shield computer needed

[bendeezer]

Shields are pretty cool, but they can be annoying for repping ships that have taken on damage. As the technobeam can't get past them, without some help from little am-cannons. I propose a computer brick for the shields that will raise them, and lower them--and maybe even mod their characteristics on the ship (balancing buble size, power draw, and field strength.) That way they can be optimized for a particular ship when they are on, and can also be turned off when massive repairs to the hull are needed.

 

[bendeezer]

I won't add another topic, as this is a bit of an afterthought. It's related to the engines also not having a computer, and the top max thrust being 50 kph. There are times where I've needed more accelleration from my engines, (stranded on a planet, or because I'm going a long distance between sectors and want to hurry it on up.) If we had an engine computer, or an overdrive block that would make a programmed afterburn when triggered (like firing a salvager) that would consume much more power available in order to get more potential from the engines, it may be more than enough to get a massive ship off the ground, (now that gravity is play) or to break the max speed limit briefly while traveling between sectors.

 

[VariousArtist]

Tasty idea! I support!

 

[cyb3rkn19ht]

Sheilds




Various Artist, schema, and I where talking about shields in the chat.
Here are some ideas that where discussed. I am posting idea that Various Artist, schema, and I had. I am not taking credit for Various Artist and schema's ideas. This is to start community discussion.
Right now shields are OP. Here are some ideas to change that.
Increase their power drain or add a control module that forces you to split power between weapons and shields.
Dividing the shields into different sectors so that you can pull energy from on sector to boost another. For example reduce the rear shields to boost the front shields.
Change the mechanics so that the shields are flushed with energy to recharge it. I would think that this would work some what like a weapon.

P'S. Various Artist, schema, please expound on your idea.

 

[bendeezer]

I'm not so sure if they are OP right now. I've been wondering if there was already a change made to them. I know when I tested my brothers shields out, I couldn't get through them at all. BUT, after a few patches, in the AI ships vs me, and me vs the AI ships I've designed the shields only hold up for 3 or 4 hits, stay down for about a dozen seconds (usually long enough to over hit the core if it's exposed.) That seems to be the same failure rate no matter if it's a couple of shield blocks or a few dozen. (Although to avoid lag in the ship building mode, I haven't designed seperate shield areas, just a single grouping. I thinks my bro had several different groupings on his ship design. For me personally, having to raise the shields and lower them, because they eat energy would be the best feature, especially since when they are naturally off, I can hop in a rep vehicle to quickly repair damaged blocks.

 

[Dogsonofawolf]

I agree that toggling shields would be neat. Of course, an alternate solution would just be to have repair beams bypass shields; is there any situation we'd want to block them, really?

 

[Amaldiirn]

Hi there.
I think, that this is necessary, because it is often hard to count power drain, max damage absorbing, time of recharge e.t.c.
And it will be useful, if we could regulate this options like power, distance and speed of weapons or rockets.

 

[SpaceySalad]

The shield should be in my opinion customizable same way as weapons...