hero ships

[Betelgeuse]

I know this has been sudgested before but I think the enemy should have hero ships. You could have even friendly hero ships that start at the same time you do so if you just farm you could find yourself out of luck in the looting stations.
Some things that hero ships could do (not all my ideas)
have a different starting equipment than those of the same class
loot so the player can not get things
run away when weakened
equip devices that are higher level than what they currently have
use repairing barrels
go between systems (this one might be harder)

[goat not sheep]

Is the iocrym a hero ship> What if he goes between systems? o.0

[Yugi]

I think that list is full of things that ordinary ships should - mainly looting, running away, and going in-between systems.
I also believe strongly that enemy equipment should vary slightly from ship to ship I don't see why they're all exactly the same. The pilots probably have their own preferations.

[Sponge]

I'm with Yugi. Why give only certain ships such abilities? Basically, it's enhanced AI, which the game needs. As far as equipment changing from ship to ship, it make sense for independent ships like pirates and traders, but not so much for militart ships or ships that belong to other organizations. In that case, they are probably being produced by said organization and chances are, they're all made the same.

[Blinzler]

Yo, I want my King's Turbolaser of haste!!!111one... ahhh... no wait, wrong game...

But fun aside, it would be nice to have some unqiue ships once in a while who require a little different tactic from the usual.
Right now we have just the one at the end...
Having said that, I am aware that the *end* is not the *End*.
How about some more medals for taking out big Ares Warlords? To impress the girlfriends back in the Bases in... everywhere.

Edit:
@Sponge
Good point. But - pirates for example should be xtremely diverse in ships and ship equipment.

[Yugi]

Good point. But - pirates for example should be extremely diverse in ships and ship equipment.

If Pirates are made (a lot) more diverse, then George will most likely need to introduce a new sovereign very early on in the game. Right now, the Pirates are a relatively weak sovereign that helps the player learn the basics of the game, such as fighting and looting. If the Pirates are more diverse, players might up against too much or too little.

I've long thought that there should be more earlier-stage sovereigns. Maybe a large rebel faction, who defy the will of the commonwealth?

[Betelgeuse]

well I would like normal ships to have such abilities but I think it is more important to lessen the effect of the player in Transcendence. The player right now is the only hero type ship.
Random devices on ships just seems more reasonable to want than a full reworking of the ai (a programming time thing random devices would be added before an advanced ai). Plus there is an issue of if an advanced ai can be resonably added.
military ships would should have more variation due to aces and differing ranks.

[Blinzler]

@Yugimotomanager
Hmm, ok I admit I didn't consider this aspect.

Reading Betelgeuse post right now it would probably work out if you had a *counter* faction to the pirates, let's say bountyhunters (who's modding Bobba Fetts ship? ).

With more factions and interaction between them you might even introduce a kind of scouting mission: one faction base send's you out to
a) just locate the other factions base(s),
b) want's you to take some of their ships and guide them to an enemy base (though the actual fighting was independent of whether you join in or not).
Now overall I think that requires some mighty thinking as to how that is implemented. Factions actively fighting each other is fine, but neither should there be systems full of wrecks (from ongoing fighting of equally matched groups) nor should the player be left to find he's got nothing to do anymore. With the random placing of the bases as is now I thinks that's rather difficult, but I'd be happy if I was wrong.

I think missions should be a good alternative to making some cash; I'm always happy to find a Korelevs base early on, that's an immense help. If they come late in the game, e.g. past St.K's they are more of a chore I have to in order to get the military ID rather then a way to get cash.
I, too, think that the trader needs to have something more in his character. The Korelevs missions seem fitting for a fighter, but not a trader (I'm not saying he shouldn't be able to do them). I just mean there should be something more in-character, for lack of a better word, to do for a trader. Maybe a korelevs mission where you're the carrier and get a support. Kind of an either/or choice before the mission.

P.S.
I'm not sure if I read this somewhere - the Scavengers are a very close-knit community and don't trade with other's at all?
Because I always feel a little bad when I *cough* have to *cough* kill them, I'd rather trade with them. Couldn't they be something like a tuned-down Tinker that also takes some of the *garbage*, e.g. broken & unrepairable weapons/items?

P.S.S.
Regarding pirates. Sometimes late in the game you find an abandoned container turned pirate base and out comes - a group of horribly underpowered pirates who couldn't survive in a system like that for 5 seconds. Just mentioning.

[Czert]

military ships would should have more variation due to aces and differing ranks.

But only very few aces with high rank have power to customize ov plane in war/peace time. For examle look at WWII - customization of planes (not talking about painting) are very rare. I only remember gen, det who replaces his MG19 with MG131 on his personal Me-109E? . Nothing more.
Planes/shis can only differ with differet versions of ships, and ships are modernized based on sqadrons, not ranks. If you are major of reservist wing, then you recive latest model of ship after pilot of lovest rank of front line unit.

Big diversifi in weapons/equipment sound very good for pirates/bounty hunters/smuglers.

[Betelgeuse]

hmm to tell the truth I don't know that much about rl military ships.
What about slavers?
In this case I think a few hero military ships would be interesting in more of gameplay terms. We don't have different fighting skills that real captains would have so we need to make them different a different way.

[Blinzler]

I think that depends on how George defines Slavers as a group.
You think of them as a kind of clannish banding, then you'd have differences between slaver colony ships (and maybe even tactics). Like there's a hero/warlord for every colony, who has his unique view on things.
One might be the heads-on guy, having ships with big slow guns and heavy front armor, but weak on the sides and back.
Another one might try to lure you to his base and it's automated defenses.
A third one might have bought some emp-weapons to kindly disable your ship.
In the end you'd never really knew what awaits you. Could be fun.

A thought just hit me - to make those hero's more unique you could have them communicate with you, sending over some friendly insults before trying to kill you or the likes. But that's probably too much.

[Czert]

Yes, boss/heroes/VIPs ships will great. Imagine Ares boss/prezident/leader battleship - and you have mission to kill him and end this horrible war , you will lead taks force (with others heroes -like rama - and others grunts ) to destoy his ship. Over 50 ships will fly to this mission..and then no one return back.
Or you will have mission to escsort Commonswealth prezident, and then you are ambushed by ares grup lead by ares hero *place name here*.

[goat not sheep]

BTW, bobba fett's dead. But on a more serious note, I agree that there should be mini-bosses. Destroy the Ares flagship...*insert hero name*

[OddBob]

Maybe a large rebel faction, who defy the will of the commonwealth?

The anarchists are already in game.

But only very few aces with high rank have power to customize ov plane in war/peace time. For examle look at WWII - customization of planes (not talking about painting) are very rare. I only remember gen, det who replaces his MG19 with MG131 on his personal Me-109E? . Nothing more.

Modern (and historical) military pilots don't own their aircraft; they couldn't even afford them. Pirates most of all are likely to own their own ships.

[goat not sheep]

But the anarchists are too weak. I deafeated them all with a freighter and 1 omni-laser.