Project Name: Starjack

Synopsis:
You are an aspiring space adventurer with no ship, and not a lot of cash. To make it in (or out of) this world, you'll need to find some way to "acquire" a ship...

... But that's only the tip of the iceberg for you. Once you get into space, you plan to bite, claw, and scratch your way to the top of the galaxy -- even if it means combat with space police, hijacking cargo ships, taking over planetary colonies, and teaming up with some of the most infamous characters in the universe -- all to become the most rich and famous life form in all the universe!


Overview:
Starjack is a tactical game of galactic combat, expansion, commerce, and conquest. In this game, players will be able to buy, sell, trade, and steal their way into space. Once there, their options expand on a planetary scale -- travel to other planets, meet the natives, enlist them as crew, and take over their homeland -- by diplomacy, or by force. Meet other starships and do battle to destroy them... or if they have a lot of good cargo, board the ship and take it over from the inside-out, prisoners optional. Build your own fleet and ultimately become a galactic emperor.

The game plays, in many cases, on a field divided into hexagons. Planet and ship maps vary wildly in size and makeup, and can be connected to allow ship-to-ship boarding and hijacking. On ships, players control a crew, who are responsible for handling different functions of the ship -- man your cannons, or you will be unable to fire them. Have someone at the helm, or you won't be able to control critical ship functions. If part of your ship gets damaged, scramble to get any crew members out before the blast doors must be locked in order to prevent damage from spreading throughout the ship. Such duties can be handled by living crew (slower, more reliable, more expensive); or by automated systems (faster, less reliable, cheaper).

The game-play action is primarily turn-based. In combat, players position their crew members or ships in order to gain a positional advantage. Different actions are available to different units when they are in active control of the player.

Players can participate in a fluid commerce system, where currencies and commodities change value daily as resources become more abundant or scarce. Players can earn money by buying, selling, trading, and stealing resources. If one needs money quickly, they can sell their goods on the market. If one wants to maximize profits, they may opt to place goods on auction in the hopes that their items will garner enough interest to bring in the big bucks.

Players can also manage colonies that they control. Colonies can be run in a way that maximizes income; boosts resource production; or offers loyal recruits waiting to join you in your mission to rule the galaxy. A player can set up a hideout in a remote, hidden location to evade police pursuits, or arm a colony with heavy weaponry to vaporize the opposition.

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What most people don't understand about "enlightenment" is that it is not an end-goal; but where you find yourself just before taking a new "first step."

The above post is basically me thinking out loud... I would appreciate any thoughts/input any of you may have. Questions are also welcome.

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What most people don't understand about "enlightenment" is that it is not an end-goal; but where you find yourself just before taking a new "first step."

Isn't that basically Starflight?

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Bored? Head on over to my blog and see what I'm up to.

Microsoft XNA MVP

From what I can gather, it is similar to Starflight, but Starjack is much more "hands-on".

In Starjack, when you're in a combat situation on a ship, you have to man your stations (with either crew or automated systems), or they aren't functional. If you choose to board an enemy ship, the focus of the battle shifts from outer space, to inside your ship and whatever ship you've docked upon. Then you will need to wipe out/capture the other ship's crew, reach their bridge, and take it over.
The same principle applies to planetary/space colonies. If you enter a place as a hostile, your goal is to either take over the command center/capital, or disable their critical support systems (if applicable).

Depending on the context (engaged in space flight or space combat vs. "commerce mode", for example), the meta-game will change. All of the action sequences (i.e. pretty much everything except commerce or expansion) will be tactical, turn-based endeavors; whereas commerce and expansion will mainly be managed through a menu-based system (akin to what I imagine a stock-trading app would be like).

There are other things that might be different (I don't recall playing Starflight, unfortunately)... but I tend to think of Starjack as a cross-genre venture, combining elements from games like Elite, Grand Theft Auto, and the BattleTech system we've been chattering about.

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What most people don't understand about "enlightenment" is that it is not an end-goal; but where you find yourself just before taking a new "first step."

