So, for a while Ive been thinking about Starmade, where it is and where its progressing too.
Ive come up with some changes and additions which I think would improve the 'endgame' concept of SM as well as change how sectors and systems are viewed.
1. NEBULAS
One problem I have with sectors is that they all look the same.... none really offer and advantage/disadvantage/anything of interest over any other.
So why not introduce Nebulas?
-Nebulas would make exploration more interesting and effect you and your ship in various ways.
-Nebulas would be of various sizes (ranging from 1 sector too 2 x 2 or 4 x 4 etc)
-While in a nebula your view is slightly tinted the colour of the nebula, with it fading in and randomly to make it seem like your going through gas clouds.
-Possible transparent gas clouds?????
-From sectors outside the nebula it could look like a really, faint transparent sun the color of the nebula.
Now HOW WOULD NEBULAS LOOK WHILE YOUR IN THEM?
-I would love them to look like this, however, since Schema isn't a millionaire (yet) I have found an alternative.........
The current effect while your inside a star could be remodeled and used for being inside a nebula.
Changes could include:
-Colour depends on type of nebula
-Intensity could be random (far less than inside a star though)
-Speed at which it oscillates could vary
-Transparency Could vary
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Now how would they effect your ship?
I suggest that each type of nebula has its own intensity, color and effect with a random size.
Effects could include
-Blue Nebula: shields are slowly drained over time/less effective
-Red Nebula: Shots fired deal 200% damage in this type of nebula (one you want to avoid)
-Yellow Nebula: Very thick, scanners have a reduced range and cloak/jammers are disabled
-Orange Nebula: Ship speed/thrust/acceleration increased by 200%
-Greenish/whitish Nebula: Ships CANNOT jump out this nebula (can they jump in? Yes/no?) they must exit it then jump.
-Purplish Nebula: Bonus to mining in this nebula plus an increased scan range
Lightblue/Whitish Nebula: Ion Storms. Usually peaceful, every-once in a while storms will commence which drain ships power, shields and disable chat and message functions.
etc etc ect......................... (Many more possible)
Adding nebulas would introduce more Strategic game-play using PRE-EXISTING game-play mechanics (not a huge amount of coding required from the devs) as well as making the universe much more Vibarent and Interesting (so each sector doesn't look the name and making some more valuable and some more dangerous than others)
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NOW, onto the second part of my post:
One thing starmade sort of 'lacks' is any real end game/ objectives.
Another thing starmade lacks is any real sort of missions/challenging threats.
So therfore= ADD ALIENS!
Heres how I see it working:
There are differnt 'tier' alien bases.
Each alien base is rare and only a couple will spawn per galaxy.
When initialy spawned, they will use the tier 1 blueprint (not too difficult, rewards based on whats needed to beat the base)
When this tier 1 alien 'outpost' is destroyed a tier 2 base will be spawned somewhere in the galaxy. This would require substantilay more effort to defeat (would spawn custom alien fighters) and would require players to have been on the server a few weeks to beable to beat it.
Now, when a tier 2 base is destroyed a tier 3 'HOMEWORLD' base/station would spawn.
The base would be near to the center of a star system and various other alien stations would then spawn throughout the star sector (16x16 sectors).
Ships WOULD NOT be able to jump into this star system and must fly through in manually (to make it more of a challenge and make it take some time). This would be disabled if the home base was destroyed. Players are also not allowed to spawn stations in this starsystem (to prevent abuse of 'homebase')
Objects would include:
-Outposts: Dont do much, some turrents.
-Sentery Bases: Heafty defensive platforms requiring large ships to beat.
-Alien Trading stations. As long are operational, they will occasionally send ships with cargo which will fly to the Home-base/station then despawn (with a max amount at once set in server configs).
The Home base would require months of resource gathering to beat and would be only for experienced players (plus only spawns when easier bases are conquered so that the progression is smooth and players fight bases of their level).
Player in an 'alien star system' would generate % chance for a random alien spawn.
Bases, objects and ships would all have the same theme and could be built by the community to specifications.
e.g:
----------------------------------------------------------
So, to recap:
Nebulas: Use exsisting game mechanics
Effect ships in different ways
Of varried size, color and intensity
Aliens: To have more difficult bases spawn you have to conquer the easier ones first
When a tier 2 base has been destroyed an alien home base will spawn in an undiscovered sector
The Star system will be populated in various alien objects
Players will not beable to jump in or build any bases in the system (16x16 sectors) until the central base is destroyed
A tier 3 base would be extremly difficult to take down (endgame concept)
After destruction of a tier 3 base, Alien swarms may spawn and attack the players
Bases, objects and ships would all have the same theme and could be built by the community to specifications.
So what do you guys think about these changes?
I dont see too much coding required by the devs and this would defiantly make star made more interesting (survival) and give players goals to work for as well as make exploration fun and worth while
Cheers and fly safe!
