Nebulous Fleet Command: space rts, physics, lan, multiplayer, z axis

[Silent Disapproval Robot]

I think the problem is the Discord group.  There's a small but very active and vocal contingent of players on there who are acting as gatekeepers.  They pounce on any and all who do anything other than heap praise on the interface.

I'm fine with plotting nav points for my ship's courses but I find the viewpoint is zoomed in too much for trying to plot missile tracks in real time.  I struggle with aligning the red cone shape at the terminus of the missile's flight path.  Most of the time, I simply can't tell where it's pointing.  I brought this up in Discord and made some suggestions like:

-adding x,y,z coordinates to each waypoint plotted based on the centre of the map being 0,0,0.
- allowing the player to zoom out the camera POV when entering waypoints
- creating a temporary 3D grid system that displayed an overlay on the map that appears as stacked cubes and having each cube that a waypoint path passes through highlight to give the player a better visual indication of the flight path.  (If you've ever played a little indie game called Flotilla, it was done in that game and it makes 3D nav a breeze)

All ideas were shat upon with a ratio of almost 10:1 thumbs down vs up and I was basically told to "get gud" and learn the current system which is to be regarded as perfection in digital form (until the dev changes something in which case, this will now be considered perfection.)

[Pete Dero]

I'm getting better at it with practice (and use of the CTRL key does help a lot like Destraex mentioned).

Minor UI issues are likely to be expected when you make a full 3D game like this.

[Destraex]

An update on progress with the second faction. Which is a scratch built fleet of improvised civilian ships with a smattering of re-activated older warships.

[Destraex]

Finding it really hard to get into this because of the interface and the dev teams belief that space combat is really about asteroid mazes.

[Jarhead0331]

Finding it really hard to get into this because of the interface and the dev teams belief that space combat is really about asteroid mazes.

The terrain elements add a layer of strategy due to the impact on electronic warfare, spotting, targeting and tracking, etc., as well as facilitating the creative use of the detailed missile systems. If you think about it, space combat will most likely not be fought in deep space. The chances of random encounters in the deep void would seem to be extremely unlikely and pointless. Therefore, I'd expect battles to be fought near planets, asteroids or other features that have some strategic value and which are near to points of commercial or military activity.

In other words, it may be annoying, but I think its somewhat authentic.   

[Destraex]

If there were locations that were spaced out a little more that seemed more plausible and were some sort of strategic asset then I would like that a lot more.
It is plausible for ships to hide out near asteroids for cover and revictualise from logistics assets etc, they could be hunted.
However the maps are all the same, they are all ambush maps except for maybe one open space map that is completely featureless.

What I would like to see though are more homeworld like maps where you have a cluster of asteroids here and their and decide whether to burn between them. Maps that give ships much more time to move out of the way or try strategies. I just feel like I have claustrophobia in space with their current maps. They are like cage fighting.

I love the ship models and ship builder. I think I want combat to be like Sins of a Solar Empire with realistic physics though. Slingshot in an orbit using gravity and fire as you pass or burn to a full stop to take on stationary facilities or fleets. If your orbit is out the game should show you if you can correct or not and you decide whether to lead etc. If only this game and sins had a baby.

Children of a dead earth was suggested but seems too dry and single player. I think that one would probably be orbital combat and nothing else. The two extremes basically. Knife fighting or rbital joisting.

P.S. I just finished the first three black fleet novels by Joshua Dalzelle. Really enjoyable. They are kinda inspiring me at the moment. Please no spoilers if anybody has read the series. I think I will probably keep reading them. Really well written but occasionally very poorly edited. I stumbled upon "stepped foot" instead of "set foot" on board for instance. Lots of little things like that which don't really matter, they just make you think for a second.

[CaptainKoloth]

If there were locations that were spaced out a little more that seemed more plausible and were some sort of strategic asset then I would like that a lot more.
It is plausible for ships to hide out near asteroids for cover and revictualise from logistics assets etc, they could be hunted.
However the maps are all the same, they are all ambush maps except for maybe one open space map that is completely featureless.

