Ancient Artifacts

[WalkerGain]

So, I'm sure something like this has been suggested, but what do you think of rare archaeological finds?

I was thinking there could be rare, ancient modules just buried unassumingly in asteroids and planets. Maybe scanners could pick up signals to help locate them. Maybe, upon activating a scan, if there is anything of interest within a certain area; maybe a few sectors, you'd receive a notification. Maybe create a specific highlight on your map, that you can filter on and off. Stronger scanners would be able to more precisely narrow it down to a few sectors.

Or maybe make it totally undetectable. Anyway, I was thinking these ancient modules could be integrated into existing systems (weapons, shields, jump drives, power etc.) and give you the same magnitude effect of several modules in one. Maybe make some kind of limit; maybe only one or two per ship/station, or maybe create steep power consumption costs or diminishing returns. Maybe they could provide completely unique functions too, that you can't get otherwise.

Also, if missions and additional factions become a thing, how about a smuggler's faction, where you can sell these artifacts for great sums of credits.

Just an idea to make exploration AND scanners more rewarding and exciting. What do ya think?

 

[kiraen]

I like this idea.
Especially if they are destroyed by salvaging the planet. A great way to discourage planet cracking.

 

[Parameter]

This is a good idea. I think from space, the best you could get with a scanner is whether an artifact is within a specific sector. At worst, with a weak scanner, you'll get a cloud of sectors to search.

I think there should be a spread of artifact types. Some should be astronaut items, some should be station blocks, and some should be ship blocks. I lean a little more towards artifacts blocks having unique effects or styles instead of being more efficient versions of normal blocks. That way, players don't feel like they have to grind artifact hunting to get a "good" ship, but artifacts do provide a little spice to existing ships.

Places players could find artifacts:

• Schema Temples
• Ancient ships buried in planets, under water or sand
• Rare derelicts floating in space
• Remnants from crash sites on asteroids or planets
• Rarely in the cargo holds of smugglers or salvagers
  
• Rare ancient outpost (a small, barely functioning station in a nebula or somewhere where they wouldn't appear on galaxy map or with scanners)

Thoughts for kinds of artifacts:

• Ancient hull blocks - Differently skinned hull, maybe etched with runes or a mirrored finish
• Holographic Display - Reskin of display module, displays text "floating" in a translucent field
• Decorative artifacts - Display in your RP space, or sell for $$$$$$ to a collector NP
• Optical sensor package - Camera module, display is tinted red. Target-able objects' blocks are given a high brightness, high saturation white tint, projectile weapons effects have bright tints applied according to weapon type.
• Decombinator - Executes factory recipes in reverse, turning blocks into their constituent parts
• Ancient Comm Module - Link to a scanner to get a small bonus to detecting artifacts
• Overshield - Personal astronaut shield that provides shields equal to 1.5x astronaut HP
• Heavy Blaster - Astronaut handheld laser gun: more damaging than laser pistol, but slower (25 damage, 70 speed, 375ms reload)
• Active warpgate - Could use as an endpoint for one of your warpgates. Bonus points if by default it is linked (maybe one-directionally) to another ancient warp endpoint in another galaxy.
• Log Computer - A block with a holo display that acts like a log book, but has multiple pages. Might support fonts for "alien languages". By default may contain a captain's last entry, coordinates to another artifact location, or just alien text.
• Droid NPC - could be destroyed, deactivated (but can be reactivated with a power beam), malfunctioning, etc. Could provide some information on the ancients, or be useless ("insane" from time, perpetual reboot cycle, "Connecting ... ...", etc.)

One problem I see with adding fun stuff is Schema's block ID limit. It poops on far too many interesting parties. Hopefully at some point he can add another 4 bits to the block address space, or use one ID to reference an extended blockID space, or something. Science fiction is too varied to be represented by <800 building entities