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diff --git a/Doc/AI.TXT b/Doc/AI.TXT new file mode 100644 index 0000000..40071ca --- /dev/null +++ b/Doc/AI.TXT @@ -0,0 +1,1248 @@ +==================== STARSHATTER ====================
+ ACTION
+
+Starshatter is a 3D action-simulation game in a space
+combat setting. The player will control a space
+ship of one type or another, and attempt to defeat
+various enemy forces composed of small, medium
+and large space ships, space stations, and ground-
+based resources.
+
+The game is designed as a series of combat missions
+in which the goal is to destroy an enemy resource,
+secure an enemy position, or defend a friendly resource
+from an enemy attack. Unlike most space combat sims,
+Starshatter missions are fought within the context of
+a large dynamic military operation.
+
+In the attack type of mission, victory is achieved
+by destroying the resource(s) and escaping to safety.
+In the secure and defend types of missions, victory is
+achieved by preventing the destruction of the resource
+while simultaneously destroying the enemy or forcing
+the enemy to retire. In any mission, achieving a
+partial victory is a possibility.
+
+Individual mission designs will be characterized by:
+1) the locale, including various space bodies such as
+ stars, planets, planetoids, asteroid fields, space
+ stations, nebulae, terrain, cities, and so forth
+2) the composition and placement of enemy forces
+3) the composition and placement of friendly or neutral
+ forces, if any
+4) the objectives / resources / victory conditions
+ for each force element
+
+
+RELEVANT TECHNOLOGY:
+
+Space ships and ground units are each endowed with a
+group of resources that they use in battle. These
+resources fall into eight different categories:
+
+Ship System List:
+
+ 1. Vital (Hull/Stabilizer/Core/Life Support)
+ 2. Econ (power management)
+ 3. Conventional Drive
+ 4. Hyperdrive (optional)
+ 5. Shields
+ 6. Weapons
+ 7. Flight Ops (optional)
+ 8.* Systems (computer)
+ a.Communications
+ b.Sensors
+ c.GNC
+ d.Tactical (target tracking)
+
+Large space ships are capable of supralight travel by
+means of "hyperdrive," which is similar to the same
+concepts used in Star Wars and Babylon 5.
+
+Smaller ships (fighters, attack) are not capable of long
+distance travel using hyperdrive, and must be carried
+to and from missions by a larger ship (a destroyer or cruiser).
+
+All combat will occur at sublight velocities using
+conventional plasma projection or fusion drive. However,
+damage to the hyperdrive may effect the outcome of a
+mission (e.g. by delaying a safe escape).
+
+Ships and ground targets may employ various types of
+weapons, both matter and radiant energy based. From
+the AI's point of view, all weapons are of one of three
+different types: guided, unguided, or regional. Guided
+weapons include their own AI to direct their flight path
+to a target. Unguided weapons simply follow the straight
+line course set for them at launch time. Regional weapons
+inflict damage on any resources that happen to occupy the
+same volume of space as the weapon during its deployment.
+Any single ship or ground target may employ several fire
+control AI systems to manage multiple beam weapons and
+missile launchers.
+
+Ships and ground targets may employ defensive screens
+or shields. These shields are invisible barriers that
+prevent the transmission of both matter and radiant
+energy weapons. Shields (actually, shield generators)
+are degraded by the process of deflecting weapons and
+will eventually burn out, leaving the ship open to
+attack. Larger ships will employ multiple shield
+generators to screen various parts of the ship. In
+addition, larger ships can mount more robust shield
+technology, requiring heavier weapons to penetrate.
+
+Laser/Particle Beam cannon types:
+* Alpha
+* Gamma
+* Delta
+* Omega
+
+Explosive Missile weapon types:
+* Pyrotechnic
+* Thermonuclear
+* Antimatter
+* Varion (Torpedo)
+
+In addition to basic laser and explosive missile types
+of weapons, Starshatter features several advanced weapon
+types:
+
+* Cruise Missiles (very long range guided munition)
+* Bomb-pumped Laser Warheads
+* CIWS Laser Turrets
+
+* Plasma Cannon (very high power energy weapon)
+* Fusion Burst (ultra high power energy weapon)
+* Graviton Pulse (goes through all shields)
+
+Whenever any ship system takes damage, the capabilities
+of the ship in that area are temporarily or permanently
+downgraded. Most systems are capable of limited self-
+repair. Safe bases will be provided for full repair
+both during and between missions.
+
+Although there will be no powerups just lying around,
+there will be both friendly and enemy supply ships on
+each mission. Small ships can resupply themselves at
+any time by docking with a friendly supply depot or
+ship.
