Some gameplay suggestions

Hey there,

I always loved the TV Series Stargate: SG1 and especially Stargate: Atlantis for the Idea of the Ancestors.

(For those who don't know Stargate: The Ancestors are an ancient, human-like race that were technically very advanced (wormholes, hyperspace..), but disappeared 10.000 years before. They left back many relicts, such as hidden outposts and stone inscriptions with hidden technical devices all over the galaxy.)

I love the mystery in it, and the challenge to discover what happened to them, discover their relicts and their advanced technology.
(I love the Protoss from Starcraft for very similar reasons. Technically advanced and mysterious. )

So here are my suggestions for Wayfarer:

1. Suggestions referring to my little story :
How about something similar?
-An ancient race humanity doesn't know much about & that you only encounter rarely? I'm not sure if it matches the story, but maybe it would add a mysterious and very interesting aspect to it, if you can collect !some information about them.
-Relicts that you can find and analyze to gather new technologies or to optimize your shield's efficiency.
-Hidden outposts to discover, maybe with food / medicine / similar effects as relicts, or information about the alien race that built it

2. Other suggestions:
-Technologies:
First of all: I'm not sure how much advanced technology you are going to add to Wayfarer. Of course interstellar travelling(hyperspace/warp?), energy weapons and hovering machines, that's fundamental.
But how about e.g. beaming / s.th. like a deflector (Star Trek), tractor beam? I would really like many technologies in Wayfarer. Not only to have them at the start, but to discover them. As suggested by finding relicts, but also by researching maybe? I think actively researching technologies would be very interesting.

-Space phenomenons:
Will the player only see planets, moons, asteroids & stars? Interstellar nebulae, black holes, wormholes, special kind of radiance (like tachyon) would definitely be nice to see & discover. Also the player could be able to analyze and research them (for example by sending a special pulse with your deflector).

-Programmable Parts:
I know that you are going to make the reactor/ shields kind of customisable, and I really like that. But I'm not sure how exactly you are planning this?
Furthermore I'm wondering if there will be programmable parts in the game, just like a simple automatic defense system for your ship or emergency protocols (e.g. when a corridor has a lack and all the oxygen is leaving the doors to that corridor are automatically locked)?
Notch planned, as you of course know, a programmable computer. I don't aspect that, but some kind of easy programming would be cool I think.


Of course I know I can't expect you to implement all these features, but I hope to see some of them if the final game

Excited to read your responses,
Mortimer

1: we do have plans to include a mysterious alien race but this will not be implemented until much later in development and as we want to keep it just that, mysterious we wont be saying much on the subject it is something you will have to discover for yourselves !

2: In terms of warping, we are using a slipstream system which act as hyperspace currents, you enter them and they carry you to your destination. Beaming is something that we may include for things like boarding other players ships but on of the unique features of wayfarer is that you can take your ship and land on a planets surface so there is no need to beam up to you ship in orbit as you have to land it on the planet if you want to get out and explore.

3: Space phenomenons are something that we are planning as they can happen randomly and keep game play fresh and interesting but again this is something to be implemented down the line as you have to understand that it is not easy to fit all of these good ideas in straight away as it is simply to big of an undertaking. For now we are looking at things like, space nets that appear that you can get caught in, or trading ships that spawn in an area, you may loot them or go and trade but they only appear sometimes.

4: We are giving players alot of input from the cockpit of thier ship and lots of levers and buttons that perform functions but there won't be one computer that you can program functions on, not any time soon any ways as we have no plans currently to introduce this feature.

Of course I understand that some ideas are just too big, so I am very happy with your plans.
About 1.: Nice.