Jumpdrives

Post ideas & suggestions you have pertaining to the game here.
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OddBob
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With one it is trivial to escape from any foe - and there is not a large penalty for using them.

I suggest that if you use a jumpdrive it will take everything near you with it. This has a lot of interesting applications. In addition to making it harder to escape from anything you want, it allows you to do things like jump loot around, jump mines into enemy bases, jump enemies into friendly bases, jump barricades around, etc.

I also suggest that you be able to control the distance you can jump. I am not sure of the best way to do this, but I think for short jumps you could have a key to hold down, with the "target" moving farther away from your ship at increasing speeds, and when you release the key you jump to where the target is. This is clumsy but I can't think of any other ways without using the mouse and precision jumping is important for most of the interesting applications.

Now you may have just noted I am suggesting making the jumpdrive MORE powerful. :D This is why I think it should have consequences, of which here are some suggestions:

First all, repeated use is harsher penalties.

A single jump of distances less than half a system or so ought to have no more penalties than now.
More jumps within a short time, though, ought to start first using more power.
Then your shield or device start to be affected - there is a chance of random device deactivation or shield damage at first and then items will start to lose enhancements or gain negative ones.
Eventually items will start to get damaged, or they just disappear.

There is a chance of items coming back out of your hold or disappearing altogether (although slight).

Perhaps very prolonged (ab)use could draw the attention of alien/outside influences.
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Betelgeuse
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personally I think that the taking things with you will be a great "penalty" That and the charge time would reduce the escape use it currently has (you can still use it to escape you just have to think about it more).
One penalty you can do is after you warp you are facing a random direction that why you are disoriented by the jump.

I would like to see some ships have it like it could make the corp cruiser an more interesting enemy. Not common enemies just enemies that are part of events.
Crying is not a proper retort!
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FAD
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I like the idea of a longer recharge as well. Maybe a capacitor? Could also apply a short duration of the "EMP effect" after a jump to get the disorientation feel.

As for AI's, they currently will not use installed jump drives at all.
F50
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couldn't you set a recurring timer and then use the device for them if the player gets too far away?

I am just learning scripting so forgive me if I am speaking out of ignorance.

Is it possible to mod a jumpdrive that makes a smaller (say 200ls) jump?


OT: (btw, I have whine for help thread started in the shipyards forum. http://neurohack.com/transcendence/foru ... php?t=1313 I am currently trying to get a ship to sell stuff and it isn't working).
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