Docked Command Ships

[Edymnion]

Something that I would honestly really like to have is, for lack of a better term, a docking command ship.

A relatively small ship that I could dock to a larger one, and then take control of everything the large ship has from the smaller one. Kind of a plug and play mobile bridge that I could then build modular shells for.

Would also mean that we could use rails to move the core around inside of the shell. Have a titan with a bridge module on top where you can easily access it, then once you're in hit the button and the bridge retracts into the ship.

I just keep getting the image of a glorified shuttle docking onto the top of a much larger ship, some rail arms closing in around it to lock it in place, and then using some logic to start activating all the running lights of the larger ship. Give it a full power up sequence.


Perhaps use the fleet controls for it so that if the flagship docks to a ship in the fleet, the hotbar is replaced by the bar for the ship you docked to (in order to prevent anyone from just plugging into any ship and flying off with it).

 

[lupoCani]

As with many issues, this one ties into a larger problem- lacking entity integration. A docked entity can draw power from its mothership and now also shields, and its AI module can be centrally turned on or off. Other than that, a docked ship is no different from one that just happens to hang around in the vicinity, it's an isolated system.

Generally, I blame this on the game having static control systems- we can build freely, but the interface for controlling our builds is always the same. It's only natural there are situations that system cannot handle, such as the ship's functionality being spread between multiple entities.

Optimally, I'd like to see interfaces and control systems sandboxed as well, but that seems rather far away at the moment. For the time being, to resolve this particular shortcoming of the control system, perhaps we shall settle for something along the lines of a "command computer". You slave the relevant blocks to it, link it to something on the mothership, and the slaved blocks act as if they were part of it. If at all possible, this linking should not be something manual, but something you build so it happens automatically whenever the two are docked.

 

[jayman38]

I have long wanted to build ships that can be "built up", either as a small shuttle in charge of a larger ship's systems, or as modular upgrades, like what you'd find in a classic 2D shoot-'em-up, like Gradius, Raiden, Flying Shark, R-Type, etc.

It's also kind of fun to blow entire bits off of enemy ships to reduce their capability. Sure, you can definitely do that now, because of the voxel nature of this game. On the other hand, there is something ultra-satisfying about causing a large, well-defined chunk (say, a large cannon or large engine pod) to fall away without having to reduce the whole thing to a few leftover blocks.

A popular SciFi TV show that had this very concept was "Space: Above and Beyond". In that show, the entire cockpit module, with the pilot already seated inside, was lowered into the top of a "Hammerhead" fightercraft to control it. The cockpit module also served as the ejectable escape pod, as you would expect.

 

[Lukwan]

Interesting ideas...sparked some brainstorming.
Couldn't logic be made to function across entities? Face on face contact between the logic blocks of separate entities could allow for significant integration without resorting to wireless links. Couple this with improved logic integration for weapon and system computers and we would have the tools to do exactly what you want...that just leaves the helm control.

Proposal:Helm-Block. Place on a tool bar and activate it to 'drive' other entities on the docking chain. It would function like switching cores except you would not take helm-control with you. Your controls would always be assigned to the chosen 'Primary' ship in the docking chain. This would decouple helm control from the docking-chain.

The only way this would differ from the current system is that your view-point would be from the Helm control block you entered (docked battle-bridge/cockpit and attached cameras) while your toolbar would allow access to the 'Primary' systems, weapons, throttle, helm etc. Otherwise you might as well just switch cores. Not just for RP...this could open up some interesting builds.

 

[Edymnion]

I have long wanted to build ships that can be "built up", either as a small shuttle in charge of a larger ship's systems, or as modular upgrades, like what you'd find in a classic 2D shoot-'em-up, like Gradius, Raiden, Flying Shark, R-Type, etc.

I'd love to be able to do that as well.

Modular fixed weapons. Build a slot into your ship, and then build plug and play weapon systems you can dock into said slots.

Can you imagine building a station with automated weapon swapping systems? The idea of building an arm that grabs a weapon rack, wireless signal to release the docking, pull it out, slide it in, let magnetic docking click the rack in place, arm retracts, you're now good to launch with your new weapon system.

