Flares
I haven't seen much discussed about the idea of flares.
Missiles, apart from being finite in amount, are apparently quite powerful methods of destroying your foes.
I think there should exist a countermeasure like some sort of flare that "explodes" and the blast can destroy missiles pre-emptively before they actually hit their target, reducing or nullifying any potential damage.
They could be conventional (missile, more effective) or electromagnetic (emitted from shields or the like). They'd of course take up a hard point or two, but could be very useful for missions like reconnaissance/assassination, where you have to infiltrate a large group or hostile territory, and plain ol' useful if you find yourself in a battle you're definitely needing to run from.
EM weapons
I was thinking that some weapons could be designed to "debuff" a ship, reducing available power to targeted systems. See early videos where there's manual energy allocation to each system. These weapons could temporarily reduce that allocation.
Suppose I am in a battle with a large flagship and its fleet. While your flagship is highly armoured and hard to destroy even if its shields are down and my weapons kind of suck, I can reduce your firepower and available power to your thrusters by using this sort of weapon, while the rest of my crew can mop up while you're moving at half speed.
This idea I admit comes from some Borg tech from star trek lore. Some of their weapons are specifically designed to temporarily reduce the power and efficiency of shields and systems, and can be of high tactical importance.
While these weapons don't do direct damage, they can assist a lot in disabling a ship while not destroying it. That might be useful if you want to like steal information from it or something.
Post
Tue Jun 09, 2015 6:24 pm
#2
Re: Flares/Electromagnetic weapons
Flares were in Freelancer so I expect they will exist in LT.
There was a form of EM weapon in Freelancer but mostly just as shield damage.
I believe alternative weapon damages have been discussed, but I never participated in that so couldnt tell you how it went.
There was a form of EM weapon in Freelancer but mostly just as shield damage.
I believe alternative weapon damages have been discussed, but I never participated in that so couldnt tell you how it went.
<Cuisinart8> apparently without the demon driving him around Silver has the intelligence of a botched lobotomy patient ~ Mar 04 2020
console.log(`What's all ${this} ${Date.now()}`);
console.log(`What's all ${this} ${Date.now()}`);
Post
Tue Jun 09, 2015 6:28 pm
#3
Okay, phew. Like I've done some quick searches, and haven't seen anything so like I thought I'd throw that in there.
Re: Flares/Electromagnetic weapons
Silverware wrote:Flares were in Freelancer so I expect they will exist in LT.
There was a form of EM weapon in Freelancer but mostly just as shield damage.
I believe alternative weapon damages have been discussed, but I never participated in that so couldnt tell you how it went.
Okay, phew. Like I've done some quick searches, and haven't seen anything so like I thought I'd throw that in there.
Post
Tue Jun 09, 2015 6:38 pm
#4
Re: Flares/Electromagnetic weapons
I had some thoughts on flares here~
Post
Tue Jun 09, 2015 6:49 pm
#5
Re: Flares/Electromagnetic weapons
Oh wow!
Cornflakes, do we like share minds or something?
Thanks for pointing that out.
Cornflakes, do we like share minds or something?
Thanks for pointing that out.
Post
Wed Jun 10, 2015 2:24 am
#6
On that EMP weapon stuff, there has to be some form of defence against it, possibly different from normal shields and armor to make it a tactical choice to mount.
How could those look/work?
Re: Flares/Electromagnetic weapons
Its just statistics, with that amount of nonsense im posting here some of it is bound to include similar thoughts to other peoples thoughtsnikki_ wrote:Oh wow!
Cornflakes, do we like share minds or something?
Thanks for pointing that out.
On that EMP weapon stuff, there has to be some form of defence against it, possibly different from normal shields and armor to make it a tactical choice to mount.
How could those look/work?
Post
Wed Jun 10, 2015 3:56 am
#7
Re: Flares/Electromagnetic weapons
Because it does the same to your ship when you fire it. =P
There is no "I" in Tea. That would be gross.
Post
Wed Jun 10, 2015 4:10 am
#8
Its a big generator that fires omnidirectionally and affects all ships in range.
And is too big to be mounted on a missle.