+
+While ships are grouped into the broad categories of
+"large," "medium," and "small", there are several
+distinct classes within those categories. Ships in
+each class will have typical size parameters as
+follows:
+
+ CLASS LENGTH (m) CREW
+ ----------- ----------- -------
+ Fighter 10-20 1 Small
+ Attack 25-50 2-3
+ Destroyer 200+ Medium
+ Cruiser 400+
+ Battleship 800+ Large
+ Carrier 1000+
+
+ Station unlimited
+
+As the class names indicate, small ships are analogous
+to modern combat aircraft, while medium and large ships
+are analogous to modern naval surface warships. Medium
+and large ships are sometimes referred to as "Starships"
+because they are capable of interstellar travel.
+
+Medium ships may be outfitted with towing rigs. Large
+ships may be outfitted with flight decks. Both of these
+can be used to capture a ship. Flight decks can also
+be used to repair and re-supply smaller ships.
+
+Ships may be organized into battle groups that are led
+by a "flagship." The flagship is responsible for the
+general direction of the other ships in the battle group.
+This includes such things as setting the overall state
+of readiness, prioritizing targets, and deciding to
+pursue or retire.
+
+==================== STARSHATTER ====================
+ TACTICS
+
+Aside:
+
+I really want to avoid the typical "furball" (as seen
+in XvT, WCn, etc.) as much as possible. One thing I've
+always liked about DOOM style games is the measured pace
+of the action. During the course of a single level, the
+player faces a variety of enemies and situations in small
+packets, controlled by the level architecture. I would
+like to mimic this in Starshatter somehow, but the "open-
+ness" of the space setting makes it difficult.
+
+Some ideas:
+
+Missions will be sliced up into sections by distance and
+obstacles. So there might be a group of sentry ships to
+defeat as you enter the playfield, followed by a short
+flight to the next enemy force package. The enemy will
+be somewhat slow to react to the player's presence. Per-
+haps enemy ships will need to stick close by other resources
+on guard duty or some such.
+
+A challenge:
+
+Unlike DOOM, the player and enemy ships have the same
+capabilities. This means that with reasonable AI, the
+player will get killed about as often as the enemies.
+As a result, if the player is vastly out-numbered as
+usual he won't last very long with even odds. Result:
+we may need to fudge the damage on the player's ship
+somewhat to give him an edge. Either that, or the
+player will only be allowed to battle one or two enemy
+ships at a time. Or, the enemy AI should preferentially
+attack red-shirt pilots instead of the player.
+
+USING HYPERDRIVE:
+
+How about, most ships are equipped with hyperdrive.
+This allows the player to travel to places that are too
+far away to be seen with tactical scanners. In effect,
+jumping through hyperspace places "doors" between scenes
+of action.
+
+Let's postulate that hyperdrive allows supra-light travel
+at some ridiculous velocity. While in hyperspace the ship
+is essentially impervious to everything except gravitons.
+If the ship passes too close to a gravity well or gravitic
+weapon, the hyperdrive will "stall". The ship will return
+to normal space, and the hyperdrive will be offline for
+several seconds.
+
+Further postulate that shields and weapons are powered
+down during hyperspace transit. So you can run, or you
+can fight, but not both at the same time.
+
+While in hyperspace, the player can pilot the ship in
+the usual manner (or perhaps just using the keyboard),
+but the ship is no longer as agile (perhaps 1/5th as
+agile as in sublight flight, perhaps this is variable
+depending on ship design). The point is that the player
+can point and go, without some hokey "warp out" animation
+sequence.
+
+Of course, it's a big universe out there. There is no
+point in *making* the player wander around in the middle
+of nowhere for an hour because he overshot the battle. So
+we will also provide a nav map with preset way points.
+The player can plot a course to anywhere in the mission
+profile by clicking on the way points and pressing "GO".
+While under "auto-pilot" like this, the player can still
+operate all of the ship systems, review the database, etc.
+Nav courses can also be pre-plotted as part of the mission
+profile. Nav points should be reasonably close together,
+so as to provide a "breather" but not "boredom".
+
+At any time, the player can steer the ship and break out
+of autopilot, without the navigation system forgetting
+the plan. This provides a nice possibility of "secret areas"
+like checking for the secret base on the far side of the
+3rd moon.
+
+While in hyperspace, the view of the universe is altered.
+Sublight ships are invisible, as is space dust. Planets
+and other gravity wells are important, so these are still
+visible in some way. Probably want to replace the "star
+and nebula" sky shell with something more distinctive, a'la
+Bab5 hyperspace, might be nice to have it be animated.
+
+Even though you never see your own ship go into hyperspace,
+it would be great to have a suitable special effect for when
+another ship does so. Perhaps something like the spiral
+smoke trail from "Eraser". Whatever it is, it has to convey
+a sense of speed (without silly elongation effects or fake
+motion blur).
+
+SENSORS AND SCOUTING:
+
+Ships will have access to both passive (short range) and
+active (long range) sensors. Passive sensors rely on the
+detection of radiation emissions from target ship systems
+such as shields, weapons, drive, reactors, active sensors,
+and communications (this is analogous to IR or passive sonar).
+Active sensors transmit an energy beam into space and detect
+the "echo" of the energy bouncing off a target ship (in a
+manner analogous to radar or active sonar).
