Outfitting & Ship Expansion
New Outfitting Modules
With new updates and features added, it is about time to design new outfitting modules and weapons to keep up with emerging technology added to the universe of Elite Dangerous. Since there been ample interaction between Thargoid and Humans, maybe it is time to introduce new reversed engineered weaponry that can be equipped on our ships. Heck, it would be high time to introduce orbital bombardment for Odyssey expansion, giving a new way of attacking bases from orbit, softening them up for raiding party to storm the base. All these new features would gear towards adding new ways to experience the game with everything introduced so far.
New Hardpoints Weapons
- Orbital Bombardment Auto-Cannons: Weapons capable of calculating and delivering precise bombardment of the target from orbit.
- Orbital Bombardment Turbo Lasers: Lasers designed to not disperse upon re-entry and can deal with pinpoint accuracy bombardment of targets from orbit.
- Orbital Ballistic Missile Launchers: Launchers designed to fire ballistic missiles that can target and maintain vectors while entering the atmosphere of any planet to deliver a precise bombardment of the target from orbit.
- Defense Flak Turret: This utility is designed as an anti-air defense turret and can effectively be used to defend ships against hostile fighters or swarms.
- Mainframe Servers
- Cluster A.I. Server: Designed with reversed engineered Thargoid technology, the new type of server can run several thousand software programs at the same time without any glitches or stutter, allowing for smooth control of drones numbering in the thousands during a battle.
- Asteroid Composition Pulse Scanner: Scanner designed to scan multiple asteroids in a 1-kilometer radius and display material composition on heads up display when specifically targeted by the pilot.
- Landing Shuttle: Can be stored in the hanger bay, designed to carry a crew of seven and deliver them to the surface of any planet safely. Very agile and extremely fast. Commanders on the surface can summon the shuttle to pick them up if it is still in orbit.
- Swarm Drone Bay: Through new advances in technology spurred on by Thargoid overwhelming invasion. Thargoid derived technology was reverse-engineered and fused with obsolete drone technology to meet today’s standards. The bay works by launching up to one swarm pod at a time before releasing the meta-alloy swarm drones. The lowest grade swarm drone bay can only control 1 pod at a time and the highest grade can control up to 4 pods at a time, maximum of two swarm drone bays can be equipped at any given time. Swarms deal kinetic damage by bypassing shields and piercing through-hull, each drone can do this up to four times before they are destroyed and need replacement pod launched.
Much like the fighters, meta-alloy swarm drones will be controlled through the role channel by the helm or through multi-role commanders. This allows the drones to effectively will have multi-role function, from defending to attacking. This will provide a new form of combat in which players must adapt to if they encounter and also counteract other swarms, just not to the same extent as Thargoid. Humans still have a long ways to go before they fully understand swarm technology. Each swarm drone pot contains up to 30 small swarm drones, up to 4 max swarms can be launched and controlled at any given time. Meta-alloy swarm drones are extremely small and have limited armor, a single drone can be taken out with four placed flak shots. To take out a swarm of meta-alloy swarm drones, it could take up to 120 well-placed flak shots or 4 well-timed explosions in the center of the swarm. Swarm Drone Bays have the same ship requirements as the fighter hanger.
Swarm Orders
- Launch Swarm: Launches a single swarm pod from swarm drone bay, which will immediately move into default formation around ship.
- Engage At Will: A single swarm will attack any nearby target if hostile unless new orders are given.
- Attack Target: A single swarm will immediately focus all attacks on the targeted ship until new orders are given.
- Defend Ship: A single swarm will form a wall between target and ship, forming another layer of defense by sacrificing drones to stop shots or missiles.
- Follow Me: A single swarm will follow in default formation around the ship till new orders are given.
- Hold Position: A single swarm will not move from the assigned position until new orders are given.
- Recall Drones: A single swarm will return to the swarm drone bay.
- All-Form Formation: Select formation from the drop-down menu, all swarms will then move into that formation until new orders are given.
- All-Maintain Formation: All swarms will maintain formation regardless of the situation unless new orders are given.
- All-Engage At-Will: All swarms will attack nearby targets if hostile unless new orders are given.
- All-Attack Target: All swarms will focus attacks on the target ship until new orders are given.
- All-Defend Ship: All swarms will form walls between ship and hostiles, forming another layer of defense by sacrificing drones to stop shots or missiles.
- All-Follow Me: All swarms will follow in default formation around the ship till new order is given.
