- Joined
- Dec 6, 2014
- Messages
- 1
- Reaction score
- 0
Obviously the base mechanics of ships should be finished first. This is nothing urgent- however- I think eventually the game should begin "added on" gameplay features that should reasonably be present.
One I think would be fun and makes sense is marine actions. As in- non-pilot personnel and non-engagement ship blocks, with options for boarding, a wider selection of personal small arms, more diverse character roles (probably through items that designate combat roles, like medical items or armor), etc. And reasons for these to exist. I think this would help greatly combat the boredom that will definitely come up (Oh great, another ship-ship engagement, another dogfight, etc) and make the game far more replayable.
For boarding items and blocks to exist in the first place, there needs to be reason. So, perhaps ships- especially larger capital ships- can carry "buff" blocks that would be destroyed if you just blasted away with the main guns of your frigates. So the need for small crafts to land boarding parties and find a way into the ship and claim these blocks. Alternatively, maybe sensitive faction information (base locations, etc) could be carried in faction modules. Another idea: turrets and docking modules could be easily disabled even if shields are up, but only through certain player-only items. That way, your small, lightly shielded fighters could still meaningfully contribute with the help of small teams of marine personnel to take out those damn flank guards.
Boarding blocks might work by limiting the amount of weapons a ship can carry at the benefit of attaching and chewing through hull blocks, so boarding parties can safely insert into the ship. Maybe magnetic boots like those in a lot of scifi could help boarding parties walk across hull if necessary.
I think small arms are fairly straightforward. As in the inventory Systems of STALKER, they should take up multiple inventory slots so you can't carry three dozen SMGs or whatever. I think it should follow a typical FPS formula of highly-balanced weapons that sacrifice attributes like fire rate or damage at the benefit of others. Perhaps armor could exist to reinforce the fragile health levels.
Wait! You might say. Our faction is undermanned, or all our members can't get on, or this is unfeasible considering the player caps on most servers. Also, how do our defenders know where the enemy is boarding? To this end, I think AI controlled security systems- simple measures, like antipersonnel turrets that pop out of walls, or robotic automatons. Or user-placed antipersonnel turrets, like the ones you see in Half-Life 2.
Why, you might ask, for any of this? Well, everyone knows in any ship-ship engagement, there are marines to accompany for boarding and defending these ships. It's logical, and, as I mentioned, adds variety to this game (I'm tired of being a pilot for my faction! I'll mix it up and play soldier, etc), and would probably extend the length of ship fights and help to balance them. Even the tiniest, weakest faction or player could afford a boarding craft- so despite being outgunned in terms of ship strength, they might even be able to capture or destroy enemy ships from the inside. Ship fight length would be extended- you might have to even strategically hold fire.
But also... it's fun. Who here remembers the space maps of Star Wars Battlefront 2? Granted, they were simple and pale in comparison to Starmade's ship fights, but the rush of landing a boarding ship onto a Rebel Mon Calamari cruising and participating as you chew through enemy defenders and destroy onboard systems. Some people just didn't like dogfights or piloting, and all they needed to do was land and some badass leathernecking happened. Starmade would offer more for everyone, and even expand it's potential customer base.
I can't think of many potential negatives. Thoughts? Opinions?
One I think would be fun and makes sense is marine actions. As in- non-pilot personnel and non-engagement ship blocks, with options for boarding, a wider selection of personal small arms, more diverse character roles (probably through items that designate combat roles, like medical items or armor), etc. And reasons for these to exist. I think this would help greatly combat the boredom that will definitely come up (Oh great, another ship-ship engagement, another dogfight, etc) and make the game far more replayable.
For boarding items and blocks to exist in the first place, there needs to be reason. So, perhaps ships- especially larger capital ships- can carry "buff" blocks that would be destroyed if you just blasted away with the main guns of your frigates. So the need for small crafts to land boarding parties and find a way into the ship and claim these blocks. Alternatively, maybe sensitive faction information (base locations, etc) could be carried in faction modules. Another idea: turrets and docking modules could be easily disabled even if shields are up, but only through certain player-only items. That way, your small, lightly shielded fighters could still meaningfully contribute with the help of small teams of marine personnel to take out those damn flank guards.
Boarding blocks might work by limiting the amount of weapons a ship can carry at the benefit of attaching and chewing through hull blocks, so boarding parties can safely insert into the ship. Maybe magnetic boots like those in a lot of scifi could help boarding parties walk across hull if necessary.
I think small arms are fairly straightforward. As in the inventory Systems of STALKER, they should take up multiple inventory slots so you can't carry three dozen SMGs or whatever. I think it should follow a typical FPS formula of highly-balanced weapons that sacrifice attributes like fire rate or damage at the benefit of others. Perhaps armor could exist to reinforce the fragile health levels.
Wait! You might say. Our faction is undermanned, or all our members can't get on, or this is unfeasible considering the player caps on most servers. Also, how do our defenders know where the enemy is boarding? To this end, I think AI controlled security systems- simple measures, like antipersonnel turrets that pop out of walls, or robotic automatons. Or user-placed antipersonnel turrets, like the ones you see in Half-Life 2.
Why, you might ask, for any of this? Well, everyone knows in any ship-ship engagement, there are marines to accompany for boarding and defending these ships. It's logical, and, as I mentioned, adds variety to this game (I'm tired of being a pilot for my faction! I'll mix it up and play soldier, etc), and would probably extend the length of ship fights and help to balance them. Even the tiniest, weakest faction or player could afford a boarding craft- so despite being outgunned in terms of ship strength, they might even be able to capture or destroy enemy ships from the inside. Ship fight length would be extended- you might have to even strategically hold fire.
But also... it's fun. Who here remembers the space maps of Star Wars Battlefront 2? Granted, they were simple and pale in comparison to Starmade's ship fights, but the rush of landing a boarding ship onto a Rebel Mon Calamari cruising and participating as you chew through enemy defenders and destroy onboard systems. Some people just didn't like dogfights or piloting, and all they needed to do was land and some badass leathernecking happened. Starmade would offer more for everyone, and even expand it's potential customer base.
I can't think of many potential negatives. Thoughts? Opinions?
