Layered Supercruise.
Instead of having one layer of Supercruise have multiple levels like this:
1 Lane
Uninhabited, low tech, civil war state
2 lanes (enter system on lower lane)
Low middle tech, systems with one faction base close to star
3 lanes
Median tech systems (enter on middle lane)
4 lanes (enter Lane 2)
Not many. 5 Lane systems where the highest level is reserved?
5 lanes (enter on middle lane)
High tech systems
5+ lanes systems (maybe)
5 Lane systems with extra designated lanes.
The entry lane would have standard speed.
The highest lanes would be slower (0.5x speed for every lane higher than the entry lane) although these speeds could be modified on a system by system basis and so take longer but is further from real space.
Lower lanes are faster (2x speed per level lower than entry) but are closer to real space...
Notes
Signals would be visible in all lanes as would all objects that are not ships. (Perhaps 'higher' lanes could have extra information and lower lanes less?)
Lanes could be restricted due to system states, ie a higher tech system under disease quarantine could have 1 lane instead of 5.
We could locate a previously unknown 'Alien' level where there are large amounts of alien ships (Thargoids maybe or another).
New Module Suggestions
Lane Jumper: optional internal that allows a ship to change lane. Better modules reduce interval between lane jumps
False Flag Module: disguises any ship as a random low storage ship (if it was just one type then people would check every instance of that ship appearing making it useless). As a long cool down after being removed.
Competes directly with 'True Sight' Module below. Ties go to the False Flag.
True Sight module: Reveals False Flagged ships. Standard on security ships. Can only be used in the same Lane as target. Target must be in front of Scanner. Works once per activation of False Flag.
Lane Reader: gives information about other lanes from simple number of ships to virtual heads up display of target lane depending on quality of module. Can only see as far as scanner distance.
....
Example of game play.
Now a pirate sees a mark in the central layer as he enters the system (the old single layer). The trader sees the dread fall behind manoeuvre and triangle of inconvenience....
Johnny Trader yelps. He then changes to another layer of Supercruise. But which one? Lower is quicker but closer to space! Higher is slower but interdictions take longer and longer means more opportunities to escape.
Quick pilot! Decide!
Billy Pirate also has a decision to make. Choose wrong and the mark could get away.
Quick pilot! Decide!
He chooses. Correctly. High layer. Because of the Layer Shift Delay Johnny Trader is stuck here for x time. Should'a invested in a better Frame Shift Doohickey!
Tethered! The Leestl Sleigh Ride begins! Dragged down to the middle layer! The tether is still attached - just! The interdiction takes longer, poorly ventilated pirate ships are getting hotter! Palms are getting sweaty!
2-0 to Billy Pirate! The bottom.layer. one more interdiction success and sweet robbery can begin.
Exhausted like great fish, the two ships wrestle anew. Both ships are now taking heat damage. Who will break first?
Oh, no! Billy Pirate's Interdiction device as malfunctioned because of the heat danage! He should'a invested in a sturdier part.
Little Piratettes are going hungry tonight. Dejected, he watches the yellow square of hope blink out of the lane.
Later he tells his pirate buddies that the reason the mark escaped was only because he was ambushed by 6 huge police ships... or was it 8??
**
Concerns: Disperses players.
Yes. It does, but it's only an appearance. You know there are other lanes. As far as you know other lanes could have lots of players. Not generation would only be slightly lower for non-entry lanes.
I don't think this 'con' outweighs the pros of 'livelier' pirating, a more predator prey relationship with pvp, more risk reward choices for traders, things to find for explores (why does this distant system have 7 lanes????) and opportunities for content creation.
Instead of having one layer of Supercruise have multiple levels like this:
1 Lane
Uninhabited, low tech, civil war state
2 lanes (enter system on lower lane)
Low middle tech, systems with one faction base close to star
3 lanes
Median tech systems (enter on middle lane)
4 lanes (enter Lane 2)
Not many. 5 Lane systems where the highest level is reserved?
5 lanes (enter on middle lane)
High tech systems
5+ lanes systems (maybe)
5 Lane systems with extra designated lanes.
The entry lane would have standard speed.
The highest lanes would be slower (0.5x speed for every lane higher than the entry lane) although these speeds could be modified on a system by system basis and so take longer but is further from real space.
Lower lanes are faster (2x speed per level lower than entry) but are closer to real space...
Notes
Signals would be visible in all lanes as would all objects that are not ships. (Perhaps 'higher' lanes could have extra information and lower lanes less?)
Lanes could be restricted due to system states, ie a higher tech system under disease quarantine could have 1 lane instead of 5.
We could locate a previously unknown 'Alien' level where there are large amounts of alien ships (Thargoids maybe or another).
New Module Suggestions
Lane Jumper: optional internal that allows a ship to change lane. Better modules reduce interval between lane jumps
False Flag Module: disguises any ship as a random low storage ship (if it was just one type then people would check every instance of that ship appearing making it useless). As a long cool down after being removed.
Competes directly with 'True Sight' Module below. Ties go to the False Flag.
True Sight module: Reveals False Flagged ships. Standard on security ships. Can only be used in the same Lane as target. Target must be in front of Scanner. Works once per activation of False Flag.
Lane Reader: gives information about other lanes from simple number of ships to virtual heads up display of target lane depending on quality of module. Can only see as far as scanner distance.
....
Example of game play.
Now a pirate sees a mark in the central layer as he enters the system (the old single layer). The trader sees the dread fall behind manoeuvre and triangle of inconvenience....
Johnny Trader yelps. He then changes to another layer of Supercruise. But which one? Lower is quicker but closer to space! Higher is slower but interdictions take longer and longer means more opportunities to escape.
Quick pilot! Decide!
Billy Pirate also has a decision to make. Choose wrong and the mark could get away.
Quick pilot! Decide!
He chooses. Correctly. High layer. Because of the Layer Shift Delay Johnny Trader is stuck here for x time. Should'a invested in a better Frame Shift Doohickey!
Tethered! The Leestl Sleigh Ride begins! Dragged down to the middle layer! The tether is still attached - just! The interdiction takes longer, poorly ventilated pirate ships are getting hotter! Palms are getting sweaty!
2-0 to Billy Pirate! The bottom.layer. one more interdiction success and sweet robbery can begin.
Exhausted like great fish, the two ships wrestle anew. Both ships are now taking heat damage. Who will break first?
Oh, no! Billy Pirate's Interdiction device as malfunctioned because of the heat danage! He should'a invested in a sturdier part.
Little Piratettes are going hungry tonight. Dejected, he watches the yellow square of hope blink out of the lane.
Later he tells his pirate buddies that the reason the mark escaped was only because he was ambushed by 6 huge police ships... or was it 8??
**
Concerns: Disperses players.
Yes. It does, but it's only an appearance. You know there are other lanes. As far as you know other lanes could have lots of players. Not generation would only be slightly lower for non-entry lanes.
I don't think this 'con' outweighs the pros of 'livelier' pirating, a more predator prey relationship with pvp, more risk reward choices for traders, things to find for explores (why does this distant system have 7 lanes????) and opportunities for content creation.
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