What I would like to see though are more homeworld like maps where you have a cluster of asteroids here and their and decide whether to burn between them. Maps that give ships much more time to move out of the way or try strategies. I just feel like I have claustrophobia in space with their current maps. They are like cage fighting.

I love the ship models and ship builder. I think I want combat to be like Sins of a Solar Empire with realistic physics though. Slingshot in an orbit using gravity and fire as you pass or burn to a full stop to take on stationary facilities or fleets. If your orbit is out the game should show you if you can correct or not and you decide whether to lead etc. If only this game and sins had a baby.

Children of a dead earth was suggested but seems too dry and single player. I think that one would probably be orbital combat and nothing else. The two extremes basically. Knife fighting or rbital joisting.

P.S. I just finished the first three black fleet novels by Joshua Dalzelle. Really enjoyable. They are kinda inspiring me at the moment. Please no spoilers if anybody has read the series. I think I will probably keep reading them. Really well written but occasionally very poorly edited. I stumbled upon "stepped foot" instead of "set foot" on board for instance. Lots of little things like that which don't really matter, they just make you think for a second.

Children of a Dead Earth... is bad. Don't play it (I won't recapitulate my rant on it here from that thread but as a game it's really poorly designed).

The only game that ever really mastered this in my opinion was Klingon Academy. It had a wide variety of terrain (gas giants, asteroid belts, nebulas, rings, solar coronas, black holes, as well as deep space), all of which had different effects on gameplay, and you could choose to enter or exit them at will for tactical effect.

[Jarhead0331]

Children of a Dead Earth... is bad. Don't play it (I won't recapitulate my rant on it here from that thread but as a game it's really poorly designed).

I disagree with this definitive statement. I enjoyed the time I spent with it, thought it deserved attention for what it set out to accomplish and for being very unique in the genre.

[CaptainKoloth]

Well at this point I doubt anyone is genuinely on the fence about a six-year-old super niche game... but in case they are, herewere all my complaints with the physics  ;D

[Jarhead0331]

Well at this point I doubt anyone is genuinely on the fence about a six-year-old super niche game... but in case they are, herewere all my complaints with the physics  ;D

Thanks for posting. That is a great thread. Lot's of interesting points and opinions.

[Destraex]

Well at this point I doubt anyone is genuinely on the fence about a six-year-old super niche game... but in case they are, herewere all my complaints with the physics  ;D

Thanks for this. I might still give it a go when it's $10. But it still sounds like Nebulous with it's intentional limitations might end up being the best mix of realism and fun.

The problem with nebulous at the moment is that it's like Battlefleet Gothic Armada or even Ultimate Admiral Dreadnoughts. By that I mean that without it's upcoming campaign for context and fleet deployment which will mean engagement variety, the game feels very repetitive. It's great fun to look at though and good fun to play in small doses. Small doses because of the UI interface and the repetitive nature of the maps. The fish tank analogy in space still stands.

[CaptainKoloth]

Well at this point I doubt anyone is genuinely on the fence about a six-year-old super niche game... but in case they are, herewere all my complaints with the physics  ;D

Thanks for this. I might still give it a go when it's $10. But it still sounds like Nebulous with it's intentional limitations might end up being the best mix of realism and fun.

The problem with nebulous at the moment is that it's like Battlefleet Gothic Armada or even Ultimate Admiral Dreadnoughts. By that I mean that without it's upcoming campaign for context and fleet deployment which will mean engagement variety, the game feels very repetitive. It's great fun to look at though and good fun to play in small doses. Small doses because of the UI interface and the repetitive nature of the maps. The fish tank analogy in space still stands.

Dreadnoughts did add its campaign quite a while ago. It's great now.

It's a bit of work to get running on Windows 10/11, but I'll reiterate, Klingon Academy is the game you're actually looking for...

