Via Stella

[azkanan]

I've come up with a way for space to work…

Now, regrettably, VB6 limits each Array to 64k in size - and that's what my Space will be made up of, arrays. So, how can I make Via Stella's space more unlimited? Easy - territories.

Let's say that each territory is made up of 10x10 areas. To travel to a new territory, the player has to access a "Jump Gate" - which takes them to an entirely new Territory. You can compare this to traveling to a new area in Eclipse. 


[azkanan]

After several days of debugging, spitting, cursing, crying and occasional peeing-in-a-cup… I finally made this:


Impressive, right? No? Well… This is what it is I've done:

- Generated a section of space, consisting of 30x30 tiles.

- Generated a random number of solar systems in this section of space.

- Generated a random number of planets in the solar systems in this section of space.

- Generated the planets';

**Is it a Civilization's homeworld?

Planet Class? (Sun, Terran, Desert, Barren, Volcanic, Ice, Ocean, Gas Giant)

Is it Colonized?

Is it Colonizable?

How big is the planet?**

- Generated a random number of moons on the planets in the solar systems in this section of space.

**Does it Exist?

Moon class? See above.

Is it colonizable?

How big is it?**

- Made it so that the Stellar Map will draw explored regions of space, otherwise hides them in Fog of War.

- Made it so that the game will find a colonized planet and start the player there, then explore the immediate region of space around the planet.

[azkanan]

Result! Fixed a crash resulting from the player starting on a colonized planet in a system on the boundary of the area (Because when the game "Explores" the local space areas, it can't check off-the-board areas)!


[Mal]

Looking real good, man. Once you get this done I really hope you translate this idea to a 3D environment.

[azkanan]

Local Director begins to take formation!


Also, slight update. Randomized the star tiles, so they look prettier now.


[azkanan]

So I've ~~*kinda*~~ got the treeview working for the current system the player is in.~~. Still a little bugged. ~~


[Mal]

Is it turn based or will it be time based?

[azkanan]

real-time, but you can "Fast Forward".

[Mal]

Nice. So things are going on in the background back home while you're out looking for planets to blow up (conquest). I'll definitely give it a go when you release it.

[Swizl]

What happened with this project ?

[azkanan]

> What happened with this project ?

My efforts were redirected to my main project, **[The Ancients](http://www.touchofdeathforums.com/community/index.php?/topic/132062-the-ancients/page__hl__ancients)**, as a result of my new lifestyle where I have little time between work and running my new house.

[azkanan]

Still working on this, now I've freed some time up. Here's my latest developments over the last week since I got back into it;

- Fixed space map. (Thanks to Kibbelz!)

- Able to set a destination and travel to it.

- Able to "Dock/Undock", "Orbit" and "Transit".

- Shook up the space map to be interacted by hovering.

- Shook up the Crew Management display screen.

- Set "Backgrounds" for the players to start with, as well as a "Star Density" setting.

- Tweaked the ship creator so the player has a set funds to create/buy a ship with, then remaining cash goes in-game.

- Drew some "Out my Cockpit window" pictures.









To Do list for tomorrow:

 - Crew Ambitions

 - Crew Requests/Desires

 - Crew Inventory Type

 - Ship Equipment

 - Ship Inventory Type

[Vus]

Looks great! :)

[PD]

When can I play?

[azkanan]

At the moment, the player can't do much except build a ship and fly between planets, so it's not worth releasing yet. :)