magellan wrote:This made me look at the actual stats of enemy ships.
And you are right: they are seriously overengined! Pirate fighters had engine 4 and 2 HP.
Fun fact: I didn't fought pirates since R167. Because one simple reason: they suicidal idiots who loves to hug with rocks.
Also I want to point at robos at ruin type special planets. I wonder, their firepower was boosted? Or I so unlucky?
magellan wrote:The formula for movepoints is engine*2-HP*0,15 for 7,7 rounded up resulting in 8 MPs with 9 being the highest possible!
So that answer question about why they shoot so often as well (Or it just my imagination.). Probably separate MP system for weapon (Shooting, cooling and etc.) and move (Engines+weight)
- [+] Spoiler
- --Add-- I reread that paragraph and... what a heck I wrote? I should explain it more detailed with good example or two.
? So we can have almost immobile space ships which can rain enemies with rockets... Oh than ship parts going to have a weight as well.
magellan wrote:Hmmm.... looking at those stats maybe some randomization would be nice?
As I can see that:
Pirates: Ragtag band of misfits. So random stuff they plundered from unlucky.
HP:1-5;Eng:1-3; Erm... I need to look at ingame hull stats first.
Traders: Prospectors and... well traders. So random as well.
Anti-pirate patrols: I still don't know: they are PMC
(So fixed standard equipment) or prospectors as player
(Random stuff and ships from LRF to Destroyers).
Spacefaring Aliens: I always saw their fleets as military one. So fixed standard equipment.
Robos: Automatic and have one default design. So fixed as well.
I have a few ideas for space combat... but that will make things overcomplicated. And I always against that. Still you can find few of them reasonable:
- [+] Spoiler
- #0. Not just missiles... everything what shoot should be missilier. Well, that can take away feel of Star Trek-like immobile combat. At other hand - fast armorless ship will be a good thing to have - you can evade all this nasty things (specially disentegrators)!
#1. Shields have 4 separate parts. Front/Left/Right/Behind. So you can let enemy deplete your front shield and turn to other side. //New space combat AI, heh. Also troubles for players who don't use tile version.
#2. Want to turn ship? Know that took MP as well. You can fly straight much far per one turn then with all this maneuvers.
#3.1. Guns what have shooting arc. Front/Left/Right/Behind 90'/180'/270'/360'. Will go smoothly with idea #1 and #2.
Example: Your Laser battery can shoot only to front in 90' arc. And your front shield depleted. So turn to enemy and shoot him while endangering yourself or flee and wait until your shield replenish? Eh, guns with behind arcs will be too overpowered.
#3.2. Guns what have shooting arc. They can be turned in different direction during combat but you need to spend additional time in order to do it.
#4. Tractor beams as offensive weapon. Catch enemy/meteor and shot him in direction of meteor/enemy/plasma stream!
#5. It sci-fi, right? So different type weapons with unique strength/weakness. One can ignore ship shields but slow and weak. Other one weaker near suns. Powerful plasma what have a small chance to blow mida...space due space dust and garbage, radiation emitters what kills crew, etc.
#6. Special ballistic ship weapons\devices with strong recoil. Side shooting allows slow side moves. //No no no.
#7. Energy generators can be adjusted for single jobs with penalty to others: Extra shield regeneration, extra weapon MP, extra cooling, extra MP.
#8. Kind of afterburner mode: divert energy from all ship devices to engine.
#9. Kind of weight system. Oh, that gonna be good, specially with weapon slots limit and additional energy generators. But going be hell to balance.