Faction funds, clearance, block fixes, and more

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    Faction funds, clearance, block fixes, and more



    This topic is about features that wouldn't just be frikkin awesome, but actually do something. (Plus, we have cake.)

    I have made this topic to address many problems that could quite easily and simply be solved with tweaks to certain elements of the game. My goal is to bring this post to schema's attention.

    Much of this involves parts of the factions feature, and will not only make factions better but starmade in general. Feel free to share ideas or critisism about the post and things in general.

    Factions:

    #1: Faction Clearance and Security

    Faction clearance and security would come with an option to add and remove ranks, and allow certain "clearance" per rank, while adding modules to prevent people of clearance lower than the set amount to interact with the module or door it is linked to, including docking modules, doors, lifts, and ships.

    Blueprints should also be able to be set with a clearance, especially when you have enemys who would just love to have one of the capital ships they were having so much trouble with, to the point of espionage.

    #2: Funds and Faction ships

    Faction funds/Faction paid ships would be allowed for certain ranks, much like real life loans. There would be a maximum credit value or number of ships that you could take, and except for the people who have the clearance to draw all they want, when you reached that maximum you would not be able to draw any more credits or ships unless you paid some back or paid the value of at least one ship, where you could take the amount you paid back again, or take one ship.

    Faction paid ships would be for those who were not allowed faction funds, where you would be allowed to spawn a certain blueprint/range of blueprints set by your superiors, and your faction would pay for it. There would be a maximum credit value (In ships) that you culd take, which would be good for low ranking fighter pilots. This would make shop modules the ideal way to earn money for your faction funds, epecially if you have a system in your territory that you could gather materials from to make recipes.

    #3. Territory, Hostilities, and Trade Routes

    Have you ever stumbled on player's station and been shredded by it's defenses? That happens a lot with my base, and causes a LOT of wars. Adding territory functionality to faction blocks would help prevent that, and add some interesting depth into faction wars.

    Player stations with faction signatures would have a "territory range" to a 3x3x3 cube of sectors, where the middle sector would be where the station has been placed. People would not be able to make stations in that territory, unless the faction block was destroyed, where after you blew up their faction block you could place a faction block and either claim the station, or click a button that would be labeled "raze". I know how much people would love that button.

    In the AI module you could set them to patrol the border, patrol the entire area, or remain at certain point, without being docked. In addition you could also set them to attack intruders/attackers inside your territory, while having some remain on patrol.

    Territory, if set the right way in the faction block, could notify you if someone enters it, while warning/notifying/welcoming the intruder, and depending on the faction relationship, could order friendly AI's to attack the ship.

    You would be able to set a status for individuals, factions, and neutrals as well as unarmed ships. Allies and nuetrals would almost always allowed to trade, depending on how you set the block. To be more specific, you could set it so armed neutrals would be told to leave, and if the armed neutral stayed long enough he would get a second warning, after which he would be attacked. Also, unarmed enemy ships could be warned in the same way. All of this would be configurable with the faction block.

    Territory could be contested if a station settles nearby, and the territory ranges conflict. Neither side could place a station, and it would cause tension to rise because it would be easy for either side to attack the opposing station with very little warning to the defenders. Home bases would have a 5x5x5 "territory range" which would not be able to be contested.

    Random fixes to stuipid problems:

    Problem #1.

    As a experienced starmade player, I have often come across players who spawn blueprints only to have them stolen. This could be changed by making the player who spawned them the exclusive owner, but then there would be too little risk. As some of you may know, faction modules DO prevent people from stealing your ship, but only if you get there first. Possible fixes: Putting players in their newly bought ship; Preventing anyone else from entering for a set amount of time; And my favorite, adding the option to "Buy as Faction Ship" as an alternate option to the original "Buy".

    Problem #2.

    Corners. Try making a concave corner or a corner where 3 lines of wedges intersect.
     
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    I like these ideas. Especially the faction economy bits. What would be cool is if say a factions shop generated the income for the faction. This would put emphasis on \"trading\" peacefully with other factions and give the shop block a little more purpose.
    I suggested this in my thread as well but possibly a mechanic in game (either through a module or some new menu) which would allow factions to trade faction owned assets? Such as stations ships planets etc etc...?
     
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    Oh and thanks for the feedback on my new game mode idea btw. Im trying to keep it bumped up lol i really want schema to see it and get people\'s attn.
     
