EmissionGeneration

I'd like to say that I absolutely love the Concept of this Game, and so far I've played 13 hours which has definitely given me my Money's worth. I understand that there will be a Hardcore Mode later on in the Game, however, there are a couple things that are a huge let down for me, so if these are on the Planning board, just disregard this whole topic. In every Review, Let's Play, or Forum Topic I hear everyone classifying Take On Mars as a "Exploration and Science" Game, but honestly, I would have to disagree with this completely, and the 2 reasons for that is [Exploration] = Waypoints and [science] = Lack of Freedom. Waypoints are understandable in many Games, and especially this one, however I believe they could be replaced by Co-Ordinates. This way, you are more on the Exploration side of doing Career Mode rather than following from Point [A] to Point . Although Co-Ordinates will basically be Point [A] to Point , it will add more of a challenge and the need to think and plan your Mission. However, although I don't agree with Waypoints, I can easily live with this staying in the Game. My 2nd concern and the one that peeves me the most, and takes 100% of the excitement out, is the Lack of Freedom. We land, head to the first Mission Waypoint, and then we get told to take this exact picture, or Analyze this exact Rock to pin point positions. It gives no freedom to be my own Space Agency, and limits the excitement and long term Gameplay. I would much prefer the Mission Objective description to be more indepth of communicating what Job needs to be performed, and allow me to undertake this Task as I see fit. So basically, instead of having those hideous looking "Science and Camera" boxes littered through the Screen, they should be completely Removed. Photographs: Instead of having set Pictures that you NEED to take, you should be able to use your own Judgement from the Mission Description on what Pictures need to be taken, which means, if YOU see something that looks interesting, you should be able to take that Picture and it will go towards your Assignments. Science: Again, this should be determined from your own judgement from the Mission Description, and YOU should have the ability to choose a Rock you think looks interesting to Analyze for your Assignement. I understand that some Missions, you need to take a certain Picture, or Analyze a certain Rock, but instead of having those hideous "markers" on the ground to point it out, it should just be a simple Waypoint Marker, and with the Photo, it doesn't matter about the Angle, just as long as it's the Rock that needs to be photographed. Maybe the Quality of your Photo's could help or hinder your Income at the end. I don't expect the DEVs to Program every single Rock and View into the Game to be able to go towards the Mission Objective, so a way around this would be [Probe the Ground within 1km (or lower depending on the Mission) of the Point of Interest Waypoint. Or Objectives that say "While on your way to the area, take photos of opportunity of as many rock formations and rockfields as possible" This should just mean, take some Photo's of your choice while traveling to your next location, which should register towards your Objective. This will open up the Game a lot more, and increase the Replayability of it by a large amount in my opinion. A Unique and Interesting Game like this, should not have Restrictions put in place to prevent the user from making their own choices, and expanding their own income through a way they choose to run their Agency. On a side Note, I'd like a Borderless Windowed Mode added aswell =] I cannot use Window Mode and align it correctly [always missing the bottom] with the current one. Again though, Take On Mars is definitely a good purchase I made, and I hope more Freedom is added at a later stage to keep this Game alive for me for a long time. Good Job guys, and thanks for bringing this to us to enjoy!

This isn't a Bug, it's just a Feature that hasn't been fully implemented just yet, but it is coming shortly. I'm pretty sure they will add a "Cancel Mission" to the Game, it's been mentioned before, and would just be down right silly not to have it, and I agree that we need more info with the Parts on Constructing our own Rovers. I don't bother building my own at the moment, purely due to this, I can just use the Rover / Lander the Mission provides for me with no problems.

