Ship design suggestions
- Thread starter Paden
- Start date
Space tug: Salvager
Well, I'll get the ball rolling.
After Alien's suggestions over salvaging on the AVATAR thread...
SALVAGER
Has to have a massive jump range - big engines
Huge fuel tanks
No dogfight capability, low manouverability
Maybe a couple of defence turrets
It could be upgraded in terms of technology, but there won't be much cargo space.
THE CONCEPT IS TO BE ABLE TO QUICKLY JUMP ACROSS THE GALAXY (Maybe in response to distress calls / abandon notifications) AND GET TO SALVAGEABLE SHIPS BEFORE ANYONE ELSE CAN GET THERE.
Well, I'll get the ball rolling.
After Alien's suggestions over salvaging on the AVATAR thread...
SALVAGER
Has to have a massive jump range - big engines
Huge fuel tanks
No dogfight capability, low manouverability
Maybe a couple of defence turrets
It could be upgraded in terms of technology, but there won't be much cargo space.
THE CONCEPT IS TO BE ABLE TO QUICKLY JUMP ACROSS THE GALAXY (Maybe in response to distress calls / abandon notifications) AND GET TO SALVAGEABLE SHIPS BEFORE ANYONE ELSE CAN GET THERE.
The impression I get from what we see on Kickstarter is that while there might be some 'preset' configurations, ship tuning is going to be largely freeform (maybe i'm just hoping/dreaming).
So for instance, the classic ships simply must return, along with some new ones I'm sure - but rather than having designated stats and roles, they'll be empty hulls of varying masses with perhaps a few key properties.
So you'll buy a Cobra MkIII hull at 70t mass (or whatever) and how you divvy up the 70t of space into cargo/engine/equipment will be entirely up to you....
I might have an 'explorer' version with 50t of hyperdrive and 15t of fuel and 5t for scanners, weapons and space for any artifacts I might come across.
You might have the same ship rigged out as a core system trader - with a short range hyperdrive at 5t, 5t of fuel and 60t dedicated to cargo, running with no weapons as you're staying in safe space.
...and so on, but externally, they'll all look the same or similar, barring a few lumps and bumps.
Though maybe some hulls will have other properties such as hard points for lasers and missiles etc, so there can be ones of the same size that lend themselves to slightly different roles.
So for instance, the classic ships simply must return, along with some new ones I'm sure - but rather than having designated stats and roles, they'll be empty hulls of varying masses with perhaps a few key properties.
So you'll buy a Cobra MkIII hull at 70t mass (or whatever) and how you divvy up the 70t of space into cargo/engine/equipment will be entirely up to you....
I might have an 'explorer' version with 50t of hyperdrive and 15t of fuel and 5t for scanners, weapons and space for any artifacts I might come across.
You might have the same ship rigged out as a core system trader - with a short range hyperdrive at 5t, 5t of fuel and 60t dedicated to cargo, running with no weapons as you're staying in safe space.
...and so on, but externally, they'll all look the same or similar, barring a few lumps and bumps.
Though maybe some hulls will have other properties such as hard points for lasers and missiles etc, so there can be ones of the same size that lend themselves to slightly different roles.
Of course 
But the function won't be so much related to the ship, more to how you use the ship. I'm sure some hulls will be better than others at certain things though - smaller mass ships would take less to accelerate them and allow them to jump large distances, and are harder to hit - but larger mass ships can hold more cargo, weapons, shields, and fuel for multi-jumps.
It would be nice to have some ships that could carry missiles/bombs either on 'wings' or inside (same with other equipment) or have turret or fuel scoop hardpoints that others didn't have. Ships with equipment mounted on the outside would risk it being damaged more often, perhaps?
It will be a tricky one to balance if the game is to be competitive in any way, which we don't yet know.
But the function won't be so much related to the ship, more to how you use the ship. I'm sure some hulls will be better than others at certain things though - smaller mass ships would take less to accelerate them and allow them to jump large distances, and are harder to hit - but larger mass ships can hold more cargo, weapons, shields, and fuel for multi-jumps.
It would be nice to have some ships that could carry missiles/bombs either on 'wings' or inside (same with other equipment) or have turret or fuel scoop hardpoints that others didn't have. Ships with equipment mounted on the outside would risk it being damaged more often, perhaps?
It will be a tricky one to balance if the game is to be competitive in any way, which we don't yet know.