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    Nice to see someone replied. Please spread the word so schema can see it. BTW If you have skype, add me. My id is kaelum.duong
     
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    Great idea. That would allow private shipbuilders jobs, even a real estate market! :3
     

    SkyHawk024

    Mandalorian ShipWright.
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    for the simple fact if your running a pirate/mercenary faction you need to make it to where it has funds so you can operate.
     
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    All of these ideas are fantastic!



    I love the concept of having faction ranks and having clearance doors. That would really help say for recruitment. If you just recruited a new guy to your faction, you don\'t want them getting into the faction\'s flagship and taking it for a spin!



    Kudos again to the concept of having the option for blueprints to be exclusive to the faction uploading the blueprint.



    Also +1 to Dogdard for coming up with the idea to buy/sell faction merchandise to other factions and forming a trading economy. That\'s just brilliant, good job to both of you, Kaelum for coming up for the foundation and Dogdard for building on it. Really nice ideas in this thread.



    And to push the envelope even further, faction territory! That is perfect! I would suggest that territory modules only be available to build blocks, so they are on stations and planets. If a ship carried a territory module with them, that would be a little wonky. But yeah, and have it so the territory expands to all adjacent sectors to the sector that it resides in.



    This way, you could set one on one planet, and build space stations adjacent to it, maybe they are defense platforms, who knows but you could slap a territory module on the stations adjacent to the planet to expand that terriroty. Having a module on the planet, and one on the stations in adjacent sectors, to really make a nice wide territory.





    Brilliant ideas guys, +1 +1 +1
     
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    I would also add to this some static bonuses to your factions assests whilst in their territory. Like upgraded hull/shileds/weapons dmg. This would make your territory more defensible. Then with that a way of contesting a rival factions territory without directly declaring war. Perhaps if you claim a sector adjacent to the.contested then perhaps above bonuses no longer apply to that sector? In tjis way diplomacy becomes important to maintaining a territory instead of outright military assest.
     
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    I will be adding to the op soon, no territory bonuses but maybe you could set your AI module ships to patrol so it would be well gaurded and nobody would have the advantages of AI patrol in your territory. Also territory could warn you as well as them so you know they are coming. By the way, asteriod defense systems are very good because an asteroid with AI and heat seekers can do a lot of damage and are inconspicuous.
     
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    Perhaps not bonuses but I feel as though a faction territory should have SOME type of home-field advantage toward other faction ships entering the area. As well as some way to determine if the foreign entity should be shot at or allowed entry. Perhaps with some type of warning system in game which will allow a faction to offer a specifc vessel passage through the territory on peaceful terms or to label said vessel as hostile?

    If there were to be AI patrols perhaps there could be some type of block(s) that you can place at a given point and the AI would go back and forth between them? and you can set the AI to either attack anyone within the area or retreat and return to the nearest faction base?

    But I do believe the discussion on ways to expand the AI is already underway on the forum and is a commonly discussed issue.

    I like the asteroid defense idea though! :) very sneaky... very effective....
     
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    I still think it would be cool to have some way to \"contest\" a specific sector or territory without declaring open war...
     
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    Thanks, the asteroids were one of my ideas to guard a system while not marking it as a target, and because asteroids orbit.... Anyway, good ideas. I will add a lot of that to the OP after I get on my PC. All this time I have been on a kindle fire. Oh, by the way I will be making a topic for my faction as it might be a good way to recruit a 24 hour team. (People who cover every time zone and can be online a lot.
     
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    Maybe by having minerals be rarer and more concentrated instead of having them spread all over, like having an asteriod with only one type but a lot and higher value ones as well, or making contact with an enemy ship barely in your territory brings your AI to kill it without war, ect.
     
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    I never expected so much feedback, but keep giving ideas. The more you add the better the post gets, and maybe this stuff could get implemented!
     
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    I wonder, what would happen if you had two opposing space stations in adjacent sectors and used the territory module on them there? The territories would overlap, would you consider that \"Contested\" territory?



    Or maybe you have some other ideas for that scenario?
     
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    Or perhaps if the first time a foreign ship enters the sector they will not be able to detect your ships on radar until they actually see it? This could be a useful home-field type advantage and would discourage single titan USS PlanetKiller-esque ships from barging in your front door as they would have no clue what to expect.... unless they sent in scouts?
     
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    Well yeah I was thinking of that exact scenario as far as... Well what happens now? would there be some reason to do it? Or not to? I mean there should be some intent if you were to set up a base in a sector adjacent to another faction\'s.. What incentives? What deterrents? Should there be any?