Comments and Suggestions on the Privateer Remake Library

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Spaceman Spiff
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Comments and Suggestions on the Privateer Remake Library

Post by Spaceman Spiff »

Hi,

As you have noticed, I am trying to create a Privateer Remake link-library.
If you got any comments or suggestions, if you've found mistakes (this is especially for the devs and mods), please tell me. Even moaning about my terrible English will be welcome ;).
You are a newbie and need help? Check out the Wing Commander Universe and Privateer Remake Library Project

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Post by Privateer Ferrius »

I could cross post the ships list to the library if you wish.
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Spaceman Spiff
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Post by Spaceman Spiff »

Take a look, it's already in ;) ...

How far are you going with your ship list? At the moment I got billions of threads about "were to get" and stuff. If you would include all this information into your list, your list would be sufficient. Give it a thought... :)
You are a newbie and need help? Check out the Wing Commander Universe and Privateer Remake Library Project

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Post by Privateer Ferrius »

I intend to inlcude everything purchasable, I'm just trying to track down where (and under what conditions) you can buy everything - I wasn't exactly taking notes when I went through the game the first time.
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Draken Stark
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Multiplayer?

Post by Draken Stark »

I don't recal seeing how to "edit in" the some-what unnoticed splitscreen mode.
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Re: Multiplayer?

Post by Spaceman Spiff »

Draken Stark wrote:I don't recal seeing how to "edit in" the some-what unnoticed splitscreen mode.
I can barely remember hearing about it myself... ;). I'll have to check. Maybe one of the devs can say a word about this in the meantime...
You are a newbie and need help? Check out the Wing Commander Universe and Privateer Remake Library Project

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Post by Spaceman Spiff »

Thanks chuck :) Though I've hardly done anything during the last weeks... :oops:
You are a newbie and need help? Check out the Wing Commander Universe and Privateer Remake Library Project

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Aensland
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Comments and Suggestions

Post by Aensland »

The link said to post comments and suggestions in this thread, so here goes :)

(A) Input issues.

1. Some keys don't work. E.g. ins/del roll on the keypad. The '/' and '*' keys work, but those are above the keypad, akward to reach (I'm a keyboard flier).

2. 'o' doesn't work. According to the manual, it's supposed to display mission objectives. It's defined there in vegastrike.config (had to dig around), but pressing 'o' does nothing. So if the mission objective text gets scrolled off, there's no way to re-display them. Consequently, this means you have no clue what you're supposed to do next.

(B) Cockpit display issues while flying. Refer pdf manual page 45.

3. Mission objective display (item #4). I object to having the mission text displayed on-screen, the Tarsus cockpit view is cramped enough. Can't we fit them onto the HUD, or like the original game did, put them in a pop-up menu (like you're already doing with the 'M' nav menu)?

4. Mission objective text colour - I'm not sure, but isn't red = uncompletable? I thought that not yet done = green, highlighted = yellow?/bright green, done = dark green, and uncompletable/failed = red. Please correct me if that's wrong.

5. When you've got a lot of text, like taunts and replies, and use pgup/pgdown to scroll, eventually you'll make the mission objective text (item #4) disappear. This means you're screwed since the 'o' key doesn't work.

6. Apparently there are no more scroll-through-the-different-HUDs keys (formerly '[' and ']' in Privateer, if I recall correctly). Not that important, but if a specific HUD key fails to work (like 'o' for displaying mission objectives), I have no alternate way of viewing it by cycling through the different HUD views.


(C) Others

7. I suppose it's convenient to integrate the personal Nav computer with the Mission computer (indeed, with almost every shop interface, it seems), but this integrated display doesn't show which base, let alone which system, you are in. For example starting at Achillies in Troy. The Nav simply says "mining_base [merchant]". It would be more useful to know "Achillies [mining_base], Troy system".

8. Once you accept a mission from the Mission computer, it appears under "Active Missions", yes? Unfortunately, all it ever says there in the Objectives portion of the screen is "Jump to final system: Troy.: 0%". It doesn't remind me what I need to do, rescue who, defend what, or patrol where.

9. The inertial-style flight controls remind me of X-Wing as opposed to Privateer. Instead of turning in the direction you press at a constant speed then stopping when you let go, it slowly turns faster, then overshoots when you let go. This, combined with the faster game engine, reminds me more of X-Wing than Privateer.

E.g. A mere 2 pirates can kick my ass, whereas in the original Privateer straight fresh in a new game I could take on 3-4 of them per nav point for the entire 6-nav patrol and still manage to complete the mission. Even chasing one ship is a chore. I can't stay on their tails anymore, their Talons fly around my Tarsus like ballet dancers and rip me to shreds. I know the Tarsus is less maneuverable, but I don't recall them being this agile.


Well, it certainly looks nice (although I don't care about effects), and I can get used to the shop interfaces, but the flying is a bit too fast-paced for me now plus the cumbersome controls certainly don't help. It's a shame really, I was looking forward to checking out the fleet option, launchable fighters, AI turrets, wingmen, and new random mission types.
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Aensland
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Re: Comments and Suggestions

Post by Aensland »

I may have jumped the gun on the controls :)

Using a mouse control scheme is way better. Oh well, there goes rolling. Drag to Steer is fast but twitchy (no way to change mouse sensitivity?), but the regular Use Mouse control is much smoother, like the keyboard controls ought to be. I'm using a two-button optical mouse with a scrollwheel btw. The scrollwheel doesn't do anything (rolling would be nice).

With controls resolved I can get back into the game. Still not happy with the mission objectives display. Also, when you complete them, they disappear; this can be worrying for the insecure or the obsessive. "Have I done it yet?" I really prefer the old Privateer pop-up style for viewing mission objectives, because it's reassuring to look at a completely dark list, "I've done them all". Nothing really wrong with the current display, but make them toggleable (display/hide) to reduce clutter. Still getting acclimatised to the various HUD buttons.

Won't be flying much, gotta work too :)
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Aensland
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Post by Aensland »

I just came across the screenshots on Gemini Gold (didn't think I'd miss that for so long).

http://priv.solsector.net/news.htm

While I enjoy PR's enhancements, the text display thing is still the thorn in the side. Compare the last two bottom sets of pictures. I definitely prefer the original / GG uncluttered look. I'm hazarding the GG base computers retain the old look too; which, while not as... efficient... as the PR style, is easier to grasp at a glance.

Guess I'm just old fashioned. Don't get me wrong, all the enhancements in PR are cool. The new missions, multiple ships, intelligent turrets... heck, wingmen! Those are just simply awesome - not to mention all the extra voice acting? So much effort must be lauded. But the interface is a large part of the experience, and I can't help but feel the original / GG's look is more intuitive, more streamlined.
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