Post by gingerbear on Apr 28, 2013 10:13:00 GMT -5
With the equipment system slowly arriving to the game, I think it might be a good idea to start thinking about what will they actually do.
I'd like to share some ideas on what the collectible modules could be used, with the hopes that some of these may find their way into the game. I like brainstorming for the sake of doing it, so just ignore this post if the game is taking a totally different approach.
Basic Assumptions (To make equipment more versatile)
- Ground and Air will be more different
- Hull armor and shields will react differently to different weapon types
- There will be different equipable weapon types
- Clear distinction between main turret and auxiliary weapons
- Tanks will have a "weight" and "energy" property that affects moving speed, shield / trigger regeneration, etc.
- Tanks will individually have module slots to fill in, alternatively module system could replace the prism system.
Module types
Modules could be built from the dropped sub-modules that are of the same class respectively. (See Crafting at the end of post.)
Weapon Modules
Probably the most looked after module type. Equip your tank with extra weapons, or replace existing configuration...
- Laser weapons: Deals same damage to ground and air, and a configurable damage to shields / hull. (See Tweak modules) Small weight penalty but bigger impact on energy.
- Ion cannons: Deals more damage to hull than to shield, and more to ground than to air. Big impact on weight but small or none on energy.
- Particle Sprays: Low to moderate damage on hulls and shields, but AoE and DoT. Less damage to air than to ground. Small weight/energy penalty.
- Missiles: low to moderate damage on hulls and shields, but either long range or very fast attack speed. Could come in flavors of GtA (Ground to Air), GtG, or GtS (Ground to "Shape").
- Explosives (mines): Fixed AoE damage after triggering. (So a unit with 80 hull 20 shield would die the same as a unit with 50 hull 50 shield if the explosive deals 100 damage). They would require placing (like the Hercules trigger) or would be automaticallypooped laid as the tank moves.
AI modules
AI modules would be responsible to tweak weapon behavior. I would say one new configurable behavior per 2 levels of module, so for example if we cap modules at lvl 20, it will be a maximum of 10 settings. Module level could also affect the set of choices. Some options:
- AI affects main or aux weapons, or bases on weapon types.
- Choices based on enemy distance, size, shape, strength (hull+shield), offensive power, location (air/ ground)
- Choices based on self state (hull integrity, shield level)
- Choices based on amount of weapons (individual targeting, partial focus, total focus)
- Automated functions (use X trigger whenever ready, use healing shard at 50% health, etc.)
Tweak Modules
These modules would be to fine-tune existing configuration. Since we could tune weapons by simply replacing them, the edge of using tweak modules would be that they could change configuration "on the fly", while changing a whole module would require being in a city.
There could be different tweak modules:
- Laser tuners: Lasers would have a fix damage output to shields / hulls, that could be shifted from the initial 50%-50% to X%- (100-X)%, based on the tweak module level. The greater the shift in one direction is, the more energy is consumed. Using a laser tuner could help in taking down equally shielded and hulled enemies faster, at the cost of manually changing the output during the battle. (OR having to install an "auto it" AI module, if you are lazy.)
- Energy calibrators: These could be used to decide what the available energy goes to. Possible factors: Maintaining shields, Recharging shields, Recharging abilities, Recharging laser weapons, Engine power supply to combat weight penalties...
- Mechanical calibrators: Tune firing distance at the cost of rate of fire (missiles), or turret turn rate at the cost of energy consumption or mobility, changing the cone of spray guns, etc.
Booster modules
These modules would be to increase / enhance something specific, like the stat increases with VP, but with more versatility.
- Energy Cores: increase available energy
- Explosive Warheads (missiles, explosives go with a bigger boom)
- Particle Chargers (more DoT to spray guns)
- Extra Coating: (Hull bonus, with or without weight penalty)
- Nanobots (faster health regen)
- Overdrives (like some of the current triggers)
Jammers
These modules would be specifically against enemies, could be based on size, shape, location.
- Phaser guns ( slows/locks/repulses air/ground units )
- Electric jammers (turrets turn slower or have an uncertainty to focus on the player)
- Weapon jammers (rate of fire, projectile trajectory)
- Signature jammers ( = cloaking )
Crafting
So, where does the fun start? Aside from, of course, playing around with the modules... At crafting them.
Modules cannot be found as a drop, only in form of sub-modules. One would require a certain amount of subs to create a module, and this would be level dependent. For example a level 5 AI module would require 15 levels of AI sub-modules, whether these are 3 lvl 5 ones or a 4,5,6 level combo is the same. There could be a limit on usable modules as to level and to quantity (you cannot make a lvl 20 module out of 60 lvl 1's, you would need 4 lvl 15's minimum). Modules would be also type dependent, ie. you cannot craft AI module from weapon sub-modules and vice versa. There could be a "generic" or "universal" module type, though.
Sub-modules would drop only up to level 10, but module and sub-module limit could be level 20 or more. Sub-modules could be assembled into higher sub-modules (less cost and greater success chance), or into finished modules (more expensive and more chance to fail). Finished modules will be equipable, maybe crafters could even disassemble them to regain some sub-modules.
After a certain time when we have unlocked all the tanks and augmented them to a satisfactory level, Victory Points will be kind of useless. We could use them up in order to increase our success chances in crafting. (1 VP for +1%, or so.)
Jetbolt could also make some penny by allowing the players to "Trademark" their products, which would be just basically being able to name the finished modules. I know I'd likely rather show off in a set of "GingerBear's Crazy Missile Pack" than in a "Generic Explosive Missiles Mk. IV.".
