Infinite Space Insights: Rebalancing a Hypothetical Sequel

Infinite Space Insights: Rebalancing a Hypothetical Sequel

As good as Infinite Space III: Sea of Stars is, I would not be surprised if its sequel turned out to be even better still. However, for this to happen, some of Sea of Stars' balance issues need to be addressed as follows:

• Currently, Gorgar's Garthan capital ship (one of the possible allies the player can encounter) may spawn even if the Garthans' home world (whose host star system is always a white F-type star, which is hotter than a yellow G-type star, but cooler than a bluish-white A-type star) and correspondingly higher Garthan fleet strength is not present on a randomly generated sector map. Preventing the Garthan capital ship from spawning  under such circumstances would thus make such a scenario more challenging by reducing the potential maximum attainable score, but on the other hand, would reduce "wastage" of fleet slots (of which there are six - four for capital ships and two for fighters). 
• Related to this, In Sea of Stars, it is possible to have a maximum fleet size of five vessels (three capital ships and two fighters) if the map contains Zorg and Muktian home worlds, but recruitable allies that fly Zorg and Muktian capital ships are absent in addition to the Damocles and Kestrel (both of which are quest-specific). while both the Zorg and Muktian fighters can be recruited from the map by visiting the systems where they are found (and in the former case, after transferring an item from your inventory to the mercenary owning said Zorg fighter). Preventing a Garthan capital ship from spawning as a recruitable ally under such circumstances would thus remove the possibility of potentially having too much dead weight on the player's roster.
• If any one of the Zorg, Muktian, and Calatian home worlds are present on a randomly generated map, the probability of negotiating an alliance with them should initially be 100%, by giving their respective allies a 100% chance of spawning on the map at the start of a game. To balance this out, such behavior should be incentivized by increasing the credit bonus earned through diplomacy.
• The probability of quest-triggering items, fleets, and discoveries spawning at the start of a game should be decreased from 100% to 20% or 25%, to reduce the probability of completing the corresponding quest and gaining its associated score bonus.
• If Esmerelda (who will steal a random item other than the Klakar Beacon from your cargo hold and deliver the former to the homeworld of a randomly selected faction, including your own, or your ship's towels if you have no such items) is present anywhere on the map at the start of a game, either or both of the only two items capable of capturing her (the Toy Robot and Lookout Frogs) must also be guaranteed to spawn alongside her, albeit in a different system from where she can be encountered in both cases. This makes it more likely for the player to earn her associated 500-credit bonus; to make this task even easier, both the Toy Robot and Lookout Frogs could grant the ability to detect Esmerelda's location on the map by marking it with a dashed blue circle (assuming the player has never previously encountered her), to allow the player to actively seek her out upon storing either item in their cargo hold. Neither item should be 100% guaranteed to spawn at the start of a game if Esmerelda is absent from the map, though, nor should they be able to detect other potential passengers (Phredd and Smetlov's Brain) - both of these rules are retained from Sea of Stars.

Hopefully, if Digital Eel (which has been the franchise's developer since the original game) were to ever consider developing an Infinite Space IV, they could (should?) at least examine the possibility of implementing at least some of these balance adjustments into the next installment.

Confessions of an Automationeer, Part 262: Copycat Roof Swaps

Confessions of an Automationeer, Part 262: Copycat Roof Swaps

I've recently spent some time investigating some additional possibilities for roof transplants on the '88 Copy Cat, and eventually I was able to come up with the following options as some of the best ones from an aesthetic standpoint:

Above, from top: A comparison of several 3D fixture roof fixtures transplanted onto the '88 Copy Cat (shown here in notchback configuration with a 2.64m wheelbase), shown in side profile.

Aside from the fact that the JAG_220 variant of the SHD 90s Euro Sports fixture set on the notchback is potentially better at making an XJ220 replica than using the supposedly more faithful fastback variant, my testing yielded a few surprises:

• The FER_F50 and FER_F50_GT roof fixtures can work surprisingly well, especially if you make the front and rear fascias (which takes you closer to an F50 replica, if you want to make one).
• The ASC_KZ1 variant of the SHD US 00s Sports fixture set gives even more cab-forward proportions than the JAG_220 fixture variant mentioned above.
• The DOD_VIP_ZBII variant (also from the SHD US 00s Sports fixture set) also provides a more dynamic cab-forward look, as does the AR_8C variant of the SHD Euro 00s Sports fixture - but the former has a more pronounced double-bubble roof.
• The CHE_C5R variant of the SHD US 00s Race fixture set may appear more static on paper than some other options, but in reality, it can be a great choice if you want a more minimalistic look.

