Graphics I recommend keep it Cartoonish a little with Cellshading.

The Game needs Research Tech/Tier Tree. So instead of you buying them in Store on Random Gen you Upgrade up to them from the Scrap and Rare Minerals/junk laying around you discover in space. In short you need to craft your weapons or buy them from traders/stores. This will draw in alot of Buyers who play Minecraft like games. Definitely want Space mining added.

I'd like to see some Alchemy happen'in in here. Let's say...If you collected a certain amount of materials you could combine them to make other materials, These other Materials would be used with other materials if it works then you invented the Blueprints for a Weapon. Then you could take it to a Weaponsmith and we will charge you a small fee to build that weapon. or you could take it to a Space "Science Lab" and have them Reverse Engineer something you might buy in shops for a fee. So the economy in the game would be completely changed, Things will cost a whole lot more. This way you could learn the Blueprints and make it yourself with a Weaponsmith Bay Addition on your ship if you have the Blueprints? See basic Logic. Weapons would have Durability and would need to be Repaired. not with Repair powder LOL! but you see what I'm getting at. At the Store you would have to Repair your Damaged Weapon and Shield Batteries. :O!

Four New Crew Members and here's what they can do...
The Hacker - Works like a Theif, You can Rob your Enemies Blind. From a Laptop. Gives you Scrap/$ on a Secessful Hack. However if the Enemy has a Hacker you will have a hard time protecting your Cash.
This will force you to Evade unless you have some bio weapons on board or boarders.
You could also but it would be Extrememly rare learn Enemy Weapon/Tech Blueprints!
The Espionager aka The Ghost- to make certain selected systems malfunction (Much like the Ion Cannons) A Stealth Boarder
The Sabotager (The Psychic)- Can Greatly Improve Sensor Detection on Enemy Ships
The Enforcer (The Brute)- Can Wield Weapons on your Ship and Enemies but can't repair Systems.
The Pirates Worst Nightmare...Higher caliber weapons could inflict some Hull Damage or Breach the Ship causing OXYGEN to drop quickly (Weakness)

Inaddition, There needs to still be Random Events but you should beable to fly your ship around the Starsystem/Universe. But to add some of the old school flair of FTL I would add a minimap which you could click on Discovered Points which are Shrouded before right? then you could set the Destination of your Ship.
If you come to a Random event where it may cost the life of your crew it should have the % number by it of FAIL and Success Menus. These can be Random Gen Ratios. (varible system) basic programming logic.

The game should have no ending until the Federation and their Bosses and Minions"Elites" are all destroyed. I'll like to see Weapons on the crew, Sentry Guns and other cool things added to FTL2. In Conclusion, For Godsakes! You Keep the Original Soundtracks in the Playlist! And please Incorporate the ability to switch to MP3s and even your own MP3s in game via Folder in Game's Directory...That's about all i can Recommend...What ya think? Can it be done?

I left 2 Alternatives Coop Online or Single Player Armada Creation in this Great Plan of mine. The Coop online is probably the most reasonable and fits with the FTL concept nicely. I want to see some Enemy Motherships, launch little minisubs to retreat, or launch miniships to invade. So yeah the Ship sizes are gonna have to increase alot.

I don't like most of the suggestions here. People seem to forget this suppose to be a very small sized program that is a rouge like game. This means some key elements need to be kept:

1) Your one lone ship all on your own.
2) Theres some time limit, the rebel troops chasing you.
3) Weapons and upgrade available through shops need to be random which forces you to make hard choices and ensures each playthough is different even with the same ship.

This is all part of what makes the game hard and gives it replay value.

If there is an endless mode then the final boss should be removed and instead each new sector becomes increasingly more difficulty until it becomes literally impossible. Endless mode would then be scored partly based on how long you can last.

I do like the idea of having mini bosses. Maybe not every sector but perhaps ever 2 or 3 sectors or mini boss could make random appearances at the end of sectors with a high chance of appearing in pirate and rebel sectors. It would then give an extra choice for you to make, either go to the save sectors for an easier time and more shops or risk the rebel sectors in order to kill a mini boss which would increase your score.