1.1   Goal

Create a complete design specification for the game.

This is the opposite of design by accretion and experimentation. Make a complete version then refine (as espoused by Lucas). Prevent getting bogged down in implementation details and experimentation.

Provide core features only! KISS.

3.1   Meta-Server

3.2   Server Setup

Configure for single battle or a war.

Settings:

• Meta-server address
• Port
• Ban-list - Name or IP address
• Scenario
• Player limit

3.3   Client Setup

Preferences:

• Video mode
• Sound Volume
• Music Volume
• Meta-server address
• User name

3.4   Connecting to server

3.5   Star Systems

Auto-generated star maps and solar systems, based on settings in the Scenario Setup.

All systems have a single sun orbited by random number of planets. Each planet may have moons.

The motion of large bodies is not dealt with during combat (they are static). The orbits of planets & moons does change on the strategic scale.

Nebula, Asteroids, etc., will not be implemented in v1.0.

3.6   Fleet Deployment

This is automatically done by the computer, based on settings in the Scenario Setup.

In addition to space-based stations, there are also planetary Starbases and Outposts.

3.7   Warping

Generating a warp field lenses space-time around the ship, making distances shrink. This effectively magnifies the inertia & thrust by the cube of the warpping factor plus one [(WF+1)³].

Warp fields have an orientation. Forces acting on a vessel will gradually translate to forward motion. This means a ship drifting sideways which activates the warp generator will start moving forward.

Being able to flex space-time also allows a regressive capability, where forces inside the field can be reduced or reversed along the field orientation. By thrusting forwards in a fully regressed field, the ship slows down or moves backwards. This force control is also needed to keep the crew unaffected by the crushing drive acceleration. However, it only works along the axis of field orientation so lateral forces can still shake the crew about!

The ship inside the field obeys relativistic rules, so it can never exceed light speed locally and mass increases significantly at near-light speeds. Therefore, the maximum effective speed of a vessel is limited to about 0.9c times the maximum (WF+1)³ which can be generated. It will take a few days of continuous thrusting at 100g to either accelerate to, or decelerate from, this speed.

To get a feel for the pace of tactical engagements, consider that one minute of 100g thrust at WF 5 will put a ship at 4.2% c (normal space). At this speed, earth to moon is 30.5 seconds. After 5 minutes 21% c will be reached and 1 AU will take ~40 minutes to cross.

It takes energy proportional to WF³ * vessel size (field size) to maintain the warp field.

Turning while moving in warp can be done by shaping the field so that a re-orientation occurs. This requires no extra energy.

When the field is no longer powered, it collapses quickly, but not immediately. A warp factor is lost every 5 seconds. The velocity of the ship drops in proportion. When the warp field fades completely, the ship will be at it's local-space velocity, moving in the direction which the field was oriented (forwards or backwards).

LY   = Light years to travel
WF   = Warp Factor
DLY  = 365 / (WF + 1)^3
Days = (LY * DLY * 1.67) + 2

3.8   Ranking & Victory

Each player has a Strike Rating which is the number of internal hits scored on ememy vessels. The amount of damage inflicted is ignored, only the fact that a weapon does internal damage is noted.

Each missed shot reduces the strike rating by one. This rewards players who use weapons in their effective range. If the rating is zero, it remains zero.

Each multi-player game played is recorded on a Meta Server as a tour of duty.

3.9   Engagement

4.1   Weapons

4.2   Shields

Each vessel has 8 shield areas covering the following arcs:

• Forward
• Port/Fwd
• Port
• Port/Aft
• Aft
• Starboard/Fwd
• Starboard
• Starboard/Aft

Each shield area has a coverage rating relative to the size of the ship. Larger ships have more surface area and therefore a higher coverage rating. Coverage is equal to the total structural units / 8.

As the areas are damaged, further hits have a greater chance to pass through the un-shielded areas. See Damage Distribution.

Power is applied to regenerate shielding as weapons strike them. Each unit of protection reduces damage by one unit. When the shield regeneration is overwhelmed, a unit of shield coverage is lost.