This is a continuation of the Topics "Ability to hide or Minimize more of the HUD" and "Nice Concept, but Lack of Freedom" with a added extra Suggestion of the ability to use a Satelite Map. Quotes from Ability to hide or Minimize more of the HUD: Quote from Nice Concept, but Lack of Freedom: So I've been doing some thinking and have put together some Screenshots with added Features and explanations. [Again though, if any of this is already on the Planning Board, just ignore me] =] Image 1: In this Image we are seeing: 1: A more Detailed Mission Description that says which Science Equipment needs to be used, and the Co-Ordinates of the Target Location. 2: From bottom to top - Orange Bar is your Current Co-Ordinates. The Green Bar above that is where you can enter in Cordinates for maybe Interesting Locations you or anyone else has found and shared. The button is used for when you enter Co-Ordinates in the Green bar, it will automatically drive you to that location [and I do believe you guys have spoken about adding that feature later on]. Above that, is a compass of course, to help find your way around. 3: Added at the bottom of the Camera's is a Map Option [which is explained more later on]. 4: Under the basic HUD menu are a few extra buttons to manipulate the HUD in your own playing style [Explained through Image 2 - 4]. Image 2: 1: So in Image 1, we were in the usual Instrument HUD menu, which showed us the Area of Interest for our Science with the large circle. When we click on the Standard HUD at the top, we still see the Location for the Area of Interest that we need to Analyze. Image 3: 1 - 2: So while we are in the Standard HUD Mode, we click on the "ANALYZE" button underneath, which while keeping us in the Standard HUD, also brings up our Instrument Screen. 3: Under the Target Distance, we see text that lets us know which Instrument needs to be used. Image 4: 1 - 2: Turning on the Middle button, will completely disable the Waypoint Markers, but you can still toggle your Science Equipment on and off while in this Mode. This would be for the player who would be more interested in finding their own way around without following Waypoints, and will need to rely on the Compass and Co-Ordinates. Image 5: 1: So we are controlling the Rovers from our Command Centers, so we have all the information available at our Hands, but we don't seem to while controlling the Rover itself. So using the Satelite Data we have of Mars, we click on the Map button, that shows us the surrounding area of our Location. 2: In the Corner is our Current Co-Ordinates, the Mission Target's, and also a Mouse over Co-Ordinate where you mouse over on the Map and shows us what the Co-Ordinates are. The Map could be used for people who are not 100% comfortable with only using Co-Ordinates for moving around, and would like a "in-between" difficulty. So with this Quote from Dram: I'm confused if you mean that it was twitchy because the Game was not Registering it, or it was just harder to pin point the location without having the markers there. In all honesty though, wouldn't this be possible with setting the Opacity to 0% for some of the Modes I have suggested, so the Game still registers it as being there, but we just cannot see them. Personally, I don't mind if I end up Analyzing the wrong thing, I'll just soldier on and move around abit until I get it correct. I do hope this is taken into consideration, as I would love to see this Concept go far with a high Replayability level for all who wish to pick it up. Thanks. =]

Yup, this Bug has been around since release, but doesn't always happen. JPQed suggestion is usually the best way to get it back on track.

EDIT: Continued my discussion of this http://forums.bistudio.com/showthread.php?161762-HUD-suggestions-and-Satelite-Map-View&p=2471918#post2471918 <===there.

Yup. A way I said in another thread that could open up Mission Objectives even more without Programming the entire Mars to interact with the Mission would be, have the Description tell you what you need to get out of the Mission, give you a Waypoint for the Area of Interest, and then everything within a certain Radius of that Waypoint can be Analyzed, or Photographed to go towards your Main Objective. Your Results will effect your outcome. This will open up the Game and make you feel that you are exploring and learning about Mars, rather than following scripted Missions. The DEVs have spoken about this and although it's not a priority, it will be implemented. However, they were talking about it that you set your Waypoints ect, then close down the Game and come back the next day to find out what the Rover has discovered [or if it destroyed itself]. I'm sure this could be used while you are playing it aswell though.

So I started a New Game, and never encountered this problem on my first time through, but now, every Landing Mission after the first 2, I get weird Grid Lines on my View, Internal and External. I cannot change Camera Views, cannot change my Waypoint Marker's, Control any Robotic Arms, basically nothing works, this started 3 days ago, so I thought I'd just do the Rover Missions and go back to it after the Computer and Game have had a Reboot. Just tried again, and I have the same Issue, no matter what parts I put on the Lander. Anyone have any idea's or have heard of this before? EDIT: Also have checked the Logs and no Malfunction, and when I go to the Testing Area on Earth, everything is working fine and dandy.

Thanks for the quick update. On decent, I am still getting the Grid Lines on the Screen from Internal and External, but once the Lander touches down, the Grid disappears, and everything is back the way it should be and working. Atleast the Game is playable for me again in the Dev Version. Tomorrow I might do a Re-Install of the Game and see if the Decent sorts itself out.

