- Joined
- Jun 29, 2013
- Messages
- 245
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- 68
The idea here is to add two new computer blocks to the game.
Turret computer.
The turret computer, like a weapons computer or cloaking system, can be set to the hotbar. When used this way from the ship core, it toggles the AI of all linked turrets on or off. Turret docking points must be linked to a turret computer for them to be affected, similarly to cannons with a weapons computer. A single turret docking station may only be linked to one computer, but one computer can be linked to multiple turret docking stations.
By itself, it is quite useful in that it lets you activate and deactivate your turrets without exiting the core, and turning them off when entering an iffy area (like a shop). Particularly if you are in a consider-neutrals-hostile faction or otherwise run into issues with turrets attacking things you don't want them to. You would still have to set the AI settings beforehand (i.e. set it to "turret" and "my target/any ship"). The turret computer would merely turn all turrets AI either on or off.
If you get into the turret computer itself, rather then getting into the ship core, an additional function is available. Using the left and right arrow keys, you can switch between the AI units of each turret, manually controlling whichever one you are in from the core of that turret (if the turret's ship core is destroyed, your view reverts back to the main computer).
Put another way, this allows you to build a ship that can really be crewed by multiple people. For instance, you could have 4 turret computers, each of which is linked to two turrets, one on top and one on the bottom of the ship. You can then have 4 other players in them, and each will have a pretty large field of fire (since you smartly gave them the option to switch between a top turret and a bottom turret in case the enemy flies to the other side).
Ideally, AI should automatically re-activate when you leave it, but this can be implimented later as a convenience feature. Until then, just quickly turning off and on the turret computer from the main ship core will turn them back on.
Docking Computer.
Similar to the above, but for normal docking points rather then ship ones. Activating it undocks linked ships and activates their AI, linking the computer to that ship. Turning it off turns off the AI. When AI gets improved eventually, it can be made so that turning it off makes the AI attempt to re-dock first. They can also set it so that the AI doesn't go further then a certain distance from the ship.
Getting inside the computer lets you manually control docked ships as a remote-controlled drone via switching with the left and right arrows as before. Moving too far (lets say 2000m or so) will result in the ship being de-linked from the computer. Until AI versatility is improved, this can be used to re-dock fighters with less hassle after a fight.
Naturally, I do not suggest in any way that AI be made particularly much better in terms of actual combat ability, just versatility and how "smart" they are/how much their behavior can be modified by a player. They should remain scattershots to encourage players to work together in a single ship (as players are NOT scatter shots, or at least try not to be). And to give newer players a chance at fighting NPC pirates that would decimate them if their waves of 3 light cruisers all had magical aimbots.
And these two computer types would GREATLY increase the ease of getting players to fight together on a single ship, since they don't have to float around outside to try and get into a different turret. Instead, they just exit the computer back into their controlled-gravity, air conditioned bridge, and move to a different computer to use a different set of turrets (or to switch to the drone control, or take control of a weapons computer, or something of the like).
Signs. Signs are for labeling stuff, essentially. You can place them in a ship somewhere, such as above a computer. They store a small amount of text, which is displayed upon them. Basically think minecraft signs.
On that note actually,
Ladders. This is no big rush or anything, but it would be nice to have ladders by the time we get near the end of beta. So we can more easily climb back onto ships we landed on planets without tearing our way through the hull. And for an alternate means of going up and down in a large ship aside from those plexlifters. And while I'm at it, maybe some lights that aren't cubes, but more akin to minecraft torches in that you can just walk through them (similar to how grass and flowers are).
.
Turret computer.
The turret computer, like a weapons computer or cloaking system, can be set to the hotbar. When used this way from the ship core, it toggles the AI of all linked turrets on or off. Turret docking points must be linked to a turret computer for them to be affected, similarly to cannons with a weapons computer. A single turret docking station may only be linked to one computer, but one computer can be linked to multiple turret docking stations.
By itself, it is quite useful in that it lets you activate and deactivate your turrets without exiting the core, and turning them off when entering an iffy area (like a shop). Particularly if you are in a consider-neutrals-hostile faction or otherwise run into issues with turrets attacking things you don't want them to. You would still have to set the AI settings beforehand (i.e. set it to "turret" and "my target/any ship"). The turret computer would merely turn all turrets AI either on or off.
If you get into the turret computer itself, rather then getting into the ship core, an additional function is available. Using the left and right arrow keys, you can switch between the AI units of each turret, manually controlling whichever one you are in from the core of that turret (if the turret's ship core is destroyed, your view reverts back to the main computer).
Put another way, this allows you to build a ship that can really be crewed by multiple people. For instance, you could have 4 turret computers, each of which is linked to two turrets, one on top and one on the bottom of the ship. You can then have 4 other players in them, and each will have a pretty large field of fire (since you smartly gave them the option to switch between a top turret and a bottom turret in case the enemy flies to the other side).
Ideally, AI should automatically re-activate when you leave it, but this can be implimented later as a convenience feature. Until then, just quickly turning off and on the turret computer from the main ship core will turn them back on.
Docking Computer.
Similar to the above, but for normal docking points rather then ship ones. Activating it undocks linked ships and activates their AI, linking the computer to that ship. Turning it off turns off the AI. When AI gets improved eventually, it can be made so that turning it off makes the AI attempt to re-dock first. They can also set it so that the AI doesn't go further then a certain distance from the ship.
Getting inside the computer lets you manually control docked ships as a remote-controlled drone via switching with the left and right arrows as before. Moving too far (lets say 2000m or so) will result in the ship being de-linked from the computer. Until AI versatility is improved, this can be used to re-dock fighters with less hassle after a fight.
Naturally, I do not suggest in any way that AI be made particularly much better in terms of actual combat ability, just versatility and how "smart" they are/how much their behavior can be modified by a player. They should remain scattershots to encourage players to work together in a single ship (as players are NOT scatter shots, or at least try not to be). And to give newer players a chance at fighting NPC pirates that would decimate them if their waves of 3 light cruisers all had magical aimbots.
And these two computer types would GREATLY increase the ease of getting players to fight together on a single ship, since they don't have to float around outside to try and get into a different turret. Instead, they just exit the computer back into their controlled-gravity, air conditioned bridge, and move to a different computer to use a different set of turrets (or to switch to the drone control, or take control of a weapons computer, or something of the like).
Signs. Signs are for labeling stuff, essentially. You can place them in a ship somewhere, such as above a computer. They store a small amount of text, which is displayed upon them. Basically think minecraft signs.
On that note actually,
Ladders. This is no big rush or anything, but it would be nice to have ladders by the time we get near the end of beta. So we can more easily climb back onto ships we landed on planets without tearing our way through the hull. And for an alternate means of going up and down in a large ship aside from those plexlifters. And while I'm at it, maybe some lights that aren't cubes, but more akin to minecraft torches in that you can just walk through them (similar to how grass and flowers are).
.
