Steph'nie wrote:
1. Same text over and over gain would get boring at one point, wouldn't it?

... as if the same impersonal text over and over again is any more interesting! That's no argument.

Steph'nie wrote:
In the current G2G, there is already something similar being voted on: Tech discovery - faction specific illustrations and new music.

Sorry, but "new music" and a pic has nothing to do with speech. You've realised yourself that Amplitude has apparently some problems to fill ES with atmosphere, so why devaluate suggestions which would definitively be helpful?

Personally, I like the way it is currently. Yes, everything if the same impersonal message, but it's precise and concise. Once I would have read each different message once, I wouldn't pay attention to it anymore.

And please, if you plan to implement voice in the game, put an option to put if off. I have to say that's something that annoys me in most games is voice, mainly because it's badly made. I feel that would break the cool UI we have. To me it's more "noise pollution" in the same way that some games have overdone interface with too much stuff on it.



@ Talsar : I see it a one same piece of work. If the AI had personality, it would had variety, and more, rely on traits/affinity of the race. That would obviously improve the gameplay. To me the point in AI that still need a lot of works is diplomacy, because even IRL, that is very complex.

Tommmcatt wrote:
This is a good game, but a more varied and personal AI would make it a great one.

Sure but before they can give the AI a personality they should fix the worst bugs or at least improve the AI in a way that it can compete on a high level without needing "cheats"...

I have to agree... maybe even go beyond the voice suggestion and try and massage the AI so that the main factions have differing personalities and playstyles (or perhaps just do more to reveal the differences that already exist). This is a good game, but a more varied and personal AI would make it a great one.

The way of the universe: someone somewhere will always whine about something

Codename_Veers wrote:
That's right, but I am sure not seconds after this improvement is out, somebody would start complaining about that it is just one "boring" computervoice.

True. This Games2gether-thingy is a never ending story, is it?

That's right, but I am sure not seconds after this improvement is out, somebody would start complaining about that it is just one "boring" computervoice. But for me it would work right now, true.

Codename_Veers wrote:
perhaps even separated for each race and that we should have some variation of voice-feedback from ships or systems.

Having all this stuff separated for each race would be nice, no question, but this is definitively too much asked for. Especially voice feetback doesn't have to be specific for each race, I simply imagine a generic computer voice telling you important things that are going on in your empire. This would require just one actor / actress and wouldn't be so much work to implement eiter!

Steph'nie wrote:
1. Same text over and over gain would get boring at one point, wouldn't it?

2. Already greatly suggested in a recent thread (maybe old) when I was gathering ideas to bring more immersion in the game and life in the galaxy. I actually really liked the idea of sound/music or voices (trickier, as it requires voice actor(s) for instance, and how do you even represent the Amoeba? ). In the current G2G, there is already something similar being voted on: Tech discovery - faction specific illustrations and new music.

Yea, I made a few suggestions back than, also asking for sounds and voices. Perhaps this could be implemented in the Expansionpack as addition to the "improved" battle-system.

But I think too, that if there are more pop-up-texts, there should be varied, perhaps even separated for each race and that we should have some variation of voice-feedback from ships or systems. Perhaps popups, which are readed by a voice-act, or com-talk during battle. ^^ But this isn't that easy to manage right now, with the team being a bit small. Even though I am sure community-members would love to send in some voice-acts from themselves. Did I mention that I am a actor by the way...?

Steph'nie wrote:
for instance, and how do you even represent the Amoeba? ).

With Darth Vader/Bane style voice boxes?

First of all, congrats for making a great game Amplitude! You've really done an amazing job, ES is definitively one of the best games I've come across in years! But as you know, the lack of ambience is still one of its major weaknesses.



Right now I don't really feel like beeing the emperor of a galaxy-spanning empire but more like a guy operating a program called ES. One reason for that is probably that no one talks to me. No one informs me that ships have been build, planets have been successfully invaded, research has been done and so on. And when I'm informed about something (e.g. when the enemy starts invading my planets), the text message tells me that in a completely neutral/unemotional way as if I was only an operator. Come on, I'm the freaking emperor!!! Make me feel that way Amplitude!





My suggestions to improve that aspect (sorry if that has been suggested before) are...



1. Personalize text messages (and add some more). Instead of giving me the plain information "system x is invaded by AI#3" it could sound like that: "Emperor, we're receiving a distress call from our colony in the Deneb system, the Cravers have begun an invasion!" Easy to achieve but makes you feel that cold shiver running down your back, does it? Makes immersion much easier.



