An idea for more powerful demolition blocks

[jayman38]

I had an idea to make a demolition block into a kind of storage block.
No cycles, no linking to cargo blocks, no auto-pull. However, you could insert meta items to change the explosion level of these blocks when they are "activated"/detonated. So it would create a variable-power demolition block.

For now, let's call the meta items "splodo" in the singular. If implemented, it would have a much cooler name. The lore behind these meta items could be defined by players, whether they each represent a stick of dynamite, a block of C4, a different level of explosive, or a whole different explosion technology.

Bottom line: the more "splodos" in a demolition block, the more boom it makes. A single-splodo demolition block will make a crater in dirt, like the current demolition block. A 100-splodos demolition block will be a nuclear-weapon-grade warhead, capable of doing thousands of points of damage.

I don't have specific numbers in mind, and the values and even whether the addition of "splodos" would increase the value linearly or geometrically should be set in the server config. So one server might set 100 spodos to 100x the value, while another server might set the value of 100 splodos to a billion times the power of a single splodo. (This might make the splodos represent different levels of explosive, not just additional sticks of dynamite.)

 

[Andem]

So, you basically want to be a crazy chemist making massive bombs?
Cuz I love it!

 

[NeonSturm]

How much splodo does fit into a block?

How do you like these names?:

• Ixplus, Explus
  
• Splesh, Splash
• ExoTerm, Exothermal
  
• Wosh, Woxus

 

[Lecic]

This sounds like it could get really overpowered, really fast.

 

[NeonSturm]

This sounds like it could get really overpowered, really fast.

Nah, you have to pay for slpodo.
Too few and you don't penetrate shields or do harm to more expensive systems.
Too many and you overkill and waste. Also too many should have diminishing returns on default servers.

 

[jayman38]

How much splodo does fit into a block?

How do you like these names?:

• Ixplus, Explus
  
• Splesh, Splash
• ExoTerm, Exothermal
  
• Wosh, Woxus

I'm thinking the maximum amount would depend on whether the power growth is set to linear or exponential. That and the initial damage value can probably be a setting for the server config. Example: Linear: max 200 splodos, damage 50,000 each for a maximum damage value of 10 million. Geometric: max 15 splodos, the first one starts with damage 2, for a maximum damage somewhere in the range of the maximum int value of about 2.1 billion.

This sounds like it could get really overpowered, really fast.

Nah, you have to pay for slpodo.
Too few and you don't penetrate shields or do harm to more expensive systems.
Too many and you overkill and waste. Also too many should have diminishing returns on default servers.

Care to go into detail on it being overpowered? I imagine the vanilla game would keep the damage to a linear scale by default. Keep in mind that as long as they are on or near the attacker's ship/station/other entity, the demolition blocks are a bigger threat to them than to the target. Also, I would assume that the primary use if they gained this increased power would be as torpedo ships, so they are vulnerable to being shot down and wasted. (Could still do damage close to something.) Also, like Neon says, could be expensive. Plus, it could lead to weird new building ideas. (Spires sticking out into space, disembodied shield blocks detached from the ship as shields, etc.)

It is good to find ways to figure out how it will be overpowered and suggest rules to prevent that. For example, maybe limit the absolute upper limit of damage from a single demolition block to 1 million with a maximum damage radius of 10.

 

[Lecic]

Care to go into detail on it being overpowered? I imagine the vanilla game would keep the damage to a linear scale by default. Keep in mind that as long as they are on or near the attacker's ship/station/other entity, the demolition blocks are a bigger threat to them than to the target. Also, I would assume that the primary use if they gained this increased power would be as torpedo ships, so they are vulnerable to being shot down and wasted. (Could still do damage close to something.) Also, like Neon says, could be expensive. Plus, it could lead to weird new building ideas. (Spires sticking out into space, disembodied shield blocks detached from the ship as shields, etc.)

It is good to find ways to figure out how it will be overpowered and suggest rules to prevent that. For example, maybe limit the absolute upper limit of damage from a single demolition block to 1 million with a maximum damage radius of 10.

Main issues I see are the possibility of using cloakers and using lots of demolition blocks to bypass any sort of diminishing returns on the blocks.

 

[jayman38]

Main issues I see are the possibility of using cloakers and using lots of demolition blocks to bypass any sort of diminishing returns on the blocks.

Interesting issue. Maybe introduce an additional variable to the energy use of cloakers and jammers to account for the number of splodos on board. And maybe add additional time to the recharge rate of jump drives. This additional calculation will normally take place away from a stressful point in the game, such as heavy combat.

(E.g. multiplication variable: int ( splodos / 100 ) + 1 or int ( (splodos / 10 ) - 100) with an absolute minimum of 1.0 as the multiplication factor)

Such a value allows enough explosives on board for a self-destruct system if desired, but too much demolition power makes it too expensive to cloak. It also leads to some new tactics, like being able to cloak only -after- launching all torpedoes. Again, that level of complexity might lead to more overpowered tactics.

 

[NeonSturm]

Such a value allows enough explosives on board for a self-destruct system if desired, but too much demolition power makes it too expensive to cloak.

There could also be a special Self-D-splodo that does more damage to the entity it is placed on.

Self-D-splodo could be more powerful if it exceeds a certain ratio on your ship and then make the whole ship act as a mine, not only if the enemy ship touches an explosive.

I like the Self-D-splodo to not explode under weapon fire, but for torpedoes that would be op. This feature could belong to a splodo-type that doesn't make the whole ship act as a mine.

It also leads to some new tactics, like being able to cloak only -after- launching all torpedoes. Again, that level of complexity might lead to more overpowered tactics.

A simpler solution would be arm-time.
It would only be armed after "3 seconds of being in space".

That would give you time to use push-pulses to push them far enough away.