Some Suggestions

[aegidian]

n an octtree or BSP approach, one would typically divide spaces that have too many objects in them (say, for arguments sake, more than ten), and merge ones that have too few objects to their immediate sibling and divide again if necessary. This’d probably end up as something like O(n log n), but I’m not going to prove that at this time of night.

Mmm. For simplicity I'd be in favour of static groups rather than a dynamic space partitioning system. My brain's trying to tell me about spheres and trees of enclosed sub-spheres and setting it all up with hints at initialisaion at large clusters (asteroids, OXP groups etc.) I think I'll sleep on it awhile.

[cosmonaut]

stevesims wrote:

There's a simple solution to this - long-range scanners. Equip all cops with them, most pirates, and a few traders by default. That would allow for ships to be scattered far and wide. The lanes should still get an emphasis in ship placement, but would no longer be the only place things are placed. I'd have thought, for example, that you'd be more likely to encounter a thargoid away from the shipping lanes.

Long-range scanners would also help with real asteroid belts, instead of the clusters we have now. Pirate coves would likely be off-lane, rock-hermits more random in their location.

I think long range scanners is a superb idea. A crucial extra for any would be pirate, bounty hunter or paranoid trader. Definitely something you'd save up for. Probably a little tricky for code requirements (I'm not a programmer) but suddenly the program would need to be able to model a much larger volume of space. It would be fab though.

Perhaps other scanner enhancements are possible too - indications of ship armaments, commander rating and cargo quantity. Aaah, shivers of pleasure!

[cosmonaut]

Hmmm, I think I may have just unwittingly suggested making the program about 3 times the size. Sorry aegidian, i'm just rather in love with your game.

[JensAyton]

The game already models a much larger volume of space – the entire system you’re in at full detail, plus keeping track of what NPC ships have jumped where so it’s possible to follow them.

[cosmonaut]

So you're saying (he asks hopefully) that long range scanners would be do-able? (In theory at least.) Would they radically alter the gameplay, or the way the game models the behaviour of other ships?