I've also tried other 3D roof fixtures on this body set, but these are some of my favorite choices when working with it using a custom roof in place of the stock turret. The only caveat, aside from having to resize and reposition the fixtures accordingly to match the window line is that some of them can make the interior somewhat claustrophobic (if one is fitted at all) due to their small rear windows, but otherwise, they all work well enough.

A Lifer's Diary, Part 18: Applying Hotshot Racing Customization Logic to Game of Life Movers

A Lifer's Diary, Part 18: Applying Hotshot Racing Customization Logic to Game of Life Movers

Having played Hotshot Racing for countless hours so far, I decided to extrapolate one of its best aspects - its customization system - to The Game of Life (or specifically, its various video game adaptations) and applying it to its movers (which represent players' locations on the board) to give players more options to express their personalities and individualities further than they otherwise would. So here's a breakdown of what would be in store if such a feature were to be implemented.

Above, from top: Every car in Hotshot Racing can have up to 16 customization slots (not counting palettes, which simply change the foreground, background, and accent colors of the currently applied skin) - having such a wide range of options for these categories would make any video game adaptation of The Game of Life even more attractive to prospective players.

I would suggest carrying over the customization from Hotshot Racing wholesale into a Game of Life adaptation (in video game format) - the only things I would change are replacing the Steering Wheel and Dashboard slots with Interior Color and Interior Pattern slots (if the movers were to also have fully detailed interiors), along with allowing players to specify custom colors for their chosen exterior color palette should none of the presets be to their liking, and adding the option to save specific setups to their profiles for later use if they feel like using it again.

Obviously, for anyone playing a Game of Life video game to even be able to use these items in the first place, they could (and in my opinion, should) be forced to unlock them by buying them with points accumulated from completed games and/or completing specific tasks, as is the case in Hotshot Racing. This would incentivize completionism even further, and would help mitigate the problem of new players getting too carried away with their chosen mover's aesthetics. Players' avatars should also be given customization options as well (something that hasn't happened since Generation III was included in Family Game Night 3), with similar criteria for acquisition. With these features, you could make any future video game adaptation of the Hasbro Game of Life much more compelling by adding some much-needed replay value.

In short, bringing back more options for avatar customization to any video game adaptation(s) of the Game of Life, in addition to expanding the list of mover customization options, would significantly broaden its appeal, not just to younger players, but also to older ones as well.

Hotshot Tales, Part 21: Shadows of the Patriots

Hotshot Tales, Part 21: Shadows of the Patriots

In my previous post overall, I showed how the '86 Rosso could be given a two- or three-tone livery even after its stock roof was replaced, as follows:

Above, from top: A three-tone livery is possible on the '86 Rosso by choosing a different exterior color for the lower side bodywork (which in the case of this body set, is the Secondary Car slot) and bumpers in addition to specifying a third color for the front lip, and rear valance/side skirts (represented by the Misc. Paint 3 and Misc. Trim 1 areas, respectively) as an accent. If you wish to use a two-tone livery instead, you could use a single color for both the main and lower bodywork (including bumpers) while also applying a different color to the Misc. Paint 3 and Misc. Trim 1 areas; alternatively, extending that color to the lower bodywork places it in a foreground role instead of as an accent.

What intrigued me most about these exterior color areas, however, is that it's also possible to duplicate some of the liveries in Hotshot Racing using Aston's Drift car, the Shadow, and applying Skin 3 (which finishes the middle and/or lower bodywork in contrasting colors when choosing most palettes outside of the Special Set, whose palettes always apply a single color to the entire car), as follows:

Above, from top: Using Skin 3 on Aston's Shadow in Hotshot Racing, it's possible to get a 3-tone livery similar to what I applied to my test build in Automation - with some palettes displaying variations on the theme by changing the order of the colors and/or making some of them brighter or darker. Admittedly, the middle part of the front bumper is color-matched to the car's background color, but you get the idea. In any case, Alexa's 9th palette (which is one of the defaults for her Speed car, the Mirage) is the closest match, though, When combined with the Shadow's default wheel type (a red 5-spoke design - the Automation build has white ones, although they can be recolored accordingly if desired, unlike the wheels in Hotshot Racing), the similarity becomes even more pronounced.

