Idea for (One Hit) Ceramic Armor

[alterintel]

I like the idea of a light weight armor that can hopefully absorb at least one hit from an alpha weapon before it fails. This would allow for lightweight ships to possibly survive an encounter with a much bigger ship should it be ambushed or otherwise caught by surprise. It would also help with espionage mission should the scout ship be discovered.

A lightweight armor that can only be used once.

The Idea is that the armor (if there is enough of it) would absorb all the damage from a single attack preventing that damage from penetrating into the ship all together. Then the armor would become cracked and useless until it can be repaired.

When a Ceramic armor block is hit, all the damage is absorbed among all contiguous surrounding (touching) ceramic armor blocks. Once all the damage has been applied to the ceramic armor blocks, the affected ceramic armor would become cracked. Cracked ceramic armor blocks only have a single hit point.

If there isn’t enough contiguous ceramic armor, then the Ceramic armor would absorb all the damage that it can, and the rest of the damage would be applied as normal to the rest of the ship.

So basically ceramic armor prevents penetration once. And then provides no protection again until it is repaired.

Example:
For argument's sake, let's say that each ceramic armor block has 100 Hit points. And we have a 100x100x3 size plate.

It could absorb 3,000,000 damage in a single hit before it fails.

A hit of 10,000 damage would create a small circle of about 7 meters in diameter of cracked ceramic armor.

A hit of 1,000,000 damage would create a large circle of cracked armor of covering ⅓ the area of the plate.

A hit of 4,000,000 damage would crack all the armor, and the remaining 1,000,000 damage would be applied to the ship.

A hit of 1 damage to a cracked ceramic armor block will destroy it.

A hit of 10,000 damage to a cracked ceramic armor block would destroy the block and 9,999 damage would penetrate to the block beneath.

I'm curious to see if you guys can think of a way that this could be abused? or if it's too OP.

Thanks
alterintel

 

[Mork2]

I actually would probably prefer this mechanic compared to the existing armour mechanic or using both mechanics at the same time.
I don't think its OP.

Layering it or used docked modules won't really make much of a difference with the current weapon penetration.

You could make docked modules that way only sections would be cracked but that means it will be easier for a large weapon to punch through to underneath since its only taking out a smaller section of ceramic armour.

Large enough alpha weapons would get through anyway and if not large enough it would pretty much uncover a large amount of the ceramic armour leaving that area relatively unprotected.

It should not stack with normal armour for penetration or that would be OP probably.

You could balance it a bit by either allowing or disallowing the chamber armour resistance bonuses from working on it.

I would use this kind of armour on a capital ship as well or as filler.....

 

[alterintel]

You could make docked modules that way only sections would be cracked but that means it will be easier for a large weapon to punch through to underneath since its only taking out a smaller section of ceramic armor.

Actually you wouldn't need docked modules. Just don't make the ceramic plates contiguous. Separate them with a different block type or a gap.

 

[Edymnion]

This would be really nice if it were regenerative.

Keep some mesh/composite on board, and when the ship hasn't taken a hit in X number of seconds, start auto repairing/replacing the ablative armor. That way it could do it's job in combat without being too OP, but if you survive won't require you to hit a shipyard to replace it all.

 

[Zoolimar]

So, what happens if enemy uses a waffle of 1-2 damage weapons ? Does armour still cracks?

Though in this case you could probably cover it in a shell of hull or normal armour.

And well there is another problem - it will still suck due to weapons outscaling it. The same problem from which the current armour suffers.

 

[Edymnion]

So, what happens if enemy uses a waffle of 1-2 damage weapons ? Does armour still cracks?

New meta is to put a 1 block array in front of your real weapon, so that it always fires that 1 point of damage shot exactly 3 millimeters in front of the REAL shot to bypass any ablative armor.

 

[MacThule]

Actually you wouldn't need docked modules. Just don't make the ceramic plates contiguous. Separate them with a different block type or a gap.

Herein lies at least one potential abuse - though it may not be "abuse" as long as the C armor isn't too OP.

I read this response and immediately imagined a grid of 3x3x3 or 3x5x5 or 3x10x10 ceramic bricks each separated from every other block by a single or double layer of AA, like mortar between bricks. Then I lay down a sheet of AA, maybe incorporate an air barrier, and commence a second layer of ceramic tiles staggered to cover the joints between the tiles in the first layer.

It's an intriguing idea and I would enjoy the additional complexity in armor engineering. So long as it requires an appropriately massive sheet of ceramics to offset a heavy alpha strike it wouldn't be OP or obsolete existing armor.

Current armor is strengthened by additional blocks in line, something like this could be an opportunity to implement the other armor suggestion that has been put forth a few times - armor that considers laterally adjacent armor blocks.

Probably would lead to a dominance of composite armor (alternating layers of different armor types in some mix), but that's not necessarily a bad thing since it would require more planning and consideration and work than a simple mono-armor meta. Composites of two diverse armor dynamics like this could result in much more resilient armor without just making every dumb slab of armor OP.
[doublepost=1531202926,1531201382][/doublepost]What happens to a large sheet of intact ceramic armor hit by a non-alpha strike? Say a Cc strafe?

 

[alterintel]

New meta is to put a 1 block array in front of your real weapon, so that it always fires that 1 point of damage shot exactly 3 millimeters in front of the REAL shot to bypass any ablative armor.

I suppose the counter to that would be to possibly put a layer of basic armor on top of the ceramic stuff. Or just make sure you have enough shields to block that 1 point damage shot.

Probably would lead to a dominance of composite armor (alternating layers of different armor types in some mix), but that's not necessarily a bad thing since it would require more planning and consideration and work than a simple mono-armor meta. Composites of two diverse armor dynamics like this could result in much more resilient armor without just making every dumb slab of armor OP.

Nice! I didn't even think of how intricate and complex hybrid/composite armor could become. Great Idea.

What happens to a large sheet of intact ceramic armor hit by a non-alpha strike? Say a Cc strafe?

If the C/C were low power projectiles (less than 100 damage) each block hit would become cracked. But since the damage is less than 100, only that block would become cracked. If the C/C happened to hit the same block twice, then the damage would then penetrate.

Lancake had made a comment that this type of armor mechanic is not currently possible.

Doesn't look like this can be implemented
and it wouldn't offer much of a change either compared to what we already have.

I think the big difference here is the ability to pass damage on to adjacent touching blocks instead of potentially having some the damage penetrate. The damage could potentially be limited/contained to one plate of armor.

Maybe if we get enough support here, the great schema himself may take notice and create this new armor mechanic. :D

 

[Zoolimar]

I think the big difference here is the ability to pass damage on to adjacent touching blocks instead of potentially having some the damage penetrate. The damage could potentially be limited/contained to one plate of armor.

It already works like this. Only you need to make big armour bricks where with your proposed ceramics you would be able to build them in any shape. Unless of course you add integrity to them, but in this case you are really pushing it with how much of the server resources the armour will be taking.