custumized ship

[Betelgeuse]

An interesting idea would be a customize ship system (star or merely a dock screen) before the first system.

In there you choose everything about your ship with a kind of point system.
You could take risks by taking really weak starting equipment for slightly better stats or ship graphic.

you could do this in a mod but I don't know how to change the ship and drive graphics.

mass I guess the lighter the more points (recoil can be dealt with cargo)

reactorPower, I have never understood why the ships don't just start with a reactor and make it so you can't just unequip it. better reactors more points

maneuver less is more points

the rest are mostly more you want the more it will cost

[Karl]

A nifty idea. I don't think you need to add a seperate point system, though, as we already have item prices, and a ship's "stats" should be a reflection of the ship's hull plus the hardware in it.

How about this:

You start the game with X thousand dollars at the "spaceship store", and you can purchase your ship and equipment there... Possibly spending extra money on a better ship hull at the expense of good equipment... or buying good equipment to start the game off with a bang, but your starting ship hull is a small economy model.

[Betelgeuse]

Don't forget in a game like this a smaller ship is a better ship.
The shape of the ship shouldn't be linked to the amount of cargo or armor it can have. I don't want package deals where if you want a certain design you have to have a certain kind of ship.
Maybe you can take a huge ship to get some extra cash.
also if the point system is used you could buy cash (in the cash system you would just keep it)

[dvlenk6]

I like scrounging around for equipment in video games. Equiping the character (playership) is a fun part of the game.

The mod I play with all the time starts with nothing but a smuggler's hold and some illegal goodies. No Weapon, no shield, light titanium armor. You have to sell the illegals and equip in Starton Eridani as best you can with what cash you get (about 2,500 credits or so usually, but upto maybe 4,000 or as low as 1,250)

Makes every start different. Also forces me to use lots of different equipment in the early game.

I think there could be 'levels' also. The higher the level, the less points/cash you get to start out with. It's really hard when you don't have good equipment to start. It's hard to loot enough to build up and you can get killed very easily.

[evilbob]

would that be the molotok smuggler? that is a very interesting mod, I end up using weapons I've never used before.

[goat not sheep]

D6....happen to have a link to the moltok smuggler mod? The one I got from thom's site was corrupted...

[dvlenk6]

I don't have that one anymore.
This is the one I've been using:
http://members.aol.com/dvlenk6/private/smuggler.zip

Go to Starton Eridani right away or you will die instantly.
Sell you illegal cargo and get whatever you can with it.

Don't bother trying to upgrade to a cargo hold expansion. Your already at max cargo capacity with the smuggler's hold.

Ship stats (so you don't have to dig through the xml):

Code: Select all

mass="200"
cargoSpace="125"
thrust="300"
maneuver="5"
maxSpeed="19"
maxArmor="20000"
maxCargoSpace="175"
maxDevices="8"
maxWeapons="3"
reactorPower="250"
fuelCapacity="60000"

[FAD]

The Smuggler is an excellent choice for a mod ship and anyone using it has a variating chance of survival from the shoot. The best part about is is that you never know what's available at the stores and after you sell your illegals, the choices you must make.
One time while playing the mod, I was able to buy an omni laser but the only shield available at the store was the Solon Shield Generator
Had to get that omni laser no matter what and so the remainder of credits went to the best armor available... Got beat up along the way but managed to loot a Class II shield which was installed ASAP. From that point on it was a little easier to advance onward.

[goat not sheep]

I love it! It should be another choice on the screen... Be a pirate!

[Blinzler]

Dude, what's with you and the pirates lately?
Anyways, everybody knows Space-Ninja's are sooooo much better.
*hehe* or just for you *har har*

Sorry, couldn't resist

[Karl]

If we're gonna have space ninjas then we also need space knights (jedis), space cowboys (some people call me one...), and space garbagemen.

[Blinzler]

Settle down, Beebop, we're taking out the trash by ourselfs... ruddy space-pirates 'n stuff...

And Jedi's? Nuh'uh. I don't think so... the Leather-Lady wouldn't play that game

*hinthint* Ninja's are ingame, dude! Shuriken!!

[dvlenk6]

...Anyways, everybody knows Space-Ninja's are sooooo much better. ...

Pirates own ninjas in space battles.
- - - - -
What other ways can anybody think of to vary the start of the game to add variety?
For that matter, what things can be changed in the start-up and what can't?

[goat not sheep]

NOOO! The pirate V.S Ninja Fever has come back! (I have a display picture too...) What's with me and pirates? I seriously don't know.