Station Defense Shields - a "simple" way to protect bases and encourage boarding.

[Winterhome]

So, an idea's been floating around my head for all of ten seconds, which might be a bit "stupid" or "silly", but it might lead to some improved gameplay here and there. It's an off the wall idea so I don't expect it to get much support (if any), but I might as well throw it out there while it's in my head.

Immobile Defensive Shields.

Basic idea is that it would be a single block that completely nullifies all weapons fire against a station or planet, but also completely prevents the station or planet and all docked entities from being able to fire their weapons or having active AI blocks. This block would need to have access to space via a pathfinding algorithm (ignoring single-thick door blocks of course) to prevent it from being buried deep inside of a station's systems. Of course, to keep things interesting, it would need to permit astronauts from any faction to place warhead blocks on the station itself, and it would need to permit damage from Torches. Of course, it could also have a "vulnerable" period like citadels on EVE during which assaults are possible, with the station owner being able to set the vulnerable periods to certain times of day.

You want your station safe from boarders? Hire NPCs from an advanced shop and leave them in the station. Getting them there may be troublesome though...

The block would take a proportional amount of energy to run to the station's mass, so sabotaging power generators is a viable option for taking over a station. When this block is destroyed, it automatically destroys the station's faction block as well, regardless of location, permitting full capture.

 

[Dire Venom]

Intersting idea.
Just some thougths which occured to me:
-Would likely become a requirement on every station.
-Players would find ways to prevent all acess to the block.
-Could have undocked entities inside the station which large pulses to vapourise intruders.
[doublepost=1508116898,1508116084][/doublepost]That being said a new form of defense for stations would be greatly appreciated. They can easily be destroyed at range by players and are just a sitting duck.
A expensive form of 'super shield' like you suggested could work.
Maybe a similar mechanic to planet cores.
-They have a high hitpool (increased by more blocks)
-Constant regen
-Disabled for a time after being brough down to 0.
-Could shield all friendly entities within (x) distance.

This would require a player to spend some time constantly bombarding the planetry/station shield before it can actualy damage the entities/station/planet.
This would help prevent hit and runs on bases, make defending them vs larger opponents a bit more balanced and give the station some time to defend it'self before being obilterated by one missile.