...and to put a cherry on top of this.
I designed a top down space combat game on paper in some detail (220 pages) in 1997/98. In that game the solar system maps would have been huge compared to Star Control taking 10-12 minutes to fly from one end to the other. On a map of that size, and with the sophisticated "avionics" the ships in that game had, I used "terrain" to create a "structure" to space effectively creating a maze of "hallways and rooms". While beyond awesome on a map where 60-80 players only sparsely populate it, this is a very cool thing. But it isn't relevant on small maps with few ships and without the players having the types of goals they would have had in my game.
Star Control is very different, and should use terrain in a completely different way. To provide map variety in the combat the player encounters over the course of the single player game. Up until now I have been describing my interpretation of what the devs are saying they want, in this final post in this series, I am just adding a little of my own thing on top:=)
I will assume that the planet map will exist, so there are 4 base maps that combat might take place on. "Quasispace", Hyperspace (what I previously called normal space but realize now was actually hyperspace in Star Control), Solar System, and Planet. Each type of map generally uses different types of terrain, although some terrains might be found on more than 1 of the map types. Remember what each map represents... The first three all represent different speeds of faster than light travel, each map represents a lower speed than the one before it. And the planet map represents having decelerated to sublight speed.
Theories of Combat - Each map has it's own theory of how combat is taking place. In Quasispace the ships are assumed to be fighting in Quasi space. The whole point of the Quasispace combat map is to provide a "clear and open map", there is never any type of terrain in Quasispace. In Hyperspace the ships are assumed to "pull each other out of warp" down to a lower light speed identical to the speed the ships are at on the Solar System Map (this makes hyperspace fights an environment identical to Solar System fights, except no planets) And sublight combat on the planet map is simply in that "true space". Combat originating on the Quasi and Hyperspace maps is taking place in open space, not near any solar systems.
Map-Wide Effect Terrain - These are terrain types that affect the entire map. They are most commonly found in fights that originate in hyperspace, but could also exist on other maps as well (except the black hole, of course).
Pulsar - Regular EMP pulse empties energy. Optionally, a "gravity wave" can also be associated with this that damages the ship and flings it a significant distance.
Black Hole- Remember, this is a fun and simple arcade game and not a realistic simulator. This is the race track map. The devs have said the maps in SC will be round, which is the best shape for them, and a black hole on just the right size circular map creates a race track:-) The black hole itself is large, much larger than a planet or stare, and takes up a significant area of the center of the map.
Nebula - You all know this one from the Wrath of Khan. The entire map is within a nebula. The unlike most terrain types, the swirling clouds of the nebula are so think that they occasionally obscure ships for a while, resulting in an intermittent cloaking effect. Optionally, lightning strikes similar to the lander game in the original SC might also be present.
Asteroid Field - The entire area is within an asteroid field. This terrain type might be common on any of the maps except Quasispace, used in "patches and bands" on other maps rather than encompassing the entire map. A ships that slows to near 0 in an asteroid field is cloaked, a ship that travels above 60-90% (needs testing) or so in asteroids takes damage. Alternatively there is no map-wide version of an asteroid field and asteroid fields represent solid barriers that cannot be entered. This allows their use as "walls".
Local Effect Terrain - These are small areas, "patches and bands", of terrain that might exist on any map except Quasispace.
Asteroid Field/Belt - As above.
Rogue Asteroid - Like the ones in SC that were randomly flying around and you might run into. You can also do a comet, which is the same thing but moves faster and does more damage.
Stars, Planets, Moons - You've already got these covered.
Rings - Plantary rings can be used in many ways, with the powerful gravity well I would say they should damage ships that pass through them. Then rings can be used to reduce the power of the "slingshot" effect you can get from that planet (because you can't get close enough to use its full effect.)
Ion Storm - EMP infused lightning strikes both damage and you and drain your energy, not a pleasant place to be.
Various Dust Clouds - We've all seen the hubble pictures that inspired this idea. Space isn't an empty black void, it's filled with varying concentrations of particles of various types (at least in this universe it is) that affect ship operations in various ways. These are the key that allow you to do so much with terrain in space games. [The me from 10 years ago can't believe that I am actually revealing this, but it's never going to get used by me so why not?;-)] The dust clouds are... whatever you need them to be. That's the beauty of it. In my game, I needed them to affect sensors, scanners, and electronic warfare in a way that effectively created "hallways and rooms". In Star Control I would suggest...
Red Cloud - Kills a crew unit at regular intervals as long as you are within the cloud.
Blue Cloud- No energy recharge.
Yellow Cloud - Speed slowed by 33%.
Green Cloud - Ship in green cloud cloaked to all ships not in the green cloud. Ships in the green cloud can see each other. (I threw this one in to give tiny glimpse of how this worked in my game, this cloud creates a "room" within Star Control's non-existent electronic environment).
Obviously any colors can be used, and you can probably think up some more cloud types as well.
And there is another aspect to all of this. I hereby grant the artists the gift of vibrantly colored space... to compensate them for trying to make them work in 2D:-) Use it well, it's been waiting in the wings for quite some time now.
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(by the way this emoticon not displaying properly, it should be :') )