Aegis Idris Frigate

[Devil Khan]

I'd doubt that there is an addition for Idris Vs Idris 3.0, They had only got as far 1 week before GamesCom, and if you notice there is quite a bit of unfinished animation.

In real life battles between BBs ran on for hours even days.

[Caldon]

3 hours ago, Devil Khan said:

I'd doubt that there is an addition for Idris Vs Idris 3.0, They had only got as far 1 week before GamesCom, and if you notice there is quite a bit of unfinished animation.

In real life battles between BBs ran on for hours even days.

Well, a game needs to remain fun. Nobody wants to duke it out for 6 hours, so I assume that a battle between 2 idrisi will go on for maybe an hour.

[Boildown]

I think it will be "Capture The Derelict Idris" if and when it finally is a Star Marine / Arena Commander crossover game mode.  Unless it comes out after Squadron 42.  This, because they intend Squadron 42 to be the time when players truly get to see the Idris in its intended glory.

[LowZone]

I think we need to clarify the Idris game modes being discussed. One is the "Capture the Idris" mode that was touted long ago and was basically a Star Marine mode on an Idris map. The other is the Idris vs Idris mode that some say is imminent because of Gamescom.

As I said before, I think it is unlikely for CIG to release either mode before SQ42 which features the Idris gameplay tutorial. 

[Reavern]

10 hours ago, LowZone said:

I know the mode is coming, but I didn't expect it so soon. What we saw at Gamescom was just proof of concept. There must be a lot more to an Idris battle than a handful of people interactiing on the bridge. A lot of features were not shown for good reason. There's damage control to various systems around the ship, shield management systems, ammo replenishment procedures, flight deck management etc, the list goes on. A decent battle between such ships should last anything from 10 minutes to half an hour at least.

As a good portion of SQ42 takes place on an Idris I would think that we will see some sort of Squadron 42 release before a "Capture the Idris" mode. A lot of what we have seen of SQ42 seems to be an introduction to the functions of the Idris. This would be largely redundant if we had been playing with the Idris some months beforehand.

I'm aware that the U.S.S. Stanton is an Idris Frigate, which is the base ship at the centre of Squadron 42. The reason why the Idris was up-sized into a frigate/carrier was because it was the most developed capital ship, and they needed it for SQ42. Therefore, the Idris is essential for SQ42.

When Capture the Idris mode is released, that will be one of the best indicators that SQ42 will be released soon. I believe CIG will release "CTI" mode first as a way to alpha test the Idris and ensure everything works properly, before they release SQ42. CIG knows they have to get SQ42 right. It has to be highly polished and blow people's minds. That's why I believe CIG will use AC and the PU to public test the Idris, as well as capital ship combat and board-&-capture gameplay, because they'll be part of SQ42's campaign. I don't think that CIG is worried about "spoiling" some of the gameplay in SQ42 for players, because that's whole part of the playable Alpha. CIG has done a fairly good job of not spoiling what will happen in SQ42, so there will still be plenty of surprises. SQ42 will be a collection of all the game elements that CIG has been developing for the past 5 years fused together into a singleplayer campaign with an intriguing story, compelling characters, and absolutely amazing mo-cap cutscenes and dialogue, which will exceed any other video game.

That's why I don't think Capture the Idris mode will render the gameplay in SQ42 "redundant". On the contrary, the Alpha will ensure SQ42's capital ship battles and board-&-capture missions are superbly polished and incredibly fun!

9 hours ago, Wrathpole said:

In real life battles between large ships didn't go too long, especially if the magazine of a ship took a direct hit.

RL naval battles involving contemporary warships (and warplanes) wouldn't last very long, because a single torpedo or anti-ship missile can sink or cripple a ship, if it gets through the ship's point defenses and countermeasures.

However, Chris Roberts has said that Star Citizen and Squadron 42 are more inspired by WWII combat, not modern combat. WWII naval battles were much longer than modern day engagements (which rarely ever happen anymore). The Battle of Midway, Coral Sea, Wake Island, and "Hunt for the Bismark" lasted for days. Most naval battles lasted for hours. It was rare for a battleship or carrier to take a direct hit to their ammo magazines (or fuel tanks) because those were the most protected parts of the ships. But if they did get hit, yes, the whole ship would be destroyed in an instant.

