Crew Escape Systems

[GaeasSon]

The idea of automatic escape pods was suggested over at another thread: http://starmadedock.net/threads/ship-explosions-how-we-should-handle-dead-ships.21657

I don't want to detract from the other escape pod threads:
http://starmadedock.net/threads/escape-pods-how-to-make-them.21791/
http://starmadedock.net/threads/escape-pods.21729/

Physically constructed escape pods are awesome for saving the player... but what about the Crew?

What if there were a subsystem or effect system that, when activated, would launch escape pods and save your Daves?

So here's what I imagine this would look like... At some point in the future after crews are more developed, you have a crew of Daves, and Ellens who you have trained up from space cadets. Suddenly you realize you are in some peril. (Pirate dreadnought, black hole, sabotage, the cause doesn't matter) You activate the system, to sound "Abandon ship"... Or maybe you were busy, and now the core is overheating, which might automatically trigger the system.

At a fixed rate dependent on the number and/or geometry of enhancers, your crew begins to eject.

Conceptually: an escape pod will be a single-person life support capsule with a high energy-short-term reactor, thrusters, jump system, beacon and single-use transporter


A simple algorithm runs to select a destination within range (7 sectors?):

1. Is there another faction/friendly ship station or planet within range? If so, select nearest destination.
2. elseif there is a planet or neutral/abandoned base within range? If so, select nearest destination.
3. else select a sector 7 sectors towards faction home-sector.

Once per (x number of ticks) a random crew member is removed from your ship, and a smart-missile effect is launched from your ship. It travels like a nuke missile, vulnerable for about 5 seconds, then warp-jumps to the destination selected above, depositing the crew member in or on the selected structure as soon as the pod gets within transporter range.

If the target is open space, the pod sits there (as a beacon block) until a friendly or neutral transportable entity comes within range. Then they transport to it.

This is a rough idea, full of holes and vulnerabilities to abuse.... Still, I think we need SOME way to save our valuable crew from a core-breach...

 

[NeonSturm]

First, I would not make them single-person, but for 2x the number and 3x on luxury-liners.

The crew needs 1 pod near their work-area, 1 near the lounge/hangars and 1 near their crew-quarter, some may overlap.​

Also each pod should take 2 peoples. Who wants to be alone?

An abandoned station or moon has not necessarily life support. thus the escape pod should also double as a very basic living quarter.
It should also have salvage beams and basic factory blocks or at least the personal carry-able utility guns.​

You never know when you will have guests on board, if some get destroyed or are inaccessible.

Else please label your ship "Titanic-Moon - when we crash you will die from asphyxiation, not from the crash or it's cause!"​

I would like the escape ships to be physically modelled.

You could assign some dock to be used as an escape pod and then the crew searches for free teleporter spots - one TP, 1-2 members; may also depend on the number of seats available from the transporter-platform.

It should have a mid/long-term jammer (do you want to get into pirate-slavery?) and a small antenna because after dropping a beacon it needs to passively scan for friendly ships - only if one is detected, it can shut down the jammer.​

If it has jump, it can draw the mother-ships power to charge it faster. Start charging when the alert sounds, not when it is used.

When it is under attack, but shields/power down, you can even escape from inside an intact hull (currently, manually triggered jumps) afaik.​

 

[alterintel]

Maybe this is something that can go along with the Drone/Turret Dave interface update. You know the update that allows a Dave to control a turret from the bridge. Or allows Dave to pilot a small fighter craft.

So when you setup a crew slot. I think the general idea is that you setup a living space, a work space, and a recreation space. Well along with this, you should setup an egress pod (docked escape pod). So much like the whole "C" and "V" for a work computer, you would also have to "C" and "V" a docked escape pod. Dave would have to make his way to the escape pod and un-dock it. Then he would head back to the nearest faction base or shop.