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- Nov 1, 2014
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This is an attempt to make AstroTech Beams great again.
Right now, blocks are destroyed when they reach 0 HP. I propose that some blocks become disabled instead, and only become destroyed when they reach a certain negative HP value. This is generally for systems blocks, not hull or armor.
As an example with made-up numbers because I'm too lazy to go read the wiki for realistic values, let's use Power Reactors. Let's say a normal, fully-operational Power Reactor has 100 HP. During combat, if it is damaged and reaches 0 HP it becomes disabled and has no effect on the ship anymore. And let's say the Power Reactor is a fairly durable block (since after all it is likely containing some kind of fusion or antimatter reaction), so it becomes destroyed at -500 HP. Or maybe even -1000 HP, but we'll stick with -500 for now.
(Instead of negative HP another HP pool could be used, the effect is the same either way but this way does not require an additional pool.)
How does this help us? This makes it fairly easy to disable ship systems, but makes it hard to actually destroy them. And since AstroTech beams can repair blocks but not replace them, AstroTech beams are now useful for doing field repairs. As long as the block has not reached its destruction threshold, AstroTech can repair it fully.
The negative HP required for full block destruction can vary between block types, too. Hull, armor, and most decorative blocks should be destroyed at 0 HP so they don't enter a disabled state. Systems blocks could be all over the place, with essentials like power and thrusters being easy to disable but very hard to destroy, and non-essentials like weapons being much easier to destroy. There will need to be a balance to prevent designers from using tough systems blocks like armor.
With this change, your ships will overall be much more durable and easier to repair so hopefully you're more likely to take it into combat. Combat will be more about disabling and capturing the other ships instead of utterly destroying them. Once you've taken it over, you can get it semi-operational again using AstroTech, though you'll likely have little or no weapons and armor left.
AstroTech needs a couple tweaks. First, it should have an area-of-effect around its impact point scaled to the number of modules producing the beam, so a large beam has an area-of-effect allowing it to penetrate and repair deep systems blocks that are not exposed (similar to the explosive effect). And second, it should use resources to repair, perhaps a fixed proportion of alloyed metal mesh, crystal composite, and fertikeen capsules?
As for replacing destroyed blocks, that part stays as it is now. You'll need to use a build block/ship core to repair by hand, or take it to a shipyard to replace (or use whatever shipyard repair mechanics we may get in the future).
Finally, I suggest a weapons system combination that will ONLY damage blocks down to 0 hp and will not go negative. That weapon will be good for destroying hull and armor while only disabling systems, leaving systems in a state allowing you to field-repair the ship once defeated and captured.
Thoughts?
EDIT: Alternative idea
As an alternative, ignore the idea about disabled-vs-destroyed and negative HP, and focus more on AstroTech. Allow AstroTech to replace destroyed blocks (obviously the game needs to store blueprints with ship cores first) but at a very high resource cost. Also, only allow it to replace SOME block types. Power systems, thrusters, hull (but not armor), etc. Just enough to do a field repair allowing you to make the ship mobile and take it to a shipyard for proper repair, but not necessarily make the ship battleworthy again.
As part of that, split AstroTech into tiers. Basic AstroTech, Standard AstroTech, Advanced AstroTech. Each tier is capable of replacing more and more blocks, but it costs exponentially more power and resources. So Basic allows you to get a ship mobile, while Advanced could allow complete field repairs of armor and weapons but at an insane cost.
Right now, blocks are destroyed when they reach 0 HP. I propose that some blocks become disabled instead, and only become destroyed when they reach a certain negative HP value. This is generally for systems blocks, not hull or armor.
As an example with made-up numbers because I'm too lazy to go read the wiki for realistic values, let's use Power Reactors. Let's say a normal, fully-operational Power Reactor has 100 HP. During combat, if it is damaged and reaches 0 HP it becomes disabled and has no effect on the ship anymore. And let's say the Power Reactor is a fairly durable block (since after all it is likely containing some kind of fusion or antimatter reaction), so it becomes destroyed at -500 HP. Or maybe even -1000 HP, but we'll stick with -500 for now.
(Instead of negative HP another HP pool could be used, the effect is the same either way but this way does not require an additional pool.)
How does this help us? This makes it fairly easy to disable ship systems, but makes it hard to actually destroy them. And since AstroTech beams can repair blocks but not replace them, AstroTech beams are now useful for doing field repairs. As long as the block has not reached its destruction threshold, AstroTech can repair it fully.
The negative HP required for full block destruction can vary between block types, too. Hull, armor, and most decorative blocks should be destroyed at 0 HP so they don't enter a disabled state. Systems blocks could be all over the place, with essentials like power and thrusters being easy to disable but very hard to destroy, and non-essentials like weapons being much easier to destroy. There will need to be a balance to prevent designers from using tough systems blocks like armor.
With this change, your ships will overall be much more durable and easier to repair so hopefully you're more likely to take it into combat. Combat will be more about disabling and capturing the other ships instead of utterly destroying them. Once you've taken it over, you can get it semi-operational again using AstroTech, though you'll likely have little or no weapons and armor left.
AstroTech needs a couple tweaks. First, it should have an area-of-effect around its impact point scaled to the number of modules producing the beam, so a large beam has an area-of-effect allowing it to penetrate and repair deep systems blocks that are not exposed (similar to the explosive effect). And second, it should use resources to repair, perhaps a fixed proportion of alloyed metal mesh, crystal composite, and fertikeen capsules?
As for replacing destroyed blocks, that part stays as it is now. You'll need to use a build block/ship core to repair by hand, or take it to a shipyard to replace (or use whatever shipyard repair mechanics we may get in the future).
Finally, I suggest a weapons system combination that will ONLY damage blocks down to 0 hp and will not go negative. That weapon will be good for destroying hull and armor while only disabling systems, leaving systems in a state allowing you to field-repair the ship once defeated and captured.
Thoughts?
EDIT: Alternative idea
As an alternative, ignore the idea about disabled-vs-destroyed and negative HP, and focus more on AstroTech. Allow AstroTech to replace destroyed blocks (obviously the game needs to store blueprints with ship cores first) but at a very high resource cost. Also, only allow it to replace SOME block types. Power systems, thrusters, hull (but not armor), etc. Just enough to do a field repair allowing you to make the ship mobile and take it to a shipyard for proper repair, but not necessarily make the ship battleworthy again.
As part of that, split AstroTech into tiers. Basic AstroTech, Standard AstroTech, Advanced AstroTech. Each tier is capable of replacing more and more blocks, but it costs exponentially more power and resources. So Basic allows you to get a ship mobile, while Advanced could allow complete field repairs of armor and weapons but at an insane cost.
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