Re: Flares/Electromagnetic weapons
Heh, that would be a cool variation.Gazz wrote:Because it does the same to your ship when you fire it. =P
Its a big generator that fires omnidirectionally and affects all ships in range.
And is too big to be mounted on a missle.
Post
Thu Jun 25, 2015 12:16 am
#9
Re: Flares/Electromagnetic weapons
As for a defence against it, you could like match the "frequency" of your shields to the weapon's "frequency" à la Star Trek or something of the sort, and it's absorbed as temporary excess energy (to put into lasers or shields or something).
Post
Thu Jun 25, 2015 2:06 am
#10
Re: Flares/Electromagnetic weapons
Actually, speaking of frequencies sparks a thought.
One of the most valuable bits of kit in our various ships will be the scanner. In practice it "just" displays a line associated with the frequencies emitted by whatever energy source or object you're looking directly at. But notionally, the scanner is actually the source of every thing in the world that can be seen by a ship's pilot -- primarily meaning you the player. All of the "world" of LT that you see on your computer monitor could be thought of as data collected passively by your ship's scanner and transformed (by some intermediate hardware) into the visual display.
Thought of in that way, it becomes pretty defensible to think of your ship's scanner as about the most important piece of technology you have, other than the hull that keeps that tasty oxygen at a sufficiently high local concentration.
Well. If scanners are such a big deal, wouldn't it be interesting to research and build and equip pieces of technology that affect ship scanners in various ways? Isn't there rather a lot of gameplay there going untapped (as far as I know)?
"Flares" that blind a scanner (you can think of them as jammers) are one obvious application. But there must be many other possible ways to interact with a ship's scanner. Some might be beneficial (boosters); some might alter data you receive (filters, shifters, compressors/expanders); some might do various nasty things to the data received by the sensors in other ships; some might allow the sensors on multiple ships to be linked, perhaps for a significant boost in resolution or range.
Other ideas?
One of the most valuable bits of kit in our various ships will be the scanner. In practice it "just" displays a line associated with the frequencies emitted by whatever energy source or object you're looking directly at. But notionally, the scanner is actually the source of every thing in the world that can be seen by a ship's pilot -- primarily meaning you the player. All of the "world" of LT that you see on your computer monitor could be thought of as data collected passively by your ship's scanner and transformed (by some intermediate hardware) into the visual display.
Thought of in that way, it becomes pretty defensible to think of your ship's scanner as about the most important piece of technology you have, other than the hull that keeps that tasty oxygen at a sufficiently high local concentration.
Well. If scanners are such a big deal, wouldn't it be interesting to research and build and equip pieces of technology that affect ship scanners in various ways? Isn't there rather a lot of gameplay there going untapped (as far as I know)?
"Flares" that blind a scanner (you can think of them as jammers) are one obvious application. But there must be many other possible ways to interact with a ship's scanner. Some might be beneficial (boosters); some might alter data you receive (filters, shifters, compressors/expanders); some might do various nasty things to the data received by the sensors in other ships; some might allow the sensors on multiple ships to be linked, perhaps for a significant boost in resolution or range.
Other ideas?
Post
Thu Jun 25, 2015 6:55 am
#11
You might be interested in Shield Harmonics
Re: Flares/Electromagnetic weapons
Some people are going to hate me for this but...nikki_ wrote:As for a defence against it, you could like match the "frequency" of your shields to the weapon's "frequency"
You might be interested in Shield Harmonics
Post
Thu Jun 25, 2015 7:14 am
#12
flares are different from jammers (in RL) in that they are consumable objects that mimic the signature of the aircraft to be defended and trick targetting systems into following them instead of the original target
jammers are high powered senders which pump out massive amounts of noise to prevent all target aquisition, true positive or false positive aquisition shall both be prevented
[/nitpick]
(i've already laid out my ideas on flares and ECM there, so i wont copy that here)
for boosting the effective sensor strenght "telescope fields" may would be a possibility.
basically, you have a turret like piece of equipment that projects a forcefield that acts as improving factor for the using ships sensors.
those boosts are limited to the direction the field is pointed to.
those boosts could have any form, filters, amplifiers etc
telescope fields are also attractive for fancy shinies, distorting lenses moving towards the scanned direction
sensor stations would have arrays of those pointed in different directions of interest and swivelling around when focusing in different directions or on different targets
targetted disruptors could work a similar way, turret like devices which reduce the effective sensor strenght of ships inside the cone its affecting
data fusion from multiple sources could work without specialised equipment, but be facilitated by having high-throughput data links between the scanner ships and maybe a central processing point.
