Plasma Armor - A Different Kind of Shield

[Kusibu]

I've noticed many people complaining that hulls are extremely underprotective and completely useless in a ship context, and that you might as well slap on papier mache for the protection you get.

Thus, my idea: Plasma armor. Installing a plasma armor inducer would allow every single hull on the ship to become coated in a layer of damage-blocking plasma, significantly increasing its armor level but NOT increasing its hitpoints (on this topic: increase hull HP to 250 / 500 for normal / hardened?) and slowly healing damaged hulls over time while the plasma armor is active. I haven't hazarded a guess on the exact value for the armor boost, but I think this would be an interesting way to encourage using hulls onboard combat ships instead of just making it out of shield emitters.

This system could work interestingly on its own, or could be put alongside the current shields as a different system. Personally, I think the former might be more interesting.

If you think the plasma armor is too overpowered, I have two ideas for possible nerfs:

1) Remove healing of damaged hulls

2) Cause plasma armor to require activation and forcibly drain power over time, thus preventing it from being always-on protection (this one is best used with current shields left in)



I await discussion on the possibilities or lack thereof on this idea.

 

[CorneliousCrowe]

Its a good idea, but i think it should be the ther way around. Plasma inducer becomes the same as the basic shield block, since they almost work the same now. As it is now, only one entity has the plasma shield around it. Each entity has to have its own shield blocks already. So for your idea, what if it becomes a blanket protection shield. It might work a little like this:

A ship with just the basic plasma shields on it has limited protection at the price of huge power drain. All parts are protected equally, but once it goes down it must recharge.

On a ship with this advanced protection: Once activated, the shields would go up, protecting the ship and a 10 block radius from the ship. (this would not be block proportions, but direct radius, so that each block calculates 10 out from itself and builds a \"shield\" block) This system provides blanket protection around the ship and all attached and docked items. It has a time limit, and drains HUGE amounts of power. This only is practical on capitol or Titan class ships because of the sheer power used on the blanket shield. This can make the player choose some different combat techniques, such as having a powerful and nimble space cruiser with few shields and no blanket system, or a Iron defence, with lots of turrets but little menuverability and weaponry. (guns on the shielded ship would be impractical because the power drain would be too much to maintain firing and shields at the same time.)

Keep the idea balenced, but make sure its dissimilar enough from the current system in use!

 

[Kusibu]

What you stated there completely defeats the purpose of the plasma armoring system - it was specifically designed to encourage using hull blocks as an exterior instead of power / weapon / engine blocks etc.

In case you didn\'t understand this - the plasma armor applies to hull blocks ONLY and does not protect internal ship system blocks - hull meaning normal hulls, hardened hulls, plex doors and plex windows.

 

[Kusibu]

I think the idea listed in my first post is a good idea and so am bumping this because I did not want to repost and I feel this has not gotten the attention it could use.

For anyone who considered the original post TL:DR -

Install a plasma inductor (pseudo-shield generator) on your ship and all of your hulls (including windows, doors, etc but NOT system modules) will be more resistant to damage and will regenerate health slowly.

 

[Nootau]

I would think a simpler fix would be increase the damage resistance % hull currently has. If you give a system that self regenerates the ships armor you also make repair beams any more useless than before. Just my 2 pents.

 

[Kusibu]

It\'s an interesting thought. As I stated in the OP, I thought of removing the regen as a possible nerf - but just upping the resistance of hulls would help a lot. Repair ships actually being useful! Just think of it...

 

[Eli_Komadina]

Plasma is known to overheat over time. What if it was nerfed like this? So, As it\'s on over time it will eventually overheat, needing to cool down.