Forums » Suggestions
Coordinate System
I am a long time Jumpgate player, and I have joined the VO community to fill the hole that has been left after Netdevil stopped existing... This game is very similar, and I am really enjoying it. I do have a suggestion however.
Currently, mining and other activities that are very location specific are pretty difficult to repeat. In Jumpgate there was a piece of equipment (Addon) that you could purchase for your ship called a Rotacol. It would give you the ability to
a) See a XYZ coordinate of your current location on the HUD when having the Rotacol equipped.
b) Set a radar selectable waypoint for a specific XYZ coordinate using a "/rotacol X Y Z" command.
This gave rise to many players creating databases of the best asteroids for mining certain ores, ambush locations for pirates, and gathering points for group fights, etc.
What I propose is that VO creates something similar to the Rotacol, also as an AddOn(Large or Small), which provides the same functionality.
This I think would result in making mining much less frustrating (think need 200cu or 400cu of Ferric Ore, and don't know where that huge 100% Ferric asteroid is anymore), and perhaps make more people partake in creating resources.
Currently, mining and other activities that are very location specific are pretty difficult to repeat. In Jumpgate there was a piece of equipment (Addon) that you could purchase for your ship called a Rotacol. It would give you the ability to
a) See a XYZ coordinate of your current location on the HUD when having the Rotacol equipped.
b) Set a radar selectable waypoint for a specific XYZ coordinate using a "/rotacol X Y Z" command.
This gave rise to many players creating databases of the best asteroids for mining certain ores, ambush locations for pirates, and gathering points for group fights, etc.
What I propose is that VO creates something similar to the Rotacol, also as an AddOn(Large or Small), which provides the same functionality.
This I think would result in making mining much less frustrating (think need 200cu or 400cu of Ferric Ore, and don't know where that huge 100% Ferric asteroid is anymore), and perhaps make more people partake in creating resources.
We had something like this at one time: "/DisplayShipPos", which we often referred to as "display hippos". It was removed for a few reasons - one being that one could easily set up mobile bots with a little LUA know-how. I suspect that some sort of alternative is being considered already.
If only there was a thread at the very top of the forum, entitled PLEASE READ PRIOR TO POSTING A SUGGESTION, which contained 17 prior threads about this very topic!
marking buoys / beacons / waypoints[2][3][4][5][6][7][8][9][10][11][12][13][14][15][16][17]
marking buoys / beacons / waypoints[2][3][4][5][6][7][8][9][10][11][12][13][14][15][16][17]
Plugins fill some of the gap in mining specific roids... Targetless ( http://targetless.com ) is one such plugin, which lets you pre-scan and re-call roids you have scanned if they are within radar range, though it won't fly you to the roid you need to do that on your own :)
which contained 17 prior threads about this very topic!
And now it should contain 18!
And now it should contain 18!
I did see those threads, but nothing really popped for me as being the same as what I was suggesting... I understand the fears about the automated bots, but I fear everybody is thinking about these coordinates way too accurately.
Even in Jumpgate, the coordinates were pretty rough... What I would call about every 1000m in VO. If that is accurate enough to allow mining bots and trading bots, then I must be missing something about how the hacks and plugins work! If of course your X Y Z coordinates are accurate down to the meter, then obviously it is open for abuse. The idea isn't to get you to exactly the same spot every time, just to get you to roughly the same spot.
Also, if they made asteroids a special case scenario where you could not get the distance from it, only the type and the composition (if close enough and scanner equipped), it would already make the mining trade more exciting for pilots.
If they went one step further (this was done in Jumpgate), they would make asteroids non-selectable at all... in other words, you have to fly close enough MANUALLY to start mining, see what you get, and make you assumptions from that... As for the temperature of the asteroid, that would only come up once your mining laser is engaged on the roid... But you could get a rough idea just by looking how "red" the roid was (basically tint the texture more red the hotter it gets).
