Missiles - Deep Nebula Sweep

Make a suggestion & let the community sound it out. Almost all the best activities in game came initially from a player suggestion!
Post Reply
pikolinianita
Posts: 862
Joined: Sun Jul 20, 2014 6:36 pm
Location: Quantum Chicken Caravanserai, Umbari, Sphere

Missiles - Deep Nebula Sweep

Post by pikolinianita »

Similar idea was already suggested, but it was ages ago (Sorry, Coops, if still remember it). And Hunbaba said missiles are quite useless now :)

The Story:
Coalition is Deeply worried. Sensor nets located around nebula(e) shows unusual readings. Combat Scout Drones are unable to bring meaningful data. Coalition decided to send Scout ships, with New, Experimental Equipment. Mission: Reconnaissance by fire.

Equipment details:
- Because Nebulae are dense and opaque, scouts cannot use Kinetic (high density slow down projectiles) nor Lasers (beam dissipates fast in nebula clouds), so Missiles are weapons of choice.
- Coalition developed new Deep Nebula AI Scanners, which are able to detect AI units hidden deep in nebulae. Due to high interference readings can be misleading.
- Harsh conditions in nebula damages Ship pretty fast. Magnetic Hull Coating special is required.
- Only reflective shields are effective :P, and not without Refraction Modulator pod Equipped

Game Mechanics:
- Only missiles can be fired. Are old ones effective? Only New designs with excellent Nebulodynamics? Can New ones be used in deep space? Only Dev knows (for now). If "Only New", basic can be crafted from resources available now, or available from NPC store.
- Deep Nebula AI scanners replaces Coalition AI Scanner... Or works alongside it, replacing sensor suite and likes...
- Scanners give accurate reading in 95% scans, sometimes (4%) There is nothing instead of ship (wasted fuel), rarely (1%) there is different, random target...
- Hull Special and Shield POD - no comment.
- Option: Potemkin POD for easier combat :)
- Three kinds of Enemies - Escort, Cruiser and BattleShip (from easiest to hardest). Option: Raid-like Carrier from time to time.
- Three new combat loot resources (Kopernicum, Hevelium, Volszczanium). Escort have one kind, Cruiser two kinds, BB all three. Diluted by all AI resources existing in game so far.
- Option: some (all?) Deep Nebula AI wrecks can spin into deep space, allowing salvage. Fourth New Resource (Pop-Iwanium) is available from Salvage only.

Industry Chains, Economy and Rewards:
1) NPC mission chain
- Few missions for warmup, against normal AI targets. Rewards: Equipment for Deep Nebula.
- Many missions, every few missions Special Reward - Schematic for New Nebulodynamic Rocket, or Potemkins, or Better Scanner, or Salvage Stuff. But for final build only, not modules. Schematics use a lot of New resources.

2) Random Combat missions, like Gal-Fed or in NPC slot.
- Kill X of Y Ships in place Z, no suprise.
- Reward: XP, Cr, 1xAI Campaign Totem

3) AI Campaign Totem
- Required for buying schemes for modules for abovementioned New Nebulodynamic Rocket, or Potemkins, or Better Scanner, or Salvage Stuff.
- Required for buing some kinds of Nebulodynamic rockets, either ultimate or just second best - to help with NPC fun :)
- Large amounts can be spend on Genesis Multipurpose Tokens
- not tradeable

4) Genesis Multipurpose Tokens
- Useable used on Genesis Plot
- Can add some Production/Manufacturing/Research points
- Instant Finish of Aurora Build
- Research time shortened by 7 days
- Extra 50/100 DPPU on Land/Space GPDS
- Not tradeable

5) New Resources for SB upgrades :)
Marcus
Posts: 163
Joined: Sun Jul 20, 2014 6:47 pm

Re: Missiles - Deep Nebula Sweep

Post by Marcus »

I think Coop's head just exploded. :)
User avatar
Akkamaddi
CE Official Supporter
Posts: 364
Joined: Sun Jul 20, 2014 5:47 pm

Re: Missiles - Deep Nebula Sweep

Post by Akkamaddi »

Some of these items look like good candidates for Engineering.

