Astro Galaxy - a realistic space exploration game
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Author Topic: Star maps & Navigation update #1  (Read 10271 times)
SirEmi
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« on: June 16, 2014, 05:03:00 PM »

Hello everyone,

Thank you for all your support for Astro Galaxy!
We've received such great feedback in the last month, and it opened almost unlimited perspectives.

As you know, we've been working hard on getting a real Star Map developed.
What we have for you today is not only a star map, but a navigation computer that learns as your ships discover and explore new stars.

As we reach farther and farther into our Milky Way galaxy, we will be faced with greater challenges then ever before. Therefore, the navigation computer and stellar map interface with be our light in the dark.

IMPORTANT: Please activate each ship you own, then click on "Navigate" to scan the surrounding stars before you access the Star Maps. Otherwise there won't be much data in there... Optionally, you can also go to "System" view with each ship in order to explore the star. To further explore, go to each planet / moon / belt and access Orbital / Surface / Survey views.

Below are the new features today:

You can zoom in and out to get a perspective view on the Star Maps. Zoom goes from 100% (full single quadrant view) to 10% (a 10x10 quadrant matrix). You are able to click on stars up to 60% zoom (5x5 matrix). Higher zoom is for perspective views, quadrant / long distance navigation.

You can click on a quadrant and it will focus the map with the selected quadrant in the center. This is a useful way to navigate the map as you can jump several grids at once. Alternatively, you can click the cardinal point links to move the grid by one line.

Every time any of your ships enter a solar system, go into orbit or scan the surface / survey a planet, data is introduced into the Nav/Stellar computer and stored for later viewing. When you go to "Star Maps" on the left, you are able to access this collected data, search trough it and view it into perspective. You can click on a star on the map and it will show the details of your navigation computer database.

The star details can also be accessed from the "System" view, from a new button called "Scan data". If your active ship is in the system you're looking at, you can also return to "System view" and switch back and forth between System / Star details.

It is important to note that the data in your navigation computer can become outdated in time, and you can check how old the data is from your Stellar Map and Star Details. The data is what the nav computer remembers from your exploration / travels. It is not to be mistaken with live data. A star that you have in your nav computer and visited a month ago, may have already become a supernova or a black hole. The planets orbital and surface data will need updates to be reliable.

In the near future, you will be able to update this data by buying or trading information with other captains. A quadrant information could be exported from one commander and entered into the nav computer of another, thus updating the data if outdated. You could also sell information the The SOL Corporation or the auction, thus having an information trading system. New missions may be given to collect information certain unusual sectors of space.

You can search for data in your navigation computer map. Search is case sensitive. At this time you can only search on all data, and it will find any ally corp members / rival orbital and surface installations, if one of your ships has spotted it. The search will circle the stars containing it in a pinkish circle. Your owned assets will be disabled when search is active, so you'll only see the search results.


The project is being extended by 10 days in order to:
   - Add autopilot extension and long range navigation course.
   - Add the new Long Range Jumper ship
   - Refine the map search engine. Add Star system, Owned ship, Resources and Waypoints search.
   - Add VIP Nav computer autopilot
   - Fix some battle system small issues, add marines fatigue rotation, and other improvements.

« Last Edit: June 16, 2014, 05:23:28 PM by SirEmi » Report to moderator   Logged

sargas
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« Reply #1 on: June 16, 2014, 07:33:09 PM »

sounds good...
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johnnydrinkmeth
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« Reply #2 on: June 16, 2014, 08:20:12 PM »

Thanks Emi, the Star map looks awesome!

Can't wait to get it filled in so I don't have to keep switching back to my notepad!
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JoolzVern
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« Reply #3 on: June 17, 2014, 12:07:03 AM »

I especially like the way the system data is saved and that from planetary surveys. Fine job as always.
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« Reply #4 on: June 17, 2014, 07:36:41 AM »

Search for "Ally/Rival" means it will search for ally (corp mates) and rivals (other corps). You can search for corp tags, corp names, player names, etc.

Case sensitive, so Corp tags with capital letters, e.g. SOL or captain name e.g. Sir Emi

For the next update, you will be able to say e.g. Radon and specify Resource, and it will show you where you found some 1 Until then, be sure to collect as much survey data as you can.
If searching for your own modules / stations / ships then "Owned" search type will be used.
Searching for Waypoints will display all found matching the criteria either by name or description. Clicking on it can set a long range course.
"Star/Event" mean it will search for star names or event names (like Space Monster, Unknown? yeah laugh ) Event is something big like that will have it's own system view like a Supernova remnant, Wormhole, Black Hole, etc.