+
+The fundamental strategy of scouting is to detect the enemy
+targets while simultaneously thwarting the enemy's attempt
+to detect the player. The basic tool for implementing this
+strategy is Emission Control. The player must balance the
+energy output of his own ship against the ability of the
+enemy to detect and target him.
+
+The ships will have an Emission Control system, with a range
+of EmCon options. As the EmCon level is increased, more
+ship systems are enabled and allowed to radiate. The ship's
+computer will attempt to minimize the EmCon level to the
+greatest degree in accordance with safety. If unfriendly
+ships are detected at close range, the computer will increase
+the EmCon level to allow the use of shields and weapon systems.
+The player can also override the automatic EmCon setting in
+situations where stealth is paramount.
+
+Each ship will be modeled by a passive and active sensor
+cross-section. The passive cross-section (PCS) is a dynamic
+number that represents the current radiation level of the
+entire ship. The PCS is the current sum of the radiation
+levels produced by all active ship systems. The active
+cross-section (ACS) is a fixed number for each ship type
+which represents the amount of energy reflected by the ship's
+hull (aspect angle ignored).
+
+Each sensor system will be modeled by type and efficiency.
+During each frame of simulation, the sensor system will
+sample all targets in the game. For each target, two levels
+of detection will be computed as:
+
+ Detect_pas = PCS / range * Eff_pas
+ Detect_act = ACS / range^2 * Eff_act(Power_act)
+
+If the level of detection for a target is 0.5 or less, the
+avionics will not register the target as a contact, and will
+not display it in the HUD or tactical viewscreens. If the
+level of detection is 1.0 or greater, the avionics will
+register the target as a contact, display it in all view-
+screens, and allow weapons targeting of the contact.
+
+If the level of detection is between 0.51 and 0.99, the
+avionics will be able to detect position and classification
+only (not velocity or capability). Weapon targeting will
+not be possible.
+
+The target's affiliation will only be displayed if its IFF
+transponder is enabled. (in all cases?)
+
+-----------------------------------------------------------
+EmCon 1: Silent
+ Generator - idle
+ Shields - disabled, discharged
+ Weapons - disabled, discharged
+ Sensors - passive only
+ Comms - receive only, IFF disabled
+
+EmCon 2: Stealthy
+ Generator - 50% limit
+ Shields - disabled, discharged
+ Weapons - enabled, discharged (missiles only?)
+ Sensors - active low power
+ Comms - receive, transmit encrypted, IFF disabled
+
+EmCon 3: Normal (launch condition)
+ Generator - 100% limit
+ Shields - enabled, charged
+ Weapons - enabled, charged
+ Sensors - active full power
+ Comms - receive, transmit, IFF enabled
+-----------------------------------------------------------
+Table 1: EmCon Settings
+
+
+Short range (passive) sensors will be able to detect EmCon
+2 targets up to a range of 100K, and EmCon 4 targets up to
+a range of 500K. Long range (active) sensors will be able
+to track all targets up to a range of 1M (maybe as high
+as 2M).
+
+The flag ship serves as Wide Area Search Protocol (WASP)
+coordinator for the fleet. That is, all ships in the fleet
+will have access to the flag ship's target list. All ships
+will periodically send their own target list back to the
+flag ship for distribution to the fleet.
+
+==================== STARSHATTER ====================
+ STORY
+
+An ancient Evil has awoken in the galaxy...
+
+The story will be told against a backdrop of two warring
+powers, one peaceful/isolationist, one warlike/imperial.
+The warlike power seeks to control less sophisticated
+races and civilizations and to lead them in an attack on
+the peaceful power. The player is a member of one of
+these "less sophisticated" races (i.e. a human) who gets
+caught up in the subtle yet violent conflict between the
+two titans.
+
+Since the conflict between the powers involves the con-
+trol of lesser species, you can never really know who is
+on your side. Or even which side is really yours. As a
+soldier, you will be forced to choose between obeying
+orders from your superiors, and doing what you believe
+is right.
+
+The game begins with the player assigned to the Tekton-
+Organon Combat Training Facility in the Janus System.
+The player can choose a career path as a fighter pilot
+or as a starship commander. In either case, they are
+assigned a first vessel, and sent through a course of
+ten or so training missions with both simulated and live
+fire against combat instructors and drone targets.
+
+During the last training mission (a sort of final exam)
+the CTF is destroyed in a hit-and-run attack by the enemy.
+The player is immediately assigned to a combat billet and
+sent into the fray. (Note that once the player has
+completed the training missions, future games will not
+require the player to repeat them.)
+
+The remainder of the game takes the player through a
+series of combat missions against more and more difficult
+alien opponents. Midway through the game, the player
+learns that the true enemy is the EVIL that has instigated
+the conflict in the first place.
+
+In the end, the "good" power offers a weapon of last
+resort to the player. This weapon will cause the explosive
+annihilation of several dozen stars in enemy space. It
+will immediately result in several billion civilian deaths,
+with tens of billions of casualties resulting from radiation
+poisoning over the next several centuries. Other, more
+dire, and more global consequences will also result...