Obviously the cap ships battles in AC, SQ42, and SC PU aren't going to last hours or days. They'll probably last 20-60 minutes, which is fairly standard for MP modes. It's possible PU cap ship battles will last longer because they won't be pitched battles like an AC game mode or a scripted mission in SQ42. In the PU, an Idris crew might come under attack by a group of Pirate-players, which could escalate into a larger battle, which would play out over several hours.

[LowZone]

I'll admit that my knowledge of simultaneous game development may be somewhat limited but I had assumed that it would make sense to design the gameplay mechanics onboard an Idris (in either CTI or IvI mode) with an NPC crew in mind (as will be the case in SQ42 and 90% of the PU) before recreating the experience for multiplayer gameplay.

Whatever the case, whether we get to practice with the Idris before or after SQ42 I'm sure it will be well worth the wait!

[Wrathpole]

Side question, what's everyone naming their Idris?

 

I'm calling mine the "Kenny Loggins" getting hats made up and everything.

[Jurai]

“Idris Elba” for me.

[Jurai]

I'm curious what you guys think. What crew compliment do you think will be required to wield it effectively? Specifically, Idris-P for more trade, cargo, or even exploration missions which are high risk and high reward? I am really interested in not using my Idris-P for combat (overall, because if someone wants to take it from me. They'll have to take it from my cold, dead hands.). I think/hope the Idris can be used for long term exploration and trade/cargo missions that have a huge pay out. 

I'd really love to captain those efforts here in the Imperium Fleet. I'm new here and curious. What do I have to do gain rank to lead an effort like that on my own ship with an Imperium crew? If I am going to contribute to something, I'd really love to be involved in the process and help the fleet grow.

[Donut]

9 minutes ago, Jurai said:

I'm curious what you guys think. What crew compliment do you think will be required to wield it effectively? Specifically, Idris-P for more trade, cargo, or even exploration missions which are high risk and high reward? I am really interested in not using my Idris-P for combat (overall, because if someone wants to take it from me. They'll have to take it from my cold, dead hands.). I think/hope the Idris can be used for long term exploration and trade/cargo missions that have a huge pay out. 

I'd really love to captain those efforts here in the Imperium Fleet. I'm new here and curious. What do I have to do gain rank to lead an effort like that on my own ship with an Imperium crew? If I am going to contribute to something, I'd really love to be involved in the process and help the fleet grow.

I would say 8-10 players, each having 2-3 NPC per player. This includes all functions from regular maintenance crew, guards, roving security, turret gunners, and specialists such as medics, armorers or even pilots. I believe you can fully crew an Idris by using this system, and that means each full sized unit could crew at least 3 Idris's with room to spare for a couple Starfarers or extra hands on deck.

[Boildown]

I agree with Donut, probably 8-10.  Not sure if everyone will bring NPCs or the ship owner will just permanently keep an NPC crew with the ship.

[Arcanus]

On 11/28/2017 at 10:11 PM, Jurai said:

“Idris Elba” for me.

I hate to rain on your parade my friend, but I don't think they're allowing us to reserve names, but if they do, then I beat you to the punch almost four years ago (back when the Idris was still a "Corvette")...  For the proof my friends, we need to set the way back machine to December 2013, back when a lovely lady named Chelsea ran the Concierge dept. at CIG, before Blizzard lured her husband away....

Quote

________________________________

Date: Fri, 20 Dec 2013 16:40:37 -0600

AWESOME! Thanks Chelsea! You Rock!

One last question before you take off...

I'd like to put down a reservation (or whatever it'll be called)... Chris Roberts mentioned that some amount of customized skinning, naming, and decals would be allowed....

I'd like to name my Corvette the "Elba" and have the words "Today we are cancelling the apocalypse!" stenciled on the side...

Obviously I'm going for the cheap laugh with that pun... but it makes me giggle (in a manly way of course)... and I thought it might give you one last smile before the holidays.

Happy holidays & Happy New Year!!!

 

Cloud Imperium Games (Cloud Imperium Games) Dec 20 14:48 No problem! haha I don't know that I can do that for you, but I will give it a shot =) Best, Chelsea

.... because yeah, I'm just that big of a nerd too! 

