Suggestion: Device Rack

[palmiche]

Please consider adding some sort of "Device Rack"; that is a device which installed allows to install a given number of aditional devices. It's true you cant have it all, but the limit of 7 installed devices may become annoying in many common cases. So increasing the number (fixed) of devices is not an option because it simplifies the game too much, but adding an uncommon or even rare device, IMHO, increases de gaming experience: if you find such device, good, perfect, awsome; if you don't, who cares, I've always played with 7 devices and nothing more.

The idea is to have, let's say, 1 shield generator, 1 reactor, 1 cargo hold, 2 weapons, 1 patch spider, and 1 cannon accelerator, that makes 7. Then I come to find one of those wonderfull DRs (Device Racks), then remove my cannon accelerator, install my DR, the reinstall my CA, and I still have one available slot to install whatever I like, like a jumpdrive or something. So a DR must support at least 2 additional devices, one to install an aditional device and the other to support the DR itself. That is the number of additional devices supported by the DR plus one to support itself. Now I install a jumpdrive and have 9 devices in total: the 7 I previously had plus 1 DR and 1 jumpdrive.

There could be DRs of different levels supporting different number of devices or specialized DRs such as Weapons Racks for additional (and only) weapons, or Addons Racks for devices such as patch piders, quantun proccesors, cannon accelerators, etc.

Also the DR MUST share one common characteristic of Shield Generators and Reactors: you may have ONLY ONE DR installed at any time. If you had a level V DR installed, supporting 2 additional devices, and install a level X supporting 4 additional devices then the level V one is replaced by the level X one, and you gain two new empty device slots.

This is ONLY a suggestion, but I'd like to know if someone likes it or not and why.

[the_holy_thom]

That does sound like a good idea. It would have to be rare, but I dont see why it would ruin the game. It would certainly make it easier, and be a great boon for the wolfen if you found it, whilst not so great in the freighter.

You could even make weapons only and device only slots, or ones that give a certain advantage if you couple them with a certain device. Just because theyre rarae doesnt mean you cant vary them a bit.

[Frits]

Giving the playership more deviceslots is not a game improvement! Think about it, how would you feel about starting a new game with 25,000 credits? This device was suggested some time ago when we still only had the sapphire, and instead new playerships were introduced.

[palmiche]

Giving the playership more deviceslots is not a game improvement!

AFAIK the number of device slots is 7 for all the Sapphire, the Wolfen, and the EI500. But a fighter is supposed to have more weapons than a freighter and a yatch, not only more maneuverability, and there is no physical law in space forbiding to fix a rack with screws to the fuselage, mounting a couple of lasser weapons on the rack and connect them with wires to the ship. In the atmosphere that would rip the ship to pieces if moves faster than a given speed but in space it's not a problem. If the game has an "Inertialess Drive" I don't see why can't have a "Device Rack" or something similar.

Perhaps

make weapons only and device only slots

is a far better idea working as a way to make more realistic differences between the yatch, the fighter and the freigter.

The game could even have an special device called "Targeting Computer" o "Fire Coordination Device" allowing to fire more than one installed weapon (or all) at the same time if your reactor supports it.

[F50]

I think the Ringers should be the only humans able to enhance ships in this way. If the amount of starting devices was decreased, this would help balance the game as one needs less devices in the early game. (no ICX needed no patch spider needed, no want to jump 3-6 systems at a time because only 8 or so systems have been discovered). If the game gets more devices (say, by traveling to alien space) then this would allow this without making the player more powerfull at the start. However, I do not think device racks should not be the name of this impovement.

[palmiche]

That's the reason forums a great Yout drop an idea (not necessarily a good one) and it takes less than the blink of an eye for the members to slice it to pieces and put things back together in the most brilliant (o dumb) ways. It turns a forum into the brain of a genius (or the one of a popcorn).

[OddBob]

AFAIK the number of device slots is 7 for all the Sapphire, the Wolfen, and the EI500.

The Sapphire has 7. It is the in-between.
The Freighter has 9, and
the Wolfen has 7 also, but 3 are weapon-only.

[palmiche]

Youre abosolutely right!!! Both the Wolfen and the Sapphire support up to 7 devices but the Wolfen can install only 4 non-weapon devices. The EI500 supports 9 devices but only 2 weapons.

Let's see the Wolfen: 1 reactor and 1 shield leaves only to slots to use patch spiders and anti-missile laser turrets, it's true you can have 3 weapons or even 5 installed at the same time but I'm pretty sure Wolfen fans would appreciate something like a Device Rack. As you said the Sapphire is in the middle, no comments. For the EI500 I can say only one thing: if you have some experience in Transcendece this is probably the best choice.

[the_holy_thom]

The freighter can only install 2 weapons as well, BTW.

Im guessing you didnt play before the wolfen had 7 slots? It had 5 in the last version. Through polling and modding a few of us got it increased, and suggested the weapons only slots idea (although George may have already been planning this - who knows?).

There have been lots of debates about the device slots. The best way I could see this being implemented is if it happens late game (even post heretic). If made very rare it would be nice every few games in the wolfne to find one.

Debate links:
http://s8.invisionfree.com/Transcendenc ... c=894&st=0
http://s8.invisionfree.com/Transcendenc ... wtopic=878
http://s8.invisionfree.com/Transcendenc ... c=902&st=0

[palmiche]

Your guess ir right. I found Transcendence only two weeks ago. I've read the debates you directed and what I've seen is totally agree with them a with you, also with me. Increasin (by finxing) the number of devices for ships like the Wolfen is not an option, but adding a rare "Device Rack" may solve the issue. Now lets see what are george's thoughts about it.

[Ghengis]

I'm sure everybody gets an idea they're sure is great, but I've had one in re: this thread. Mine is this: if you want slot expansions, you can get, say, a 3-for-1 (e.g., two extra devices) expansion device. Limitations are stringent (pick one or more, or all, or whatever):

- Expensive, possibly more than any weapon/shield/armor/etc.
- Rare (!!!!) / hard to install
- Having expansion active draws X power, where X is pretty high. Power draw may or may not depend on number of installed devices.
- Having expansion active makes each device installed in expansion-bay draw X extra power, where X is either a constant or a factor, like double or triple
- Limited number can be installed at once (probably one), like cargo hold
- One or all devices in expansion may blink off intermittently ("defective expansion slot"?
- Possible weight limit on expansion-slot devices

I'm sure people could come up with more, but I think expansions could be crippled enough to make it balanced. Or, of course, there could be an incredibly rare encounter where you get to "wish" for one, e.g. a visit from Domina or some such. But I like the above ideas better.

[Revolver]

I agree with Ghengis' ideas regarding the expansion, if it is implemented, there sould be a large drawback. Should the Freighter even be able to install the device expansion?

[Betelgeuse]

I don't see anything wrong with the Freighter being able to equip it because it already is near worthless to it. (how many devices can you put on your ship and still have them be useful)

[the_holy_thom]

nice ideas Ghengis. They would definately make them more balanced. I like the idea of a defective one too

Whilst it would be useless to the freighter now, in a few versions time, or maybe beyond heretic, there might be many, many useful devices. This would make the game vey easy for the freighter. So, for now I think its alright for it to use, but maybe in the future it would have to be restricted.

[Guest]

I can come up with 9 slots for the freighter, easy:

weapon
weapon
shield
cargo hold
reactor
thruster
^^^^^^^^ (required, pretty much)
patcher
ICX
weapon enhancer (collimator/accelerator)

If you want a quantum CPU or a launcher (for instance), you need to give someting up.