+
+==================== STARSHATTER ====================
+ STRATEGY
+
+Although Starshatter is fundamentally an action title,
+there is also a significant back-story and strategic
+element to the gameplay.
+
+The game occurs in a far-distant future of the Milky
+Way galaxy. Our corner of the galaxy, an area some
+ten or twenty thousand light years in diameter is popu-
+lated by thousands of human-intelligent species on tens
+of thousands of worlds. Many races live in approximate
+isolation, but most are organized into complex poly-
+specific civilizations spanning many star systems.
+Humans are not central in galactic affairs (as in Star
+Trek or Star Wars) but are merely another species. And
+some of the other species and civilizations are *much*
+older and *much* more advanced than ours.
+
+
+POLITICAL FACTIONS:
+
+- Starshatter (warlike/imperial power)
+
+* Sterat Empire (controlled by the Starshatter)
+
+* Brenel Core (military/intelligence corporation)
+
+* Zolon Empire (hive-like hereditary empire)
+
+* Marakan Hegemony (Failing human imperial civilization)
+
+* Terellian Alliance (peaceful commerce group)
+ Alliance of Terellian Republics (ATR)
+
++ Ele'aan Fusion (peaceful/isolationist power)
+
+The player is a human starfighter pilot in the military
+of one such civilization, Tekton-Organon, which is in
+turn part of the Terellian Alliance. The computer plays
+the part of the player's superior officers in assigning
+missions and offering criticism and praise for performance.
+In addition, the computer plays the role of all enemy
+pilots and politicians.
+
+The game follows the action in an interstellar conflict
+between the Terellian Alliance and those civilizations in
+the control of the Starshatter. The player is assigned
+missions and ships commensurate with his ability by the
+computer.
+
+==================== STARSHATTER ====================
+ MISSIONS
+
+Each of the three episodes follows the action in a military
+campaign against a single enemy civilization. Individual
+missions will be constructed on the fly by the dynamic
+campaign manager (or by the player if acting as operational
+commander).
+
+Each episode takes place in a fixed volume of space con-
+taining about a dozen star systems. The global campaign
+map will treat the star systems as points in a 2D map.
+The action will take place within individual star systems,
+which use a finer grained map. The enemy will control
+most of the star systems, although a few will be neutral,
+allied, or controlled by the player's faction. These may
+need to be defended if the enemy is able to incur.
+
+Rather than being "mission based", Starshatter is an
+"operational simulation". Each campaign episode is
+broken down into a series of military operations, each
+of which occur in a given star system. Different opera-
+tions will have different rules of engagement and victory
+conditions. Some will require the player to secure a
+neutral or allied star system from hostile threats.
+Others will involve incursion into hostile territory.
+Still others will have more limited objectives, such
+as securing a friendly position in a neutral system,
+without violating neutral airspace or damaging neutral
+assets.
+
+Major resources such as space stations, ship yards,
+SAM and sensor sites will be part of the fixed universe
+design. Likewise, the initial number, type, and location
+of warships is fixed at design time. It is hoped that
+the combination of large numbers of ships and small
+random factors (battle outcome, planetary position,
+time of attack) will result in increased variety of
+enounter for the player.
+
+During the game, the campaign manager must keep track
+of the location and make-up of each ship and battle group.
+As each ship is destroyed in battle, it must be removed
+(permanently) from play. New ships and battle groups
+can be constructed on each side, at a rate dependent
+on how many critical resources the side controls. In
+addition, reserves may be advanced from rearward areas
+to support an operation.
+
+For each mission, the computer will assemble a mission
+profile by selecting one or more objectives, selecting
+a location for the battle, and assigning friendly and
+enemy forces. The computer can choose randomly from
+among the nearby resources to attack (or defend) and
+the nearby ships on both sides to fight.
+
+Missions will be generated in accordance with the current
+strategic objectives for the operation. The dynamic
+campaign manager will keep a prioritized list of
+strategic objectives, mostly related to major fixed
+resources.
+
+Before the battle, the player will be given a gene-
+rated mission briefing describing the mission objec-
+tives, locale, and the makeup of his own group.
+
+Once the player completes the mission (or loses it),
+the computer will tally up the losses on both sides
+and remove those ships from the campaign roster. A
+generated mission debriefing will detail kills and
+losses, pilot ratings, etc.
+
+In order to keep the player doing something interesting,
+he will have to be assigned to an attack force, either
+a battle group or fighter wing. Early missions will be
+shorter and simpler, with a single objective in a
+single system. Later missions will get more involved,
+with multiple objectives and sometimes requiring free
+drive travel to other systems. In addition, the com-
+plexity of missions will be modulated by the user's
+chosen difficulty level.
+
+Sometimes, the objectives will be enemy forces: e.g.
+destroy a fighter wing or cripple a battle group.