 

P.S. Great minds think alike!

[GRIZZ]

Complete Idris Internal Map!

https://imgur.com/a/zakFA

Sim Pod Room

Mid Deck

[Donut]

I hope it's like Mass Effect where we can place beds and kind of personalize our own little areas. Like in the Armory for myself, for example... @GeraldEvans  

[GRIZZ]

Idris Ship Shape

 

[FoxChard]

 

[wfja]

@Donut I'm sure it'll be customizeable to some degree! I don't think they advertised it as modular (unlike the Javelin), but I'm pretty sure customizing the "stuff" in a ship will be pretty baseline. Hopefully.

All I know was that I was promised a space dog and I'm putting it on my Idris.

@GRIZZ Hnnngghh... thanks for the deck plans.  

[Devil Khan]

I am not judging at gfx, they were really highly(if not the highest for a game) detailed.

There is a lot of spaces that are left bare in the main mid section. Note: I know that the lift goes at an angle to the bridge.

The Armory should be enclosed and secure as it always is even on rifle range, military base or military ship, not an "open bar" for it's weapons and gear. Where is the gym/exercise room? Also pilots should have their own room, like the XO in size. 

Also note there are only two sim-pods and it is the pilots ready room, not sim room. 

Can some one spot the flaw in the engine room. Two access doors, yet only one scans you . Also uni-sex shower room and separate bathrooms ...

[Boildown]

I was perusing the Battlestar Galactica reddit (I've been playing Deadlock) when I came upon this gem:

Spoiler

http://leethomson.myzen.co.uk/Battlestar_Galactica/Battlestar_Galactica_Series_Bible.pdf

Its the "Bible" for the show, written by Ronald D. Moore before production of the first season but after the mini-series.  Thus, the spoiler warning, you should only read it if you're already seen at least the first 2 seasons of BSG, if not the whole thing.

Anyways, the point for linking it in the Idris thread is that I anticipate we might need some of the techniques outlined on document page 41 / PDF page 45, with the heading The Battlestar Galactica.  And in particular, the flight operations, i.e. the mechanics of getting ships on and off the flight deck. 

While we can look towards modern air navies for this information (what RDM based it off of), we can't realistically expect everyone who serves on our Idris to be trained to that fine detail.  (Props to you if you are in a crew of gamers that meet this reliably though.)  We might be able to execute the more simplified procedures presented by RDM here, altered of course for the realities of Star Citizen vs. BSG.  Any a very large percentage of our players on an Idris will probably have at least a passing familiarity with the show and might recognize some of terminology.

We'll need some sort of organized system to prevent a constant stream of accidents doing flight operations off an Idris, and I hope the work on Squadron 42 introduces a lot of automated systems to assist.  Failing that, we should be ready to have code words, procedures, and checklists!

 

[wfja]

@Boildown I'm pretty sure the Academy will be going crazy generating courses for this kind of stuff. That said...

The recent SQ42 demo showed off an NPC deck crew that assisted in the player's and the Old Man's takeoff. If the systems are in place in SQ42, I'm sure they'll be implemented in the PU. We know that capital ships will have a staffing mechanic where you can hire entire crews of NPC characters (with a few selected individuals as officers), from skeleton crews to full complement and some options in between. Considering the landing system already implemented in 3.0, I'm sure that systems will be available on capitals where you can hire NPCs as a part of your crew who will run flight operations. 

In a few of the released design docs going over multirole gameplay, flight chief was listed as a role for capitals. It's my understanding that, while some players can - and I'm sure some will! - act as a part of the air traffic control system, the bulk will be left to crewmen NPCs while player pilots will follow their instructions for landing/take-off, all beneath the direction of a player flight chief directing the action. 

Honestly, the whole "hiring a crew" mechanic sounds like my jam. I'm excited to hear more about it soon... TM

[FoxChard]

Thats a pretty awesome document. I hope that Star Citizen develops a unique lexicon and terminology all its own in time to this complexity. EVE Online did it, and EVE's is now so pervasive that you cannot talk space sims without someone using EVE terms.

I'd love for quasi-military terminology (called "brevity" officially) to come in, but it can...interesting to teach it to new people because our understanding of terms is often confused by pop culture.