- All-Hold Position: All swarms will not move from the assigned position until new orders are given.
- All-Recall Drones: All swarms will return to the swarm drone bay.
It is about time that we are introduced to a new class of ships that can be piloted by commanders of the Elite Universe or beefing up the faction ships to counteract the Thargoid invasion. Everyone gets new class of ships, even factions will be churning out new designs. It is a whole new arms race for humanity as they attempt to stave off the Thargoids! Of course commanders are always one step behind faction when it comes to ships, meaning they will not have access to the largest ships in the galaxy.
New Commander Ships
- Light Cruiser: Lightly armored cruiser commonly used for patrolling missions.
- Medium Cruiser: Medium armored cruiser commonly used for escort missions.
- Heavy Cruiser: Heavily armored cruiser commonly used for bounty hunting missions.
- Battle Cruisers: Desperate factions have uploaded the blueprints of their old capital ships to the Galnet while asking for help against the Thargoids. Now commanders can get their hands on the mighty Farragut Battle Cruiser or Majestic Class Interdictor. All income goes towards the war effort against the Thargoid invasion.
- Flagship (Cruiser): The flagships are the heart and pride of the fleet which controls all information from the center of the fleet. All information from other ships flow to this ship, the flagship can make decisions that can determine the flow of the battle. Is capable of equipping and using a wormhole drive to create a stable wormhole large enough to fit a capital ship or super cruiser through.
- Deep Core Strip-Mining Carrier: These carriers are specifically made to be park above asteroid belts and mine asteroids belts at a time. With its long haul and many hardpoints, this carrier can mine multiple asteroids at a time. As long as they are maintained, they can mine the asteroid belt till they run out of fuel or there is no more asteroids to be mined. The
- Faction Battleships: Due to the Thargoid invasion, spurred on new massive projects. In order to fill the gap between battlecruisers and capital ships, the battleship was born. These massive behemoths are designed to bring tons of firepower to the battlefield while being rather cheap compared to the capital ships.
- Faction Capital Ships: Due to the Thargoid invasion, spurred on new massive projects. A true capital ship, this is the second-largest ship in all faction fleets, designed to deal out devastating damage and lay siege to bases, nothing can deal out more damage than the capital ships.
- Faction Super Carrier: Due to the Thargoid invasion, spurred on new massive projects. This is the most expensive and massive project ever undertaken by factions. In order to project power over large sectors of the battlefield, the supercarrier was born. It is said once a supercarrier joins the battlefield, victory is assured!
The corporation leader in command of the corps battle groups can assign ships to positions in the battle group formation. Battlegroups can be made up of ships piloted by faction NPCs or Commanders when entering battle. Corps leaders can go to the corporation command center in order to bring up the fleet logistics, they can place existing NPC faction ships in a formation and assign a name to it, before filling in the games with commanders. NPC faction ships can acquire it by purchasing it and have it built at faction NPC shipyards or acquire it through trade from other commanders. All NPC faction ships will stay docked at dockyards until they are summoned by the corps leader or the station comes under attack by anyone that decides to attack. Ships docked at dockyard can be destroyed if they are not properly defended by hardpoints or NPC.
Corps leaders will be able to summon the battle groups from their ship by selecting the “Call to Arms” button under Battle Groups in the Role Panel. NPC ships will then undock from the dockyards and begin to form up around the leader’s position. If the corp leader is piloting a flagship, they can use the wormhole drive to form a stable wormhole to send ships through. The wormhole can remain stable for up to an hour before it collapses. It is important to make sure no ship is in a wormhole when it collapses or it will be destroyed. The corporate leader will be able to issue orders to specific ships in the fleet from the role panel, under the battle group much like fighters or swarms.
Electronic Warfare Expansion
Electronic Warfare Outfitting
Thargoids started it! With the introduction of electronic warfare by Thargoid, commanders will need to be able to counteract and even initiate electronic warfare. This is where faction research has shined, thus allowing commanders to even spy or eavesdrop on the Thargoids. Of course, they can be used on other commanders or factions, thus is always important to develop technology that counters our own. Who will win the information war? Knowledge is power and wisdom is how to utilize information to the fullest effect to turn the tides of war.
Hardpoints
- Radar Pulse Scrambler: Sends out a strong pulse that scrambled any ally’s or foe’s radars within a 200-meter radius.
- Targeted Radar Scrambler: Designed to scramble targeted ship’s radar.
