We currently have all of this is E
already to some degree, however I do not think the current implementation is as good as it could be, partly because it is all very arbitrary, it does not add much value to the gameplay experience and serves as little more than a money sink. Don't get me wrong we need money sinks to offset money acquisition in game like these; I just feel we can accomplish more with these systems to add more value to them.
I do not understand all of the ramifications and effects that damage and wear currently have on gameplay, so some of what I will be suggesting is likely already part of the current mechanics. Where this is true I feel the effects should be increased to become more apparent in the actual game play. So first lest's define what each of these mechanics could represent and then we can look further in to how they might affect gameplay.
Damage: This represents reduction of the health of the ship component through direct impact of weapons, collisions or exposure to damaging effects of heat and radiation. Whether that is an installed module, or integrated component such as the ships hull, cockpit viewports or ship armor. Damage is corrected through Repair.
Wear: This represents the degradation of ship components over time through use. Whether that is an installed module, or integrated component such as the ships hull, cockpit viewports or ship armor. Wear is corrected through maintenance.
Aging: This represents the gradual degradation of the overall ships condition. This is mostly cosmetic and affects the ship as a whole not individual components. Things like the appearance of scratches on the cockpit viewports, the condition of the paint, interior surfaces and upholstery. Aging is corrected through restoration.
Knowing what each represents and how it is acquired is great but what effects do each of these have on game play? How do they help to enrich the experience and add value an uniqueness to individual ships? So let's explore that aspect more.
Damage: As a measure of the health of a component, this would reduce the components effectiveness as damage is accumulated. It should be an escalating scale from perfect working order to no longer functioning. Having 100% damage does not destroy the component but merely renders it inoperable until repaired and its damage reduced to at least 99% damage. This effect is applied to and tracked individually by each component. Even when sold and repurchased by the same pilot or a new pilot.
Wear: As a measure of gradual degradation, this would represent the likeliness for a component to suffer a random failure or suffer critical damage. A random failure represents a temporary and premature failure of the component. A random failure can be resolved through the repair of just 1% damage. This can be accomplished by an auto repair unit or through the shutdown and repair feature. Critical damage represents a damaging event to the component that applies 25% damage to the component but does not cause component failure unless the total damage reaches 100% by this event. A component with 100% wear is still fully functional but more likely to fail or suffer damage. Think of this as reliability. At 100% wear it would represent a 25% likelihood of either random failure or critical damage when taking additional damage or module activation. This effect is applied to and tracked individually by each component. Even when sold and repurchased by the same pilot or a new pilot.
Aging: As a overall measure of ship condition this has little effect on the capabilities of the ship or its components but serves primarily as a visual measure of the life the ship has lived. As ship with a low level of aging will look like it just rolled off the showroom floor while a ship with a high level of aging will look like its been through a rough life. It could also work in the same way as wear but to a much smaller degree and would affect all components equally. At 100% aging it would represent an additional 5% likelihood of a random failure or critical damage. This effect is applied to the ship as a whole. Even when sold and repurchased by the same pilot or a new pilot.
Now we have defined what each represents, its effect on the component and how to remove it. We still need to define more clearly how each is acquired and what the costs are to remove or address each of them.
Damage: This is acquired through weapons fire, collision and exposure to damaging effects such as heat and radiation. The system for this is already well defined and balanced in the game as is the repair system to remove its effects. It would be nice to be able to repair components in 1% increments instead of all or nothing. The cost to repair a component should be 0.1% the cost of the component per 1% damage. So the cost to repair a component with 100% damage would be 10% the cost of a new component.
Wear: This is acquired through component use. I think a good rate of accumulation would be 0.5% per hour of use. The system to reduce wear is already in the game but should be separated out by component instead of being tracked as a ship wide effect. It would be nice to be able to repair components in 1% increments instead of all or nothing. The cost for maintenance of a component would be 0.5% per 1% of wear. So a component with 100% wear would be 50% of the cost of a new component.
Aging: This is acquired through ship use. I think a good rate of accumulation would be 0.5% per hour of use. The system to reduce Aging could borrow from the current Wear mechanic as this is a ship wide effect. This should be an all or nothing system to reset the age number and remove the accumulated effects. Each 1% of age should reduce the value of the ship but not the value of the installed components by 0.5%. The restoration cost to reset the age value of the ship would be 50% of the value reduction caused by aging. So for instance a ship with an new cost of 1,000,000cr with 100% aging would its value reduced to 500,000cr and would cost 250,000cr to restore. It this way it will always be less expensive to restore and old ship then to by a new one.
