Changes to Game

[Tregonsee]

This morning Randy put out an email to all players concerning changes to the game. Here is what was in the attachment for those who cannot read Office 2007/2010:

Kgruppe LLC
Takamo & Takamo Universe Development Document 1.0 August 30, 2015
Re: Changes planned for Takamo within the next few weeks.
Greetings!
As players of the current email version of Takamo, you are in fact involved in the development of the next iteration of this game, Takamo Universe, which will be played as a browser based Massive Multiplayer Online game (MMO). You are our “play testers” and have a significant voice in how Takamo Universe develops and grows. In order to achieve the best game experience possible, we need your feedback.
Over the next few weeks we will be introducing a number of changes to Takamo as we begin a slow and careful migration process that will eventually bring you and your Takamo Empire into the new Takamo Universe with hopefully a majority of the assets you currently possess in the game. Indeed, your game experience will be similar but in a browser based setting with interfaces that ease the recordkeeping and other time consuming tasks while introducing visual and audio features to game play. The changes that we are introducing now are baby steps that will help to position you for transition to alpha and then beta versions of the game. In fact, we have labeled this phase the “Pre-Alpha” phase. This is where you get to tell us what you like and don’t like about Takamo as well as any of the changes we initiate.
Here is what we anticipate introducing:
1. Maximum number of actions per turn raised from 50 to 100.

2. Maximum number of fleets allowed raised from 100 to 200.

3. Maximum number of ships allowed raised from 1,000 to between 4,000 and 10,000.

4. Maximum number of ships allowed per fleet reduced to between 20 and 50.
Why we are doing this:
ITEMS 1, 2 & 3: Because in Takamo Universe, the only limit to the things you can build and move will be the RUs and other resources you have and the time it takes to build or move them. We want to begin to simulate that in the current game. These three changes move us toward that goal.
ITEM 4:Because the command structure of Fleets in the new game will change to a Fleet and Squadron system where the Squadron is the main maneuver element with Fleets as the command element. For example, a squadron of 20 ships can be ordered individually to move and do and action OR, a Fleet with Squadrons scattered over several sectors could be ordered to move and do an action with one global command. In the case of a fleet order, all squadrons assigned to the fleet would execute the same order (the one given to the Fleet). The reduction of Fleet sizes will allow us to test how smaller starship units affect game play. The inconvenience to you as a player will be the need to transfer ships to downsize your fleets. We will do this via special turn runs so your regular game play will not be affected.
Those are the changes contemplated over the next few weeks. Please give us your feedback and suggestions to help us spot potential issues with this plan and make any adjustments needed prior to implementing each of the four steps.

Thanks!

Randy Ritnour
Takamo & Takamo Universe





Let the comments begin!

[Tregonsee]

I will start with my comments-


1. Increase actions to 100- no serious player will object to that.

2. Increase fleets to 200- most will be in favor of that as well. It helps me for organization, and is needed for #4.

3. Increase max number of ships- this is a bigger change. In the past, the restriction of 1000 ships was artificial, but made players stay efficient; smaller ships scrapped or given to other players, no "abandoned" ships, etc. I expect Cybers and those who use "swarm" fleets (fleets of many small ships) will like this.

4. Decrease number of ships per fleet to 20 or 50. This will be the most controversial. First, if we have to reduce numbers of ships from 1000 per fleet (not explicitly stated, but look at the rules) then I vote for 50 over 20. If we were to use 20, then it will reduce absolute amount of ships to 4000 but realistically to less. War fleets actually need to have at least 100 per fleet. Maybe a player has two types of fleets, war fleets and other fleets. War fleets might need a command ship in order to control the additional ships. This change will also do away with "swarm" fleets; if you want a war fleet, you will want the largest ships available if you have a restriction.


More later

[R. Ritnour]

We know this will be a hot topic should be interesting to see how players view this and what issues pop up that need to be considered before we make a decision on fleet size.

[CHARON EMPIRE]

Like one thru three, four...

I like the idea of reducing "blob" fleets, 20 or even 50 is not enough. I think 100 ships per fleet would do the trick. I have to have enough transports, cyber support ships, and support ships to be able to invade a planet. If I have to have 5 fleets configured for planet invasions, using up the extra 50 actions I was given, what's the point. It should have stayed the same.

I do believe reducing fleets down to 100, i.e. 100 carriers should do the trick. It isn't overwhelming and you can defend against it. I have over 300 carriers in one fleet, and I'm sure other empires do as well. I'm on my way to 32,000 fighters, CAP and on the deck, this fleet is virtually unstoppable reducing down to 100 max, I think is a good number.

Even 100 heavy warships will allow you to have good combat, and a sense of "ownership" in the game.

[Cestodial Hegemony]

To be efficient, trade fleets also need to have a large number of ships per fleet. We can only buy/sell once per planet per turn. During my last turn, I bought cargo from two terraformed planets. One had 774 cargo available and the other had 1007 cargo available. Having only a 20 ship limit will reduce the biggest trade fleet to 400 cargo units. I would be unable to pickup 607 cargo from the bigger planet!

Specialty trade fleets for specific player types would face even lower numbers of cargo per fleet...

In my opinion, a player should at least be able to pick up the maximum amount of cargo one planet can produce with one action, using one fleet.

[CHARON EMPIRE]

Merchant trade fleets, will they be exempt from the ship limits? If not, can we have some newer classes of merchant fleets, some that will hold 100 cargo units?

[nazareth]

No argument with the first 3. Maybe I'm confused over item 4. I picture multiple squadrons making up a fleet, say a dozen for example. The fleet would give a strategic order and the 12 squadrons would react accordingly. Squadrons could be made up of varying ship types if desired. Ship types would be categorized as to what their main mission within the fleet should be. Destroyers have a specific function to the fleet that is different from the battleship or missile type vessel.

This is how I envision the fleet/squadron relationship. Fleets get strategic orders, squadrons get tactical orders. A fleet could be made up of a couple squadrons of escort type ships whose purpose is to screen the main body of the fleet. Several squadrons could be made up of various carrier types that is tasked with providing cap. A couple squadrons could hold heavy attack type carriers whose purpose is to deliver fighter strikes. Some squadrons could hold missile ships, others main battleships etc and/or a mix of ships depending on the mission.

Fleets can choose/set a passive/defensive order (maybe several to choose from) or an aggressive/attack order (maybe several to choose from). Once the strategic order is set, then the squadrons will react accordingly based on their tactical choices for passive/defense and/or aggressive/attack that has been chosen for them. For example, squadron one and two may be made up of frigates and light cruisers which will provide defense of capital ships only if a defensive(provide cover) tactical option is chosen with a fleet order set to passive/defense or initiate an attack on an enemy fleet (with targets prioritized by some method) with another tactical option if the fleet strategic decision is aggressive/attack. Opportunity for a couple different variations and options based on what strategic and tactical combinations are chosen. Fleets may even encounter each other without initiating combat if the right combinations are picked. The number of ships per squadrons and squadrons per fleet can be worked out through playtesting.

Fleets could be specialized depending on their mission. Fleet combat or planet invasion or raiding etc. Squadrons within the fleets would be made up to enhance fleet specialization.

Sorry if this sounds confusing. I'm watching a deer hunting show!

[CHARON EMPIRE]

So, we'll mark you down for 100 ships!

[R. Ritnour]

Not yet. We are likely to try it at "x" number and see how it goes and then adjust from there. In any case, we are a few weeks out from implementation so we have time to discuss.

[CHARON EMPIRE]

Will merchant fleets be exempt? Or are you going to have larger merchant ships?