4.3   Power Core

The anti-matter power core has a power output rating and a number of structural units.

When damaged, the maximum power output drops proportionally to the percentage of damaged power units.

4.4   Drive Engines

These move the ship forward and provide some reserve power.

4.5   Warp Generators

Enables space warping.

When a warp field is established, thrust is magnified by (WF+1)³.

4.6   Structural Integrity

Vessels have a Structural Integrity rating.

4.7   Sensors

Each ship's sensor array has a level (normally 1.0 - 2.0) and a number of structural units.

Damage to sensors can reduce the ability to detect of ships and degrade targeting.

Sensor range on the Star Chart is 15 light years times the current sensor level.

During combat, an effective sensor level of less than one modifies the to-hit chance proportionally.

4.8   Navigational Deflectors

4.9   Consumables

Torpedoes, repair units, and anti-matter fuel must be replenished.

Anti-matter is consumed at a rate of vessel size * WF³.

4.10   Damage Distribution

For each point of damage done, a check is made against the remaining shield area coverage percentage. If less than the remaining percent, the hit reduces the shield coverage by one. If greater the the percent, the damage passes through to internal systems.

Internal Systems:

• Power Core
• Drive Engines
• Warp Field Generators
• Each weapon
• Control Systems
• Sensors
• Structural Integrity

4.11   Damage Repair

Each ship has a number of repair points. Each point can repair 1 unit of damage or fully restore one shield area.

May fully repair at an outpost or starbase.

5.1   Main Menu

        WarpFleet

Play Single-player Game  -> Select Scenario Screen
Join Multi-player Game   -> Join Game Screen
Start Server             -> Select Scenario Screen
Configure                -> Configure Screen
Quit                     -> Really? Y/N

                   v1.0

5.2   Scenario Selection Screen

Scenario selection simply shows a list of scenarios which the user may pick from. A splash image, name, and description are shown for each scenario.

The scenarios are read from scripts which are manually created.

For single-player games, [Play] and [Cancel] buttons are shown.

For server setup, [Start Server], [Start & Join], and [Cancel] buttons appear.

5.3   Join Game Screen

This screen shows a list of the current games the meta-server knows about.

The server list shows the following:

• Server Name/IP
• Ping delay
• Scenario name
• Number of players/Player limit
• Number of vessels in play

A [Join] & [Cancel] button appear at the bottom of the screen.

5.4   Configure Screen

Video Mode       [1024x768 @60Hz  v]
Sound Volume     [---------------  ]
Music Volume     [--------         ]
Joystick device  [/dev/input/js0      ]
Meta-server      [meta.ultratrek.net  ]

Return to Main Menu

5.5   In-game Menu

Pauses game in single player mode.

Sound Volume     [---------------  ]
Music Volume     [--------         ]

Return to Game
Quit Game

5.6   Joining Play

Once connected to the server, the player is an observer. Either the Star Chart (War server) or system (Battle server) is shown.

A [Leave Server] button and a [Join XX] button for each faction is shown. For example: [Join Federation] [Join Klingon] [Leave Server].

If the [Leave] button is selected, the player returns to the Main Menu.

If a faction is selected, the Select Ship Screen is shown.

5.7   Star Chart

This displays the star systems in the disputed area of space.

5.8   Encounter Controls

Screen Mock Up

The game should be comfortably playable with a four-button joystick, keyboard, or mouse.

For fire buttons: Tap to fire one weapon, hold for 1 sec. to fire all.

Button D brings up the Orders Menu tree. In Orders mode the (C) button will cancel and return to Helm mode.

The joystick has the following modes:

5.8.1   Orders Menu

When the joystick Orders button or the right mouse buttin is pressed, the following menu will be shown:

Orders Menu Tree

100 Power Core
100 Main Drive
100 Warp Generator
100 Structural Integrity
100 Sensor
    Armament
100  2 Beam
100  2 Beam
100  2 Beam

5.9   Chat Commands

Chat window slides down from the top when Chat input hit. The Chat window takes the input focus.

Two send buttons are shown [Send Team] and [Send All].

Macros must be manually specfied in the preferences file.