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.
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.