Reducing number of systems

[Igiss]

This is one of the most painful decisions I've ever made. It involves deleting what I was doing for countless hours. But I must admit...

I must admit that however cool those 282 systems look, no more than 40-50% will ever be filled with any objects. There are Guardian systems that are populated, but how many more systems will be populated with NPCs and bases? 10, if we are lucky, maybe 20. Hi-quality systems require much work, and relying on player-made content won't save my time here. Of couse, there will be player-made systems, but they will all be different and will require lots of adaptation work so that they suit Discovery.

This all means that unneeded systems should be removed.

Not all empty systems will be removed, of course. First of all, Guardian systems will stay where they are. Next, all House and Independent Worlds empty systems will stay.

But most of others will not. This involves majority of Tau, Omicron, Omega and Sigma systems, except for a few that are connected to original systems. I'll try to announce exact numbers in future.

What will happen to deleted systems? I'll try to delete them in smart way where possible - cut connections between systems, save files, back up the systems I want to be removed, and remove them from mod. If we'll ever need any of them, the backup will be available, and all I'll need will be to put them back in the mod and re-connect them to other systems.

For now this is all theoretical, so if you have any thoughts, post here. I'll be waiting for any feedback about this idea, positive or negative.

[Korrd]

Hmm... I agree. Having 400 systems (and from those 400, 300 will never be visited), is a bit pointless.
It's preferable to have less but higher quality systems than 390457830957 empty systems..
Although some of those empty systems should be left in the mod.

I suggest that the remaining new systems are moved in the map to form a more interesting pattern that just a square grid.. Creating new star clusters will be interesting too. There are some free spaces in the [soon to be cleaned] map to do that...

Also, a question. How will the removal of the systems affect the players that are inside those removed systems?
if a system that has been removed was explored by the player in question in the past, will it affect the navmap?

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[Igiss]

Also, a question. How will the removal of the systems affect the players that are inside those removed systems?
if a system that has been removed was explored by the player in question in the past, will it affect the navmap?

I suppose that yes, it will.
The objects that were removed will be gone from navmap. At least, as far as I'm concerned.

I don't thik that there's anyone present inside those systems now, and I hope that no one will go there reading this announcement. If someone gets stuck, we'll move this player.

[Korrd]

About the new patterns... i'm thinking on something like this:



I know that this one is not the discovery map. I've taken it from TLR as i don't have the DGC map here at my office. But i think it illustrates well what i mean with "new star clusters and patterns".

Note that there are no shortcuts to the current gates schema. The routes are alternative to the currents ones and take the same time to travel. Also, I've placed most of those systems on top of bright stars of the nav map. that way it seems logical to think that the star in question has been reached by explorers.

The new star clusters add more depth to the game, and the possibility to add houses maybe. But that's not mandatory. They can stay there filled with anything we want to add them. Like, for example, Some places that are being colonized by some the current factions...

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[Vic]

Cut it back to about 100-125 open systems. This way you wont run out and you don't have such an overwhelming amount of them.*

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&quot;Rage; the only freedom left me.&quot; - Commander Greven il-Vec

[Nightfall]

Tempting as an idea, both Igiss and Korrd.

Only one I know should be have explored most of the systems if not all is the relentless explorer Romer. Nevertheless, there are some interresting routes/shortcuts that might be worth keeping, still not many people know about them, makes it interresting that way.

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If the stars should appear one night in a thousand years, how would men believe and adore and preserve for many generations the remembrance of the city of God? - from 'Nightfall' by I. Asimov
The Outcasts consider Siniestre Nube a sacred place for several reasons. Early explorers discovered a jumphole within the depths of the cloud that leads to a strange world of ringed stars and strange craft. All ships in the burrial ground are placed facing that hole to honor the Alien Spirits. - An Outcast rumor

[Malaclypse 666]

Tempting as an idea, both Igiss and Korrd.

Only one I know should be have explored most of the systems if not all is the relentless explorer Romer. Nevertheless, there are some interresting routes/shortcuts that might be worth keeping, still not many people know about them, makes it interresting that way.

[snapback]45342[/snapback]

Igiss, I respect your decision here. I do not envy your decisions on which to keep and which to toss, however. Everyone will have ideas on this, and perhaps some will be good. The final "executive" decision I trust with you and your able fellow Admins.

I will give you your first "tough nut": ELF has been considering and starting preliminary designs for the "Free State of Fernando Poo" in Omega 168, which is right next door to Omega 49. Only three of the five jump holes in 168 are "useful". Deleting the holes to the "un-useful" systems would not be so bad. To make the question, will you require a "down payment", confirmation, or "application" from all who have similar plans in order not to delete the systems?

Thanks again for all your hard work. And for the wisdom to make this hard decision.

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[Winkie]

I'm still hoping that some of the systems could just have untapped resorces for those of us that enjoy mining. Some one did go to the trouble of making a mining ship, And I for one would like to use it for its intended porpus

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[Fellow Hoodlum]

Igiss,

I'll echo Nightfall's thoughts on certain routes used by more than a few of us now, there
are some invaluable ones around, especially if you are, how shall I put it, RPing on the
shady side of the law. Though many of the outer rim ones are a bit of a chore to map,
and best consigned to your backed up files.
I believe there is at least one regular player who has mapped everyone, and all of the
associated jumpholes, quite a haul of around 900 ...
Again, yours is the final decision, and we rarely have that much to complain about when
the final mods come on line, just a few surprises.

Hoodlum

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[romer]

Ok, I admit it...I have one character that has a complete map of Sirius. Exploration and mapping are something that I feel compelled to do in most games that I play. Reducing the number of systems in the game does make sense though, I usually only see players using the guard systems or those few empty ones that allow for shortcuts on trade routes. I do however like to use them occassionally to throw off a pursuit.

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