+Other times, they will be fixed resources like space
+stations or fortified moons. Still other times, they
+will be distributed or moving targets: e.g. shut down
+interplanetary shipping throughout the system.
+
+At any time, the player's group may get assigned to
+a defensive mission (scramble). This can mean defending
+a fixed resource from an incoming enemy attack. Or it
+could mean escorting an important freight convey through
+unsecured space.
+
+Mission objectives can be constructed from verb-noun
+imperatives:
+
+ Verb List Object List
+ ---------------- -----------------
+ Intercept Ship
+ Shadow Group of Ships
+ Escort
+ Defend
+
+ Strike Space Station
+ Capture
+ Blockade
+ Defend
+
+ Launch From Starship or Station
+ Dock With
+ Dock/Rearm/Launch
+
+ Clear Mine Field / Satellite Grid
+
+ Go To Location
+ Patrol
+ Hold At
+
+
+We may also need to define some high-level tactics for
+achieving these objectives which can be used by the
+enemy AI.
+
+Here are some ideas:
+
+ Massed or Dispersed
+ Attack at Long Range or Up Close
+ Stealthy or Overt Approach (psychological impact, force disposition)
+
+ Clear space or Nebula (won't always have a choice)
+ * Find other ways to screw up sensors
+ - pulsars
+ - jammers
+
+ Guerre de Course?
+ Use Decoys?
+ Keep Reserves?
+ What kind of Antiscouting/Deception?
+ What kind of weapons?
+
+==================== STARSHATTER ====================
+ COMMAND
+
+A unique feature of STARSHATTER is the ability to choose
+between a career as a fighter jock or a starship commander.
+The fighter side of the game will play similar to a space
+combat sim or an air combat sim. The starship side will be
+quite different:
+
+Starships are big, expensive, powerful platforms, but they
+are not terribly maneuverable. In general, one does not
+"knife fight" with a star destroyer. Starships will make
+use of a variety of long range (even beyond visual range)
+weapons including cruise missiles, varion torpedoes, and
+attack ships. These can be used to weaken or destroy an
+enemy vessel while putting the ship at minimal risk. Once
+the enemy has been sufficiently weakened, the player can
+safely close range and finish the job with supremely power-
+ful but short range energy weapons.
+
+The commander can select and direct long range weapons
+to attack enemy sub-targets to achieve a specific goal,
+whether it is to disable, disarm, or outright destroy an
+opponent. It will probably be great fun to disable an
+enemy, close range, and ask them to "surrender...or DIE!"
+
+In these long range attacks, timing and distance will be
+everything. The player must be close enough to detect the
+enemy and coordinate a strike, but not too close to be
+detected first. Then the player must close range quickly
+enough to finish off the enemy before an effective counter
+attack can be mounted. The opportunity for deception and
+possum-playing on both sides will add to the tension.
+
+However if the player is unlucky enough to find himself
+on the receiving end of a BVR attack, he still has several
+interesting options. If the long range attack has revealed
+the location of the enemy (a likelihood), the player can
+request assistance from better positioned allies (if any).
+Alternately, he can choose to hunker down into a defensive
+posture or launch a counter-attack. If the situation seems
+truly grim, he can also choose to reconfigure power systems
+and run.
+
+To compensate for the lack of maneuverability, the player
+will need to be given control over a richer variety of
+defensive assets. In addition to basic fighter cover and
+CIWS lasers, starships will be able to carry and deploy
+sensor probes and weapons pods. Sensor probes are usually
+passive sensor arrays mounted on a stable platform analogous
+to a modern sonobouy. They are deployed by the starship and
+send target contact information back to it. Weapons pods
+are more like unmanned, unshielded, undriven fighters.
+They have the ability to orient themselves in space, and may
+even be capable of limited movement through translation
+thrusters. But basically they sit where they are left and
+fire lasers and missiles at any unfriendly targets that
+wander into range.
