Hey, I had a little idea. How about we allow the player to install more than one shield?
Of course, there's a catch, Wave interference. Sheild generators have a frequency (older modded shields are assigned a frequency based on level and HP), so if you install two sheld generators which meet at the trough, you end up with a shield weaker than if you had just one (or perhaps no shield at all!). But, if you match them up just right, so they meet at the crest, you end up with a combined shield which is even stronger than the two added together! And of course, if the shields are out of phase, you just get the two HPs added together (or maybe make it linear, so if you have it between perfect crest and perfect out-of-phase, you get some amplification, but not as much as if you had perfect crest).
Multiple shields
The biggest problem I see with that is both coming up with, and assigning these frequencies. I mean, what determines them, what are they? Does different shield types have different wavelengths? Are some one level of Hertz (or what have you) while others a higher or lower level?
Then there's the power/penalty point of view. Does having more than one drain more than just the two (or more) combined? Is there any parts that can be installed on the ship to lower power consumption? Can they even be attuned to work together? (but you covered that part with cancellation)
The scripting to make it work, I'm sure anyone of our industrious modders can do. But its the variables that need to be established first, and then how to implement them comes next. Which then opens up a whole new can of worms regarding weapons frequencies. Energy based weapons might even start coming with "frequency" modulators so that one can "tune" them to a shield's "frequency."
I'll grant you its an interesting idea... but a clear parameter will have to be established first. And I don't know how many will really work at doing that.
Then there's the power/penalty point of view. Does having more than one drain more than just the two (or more) combined? Is there any parts that can be installed on the ship to lower power consumption? Can they even be attuned to work together? (but you covered that part with cancellation)
The scripting to make it work, I'm sure anyone of our industrious modders can do. But its the variables that need to be established first, and then how to implement them comes next. Which then opens up a whole new can of worms regarding weapons frequencies. Energy based weapons might even start coming with "frequency" modulators so that one can "tune" them to a shield's "frequency."
I'll grant you its an interesting idea... but a clear parameter will have to be established first. And I don't know how many will really work at doing that.
Well, it was a suggestion to George, I didn't mean it as a mod. I think it should be somewhat simple to code. I'm pretty sure there's code to calculate interference patterns already, and all you have to do is apply a bonus based on what the code says.
And it is actually possible to put a second shield generator on, you just have to do it through code.
And it is actually possible to put a second shield generator on, you just have to do it through code.
[schilcote] It doesn't have to be good, it just has to not be "wow is that the only thing you could think of" bad
I'm not really sure what this would add to gameplay. You'd either have to look up or calculate out shield frequencies, or take a pretty big risk. It's not a bad idea, but I don't really see how it would make the game more fun. Just seems like another random thing to keep track of. I think I'll stick to one generator.
Well, you can do that. But if you want to get a large shield bonus, you can do frequency matching and get lots of extra shield strength.
[schilcote] It doesn't have to be good, it just has to not be "wow is that the only thing you could think of" bad
Large bonuses that only some players get are inherantly balance destroying. This is a terrible idea from a balance perspective. Either you hand out godmode to people like Shilcote or you balance the game to the insane combo shields and make it impossible for people like Sponge.
This is BAD game design.
This is BAD game design.
Yeah, that's pretty much what I'm thinking. I don't want to be punished because I don't have time to learn an arbitrary, complex mechanic. It's a neat concept, but I can't really see why it would be needed, given all of the balance implications. It's a 50/50. Either the player guesses right and gets frequencies that interfere constructively, or they guess wrong and get frequencies that interfere destructively. In the case of the former, it's a "hey, this game is going pretty good." In the case of the latter, it's a "damn, there goes X credits. This is frustrating."
As I see it, there's little reason to introduce a mechanic that has a 50% chance of making the game less fun.
As I see it, there's little reason to introduce a mechanic that has a 50% chance of making the game less fun.
Well, the bonuses don't have to be huge. And also, don't forget you have two shield generators consuming energy, if you calibrated the bonus to be just above the power consumption of 1 shield of similar HP, I think that'd be just about right. The idea probably does need some balancing, but it'd introduce some thinking requirement into the game, which is needed (All I ever do is go around shooting things, which, to me, is not fun at all the third time through). Perhaps we can make the game so that you can go a few different paths, you can go and shoot things, buying bigger weapons, or you can think your way through the game, matching your shields to get a bonus.
I'm not saying it can be just slapped on, but I think it would improve the game if it was done right.
I'm not saying it can be just slapped on, but I think it would improve the game if it was done right.
[schilcote] It doesn't have to be good, it just has to not be "wow is that the only thing you could think of" bad
(perhaps you should read what I said before you post)
Like I said, you don't HAVE to do the shield thing if you don't want to. The thinking should be optional. You can go around randomly shooting things, and there should be ceritan benifits and certian penalties to that method. You can carefully plan out your game and arrange your ship's components to be in their optimal configuration, and there should be certian different benifits and penalties to that. Personaly, I like a good puzzle (which is why I play IF) and adding this would add some of that to Transcendence. You don't HAVE to do the math and arrange everything right, but you can if you want to, and there are certian good things that come of that, and certian bad things as well. You can also go the other way, and try to brute-force the game, which has other good and bad aspects to it. It makes the game appeal to a wider audience, and it adds replay value.
Like I said, you don't HAVE to do the shield thing if you don't want to. The thinking should be optional. You can go around randomly shooting things, and there should be ceritan benifits and certian penalties to that method. You can carefully plan out your game and arrange your ship's components to be in their optimal configuration, and there should be certian different benifits and penalties to that. Personaly, I like a good puzzle (which is why I play IF) and adding this would add some of that to Transcendence. You don't HAVE to do the math and arrange everything right, but you can if you want to, and there are certian good things that come of that, and certian bad things as well. You can also go the other way, and try to brute-force the game, which has other good and bad aspects to it. It makes the game appeal to a wider audience, and it adds replay value.
[schilcote] It doesn't have to be good, it just has to not be "wow is that the only thing you could think of" bad
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Aeonic
- Militia Commander
- Posts: 469
- Joined: Sun Jun 14, 2009 1:05 am
- Location: Designing his dream ship.
I'd rather have shield modifier objects than multiple sets of shields.
Like in Master of Orion 2, you could equip your ships with Hard Shields (shields worked in a nebula and blocked shield piercing weapons), Shield Capacitors (increased shield recharge rate by 70%) and Multi-Phased Shields (boosted shield hit points by 50%)
Maybe certain modifiers would only work with certain kinds of shields.
Like in Master of Orion 2, you could equip your ships with Hard Shields (shields worked in a nebula and blocked shield piercing weapons), Shield Capacitors (increased shield recharge rate by 70%) and Multi-Phased Shields (boosted shield hit points by 50%)
Maybe certain modifiers would only work with certain kinds of shields.
Last Cause Of Death: Destroyed by Karl Svalbard's last Lucifer missile, right after I blew him up. And the crowd cheers.
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Arisaya
- Fleet Admiral
- Posts: 5535
- Joined: Tue Feb 05, 2008 1:10 am
- Location: At the VSS Shipyards in the frontier, designing new ships.
In before taben and overlays/<onInstall> >.>Aeonic wrote:I'd rather have shield modifier objects than multiple sets of shields.
Like in Master of Orion 2, you could equip your ships with Hard Shields (shields worked in a nebula and blocked shield piercing weapons), Shield Capacitors (increased shield recharge rate by 70%) and Multi-Phased Shields (boosted shield hit points by 50%)
Maybe certain modifiers would only work with certain kinds of shields.
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