Post by slightjunky on Mar 14, 2020 12:11:48 GMT -5
I have pondered this post for a while, actually putting this off because of the kickstarter for CKF. Not that I have anything against CKF - but i have worried that STF might be put out to pasture. The recent mention of larger ships and feedback request from #204, however, shows this might not be the case.
More over, if you don't suggest anything, you can't change anything.
This post is based around around one particular gameplay point that has annoyed me from the start:- The Sword Battlecrusier is the best ship for everything. Best carrier, brawler, hauler, etc.
Whatever you want to do, it's best done in one single ship. In a game influenced around perma-death and replayability I don't believe this to be productive. Further, the pricing structure is such that the 6000M-8000M tier ships are not even good "stepping stones" to the ships you actually want. (The recent pricing changes in #204 have not changed this.)
The suggestion I am proposing is to better specialise the 8000M series of ships into particular well suited roles, making them more relevant and more interesting. Keeping the SBC as a Jack-of-all-trades.
I have split some ideas up in to two categories, one i feel might be simple for the devs to execute and one that might require alot more time. I'm not suggesting any of them are better or worse, and they certainly are not exhaustive.
Some basic roles.
Fleet Carrier - Interceptor and Bomber based tactics from range.
Strike Carrier - Closing range, for improved boarding options.
Brawler - Wants to fight up close - 1-3
Skirmisher - Wants to fight at range, ie a missile boat. (range 4-5)
Traveller/Explorer - Travels the larger map well, and can escape easily.
Hauler - Does not want to fight. Big cargo space
A Fleet carrier,
Reflecting the navy credentials of such a ship - keeping the requirements to purchasing and upgrading such a ship locked behind fraction rep and rank would make sense. The Skylift and Harbinger carrier stand out here.
An easy suggestion to make these better carriers would be to give the ship a free, unchangeable Hanger and Launch bay for 0 mass. A locked component, so to speak. Reflecting the ship's hull design.
Another easy option might be to provide cheaper hanger options, both in mass and price - reflecting the ships principle design concept.
A more complicated option would be to offer improvements to your strike craft in combat. Such as increased %chance hit or %dmg - based on "improved targeting" provided by the carrier. Or maybe improved defences for craft in the first turn on its mission - reflecting the carriers ability to protect it craft during launch with better designed launch bays.
Strike Carrier,
A carrier that wants to get close, make use of boarding skills and create multiple boarding opportunities. Ideal for Bounty Hunters and Pirates. For me I've always thought the Warhammer looked quite menacing, and might suit such a role.
Easy suggestions might be a free weapons locker slot (typelocked - but upgradeable) - or free Boarding Assault Systems.
Complicated options might revolve around crew protection and healing.
A Brawler,
A ship that wants to close range, trade blows and hit hard. Personally, I think the broadsword would take a beating.
Easy options might include free Targeting matrices or Structures etc.
Complicated options might include an additional 2AP when all the other reactor points are used for firing weapons. Something along the lines of "efficient weapon systems" but not when changing range, launching craft etc
A Skirmisher,
Preferring to fight at range, evasive - happy to do continuous but small amounts of damage with the intent of stacking debuffs. No obvious T8 ships jumps out, but such a ship would be engine heavy in appearance. Stellar Falcon-esq
Such a ship might get benefits to navigation and accuracy.
The next two classes are somewhat different, and not perhaps a game play option neither we as players, nor the devs, would like to promote. But I leave them out here for discussion.
An Explorer, (or spy, or just general runaround ship)
As a class, we're looking at playstyle that has no interest in fighting but might find some value in starting and then escaping combat. A spy might, for example, scan hostile ships for intel to sell at a later date.
Such a ship would have to have poor combat stats, and I feel the easiest way to do this would be to cap the ship to 4 reactor points.
A Hauler, (Sentinel)
When I was first thinking about how we might bring a hauler type playstyle to STF I initially gravitated to a ship that wants to escape. But I felt that ship that was heavy on goods should not be able to outrun anything really. Throw in Permadeath and xeno and you have a pretty unattractive option for gameplay. However, I though about a possible way to force a draw via a different mechanic that suits a trader quite well.
A Mayday, where a trader calls for help. Based on a trader's Location, reputation and traders rank the player might receive help from the local military forces to help them when in trouble. After a number of turns, where the player must hold out, help arrives forcing a draw.
Obviously limitations on such a mechanic need to apply. For me, such an option would only be available to freighters with no offensive weapons. Defensive weapons might include the Autocannon or Interceptors.
Obviously a new class of weapons requires work.
Further limitations might need to exist on where this can be used also, should sectors with low military scores be able to save you from a xeno hive ship? I propose not. Forcing traders to exist within secure core systems to grantee help.
It might also make sense to force such a ship to have reduced crew. Crew cost wages after all.
And thats it I think.
I have some other ideas, Like a barracks to help you keep/train crew for different ships. but not really for here.