+
+~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
+Steps needed to get there:
+~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
+- Passive and Active Sensors
+- Tactical Situtation MFD
+- System Targeting
+- System Damage Combat Results
+- Long Range Weapon Types
+- Sensor Probes and Weapons Pods
+- AA Turrets on Starships
+- Fighter AI Commands
+- Starship AI
+- Squadron AI Commands
+- Big Explosions and Shock Waves
+
+==================== STARSHATTER ====================
+ AI
+
+AI STATE
+-----------------------------------------------------
+Threats
+Targets
+Allies
+Destinations
+Objectives
+Self health
+Team strength
+Morale
+Tenacity/Recklessness
+Mood/Stability
+Difficulty
+
+
+High Level Behavior
+-----------------------------------------------------
+Choose to continue or retire the engagement
+Guard a position or resource
+Search for a target
+Plan an assault on a group of targets
+Assign an objective to a teammate
+Call for help
+
+Mid Level Behavior
+-----------------------------------------------------
+Assess a threat, or group of threats
+Select a target from a group of targets
+Select a subcomponent of a larger target
+Select a weapon to use when attacking
+Attack a Target using an offensive combat maneuver
+Assess own capabilities or "health"
+Assess team capabilities or strength
+Set levels of agression and desperation
+Set desired level of stealthiness
+Choose to pursue or break-off an attack
+Seek cover
+Seek repair or supplies
+Follow a flight plan
+Launch or recall a ship
+
+Low Level Behavior
+-----------------------------------------------------
+Navigation:
+ Idle
+ Evade a Threat
+ Seek an Objective
+ Avoid an Obstacle
+ Match Target Velocity
+ Form with Target (ally)
+ Dock with Target (ally)
+ Hold Position
+ Orbit(patrol) Position
+
+FireControl:
+ Fire upon a target
+ Set EMCON level
+
+Primitive Behavior
+-----------------------------------------------------
+Turn or Establish Heading
+Accelerate or Slow Down
+Fire a Weapon
+Target a Weapon
+Select Sensor Mode
+Set EMCON Level
+Activate Countermeasures
+
+==================== STARSHATTER ====================
+ INTERFACE
+
+SCREEN CONCEPTS:
+
+-----------------------------------------------------
+Main Menu
+-----------------------------------------------------
+
+ New Game
+ Continue Game
+ Quick Mission
+ Training
+
+ Player Info (callsign, difficulty level, stats)
+ Game Options (controls, audio-video settings)
+
+ Help!
+ Exit
+
+-----------------------------------------------------
+Help Menu
+-----------------------------------------------------
+
+ Online Manual
+ Keymap
+ About...
+ Credits
+
+-----------------------------------------------------
+Operational Command
+-----------------------------------------------------
+
+ Operation Name, Date, Status
+ ----
+ Orders (overview of operation)
+ Theater (system map showing resources)
+ Strat Plan (edit objective list)
+ Intel Rpt (news feed)
+ Status (current score, us vs. them)
+
+ - missions -
+ Active ## (current mission list)
+ Pending ## (missions in prep)
+ Scramble ## (inbound threat list)
+
+ Commit (engage current mission)
+ Cancel (back to main menu)
+
+ Also need controls to navigate the maps, and
+ control visual clutter.
+
+ [May want to offer simpler versions of this
+ screen for "Starship Command" and "Fighter
+ Command", allowing the player to focus on
+ combat simulation rather than strategy.]
+
+-----------------------------------------------------
+Mission Planning
+-----------------------------------------------------
+
+ Briefing Data (scrolling text and images)
+ Mission Title
+ Objective List
+ Force Package
+ package callsign
+ wingmen and loadout
+ Annotated Flight Plan
+ launch time
+ nav points and events
+ time on target
+ Intel Report
+ expected counterforce
+ degree of confidence
+
+ Package (select wingmen)
+ Loadout (select weapons)
+ Nav Map (edit nav points)
+ Targets (assign objectives to flights)
+
+ Commit (engage current mission)
+ Cancel (back to previous screen)
+
+ [NOTE: same screen can double as Alert Intercept
+ by changing the title and removing the edit buttons]
+
+
+==================== STARSHATTER ====================
+ TRAINING
+
+Training Missions (both services)
+
+1. Basic Flight and Navigation
+2. Guns
+3. Missiles
+4. Combat Maneuver
+5. Sensors / Stealth
+6. Wingman Interface
+7. Long Range Scan
+8. Tactical Navigation and Waypoint Setting
+9. Advanced Tactics
+ a. Starship Assault (fighter weapon school)
+ b. Cruise missiles & Flight Ops (fleet tactical school)
+10. Situation Awareness (Final Exam)
+
+
+=======================================================
+ MISCELLANIA
+
+Sensor ships and stations will be important resources in
+winning the information war. Both the player and the AI
+will need to exploit and protect them appropriately.
+
+Briefings/Debriefings and other Intelligence Reports
+must adequately communicate the overall game situation
+to the player in order to allow the player to make
+meaningful decisions. This is crucial to establishing
+immersion and making the player care about the outcome
+of the game.
+
+Briefings and Info Bursts will be more visceral if they
+include simulated "news footage" of the events being
+related.
+
+
+=======================================================
+ DYNAMIC CAMPAIGN NOTES
+
+1. Fighter jocks will be allowed to choose from a
+ menu of generated missions that have been assigned
+ to the player's squadron.
+
+2. Cruiser skippers will be given only one generated
+ mission at a time (like KA or SFC), but it will be
+ somewhat broader in scope.
+
+3. Carrier admirals will do what exactly?
+
+4. Both cruiser and carrier missions will often start
+ in the field or on patrol. Fighter missions will
+ always start and end at a base (carrier|station|
+ dirtside starbase).
+
+5. Cruiser and carrier missions will not normally
+ include the starsender translation to the area of
+ conflict. The player will only go through the
+ sender in real time as part of a mission (not as
+ prelude or ending to a mission).
