Read by Council Shield Classes

[Xynt]

Alright, so our current shield system features a universal shield that can defend against practically everything, and recharge at a certain rate per second, right? Well, this system focuses on completely fragmenting this system to make a more diverse shielding system. Tied in with the upcoming mission system, the way to obtain these shields is through buying a simple version through the shops, obtaining their blueprints by completing missions, or, rarely, collecting them through pirate fleets and stations. The beginning 3 shield types able to be bought in shop are as follows:

Repulsor Mark 1:
1. More resistant to energy-based weapons, such as the AM cannons, reducing their damage by 10%.
2. Has a slight bit faster recharge rate than the other two.

Defuser Mark 1:
1. More resistant to missile-based weapons, such as heat seeking, reducing impact radius by 10%
2. Has a 1 in 40 chance to instantly destroy every missile in the sector every minute. (Active effect)

Phase Mark 1:
1. More resistant to beam-based weapons and slaved systems, reducing effect power by 10%
2. Has the ability to instantly boost all weapons by 5%, but has a long cool down. (Depending on [?])

Of course, I have more ideas for this, and there are shields types with effects similar to our current system, such as:
Song Mark 1:
1. Resistant to all types, reduces 20% of incoming damage.
2. Has the ability to jam radars for 3 minutes (7 minute cool down)
3. Produces a constantly changing humming noise (sound is adjustable in structure menu
4. Rare shield type

With these shields comes with a large downside: You can only have one shield system per ship, save for capitals, which can utilize two, but at a higher power cost.

Thank you for reading, and of course this isn't perfect and may have been mentioned before, so feel free to comment below what you think would make it better.

 

[Lecic]

I don't really like the idea of a super shield. It just encourages grinding to obtain it, making whoever has the most free time to grind missions for that special shield is going to have a huge advantage in any battle. The idea of different shield types being more resistant to different weapons might work, though.

 

[jayman38]

I like the idea of more shield types and only being able to use one or two at a time. I think it would add greatly to ship diversity, especially with fleet dynamics.

Builders will inevitably use docked subsystems to generate a complete defensive array of different shielding types. Or would the docked entities instantly adopt the core entity's shield type, overriding their individual shield types?

I don't think shielding should have active or boosting effects other than slight recharge nerfs/buffs (on the order of 1%). (To me, extra boosts seem too game-y for StarMade, and effects should continue to be passive effects that you have to add separately.)

 

[Valiant70]

Shields are boring as they are now, but I'm not sure having multiple specific types is the best way to go. I'd rather see something like linking effects to shields to give them different properties.

 

[Xynt]

I don't really like the idea of a super shield. It just encourages grinding to obtain it, making whoever has the most free time to grind missions for that special shield is going to have a huge advantage in any battle. The idea of different shield types being more resistant to different weapons might work, though.

Hmm. I understand what you're saying, but there should be some reward for those who work the hardest. Instead of a super-shield, maybe one that combine some effects of others while still being somewhat harder to get? Like, say, there was a shield called the 'Metra' shields. It combines the effects of the Repulsor and the Phase, so it would look like this;
Metra Mark 1:
1. More resistant to energy-based weapons, such as AM cannons. (Up to 10%.)
2. Has a slight bit faster recharge. (5%)
3. Can boost all weapons for 2 minutes by 5%. (12 minute cool down.)
4. Requires you to complete a couple missions.

What do you think of that? As opposed to being a super shield, it is still only resistant to one type, but combines some effects of two, while being somewhat harder to obtain.

I like the idea of more shield types and only being able to use one or two at a time. I think it would add greatly to ship diversity, especially with fleet dynamics.

Builders will inevitably use docked subsystems to generate a complete defensive array of different shielding types. Or would the docked entities instantly adopt the core entity's shield type, overriding their individual shield types?

I don't think shielding should have active or boosting effects other than slight recharge nerfs/buffs (on the order of 1%). (To me, extra boosts seem too game-y for StarMade, and effects should continue to be passive effects that you have to add separately.)

Since turrets are pretty much the same entity, being the ship in its whole, it has to have a similar shield type to the main ship? Or how about they can not have shields at all, but are protected by the main ship's shields, while boosting the main shields by 0.2% per turret? I do, however, think that non-turret docked entities should be able to have their own shields, however.

Shields are boring as they are now, but I'm not sure having multiple specific types is the best way to go. I'd rather see something like linking effects to shields to give them different properties.

Noted.

 

[Pacific_Jim]

Other than better defence against specific weapons what kind of properties could you actually have? Having a faster recharge system would be redundant, because we already have a separate block that determines recharge. And for switching between stronger shielding and better armour we have the ion and piercing effects. Other than things like bubble shields (which have already been stated to be unlikely to make it in) there's really not that much you can do with them.

Edit: Thought of something as soon as I hit send. Slave shields with something and you get a bonus to capacity and/or charge, at the trade off that your shields become a reduction rather than a block. Might be interesting for ships fighting lots of weaker things.

 

[Lecic]

Hmm. I understand what you're saying, but there should be some reward for those who work the hardest.

Grinding isn't "work." It's boring tedium that requires no actual effort and does not display actual skill. This is part of why I'm extremely glad that resource gathering will mainly be automated in the future, as it doesn't give people who can dedicate 12 hours a day to the game a massive edge.

 

[Sven_The_Slayer]

Ion passive with other weapons as slave might me a good way to achieve this sort of specialized shield system.

 

[Master_Artificer]

I already had to attend 2 classes on how to "git gud at shilds".

Also I like the first part of your idea, damage resist shield types.
I just don't like the idea of then trashing that idea with a type that is better than all of them and hence making them worthless, regardless of the cost.

 

[MacThule]

I would rather see shield arrays get variable sliders like thrust now has, except making them more or less resistant to various kinds of damage but overall retaining a balance.

Maybe allow effect systems to act as hardeners. No interest in a shield system that gives weapon buffs or is resistant to everything.

 

[NeonSturm]

Grinding isn't "work." It's boring tedium that requires no actual effort and does not display actual skill. This is part of why I'm extremely glad that resource gathering will mainly be automated in the future, as it doesn't give people who can dedicate 12 hours a day to the game a massive edge.

I just hope it doesn't become a "who played longest" instead.
[DOUBLEPOST=1455246717,1455246649][/DOUBLEPOST]

I would rather see shield arrays get variable sliders like thrust now has, except making them more or less resistant to various kinds of damage but overall retaining a balance.

Sliders are too flexible mid-combat. But perhaps can work with 1 minute transition time (rewards scouting).
[DOUBLEPOST=1455246869][/DOUBLEPOST]I think if scouting your target gives you 100% boost on damage, gigantism is sufficiently punished.

EDIT: On the other hand, it also discourages drones as it is a lot of work to adjust them all.

Boost by: shield/armour target, shield-hardening-type, armour-hardening-type??soon?, attack angle (blind spot), …

 

[MacThule]

EDIT: On the other hand, it also discourages drones as it is a lot of work to adjust them all.

Or maybe balances drones, since drones currently are stronger en masse. An edge on drones earned through diligent scouting and balancing of ship systems might actually be appropriate.