Gosh, i certainly could use such an option also. Just designing both X-Worlds & CoSH mods has me going on multiple "try-outs" gaming session(s).
A sort of fake temporary (and, limited in scope) interface where small bits of features would use some processing check-marks to activate and/or keep away.
Examples;
- I'm creating a whole bunch of planets for each races' systems. And at times, i'd like to preview some the Rings parameters ONLY. Mind you, after awhile one gets the process and figures the exact proportions and how the engine handles everything... but, with numbers in the hundreds it can get tedious.
(PS; although the upcoming map editor of TA will most probably fill this contract!)
- Coloring ships (and texturing them too, btw) while maintaining coherence and preventing too much similarities between fleets is another process which requires testing stages. Even for the Races' different colors on the mini-map.
(PS; this is probably why i suggested a new "more complete or complex" color-picker in an earlier thread.)
- I agree also with your premise that AI "reactions" should be analyzed. The UFOD races in X-Worlds were planned and matched along with 10 new political parties and plenty of personality parameters fiddling. Add the many variations in abilities, sprinkle a few balancing choices, observe the resulting activities... this takes time and a whole bunch of gameplay theories. Thus, an "outside" quicky simulator would become quite useful in such cases.
(PS; At
Civ Evolution, there is a
Tournament/Mode side-function "external" asset which provides an extensive testing tool for AI developpers. This IS exactly the kind of utility GC could make use of to answer your need. Although i'm quite sure, SD staff of coders
already have such things for design purposes and they must be using those extensively.
...And, so on.
- Zyxpsilon.