I hope we can put different decals on our ships to make them look unique. The ability to upload your own design and put that on your ship would be a cool feature.
All ships look basically the same? No thank you.
Couldn't agree more Alien. I really want many of the upgrades to have a visual impact on the ship - interchangeable cockpits, thrusters, weapons etc. These should all make a ship more visually unique. If you add passenger cabins, then it could add windows to the hull etc. etc. I think making your own unique ship is a massive attraction for this game!
One thing is great the varied ships but they have to have a value to the game. I’m more interested in the boring Hulk ships that would exist travelling back and forth. It would be interesting to see if they could have a human captain.
It would be interesting if like the original you could just take the helm and head out but it would be interesting if you could provide a service to the game by taking on the boring things that actually interest me. I’d keep the Cobra in the Garage and pilot a hulk of a ship and get paid to do so in credits.
A believable universe where everyone is not a Gun tooting, Han Solo space pirate! As seen in other games players begin to police certain areas, why not make that a Career option to patrol or join a small force to target an area that has become dangerious to shipping routes with pirates etc. The police could perform spot check for Narcotics and Arms in which the Cargo is confiscated and you have a mark against your name.
It’s basically the stuff we adding in our Imaginations as we played the original. I’m not that fussed about landing on planets as I think that would take so much time to develop.
The scope is limitless on the ship front all the same.
It would be interesting if like the original you could just take the helm and head out but it would be interesting if you could provide a service to the game by taking on the boring things that actually interest me. I’d keep the Cobra in the Garage and pilot a hulk of a ship and get paid to do so in credits.
A believable universe where everyone is not a Gun tooting, Han Solo space pirate! As seen in other games players begin to police certain areas, why not make that a Career option to patrol or join a small force to target an area that has become dangerious to shipping routes with pirates etc. The police could perform spot check for Narcotics and Arms in which the Cargo is confiscated and you have a mark against your name.
It’s basically the stuff we adding in our Imaginations as we played the original. I’m not that fussed about landing on planets as I think that would take so much time to develop.
The scope is limitless on the ship front all the same.
Yes I am with you on this one Alien, it would be cool if we could use our avatars, that way we would know each other in multiplayer. Even X-Beyond The Frontier has this by the way although that's just a single player game of course
It seams to me it is not a MMO. So online is a option. Lots of games uses a method where you set in de game option if it is a closed single player game. Or open single player game. Where adhoc people can enter. With a option to filter.
Might be option to choose free play or oposing or coop play.
Probaly you could open a game for only coop play. With friend only filter.
Ships well it make sense to produce versions of ship types. A vissable extended cargo space. For combat type Huge trusters for agilty.
Huge mainthruster so trade off to put acceleration to extreems, the gt fast out off trouble type of ship. Combined with lightweight hull. Also intrnal you can tweak it for your use preference. But every choice has its cons and pro and so have a wide variation on stats. Like a dock bay for a heavy gun ship on a heavy freighter. A huge ship also designed to be able for planetside landing. Where outther are to heavy to reach orbit. A exploring type would be like a cruiser and need space for long travels and independed operating. Like enough backup reserves and reduncdancy. No help in the middle of nowhere. Dreadnaught variation is tweaked for giving a big punch compared to it size. A pirate tweaks there ships to best adopt to target speed and dissable target fast and boarding capabilities.
For me work to a galacy class exploring starship with planetary landing capabilities.
Or a shipset. Like shuttle fly on back of a boeing.
Like stargate universe stargate seeder ships can external dock with destiny.
Or startrek multy vector combat mode of future risctic prototype class. Wich can divide in three seperate cmbat capable parts.
But clueless what ED will do.
Might be option to choose free play or oposing or coop play.
Probaly you could open a game for only coop play. With friend only filter.
Ships well it make sense to produce versions of ship types. A vissable extended cargo space. For combat type Huge trusters for agilty.
Huge mainthruster so trade off to put acceleration to extreems, the gt fast out off trouble type of ship. Combined with lightweight hull. Also intrnal you can tweak it for your use preference. But every choice has its cons and pro and so have a wide variation on stats. Like a dock bay for a heavy gun ship on a heavy freighter. A huge ship also designed to be able for planetside landing. Where outther are to heavy to reach orbit. A exploring type would be like a cruiser and need space for long travels and independed operating. Like enough backup reserves and reduncdancy. No help in the middle of nowhere. Dreadnaught variation is tweaked for giving a big punch compared to it size. A pirate tweaks there ships to best adopt to target speed and dissable target fast and boarding capabilities.