A feature I neglected to mention:

As an optional portion of the game, players can design their own ships and colonies. Basically, ships and colonies are made of "chunks" of tiles that can be fitted together to make a larger map. If one wanted to add more cannon stations to one of his ships, he could simply add a "chunk" map with a cannon in it to his ship's floor plan. Of course, one could also buy prefabricated ships as upgrades... or, you know, commandeer someone else's ship and use that.

But yeah, wanted to make a note of that idea.

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What most people don't understand about "enlightenment" is that it is not an end-goal; but where you find yourself just before taking a new "first step."

And remember, I'm mainly figuring out how to define the details of how things will work. So, if you read this, and you want to know more about how a particular part of the game would work, either suggest how you envision it or simply ask about it. If nothing else, when asked about something specific it would give me a way to try and explain it in order to make sure it works on paper -- and that I can properly express my thoughts on the subject.

So if you don't *think* you have anything to add, just pick out a feature that tickles your fancy -- or likewise makes you just scratch your head -- and mention what you want to know about it. Feedback is nummy.

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What most people don't understand about "enlightenment" is that it is not an end-goal; but where you find yourself just before taking a new "first step."

I'm not really big on these types of games, so I'm probably not the best to offer constructive feedback. If you get something up and running though, I'd be happy to try to break it.

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Bored? Head on over to my blog and see what I'm up to.

Microsoft XNA MVP

Thanks I think you'd like it more if I could nail down a good description of the game, explaining it *properly*... After all, the game-play will be heavily influenced by turn-based/tabletop strategy RPGs, with some more "advanced" features (commerce, ship/colony customization, territory expansion, resource management).

But yeah, need to work more on presenting the idea properly in the meantime.

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What most people don't understand about "enlightenment" is that it is not an end-goal; but where you find yourself just before taking a new "first step."

Standard Units
Standard Units are generic player- or computer-controlled entities that are capable of the following:

• Moving
• Manipulating interactive zones
• Engaging in combat

Moving involves a unit changing position on the map. When a unit is activated during its turn, it may move to a location specified by its controller, as long as the target location is within the movement range of the unit, and there are no obstructions along the way.

Manipulating interactive zones involves a unit having the ability to trigger special events when located within an "interactive zone". Examples of interactive zones would be the control panel for a ship cannon (which allows a unit to fire at targets outside of the ship), the command center on the bridge (allows control of vital functions within a ship), and escape jettisons (which allow a unit to escape from the inside of a ship).

Engaging in combat allows units to fire local weapons they carry at various targets, including other units. Accuracy of weapon attacks depends on factors such as distance from target (accuracy degrades as distance increases), obstructions/cover (accuracy is affected by the line-of-sight between the aggressor and target), and other factors such as target visibility (which may be affected to due smoke and/or fire; cloaking devices; lighting conditions, and so on).

Standard Unit Jobs
There are three "Unit Jobs" that describe the primary action of a unit -- the type of job to which it is best suited. The three types are based on the actions listed above, and include:

• Maintenance Units
• Engineer Units
• Guard Units

Maintenance Units move fast -- giving them the upper hand when it comes to being at the right place at the right time.
Engineer Units specialize in ship functions, which allows them to repair damaged equipment with interactive zones associated with them.
Guard Units are primarily used for melee combat within a ship. They can take much more damage than other standard units.

Standard Unit Properties
There are several special "Unit Properties" that augment the abilities of units. Some examples:

• Humanoid: A living unit.
• Mechanized: A robotic unit.
• Enhanced: A unit with above-average abilities.

Note that "Standard Units" include generic units only. Exclusions include ship captains, merchants, and other "unique" characters.

_________________
What most people don't understand about "enlightenment" is that it is not an end-goal; but where you find yourself just before taking a new "first step."

Ship Modules
All ships in Starjack are made of "ship modules" -- the basic building-blocks of the floor plan of any ship. Ship Modules are basically "chunks" of a map area, which can be connected together in the style of a grid to form a larger map. Each Module is more or less a "room", with a floor and walls, at least one portal, and may include special features such as interactive zones and "attachments".