If you're looking for a read, here is the US Military Brevity book:

http://www.dtic.mil/dtic/tr/fulltext/u2/a404426.pdf

For example, something that has me...miffed (I'm not angry, I'm just a really ambivalent person) is Star Citizen's current use of the term "Bogey". Hollywood is very guilty of breaching this one too. A Bogey is properly defined as: "A radar or visual air contact whose identity is unknown." In real life there are multiple classifications of aircraft, but essentially there are three (Friendly, Unknown/Bogey, and Hostile) with sub-types to some of these (many of which are contextual or for designating special circumstances). In Star Citizen, however, your ship computer calls "Bogey" and it immediately cycles it into the hostile target cue. You can only have friendlies and unknowns/hostiles. Even making up new terms would be cool, it just bothers me how simplistic it is now.

I would love to see this recycled into something like the following.

All targets detected by radar should be coded as "bogey" or unknowns regardless of their IFF status. Targets can be redesignated as friendlies by the player manually, by UEE patrol craft that scan it down (judging whether the pilot is a law abiding citizen, human, etc.), or by trusted players (say, a radar operator on an Imperium Idris). Targets are automatically dialed as "hostile" depending on their observed actions (them initiating combat within sight of you and NOT via radio reports), known crime stat (say they're high enough that the UEE has issued a shoot on sight order), by the player manually (because you believe a radio report saying they have committed some egregious crime), or by trusted players (again, like on an Idris).

The lack of an automatic and all powerful designation done by your ship's computer makes all radar contacts potential friends, neutrals and enemies. It introduces uncertainty as to what someone's intentions and recent history are. It gives players an opportunity to meaningfully spoof their identity (say you know the UEE has tagged you as a hostile, you spoof your ship's identity successfully, now you can blend back in). It also allows players an extra opportunity to control a game mechanic (now we have the ability to have radar operators with real jobs, they can do more, but this would be a start). Finally, it mimics real life. I believe that the real life mechanics are complex to the point that you could create engaging and fun gameplay roles if you only implemented into the game. 

Players would not have to engage with the system to its full extent, but they could if they wanted to. Imagine you're reading this thinking its complex and insane. Just let your ship tag all contacts as unknowns with a select few being tagged as friends and hostiles via NPCs and other trusted sources. Or maybe you'd like to hunt down the identity of every ship and ensure you have identified every radar contact as a friend or hostile. 

And I guess if you've gotten this far, I should say that some of the brevity terms are quite fun. There are Chicks (another term for friendlies), Banzai (executes launch), Grandslam (all hostiles of a given group are destroyed), Miller Time (air-to-ground ordinance delivery complete), and the familiar Furball (something anyone who's flown a SC fighter has participated in).

 

[wfja]

@Boildown I f'ing love BSG. Thanks for the reminder. As an aside, a long, long time ago, the Pegasus escort carrier appearing in Episode 2 of SQ42 was confirmed to launch alert fighters Galatica-style. Dunno if that's still current, but cool nonetheless, eh?

@FoxChard The whole Bogey thing is kind-of a "hmm." I'm sure that once they flesh out the contact/radar system a little more, they'll fix it. Separate unknowns from hostiles. They have to... right? Besides, they got to give the radar operator something to do on capitals.  

TBH I'm sure that brevity will slowly appear in comms once we start doing organized missions and fleet ops. It's too damned convenient not too. Actually, I'd be surprised if the Academy hasn't concepted a course on brevity already! It'll probably end up a hodge-podge of IRL, sci-fi inspired, and SC-specific vocabularies. Hopefully we get some BSG material in there too...

      "Hornet three-five/Heart, clear forward, nav-con green, interval check, VTOL holding, thrust positive and steady. You're cleared to launch. Launch launch launch."

Mmmm I'm ready.  

[GRIZZ]

Another view of the Sim Pod Room

[FoxChard]

@wfja, look man, I don't care how they do it, all I want is this:

GTA V pulled it off mostly. It was great.

I have high hopes based on the soundtrack they gave us during the old [REDACTED] in-game tutorial. And from what they've shown us so far of an Idris launch.

If they don't deliver. I don't know what I'll do. I'll probably go crazy and smash things.

[Arcanus]

@FoxChard Here you go....