I drew up a list, just names, so whichever you don't understand, ill try and fill in the blanks for you. Yes i know quite a few of these have been mentioned in the WIKI but i plan on having faked screenshots so you have an idea of what i want it to look like.
Boarding enemy craft (like you mentioned): You can actually dock with the enemy (would be quite difficult however, in the middle of a dogfight)
Enemy board you (like you mentioned): Wouldn't happen very often, like i mentioned above
Unmanned orbital stations (like you mentioned): Satalites that could either be just for TV viewing, to military intelligence, to planetary defence.
Planets can actually fire on ships (like you mentioned): So You can't just hide behind planets like i do in aera space (they hate me)
Differant speech display: Maybe more RPG style, with a bubble appearing over the person? I just don't like the current one, plus, i'm a fast reader and having to wait for the "typewriter" effect to complete is a real pain.
3D Interiors/Exteriors: You can actually walk around everywhere, by pressing a button, you can walk around your own ship to fix problems your auto-repair bots can't, you can walk around enemy ships and take out/take hostage all the crew (though don't go too overdose on the shooting), maybe even go on a spacewalk?
Space -> Planet realtime rendering: I think maybe you've seen my previous post on this, i think there should be one or two, pre-rendered "bits" of a planet (where you have to dock), and the rest is just random generated mesh. Still would be cool if your spaceship is out of controll so you have to land on a planet, use the 3D walking around to fix your engines, and set off again (just an idea)
Docking procedures changed: This is the first thing i'm going to post a screenshot of my idea. I think that the little green squares can be a bit decieving (often the cause of many crashes and swearing). So why not have a sieries(sp?) of squares which show you the angle, and where to approach from, and then a wireframe box that you have to be in to dock.
Remove that god awful space background: Ok, so this may be just a personal preferance, but sometimes, the background is a little to in-your-face and fanciful, have it a little more realistic
like that. Notice how it has a small, nice background, but nothing
too fancy. My personal hate is that red one, I can't even see my target box on it and i have to rely on my sensors to get me to the next jump node.
Realistic planet distances: Not
too realistic, however, something like the Sol system from 0.4.3 seems about right. where as to get from one end to the other is around 1000 Lightseconds. After all, it's easy to FTL in VS (with Flight mode and SPEC) and would only take about 5 minutes for an experienced flyer to get there. 2 Lightseconds away from the sun, however, is not realistic at all. Granted, niether is the sol system in VS, but it's as close as you can get without cracking your head several times against the wall in frustration.
Fixed solarsystem: Maybe, having an auto-update feature, so if you're connected to the internet, you can update the XML sheet that defines the systems. If you do that, and not have randomly generated ones, the community could be linked closer (as well as if a multiplayer/MMOSS presented itself). Imagine finding a good fighter barracks that sell some weapons cheap, you could have a dedicated section on the forums where you could tell everyone else about your find, and you could have people mapping out the solarsystem too.
Sun/planet burning up: Ok, here I am, with a Llama, no shields and i'm 5000 Meters away from the sun... is that possible? i don't think so. Just make something like (in my makeshift code language)
If player.ship is >10000 Meters away sol/sol
Damage player.ship 300Mj/s
If lpayer.ship is >5000 Meters away sol/sol
Damage player.ship 1000Mj/s
and so on.
At least one city per planet walkable: If you did put the 3D maps/walking around in, then you should be able to walk around the capital city of the world, as well as the docking station, perhaps there's a rare "delecasy(sp?" that you can buy round some back ally for cheap and sell it for mega credits? Also, it'll look quite good if you use a better docking system and have to approach the planet, and you break through the atmosphere to find a large city in front of you.
Bank: Yes, a bank. Alright, i'm going slightly too Roleplaying and i suppose i am biased that way, but i think that you could put money in the bank (gain intrest, get loans ect.) and carry only a little bit of cash on you. That way, if pirates take over your ship/you're forced to evacuate, you lose all the money on you (a feature not implemented yet) but still have some in the bank.
Currencies: Hmm.. very large galaxy, one currency. Not bloody likely. Maybe keep credits as the "Euro" of space, but occassionaly, some people like ISO (aka The Greatest britain of all) might not want to change, you could also make money off the exchange rates.
Exploded debrie lasts longer:What i'm thinking of is massive debrie floating around space in the middle of a dogfight is quite a cool thing to have, imagine hiding behind a large piece of capship, or flying into a massive debrie field to help escape pirates
Bigger asteroid fields I don't like the current asteroid fields, they seem a little too small, i want huge ones, which you need to navigate slowly, but there could be a pilot needs rescuing on the other side. no SPECing through these, you'd be ripped to shreds
Auto-Eject:I'm sick of constantly exploding and having to restart, i want an auto-eject feature, where if the ship becomes irreperable (ie: 10 seconds away from explosion) you're shot out so you don't die. If your escape pod gets seen however, you're toast.
Enemies almost always eject: Most times, i'll blow up a ship and that's it. Nothing. Most of the time, pilots would eject, so you could tractor them in and sell them into slavery, or just blow them up (heh heh heh)
War zones (front lines): Oh come on. There's a war going on, i doubt there'd be little skirmish's and no real front line, what about the bordering systems betwee two rival factions? The new engine can handle more ships, imagine jumping on a regular cargo run with your Llama, and heading unwillingly, into a 40 on 40 (or less, maybe that'd be much of a frame rate hit) battle between the Uln and ISO (do they hate each other? I can't remember)
Re worked inter-system travel: The SPEC drive is good, i have to admit, but maybe actual scaling units? so, Kph (with an Mph option for UK people, Kph confuses us) then Kps (kilometers per second) then c (light speed)
More advanced passangers: Imagine having passangers that react to your flight/situation. They might require food, water, eroti.... I mean, entertainment...