For me work to a galacy class exploring starship with planetary landing capabilities.
Or a shipset. Like shuttle fly on back of a boeing.
Like stargate universe stargate seeder ships can external dock with destiny.
Or startrek multy vector combat mode of future risctic prototype class. Wich can divide in three seperate cmbat capable parts.
But clueless what ED will do.
Sorry, I meant all ships of the same class - if you have a Cobra MkIII hull, people should be able to tell that's the basic hull you chose.
Of course, you will have painted it, given it decals, added some modules which cause certain things to change - bigger engines, the appearance of thrusters, scanners or weapon modules etc..... But it will still be recognisable as 'some sort' of Cobra MkIII.
First off, if it's a fighter, then I want it to have a fighter cockpit. If it's a StarCruiser, I want it to have a StarCruiser... bridge. I don't just want to see a radar screen and cross hairs, not in 2012, not in 2014. That just won't fly for me.
About ship design, I'd like there to be an ability to design a 'badge'. That 'badge' could eventually be feared across the Galaxy - sort of how the WW1 pilots used to paint their aircraft bright colours. Or we could paint the whole ship red and be The Red Baron - in space.
Like this:
Cobra MK4 // the latest tech
Super Cobra // Bigger version
Cobra Sentinal // Recon
Cobra Interceptor // Fast striker
Cobra Hauler // with more internal cargo space
Cobra Caravan // With extra hull extended cargo space.
Cobra Gunship // Heavy guns for it size.
Cobra Advanced // MK4 Elite version with latest tech updates.
Cobra Civilian // No weapons
Cobra Enforcer // Police version
Cobra Compact // version for (light) carriers
......
etc
Cobra MK4 // the latest tech
Super Cobra // Bigger version
Cobra Sentinal // Recon
Cobra Interceptor // Fast striker
Cobra Hauler // with more internal cargo space
Cobra Caravan // With extra hull extended cargo space.
Cobra Gunship // Heavy guns for it size.
Cobra Advanced // MK4 Elite version with latest tech updates.
Cobra Civilian // No weapons
Cobra Enforcer // Police version
Cobra Compact // version for (light) carriers
......
etc
This I really like
Your ships have various properties and it's up to you to balance the equipment on board. - All equipabble objects (engines / weapons / scanners / etc) have a class number; power requirement; and occupy a certain amount of "space"
- All ship types have "space" that can accept ranges of equipment depending upon the class
- All equipment requires power that is derived from the engines, allowing you to overfill your ship and switch things off and on when required
- Whatever is remaining on your ship you can designate for real cargo space
Then it's up to you what you do with it:
- Type 1 "combat class" ships:
---Mark I - III engines
---Mark I - IV combat weapons
---Mark I life support
---Mark I - II scientific equipment (scanners and the such)
---20 units of space
---cost $1million credits
- Type 2 "combat class" ships:
---Mark I - V engines
---Mark I - VII weapons
---Mark I - II life support
---Mark I - II scientific equipment (scanners and the such)
---35 units of space
---cost $15 million credits.
Haulers, scientific vessels and transport ships could be similar accepting larger engines but lower weaponry; better support for scientific equipment and have more life support areas; larger cargo space and obviously cost considerably more. And so on.
Yes - I really do like the idea of total choice - aka modular ship building.
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Fantastic idea !
My view is that FFE/FE2 got this pretty much spot on - every ship should be a compromise and you shouldn't be able to have everything in any one ship. So I say keep up the good work. (Though the Viper DID seem to give you everything in one ship - never understood why people messed around with cobras etc.)
I totaly disagree.
Carrier feature is a docking bay. If something like a corvette size ship could dock something. It need a lot of ship volume not avaible for other features.
So it lot weaker spects then non dock having corvett. that is the balance.
A heavy fighter build around one capital ship canon. Mike also sense. it makes it slow less agile slow fire rate but give it a great punch against bigger ships bigger then a fighter. But any multirole fighter beats it. That is the balans.
In space the difference is not that much between a carrier or battleship there is no need for flight deck. So balteship carrier hybrid would make more sense.
The difference would be the ratio bigguns vs docking hangars
A 4km long battle ship can have it all. But ik makes lot slower and very expensive
There is also this balanse. Big vs many small even out. Also by price.