lamprey missile (concept, could go into SW&A)

[Song]

I had an idea for a missile which I'm sure others have done (if I remember right), but I'm planning to try making my own varient. The Lamprey missile. The idea is quite simple.....a missile hits the target, switches on an overlay similar to a pteravore, only it's a missile/explosive charge. At either X seconds after attachment or when a detonation signal is recieved (probably via using the launcher with a hotkey), the overlay goes off. Literally. Several varients are in theory possible (EG. Explode after time, explode on signal, non-explosive borer, device/display disrupter).

'Why would you want this", one might ask. I did have to work on this, but I have come up with a decent set of tactics that make Lampreys a highly lucrative tactic. They largely involve sneak-attacking convoys.....think. Transports, with the exception of a few like the Aurochs, don't have shields. "Explode on signal" charges can probably be stacked. Thus you could, in theory, attack with Lampreys from long range, stack charges on
I'm quite keen to make a launcher using this "lamprey" system for SW&A, but I'd need some help with the overlay system.....anyone keen to help? (Code examples/help gets a credits mention from SW&A onwards with my mods )

[Prophet]

Sounds like you'll need some events in the weapon's <onDamageArmor/Shield> to apply the overlay, then either have a timer for the detonation or add a virtual item to the player to let you 'U'se the detonation when desired.

It's a great idea, very strategic.

Post a more detailed explanation on how you'd like it to work and I'll send you a mock-up.

[Song]

The missile itself does no damage, and is probably stealthy. I can play around with the missile itself to get the parameters working.
There's a few varients I have planned on the actual projectiles:


Model (Mod.) 1: Explodes after..say.....10-15 seconds. Probably stopped by shields. Has a small area effect like a Lucifer.
Mod. 2: Explodes on receiving a signal via using a device, either virtual or not, with a hotkey of some kind from the Use menu. Using the launcher would be ideal, but I'm aware this may not be possible. Probably stopped by shields. Has a small area effect like a Lucifer.
Mod. 3: Not stopped by shields, does not work on armor. Disrupts the targets shields with a set of lowish-level cyber-attacks for up to 15-20 seconds per lamprey....small chance of success per attack, but it does a few of them before it falls off/disintegrates/blows up/whatever.
Mod. 4: Bores into the ship, causing internal mayhem, device problems and general nastiness over time. Probably stopped by shields.

Ideally, the detonation/damage/whatever would be attributed to the player. Not sure if the game does it that way anyway.

[ThePrivateer]

Nasty sounding missile you've got going there Shrike...sounds almost as bad as that Smiley-face-of-awesome-scariness missile... >.>

From a game-play point of things, this would be fabulously strategic but I imagine would be rather expensive, like all the cool stuff in the game.

As for its effects, maybe make different versions of it - cheap and nasty to expensive and awesome?

[Drako Slyith]

Perhaps you could have a missile that attatches to a ship then shoots out several Mod. 1 missiles. Ideal for taking out large numbers of ships

[Song]

Nasty sounding missile you've got going there Shrike...sounds almost as bad as that Smiley-face-of-awesome-scariness missile... >.>

From a game-play point of things, this would be fabulously strategic but I imagine would be rather expensive, like all the cool stuff in the game.

As for its effects, maybe make different versions of it - cheap and nasty to expensive and awesome?

You mean my....Awesome cannon? [screenshot to give nightmares]

Well, they're a little too specialised to have a crappy variant. They're very sneaky military weapons, which I'd bet are an utter terror to have fired at you....but I dare say I can make one or two varients on the warheads. I may not be good at scripting, but I *am* good at weapon effects.

Balance-wise....this will be tricky. ROF will be low, probably. Since I like to make weapons with quirks, and nearly all missile launchers have medium-high rates of fire. Or I could just make the missiles themselves quirky, like I did with Messenger.....

[ThePrivateer]

Nasty sounding missile you've got going there Shrike...sounds almost as bad as that Smiley-face-of-awesome-scariness missile... >.>

From a game-play point of things, this would be fabulously strategic but I imagine would be rather expensive, like all the cool stuff in the game.

As for its effects, maybe make different versions of it - cheap and nasty to expensive and awesome?

You mean my....Awesome cannon? [screenshot to give nightmares]

Well, they're a little too specialised to have a crappy variant. They're very sneaky military weapons, which I'd bet are an utter terror to have fired at you....but I dare say I can make one or two varients on the warheads. I may not be good at scripting, but I *am* good at weapon effects.

Balance-wise....this will be tricky. ROF will be low, probably. Since I like to make weapons with quirks, and nearly all missile launchers have medium-high rates of fire. Or I could just make the missiles themselves quirky, like I did with Messenger.....

Looks like you forgot the screenshot...thankfully... >.>

I get smashed by tracking missile anyway, so I'd love to see the lamprey on enemy craft too, adds some real fear as you attempt to evade the lamprey before it latches on to your ship and DESTROYS YOU!!!

[Song]

heh. That's why a lot of my newer weapons are designed so you can counter them through tactics....especially missiles like Messenger (the other SW&A missile series) since they *do* have nuclear and antimatter varients as well as the rather powerful blast versions.

Anyway. Once there's a framework to play around with....these will certainly go into SW&A. No antimatter versions though, you can sleep well knowing that.

[Ttech]

It would eat through the ship or such, possibly have varyants that have multiple lampreys.

[Song]

It would eat through the ship or such, possibly have varyants that have multiple lampreys.

A shame I'm not planning on giving NAMI a fourth launcher. Because then I could add that into SM&M.
As it is...that is a very, very good idea.

'Eating through the ship" is basically what the "borer" variant/mode does...or will do, when this gets made.

[ThePrivateer]

It would eat through the ship or such, possibly have varyants that have multiple lampreys.

A shame I'm not planning on giving NAMI a fourth launcher. Because then I could add that into SM&M.
As it is...that is a very, very good idea.

'Eating through the ship" is basically what the "borer" variant/mode does...or will do, when this gets made.

Eating through a ship...that just sounds deadly. *shudder* Can't wait to see that bad boy in action!

You may want to stop the missile from doing that to all armour though. It could get stopped by Ithalium, Sung etc..different types of armour could stop it. Something to keep in mind

[Song]

Well, I've done a reasonable amount of planning on this new concept....however I've done no coding. I know I can adapt the pteravore code to apply an overlay....albiet with some difficulty. But what happens next is downright impossible for me right now....I'll need more research, or a framework, before I can handle actually coding it.

Still, the rest of SW&A goes well.