Since there doesn't seem to be any thread on this topic, at least not a general one, I've figured I might make one, particularly since I've got quite the list of things I'd like to see in CC.
Of course, everyone else is free to add their input as well, though I'm not sure if I should make this the kind of topic where I add stuff to this post, a normal one, or maybe make a wiki page and link to it? I'd appreciate some input on this, for now I'll just post my stuff in here.

Also, it'd be wonderful if devs were to comment, or possibly edit posts to indicate rejecting or accepting things.

Anyway, what I'd (possibly)like to see, ranked from smallest to the biggest:

• A bigger skirmish game mode selection dialog, instead of the tiny context menu
• Categories for game modes and global scripts
• Optional alternative skirmish map choice - a list with a search box.
• Group grenades of the same type into a single inventory entry.
• Let actors use sidearms if they have one arm left, whichever it wouldn't be.
• Mid-air aiming, and a mid-air accuracy penalty.
• Customizable deployments, choosable deployment presets. Deployment contents shown in build mode.
• Following that, make it possible to change deployments mid-campaign, replaced next turn, with net cost shown.
• Modifying the terrain via Lua. Placing terrain objects. Possibly painting materials.
• Ability for global scripts and activities to add config options to the game setup dialog - checkboxes, sliders, dropdown menus, text fields.
• More maps included in the vanilla game, especially bigger ones. Not even necessarily campaign-enabled.
• Autotiled constructor-like functionality. E.g. paint 24x24 tiles as wall/background, and have the game autotile them to look like bunkers, rather than square splotches of concrete
• Random map generator, perhaps a Hedgehogs-style archetype based one, maybe with additional caves or something. Maybe with randomized bunkers.

Anyway, this is just a dump, feel free to comment.

Technically possible so long as they still have the foreground arm, but I get your point. The background arm is basically useless for anything but holding shields, offhand guns, and the supportoffset.



Again technically possible; you can still try to aim, and you have accuracy penalties for not actually being in sharpaim mode...



CreateTerrainObject(objectname,rtemodule) and SceneMan:AddTerrainObject(var) are already in. Not sure how well they work though.

They work perfectly, though for things like doors or any other MO that's part of the scene object I think you may have to add them in manually.

I think mehman made a random map generator which you could use.

Also I think unitec had grenade belts, which are sort of like what you want.

All I want are more Bunker Breach maps and better AI. Bodies that don't get stuck pedaling around waist-deep in sand, snipers that actually snipe, soldiers that return fire when they're shot at.

Really? Last I checked(one or two builds back), that didn't work properly at all, or at least the way to make it work wasn't known. I've gotta look said mod up.

EDIT: Yeah, that one is an external program that outputs a terrain bitmap, pretty much. Nothing to do with Lua modding whatsoever.

Feel free to write here anything you want, API features, content requests etc. We can't give any promises, but would be useful to know.

Yeah, mehman's random map generator is an external program, that was a partial answer to your hope for randomly generated scenes.
However, adding sceneobjects works, I've done a lot of it so I know that for a fact. Look at weegee's mission making tutorial 10 (on the second page here) for instructions/examples.

Yeah, if you want maps, you can actually make a set of bunker modules which look like pieces of terrain and generate landcape with them.

All of this, and I'll add "AIs that don't rapidly burst their jetpacks when moving around". It's very easy for them to get hung up on trying to reach a waypoint slightly above the ground when using go-to or squad-follow and they can easily spend half a minute or so trying to reach an arbitrary point.

I think I have a rough idea on how to make a random map generator. It's an idea I've come up inspired by how Starbound's map generator works. It's also somewhat similar to schemes, with a key difference - my schemes can contain other schemes, arbitrarily position.

For an example, there might be few top-level "map" schemes, all empty, but outlining some subscheme layout, such as splitting the area into few "map_column" areas, or into underground/overground sections. Or perhaps a non-empty area with a more chaotic subscheme placement. Anyway, after that, those pieces are randomly chosen, and contain further details, like further split-up cave system or surface, which contain further details, like holes in the ground, spires, small hills, rocks, etc.

It'll need an editor of sorts, which I can try* coding up myself, but posting about it here anyway, in case you'd like to put it in the game.
I imagine that'd mean adding a dedicated scheme editor, somewhat like the assembly editor, but more complicated. For terrain, some material brushes would be really nice, as well as tools such as automatically adding grass or ground layers. And of course, ability to place schemes inside schemes.

All in all, I've seen some of what a remotely similar(used for dungeon generation, rather than maps) scheme can do in Starbound, so I'm pretty sure that this would work pretty well. Enough details could be added that people would never be able to tell that it's all made of premade pieces, at least not on a macro scale.

* I have been depressed for years, and suffering from horrible anxiety and apathy. It's... challenging, for me, to get anything done.

EDIT: I'm gonna start drawing some assets, perhaps I'll code something up later as well. I'm gonna go with a 96x96(2x2 bunker modules) terrain feature grid(not always grid-aligned), and a 24x24 one for smaller details. I intend to have stuff made out of as many pieces as possible, with many different layouts and whatnot.

EDIT 2: I also think that it would be worthwhile to adjust weights of individual pieces to avoid repeating them unless necessary, as well as have the origin of pieces be their center, to allow variable-size stuff.

EDIT 3: Would be nice to have a material that can paint air, as opposed to meaning "leave this spot alone". Also, since I'm drawing terrain, for now, it'd be nice to be able to put that as terrain objects in the game without having to make a script that applies textures and outputs files. Tbh, it'd be enough to just paint the usual terrain textures if FG/BG files are absent(e.g. only material is provided). Also, sorry that this post is getting long.

EDIT 4: I guess I'm not doing this. At least not until I get my hands on anxiety meds.

Addendum: actors who understand the maximum range on their weapons. So not only would there be snipers who actually snipe, but Browncoats with flamethrowers who actually understand that shooting at the guy standing well out of range of the fire isn't getting any less dead no matter how much fuel they spend.

It would be nice to be able to change buy and sell prices independently, if that's possible. That way, you could have an actor that costs 200 gold and spawns with a 50 gold weapon, and the actor alone could be set to sell for only 150.
Additionally, being able to set the multiplier for buying from a different faction on a per-faction basis, so buying from a custom arms-dealer faction could have no penalty, while a secretive faction could have a 8x cost multiplier for other factions to purchase from.

Oops, didn't notice that this was months old.

I know it's an old thread but I've had an idea.

Presets tend to bloat a bit if you don't slim them down, so what if they were shown by icons instead? Maybe even give the ability to name custom presets and make custom icons for them.

I agree. Also, it would be cool to be able to "stack" presets, so you can select them like any other item, without clearing the list. That way you can make presets of only one unit, and use them to quickly deploy many units without having to select the inventory of each one. Another good idea is to add presets with randomized items, from a list, so you can have a preset with one soldier and a random primary, secondary and grenade.

Finally, it would be really useful to add keyboard shortcuts for buymenu tabs, like the number keys.