[Destraex]

Well at this point I doubt anyone is genuinely on the fence about a six-year-old super niche game... but in case they are, herewere all my complaints with the physics  ;D

Thanks for this. I might still give it a go when it's $10. But it still sounds like Nebulous with it's intentional limitations might end up being the best mix of realism and fun.

The problem with nebulous at the moment is that it's like Battlefleet Gothic Armada or even Ultimate Admiral Dreadnoughts. By that I mean that without it's upcoming campaign for context and fleet deployment which will mean engagement variety, the game feels very repetitive. It's great fun to look at though and good fun to play in small doses. Small doses because of the UI interface and the repetitive nature of the maps. The fish tank analogy in space still stands.

Dreadnoughts did add its campaign quite a while ago. It's great now.

It's a bit of work to get running on Windows 10/11, but I'll reiterate, Klingon Academy is the game you're actually looking for...

Klingon Academy on GOG or anything? Thanks for the advice. Klingon Academy is not multiplayer (easily) and is very old graphically speaking iirc.
I played it a little bit a while back and agree it is excellent and the command system especially is outstanding. I did not realise it had realistic orbits and whole squadrons of ships that you controlled in large battles though.

I have star trek bridge crew as well. Which is ok but I have not explored it too much. I'd probably rather play star citizen. Bridge Crew just seems like a simplified console game apart from being meant for VR. Which may have been the problem. I should try this again.

[CaptainKoloth]

Well at this point I doubt anyone is genuinely on the fence about a six-year-old super niche game... but in case they are, herewere all my complaints with the physics  ;D

Thanks for this. I might still give it a go when it's $10. But it still sounds like Nebulous with it's intentional limitations might end up being the best mix of realism and fun.

The problem with nebulous at the moment is that it's like Battlefleet Gothic Armada or even Ultimate Admiral Dreadnoughts. By that I mean that without it's upcoming campaign for context and fleet deployment which will mean engagement variety, the game feels very repetitive. It's great fun to look at though and good fun to play in small doses. Small doses because of the UI interface and the repetitive nature of the maps. The fish tank analogy in space still stands.

Dreadnoughts did add its campaign quite a while ago. It's great now.

It's a bit of work to get running on Windows 10/11, but I'll reiterate, Klingon Academy is the game you're actually looking for...

Klingon Academy on GOG or anything? Thanks for the advice. Klingon Academy is not multiplayer (easily) and is very old graphically speaking iirc.
I played it a little bit a while back and agree it is excellent and the command system especially is outstanding. I did not realise it had realistic orbits and whole squadrons of ships that you controlled in large battles though.

I have star trek bridge crew as well. Which is ok but I have not explored it too much. I'd probably rather play star citizen. Bridge Crew just seems like a simplified console game apart from being meant for VR. Which may have been the problem. I should try this again.

Bridge Crew is unfortunately a really flawed game, it's simplified to the point of a mobile game - no real tactics, and is explicitly just aimed at getting four people together to do teh social mediaz. But since Ubisoft abandoned the game years ago and it has a very small player base its been left in a weird no-man's land. It's barely playable in single player, but not much fun due to the aforementioned total lack of tactics (most missions are press button to be taken to enemy, mash phaser button and hope other guy blows up before you do. I exaggerate, but not by very much). It has nice graphics in VR, I guess.

Yeah, Klingon Academy is a hidden gem with incredible depth. A 300+ page ring-bound manual, from the time when PC gamers could read (I'm getting old and crotchety). It is unfortunately not available legally anywhere (probably due to appearances by Christopher Plummer and David Warner and whatever licensing nonsense that creates), which is why I don't feel bad at all saying it is easily available and patchable for modern systems via the usual "other sources".

[Geezer]

Thinking about picking this up while it's only $13.19 on Steam.  Sounds like the devs have put a lot of effort into it since early access.  They also have an impressive roadmap if they do actually get it all done.  Anybody still playing it here?