I'm thinking about T:V a lot recently, and there are some issues that even I find sometimes needless to worry about, since the Devs and publishers are most likely aware of these facts, but I thought I'd post some anyways... so maybe I'll get shot down for writing such a novel, but nevertheless:
[soapbox]
Reading through the forums discussing new ideas to implement, I saw many people say 'make it a mutator'. While this seems to be the ultimate solution, it has its dangers. Over-mutating a game can lead to server admins not using any mutators at all, because they don't have the time and/or the mood to browse in a 2 page long mutator list.
So I beg the Devs (still being pretty sure they know what they're doing) to consider adding every single mutator, maybe based on how much of the community will likely use it. A 0-100% division would naturally mean something that is sure to be/not be in the game. Mutators should start around a 25%-75% division, wich would mean that 25% of the people playing T:V would like to see that option/function or w/e in the game.
This would make a small, nice mutator list at the start, with the 'obligatory' mutators that make the difference between pub and comp play for example. All these mutators can then be edited, and more vital new ones can then be added during the open beta.
Wich brings me to another point. All we can hear about T:V, and with the release of every bit of new information, is that it's going to be 'bold and innovative'. I truly trust Irrational games, but there still is the chance of such a new element (or God forbid, more elements) to backfire in some way, that the Dev team did not realize. That is why open beta is there.
But if there is some kind of major bug in the beta (like skiing in T1, wich was not meant to happen) that should be straightened out, then the process will also majorly change the flow of the game after release compared to the beta the people were playing with until then. To give people a real view of what they will be playing, a second beta should be released in such a case with the repaired code: but this also takes time.
Therefore, the open beta should be released at least 2 or 3 months before actual release, so if such a problem comes up, the Dev team will have enough time to fix what ever it is, and release the fixed beta, wich will show the true face of the upcoming game.
[/soapbox]
That turned out to be quite a load. Sorry.
[soapbox]
Reading through the forums discussing new ideas to implement, I saw many people say 'make it a mutator'. While this seems to be the ultimate solution, it has its dangers. Over-mutating a game can lead to server admins not using any mutators at all, because they don't have the time and/or the mood to browse in a 2 page long mutator list.
So I beg the Devs (still being pretty sure they know what they're doing) to consider adding every single mutator, maybe based on how much of the community will likely use it. A 0-100% division would naturally mean something that is sure to be/not be in the game. Mutators should start around a 25%-75% division, wich would mean that 25% of the people playing T:V would like to see that option/function or w/e in the game.
This would make a small, nice mutator list at the start, with the 'obligatory' mutators that make the difference between pub and comp play for example. All these mutators can then be edited, and more vital new ones can then be added during the open beta.
Wich brings me to another point. All we can hear about T:V, and with the release of every bit of new information, is that it's going to be 'bold and innovative'. I truly trust Irrational games, but there still is the chance of such a new element (or God forbid, more elements) to backfire in some way, that the Dev team did not realize. That is why open beta is there.
But if there is some kind of major bug in the beta (like skiing in T1, wich was not meant to happen) that should be straightened out, then the process will also majorly change the flow of the game after release compared to the beta the people were playing with until then. To give people a real view of what they will be playing, a second beta should be released in such a case with the repaired code: but this also takes time.
Therefore, the open beta should be released at least 2 or 3 months before actual release, so if such a problem comes up, the Dev team will have enough time to fix what ever it is, and release the fixed beta, wich will show the true face of the upcoming game.
[/soapbox]
That turned out to be quite a load. Sorry.
), but keep them low in numbers.
We've already got T1 servers where you can't repair turrets and you can't buy ships, not to mention people who scream "omg osniper banz." If I wanted to play a mod without being able to repair turrets or fly ships, call it, "GayModWhereYouCan'tRepairTurretsOrBuyShips Mod," not "base."