And you know, the AI combat missions would be good for...

... watch me casually roll this grenade into the room....

... the Alliance Combat Office!!!
User avatar
Darakhoranon
CE Official Supporter
Posts: 361
Joined: Mon Jul 21, 2014 2:03 pm

Re: Missiles - Deep Nebula Sweep

Post by Darakhoranon »

piko, how exactly would your idea make missiles USEFUL?!? :?

Even assuming Coops doesn't just shoot every damn missile in the whole game at you for suggesting a "small" thing like this :twisted:, one of the problems with missiles is that every shot costs money (and the few semi-useful missiles cost quite a bit) without doing nearly as much damage as an effectively much cheaper and MUCH more reliable gun.
Yes, a shieldbreaker might be somewhat useful to finish off that annoying alien that just regenerated its shields to full once again (assuming you hit...), but most of the time, grabbing the biggest gun and simply bulling your way through works just as well (and costs not nearly as much).

Still, aside from the rather questionable part with the missiles, this does look interesting. ;)
With great power comes the great realization that you can have just as much fun simply annoying each other.
pikolinianita
Posts: 862
Joined: Sun Jul 20, 2014 6:36 pm
Location: Quantum Chicken Caravanserai, Umbari, Sphere

Re: Missiles - Deep Nebula Sweep

Post by pikolinianita »

Darakhoranon wrote:piko, how exactly would your idea make missiles USEFUL?!? :?
It's simple, dear Darak. If guns don't work, you have to use missiles. And if Coops set reward high (resources you cannot get other way) you will, you will :evil: :evil: :evil:
User avatar
Darakhoranon
CE Official Supporter
Posts: 361
Joined: Mon Jul 21, 2014 2:03 pm

Re: Missiles - Deep Nebula Sweep

Post by Darakhoranon »

Which would make those resources even more ridiculously expensive and hard to get than certain resources are now already. Yep, definitely going to be something for everyone, not just for those people burning credits instead of bio fuel in their engines... :lol:

The way I see it, the real problem with missiles is that they simply don't offer enough "bang for the buck". While some extremely valuable resource only available by lobbing money at enemies (as I said, if this was Final Fantasy, that'd be a valid strategy) might change that, it would also restrict missile combat/its rewards to a very small number of extremely rich/experiences/crazy players (even more than it is now - who apart from people with money to burn would even think about using missiles?).

If, however, missiles instead "just" got much more powerful inside the "deep nebula" (e.g. if they had a high probability of critical hits or something like that)... That way, guns would still be a valid option, but missiles would suddenly become a worthwhile weapon despite everything speaking against them.
With great power comes the great realization that you can have just as much fun simply annoying each other.
pikolinianita
Posts: 862
Joined: Sun Jul 20, 2014 6:36 pm
Location: Quantum Chicken Caravanserai, Umbari, Sphere

Re: Missiles - Deep Nebula Sweep

Post by pikolinianita »

Depends.

As This combat system would be (almost) disconnected with regular combat, anything is possile. Huge missiles, with use limited only to Deep Nebula and Planetary Bombardment (well, Atmosphere is denser than space vacuum too, lol) can have
as high damage as you want, without making other combat imbalanced. Also, Deep Nebula Ships could have HP lower or higher than regular ships, which makes combat faster or slower than regular one (with missiles - cheaper or more expensive). Also skill (IP) cost for Deep Nebula missiles could be really low, which means anyone with PM ship and/or one implant can join fun, or quite high, which would make almost profession form it.
About Economy - If resource is required in some useables rquired by high level plaers, like in Starbase, or lvl 7 settlement, you can be quite sure there will be high prices on GBM.

Note to Devs:
"Deep Nebula Only" missiles should have their own name, to avoid confusion. I'd suggest "torpedo".
Post Reply