Star-map tiers are...lame

Best post i have seen on this forum, would be a much more satisfying system for exploration and progression. Signed up here just to agree, +1000 Pixels to OP

 

This system would be much better than the actual one!
I hope the devs will be smart enough to accept a change in the core of their progression mechanisme.
+1

 

personally i think the tiers should be more based on planet hostility. higher tiers could have things like airless worlds. and if you try to go there before you have the tech for pressurised suits, then you just die horribly and funnily.

 

Brilliant Ideas you got there. I fully support them.

The current system is very lame..i have to agree.

I too think that it should be just one big map to make it feel like a universe and not cut into tiered pieces. Space should be scannable and explorable without map hopping and never getting back.

 

so you would force players to stop progressing forward with the game to have to take a step back to go to lower tier worlds?

I think I came up with something better, make lower tiered worlds have quest objectives. Like having to take something to a glitch wizard that lives in a lower tiered world, or getting a treasure map that shows you where to dig under ground for a specific treasure.

 

I agree wholeheartedly. If we can go with this open world approach, I think it'd be nice to see low-tier planets with a comfortable biome (jungle for Florans, Arid for Avians, Forest for Humans and Apex, Grassland for Glitch, and semi-aquatic/swamp for Hylotl) have large NPC populations. Higher tier or less hospitable planets could have small outposts, labs, or other frontier style constructions since people wouldn't want to live there.

 

I agree with OP, I don't even bother to make my base fancy or something. I just make a box with a campfire just outside, a torch and a bed. Thats it, why would I make something awesome if I won't go there anyway?

 

Agreed. Right now, other then for curiosity's sake, there's not need to travel to other planets (especially on the low end of the spectrum) in a sector. Simply mine the hell out of whatever planet you're on, make the boss item, pop the boss, kill the boss, move to the next sector, repeat. With the level system, at the very least you'd HAVE to hit up 3-5 planets in order to secure a weapon strong enough to deal with the boss (without using cheese tactics.)

A hard balance to strike. before people hopped to planet to planet, finding whatever dungeon exists on it, then taking off. Now people don't want to leave the planet at all.

 

As it stands, high level worlds are just low level worlds but with inflated values. It's like playing an MMO, really- just a loot treadmill punctuated by grinding.

 

I think that could be determined by a mix of the systems planet tier, Civilization level and resources present.

 

I thought this was a great quote. Currently the progression feels a lot like playing World of Warcraft, progressing thru the expansions. You can reach the level cap and get the best possible gear, and dominate everything there is. But, once the new expansion is out, that ultra powerful epic gear that you worked so hard for is quickly rendered useless by the basic gear you get as you start the next expansion. Sector progression feels uncomfortably familiar.

 

I honestly just hate the fact that biomes are tier specific...

 

Instead of getting a little map upgrade Id like to see the bosses provide upgrades to your ship and your tech.
Tier 1 takes place in a single star system. Defeating the boss gives you the magma core. This acts as a power supply for the FTL drive and opens up the starmap.

T2-6:Megaman time. You can fly freely now but your ship is still a piece of junk. Explore planets acquiring unique materials from various biomes to create parts to upgrade your ship.Each tier has a boss that lets you upgrade a part of your ship allowing access to new planet biomes (Need heat shielding to land on Arid planets) or new areas of the map (need advanced astrometrics to cross an astroid field) keep going until your ship is fully upgraded/repaired. This stage also allows you to make your ship larger to make it a more appropriate home base.

T:7-9 Story tiers. Once you ship is all swanky and awesome you get sucked into the plot of the game. Beat up the baddies and save the galaxy. This phase involves less of the digging/ore gathering and ops to unlock armor/tech/weapons as you complete maps.

T10 Endgame tomfoolery in space. Completeing the story unlocks access to a new star map full of fun and death to screw around in till you get bored.

 

Not bad indeed. Could fit into the OP's suggestions very well

 

Sounds good, except every tier should be a story tier, because quests are good. I feel that soon one of the reasons to return to a previous tier/planet is because there's a civilization that you have a good reputation with, and having a high reputation with a civilization gives access to better quests, rewards and shops perhaps.

 

Sure with the OP's system it would add a nice flow if tied with your idea.

 

Bump thread. Amazing idea must get the attention of devs!

 

I would like to see you discover the universe through uninhabited worlds and areas that are controlled by the different races too.Apes control this area of the universe and you can find their home planet even. Different planets with bases, outposts, research stations,mining colonies,military installations,fleets,ect.This goes for all the races.Each with their own items to sell and loot.You may need to gather techs and items from all races to complete you master inventory.Different resources can be found in different areas of the galaxy or under certain races territory.This would greatly enhance the need to explore and make it interesting.Also if the galaxy was dynamic you could have races at war and thus fighting in space or on planets you go too.Another interesting exploration idea is to find huge crashed ship lodged into the planet(or halfway).Techs and goodies could be found in these or vital components to upgrade your ship.Maybe even when you commit a crime in an aliens space they keep track of it and all their worlds could become hostile.Or you could help them fight a war on a planet and take control of the planet and help them attack new ones shaping the galaxy.

 

Honestly, free-form sandbox game based on exploration is what I expected to begin with. That sort of this is how the game was touted from the start.

The fact that your wrists are shackled and you're locked down in to a progression path is kind of ridiculous. Damages the whole sandbox spirit of the game, imo. It's almost like they originally wanted to do one type of game, then somewhere they did an abrupt turnaround and decided instead to do something else.

It's almost like Tiy forgot that the true free form games like Minecraft and Terraria were big hits. What's sad is he was there for one of them.

 

I agree with your sentiment, but just wanted to point out that Terraria isn't a 'true free form game', as you have pretty much exactly the same progression blocks in place by way of bosses.