BoE Battles
Yes, you read the most un-utterable of words, "BoE". However, part of the joy of BSG to me was the kickass battle scenes, especially when the capships got involved and had themselves a slugfest. I want battle scenes so good I get blown to bits because I was watching the fireworks instead of my six.
On that note I'd like to put a penny in for the humble BoE- but not in the Star wars Style "Fifty ships loafing around, most not even going in the sme direction with fighters buzzing around". I'm not just saying this because I'm from BSG FC and like ordering cruisers around- I have some experiance at fredding and doing diverse cap-ship battles. It was always very difficult. particularily when the main different between capships was less firepower/less hitpoints, and more firepower/more hitpoints/less speed. Essentially floating hunks of metal shooting at each other (not to be too negative about fs/fs2 though!). No mention of manouverability, turing circles and firing arcs. it would be nice to be able to do several missions in a row (in theory- more than two in a row could be quite boring), with one involving a line ahead formation of battlestars approaching a line abreast of baseships with escorts covering the flanks. They will all retreat if the cover of their blind spots is lost- i.e.: the two escorts at the rear of the formation are lost. Thus, while there may be many ships, the outcome rests on only two= not too much coding. Another could involve some Cylon escorts trying to cross the T of a colonial line, while a line abreast of colonial cruisers try to intercept them. They are not your concern, but the small elite fighter group in front of you is. The point would be to give the sense that tactics are an important factor in capships duels and allow you to bring about a turning point in a battle without too much damage scripting or over-relliance on fighters (which I admit can be fun).
Perhaps ships that are more distinctive than they were in fs and fs2- if you feel like it you might want to look at some of our ships for inspiration- seeing as capshisp are our business and they have to be abit more different from "big-peice-of-metal"/"small-peice-of-metal". For example, we have a long-range-Cylon artilliary ship in the works (MVIIE's trying to destroy it before it can get a clear shot at an out-of-visual-range Theseus?) and the Strikestar, which is a small escort that's mostly bow-cannons.
Most importantly, it would be nice to see some curved waypoints (that possible?) and ships that don't turn on a dime or stop to do so after traveling at high speed. Perhaps a way to give ships formations in FRED without going over board with waypoints?
I was going one day to try and do a Terran-Vasudan war senario in which the GTD Eisenhower was destroyed by the PVD Typhon. You are a witness to a capship only battle, but you are trying to get there at sublight speed. The Typhon sends fighters to interdict you, and you almost -but not quite- get there in time after battling your way through the fighter waves. All the while the duel is visible, but unreachable.
Perhaps some carrier missions? Capships only battes in the style outlined above?
Perhaps asome missions in which the enmy retreats, and total anhhialation is not the goal. Perhaps some in which you inflict few losses on them, but they are very hard-earned. Heck, perhaps even some in which they fight better than you (i.e.: not fancy new weapons that you're not prepared for) and you have to retreat and survive.
Some missions where you outnumber a better trained enemy? Someone did a mod like that, and it was quite fun.
Exuse all these thoughts, I've been thinking about this for some time, and I've accumulated quite afew.
