Strategic (or multiple) Stations

[Zilvs]

I would love to see factions in starmade with territory claimed and more stations than just the homebase. It would be really cool, in my opinion, to see different types of stations. Like a dedicated shipyard, trading outpost, refinery, defense station, etc.

Sadly, I think that it will always remain as it is, a dream. Currently if anyone plays on a server, all I have seen are factions with a homebase station, that may be a decoy and there might be a hidden base somewhere but other than that or the rare warpgate, that is all I ever see anymore.

So what do you guys think, if starmade was a little different, and building multiple stations was encouraged. Would you enjoy it like I would, or hate it?

 

[Elemorej]

For me I like faction with many stations!

 

[Coyote27]

I'd definitely like multiple stations to be viable, but they just aren't in any PvP environment right now. They're too easy to destroy with a ship far cheaper than the station is, and there's not much you can do about that.

 

[Sachys]

I used to use quite a few stations for varying different roles. Pointless in power 2.0 currently though as a solid station just isnt viable right now along with various build types / aesthetic styles etc.

 

[Maramonster]

I'd like to see more stations and station types. I feel there aren't enough reasons to have a station right now. Stargates, home base immunity and crafting are really the only reasons right now. Block for block it feels like a ship would be a better investment.

 

[Crimson-Artist]

I had an idea back when fleets first came out that players should only be able to have maybe 1 or 2 fleet slot natively and if they wanted more fleets they needed to build space stations and designate them as fleet home bases. This would make players have to build more space stations in order to have things like automated patrol fleets within their territory.

 

[Maramonster]

I had an idea back when fleets first came out that players should only be able to have maybe 1 or 2 fleet slot natively and if they wanted more fleets they needed to build space stations and designate them as fleet home bases. This would make players have to build more space stations in order to have things like automated patrol fleets within their territory.

Also makes them a tastier target for PVP and pirates! Yarr~ I like that idea.

 

[Nauvran]

I still stand by this suggestion I made with Jake, Rimmer, and Crazyraptor.
A Potential Minimal-Grind Fuel Mechanic.
gives a reason to have more than just your homebase and something to fight over

 

[Tunk]

Problem with stations right now is that they are far too vulnerable, and lets be honest they are useless beyond faction claiming a system and a 2 block station is just as capable as a 2 million mass monstrosity regarding that.
They don't really get a benefit for being literally anchored objects, and currently all resource processing can be centralised.
Even large hardened stations will get popped by the next 10k+ mass ship that wonders by if they feel so inclined and have the time/patience to duke it out.

Before strategic or non-throw away stations can become a thing they'll need to become far tougher, and have a auto repair mechanism or temporary invulnerability mechanism (while in combat consume a resource for example) as well as a range/auto fleet reinforcement advantage.

Additionally there needs to be a host of new beneficial station level blocks, superior generation, power storage, shields, armour, etc.

Resource scarcity in systems and/or a station/base based fueling system also needs to come into play as well, you can usually find everything you need within 1-2 systems so no point in setting up mining outposts and again.
Its just easier to take everything back to home base to process as that's usually where you also produce your ships and there is not really any reason to make a pit stop rather than just jumping home.
Transporting finished goods/resources back is just a pita that most folks don't want to deal with, because leaving them in a outpost is asking for it to be stolen.
And Crimson's idea of using them to increase fleet slots as well is another reasonable method of increasing station count.

 

[Crimson-Artist]

Problem with stations right now is that they are far too vulnerable, and lets be honest they are useless beyond faction claiming a system and a 2 block station is just as capable as a 2 million mass monstrosity regarding that.
They don't really get a benefit for being literally anchored objects, and currently all resource processing can be centralised.
Even large hardened stations will get popped by the next 10k+ mass ship that wonders by if they feel so inclined and have the time/patience to duke it out.

Before strategic or non-throw away stations can become a thing they'll need to become far tougher, and have a auto repair mechanism or temporary invulnerability mechanism (while in combat consume a resource for example) as well as a range/auto fleet reinforcement advantage.

