multi slot devices

[Betelgeuse]

An idea from the other thread. If we had the ability to have devices take up more than one slot you can make it so the average weapon takes 10 and shields can take 20. (ship devices would have to be upped)
That way you can have enhancements that make them take up more slots or you can make less used items more appealing such as the solar array.

[Sponge]

Cool idea. It would give so many more options, because devides would take up something like x/100 as opposed to x/5. As you said, solar arrays aren't really worth the slot.

[Karl]

I don't like it, because it would make things needlessly complex and would destroy the entire logic of having device slots. (It's not much of a device "slot" if it takes ten slots to fit something... it's more of a device "space".)

[Burzmali]

The concept is pretty common. Many games have device "space" limited by concepts other than count. X-Com: Apocalyse, and the Mechwarrior series used a size gimick to prevent giant weapons from being installed in tiny ships. Other systems limit the weight of devices that a vehicle can support. Honestly, Transcendence already limits device slots by reactor power, adding an additional constraint will add an other layer of complexity, for better or worst.

[Karl]

That's true, and on Mechwarrior's mechs, for instance, having X amount of tons to fit weapons makes perfect sense.

However, we already have cargo space, so having a device space would seem redundant. And as Burz said, we already have power usage as an added factor to balance devices.

_____

p.s. If you really want to be picky about it, having "device slots" is an artificial "gamey" concept. How does a having quantum CPU logically prevent you from having a solar array, for instance? There are a number of other systems to use, each one having it's own tradeoffs--different degrees of complexity, realism, and so forth. I think the current system is ok, but if I were to change anything, I'd make special-purpose slots... a ship's computer slot or a astromech repair droid slot, for instance.

And you could have the number of "general" devices allowed be based on the type of ship computer you have... and upgrading your ship's computer later in the game would allow more devices.

Hmmm... now that I think about it, I really like that idea. 8) And we already have "special-pupose" device slots like the engines and power generator so it would just be expanding on that system. I can see a little "ship's equipped items" screen with a reactor in the center, engines in the back, and so forth.... that would be sweet.

[Betelgeuse]

the biggest limitation with the current system is that all devices take up the same space in the ship. That makes some devices like the cpu and solar array seem very weak.
A shield and a cpu shouldn't be worth the same amount of space on the ship.

As for the reactor restriction that doesn't really factor in to most games (I find tech level comes into play more) plus we need a way to make it so everyone doesn't equip the same items. (major thing of mine)
The x-com system was interesting because you could have a big weapon or several smaller weapons.
This is a way of making gunship or capship exclusive weapons.

[goat not sheep]

Hey...that's true! A CPU takes up as 1 device slot! So does a patch spider. There should be some sort of measurement of how many devices. Maybe a CPU is worth 1/2 space...

[Betelgeuse]

well with the next version even if George doesn't do this it can be modded in. 8)

[goat not sheep]

It can? I need to read the XML more often.

[Betelgeuse]

Click me
there is where I ask about the next version and he confirms it on the next post

[bobo]

note that in some versions of mechwarrior there were more than one constraint such as tonnage, specific slots on the mechs to prevent u placing anything there and criticals, which were some thing like space... this made it needlesssly complicated and confusing, which many did not like and prevented many people from modding their mechs to what they want.... i think that the limitations in transendence are pretty fine, there are times when i have to debate on what devices i want in my freigher and which 2 weapons i can fit. weapon limitations and device limitations are great in the game, although reactor isnt really a limitation in later games when u have a 1GW reactor. I think that the current system works fine, but if u find it to be unrealistc/less challenging then its your call:)