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Signature Radius and Stealth Ships


Olmeca_Gold

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Idea:

 

Each ship is assigned a "signature radius" based on X * Y * Z of their cross section. This value isn't only tied to hit/miss formula, but also to radar detection range, identification speed, and lock speed. Then create a bunch of exotic voxels as "stealth coating". Ships with this coating have a bonus for significantly reduced signature radius, and are "stealth" in the sense of the word that's used for real-life aircraft, thus creating a stealth class in DU. As in other games involving stealth features, the voxels should have their adequate weaknesses.

 

Why:

 

These are two ideas bundled together. In earlier threads I suggested that to fix the borg cube meta, NQ should integrate cross section to the hit/miss formula. I'm glad they are going that way. I think one step beyond this would be introducing a signature radius value for every dynamic construct based on their cross sections. The signature radius value going into not only hit/miss but also radar-related formulas further demotivates the borg cube. It also creates more opportunities like stealth ships.

 

Many MMO's have "stealth" classes where the idea is choosing who you fight with, engaging and disengaging easier; with its own downsides. Eve Online carved a really good place for stealth ships too. I think DU has a potential here with a concept of ships "suddenly appearing on radar with a surprise attack". Better yet, they do not really need to 'cloak' like Eve. They just need to have reduced radar detection ranges, like real life. 

 

One opportunity to implement this is introducing a "stealth coating". The game would create great design opportunities by introducing honeycomb material with radar-resistance and stealth technology. The game would calculate how much of your ship is covered with stealth voxels (sort of how dimencia's hud calculates 'structural integrity'), and provide a bonus to reduce radar detection (the default 2 SU detection, not 'identification') range based on that value; thus creating a class of stealth ships which can be used for surprise attacks.

 

How Can They Be Balanced:

 

As in all other games, stealth class should bring in its own achilles' heels. Like in many other games, this can come in the form of HP weaknesses, and stealth cover diminishing upon engagement.

- Stealth coating drastically reduces the amount you can carry in cargo containers -prevent stealth freighters-.

- Stealth coating not only has low hp, but also drastically reduces the hp of all voxels of the ship -so you can't "tank" a ship and also use stealth coating on top of it-.

- Stealth benefits disappear upon firing guns or identifying a target -no untouchability when actually engaging-.

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  • 3 weeks later...
On 12/3/2020 at 12:30 PM, Vazqez said:

Go elsewhere with such sick ideas.

How is this a sick idea?

At the moment the cube meta has had the effect of every other ship that is not a cube being unable to defend itself causing the answer to be : warp drive.

If you add a stealth mechanic you get to add some more depth to the game:

1. design of stealth ships
2. caring about the cross section of the ship provides an immediate disadvantage to the cube as well as requiring some thought to ship design in general.
3. Currently it seems to be there is a limited. amount of materials you can make a ship out of if you hope to survive an encounter, this provides an additional option
4. arguments against warp disruption mechanics diminish as haulers can now feasibly design a ship that can haul and have some chance to survive, currently a cube on radar is equal to death if you are not a cube or a warp capable ship.


My only thought would be that stealth should not be a mechanic that provides complete immunity from detection ,  it should simply lower the radius of detection and perhaps there should even be specialised radar to help detect such ships.

 

OP isn't asking for a way to completely nullify detection, just a way to make it harder to detect at the cost of sturdiness, cargo capacity and in my opinion speed should be limited or when power comes out the output of your ships power before you become just another ship with an incredibly weak hull.

These kind of tradeoffs that force you to pilot your ship by controlling speed or power output (if and when it becomes a thing) means the drawbacks arent just numerical but also have an affect on how you pilot a ship.

I think we should be mindful that not every idea is going to meet with universal approval as not every idea is going to match our idea of fun and may even counter our idea of fun; doesn't mean it is a bad idea just means you don't want to contend with that playstyle which isn't a good enough reason to say a idea is 'sick'.

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