Fuel can actually run out: I know this is to be implemented anyway, but let me expand a little...
You're on your way, out of cephid_17 when you get intercepted by a couple of luddites. After using about 14 Lightseconds worth of fuel manuevering around the tricky buggers, you're low... Crap, you can't get to any planet quick enough, and the nearest jump point (and a planet just beyond it) is quicker. So you jump (and by doing so, use all of your fuel), leaving you dead. Luckily, you took out all those luddites and none have followed you. You engage "Solar sail mode" a mode that uses solar energy, or background radiation, or something, to power you along, at 1000Kph in flight mode... If there's no solar energy nearby (maybe the closer to a sun, the faster you can go?) then you're stuffed.
Good idea?
Can be hired (ie: have a job): I'd like to actually have a job, instead of being a mercenary. It could have roughly the same system (random jobs to do ect.) but you're given a fixed salery (say 20000 per week) so some jobs could be dead easy and some very hard. And being hired by a certain company could also give you friends and enemies
Random instrument failure/wear and tear: Occasionally, instruments should fail, your sensors might not work right (tell you things are there that arn't really) or parts of your hud dissapear(become fuzzy or whatever) or you suddenly can't move very fast, or maneuver very well.. This needs to be fixed at your local planet, or whatever. Or, on a very rare occasion, your instrument might be unusable, and you may have to replace it.
Bigger/wider variety of ships (bigger as in size): I think, at the moment, VS has a huge number of ships (don't know the actual number, but is probably near 50) but i think it needs to be expanded on a little, i know it is very taxing, but obviously, the community could help out and such, maybe an auto-update program? I want something capable of carrying a capship. I want something dedicated to racing, something with enough gun power to take out a planet (not literally of course) or maybe, another variation on a llama... Just a thought.
Traders acutally ask for trade: Yes, we know we can all dock with ships and trade, but how about getting a hail on com "I'm selling/buying x at y price, do you want to trade?"
At which point (if it's cheap, or if they're willing to pay a good price), you'd snatch their arm of (or in the case of the Aera, all 6 XD)
An average price for items: If you buy an item from a mining colony, lets say, Diesel, it's up for offer at 100 credits (i know this isn't true, but i havn't got VS running to get the actual values) and the average price (listed below, or to the side or something) says it's normally worth 120 credits. You'd buy some and sell it. It helps newbies on what is and what isn't a good price.
Jump nodes = Jump gates (collidable): Jump nodes are great, i love the idea. But how about an actual structure, such as a stargate-type structure that you have to physically fly through, but still require a jump drive, otherwise you just fly through the ring. They could also be destroyable, so you can cut certain systems off a route, so you could be happily trading away, using your trusty old route, only to find a jump gate gone and a couple of Pirates lurking behind the one-was great jumpgate.
Gravity affects flight: Flying closer to a planet should affect your flight, so to conserve fuel (as you do quite often in ORBITER) you can actually slingshot round planets. Imagine having to abandon ship, flying out of orbit with your escape pod and watching your poor hyena crash into the gas giant. Then cringe as you see the tiny explosion. There go's 200000 credits.
Docking costs for certain areas: Some places might sell items really cheap, so you could go there, only to find it costs 300 credits a time to dock there. Gutted if you're only saving 20 Credits a time. Maybe jump node costs as well, for special "hyper routes"
Ordering:, why not? As someone mentioned in a previous post, they wanted some Aera shields or something, you could spend 10000 in fuel/repairs/jump node costs ect. and then a further 10000 on the item in question, or you could order the item, go on a cargo mission, come back to wherever you ordered it from and it'll be waiting for you, only 3000 credits in cost.
Reworked prices: I know, i know, everyone go's on about it, but i think that, along with differant currencies, there should be differant reworked prices, maybe roughly 1 Credit to the dollar? or something similar.
Better, userfriendly (no longer a mod tool) Time compression: I know that Time compression is a mod tool, but it is also half of my way of getting around the galaxy, the ingame date should be somewhere on the hud, so when you time compress (X10, stop, X0.1) you can see the effects.
Nav system re-worked: I'd like a user-friendly Nav system, maybe an elderscrolls style map, where traders/explorers can "reveal" or point out good locations on your "starmap" and you can use your nav system to get you there, in a similar layout to the way the mission guides you to places, but with the ability to correct you if you go for a wander through a wrong jump gate ect.
Autopilot: Not game-unblancing however, wanna go make a coffee? stick your ship on auto pilot, it'll not use SPEC, but wil get there accuratly (3000 meters from the point, so no collisions) will avoid avoid battle, but can operate turrets (on capships). And have basic collision detection (can avoid planets, but not ships, asteroids ect).
Crew needed for large craft (ie capships):I really, really doubt one person can actually operate a capship. You should have a crew (please, no G-Unit references here for gods sake) that you can hire (100Credits per person per day?) to help you repair look after, and make your ship run faster than if you were the only person running it.
Larger selections of items for trade, general use ect.: MORE MORE MORE!!!! I want more items, everything you can think of, and in larger quantities, after all, how can a whole PLANET survive on 3 jars of coffee, 2 goats and 3 porno mags... Its just not on... planets need more porn.... (no offence intended to the younger/older/more mature audience)
I can just imagine the news reports: "Atlantis is suffering from a severe lack of erotica. Population is dying out"
Screenshots will be begin to be developed tomorrow. Hopefully, I'll have 3 up by the end of tomorrow, and maybe all completed by monday.
keepin it Fuzzy.
Feel free to PM me on more ideas
Hope you like them
I hate having to go to complete stops.
). No promises on the timetable.