But all this is pretty major changes on the code base, so I doubt they will be considered - nevermind implemented. I think though that a sufficiently coarse coordinate system (distance from 0-point) / 10000, rounded to 1 decimal(every 0.1 = 1000m), would work. Perhaps even create a special version of the "Rotacol" with high requirements which is accurate to 2 decimals(every 0.01 = 100m)
Just some thoughts coming from another game where mining was much more fun ;-)
Even in Jumpgate, the coordinates were pretty rough... What I would call about every 1000m in VO. If that is accurate enough to allow mining bots and trading bots, then I must be missing something about how the hacks and plugins work! If of course your X Y Z coordinates are accurate down to the meter, then obviously it is open for abuse. The idea isn't to get you to exactly the same spot every time, just to get you to roughly the same spot.
Also, if they made asteroids a special case scenario where you could not get the distance from it, only the type and the composition (if close enough and scanner equipped), it would already make the mining trade more exciting for pilots.
If they went one step further (this was done in Jumpgate), they would make asteroids non-selectable at all... in other words, you have to fly close enough MANUALLY to start mining, see what you get, and make you assumptions from that... As for the temperature of the asteroid, that would only come up once your mining laser is engaged on the roid... But you could get a rough idea just by looking how "red" the roid was (basically tint the texture more red the hotter it gets).
But all this is pretty major changes on the code base, so I doubt they will be considered - nevermind implemented. I think though that a sufficiently coarse coordinate system (distance from 0-point) / 10000, rounded to 1 decimal(every 0.1 = 1000m), would work. Perhaps even create a special version of the "Rotacol" with high requirements which is accurate to 2 decimals(every 0.01 = 100m)
Just some thoughts coming from another game where mining was much more fun ;-)
@drazed : TargetLess looks pretty cool.... will definitely be checking it out, thx! :-)
Nobody has ever suggested wide-spaced coordinates as a way to fix the aim-bots and mine/trade-bots issues while still letting us find roids! Thank God you came up with that brilliant idea for us.
Seriously though, I devoted days to arguing all these points, page after page, in at least two or three threads about 4-5 years ago. It isn't happening.
Seriously though, I devoted days to arguing all these points, page after page, in at least two or three threads about 4-5 years ago. It isn't happening.
Ah, sarcasm... So refreshing to see somebody with a intelligent and mature personality on a forum.
Seriously though, just because you argued these points 4-5 years ago in a bunch of threads, and got no results, does not mean they have no merit. And it is after all a suggestion forum. I took a couple of ideas from those threads you mentioned, combined with experience from another highly praised space simulation game, and made a suggestion.
If the devs don't use it, so be it... It's not going to be the END OF THE WORLD... I will still play, regardless.
Seriously though, just because you argued these points 4-5 years ago in a bunch of threads, and got no results, does not mean they have no merit. And it is after all a suggestion forum. I took a couple of ideas from those threads you mentioned, combined with experience from another highly praised space simulation game, and made a suggestion.
If the devs don't use it, so be it... It's not going to be the END OF THE WORLD... I will still play, regardless.
I like this guy.
I also agree that a rough coordinate system would be useful in VO. I played JGR a while and a rotacol was a must in a lot of situations, not only mining. In VO it could be useful for marking cargo locations, locations of asteroid belts outside visual range, etc, etc. +1
I also agree that a rough coordinate system would be useful in VO. I played JGR a while and a rotacol was a must in a lot of situations, not only mining. In VO it could be useful for marking cargo locations, locations of asteroid belts outside visual range, etc, etc. +1
+1... somewhat like a space GPS
The basic one with 2KM precision, and improved or military grade one with 1km precision...
Lelecter, capships were requested for years... and things change...
The basic one with 2KM precision, and improved or military grade one with 1km precision...
Lelecter, capships were requested for years... and things change...
We could likely achieve what you're looking for with a high detail sector map that you could mark locations on.
@RR
Just remember the shipyards, foggy sectors, uncharted roid sectors, far far away roid groups, location of runaway queen exploding... where that cappie was parked...
and GPS <> map. GPS shows your location now and include a map.
Just remember the shipyards, foggy sectors, uncharted roid sectors, far far away roid groups, location of runaway queen exploding... where that cappie was parked...
and GPS <> map. GPS shows your location now and include a map.