Floor and Walls
The floor of a Ship Module is the area in which units and other entities may be positioned. They provide no cover. Walls, on the other hand, separate Ship Modules; units cannot cross over or be positioned onto walls. Additionally, walls provide cover from line-of-sight. Ship Modules all have the same size dimensions (exact figure TBD) for floor areas.

Portals
Portals provide a method of passage between two Ship Modules -- or between a Ship Module and outer space. Portals with Ship Modules on both sides are named "Blast Doors", while portals with a Ship Module on one end and outer space on the other side are called "Airlocks." Portals may be open or closed -- when open, the portal behaves as a standard floor area; otherwise, the portal is treated as a wall.

Attachments
Certain Ship Modules -- for example, engine rooms and ship cannons -- may include "attachments" that extend outside of the Ship Module itself. New Ship Modules cannot be added to a ship in a location in which an attachment is placed. In the example of an engine room, an attachment exists for the engine exhaust/thruster component. This component would extend into an area outside of the normal Ship Module dimensions -- overlapping another Ship Module "slot" -- making it impossible to place a new module in that space (unless the engine room is repositioned, or removed).

_________________
What most people don't understand about "enlightenment" is that it is not an end-goal; but where you find yourself just before taking a new "first step."

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What most people don't understand about "enlightenment" is that it is not an end-goal; but where you find yourself just before taking a new "first step."

Ship Modules and Ship Properties
The configuration of Ship Modules within the floor plan of a space ship can affect the properties of a ship.

Mass
With each new module, the mass of a ship grows. The more of a hulk a ship becomes, the slower and less maneuverable it will become. On the other hand, a more-massive ship will be much more difficult to destroy.

Resources
A ship needs resources to function -- fuel for engines, energy cells for support systems, and so on. Each Ship Module has an effect on the amount of resources needed to keep the ship going.

Combat
Each Ship Module is vulnerable to attack, at least to some extent. Outlying modules are more vulnerable than their counterparts which are surrounded by other modules. Modules have armor to absorb damage, but once the armor of a module is breached, it begins to lose its nominal status -- eventually the module can become unstable, catch fire, and ultimately explode -- which can cause massive damage to any surrounding modules not separated from the affected module by sealed blast doors.

Quarters
Modules that store something -- whether it be cargo or personnel -- are necessary for larger operations. The more storage space within a ship, the more efficiently it serves as a transport for various payloads.

Compensations
Following are example scenarios which can be troublesome, along with possible solutions.

• Slow speed: Upgrade engine existing engines and/or add more engine modules. Alternatively, reduce ship mass.
• Poor maneuverability: Add more engine modules.
• Lack of resources: Temporarily disable unnecessary support systems from the helm/bridge. Alternatively, remove modules that consume large amounts of resources.
• Critical-status modules: To prevent the damage from spreading, seal-off the affected area by closing its blast doors. Analyze how much attention should be focused on evacuating personnel vs. maintaining overall integrity of the ship.
• Lack of firepower: Upgrade existing cannons and/or add more cannon modules.

_________________
What most people don't understand about "enlightenment" is that it is not an end-goal; but where you find yourself just before taking a new "first step."

Resources
Resources are commodities that have a variety of uses. They can be traded on the market to raise revenue, used in manufacturing, and can serve as vital supply stock (ship fuel and the like).

How to Obtain Resources
Resources may be gained through any number of the following methods:

• Trade and commerce
• Planetary Mining
• Interstellar absorption
• Theft

Gaining Resources via Trade and Commerce
All resources have a per-unit value that fluctuates over time given the effect of supply-and-demand. Resources may be traded for other resources, or bought outright with Universal Currency.

Additionally, one can check out the auction center to find rare commodities; or try to get a cheap deal on something less sought-after.

Gaining Resources via Planetary Mining
Colonies built on a planet are able to go into "Production Mode", which basically means that the colony will focus its attention on mining resources available on that planet.