This is, however, just one example of how Automation allows you to pay tribute to a car/livery combination in Hotshot Racing - but there are many others, and those, too, can be replicated (or at least approximated) using skillful use of body molding, decal, and exterior area color choice manipulation.

On the subject of customization, that topic, in turn, will be the topic for another post in yet another series of mine.

Confessions of an Automationeer, Part 261: Rosso Roof Retrofitting Revisited

Confessions of an Automationeer, Part 261: Rosso Roof Retrofitting Revisited

As I've previously stated in this series, the '86 Rosso body sets (specifically, the notchback variants with their wraparound rear windows) are ideal candidates for roof transplant surgery, since their wedge-shaped profiles lend themselves well to this procedure. However, I haven't yet mentioned some of the possibilities I've just tried - until now, that is. This time, I'll be looking at two more options that suit the Rosso quite well - particularly in certain sizes. The caveat of having to resize the 3D roof fixtures accordingly to match the morphing settings still applies, however, so keep that in mind.

The first experiment shown here involves placing a 3D roof fixture from the SHD Euro 80s Sports set (specifically, the one marked FER_512_TES) on the mid-engined notchback variant with a 2.45m wheelbase. The result is as follows:

Above, from top: Placing this variant of the SHD's 80s Euro Sports 3D fixture roof set on this test build (shown here finished in a patriotic red-and-white-on-blue livery) built on a 2.45m wheelbase wasn't a truly perfect fit - I couldn't get the base of the B-pillar to align with the trailing edge of the doors - but it still worked well enough for my needs, due to the resulting car having an Esprit-like side profile.

In addition to this, I tried another variant of the same fixture (specifically, the FER_GTO) on a longer and wider (2.66m wheelbase) variant of the same body set, with the same body style, resulting in a more flowing side profile, as follows:

Above, from top: This alternate option on the '86 Rosso is less effective on the shorter, smaller variants by comparison, but works better on the longer, larger ones, due to its less angular rear half.

This leads me to conclude that proportions are the key factor in deciding on which 3D roof fixture works best for a specific body set. What might be a good fit for one particular body set may be less effective on another one (or even a differently sized variant of the same set), so you'll need to weigh up the pros and cons of each 3D fixture roof variant before deciding which one to install, if you indeed go ahead with the procedure.

As an aside, the three-tone livery on the first example ties in nicely to the next post in another one of my series.

Confessions of an Automationeer, Part 260: Roof Transplant Surgery Experimentation

Confessions of an Automationeer, Part 260: Roof Transplant Surgery Experimentation

Roof transplant surgery in Automation is not an entirely new phenomenon, dating back to the introduction of mods that allow for the placement of a full roof set via a 3D fixture (or set thereof), but I've recently been intrigued by several possibilities in particular that involve this procedure. To get started, however, you must hide the stock turret - roof, pillars, windows, and window trim (along with other trim areas as appropriate, depending on the body set you're working with) - by setting their materials to transparent. With the entire turret now hidden from view, you can fill the void by placing, rotating, and resizing a 3D fixture roof where the stock item once was. Here's a pair of recent examples to prove my point.

Above, from top: This test build underwent roof transplant surgery to give it a roofline and fastback profile more befitting of its long-nosed, short-tailed shape - to say that it went well with the downward-sloping rear end was an understatement.

Here, I took the '96 Kompact (2.69 wheelbase) in fastback coupe/wraparound rear window configuration and hid the entire turret using the procedure described above, before filling in the resulting gap with a variant of SHD's 00s Euro Coupe Roof 3D fixture set (specifically, the one marked FER_575) and using decal patches and a rescaled wing mirror fixture to plug any holes in the bodywork. The resulting design looks and feels airier and more muscular than it would've with the stock roof, regardless of morphing settings - especially with the cab-rearward dash-to-axle ratio I eventually chose.

Another example of a body set that underwent a similarly drastic transformation is shown below.

