Hello, TL;DR below.
I am a, let's say, quite passionate player of Star Made, as I really like the concept of being able to be creative by creating ships and structures, which not only need to look nice, but also have to have a build which makes sense. An excellent combination of form and function. However, what concernes me mostly, is the connection of those both concepts, because that is obviously a point, which is not only hard to accomplish, but also rather new in the gaming world.
Hitpoints
In this case, I think the introduction of the hitpoint system was a very good step in the right direction. However, it not only has several flaws (being 50% hitpoints death and not 0% (which could be easily solved by a little scaling)), but it is still not in a final state. However, being the most recent patch, it is still way better than having to poke the core a little to destroy the target. Anyways, good job there, and with the patch notes I can understand the issues being involved about how to even calculate hitpoints.
To the point
My suggestion is to trying to get away from the thougth of flying around with a ship and modifying it "on the fly." This certainly does not happen, except maybe in the very early phases of a survival mode game. As of now, if even one single block is destroyed of a ship you had to carefully design, you want to restore it. Either you go there and try to recreate what might be missing (which can be quite impossible) or you salvage it and load a fresh blueprint.
Therefore I would suggest the principles of EvE about hitpoints, having structural hitpoints, armor and shields, but with the difference, that blocks will get destroyed only while shields and armor are at zero. (If there is anything good about EvE, it's their hitpoint and regeneration mechanics.)
Shields: Working just like now. Absorbing all damage, regenerating itself, 2 blocks to define regeneration and capacity. One difference: Shields now always cover all docked objects and not only down to 50%.
Hitpoints amount based on: Shield capacitors.
Restoration: By time with shield generators.
Armor: As soon as shields go down, armor hitpoints gets damaged. Armor hitpoints should depend on the amount of hull blocks available on the whole ship. If hull blocks are being destroyed, the maximum armor hitpoints will stay the same, using the actual (new) method about defining current and maximum. However, while armor is above 0, no blocks will be destroyed per se. Armor will not regenerate, and it will need some sort of repair (with shops, shipyards, station stuff) or repair beams or maybe new armor repair blocks of some sort - anyways, it should take time and maybe some stationary break.
Hitpoints amount based on: Hull mass of entire entity.
Restoration: Either very slowly over time or with external repairings, but mostly while out of combat.
Structure: As soon as shields and armor are at 0, structural hitpoints are drained and blocks damaged and destroyed, just like now with hitpoints. However, the damage to the blocks and the damage to the structural hitpoints should be separated. The criteria to drain hitpoints should not be to actually destroy the blocks, rather than to punish the target until it's damages are enough to make it a wreck. Meaning, a giant capital ship cannon should be oneshotting a little interceptor or scout if it hits. While a ship is being fired on, it loses blocks and the chance to be hit at the same spot will slightly lower, however the blocks and their functionality is also lost; plus they lose structural hitpoints based on the shot damage taken. There might be shots penetrating blocks, but still should do their full damage to the ship and not only tickle. As of now, finishing off targets, no matter how big or small, is a tough work. Missiles are super effective at it - too good at it, but cannons and beams are super bad.
Hitpoints amount based on: (Mass of all hull + all utility blocks) * x. x being a modifier to bring it roughly to a value between armor and shields. If it is too high, it means the phase of destroying blocks will be entered too soon, if it is too low, it means the phase of destroying blocks is too short and insignificant. I would prefer a rather low amount. ~> The destruction of blocks and the draining of hitpoints should be aligned in some way to make sense.
Restoration: Shop / Shipyard / Rebuilding blocks / maybe a restoration by blueprint? Well anyways, whatever you would do now to fix a broken ship also applies here. The pure hitpoints might be restored together with armor or at a shop for a price.
Weapon damages have to be adjusted of course if necessary. Everything which was melting down shields in only few seconds would in this case also melt armor similarily.
Bonus for interieurs: Each empty block within an entity which is surrounded on at least 5 sides by any other block at the end of the line is considered to contribute to armor and shield capacity. This will have the effect on negating the negative effect of not filling the inner of a ship with utility blocks - also this would need no rework of already existing designs.
How: Count the empty blocks, count the hull blocks and the shield capacitor blocks. (Rather count the mass for hull blocks! But let's ignore this for now.)
Let's say, we have 30 empty blocks, 20 shields blocks, 80 hull blocks. Each empty block will count as 20% shield capacitor block and 80% hull block. Those blocks however should increase the mass regarding propulsion, with the same calculation - or, they add like 30% less - and/or they don't contribute to structure hitpoints. Anyways, the calculation:
Shield capacitor blocks: 20 + 30* (20 / (20+80) ) = 20 + 30 * 0.2 = 20 + 6 blocks.
Hull blocks: 80 + 30* (80 / (20+80) ) = 80 + 30 * 0.8 = 80 + 24 blocks.
Ps: Remember, the first things falling off your ship will be the cameras. At that point it becomes a horror to fight. Imagine boxing would be like that... the first thing the enemy does is poking your eyes out with a prison shank.
Thanks for reading.
TL;DR:
Shields: Protect turrets not only down to 50%, regenerate by itself.
Armor: Protects blocks, based on overall hull mass.
Structure: Similar to actual hitpoints, reaching 0 (or the minimum) means destruction.
Bonus: Empty space within the ships counts relative towards shield capacitor and hull mass amount for shields and armor calculation, making interieurs not a waste of efficiency.