I'd like to share some ideas on what the collectible modules could be used, with the hopes that some of these may find their way into the game. I like brainstorming for the sake of doing it, so just ignore this post if the game is taking a totally different approach.
Basic Assumptions (To make equipment more versatile)
- Ground and Air will be more different
- Hull armor and shields will react differently to different weapon types
- There will be different equipable weapon types
- Clear distinction between main turret and auxiliary weapons
- Tanks will have a "weight" and "energy" property that affects moving speed, shield / trigger regeneration, etc.
- Tanks will individually have module slots to fill in, alternatively module system could replace the prism system.
Module types
Modules could be built from the dropped sub-modules that are of the same class respectively. (See Crafting at the end of post.)
Weapon Modules
Probably the most looked after module type. Equip your tank with extra weapons, or replace existing configuration...
- Laser weapons: Deals same damage to ground and air, and a configurable damage to shields / hull. (See Tweak modules) Small weight penalty but bigger impact on energy.
- Ion cannons: Deals more damage to hull than to shield, and more to ground than to air. Big impact on weight but small or none on energy.
- Particle Sprays: Low to moderate damage on hulls and shields, but AoE and DoT. Less damage to air than to ground. Small weight/energy penalty.
- Missiles: low to moderate damage on hulls and shields, but either long range or very fast attack speed. Could come in flavors of GtA (Ground to Air), GtG, or GtS (Ground to "Shape").
- Explosives (mines): Fixed AoE damage after triggering. (So a unit with 80 hull 20 shield would die the same as a unit with 50 hull 50 shield if the explosive deals 100 damage). They would require placing (like the Hercules trigger) or would be automatically
AI modules
AI modules would be responsible to tweak weapon behavior. I would say one new configurable behavior per 2 levels of module, so for example if we cap modules at lvl 20, it will be a maximum of 10 settings. Module level could also affect the set of choices. Some options:
- AI affects main or aux weapons, or bases on weapon types.
- Choices based on enemy distance, size, shape, strength (hull+shield), offensive power, location (air/ ground)
- Choices based on self state (hull integrity, shield level)
- Choices based on amount of weapons (individual targeting, partial focus, total focus)
- Automated functions (use X trigger whenever ready, use healing shard at 50% health, etc.)
Tweak Modules
These modules would be to fine-tune existing configuration. Since we could tune weapons by simply replacing them, the edge of using tweak modules would be that they could change configuration "on the fly", while changing a whole module would require being in a city.
There could be different tweak modules:
- Laser tuners: Lasers would have a fix damage output to shields / hulls, that could be shifted from the initial 50%-50% to X%- (100-X)%, based on the tweak module level. The greater the shift in one direction is, the more energy is consumed. Using a laser tuner could help in taking down equally shielded and hulled enemies faster, at the cost of manually changing the output during the battle. (OR having to install an "auto it" AI module, if you are lazy.)
- Energy calibrators: These could be used to decide what the available energy goes to. Possible factors: Maintaining shields, Recharging shields, Recharging abilities, Recharging laser weapons, Engine power supply to combat weight penalties...
- Mechanical calibrators: Tune firing distance at the cost of rate of fire (missiles), or turret turn rate at the cost of energy consumption or mobility, changing the cone of spray guns, etc.
Booster modules
These modules would be to increase / enhance something specific, like the stat increases with VP, but with more versatility.
- Energy Cores: increase available energy
- Explosive Warheads (missiles, explosives go with a bigger boom)
- Particle Chargers (more DoT to spray guns)
- Extra Coating: (Hull bonus, with or without weight penalty)
- Nanobots (faster health regen)
- Overdrives (like some of the current triggers)
Jammers
These modules would be specifically against enemies, could be based on size, shape, location.
- Phaser guns ( slows/locks/repulses air/ground units )
- Electric jammers (turrets turn slower or have an uncertainty to focus on the player)
- Weapon jammers (rate of fire, projectile trajectory)
- Signature jammers ( = cloaking )
Crafting
So, where does the fun start? Aside from, of course, playing around with the modules... At crafting them.
Modules cannot be found as a drop, only in form of sub-modules. One would require a certain amount of subs to create a module, and this would be level dependent. For example a level 5 AI module would require 15 levels of AI sub-modules, whether these are 3 lvl 5 ones or a 4,5,6 level combo is the same. There could be a limit on usable modules as to level and to quantity (you cannot make a lvl 20 module out of 60 lvl 1's, you would need 4 lvl 15's minimum). Modules would be also type dependent, ie. you cannot craft AI module from weapon sub-modules and vice versa. There could be a "generic" or "universal" module type, though.
Sub-modules would drop only up to level 10, but module and sub-module limit could be level 20 or more. Sub-modules could be assembled into higher sub-modules (less cost and greater success chance), or into finished modules (more expensive and more chance to fail). Finished modules will be equipable, maybe crafters could even disassemble them to regain some sub-modules.
After a certain time when we have unlocked all the tanks and augmented them to a satisfactory level, Victory Points will be kind of useless. We could use them up in order to increase our success chances in crafting. (1 VP for +1%, or so.)
Jetbolt could also make some penny by allowing the players to "Trademark" their products, which would be just basically being able to name the finished modules. I know I'd likely rather show off in a set of "GingerBear's Crazy Missile Pack" than in a "Generic Explosive Missiles Mk. IV.".