wreck traps

[Betelgeuse]

I was talking with a person that just started playing and I got an idea.

Wrecks should have random traps in them like the containers so you have another level of decision making when looting.

[Periculi]

This isn't a new idea. We have discussed it before.

I have a whole set of trap ideas and ways to trap things if you want to look at it.

Trapping the dockscreens, for wrecks that are environmentally placed, would be easy.

I was taking it a bit further and going to involve the general trapping with anything- hostile ships might be trapped or rigged to blow, items you get may have traps in them, stations might have hostile guards, poisons, what have you.

I also have a timed delay sample using the event manager out there somewhere.

[Betelgeuse]

well I was thinking trapping capital ships. Earlier ship traps would make it a bit new player unfriendly.
This can be gotten around by dumping all your stuff, not something I want happening. Do you have any ideas on how to reduce that? I don't see even fast scavengers changing that much.

[Periculi]

I wasn't thinking that destroying cargo would be the only trap.

And there could be a way around it if you turned the jettison into a destructive process.

I never bother to dump my items. I think it's an exploit that could easily be removed. If you needed a stash spot, looted ships and containers of that kind exist in plenty.

This also points out the fact that you won't ever get around this type of behavior- once you allow people to manage their cargo, they are going to pile up in safe containers- whether that is a jettisoned cargo pod from the ship, a looted wreck or other handy cargo bay that isn't in use.

As for the game friendliness, I was thinking of offering scanners that could detect and devices to remove traps for a more than friendly price at local hardware stores.

[Betelgeuse]

This also points out the fact that you won't ever get around this type of behavior

I disagree I think there are ways of going after the problem. The problem isn't people dumping items it is wanting to avoid getting items destroyed by trap so all we have to do is getting people to want to have items when being trapped.

The first thing that comes to mind is positive traps. Acid washes over your ore and you discover X was trapped in the ore. or Electrical surge fuses together ill fitting components making you weapon more effective.

[Periculi]

Fair enough.

But traps are traps. The danger is more of interest to me. I would like to see traps that end the game. Or damage all your weapons, or act like radiation, or whatever.

On the other hand-

I would like trap removal to be something that you can work towards- gaining the ability to get around traps.

An easy way to make it less of an impact on new players or low levels is to level the traps and also to make options available to get around the trap.

Traps that fire off without recourse are frustrating- traps that can be avoided or ways to reduce the trap effect make them more interesting game items.

[Betelgeuse]

I would like something like something like loading devices for your ship. They could be the part that activates or deactivates traps.

The danger is more of interest to me.

The danger is more interesting if people willingly put themselves into danger. Like currently there is no real danger in stations confiscating illegals even though destroying lots of items in a trap would be huge. This is due to the danger is easily avoidable and there is no benefit in putting yourself in danger.
I would like traps where even if I knew it was there I would still take the risk.

Few things off the top of my head.

different levels of traps to make earlier levels easier (difficulty progression is an easy way of getting rid of the sameness in all systems problem)
upgradable devices to load your ship with items (put them in harms way they might set off the trap but more advanced ones may be better at avoiding it)
side effects of some traps, like a trap may emp your ship for 30 seconds but also charges fuel or energy weapons
multiple effect traps, like call ships and paralyze you
never have a trap always work so people will take risks and hope for a reward
maybe have some loader types or maybe a separate device mitigate the effects of traps, like never have more than one thing destroyed but would stop the possible side effect

[GambitDash]

Yeah, cause this game isn't hard enough already... :P

For anyone searching for more ideas, all you have to do is play a few rounds of nethack. Now all we need is a pet that can tell us if a ship is trapped (nethack pets won't walk on top of a cursed item) :)

[Betelgeuse]

but is there a reason why you would take the cursed item anyway?

Nethack is great but we can't let ourselves be limited to what it does.

[Periculi]

Yeah, cause this game isn't hard enough already...

Actually, GambitDash, it isn't that hard. Once you figure out the patterns, the game gets very easy and can become repetitive. At least it did for me, until I started modding things to add challenges like random equipment and networks where you can get dumped into hostile territory in a more advanced level suddenly.

Traps are a natural item to add for games that employ random generation and exploration. It makes sense that loot would be protected, that hostile ships might want a little auto-destruct revenge, and that large stations may not be entirely empty of angry citizens when you break in to the cargo bays to clean them out.

Sci fi, as a genre, provides ample material for great trap ideas.

I like the idea of trap failure and mis-fires Betel. That could generate some interesting results.

I was also thinking that Domina powers might be put to use for some of this- especially for players with a tight device budget. (hmm.. patch spider or a trap scanner/neutralizer series VIII... dang, decisions are hard...)

Another thing I have been thinking about a lot is to have a choice between sending in a robot or going in personally- whether it be a ship wreck or a dubious station- if you have the space, money and desire to deal with robotics, they would be the safe choice.. whereas the more broke, hungry and daring pilot would try cracking the airlock on their own.

Loading devices is a great idea on it's own.

[Betelgeuse]

personally if given the chance in part three I am going to destroy both Domina and Oracus (assuming Oracus is real)

Well when I was thinking loading device I was thinking robots or similar things to go into the ship and look around for loot. Could even be a group or purposely built to survive certain traps.
Maybe a cheaper alternative would be a powered suit plus it could give you advantages of its own (with obvious disadvantages, ie if you don't have an auto doc and get in a spike trap you die)

That is the kind of thing that is interesting to me both ways have advantages and disadvantages.