Shield Shape Based on Block Shape

[Micro753]

The fixed shape of shields limits the shape you can build a ship if you want it all protected. A way to fix this could be make the shape of the shields be dependent on the shape of the shield blocks. If you build a 100 x 10 x 10 shield group, then the shield bubble would be elongated (prolate spheroid).

Some side effects of this system:
-If you build a long group, like the example above, then sufficient damage to one spot would break the group into two. These two resulting groups would be too close, so they would shut down. This allows you to protect your entire ship, but gives it a weak spot.
-A smaller/more cubic group would make it easier to protect, but limit how much you can protect your ship. The optimal shape would still be a cube in this case.

I'm not sure if I like this, since it inherently penalizes the non-cubic shaped shield groups when ideally cubes should be discouraged, but at least this would allow shield bubbles to protect more of a ship.

 

[Koloss_Meshuggah]

I would just like the shield area to be box-shaped instead of round. It would be way easier to understand and you wouldn't get those weird gaps between spheres. If you could get your box-areas to fit together you would have no part of the ship unprotected.

 

[Coyote27]

I'd rather get rid of the shield bubble altogether as I don't think it adds enough to the game to justify the complexity, buuuuttt.... this seems like an okay suggestion.

 

[Valiant70]

I'm not sure if I like this, since it inherently penalizes the non-cubic shaped shield groups when ideally cubes should be discouraged, but at least this would allow shield bubbles to protect more of a ship.

I definitely don't like this. I'm all for changing shield bubble shape, but not by forcing shields to be built in specific shapes.

 

[Maramonster]

I'm not actually sure I understand the intent of the shield change. It just seems like an extra layer of complexity for complexity sake.

 

[Micro753]

I'm not actually sure I understand the intent of the shield change. It just seems like an extra layer of complexity for complexity sake.

I've seen a lot of people complaining that the bubble shields limit creativity because a long ship will have the ends sticking out of the shields.

 

[Coyote27]

I've seen a lot of people complaining that the bubble shields limit creativity because a long ship will have the ends sticking out of the shields.

It's far worse for stations.

 

[Maramonster]

I can understand that it limits creativity, I cannot understand why they added the shield bubbles in the first place. I understand why power 2.0 is here, I understand (if disagree) with integrity. I don't get the shield bubbles.

 

[Lone_Puppy]

I think shield bubble is in responce to role play Trekkers.

I thought to have long or odd shaped protected you simply overlap the bubbles. Making sure not to have the generators inside any of the overlap.

 

[Zoolimar]

-If you build a long group, like the example above, then sufficient damage to one spot would break the group into two. These two resulting groups would be too close, so they would shut down. This allows you to protect your entire ship, but gives it a weak spot.

Considering that shields currently do not recharge under fire that seems irrelevant. If your shields are down chances are good you won't be able to recharge them anyway - so losing them is not a problem.

-A smaller/more cubic group would make it easier to protect, but limit how much you can protect your ship. The optimal shape would still be a cube in this case.

But cubic shape also will have a lower volume and larger or even much larger ship cross-section due to the need of making it pretty squat looking.