Yeah, that works pretty good. I'm glad you finally had the sense to do it.

When i started i right clicked within 30 seconds and had the AP system down -_-

Test client works with the liberty server...

Shut it down, then start up again. That fixes it iirc.

Keeps saying it can't find the server. Is test down, or am I doing something wrong?

I unzipped the file in to programfiles/starsonata, and put the icon in that folder. I'm using test.starsonata.com and port 3030.

use liberty.starsonata.com

The Test server is back up now.

dont like it.

Yet another unnecessary change to accommodate people who dont know how to turn around and thrust in the other direction.


A tutorial? great, makes it a little faster at the start
A starting area? awesome, gives people low end content to do
Help chat? sure, all chat doesnt always answer questions...

But a decelerate button kinda adds too much, what need is there for one? Getting gremmed by sawtooths and cant kill them? shouldnt be lvling alone/in W2 then. Can't dock? use autopilot it's been pretty much fixed "wiggle-wise" now.

This is yet another try to make the game more attractive to new players, but I think this is not the right way to do it. If you compare the "tutorial" of SS to a successfull mmorpg, you can see huge differences. First of all, most other mmorpgs tell a story before the player starts, they tell you in what kind of world you are and why you are here, they make you look like the hero. There is a tiny bit of story in SS, but that's only told by texts and that is where the problem lies. If I play another mmorpg for the first time, I want to see action, want to see what the game is about so I don't bother reading any descriptions, because the first few quests usually teach you the basics with huge arrows and flashing dots everywhere.

If you want to make the game easier to learn for new players, don't make it easier, but explain it better. Make it impossible to not know how to dock and don't just explain the very basics, but stuff like getting a new ship and transfering items as well. Involve the new player in a number of conflicts between different races/volcom clans/whatever, similar to cadet/volcom fight mission in cadet's academy, but more fancy. SS might be harder to master than some other mmorpgs, but that's not the reason why new players don't like it. They just lack the motivation because there is barely any mission that's fun to do and they don't feel like they matter.

Long story short: There is a lack of "I'm the hero!"-feel and a huge lack of interesting missions in the starting area, as well as too little introduction into the game. Try to work on that instead of changing the whole game for everyone, including the ones you already got hooked.

I agree with longname.

More "connection" with SS is needed, not just in the newbie area either.

V or right click stops you. the controls are the same as asteroids and my little brother at 8 years old had no trouble picking up asteroids. you really just need to make the key list more accessable in game, and put more meaning into why people are in the game at all. besides "where do i get RC?" the most asked question is "what am i supposed to be doing?". new players just dont understand the point of the game. Time to redesign the mission system and preload (again).

I agree with the above people. Add a story line. Perhaps havea video that plays on startup of new characters much like other mmorpgs, Showing paxians fighting urqas, earthforce fighting pirates, and showing you can choose where to lie or whatever,

Along with this, more storyline missions that you choose on line, you can do the pirat missions oR earthforce. Meaning you kind of are a pirate or not.

If you MUST have this addition added then have it at least scaled that you decelerate at 1/2 of your engine's thrust and have it add the normal engine vis needed. this way it is possible to decelerate but it would be much faster to do it by AP or just turning around. also signed on longname's post.

and the "b" button for cloak is too unwieldy. try a closer button like "z" or "t". if not used effectively already.

Also agreeing with longname. SS has a horrible, horrible in-game tutorial, it plays on the fact that you can actually get to the base in the first place. Compared to other mainstream online MMOs, it's harder than a 2hr crash course on aerospace engineering...

I tried the new braking thing on test. I can't say I really like it. It does manage to "dumb down" the game a little bit, but it doesn't really make it any easier. After all, like people have already said, you only have to right click or press V to stop. The only time that doesn't work is in areas with too much interference. I guess the air brakes will manage to take away one early challenge in the game: docking at lavanite to get RC for the first time.

Just a minor bug: I tested it in my sing sphere (just in case) and while the thrust and stop keys had no function, they did make the sound effects, which they probably shouldn't have done.

One thing I didn't test was whether the stopper works when your engine has been critically hit by an energy wep. Does anyone know?

Would it maybe be more simple to just give the zebucart more docking speed? Not full docking speed, since that would mess up deflector, but enough docking speed to make it easier for newbies to manage those first couple AI stations in preload. OR maybe put an aura on those bases that increases docking speed?