General Docking mechanics question...

[Andir]

Does anyone know or can point me to some reading on why docked/turretted ships do not contribute to the mothership? I was going to build up a modular ship with container like structures that docked to the main ship. Each container could be customized to provide one essential product (ie: shields, cloaking, fighters, etc.) and the mothership would simply pick which modules to use for whatever situation was needed. Think about something along the lines of the Saratoga from Space Above and Beyond.

Currently though, if I build a shield module and dock it to the mothership, the host will not gain the shielding or power.

I could see how this might be potentially exploited to provide more power than other solutions if generation or shielding is exponential, so maybe it's not going to happen but I would find it interesting to build up a modular capital ship and would like to find out more on why/what determined this mechanic.

 

[der_scheme]

This is already possible using power/shield supply systems, hooked to a logic clock. A forum search should bring up the respective threads.

 

[Reilly Reese]

You could have shield drain beams aimed at the docked shield supply module

 

[Andir]

Hmm, it's an interesting concept, but doesn't that leave the module without shields? I'd have to design around the containers and encompass them inside the mothership. (Not entirely opposed to that, but it makes harder restrictions on module size.)

 

[Dragleones]

You could have shield drain beams aimed at the docked shield supply module

As far as i know its only working the other way around:
That you need shield supply beams on the module aimed at the mothership. And supply beams (atleast power related ones) work at a higher efficiency.

You just need to balance the supplybeam with the shield generation of the module so the module won't loose its shield. With the reduced shield recharge infight, its probably the best idea to put the modules in a safe place anyways.

 

[der_scheme]

Hmm, it's an interesting concept, but doesn't that leave the module without shields? I'd have to design around the containers and encompass them inside the mothership. (Not entirely opposed to that, but it makes harder restrictions on module size.)

Inferring from there, this leaves the following question: Why can docked entities draw power from the mother ship, but not shields?

Answer: Balancing and combat tactics. The dimensional bonus for power is capped at 1 million, shields are not. Thus it makes sense to fit turrets with their own respective power supply (since they still get the bonus). Turrets being required to bring their own shields introduces the additional tactic to take out your enemy's damage first (which obviously makes you last longer), which would not make sense if turrets were protected by the mother ship.

 

[Andir]

Inferring from there, this leaves the following question: Why can docked entities draw power from the mother ship, but not shields?

Answer: Balancing and combat tactics. The dimensional bonus for power is capped at 1 million, shields are not. Thus it makes sense to fit turrets with their own respective power supply (since they still get the bonus). Turrets being required to bring their own shields introduces the additional tactic to take out your enemy's damage first (which obviously makes you last longer), which would not make sense if turrets were protected by the mother ship.

I thought docked ships were shielded... Turrets: I dislike the "feature" but I get it. Docked ships on the other hand... Or does it not matter? Can someone pluck off my docked ships as well as turrets?

 

[Sven_The_Slayer]

If you use the copy and paste system with modules being templates and not docked ships you can build a modular ship that way.

 

[Andir]

The copy paste is quite clumsy... It's also not easy to just remove a module and insert a new one when needed.