- Hull Ionizer: Ionizes the hull plating, frying any Limpets that are attached to the hull.
- Passive Radar: Passively receives any unmasked radar signatures from ships within a 10-kilometer radius.
- Passive Sensory Picket: Passively picks up communication and information from other ships’ HUDs within a 10-mile radius.
- Passive Language Translator: Allows commanders to understand the Thargoid language and gives them the ability to open dialog with them.
- Communication Encryption: Hides any communication and information behind encryption, blocking any attempts to listen in.
- Tracker Limpet Controller: Limpet automatically attaches itself to the hull of the enemy’s ship and sends out a signal that can be tracked over a large distance.
- Signature Masking: By tuning a signature to match another faction or corporation’s signature, this allows for you to trick the opposing party into being friends with you.
With new technology comes the need for dedicated ships that can utilize it to the fullest, this means electronic warfare suites. From destroyers to corvettes, each ship is designed specifically to handle electronic warfare and fight the information war! A very important and vital part of any fleet that is engaging in any ongoing war.
New Commander Ships
- Logistic destroyer: Sacrificing some of the Destroyer’s hardpoints, allows for more optional internals built-in and utilized by the commander, thus allowing players to design a dedicated electronic warfare craft.
- Logistic Frigate: Sacrificing some of the Frigate’s hardpoints, allows for more optional internals built-in and utilized by the commander, thus allowing players to design a dedicated electronic warfare craft.
- Logistic Corvette: Sacrificing some of the Corvette’s hardpoints, allows for more optional internals built-in and utilized by the commander, thus allowing players to design a dedicated electronic warfare craft.
- Sensory Picket Ship: Dedicated electronic warfare corvette designed to be stealthy and evade detection while spying on all traffic. Have only two hardpoints and numerous optional modules that can be utilized to spy.
- Logistic Cruiser: Sacrificing some of the Cruiser’s hardpoints, allows for more optional internals built-in and utilized by the commander, thus allowing players to design a dedicated electronic warfare craft.
- Tanker: Dedicated tanker designed to carry large quantities of fuel for ships within a fleet. Has a massive fleet of Fuel Transfer Limplets that can keep fleet’s ships fueled for weeks.
- Supply Carrier: Designed to carry large quantities of ammunition, limplets, and equipment; keeping the fleet well stocked and ready for any combat.
- Hospital Ship: Ships docked with hospital ship can transfer injured crew members and Injured NPCs to be healed. Great for keeping your crew members and soldiers well taken care of on long voyages where you don’t see any station for weeks.
- Repair Ship: Automatically sends out repair limplets to keep fleet well maintained if any ships suffer damage from any engagement or accidents. Must be well stocked with material used for repairs before any fleet voyage.
- Super Freighter: Massive Freighter that can carry large quantities of commodities, modules, or ships to their designation. Great for moving corporation or faction to new location in one trip.
Corporations Expansion
Corporations
Civilian (Players) ran business that requires an invitation to join. This is an association where pilots can work together towards a common goal. Unlike groups, being in a corporation has multiple perks and activities that pilots can do together. Corporations can claim and protect their territories from other corporations, build bases and stations in the territories through the combine effort of their pilots. They can also map out their territories and gain strategic resources that can be used for other projects. All is possible through combined effort and persistence of pilots.
Corporations: Warfare
By declaring war on an opposing corporation, you start corporate warfare on another corporation. Once declaring warfare is sent, all pilots of that corporation will be shown as hostile till a ceasefire, treaty, or declaration of surrender. The goal of Corporate Warfare is the total destruction (All Assets Lost), Opposing Corps surrender (Occupied Territories Gained), or completely take over (Gain All Assets by Occupying All Opposing Territories).
- Declaration of War: Declaration of War can be sent regardless of relationship with an opposing corporation.
- Ceasefire: Ceasefire is a temporary ceasing of all hostility for a limited amount of time.
- Treaty: Treaty is one of the few permanent forms of peace between corporations after hostilities began.
- Declaration of Surrender: Losing corp can send a declaration of surrender to the opposing corporation and it is up to them to decide if they want to accept or decline the surrender.
Corporations can gain territory by claiming unexplored territory, occupying territory when opposing corps surrender, or taking over all territories of opposing corp. This feature opens up corporate contracts and unique areas exclusive to corporations. The corporation also gains access to any research to into Thargoid technology if any Thargoid relics are located in the system and can upgrade their ships with it. Corporations also can send out NPC mining ships to the asteroid belts, allowing for a steady income of resources to be gained.
