Plan #4b: This plan is not "stable" yet. Updated 9-20-2001. Overview: The idea is to be: easy to start playing, amusing, and quick. No mice, no joysticks, and no 3D acceleration. Multiplayer only, with a dedicated (linux only, for now) server. I don't know how fast a computer it will take to run the finished product, if that ever materialises. The networking demands are still very much unknown as well, except that obviously latency is quite important. Influcences from Lunatic Fringe, Star Fleet Battles, Asterax, Space Mercs, Nettrek, Quake and Diablo. Winning: The idea is to destroy the bases of other teams. Difficulty level (length) of each game will be influenced by both the size of the bases selected and by the number of players. This is not to say that there are physical levels of difficulty, only that with larger bases, its harder to win (and with more players, its probably easier). Economy: The newly simplified map calls for a large, centrally located black hole which will create "goodies" (called parts) from time to time (such as when it sucks in an asteriod, ship, or base... the bigger the better). These parts would then remain in some sort of orbit, but due to the asteriods that will surely be tearing through the area near the black hole, these parts should be (violently) scattered all around the map. There is no money outside of parts. The entire game will center around getting parts, which can be mixed and matched all over the various ships and bases of a team. Map: The newly simplified map, as mentioned above, will feature a large black hole. This will be perfectly stationary at (0,0). This black hole (and only it) exerts gravity on all objects in the game, keeping them in orbit. The players can fly around in some circular area, centered at this black hole. Players that venture to far out will be "corrected" by some means, however objects on the server are free to orbit as far out as they damn well please. (The player area restriction has to be put in place to assure a certain accuracy in coordinates that can be transmitted in a fixed number of bits.) I'm not sure yet what restrictions will be placed on the orbits of bases. In general, I would find it really funny that a team could have its base so screwed up as to orbit clear off the playable map, but it would make all sorts of things uglier, so I think bases too, will be restricted. Clans and Teams: Each team in the game (2-4 of them) will be a clan. Everyone playing on that team will then have to use similar or identical ships, but given 4 ship classes, 64 possible "modifiers" for each class (heavy, light, etc), and whatever random parts each player finds, there should be no problem with duplication, and everyone should be able to find something that they like. As mentioned already, victory depends on the survival of a team's base. This base will be the hub of all clan activities. Right now, its too early to design a bunch of clans so there's only one (boring) one. Bases: Rather big subject, go here. Ships: Rather big subject, go here. Parts: Rather big subject, go here. Asteriods: Chunks of rock that drift around and may cause quite some damage to those who attempt to run them over. Asteriods cannot be destroyed, except by the black holes (more asteriods are created when this happens). Programming: Rather big subject, go here. To the main roids page.