The overall idea here to to make old ships interesting and unique but not make the negative effects so bad as to make owning an older ship undesirable, while also making it a somewhat expensive proposition to keep a ship in like new condition.
already to some degree, however I do not think the current implementation is as good as it could be, partly because it is all very arbitrary, it does not add much value to the gameplay experience and serves as little more than a money sink. Don't get me wrong we need money sinks to offset money acquisition in game like these; I just feel we can accomplish more with these systems to add more value to them.I do not understand all of the ramifications and effects that damage and wear currently have on gameplay, so some of what I will be suggesting is likely already part of the current mechanics. Where this is true I feel the effects should be increased to become more apparent in the actual game play. So first lest's define what each of these mechanics could represent and then we can look further in to how they might affect gameplay.
Damage: This represents reduction of the health of the ship component through direct impact of weapons, collisions or exposure to damaging effects of heat and radiation. Whether that is an installed module, or integrated component such as the ships hull, cockpit viewports or ship armor. Damage is corrected through Repair.
Wear: This represents the degradation of ship components over time through use. Whether that is an installed module, or integrated component such as the ships hull, cockpit viewports or ship armor. Wear is corrected through maintenance.
Aging: This represents the gradual degradation of the overall ships condition. This is mostly cosmetic and affects the ship as a whole not individual components. Things like the appearance of scratches on the cockpit viewports, the condition of the paint, interior surfaces and upholstery. Aging is corrected through restoration.
Knowing what each represents and how it is acquired is great but what effects do each of these have on game play? How do they help to enrich the experience and add value an uniqueness to individual ships? So let's explore that aspect more.
Damage: As a measure of the health of a component, this would reduce the components effectiveness as damage is accumulated. It should be an escalating scale from perfect working order to no longer functioning. Having 100% damage does not destroy the component but merely renders it inoperable until repaired and its damage reduced to at least 99% damage. This effect is applied to and tracked individually by each component. Even when sold and repurchased by the same pilot or a new pilot.
Wear: As a measure of gradual degradation, this would represent the likeliness for a component to suffer a random failure or suffer critical damage. A random failure represents a temporary and premature failure of the component. A random failure can be resolved through the repair of just 1% damage. This can be accomplished by an auto repair unit or through the shutdown and repair feature. Critical damage represents a damaging event to the component that applies 25% damage to the component but does not cause component failure unless the total damage reaches 100% by this event. A component with 100% wear is still fully functional but more likely to fail or suffer damage. Think of this as reliability. At 100% wear it would represent a 25% likelihood of either random failure or critical damage when taking additional damage or module activation. This effect is applied to and tracked individually by each component. Even when sold and repurchased by the same pilot or a new pilot.
Aging: As a overall measure of ship condition this has little effect on the capabilities of the ship or its components but serves primarily as a visual measure of the life the ship has lived. As ship with a low level of aging will look like it just rolled off the showroom floor while a ship with a high level of aging will look like its been through a rough life. It could also work in the same way as wear but to a much smaller degree and would affect all components equally. At 100% aging it would represent an additional 5% likelihood of a random failure or critical damage. This effect is applied to the ship as a whole. Even when sold and repurchased by the same pilot or a new pilot.
Now we have defined what each represents, its effect on the component and how to remove it. We still need to define more clearly how each is acquired and what the costs are to remove or address each of them.
Damage: This is acquired through weapons fire, collision and exposure to damaging effects such as heat and radiation. The system for this is already well defined and balanced in the game as is the repair system to remove its effects. It would be nice to be able to repair components in 1% increments instead of all or nothing. The cost to repair a component should be 0.1% the cost of the component per 1% damage. So the cost to repair a component with 100% damage would be 10% the cost of a new component.
Wear: This is acquired through component use. I think a good rate of accumulation would be 0.5% per hour of use. The system to reduce wear is already in the game but should be separated out by component instead of being tracked as a ship wide effect. It would be nice to be able to repair components in 1% increments instead of all or nothing. The cost for maintenance of a component would be 0.5% per 1% of wear. So a component with 100% wear would be 50% of the cost of a new component.
Aging: This is acquired through ship use. I think a good rate of accumulation would be 0.5% per hour of use. The system to reduce Aging could borrow from the current Wear mechanic as this is a ship wide effect. This should be an all or nothing system to reset the age number and remove the accumulated effects. Each 1% of age should reduce the value of the ship but not the value of the installed components by 0.5%. The restoration cost to reset the age value of the ship would be 50% of the value reduction caused by aging. So for instance a ship with an new cost of 1,000,000cr with 100% aging would its value reduced to 500,000cr and would cost 250,000cr to restore. It this way it will always be less expensive to restore and old ship then to by a new one.
The overall idea here to to make old ships interesting and unique but not make the negative effects so bad as to make owning an older ship undesirable, while also making it a somewhat expensive proposition to keep a ship in like new condition.
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