Roadmap

Please note: this page is old, not updated, and should be more thought of as a general outline of the direction we want to take the game in.

First milestone

Basically we want external interfaces to be stable.

• New save file format
• Separate Player from Ship (breaks Lua)
• Turn Missiles into guided Projectiles
• Module manifest
• Convert to new UI (but not redesigned HUD)
• Starsystem generation rewrite (plus custom systems)
• 3D cockpits (only visual, not functional)

Second milestone

• Gameplay stuff, redesigned UI. Dunno yet.
• Functional 3D cockpits

Older stuff

Pioneer has changed versioning system and will no longer release a 1.0 version. Development will continue continuously with new features and fixes added, making every new version slightly better than the one before. Below is a list of what was considered to be needed for a 1.0 release in the old version-naming scheme.

Warning: This list is incomplete - and under active discussion so subject to change

Technical features

• The save system will be changed to allow future versions to be made without breaking all prior saved games.
• All user-interface will be converted to use the new-ui system and be driven by Lua.
• Star system generation will be rewritten to allow partially custom systems, and to allow some types of changes to be made without having knock-on effects through the entire galaxy or system.
• Commodity Prices (see link for more) / Economy will be more advanced (Dynamic?)

Gameplay features

• Military progression / treason.
• Something like the Scout missions the walterar has done, exploration jobs.
• No hypersace from in atmosphere / or too close to a planet surface.
• In-system hyperspace jumps to make assassination missions and piracy actually possible.
• Alternatively a Fast-As-Light drive, Shadmar has taken a hacked one I (fluffyfreak) wrote and updated it for Paragon.
• A reason to actually have Crew on the ship.
• Cargo has volume, and this is what limits a cargo hold. forum

More proposed stuff

From Luomu (talk) 17:09, 1 May 2013 (PDT)

• New, fault tolerant save system: this is the most important thing ever
• Rewrite the HUD
  • Gather a list of components before doing any visual design
• Controls
  • New input system: do we need one, or can the current one be fixed?
  • Current problems: conflicting binds, cannot bind multiple inputs per action
  • Remove rarely used buttons?
• Camera
  • Add chase camera, padlock
• Weapons
  • goals: allow more than just laser bolts (beams, missiles), auto-tracking guns and turrets
  • rewrite, basically
  • turn missiles into guided projectiles instead of ships
  • conflicts with lua trade goods/equipment?
• Factions
  • Remove random generation of factions
  • Factions into translation system
• Star views and navigation
  • combine system (orbit) view into star map
  • maybe other streamlining as well?
  • bookmarks, travel log
• Missions and station interface
  • Redesign the bulletin board to allow filtering and searching (e.g., adverts have tags, as shown in this old mock-up: http://i.imgur.com/HJH9L.png)
  • Centralise bulletin board within the station interface (ie, everything else hangs off the bulletin board; the BB is basically the station-wide-web)
  • Replace the "standard" commodity market with multiple traders/shops advertising on the BB
  • Replace the "standard" ship equipment and servicing screens with mechanics advertising on the BB
  • Replace the "standard" ship purchase screen with specialist shops advertising on the BB, plus also individual pilots posting ship-for-sale and ship-wanted adverts
  • Allow player to buy some types of ship equipment as cargo and have it fitted elsewhere
• Separate Player from Ships
  • to enable shuttlecraft and remote drones
  • must be done during alpha, not sensible afterwards (breaks modules)
• Hitpoints: use generic HP value instead of mass
• Cargo: use kg instead of tons
• AI
  • needs more higher level stuff like basic self preservation, modules must not have to implement their own (like tradeships...)
  • formations, anyone?
  • AI vs AI?
• Ship visual customization
• Space stations
  • external docking
  • traffic rules (don't allow modules to let ships idle forever)
• Ship to ship docking
• Networking / "Fake multiplayer" Network features