After a set period of time, a certain number of resources are produced based on the number of mining facilities in a colony. For every mining facility, anywhere from one to five units of a resource may be produced; however, there is a chance that no resources can be successfully retrieved. When this happens, the amount of resources that can be gained from mining decreases as the amount of raw materials begins to deplete. Thus, it is possible that, over time, a colony may not be able to produce any more of a certain commodity, forcing the colony either to expand, or shift its focus away from production.

Gaining Resources via Interstellar Absorption
Interstellar Absorption works mostly like planetary mining. However, some resources -- usually energy-based -- can only be "mined" in space by using ships equipped with resource collectors. The only difference is that the resources of space generally do not deplete over time.

Gaining Resources via Theft
A not-so-ethical method of obtaining resources is through theft. This can be done by raiding colonies and space ships. While such raids are quite dangerous, the resources procured from a successful raid has a rather undeniable rags-to-riches effect.

_________________
What most people don't understand about "enlightenment" is that it is not an end-goal; but where you find yourself just before taking a new "first step."

Associates
So you've nabbed a ship, rocketed into space, and have begun your galactic enterprise... now you find yourself without enough hours in the day to keep track of production, territory expansion, and construction -- all while you're in space expanding your horizons. What is an aspiring space-baron to do?

Hire associates -- that's what!

If you ever find yourself micro-managing every detail, and need an extra hand to manage things while you have bigger fish to fry, you can hire associates -- employees who will aid you in overseeing your empire. Associates can keep you up-to-date on the important stuff, while making more routine decisions on their own -- allowing you to focus on the task at hand, with less worry about other aspects of your ventures.

In the end, for a fee, you too can have your own associates, who will keep things running for you while you're out and about. It's like a maid-service, but for galactic dominators!

_________________
What most people don't understand about "enlightenment" is that it is not an end-goal; but where you find yourself just before taking a new "first step."

Territory and Expansion
A major factor in measuring your success as a galactic overlord is the territory you control. There are two basic types of territory: Developed, and Undeveloped.

Developed Territory
Developed territory includes terrestrial colonies and space stations. In reality, colonies and space stations look, behave, and are interacted with in a virtually identical manner -- the main difference being whether they are located on a planet or in space.

Colonies can be constructed and expanded on a planet in order to harvest its resources, engage in commerce with merchants, and serve as a base of operations. Colonies are made of separate locations, these locations not being unlike modules of a ship. Locations have specific uses based on their types. These types of locations include mining/production facilities; manufacturing/factory facilities; commerce centers; habitation centers; military installations; and assault installations.

Space stations tend to be more expensive than colonies, as they require more resources to remain operable. However, they have the potential to be excellent centers of commerce among space travelers. While space stations do not support mining facilities, they may be outfitted with absorption collectors to harvest resources that are only found in the dark beyond. Apart from these details, space stations and terrestrial colonies function in much the same way.

Undeveloped Territory
Undeveloped territory is any territory on a planet or in space that does not have a colony or space station residing within. Undeveloped territory is considered fair game for development, as long as one has the necessary funds to "break ground", as it were.

Colonial Developments

• Mining/Production facilities are locations that can either tap into and collect nearby resources, or convert resources into goods, such as fuel and supplies.
• Manufacturing/Factory facilities are industrial zones which serve to either modify and develop designs for various purposes, or they can be set to produce "cookie-cutter" constructs more rapidly.
• Commerce centers are where trade occurs between citizens and travelers, generating revenue for your empire.
• Habitation centers represent a respite for weary denizens. These are what keeps the entire colony alive -- literally.
• Military stations are responsible for training and recruiting soldiers to do battle wherever and whenever necessary.
• Assault stations are the first line of defense for a colony, as they keep potential invaders at bay.

_________________
What most people don't understand about "enlightenment" is that it is not an end-goal; but where you find yourself just before taking a new "first step."