Above: I'd originally wanted to use the same fixture variant (albeit with different scaling and rotation scalings) as I'd applied to the first example on this build based on the '92 Evade (2.53m wheelbase in notchback configuration, with a wraparound rear window) - but I ended up settling on a different variant (specifically, the one marked JAG_XKR) due to its more curvaceous profile gelling particularly well with the car's more rounded shape compared to the other possibilities I've tried.

To be fair, the result isn't quite perfect, what with the base of the A-pillar still overlapping with the base of the front windscreen, but it still works well enough. Nor are these the only combinations I've investigated recently - I've also examined other combinations in addition to these - but these two are a decent start, and could be refined and developed further to get even closer to my desired result. Here are two more examples (this time using mid-engined platforms) to prove my point.

Above, from top: Using the SHD Euro 90s Sports 3D fixture set (specifically, the relatively angular variant marked FER_355_BER) on a mid-engined variant of the wedge-shaped '86 Rosso worked surprisingly well, although I had to stretch the fixture longitudinally to accommodate the C-pillar base location I ended up choosing. Below, from top: In contrast, the '88 Copy Cat, which is far more curvaceous by comparison, is a perfect fit for the CHE_CORV_C6 variant of the SHD US 00s Sports 3D fixture set; I scaled it to fit after hiding the stock roof and pillars (which gave a narrower cabin than I thought was desirable) to give it an airier turret than usual.

In short, there is a place for roof transplant surgery in Automation - it's a vital tool for when you realize that even your best efforts can't provide a suitable roof/pillar profile with the stock morphing range of your chosen body set - but it has to be done carefully, since it will take a lot of time, practice, and patience to get right. Another caveat is that the new turret won't always exactly match the position and shape of the stock one (regardless of what morphing settings you gave the latter), so keep that in mind when you're also combining a roof transplant with a 3D fixture interior. Even so, if your skills are good enough, you might be able to combine the two to create a more detailed and intricate design than the game would normally allow.

MechDB Misadventures, Part 31: Low-Heat Timber Wolf Brawling

MechDB Misadventures, Part 31: Low-Heat Timber Wolf Brawling

With the Timber Wolf (Mad Cat) TBR-N(L) having recently being added to MechWarrior Online Legends as a Loyalty reward, I decided to explore some loadouts based on that chassis, including a few that utilize its full set of 8 OmniPods. After some deliberation, I came up with the following setups as potentially among of the most effective in their intended roles as close-range brawlers:

Above, from top: Two suggestions for close-range brawling builds based on the Timber Wolf TBR-N(L) loyalty variant. The former utilizes the Prime variant's arms to fit in two additional Clan Medium Pulse Lasers in place of two tons of surplus Clan SRM ammo, the Light Active Probe, and a half-ton of armor found in the latter's set of 8 build, thus trading heat efficiency and sustained firepower for longer range and extra alpha strike potential. The latter (which relies on the N variant's set of 8 OmniPods) lacks the extra pair of Clan Medium Pulse Lasers found in the former, but instead adds a half-ton of armor and a Light Active Probe in addition to two extra tons of Clan SRM ammo, with the regular Clan Machine Guns and their ammo swapped for Clan Heavy Machine Guns (with 1 ton of Clan HMG ammo for each), thus trading range for DPS output and heat efficiency while absorbing any excess mass.

Both builds are equally effective at close-range brawling - the choice is entirely yours as to whether you prefer stronger alpha strikes or greater combat endurance and heat efficiency. The Set of 8 build can also run Artemis IV-enhanced SRMs if you are willing to swap two tons of SRM ammo for the spare tonnage necessary for the resulting increase in accuracy. For a truly devilish mix of the two, however, you could take the former setup and give it the latter's Clan HMGs and Light Active Probe in place of regular Clan MGs, swapping out two Clan Double Heat Sinks to free up enough mass to make this change possible, and resulting in 66.6 damage per alpha strike, as shown below.

Above: This TBR-N hybrid build mixes elements of the first two to increase its maximum damage per second to 23.0, with a sustained DPS of 16.1 sitting between the 15.3 of the first suggestion and the 17.9 of the Set of 8 alternate loadout, while still fully utilizing its 12 tons of armor capacity and having enough spare mass for a Light Active Probe.

In short, the TBR-N(L), with its eclectic hardpoint mix, is just the ticket if you want a brawling Timber Wolf that doesn't use or even need Jump Jets in any of its OmniPods.