[Fineus]

This idea preludes something much larger I have in mind, but it's kinda important to allow this before proceeding.

Could it be made possible to add / remove armaments from a ship in mission? Possibly make this a part of the support ship... an off branch of the communication menu as thus:

When docked to a support ship:

Code: [Select]


1: Re-arm and repair my craft
2: Undock from my craft
2: Unload Primary - Slot One
3: Unload Primary - Slot Two
4: Unload Secondary - Slot One
5: Unload Secondary - Slot Two
6: Unload Secondary - Slot Three


Once a choice to unload a weapon slot as been made, the weapon is removed. This would close the old option window and open a new one. Lets say I've unloaded Primary Slot One:

Code: [Select]


1: Re-arm and repair my craft
2: Undock from my craft
2: Load Primary - Slot One
3: Unload Primary - Slot Two
4: Unload Secondary - Slot One
5: Unload Secondary - Slot Two
6: Unload Secondary - Slot Three


Upon choosing to load a new primary weapon, we're presented with yet another option window (I know I know, lots of options boxes. Not something to do in combat then!):

Code: [Select]


1: Undock from my craft
2: Load Primary - Subach HL-7
3: Load Primary - Prometheus
4: Load Primary - Circe
5: Load Primary - Lamprey

Etc. Etc.
This is where it's tricky though - the above relies upon referencing what weapons are available to craft that the player is using to fight and displaying only these so that the option box doesn't display every weapon in the game.

Once the selection is made, the appropriate weapon is loaded into the appropriate slot and the option box reverts to the original where the player can order the rearm craft to undock.

Now that I think about it, the hard part is the menu system, since the cheats already allow for weapons to be changed while in mission.

I hope this one gets put in - primarily because there's something bigger that could be done with it later on but mid-mission rearm is kinda important to it (as well as cool) at this stage.

[Stunaep]

wayyyy too complicated and pointless for a 10-minute mission.

[Nico]

obviously, that's not planed for a tenminute mission.
my additional cent:
when the support ship is docked, a window appears in the middle of the cockpit view:
1) rearm
2) set loadout
->
1) does the usual, the window disappears, the ship is rearmed.
2) does Thunder's thing, but simplified a bit: makes the loadout screen ( the one from the briefing ) appears, with what the support ship carries as available weapons.

voila.

[kasperl]

i kinda like it, but indeed, for 10minute flights, it does seem pointless.

but, if i think of my plan for a HPV ((Heavy Patrol Vehicle) between cruiser and bomber, search the modding forum), this could indeed be used.

it does seem like all you need to do is dynamicly change the options visible in the comms menu, and you'd have to read the tables too, but it doesn't seem undoable.

perhaps this could be a step to something like a FS MMORPG.

[Fineus]

Now you're on my wavelength

Anyways... it could allow some changes to missions that weren't previously possible. It would allow a single player to multi-task and allow a mission to be completed in a number of ways.... does the player take the fighter and hope for the best? Does he take something in between and swap loadout if a capital ship arrives? You see the idea....

[kasperl]

i do see the idea, but.

it removes some part of the skill from selecting your loadout, if you can just change it in mission. so i think that this feature should be limeted to a certain amount of weapons specified by the FREDder. also, this should be limeted to special support ships, and to special missions too.

but indeed, a FS MMORPG, i think i can even see some of the how and why.

could someone get on IRC to hear me ramble and reply?

irc.sorcery.net #nodewar

[diamondgeezer]

Originally posted by kasperl
it removes some part of the skill from selecting your loadout

Not really, since I only ever really take Subachs, Kaysers, Harpoons and Tempests and rarely anything else .

But how about being able to select what the support ship is carrying? Perhaps the support ship should be uder the same weapon pool limits as your wing loadout?

[Galemp]

I don't really like it... I mean, with this and support-ships-repairing-hull, you could just take a Pegasus on every mission. It removes all the strategy in loadout. And what fun is it if a suprise enemy cruiser jumps in while you're flying intercept, if you can simply take out double Maxims and get rid of it?

Please, keep the current system.

[kasperl]

more interface art, but it would perhaps be a good idea, also for secondary weapons, so that a support ship can run out.

[karajorma]

1) The weapons the support ship carries must be limited to the weapons that the mission designer specified for the mission. Otherwise the player could have Kaysers in mission 1 of FS2.

2) The mission Designer should be able to override no.1 if he choses and add extra weapons via a SEXP (or mission flag but a SEXP is less limited).