I am a, let's say, quite passionate player of Star Made, as I really like the concept of being able to be creative by creating ships and structures, which not only need to look nice, but also have to have a build which makes sense. An excellent combination of form and function. However, what concernes me mostly, is the connection of those both concepts, because that is obviously a point, which is not only hard to accomplish, but also rather new in the gaming world.
Hitpoints
In this case, I think the introduction of the hitpoint system was a very good step in the right direction. However, it not only has several flaws (being 50% hitpoints death and not 0% (which could be easily solved by a little scaling)), but it is still not in a final state. However, being the most recent patch, it is still way better than having to poke the core a little to destroy the target. Anyways, good job there, and with the patch notes I can understand the issues being involved about how to even calculate hitpoints.
To the point
My suggestion is to trying to get away from the thougth of flying around with a ship and modifying it "on the fly." This certainly does not happen, except maybe in the very early phases of a survival mode game. As of now, if even one single block is destroyed of a ship you had to carefully design, you want to restore it. Either you go there and try to recreate what might be missing (which can be quite impossible) or you salvage it and load a fresh blueprint.
Therefore I would suggest the principles of EvE about hitpoints, having structural hitpoints, armor and shields, but with the difference, that blocks will get destroyed only while shields and armor are at zero. (If there is anything good about EvE, it's their hitpoint and regeneration mechanics.)
Shields: Working just like now. Absorbing all damage, regenerating itself, 2 blocks to define regeneration and capacity. One difference: Shields now always cover all docked objects and not only down to 50%.
Hitpoints amount based on: Shield capacitors.
Restoration: By time with shield generators.
Armor: As soon as shields go down, armor hitpoints gets damaged. Armor hitpoints should depend on the amount of hull blocks available on the whole ship. If hull blocks are being destroyed, the maximum armor hitpoints will stay the same, using the actual (new) method about defining current and maximum. However, while armor is above 0, no blocks will be destroyed per se. Armor will not regenerate, and it will need some sort of repair (with shops, shipyards, station stuff) or repair beams or maybe new armor repair blocks of some sort - anyways, it should take time and maybe some stationary break.
Hitpoints amount based on: Hull mass of entire entity.
Restoration: Either very slowly over time or with external repairings, but mostly while out of combat.
Structure: As soon as shields and armor are at 0, structural hitpoints are drained and blocks damaged and destroyed, just like now with hitpoints. However, the damage to the blocks and the damage to the structural hitpoints should be separated. The criteria to drain hitpoints should not be to actually destroy the blocks, rather than to punish the target until it's damages are enough to make it a wreck. Meaning, a giant capital ship cannon should be oneshotting a little interceptor or scout if it hits. While a ship is being fired on, it loses blocks and the chance to be hit at the same spot will slightly lower, however the blocks and their functionality is also lost; plus they lose structural hitpoints based on the shot damage taken. There might be shots penetrating blocks, but still should do their full damage to the ship and not only tickle. As of now, finishing off targets, no matter how big or small, is a tough work. Missiles are super effective at it - too good at it, but cannons and beams are super bad.
Hitpoints amount based on: (Mass of all hull + all utility blocks) * x. x being a modifier to bring it roughly to a value between armor and shields. If it is too high, it means the phase of destroying blocks will be entered too soon, if it is too low, it means the phase of destroying blocks is too short and insignificant. I would prefer a rather low amount. ~> The destruction of blocks and the draining of hitpoints should be aligned in some way to make sense.
Restoration: Shop / Shipyard / Rebuilding blocks / maybe a restoration by blueprint? Well anyways, whatever you would do now to fix a broken ship also applies here. The pure hitpoints might be restored together with armor or at a shop for a price.
Weapon damages have to be adjusted of course if necessary. Everything which was melting down shields in only few seconds would in this case also melt armor similarily.
Bonus for interieurs: Each empty block within an entity which is surrounded on at least 5 sides by any other block at the end of the line is considered to contribute to armor and shield capacity. This will have the effect on negating the negative effect of not filling the inner of a ship with utility blocks - also this would need no rework of already existing designs.
How: Count the empty blocks, count the hull blocks and the shield capacitor blocks. (Rather count the mass for hull blocks! But let's ignore this for now.)
Let's say, we have 30 empty blocks, 20 shields blocks, 80 hull blocks. Each empty block will count as 20% shield capacitor block and 80% hull block. Those blocks however should increase the mass regarding propulsion, with the same calculation - or, they add like 30% less - and/or they don't contribute to structure hitpoints. Anyways, the calculation:
Shield capacitor blocks: 20 + 30* (20 / (20+80) ) = 20 + 30 * 0.2 = 20 + 6 blocks.
Hull blocks: 80 + 30* (80 / (20+80) ) = 80 + 30 * 0.8 = 80 + 24 blocks.
Ps: Remember, the first things falling off your ship will be the cameras. At that point it becomes a horror to fight. Imagine boxing would be like that... the first thing the enemy does is poking your eyes out with a prison shank.
Thanks for reading.
TL;DR:
Shields: Protect turrets not only down to 50%, regenerate by itself.
Armor: Protects blocks, based on overall hull mass.
Structure: Similar to actual hitpoints, reaching 0 (or the minimum) means destruction.
Bonus: Empty space within the ships counts relative towards shield capacitor and hull mass amount for shields and armor calculation, making interieurs not a waste of efficiency.
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