2. Add some voice output! As you mentioned yourself (concerning PBEM), its freakin' 2012! Games began to use voice output in the mid 90s and that for a good reason. The game experience greatly benefits if someone actually talks to you. Not necessarily something special, just short messages here and there telling you "Research completed", "Invasion successful", "Incoming diplomatic offer" and so on (preferably said by that sexy female computer voice .png" alt="smiley: " title="" />, just kidding). Again this is not too much work but it will greatly help drawing the player into your universe!



Again thanks for making ES and keep up the good work!

Steph'nie wrote:
1. Same text over and over gain would get boring at one point, wouldn't it?

2. Already greatly suggested in a recent thread (maybe old) when I was gathering ideas to bring more immersion in the game and life in the galaxy. I actually really liked the idea of sound/music or voices (trickier, as it requires voice actor(s) for instance, and how do you even represent the Amoeba? ). In the current G2G, there is already something similar being voted on: Tech discovery - faction specific illustrations and new music.

It could be picked at random from a list of different messages. And people in-house could do the voices

And many games just made up some gibberish sounds for some races. I would guess an amoeba either sounds like a slushy blob of wetness or are telepathic.

Steph'nie wrote:
1. Same text over and over gain would get boring at one point, wouldn't it?

I wouldn't say boring, but it is probably annoying to read through several lines of text if the message could be summarized in a few words. One could avoid that by highlighting the "key words" so you can see at a glance what's up. And fore those who like that personalized messages they could read them.



This way you have both personalized messages which increase the gaming experience (imho) and you don't loose the convenience of seeing at a glance what's up.

Dropfish wrote:
1. Personalize text messages (and add some more). Instead of giving me the plain information "system x is invaded by AI#3" it could sound like that: "Emperor, we're receiving a distress call from our colony in the Deneb system, the Cravers have begun an invasion!" Easy to achieve but makes you feel that cold shiver running down your back, does it? Makes immersion much easier.



2. Add some voice output! As you mentioned yourself (concerning PBEM), its freakin' 2012! Games began to use voice output in the mid 90s and that for a good reason. The game experience greatly benefits if someone actually talks to you. Not necessarily something special, just short messages here and there telling you "Research completed", "Invasion successful", "Incoming diplomatic offer" and so on (preferably said by that sexy female computer voice lol, just kidding). Again this is not too much work but it will greatly help drawing the player into your universe!

1. Same text over and over gain would get boring at one point, wouldn't it?

2. Already greatly suggested in a recent thread (maybe old) when I was gathering ideas to bring more immersion in the game and life in the galaxy. I actually really liked the idea of sound/music or voices (trickier, as it requires voice actor(s) for instance, and how do you even represent the Amoeba? ). In the current G2G, there is already something similar being voted on: Tech discovery - faction specific illustrations and new music.

I love the idea of having voices in the game.

maur4395 talked about SOTS2 and I have to say that I didn't like SOTS2 but I loved SOTS1, partially because of the announcer for each race, it makes it feel like you are in the control of the race you are playing.

maur4395 wrote:
One problem I see though is that implementing talking messages at the beginning of turns would leave the computer talking for several minutes as it lets you know the dozen things that are transpiring.

Of course you don't wanna have a voice message for every single ship/improvement that was produced last turn. But there are still plenty of occasions that don't occur 10 times every turn and where a voice message would be really nice, like research, diplomatic stuff,...

maur4395 wrote:
I agree that they could use to be less impersonal and instead match the personality of the selected race

Having the text messages matching the personality of each race would be even greater of course, but anything would be better than the totally impersonal messages that we see right now.

I definitely think this is one area SOTS2 does better, the ambient talk. One problem I see though is that implementing talking messages at the beginning of turns would leave the computer talking for several minutes as it lets you know the dozen things that are transpiring.



But maybe some auditory feedback (talking) when selecting a card. I agree that they could use to be less impersonal and instead match the personality of the selected race. I.E I would suspect the Sowers would have less of an empire set up since they were supposedly created by the endless so I would expect to see more of a peer-to-peer talk. But the Empire I would expect more grovelling since it is an Empire with an Emperor.



Another idea is to to have notifications stacked. I.E all of my military notifications would be under a military tab that auto-expands when my cursor hovers it, all of my building completions the same thing. It would clean up the UI a lot.



I also would like to see the building pop-up go away since I have to reopen it for every system that needs something added to the queue, which in the end game, can be 7 or 8 times, or I may accidentally dismiss the popup and now I have to go into the empire management screen and do the same thing. I think less pop-ups in the UI would be very helpful.

Sounds very interesting.

Nice suggestions Dropfish! Like them a lot!