 

[jayman38]

Interesting ideas...sparked some brainstorming.
Couldn't logic be made to function across entities? Face on face contact between the logic blocks of separate entities could allow for significant integration without resorting to wireless links. Couple this with improved logic integration for weapon and system computers and we would have the tools to do exactly what you want...that just leaves the helm control.

Proposal:Helm-Block. Place on a tool bar and activate it to 'drive' other entities on the docking chain. It would function like switching cores except you would not take helm-control with you. Your controls would always be assigned to the chosen 'Primary' ship in the docking chain. This would decouple helm control from the docking-chain.

The only way this would differ from the current system is that your view-point would be from the Helm control block you entered (docked battle-bridge/cockpit and attached cameras) while your toolbar would allow access to the 'Primary' systems, weapons, throttle, helm etc. Otherwise you might as well just switch cores. Not just for RP...this could open up some interesting builds.

This concept would be really easy to program into the game.

Logic functioning across entities: already working with wireless blocks

I think the Schine team already likes the suggestion of wireless blocks on separate entities that touch auto-linking together.

All that remains? More shared equipment stats (shield block counts, FTL block counts, weapon block counts, etc.) so that system blocks on docked parts add to the overall system count, instead of just applying to that one docked entity. Edit: optional, of course, just like thrust sharing.

Also, the big change: aiming docked weapons. I don't mind very-restricted aiming on modular weapons, but it should have some aiming ability, versus the current docked logic-driven weapon system that simply fires straight ahead. At any kind of distance, you simply won't be able to properly aim straight ahead at a moving target. This would be very similar to turret AI aiming at "current selection".

 

[Edymnion]

I'd want to see docked weapon racks act like traditional hard built systems. Have their computer show up on your hotbar, aim with the cursor, treat them in all ways like the rack was built into the ship directly.

Telling them apart from turrets could be as simple as "If there's no Bobby AI, then its a rack. If there's an AI, its a turret."

 

[Valiant70]

The groundwork required for this to happen would be useful for a variety of things we can only dream of now. I'm game.

 

[spunkiethefirst]

Bridge block:
- c on bridge block then v on basic rail, rotator, turret axis

Spoiler: pilot mothership from turret

press right ctrl to toggle from turret to pilot mode

- entity docked to that rail gains access to the motherships systems as though it was part of the docking ships systems

Hardpoint block:
- c on hardpoint block v on basic rail, rotator, turret axis

Spoiler: turret behavior on hardpoints

the turret will make its best attempt to fire where the reticle is aimed for the mothership, if ai controlled then can be toggled with right alt key

- entity docked to a hardpoint will have its weapon menu items made available to the motherships weapons menu


Weapons made available by bridge or hardpoint have an icon indicating which on the inheriting ships weapon menu.

 

[Zutai]

To a degree, we can already do some of what you a re looking for. I use a docked ship, to comand my fleet from, while riding on the flag ship. What i need next, are some screens to show me the stats, as i fly around clearing pirates from the map.

I use a docked ship, due to the ai being able to fight fighters better than i can, but i would like to be able to steer it out of the way of walls...

 

[Zedrackis]

It seems like this could all be done now. Your basically suggesting an Eve style pod that gets inserted into an actual ship. Just reverse your logic, place a rail at the bottom of the pod with a pickup line. Place a rail docker where you want the pod to dock, and get close. The main ship will snap to your pod when your pods pickup point gets close enough to the rail. Weapons/Support modules can be used by wireless setups, thrusters can be adopted from docked entities through thruster configuration. As long as the pod is completely surrounded by the main ship the main ships shields will absorb all incoming fire.

Granted its not perfect but it is do-able. It would be nice if we had a logic block means to pair wireless blocks/thrusters to newly docked entities on the fly.

 

[Edymnion]

Doesn't work, you can't maneuver the base ship from a docked entity, best you can do is make it a fleet and order it to a specific sector. You can't directly control it. Same goes for weapons, you can fire them in dumb fire mode straight ahead via wireless, but you can't aim them without turning the entire ship, which is far too slow to ever actually hit anything (especially since you can't use lock on torps).