3) Only special support ships should be able to do this. Again a flag in FRED or SEXP. If the mission designer hasn't set it then you can't change your weapons mid game. The two current support ships don't even cover the players weapons so it would seem silly for them to be able to change them in the middle of a mission anyway

4) I don't mind Venom's idea but if there is no special support ship present the window shouldn't appear.

Originally posted by GalacticEmperor
I don't really like it... I mean, with this and support-ships-repairing-hull, you could just take a Pegasus on every mission. It removes all the strategy in loadout. And what fun is it if a suprise enemy cruiser jumps in while you're flying intercept, if you can simply take out double Maxims and get rid of it?

If you set things up the way I've said that shouldn't be a problem but yeah I agree this shouldn't be the default for standard 10 minute missions.

[Woolie Wool]

Originally posted by karajorma

3) Only special support ships should be able to do this. Again a flag in FRED or SEXP. If the mission designer hasn't set it then you can't change your weapons mid game. The two current support ships don't even cover the players weapons so it would seem silly for them to be able to change them in the middle of a mission anyway
 

I think the Centaur and Scarab should be used as "special" support ships.

[diamondgeezer]

Originally posted by GalacticEmperor
*minor rant*

Implement the feature and then, for example, only let special forces use the uber-support ships. Like with most new features it's entirely up to the mission writers to stop something from being over-powerful

[Nico]

strategy in choosing loadouts
rhalala
everybody uses the same weapon configuration from mission to mission, and changes it only when it really doesn't fit the mission, or when it's a bomber mission
strategy in choosing loadouts

[Trivial Psychic]

Oddly enough, I was thinking about something like that for a mission that takes place in a campaign I'm considering FREDding.  I had intended it to be split into 2 missions with Red-Alert joining the two together, with the first being an attack on a cap-ship group, while the second part is protecting one of the cap-ships you captured while engineers get its engines repaired.  The first part would require more heavy weaponry, while the second part needs more anti fighter and bomber weaponry.  The idea I just had would be to script in the arrival of several support ships right near the end of the first part, each ordered to dock to a fighter.  One will dock with you, which triggers the end-mission sexp.  I think there's a way to elimitate the debriefing and go straight to the next mission.  There, you'd have the option of changing your loadout.  The mission starts with the support ships still docked, and perhaps even performing hull repairs.  The support ships then undock and fly off into subspace, and any other support ships the player calls on would be the normal type that just repair and reload.  I'm not sure if this all makes sense, but there it is.

Later!

[LAW ENFORCER]

ya see what I would do is dock with a ship with the 'support' flag set (not a support ship, ships like the repair ships in homeworld) so you (and your wingmates) can dock with say a carrier - onced docked you have accsess to all of this....

This is the kinda thing I REALLY want for my campaign - options

[karajorma]

Originally posted by Trivial Psychic
Oddly enough, I was thinking about something like that for a mission that takes place in a campaign I'm considering FREDding.  I had intended it to be split into 2 missions with Red-Alert joining the two together, with the first being an attack on a cap-ship group, while the second part is protecting one of the cap-ships you captured while engineers get its engines repaired.  The first part would require more heavy weaponry, while the second part needs more anti fighter and bomber weaponry.  The idea I just had would be to script in the arrival of several support ships right near the end of the first part, each ordered to dock to a fighter.  One will dock with you, which triggers the end-mission sexp.  I think there's a way to elimitate the debriefing and go straight to the next mission.  There, you'd have the option of changing your loadout.  The mission starts with the support ships still docked, and perhaps even performing hull repairs.  The support ships then undock and fly off into subspace, and any other support ships the player calls on would be the normal type that just repair and reload.  I'm not sure if this all makes sense, but there it is.

Later!

You can do that now. Don't make it a red alert. Simply have an empty or quick mission brief ("Support Ship Docked. Change your weaponary") and save the stats from one mission to the next with persistant variables

Of course the method we're talking about here would be easier

[diamondgeezer]

Originally posted by Venom
strategy in choosing loadouts
everybody uses the same weapon configuration from mission to mission, and changes it only when it really doesn't fit the mission, or when it's a bomber mission

Well... you just bonked your own jest on the head there, since changing your regular loadout when it 'doesn't fit the mission' or is a bomber mission IS strategy, surely. Besides, I often fine tune my selections depending on what I deem most important to kill in the mission such as fighters, bombers, turrets and so forth...[/derail]

[RangerKarl]

I kinda skimmed over everything, so forgive me if I say something that's already said.

What if one would implement loadout packs for in-mission weapon swaps. The player could make several preset loadout packs, each with whatever loadout s/he wants. Then in combat, all s/he has to do is to order a rearm, and select from a "Swap Packs" menu or something.