Nice, sounds interesting. Probably abit early at the moment, but sometime soon in the future would it be possible to get like a Monthly DEV Blog explaining to us all what is currently being worked on for next Updates, and to be implemented in the future? And maybe even a short introduction from each of the DEVs on the Team. Would be much appreciated! =]

Thanks a bunch Dram, and very nice for Manual Landings!!! =D

Well, Stable version is working perfectly fine with the Landers [so far] v0.8.0170. I switched back to the Dev Version and back to the same Bug [New Pic below]. DEVs must be having a short break, havent seen much activity from them last couple days =\

Yeah, I'm on the Dev Build aswell same as you, .0172 and the Logs say it updated on the 12th of August. Might try swapping back over to the Stable version and see if I get the same bug.

Hmm, is the Version that you 2 have Welsh and h - 0.8.01 72? Cause I still have the exact same issue occuring.

Yeah I was thinking this the other day. I think the main reason they are Removed completely, is because the Rovers themselves have a ton of Parts, but it would be nice if a "Dummy" Rover could be modeled to replicate its looks only to take it's place.

Problem is still occurring for me, and just checked to see if it was updated, which it is. Probably should have mentioned in my OP that I'm also using the Dev Version.

Personally, I would enjoy the Scientific HUD Markers being Removed Completely. Those big bright Circled around the Rock or the Ground just ruin the Beauty of the Game. In all honesty we only need a single Cross like the normal Waypoint Marker on the Rock or the Area, and the rest is self explanatory. This is meant to be a game about Science, so I'm pretty sure the people who will purchase it will not need these bad looking blobs on the area of interest for us to work out if that's what we are meant to be analyzing or not.

Indeed there will be many Locations on Release, but I'd like to say that I would prefer [personally] that we don't have set locations that we can go to, but choose our own from the entire Map of Mars. I agree that Locations shouldn't be unlocked. It just makes it feel like the Game is following the trend of almost every other Game out there. This is meant to be about Science, so Science should be used to progress your Technology. Yup, Satellites should be a "Must Do" at the start of every Game [and during] so you can start Mapping out Mars. Same as #2. It would be nice to have Freedom to choose what we would like to Explore. I understand though that the Game cannot be developed to Interact with every single inch of the Mars Surface, but that's why Mission Locations should be as they are now, which is a set location that we need to go to, but any random location we choose to explore should be for pure Exploration rather than adding to your Project. Cause this would prevent us from earning a Profit from Exploring off site locations, a way you could still earn Cash would be, Successful Landing, Drive so and so amount of km, Analyze so and so amount of Soil and Rocks. This way we could still get a income for doing our own Exploration. Definitely. The game has 0% Freedom. Always having to Analyze 1 Rock and 1 Rock only, or Take the picture in the exact way the game requires you to, is just ridiculous and in no way revolves around doing Science. Yes you can Analyze any Rock or Soil as you wish, but it doesn't go towards your Main objective which it should do. Personally, I play Career Mode because I like building things up for myself, and going off and doing my own thing gets me nothing in the Game but for my own interest. I would much rather a Option where I hire, [or train] Scientists and Technicians to perform my requested Projects, which are learnt over time, not instantly gain new "abilities" from doing some Missions. Although I enjoy the "Real Mars Time" feature, I have to say the feel of "Teleporting" as the OP said, just seems rediculous. What I would like to see is the time moves as it does in Real time, but the time it takes for Launching the Vehicle, landing ect is added onto that time, so it actually Moves. I might launch when it's Daytime on Mars, but might end up getting there at Night time. A Space Race would be a nice Challenge to have in Single Player indeed. Having a crew should always be a must for a Career Mode. Also, who is funding us? What are they pushing for us to achieve? What will provoke them to cancel our Agency? I'd definitely like a Management system set in place. At the end of the day, as I've said before, the Concept for this game is incredible, but it is lacking alot that will keep us glued to the screen for hours. Some people might want to follow Waypoints, and only play the Game the way the Game tells them to, but personally, I enjoy playing it my own way while still achieving a outcome.

The DEVs have spoken about giving us the ability to control the Landing, but I'm sure they will have the option for Automated or not. I like your idea of the Ability to Plan out your Mission through Mission Control, setting Co-Ordinates, and scanning Sat Maps for Area's of Interest. That will definitely add alot to the Gameplay indeed, and make you start feeling like you have control over it.

Yeah I'm aware of that =] but my main problem is Career Mode being so restricted and doesn't actually require the Players to be their own Space Agency to earn their Profit, it just feels like the Game is on Rails which you have no Control over, and I feel opening up the Door for more Freedom to earn Rewards by your own Decisions will expand the Replayability and Interest for people to stick with it.

Yeah, never though of this before, but agree'd. A new Tab could be added to the Box in the top left Corner with your Results.