I really like the idea of having free form rotation but as a previous poster I am too worried about symetry. But I guess you guys already thought of that. Anyway, a way to put multiple extras on the same attachment point would be awesome! I have a lot of design ideas that just doesn't do good since there arn't two attachment points close enough together. This along with the free form rotation will bring so many new options for design I can't even begin to imagine!

Oh, and I've been reading the forum. Some people dissing my AI. You're asking for it. On intelligent level the AI is going to have its vengeance. Because I've been playing the game too and coming up with new things. So those of you who think you've got things under control are in for it.

Hmm, suddenly I feel like being watched...
Keep the AI coming, Brad! *sharpens knife again*

I was wondering what happened to the Betas! I have become total Patch Junkie

2 words, "Bring it!"

Please have a close look into the AI planetary management, the AI is doing really stupid stuff with it now (such as building an economical capital on a manufacturing planet. I find myself having to work in order to AVOID a culteral victory... That cant be the intend of the game...

Also it's kind of silly that if you kick the AI his hiney big time after he declared war on you by destroying his entire fleet that he doesnt make any attempts to bribe off peace... no instead he lets you grab whatever planets you want and then decides he's ready to surrender/make peace.... Annnnnd once you have peace again he declares war on you as fast as he can again (most likely due to lack of military on my side).... however as proven in the war before it, i'm able to produce a fleet of much better ships both in speed as in weapon damage in just a handfull of weeks.

Having no military force at all doesnt mean I'm a weak military force... With a strong economy I can easily create a defense force that kicks his hiney into non-existence.

Also why is he always so political correct... declaring war weeeeeeeks before he actually gets to you... Human players will always sneak in and hit hard on the day that they declare war....

And if an AI wanted to attack you why in the world doesnt he hold off untill you are engaged in another war and then backstabs you hard? That is multiplayer like action....

He knows what techs I have (from the diplomacy screen) or at the very least I as a human player always check the tech trade window first before I decide to declare war.

Another thing is when a AI plus his ally declares war on you and you kick the hiney of one of the allies hard... Why in the world doesnt he break his alliance and try to kiss up with me since i'm the far better player... Instead he just waits on his turn to get slaughtered...

So far I'm sad to say it... but yes the AI is nice.... but it still feels as a program and is very predictable... /the case for adding multiplayer...

Owowowow and sending in wave after wave of troop transports past the vincinity of a planet with long range very fast fighters??? Again and again and again, wave after wave after wave? /yawn

In theory if you are to able to create an AI that equals or surpasses the behaviour of a human player I very much prefer the AI over a human player (the puter doesnt afk, pull cables, whine etc...) however as it is now I've completed 3 games and fail to feel any challenge..... Next game is going to be intelligent since normal felt the same as cakewalk...

Dont get me wrong, this is meant as constructive criticism...

I want an AI that gives me his planets for free and top it with some couple of 1000 bcs.

Freeform rotation and resizing while already attached to the ship?!

Give that developper a big cookie! (or a bonus, whichever works )

Brad-

Have you thought about adding a concept of war weariness? I'm not sure exactly how it should be impelemented in GC (compared to say Civ3&4), but it might be an interesting method for forcing some wars to come to an earlier end. I'm thinking you would need to track damage more than just time at war, and either add some new techs, or provide bonuses to existing techs to lessen the effects of it.

It could also play into the ethos, that being that evil and good would have low WW penalties against each other, neutral would have the same penalty against anyone, and Good would have really high penalties against other good. Evil may come out of this slightly better off, but the point of evil is to war monger anyway right? You might have to tweek up some extra bonus for good, or some extra penalty to evil (I think a tech slowdown while at war might be appropriate, or just a general economic penalty).

come on Draginol challenge me.

Freeform rotation sounds very nice. I tried the attachment point modifiers and about pulled my hair out.

As far as the AI is concerned- do you do most of your games on medium maps when you tune the AI? I usually use medium maps and the AI seems to be very well equipped to deal with people on the medium size map. I am always playing catch up in military, research and social production and I usually end up getting booted right out of the galaxy.

One thing I have noted, Military Starbases, the AI seems to just barrel through their sphere of influence where my tiny fighters wipe out battleships thanks to all the modifications. I have seen the AI sneak transports around but I've never seen an AI battle fleet try to go around a Starbase influence range.

Thanks for making such a wonderfully enjoyable game. I have lost many hours of sleep and have never enjoyed losing so much. Especially when the I tried to buy off the Drengin and Lord Kona told me "Don't bother giving me your stuff. It'll all be mine soon anyway."

I surrendered right after that.

It's like Christmas!... Give us our present now! I can't wait to rip it open and see all the goodies inside.

hehe ... just kidding. You guys are doing a fantastic job. Honestly you've won a fan for life. And yes who ever came up with the free form ship rotation needs a bonus or at least a well deserved pat on the back.

This is really great! Freeform rotation will be fun!

BTW, freeform rotation is going to be an option right?
Because if I wanted to have the exact rotation on hardpoints to maintain symmatry, a mandatory freeform hardpoint would make that kinda hard. And the freeform should probably be on a per hardpoint basis, so people can mix symmetry with freeform.

Thanks guys!

I need a stupid AI...I get thrashed even on Normal!

I'm right there with you... though I have to laugh at some of the commentary and names for the lower levels that are available "Foolish" heehhehe

Bring on moronic and I might be more competitive

Better yet, how about C.O.L. level? I'm sure I could beat that

Brad-

As far as the free-form part rotation is concerned- will we be able to do this with the outside parts only, or will we be able to rotate parts that have had other parts grafted on already? It'd be really nice to be able to rotate whole sections of the ship.

You can rotate entire sections...if you select a peice that has a long list of componenets attached to it, they will rotate as well.

I saw it in action and coulnd't beleive it. We were originally told it would take a month just to get real-time resizing in, and Jesse was able to get it in, along with rotation, in a day.

You guys will flip!

edit: sigh, that wasn't a pun...i just need a broader vocabulary