+
+6. Admirals will need to be able to generate orders
+ for their forces during the battle. This implies
+ some kind of Op Command workstation.
+
+7. The mission planner algorithm must construct
+ generated missions that are "fun", not just logical
+ to the campaign. I have a vague notion of using
+ time/distance heuristics to place enemy units as
+ "challenges" on the battle field. e.g. For xxx
+ type of mission, place an enemy destroyer yyy
+ minutes away from the (player|objective|sender).
+
+8. The generated missions do not have to hang together
+ as well as previously planned. That is, we don't
+ need to maintain the feeling that the player is just
+ a unit in an RTS game. Instead, the campaign manager
+ is just a device for generating interesting single
+ player missions as would be found in any game with
+ a static campaign.
+
+ On the other hand, the player should not see any
+ obvious contradictions between the big board and
+ what occurred during their missions. That means,
+ any kills they witnessed must still be visible
+ between missions in the intel report/event log.
+
+
+=======================================================
+ SAMPLE OPERATIONAL SCENARIOS
+
+--- COLD WAR, LOW TENSION ---
+
+1) Training Center (see above)
+
+1a) Live Fire:
+ Engage in "live fire" exercise with a friendly
+ power.
+
+--- COLD WAR, HIGH TENSION ---
+
+2) Restore Order:
+ The enemy is supporting a terrorist puppet govt
+ in an allied star system. Aid the locals in putting
+ down the disturbance.
+
+3) Deliverance:
+ The enemy is sponsoring terrorists and pirates
+ harassing a small outpost system. Ensure free
+ access to the space lanes and aid the delivery
+ of needed supply convoys.
+
+4) Freedom Fighters:
+ The enemy is supporting a despotic govt that is
+ occupying a weaker friendly or neutral system.
+ Aid the locals in driving out the occupying force.
+
+5) Strategic Withdrawal:
+ Ownership of a former protected star system is
+ passing back to the enemy. Oversee the withdrawal
+ of friendly forces. Try to avoid active conflict.
+
+--- FORMAL DECLARATION OF WAR ---
+
+6) First Blood:
+ A research and educational center is on the front
+ lines and in harms way. Set up a strong defensive
+ posture, and oversee the evacuation of non-military
+ personnel.
+
+7) Sneak Attack!
+ The enemy has already struck a friendly system,
+ but they have not yet had time to fortify their
+ position. Coordinate with local forces and evict
+ the hostiles.
+
+8) Fortress of Light:
+ Protect an Eleaan frontier system from enemy
+ attack.
+
+9) Turning Point:
+ The enemy is seeking a decisive victory by wiping
+ out the home fleet. Turn the tables on them by
+ attacking first.
+
+10) Firestorm:
+ Press the advantage by invading a series of
+ enemy manufacturing and military systems.
+
+11) Nightfall:
+ Climactic operation against the enemy home system.
+
+
+=======================================================
+ MISSION TEMPLATE TYPES
+
+FIGHTER
+ TACTICAL FIGHTER WING
+
+ ATTACK SQUADRON
+
+DESTROYER/CRUISER
+ SQUADRON
+ Anti-shipping
+ Shipping Escort, anti-fighter
+ Shipping Escort, anti-cruiser
+ Shipping Escort, general
+ Picket
+ Squadron Hunter
+
+ BATTLE GROUP/TASK FORCE
+ Force-on-Force Engagement
+ Starbase Bombardment, pre-assault
+ Starbase Bombardment, anti-fighter
+
+CARRIER
+
+
+=======================================================
+
+Ship Names:
+
+F-32G Falcon Squadrons
+ Flying Tigers, Bearcats, Aces High, Cool Hands, Wizards
+
+F-36C Stormhawk Squadrons
+ Nighthawks, Mustangs, Stallions, Chargers, Blazers
+
+F/A-38D Talon Squadrons
+ Starknights, Lancers, Wild Bunch, Razorbacks, Buzzards
+
+
+Berents Class FF
+ Berents, Bosporus, Barth, Bering, Balen,
+ Clarkeston, Carlisle, Canton, Delmar, Dardenelles,
+ Darmstadt, Leyte, Messina, Mountebank, Morgan,
+ Malory, Parker, Rainier, Sorrel, Seychelles,
+ Tanly, Trieste, Yarmuz, Zephyr, Zodiac
+
+
+Spectre Class DD
+ Spectre, Wraith, Shadow, Warlock, Phantom,