Corporations: Base Raiding
You can raid the opposing corporation’s base through docking with the orbital station or through the landing party from the shuttle. It is important to mask your signature if you want a stealthy raid, it isn’t impossible to raid through brute force without a signature. It requires taking down defenses and disabling any security systems through hacking or destruction. Through raiding, you can loot any stored resources, modules or ships that are within the base or station.
Corporations: Base Occupations
Once any corporate resistance is taken care of, the winning corps can decide to take over the station or base by occupying it. The corporation can resume functions of the base and even beef up the defenses if they so wish. They are free to do what they want with the base as long as they occupy it.
Corporations: Base Destruction
Either through removing any resistance and activating base self-destruction or through brute force, the base or station can be destroyed. By dealing enough damage to the base through conventional methods or through bombardment, the base will eventually be destroyed, and removing any traces of opposing corporation from the system.
Corporation Base Building Expansion
Corporation Base Building
With the introduction of Corporations, it is time for them to establish themselves as budding super powers in the galaxy. Without bases, there is no way for them to form a permanent presence at all, thus the need for building bases tailored to their specific needs. Each base can be designed based on the territory that they are in. They can establish civilian, industrial, or faction bases which are custom designed by the corporations that own them.
Basic Base-Building Modules
- Modular Casino (Orbital/Terrestrial): Designed to provide entertainment to commanders and civilians alike.
- Modular Remote Workshop (Orbital/Terrestrial): Designed as a play for engineers to work at in order to modify ships.
- Modular Fabrication Workshop (Orbital/Terrestrial): Designed for commanders to access livery and customize their ships.
- Modular Hanger Bay (Orbital/Terrestrial): Designed for temporary storing commander’s ships while visiting the orbital station or base.
- Modular Shipyard (Orbital): Designed for shipbuilding for all commanders, these ships do not require any ranking with NPC factions.
- Modular Maintenance Quarters (Orbital): Designed for housing the NPC Maintenance Crew who maintains the orbital station.
- Modular Dining Hall (Orbital/Terrestrial): Designed for feeding NPC that maintains orbital station or base.
- Modular Hydroponics Green House (Orbital/Terrestrial): Designed to grow food in order to supply food for orbital station or base.
- Modular Storage (Orbital/Terrestrial): Designed for storing visiting commander’s equipment and modules while at the orbital station or base.
- Modular Warehouse (Orbital/Terrestrial): Designed for storing all commodities for commanders who are visiting the orbital station or base.
- Modular Fuel Storage (Orbital/Terrestrial): Designed to store the fuel for orbital stations, bases, or ships that are docked.
- Modular Passenger Lounge (Orbital/Terrestrial): Designed as a waiting lobby for tourists while they wait for their flights to arrive.
- Modular Observatory (Orbital/Terrestrial): Designed for providing a view for commanders or civilians outside the orbital station or base.
- Modular Monitoring Center (Orbital/Terrestrial): Designed for monitoring the status of the station/base at all times.
- Modular Command Center (Orbital/Terrestrial): Designed to only be placed in Corps HQ and from there corps leader has access to all information regarding their corporations.
- Modular Corps Hub (Orbital/Terrestrial): Designed as a gathering place where commanders can go to get corps requested contracts from corporate contacts.
- Modular Corps Living Quarters (Orbital): Designed for commanders’ who belong to the corps to live on the orbital station.
- Modular Corps Storage (Orbital/Terrestrial): Designed for storing equipment and modules for commanders who belong to a corps while not in use.
- Modular Corps Warehouse (Orbital/Terrestrial): Designed for storing all commodities for commanders who belong to the corps at the orbital station or base.
- Modular Corps Dockyard (Orbital/Terrestrial): Designed for permanently storing all ships for commanders who belong to a corp while not in use.
- Modular Security Hub (Orbital/Terrestrial): Designed as a gathering place where commanders can go to get security requested contracts from corporate contacts.
- Modular Security Station (Orbital/Terrestrial): Designed as a place where security NPC’s are located while within station or base.
- Modular Security Storage (Orbital/Terrestrial): Designed for storing all security NPC’s equipment while working at orbital station or base.
- Modular Security Barracks (Orbital/Terrestrial): Designed for housing the security NPC who defends the orbital station or base.
- Modular Security Dockyard (Orbital/Terrestrial): Designed for permanently storing all ships for security NPC who defend the station while not in use.
