Support modules: weird ideas

Tractor/Repulsor Beam Module:  Absolutely Not.  This would be too easily broken due to ship fittings.  Such as the Vodyani medium attack cruiser that actually can't fit any close range weapons at all.  Seriously, it can only fit medium to long range weapons.  The concept behind your tractor beam would mean that you would force that ship to always sit in a position where it would literally be incapable of fighting back.  This would also cause issues with custom ship builds as well.  This would go a long way to causing a lot of really bad balance issues.  Sorry, no.

Kamikaze Module:  I like it.  Should be limited to smaller ships though.

Recycle Drones Module: Not a bad idea.  But I think I would like it better if instead of gaining strategic resources (because you never know what resources a ship would end up having from it's construction), I think it would be better used for repairing ships in that fleet and replenishing fighters.

Missile deceiving module:  hmm.  I don't know if I like this one.  I think I'd prefer to stick with the old school ECM type module.

EMP module:  Never been a fan of EMP's.  Most things in the real military world are hardened against EMP today.  Why would advanced futuristic ships somehow not be resistant to EMP's.

These are just my opinions on these concept modules.  I like a couple, but not others.

ValhallasAshes wrote:

Tractor/Repulsor Beam Module:  Absolutely Not.  This would be too easily broken due to ship fittings.  Such as the Vodyani medium attack cruiser that actually can't fit any close range weapons at all.  Seriously, it can only fit medium to long range weapons.  The concept behind your tractor beam would mean that you would force that ship to always sit in a position where it would literally be incapable of fighting back.  This would also cause issues with custom ship builds as well.  This would go a long way to causing a lot of really bad balance issues.  Sorry, no.

Take in account that devs said that in next patch all weapon types will be available to all hulls, and also they're reworking combat system. Also it may be more balanced if all weapons fire from all ranges, but with penalties if out of optimal range, wich we don't know if will be implemented.

Kamikaze Module:  I like it.  Should be limited to smaller ships though.

Mmm.. limit to one ship size will depend on how you calculate the damage. What is worst a very fast but with low mass projectile, or a big one, even if it is a bit slower?

Have no clear answer, as all that is highly dependent on how you make the numbers, and I won't venture in actual game status.

Recycle Drones Module: Not a bad idea.  But I think I would like it better if instead of gaining strategic resources (because you never know what resources a ship would end up having from it's construction), I think it would be better used for repairing ships in that fleet and replenishing fighters.

Repairing modules are still in the game. Not tried much, so not sure how they actually work, but for sure we'll have a working version of actual ones in release.

Missile deceiving module:  hmm.  I don't know if I like this one.  I think I'd prefer to stick with the old school ECM type module.

It's only to add fun. respect your taste about that.

EMP module:  Never been a fan of EMP's.  Most things in the real military world are hardened against EMP today.  Why would advanced futuristic ships somehow not be resistant to EMP's.

As previous one.

Anyway thanks for your opinions.

Those are fair enough points.  I'd be interested to see how it works out.  I'll keep an eye on this.  Thanks for your feedback.

Along the lines of your recycle module, I propose this (which I posted in Battle thread of game design forum)

Awarding Science Points for successfully salvaged destroyed enemy ships after combat.

Offers possibility of recovering Tech points toward research of various ship-relevant techs if a destroyed enemy combatant has a higher level of tech module.  A module could be developed that increases the likelihood that salvage operation is successful (my intuition is that the base probability would be fairly low, 15% perhaps, and that a +300% bonus could be awarded to fleets with a ship outfitted with a 'specialized salvage module' such that the probability becomes 60%.)

Suggested name:

'aggregator' or 'salvage' module  

(since the debris would be blown vast distances, perhaps the module detects an imminent destruction and places a grav field around the ship to gather the debris in the vicinity of the destroyed ship, where it can be more easily accessed.)

I would suggest that the salvage provide a percentage of the current total research cost of that type of tech (though a fixed amount would be easier to code, it would prove very useful early on and produce negligible benefits later.)  This amount should be upscaled based on the level of advancement beyond one's own current research level. 

As you suggested, resources salvaged too, for example, titanium if the vessel were equipped with titanium-based weaponry, defense, or support modules.

I like the kamikaze idea, and also agree it ought to be limited to small vessels. 

Definitely upvote for a salvage unit as it makes thematic sense. Has to be carefully balanced, though, with militarist law that gives resources after each battle. Maybe have this module only available to the ecologist faction? Cleaning up space and recycling fits their natural alignment very well.

Regarding specialised modules that change the ship's behaviour in battle (like kamikaze, fire ship, etc.) - I'm not sure it'll be possible due to how combat system is calculating the outcome of the battle. It's feels too "manual" and would probably be hard to code a predictable computer response.

I don't see "Killing probes module" as something that should be implemented.
It is not different from missiles and those probes should get shoot down like anything else.

At most this should be a single volley during battle not damage dealt before battle.

New ideas for modules:

Harvester module:

Extracts a portion of resources from destroyed ships (both friendly and enemy).

Maybe even some dust?

Boarding pods:

This would make sense for ships to have manpower and fight back.

Self destruct module:

If ships could get boarded this module would destroy the ship instead of letting it fall in enemy hands.

Patrol probe:

A new type of probe that has longer life but cannot travel far.

You have a short distance that the probe can travel but the probe stays there for 8-14 turns and provides intelligence.

There should be a way to shoot down this kind of probes.

samsonazs wrote:

I don't see "Killing probes module" as something that should be implemented.
It is not different from missiles and those probes should get shoot down like anything else.

At most this should be a single volley during battle not damage dealt before battle.

See it. May be better the way you say.

New ideas for modules:

Harvester module:

Extracts a portion of resources from destroyed ships (both friendly and enemy).

Maybe even some dust?

Seems an improved version of Recicler. May be better if it gives dust and other things a part of strategic resources. Look at AquaticSonarKey agregator.

Looks like many people here wants this, my only concern is how to balance this to avoid modules making the same as "Spoils of war" law, that's the reason I proposed only strategic resources.

Boarding pods:

This would make sense for ships to have manpower and fight back.

Self destruct module:

If ships could get boarded this module would destroy the ship instead of letting it fall in enemy hands.

Patrol probe:

A new type of probe that has longer life but cannot travel far.

You have a short distance that the probe can travel but the probe stays there for 8-14 turns and provides intelligence.

There should be a way to shoot down this kind of probes.

Three good ones!

they may have been in the works by the Devs prior to this idea, but it's cool to see a couple of these modules in the game already (unless I'm just imagining things....confirmation bias, and all that jazz.

Upvoted for the next coming ideas reviews.

The game really needs more module flexibility for most races. Adding new support modules would be a must (Well, adding some slots on most ships would not hurt neither, this could be part of the change I guess).

My special mention are going for : Patrol probes and Countermeasures. Wich I think should already be ingame.

Also I'd like to add a module idea :

Shield and armor repairers : This module can only repair other ships, you could only insert them on a weapon slot. This way you could design repair ships during battles. I think the EMP module should counter them if it gets implemented, instead of immobilizing a ship.

ValhallasAshes wrote:

Tractor/Repulsor Beam Module:  Absolutely Not.  

Why not? Having somthing to counter or outplay your enemy is strategy, if you use them, then the  enemy has to learn to change or to use something else to counter.