Re: Flares/Electromagnetic weapons
[nitpick]Flatfingers wrote: "Flares" that blind a scanner (you can think of them as jammers) are one obvious application. But there must be many other possible ways to interact with a ship's scanner. Some might be beneficial (boosters); some might alter data you receive (filters, shifters, compressors/expanders); some might do various nasty things to the data received by the sensors in other ships; some might allow the sensors on multiple ships to be linked, perhaps for a significant boost in resolution or range.
Other ideas?
flares are different from jammers (in RL) in that they are consumable objects that mimic the signature of the aircraft to be defended and trick targetting systems into following them instead of the original target
jammers are high powered senders which pump out massive amounts of noise to prevent all target aquisition, true positive or false positive aquisition shall both be prevented
[/nitpick]
(i've already laid out my ideas on flares and ECM there, so i wont copy that here)
for boosting the effective sensor strenght "telescope fields" may would be a possibility.
basically, you have a turret like piece of equipment that projects a forcefield that acts as improving factor for the using ships sensors.
those boosts are limited to the direction the field is pointed to.
those boosts could have any form, filters, amplifiers etc
telescope fields are also attractive for fancy shinies, distorting lenses moving towards the scanned direction
sensor stations would have arrays of those pointed in different directions of interest and swivelling around when focusing in different directions or on different targets
targetted disruptors could work a similar way, turret like devices which reduce the effective sensor strenght of ships inside the cone its affecting
data fusion from multiple sources could work without specialised equipment, but be facilitated by having high-throughput data links between the scanner ships and maybe a central processing point.
Post
Thu Jun 25, 2015 9:22 pm
#13
Re: Flares/Electromagnetic weapons
So I must be thinking along the lines of a jamming field.
Here's a thought... I might start a topic on this, I don't know.
Would it be possible to "jam" or fire jamming weapons at say, colonies or something to disturb economies and whatnot? I am unsure if Josh plans on introducing that sort of mechanic, having cities being able to send missiles (interstellar missiles, muahahaha) or be shot at.
Here's a thought... I might start a topic on this, I don't know.
Would it be possible to "jam" or fire jamming weapons at say, colonies or something to disturb economies and whatnot? I am unsure if Josh plans on introducing that sort of mechanic, having cities being able to send missiles (interstellar missiles, muahahaha) or be shot at.
Post
Thu Jun 25, 2015 9:35 pm
#14
Re: Flares/Electromagnetic weapons
What is the reason for firing at a colony? For game play purposes I think it's reasonable that colonies can't be destroyed and that they support the faction who owns the space above them. I can go into more detail if you want.
Anyways, since we have the Limit Theory Scripting Language (LTSL) a mod can be made that jams other ships or other objects such as missiles.
Anyways, since we have the Limit Theory Scripting Language (LTSL) a mod can be made that jams other ships or other objects such as missiles.
Post
Thu Jun 25, 2015 9:43 pm
#15
Jam communications (destroying their economy and research), reduce population, need I say more? While I probably would not participate in atrocities, I think some others would find it interesting to test out, so to speak, in terms of gameplay tactics
Re: Flares/Electromagnetic weapons
BFett wrote:What is the reason for firing at a colony? For game play purposes I think it's reasonable that colonies can't be destroyed and that they support the faction who owns the space above them. I can go into more detail if you want.
Anyways, since we have the Limit Theory Scripting Language (LTSL) a mod can be made that jams other ships or other objects such as missiles.
Jam communications (destroying their economy and research), reduce population, need I say more? While I probably would not participate in atrocities, I think some others would find it interesting to test out, so to speak, in terms of gameplay tactics