- Modular Processing Station (Orbital/Terrestrial): Designed for Security NPC to process new arrivals and catch smugglers as they enter the orbital station or base when exiting their ships from the landing pad.
- Modular Access Corridor (Orbital): Designed to completely block ships from entering the station if they are assault it or they are confirmed to be smuggling illegal cargo.
- Modular Faction Hub (Orbital/Terrestrial): Designed as a gathering place where commanders can go to get faction requested contracts from corporate contacts.
- Modular Ammo Depot (Orbital/Terrestrial): Designed to store dangerous ammunition away from the rest of the modules.
- Modular Listening Post (Orbital/Terrestrial): Designed to passively listen in on communications within the solar system unless the communication is encrypted.
- Modular Faction Storage (Orbital Terrestrial): Designed for storing all Faction NPC’s equipment while working at orbital station or base.
- Modular Faction Barracks (Orbital/Terrestrial): Designed for housing the Faction NPC who is stationed at the orbital station or base.
- Modular Faction Shipyard (Orbital): Designed for faction shipbuilding for all commanders, these ships do require any ranking with NPC factions.
- Modular Faction Dockyard (Orbital/Terrestrial): Designed for permanently storing all ships for Faction NPC who is visiting the station while not in use.
- Modular Industrial Hub (Orbital/Terrestrial): Designed as a gathering place where commanders can go to get industrial requested contracts from corporate contacts.
- Modular Market (Orbital/Terrestrial): Designed for NPC traders to sell or buy goods to commanders who visit by orbital station or base.
- Modular Mining Bay (Orbital/Terrestrial): For storing industrial ships for short period.
- Modular Refinery Station (Orbital/Terrestrial): Designed to refine any and all resources before they are stored within the industrial warehouse.
- Modular Industrial Storage (Orbital/Terrestrial): Designed for storing all commanders’ industrial modules while working at orbital station or base.
- Modular Industrial Warehouse (Orbital/Terrestrial): Designed for storing all resources for industrial purposes on orbital station or base.
- Modular Research Quarters (Orbital/Terrestrial): Designed to house any and all research, advancing science and technology.
- Modular Industrial Quarters (Orbital): Designed for housing the Industrial NPC who works from the orbital station.
- Modular Industrial Shipyard (Orbital): Designed for industrial shipbuilding for all commanders, these ships do not require any ranking with NPC factions.
- Modular Industrial Dockyard (Orbital/Terrestrial): Designed for permanently storing all ships for Industrial NPC who works from the station while not in use.
- Modular Hallways (Orbital/Terrestrial): Designed for connecting and providing a passageway between modules.
- Modular Station Engines (Orbital): Designed to allow the station to stay in orbit around the designated location.
- Modular Worm Hole Generator (Orbital): Designed to allow the station to transfer within a new solar system, around a new planet.
- Modular Power Plant (Terrestrial): Designed to power all systems within the base, from basic lights to the shield generators.
- Modular Power Station (Orbital): Designed to power all systems within the orbital station, from basic lights to the shield generators.
- Modular Shield Generators (Orbital/Terrestrial): Designed to generate a continuous shielding when the orbital station or base is under assault.
- Modular Defense Hardpoints (Orbital/Terrestrial): Designed for mounting defensive weaponry to orbital stations or bases, capable of defending against larges assaults.
- Modular Small Landing Pad (Orbital/Terrestrial): For launching or landing small class ships.
- Modular Medium Landing Pad (Orbital/Terrestrial): For launching or landing medium class ships.
- Modular Large Landing Pad (Orbital/Terrestrial): For launching or landing large class ships.
- Modular Life Support Backup Power (Orbital/Terrestrial): Designed as a backup if power is cut to the station/base.
- Modular Rosen-Einstein Bridge Gate (Orbital/Terrestrial): Designed for quick travel between two gates located next to orbital stations or bases within the same corporation.
[Limited To 5 Per Station]
Gameplay Changes
Gameplay Changes
Along with the new features in the game, there will be a need for a few changes that can drastically alter the gameplay for commanders. Some of the new gameplay changes are simple, while others are complicated and require a long development stage. They are most likely going to need to be released alongside the expansions to make them useful.
New Features
- Ability to Trade Items, Material, Credits, and Outfitting Gear With Players
- Toggle Third Person View With HUD readouts (For Players Who Don’t Like First Person View)
- Ability to Target Asteroids, Moons, & Rocky Planets
I admire the passion and optimism.