Dire_Venom
Ive come up with some changes and additions which I think would improve the 'endgame' concept of SM as well as change how sectors and systems are viewed.
1. NEBULAS
One problem I have with sectors is that they all look the same.... none really offer and advantage/disadvantage/anything of interest over any other.
So why not introduce Nebulas?
-Nebulas would make exploration more interesting and effect you and your ship in various ways.
-Nebulas would be of various sizes (ranging from 1 sector too 2 x 2 or 4 x 4 etc)
-While in a nebula your view is slightly tinted the colour of the nebula, with it fading in and randomly to make it seem like your going through gas clouds.
-Possible transparent gas clouds?????
-From sectors outside the nebula it could look like a really, faint transparent sun the color of the nebula.
Now HOW WOULD NEBULAS LOOK WHILE YOUR IN THEM?
-I would love them to look like this, however, since Schema isn't a millionaire (yet) I have found an alternative.........
The current effect while your inside a star could be remodeled and used for being inside a nebula.
Changes could include:
-Colour depends on type of nebula
-Intensity could be random (far less than inside a star though)
-Speed at which it oscillates could vary
-Transparency Could vary
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Now how would they effect your ship?
I suggest that each type of nebula has its own intensity, color and effect with a random size.
Effects could include
-Blue Nebula: shields are slowly drained over time/less effective
-Red Nebula: Shots fired deal 200% damage in this type of nebula (one you want to avoid)
-Yellow Nebula: Very thick, scanners have a reduced range and cloak/jammers are disabled
-Orange Nebula: Ship speed/thrust/acceleration increased by 200%
-Greenish/whitish Nebula: Ships CANNOT jump out this nebula (can they jump in? Yes/no?) they must exit it then jump.
-Purplish Nebula: Bonus to mining in this nebula plus an increased scan range
Lightblue/Whitish Nebula: Ion Storms. Usually peaceful, every-once in a while storms will commence which drain ships power, shields and disable chat and message functions.
etc etc ect......................... (Many more possible)
Adding nebulas would introduce more Strategic game-play using PRE-EXISTING game-play mechanics (not a huge amount of coding required from the devs) as well as making the universe much more Vibarent and Interesting (so each sector doesn't look the name and making some more valuable and some more dangerous than others)
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
NOW, onto the second part of my post:
One thing starmade sort of 'lacks' is any real end game/ objectives.
Another thing starmade lacks is any real sort of missions/challenging threats.
So therfore= ADD ALIENS!
Heres how I see it working:
There are differnt 'tier' alien bases.
Each alien base is rare and only a couple will spawn per galaxy.
When initialy spawned, they will use the tier 1 blueprint (not too difficult, rewards based on whats needed to beat the base)
When this tier 1 alien 'outpost' is destroyed a tier 2 base will be spawned somewhere in the galaxy. This would require substantilay more effort to defeat (would spawn custom alien fighters) and would require players to have been on the server a few weeks to beable to beat it.
Now, when a tier 2 base is destroyed a tier 3 'HOMEWORLD' base/station would spawn.
The base would be near to the center of a star system and various other alien stations would then spawn throughout the star sector (16x16 sectors).
Ships WOULD NOT be able to jump into this star system and must fly through in manually (to make it more of a challenge and make it take some time). This would be disabled if the home base was destroyed. Players are also not allowed to spawn stations in this starsystem (to prevent abuse of 'homebase')
Objects would include:
-Outposts: Dont do much, some turrents.
-Sentery Bases: Heafty defensive platforms requiring large ships to beat.
-Alien Trading stations. As long are operational, they will occasionally send ships with cargo which will fly to the Home-base/station then despawn (with a max amount at once set in server configs).
The Home base would require months of resource gathering to beat and would be only for experienced players (plus only spawns when easier bases are conquered so that the progression is smooth and players fight bases of their level).
Player in an 'alien star system' would generate % chance for a random alien spawn.
Bases, objects and ships would all have the same theme and could be built by the community to specifications.
e.g:
----------------------------------------------------------
So, to recap:
Nebulas: Use exsisting game mechanics
Effect ships in different ways
Of varried size, color and intensity
Aliens: To have more difficult bases spawn you have to conquer the easier ones first
When a tier 2 base has been destroyed an alien home base will spawn in an undiscovered sector
The Star system will be populated in various alien objects
Players will not beable to jump in or build any bases in the system (16x16 sectors) until the central base is destroyed
A tier 3 base would be extremly difficult to take down (endgame concept)
After destruction of a tier 3 base, Alien swarms may spawn and attack the players
Bases, objects and ships would all have the same theme and could be built by the community to specifications.
So what do you guys think about these changes?
I dont see too much coding required by the devs and this would defiantly make star made more interesting (survival) and give players goals to work for as well as make exploration fun and worth while
Cheers and fly safe!
Dire_Venom