« Last Edit: June 17, 2014, 08:03:03 AM by SirEmi » Report to moderator   Logged

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« Reply #5 on: June 17, 2014, 02:16:01 PM »

Just to clarify, it sounds as though the Star/Events etc. will also be data from 'snapshots' from the last time you visited the system.

I'm wondering if at least with your team-mate's corp ships etc. we might be able to see current location data on the map without having to go scan the scan system, especially seeing as we can see the quadrant already in the corp ships section.
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« Reply #6 on: June 17, 2014, 03:01:15 PM »

Not sure what you are asking for there Joolz. Are you hoping to see team member positions? or corporate held items? both? not fully tested what this new nav map will provide, but getting a lot of data right now to advise further.
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SirEmi
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« Reply #7 on: June 17, 2014, 05:51:56 PM »

The way it works is the computer will remember the stars your ship(s) see when you enter "Navigate" screen.

However, these stars if they are new to you, will be marked as "Unexplored" just like you would see a star from a few LY away from on board your ship, but it won't be explored / you don't know the number of astral bodies orbiting the sun, when you enter the star "System".

For future reference, some planets might be destroyed or get terraformed and change Terrain type or size or just get shot into space by the star, you never know what event might happen or what super-weapon or tool might be discovered. But for your nav computer / star maps, it will look the same as it did when it was last scanned by one of your ships.
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« Reply #8 on: June 17, 2014, 07:45:31 PM »

ooooohh. nice E. this new maps system will help allot to both new and old player.
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JoolzVern
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« Reply #9 on: June 18, 2014, 02:58:32 AM »

I thought I was pretty clear but I'll try again

Search for "Ally/Rival" means it will search for ally (corp mates) and rivals (other corps). You can search for corp tags, corp names, player names, etc.....

^Translation: You can *presumably search for the corp ships of your team mates/rivals (among other things).

The way it works is the computer will remember the stars your ship(s) see when you enter "Navigate" screen.

^Translation: The star map takes keeps a snapshot of the last data you gathered in/on a system.

Question: Will the star map always find the current position of allies (corp ships) when searching, or will it just display their last known location that you encountered them in a system as it does with the other data/events?
« Last Edit: June 18, 2014, 03:01:44 AM by JoolzVern » Report to moderator   Logged

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« Reply #10 on: June 18, 2014, 06:21:38 AM »

I had to scan the surface of several planets that I already had modules on before it would show them on the system scan
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SirEmi
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« Reply #11 on: June 18, 2014, 07:13:27 AM »

I thought I was pretty clear but I'll try again

Search for "Ally/Rival" means it will search for ally (corp mates) and rivals (other corps). You can search for corp tags, corp names, player names, etc.....

^Translation: You can *presumably search for the corp ships of your team mates/rivals (among other things).

The way it works is the computer will remember the stars your ship(s) see when you enter "Navigate" screen.

^Translation: The star map takes keeps a snapshot of the last data you gathered in/on a system.

Question: Will the star map always find the current position of allies (corp ships) when searching, or will it just display their last known location that you encountered them in a system as it does with the other data/events?

At this time, you will only be able to search for your own ships, including corp ships under your command.
Other captain's ships, including ally/rival ships in orbit will not show in the navigation computer. We may have something else added in the future for ships, a more active tracker...


I had to scan the surface of several planets that I already had modules on before it would show them on the system scan

It's just a one time thing, because the navigation computer is so new and it didn't have the data yet because modules where deployed prior to the development. For new deployments, you should be able to see the data in the nav computer right away, as you deploy the surface modules. For modules deployed prior to the update, you'll need to have the star in the computer, then it will circle it in green, then you could go into station command and scan surface or send a ship.

« Last Edit: June 18, 2014, 07:15:32 AM by SirEmi » Report to moderator   Logged

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« Reply #12 on: June 18, 2014, 11:19:07 AM »

I like how the new star maps go really good with the mining missions, while I am looking for my target im gaining data on each system I check. wow
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« Reply #13 on: June 19, 2014, 01:10:18 AM »

yes, it's filling in nicely...

another couple of days and my map is updated...
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« Reply #14 on: June 19, 2014, 10:10:08 PM »

Way to put in work sargas.  19
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