+ Mistral, Nemesis, Necromancer, Merlin, Nightshade,
+ Moloch, Demon, Phobos, Deimos, Enigma,
+ Phantasm, Revenant, Banshee, Barrows, Gorgon
+
+Courageous Class DG
+ Courageous, Fearless, Stalwart, Defender, Guardian,
+ Steadfast, Assurance, Protector, Heroic, Valiant,
+ Dauntless, Vanguard, Redstone, Victory, Honor,
+ Braveheart, Defiant, Audacious, Valorous, Confident
+
+Devastator Class CA
+ Devastator, Annihilator, Onslaught, Relentless, Argent,
+ Stormwind, Thunder, Hurricane, Inferno, Torrent,
+ Typhoon, Vortex, Predator, Ravager, Demolisher,
+ Havoc, Scourge, Huntress, Warrior, Shrike
+
+Orion Class CV
+ Orion, Antares, Archon, Titan, Hyperion
+
+
+
+OTHERS
+ Wasp, Hornet, Scorpion, Deaths Head,
+ Wolf, Cobra, Viper, Raptor, Python
+
+ Jackal, Zodiac, Scarab, Sphinx, Osiris,
+ Onyx, Isis
+
+-------------------
+1 Fleet = 95 starships + 300 fighters
+
+5 carrier groups
+ 1 CV + 60 Fighters
+ 2 CA
+ 1 DG
+ 1 DD
+ 2 FF
+
+5 battle groups
+ 2 CA
+ 1 DG
+ 1 DD
+ 2 FF
+
+5 destroyer squadrons
+ 2 DG
+ 2 DD
+ 2 FF
+
+==================== STARSHATTER ====================
+ GALAXY : NAMES
+
+ Adavan
+ Aram
+ Borreal
+ Bress
+ Casalle
+ Chi
+ Dawn
+ Elkhart
+ Fenn
+ Gaul
+ Garrison
+ Haiche
+ Hemmik
+ Ilon
+ Janek (Janus-3)
+ Jarnell
+ Kala
+ Khalife
+ Kolchev
+ Korius
+ Lanos
+ Loris
+ Marak
+ Manse
+ Muir
+ Navara
+ Nephrys
+ Nergal
+ Oleanne
+ Omin
+ Patagon
+ Path
+ Pollus
+ Relay
+ Renser
+ Ri
+ Rodis
+ Senna
+ Suven
+ Tal Amin
+ Tarsus
+ Theramin
+ Thralis
+ Ur
+ Volante
+ Warren - world crack canyon/rain-forest settlement (must always face the sun)
+ Whorl
+ Xanthe
+ Zephyr
+ Zone
+
+==================== STARSHATTER ====================
+ GALAXY : PLANET TYPES
+
+ --= Landform Types =--
+ Arid Desert (Arrakis)
+ Frigid Desert (Mars)
+ Frozen Exotic (Titan)
+ Temperate Planar
+ Temperate Mountainous
+ Tropical Forest
+ Tropical Oceanic
+ Icy Oceanic (Scandinavia)
+ Rocky Planar
+ Rocky Mountainous
+ Volcanic (Venus, Io)
+ Barren (Pluto)
+
+ --= Atmospheric Types =--
+ Thin
+ Clear, Breathable
+ Dusty
+ Foggy/Cloudy
+ Dense Poisonous
+ Layered
+
+ --= Population Types =--
+ Agrarian
+ Industrial
+ Mining
+ Research/Technology
+ Military
+ Political
+ Terraforming
+
+==================== STARSHATTER ====================
+ GALAXY : RACES
+
+ Human
+
+ Ele'aan
+ Eltaar - "Those Who Speak for Ele'aas"
+
+ Marakan
+ Commar
+
+ Kasatti
+
+ Zolon Empire
+
+
+
+==================== STARSHATTER ====================
+ CAMPAIGN SEQUENCE
+
+--- COLD WAR, LOW TENSION ---
+
+1) Training Center - Live Fire:
+ Engage in "live fire" exercise with friendly
+ units on the border of Hegemony territory.
+
+--- COLD WAR, HIGH TENSION ---
+
+2) Restore Order:
+ An outlying Hegemony system is using terrorist
+ tactics to gain control of a neighboring neutral star
+ system to create "breathing room" between themselves
+ and the Alliance. Drive out the terrorists and get the
+ neutrals to sign a treaty with the Alliance.
+
+3) Freedom Fighters:
+ Hegemony taxation policy has driven an outlying
+ system to resort to despotism to collect needed
+ revenue. A group of local freedom fighters is
+ attempting to overthrow the Hegemony backed govt.
+ Aid the locals in driving out Hegemony forces.
+
+--- OPEN WARFARE ---
+
+In response to campaign 3, the Hegemony formally
+declares war on the Alliance.
+
+4) Fortress of Light:
+ The Hegemony has struck three Alliance systems,
+ but they have not yet had time to fortify their
+ position. Drive out the enemy forces, and
+ protect Alliance citizens and assets in the area.
+
+5) Firestorm:
+ Alliance Force:Command is planning a major offensive
+ against the core Hegemony systems. This operation
+ is to strike major war production and ship yards
+ to weaken the Hegemony resistance before the
+ main offensive.
+
+6) Nightfall:
+ Climactic operation against the enemy home system.
+ Discovery that the Hegemony worlds have been overrun
+ by the Zolon Empire.
+
+--- ALIEN STRIFE ---
+
+7) Spear of Triton
+
+8)
+
+
+
+
|