Hostile Invasions and Raids
Of course, we all know that doing things the lawful way is boring, and sometimes a little brute force should be applied in some situations. This brings us to the concepts of hostile invasions and raids.

Hostile Invasions
When the goal is complete and utter control, you want a hostile invasion. The goal is simple: Locate the command center (colony or space station) or helm (space ship), lead your troops there, and kill or capture the leader. In other words, the king is dead... long live YOU!

Successfully carrying out a hostile invasion gives the aggressor complete control over the colony/space station/space ship, and all its resources. It will also garner a lot of hostility from space police, so you may want to lay low after you engage in a hostile invasion until the heat simmers down.

Raids
If you're not quite up to a full-on assault, but you're in a bind for resources (or just want to cause trouble), pulling off a raid is your next-best solution. Rather than hunt down the commanding officer and take over the entire entity, your goal is to get in, grab as much stuff as possible (OK, and doing some damage along the way won't hurt), and get out -- hopefully in one piece. Raids are generally not as grueling and intense as a full-on takeover attempt, but the rewards scale down proportionally to the reduction in risk.

_________________
What most people don't understand about "enlightenment" is that it is not an end-goal; but where you find yourself just before taking a new "first step."

Characters
Characters are (usually) forms of life with some degree of will/sentience. The character that represents you in-game is known as the Player Character. Other character types come in two general forms: Combat (who primarily participate in action sequences); and Civil (characters who primarily aren't around when the fighting is going on).

Combat Characters are generally referred to as "units". Standard Units are vanilla characters with no personality; they are generic combatants just in it for the money. Command Units are characters who are in charge of a ship or colonial installation, and are the primary target in an invasion or raid. Unique Units are famous and/or important characters that are, as the name suggests, unique; they include legendary mercenaries, rival space adventurers, and members of opposing crews or the space police.

Civil Characters are primarily those with which one deals in a less direct manner. Merchants engage in trade with other characters and organizations. Barons are those who control territory and space ships -- basically you, but under a different banner. Associates are people who work under Barons and are considered their underlings. Liaisons serve as mediators on a Baron's behalf; they can -- for a fee -- do things like bribe space police or rival Barons to do (or *not* do) certain things.

Any other civil character that doesn't fall under the umbrellas of merchants, barons, associates, or liaisons are generally referred to as "Populace" characters. Populace characters are different from more specific character types in that they tend to be dealt with in groups, rather than individually.

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Organizations
Of course, generally all characters are part of some organization -- even if it's a simple matter of a populace living in a certain territory.

Enterprises are run by an individual, or a small group. Enterprises represent an independent individual's territorial, fiscal, and expeditionary interests combined.

Agencies are run by a collective. These include the space police and its subsidiaries, as well as entities that include general governance and regulation.

Both enterprises and agencies tend to have allegiances and rivalries with other organizations. Enterprises tend to form these relationships in a more personal, direct way than agencies -- which simply tend to follow the rules they set for themselves.

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What most people don't understand about "enlightenment" is that it is not an end-goal; but where you find yourself just before taking a new "first step."

That pretty much sums it up.

I've covered virtually all of the major game play aspects. If anything is missing, it probably isn't huge -- and it probably is something I overlooked because it was so simple. So, you can rest easy that I won't be spamming this topic so much from here on out -- if anything needs adjusting, I will edit the details inline rather than create a new post.

Sorry for bugging anyone with the constant posting -- I'll let you have a turn now, so again, please relay *any* random thoughts, suggestions, questions, or issues you have related to the material within this thread.

Thank you!

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What most people don't understand about "enlightenment" is that it is not an end-goal; but where you find yourself just before taking a new "first step."

I'll have to take a while and look through all that.

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Bored? Head on over to my blog and see what I'm up to.

Microsoft XNA MVP

Heh! If it helps, you can address one section/concept at a time. I know it's a lot, so it's best if you take it in pieces.

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What most people don't understand about "enlightenment" is that it is not an end-goal; but where you find yourself just before taking a new "first step."