Additionally there needs to be a host of new beneficial station level blocks, superior generation, power storage, shields, armour, etc.

Resource scarcity in systems and/or a station/base based fueling system also needs to come into play as well, you can usually find everything you need within 1-2 systems so no point in setting up mining outposts and again.
Its just easier to take everything back to home base to process as that's usually where you also produce your ships and there is not really any reason to make a pit stop rather than just jumping home.
Transporting finished goods/resources back is just a pita that most folks don't want to deal with, because leaving them in a outpost is asking for it to be stolen.
And Crimson's idea of using them to increase fleet slots as well is another reasonable method of increasing station count.

I was also thinking of something that could make planetary raids a thing (when we get proper planets) but could also be applied to stations is a bombardment shield system. I believe a while ago I suggested this idea and someone else ran with it back when we had the old shields. Now that we have the new shielding this idea could be tweaked to be even better.

Basically this bombardment shield would act as an over shield with similar rules to our current bubble shields complete with its own HP pool. only place-able on planets and space stations. This shield would negate 70%-80% of damage that it receives that come from outside of its bubble. However if the attack comes from within the bubble it bypasses the Bombardment shields and is dealt directly to the normal shields.

The bombardment shield's bubble would be naturally much larger then normal shields say a default radius of 50m-75m and each capacitor/recharger block added increases the bubble by 5m-10m (maybe more idk the actual amount normal shields extend by, these sizes can be debated). Basically the idea is to allow the bubble to be big enough for the station/planetary colony to be able to fit within it while still allowing enough room for enemies to maneuver within to attack.

This would also make small ships viable as no matter how big your ship is unless you're rolling with a massive fleet of super powerful ships you're not gonna bust through a stations/colony's bombardment shields unless you either get in really close, send in fighters, or try to board.

 

[Coyote27]

It'd be helpful to have a station-only defense chamber that increases shield HP by 2x and shield radius by 10x per level. Perhaps even more than that.
Shield regen under fire would also significantly help stations perhaps even more than it would ships, as a large station should be able to afford running a lot of shield regen blocks.

 

[JinM]

You can use an alt account. This is just a suggestion and not a solution. But a change to the game mechanics so we have multiple protected station might not be happening for the next 12 months. So here is a workaround until the game advances:

Make an alt-account and log into the server you play on. Go found a station near your main acc's homebase. Make a rail docker with a public module.

Relog with your main account and dock a ship of your main faction at that hb-protected station.

Problems: You can't generate power, you can't use factories.
Solutions: Just slap on the power with your alt-account. Use the factories from your main station or make the factories of your alt-station publicly accessible but with logic-passoword protections.

Is it abusing of game mechanics? No, as long as you don't use it to expand your territory outside your starting galaxy.
Is it cool? Maybe, maybe not. It totally depends on your playstyle.

Do I like it? Fuck yes, because having two or three stations, where the outbound stations can't produce for themself, actually gives me ressource distributions challenges. And so much more ideas. I suddenly need small building ships that carry around my personal cargo, as I might building on the one station at monday, and want to build on my homebase on thuesday.

Are server owners against it? No, it works on Brierie, the LvD admin has no problems with alt-accounts and actually sees faction infiltration with alts as gamepart, and on Freaks I have an alt as well. I say every server owner is a hypocrite if he is against alt-stations but doesn't care for alt-infiltrators.

 

[Coyote27]

People might complain a bit more about alt-account homebases if someone from an enemy faction set up an invulnerable missile-bombardment platform set to fire on astronauts immediately adjacent to their own homebase.

 

[JinM]

People might complain a bit more about alt-account homebases if someone from an enemy faction set up an invulnerable missile-bombardment platform set to fire on astronauts immediately adjacent to their own homebase.

Yeah you are not supposed to use alt-account homebases offensive. If people decide to do that anyway...well I think that can be reported to an admin. Keep in mind that the usage of alt-account doesn't hide your steam-id and stuff from the server owner.