Junky
TL;DR
A proposed change to much of the 8000 mass ships to help them compete with the SwordBC, make them easier to include into playstyles and therefore give players more reasons to use them.
More over, if you don't suggest anything, you can't change anything.
This post is based around around one particular gameplay point that has annoyed me from the start:- The Sword Battlecrusier is the best ship for everything. Best carrier, brawler, hauler, etc.
Whatever you want to do, it's best done in one single ship. In a game influenced around perma-death and replayability I don't believe this to be productive. Further, the pricing structure is such that the 6000M-8000M tier ships are not even good "stepping stones" to the ships you actually want. (The recent pricing changes in #204 have not changed this.)
The suggestion I am proposing is to better specialise the 8000M series of ships into particular well suited roles, making them more relevant and more interesting. Keeping the SBC as a Jack-of-all-trades.
I have split some ideas up in to two categories, one i feel might be simple for the devs to execute and one that might require alot more time. I'm not suggesting any of them are better or worse, and they certainly are not exhaustive.
Some basic roles.
Fleet Carrier - Interceptor and Bomber based tactics from range.
Strike Carrier - Closing range, for improved boarding options.
Brawler - Wants to fight up close - 1-3
Skirmisher - Wants to fight at range, ie a missile boat. (range 4-5)
Traveller/Explorer - Travels the larger map well, and can escape easily.
Hauler - Does not want to fight. Big cargo space
A Fleet carrier,
Reflecting the navy credentials of such a ship - keeping the requirements to purchasing and upgrading such a ship locked behind fraction rep and rank would make sense. The Skylift and Harbinger carrier stand out here.
An easy suggestion to make these better carriers would be to give the ship a free, unchangeable Hanger and Launch bay for 0 mass. A locked component, so to speak. Reflecting the ship's hull design.
Another easy option might be to provide cheaper hanger options, both in mass and price - reflecting the ships principle design concept.
A more complicated option would be to offer improvements to your strike craft in combat. Such as increased %chance hit or %dmg - based on "improved targeting" provided by the carrier. Or maybe improved defences for craft in the first turn on its mission - reflecting the carriers ability to protect it craft during launch with better designed launch bays.
Strike Carrier,
A carrier that wants to get close, make use of boarding skills and create multiple boarding opportunities. Ideal for Bounty Hunters and Pirates. For me I've always thought the Warhammer looked quite menacing, and might suit such a role.
Easy suggestions might be a free weapons locker slot (typelocked - but upgradeable) - or free Boarding Assault Systems.
Complicated options might revolve around crew protection and healing.
A Brawler,
A ship that wants to close range, trade blows and hit hard. Personally, I think the broadsword would take a beating.
Easy options might include free Targeting matrices or Structures etc.
Complicated options might include an additional 2AP when all the other reactor points are used for firing weapons. Something along the lines of "efficient weapon systems" but not when changing range, launching craft etc
A Skirmisher,
Preferring to fight at range, evasive - happy to do continuous but small amounts of damage with the intent of stacking debuffs. No obvious T8 ships jumps out, but such a ship would be engine heavy in appearance. Stellar Falcon-esq
Such a ship might get benefits to navigation and accuracy.
The next two classes are somewhat different, and not perhaps a game play option neither we as players, nor the devs, would like to promote. But I leave them out here for discussion.
An Explorer, (or spy, or just general runaround ship)
As a class, we're looking at playstyle that has no interest in fighting but might find some value in starting and then escaping combat. A spy might, for example, scan hostile ships for intel to sell at a later date.
Such a ship would have to have poor combat stats, and I feel the easiest way to do this would be to cap the ship to 4 reactor points.
A Hauler, (Sentinel)
When I was first thinking about how we might bring a hauler type playstyle to STF I initially gravitated to a ship that wants to escape. But I felt that ship that was heavy on goods should not be able to outrun anything really. Throw in Permadeath and xeno and you have a pretty unattractive option for gameplay. However, I though about a possible way to force a draw via a different mechanic that suits a trader quite well.
A Mayday, where a trader calls for help. Based on a trader's Location, reputation and traders rank the player might receive help from the local military forces to help them when in trouble. After a number of turns, where the player must hold out, help arrives forcing a draw.
Obviously limitations on such a mechanic need to apply. For me, such an option would only be available to freighters with no offensive weapons. Defensive weapons might include the Autocannon or Interceptors.
Obviously a new class of weapons requires work.
Further limitations might need to exist on where this can be used also, should sectors with low military scores be able to save you from a xeno hive ship? I propose not. Forcing traders to exist within secure core systems to grantee help.
It might also make sense to force such a ship to have reduced crew. Crew cost wages after all.
And thats it I think.
I have some other ideas, Like a barracks to help you keep/train crew for different ships. but not really for here.
Junky
TL;DR
A proposed change to much of the 8000 mass ships to help them compete with the SwordBC, make them easier to include into playstyles and therefore give players more reasons to use them.
