[SadisticSid]

OK, pretty simple question: could someone extend the armour table and flags to shields as well, so when a projectile or beam strikes a ship's shield it does more or less damage to that shield based on the weapon's type?

Basically I'd like to make fighters that are heavily hardened against capital ship weaponry but are still pretty vulnerable to fighters

[Trivial Psychic]

I had once suggested that some weapons be given a pierce factor, and shields a resistance factor, so that some weapons would be able to penetrate shields, and other, better shields might be able to block those shots.  The pierce factor of the weapon would need to be higher than the pierce resistance figure of the shield in order to make it though.  Adding pierce factors for weapons would allow some greater diversity within weapon capabilities.  For example, have one weapon that can pierce the newer shields of an enemy, but at a sacrifice of energy consumption, or other damage factors.

Another level to take this, would be to incorporate shields (if the ever get implemented) into Tertiary systems, as an upgradeable unit that can be swapped out for a more advanced unit.

[SadisticSid]

I'd be in favour of that too, but we can already get around it somewhat by just giving fighters the ability to carry newer and better weapons during the course of a campaign. Tertiary shields would really rock, but we'd still need a way to make them more or less resistant to certain categories of weapons. If you've played Freelancer, graviton shields were most resistant to plasma guns but weak to photons, for example.

[Trivial Psychic]

Well, basically having shields as tertiaries, and including pierce factors for both shields and weapons, you could have some shields which are better at pierce protection, perhaps some which recharge quicker, some which some which require more of the ship's energy to recharge... etc.  The choice of which shields are available to the player, would be based on what kind of enemy you expect to encounter.  Certain enemies could be known for weapons with specific capabilities, for example enemy species D is known for weapons that do almost no shield damage, but have high pierce factors, so you'd select a shield type for your fighter which has a high pierce resistance at the expense of other factors.  Then, you encounter a twist, where the unexpected arrival of enemy species B, which mount low-pierce weapons, but better shield damage, would result in a change of the tactical situation, where a replay might mean that the player selects a more all-around shield type to try to even the balance.

As for energy consumption, it could do well to make reactors tertiaries, so the player can upgrade the ship's reactor at some point (though that's a bit of a tangent).  However, there are no tertiary systems, n'or are they on the radar at this point, so this is all academic.

[Flaser]

Well, basically having shields as tertiaries, and including pierce factors for both shields and weapons, you could have some shields which are better at pierce protection, perhaps some which recharge quicker, some which some which require more of the ship's energy to recharge... etc.  The choice of which shields are available to the player, would be based on what kind of enemy you expect to encounter.  Certain enemies could be known for weapons with specific capabilities, for example enemy species D is known for weapons that do almost no shield damage, but have high pierce factors, so you'd select a shield type for your fighter which has a high pierce resistance at the expense of other factors.  Then, you encounter a twist, where the unexpected arrival of enemy species B, which mount low-pierce weapons, but better shield damage, would result in a change of the tactical situation, where a replay might mean that the player selects a more all-around shield type to try to even the balance.

As for energy consumption, it could do well to make reactors tertiaries, so the player can upgrade the ship's reactor at some point (though that's a bit of a tangent).  However, there are no tertiary systems, n'or are they on the radar at this point, so this is all academic.

IIRC tertiary systems is one of the long term plans of the project.

About shield, reactors and ships: If power/energy using/generating tertiaries are ever implemented than all fighters/bombers should have their apropiate stats tied into the system.

So you could install a new engine that could create a lot more thrust, and would eat a given ammount of energy out of the reactor. If less power if availible than what it would eat the thrust is scaled down. (Actually it could go the other way too, by setting an overcharge factor, having surplus power could enable an engine to go into a slight overdrive).

We could add system that would simply increase the limit of the afterbuner/gun/shield energy limits.

If 'proper energy' flow (singular recharge and set transfer rates) is simulated, then it would  make sense to have buffer systems availible too:
-Capacitors would buffer the energy flow to the guns/shields
-Plasma resviour would do the same for engines

[Bob-san]

May I suggest with tying different subsystems to figthers be limited, not completely tied?

