Map Design
Published on Wednesday, March 2, 2016 By
Another comment I noticed in the Feb release was a brief mention of how they envisioned combat taking place on a solar system map rather than a map with a single star. I got the impression that they are still at a point of only having a general idea how the maps will work. So I thought I would tell the devs my interpretation of what they are saying they want. That might help solidify how this will wind up working in the end in their minds, give them some ideas, or be totally useless too them. Who knows
From what I have seen of their descriptions of how this will work, this is my understanding of it. There will essentially be 4 "levels" of maps.
1) The "top" level, something like Quasispace from SC2. These maps allow long distance travel with low fuel/time usage. Mass has no gravitational effect on these maps, there are no gravity wells around planets.
2) Exploration/Transit map. This is the "starmap". Again, planets have no gravity here, you "dock" with them to enter their solar system map.
3) Solar system map. Here you have entered a solar system. Now planets have gravity, and this is the same map combat will take place on. This map is also for exploration/movement within the solar system. Combat is essentially an alternate mode of this map, and the camera could raise up from 3d Isometric to "God's view" top down for combat, combat is the only time it is important for the view to be pure top down if you want to retain the fun and addictive quality this genre is known for.
4) You have entered the near space of a planet. Here you can scan, or send a lander. The devs may not be realizing that there is also probably a need for combat on this map level as well, with only one planet on the map (or the planet and its moons). Within this structure the "system defenses" I have mentioned in another thread would be on this map, not the solar system map, because on this map the planets do not have gravity or the gravitic effect is weakened to avoid intering with the fun of "peeling the onion" of any defenses that are present. The fact that the system defenses are on this map level would mean they can't be used to deny access to a solar system, only the individual planets.
This is how I interpret this aspect of the game working from what you have described. Hopefully this is useful too you in some way.