Example...
Have 4 classes of systems...
Class A: Lightest fighters
Class B: Space Superiority fighters
Class C: Heavy assult fighters / light bombers
Class D: Bombers, heavy transports

Changable parts:
Engines
Shields
Reactors
Primary systems

Components of Class A:
Reactors (1 slot):
Reactor
Heavy Reactor (5% slower ship)

Shields (1 slot):
Pierce shields (against piercing weapons)
Energy shields (against primaries)
Collision shields (for kamikaze attacks?)
Missile shields (against missiles)
Beam shields (protect well against AAA beams)
General shields (about average)

Englines (1 slot):
Light engines (25% less power draw, 5% less maneuverability)
Medium engines (Normal power draw, normal maneuverability)
Heavy engines (40% more power draw, 10% more maneuverability)

Primary systems (1 slot):
Light weapons (25% less power draw, 20% less refire, 10% weaker shots)
Weapons (normal)
Heavy weapons (40% more power draw, 10% more refire, normal strength)

It could add up to of confusing options...

Class B would be similar... 2 shield options.
Class C would be double-system, except only 1 reactor.
Class D would be ultra-heavy stuff, up to 2 reactors, 3 shields, and 2 weapon systems.

Just think of the energy draw... perhaps add a "Overburner", sort of a "Afterburner" but can be sustained for three times longer... and doesn't rumble the ship. Link that to afterburner drain... only when you max out engines can you keep that speed sustained.

Also, when you put all energy to shields, your specialized shields become 10% better then normal shields and keep their special. Normal shields would become similar to specialized systems, but has a 30% boost.

[Kaboodles]

Why not have upgradable sensors too?  You could have special sensor thats can track stealth ships, or upgraded sensors that can see better through nebulas or asteroid fields.  Maybe a subspace sensor that can pinpoint incoming jump signatures a few seconds before they arrive, which would be really useful for escort missions.  Perhaps enhanced targeting computers to speed up aspect locks.

And what about armor?   You could beef up armor to protect against subsystem damage better, or sacrifice energy weapon protection for ballistic protection, and vice versa.  Maybe equip lighter armor for higher speeds, or radar-absorbing armor to decrease your radar signature and make it more difficult for enemies to target you and achieve aspect lock.

Perhaps some other neat toys, like optical zooms to complement secondary sniper weapons that require aspect lock with an extremely small lock window, or auxiliary shield generators that recharge quickly in exchange for primary weapon energy in case you need that extra protection.  Maybe an ECM pod to jam an enemy bomber's sensors to prevent them from firing their bombs, or something.  Perhaps a nanite repair module that boosts subsystem repairs and slowly patches up your hull over time.

Of course, there should be some arbitrary limit placed on your fighters and bombers too keep them from becombing too uber.  Like a mass or volume limit.

Couple this with a way to save ship configurations and a mercenary-style campaign and I wouldn't be able to play another game for a long time...





Goddammit, I want to play this now! 

[AdmiralRalwood]

Perhaps enhanced targeting computers to speed up aspect locks.

That would be so damn useful for bombing missions.

[Bob-san]

Good points with targeting computers and sensor boosters. Perhaps an upgraded Nav sys? Such as having your Nav be able to suggest a flightpath to evade a missile... it's showing only one way to do it...

Maybe a better use for an upgraded Nav is to have less shutter during afterburner, or having an indicator for direction of an enemy on the HUD? Like being able to see from a distance which direction they're going...

[AdmiralRalwood]

Maybe a better use for an upgraded Nav is to have less shutter during afterburner, or having an indicator for direction of an enemy on the HUD? Like being able to see from a distance which direction they're going...

Interestingly enough, there's this handy thing called a "lead indicator..."

I think someone should write a more advanced flightpath prediction code and have it available as an upgrade (I.E. calculates if the enemy is turning, whether or not they're about to dodge an incoming missile, so on and so forth). This would display a second lead indicator, perhaps, that gave a different prediction for where you should fire if you want to hit your target.

[Kaboodles]

Hmm...

How about a Nav system upgrade that shows you the optimal heading to take to reach your target as quickly as possible?  It would look at your target's speedLike a lead indicator, but for your ship instead of your weapons.  It would be pretty useful for intercept missions

I'd like to see a secondary weapon lead indicator too, especially for Infyrnos. Those things are damn hard to hit with.   Would also be useful for Tempests/Furies. 

[Bob-san]

Maybe to upgrade NAV would be a "smart launch" setting for dumbfire... it will automatically aim for you but it will still fly strait-on.

Or maybe with the lead indicator... make the Nav upgrade included speed of the ship on the target brackets...

But what I was really thinking of for NAV upgrade was when launching guided missiles, that it gives you a "optimum launch" bar where it jumps between a 1 and a 5, telling you when it is best to launch and have a hit...

Such as maximum range on missiles... it's rare to hit if you're chasing.... have something that tells you when it will actually hit?

Oh and by Lead Indicator, I was refering to something more like their likely flightplan... such as showing a main lead indicator in red, and a probably flightplan as an orange line.