Game Design, Programming and running a one-man games business…

Shield Support Beam

Right, so here we have a brand new module I think I’ll just add to the game. I was thinking about shoe-horning it into the campaign, but that is a bit awkward to do. It’s the first module that affects a ship on your side that isn’t the owning ship. Its….. (drumroll)…

The Shield Support Beam!

Or ‘Remote shield energy projector’ or whatever I finally call it…

Basically it lets a frigate beam-over shield energy to reinforce a failing ship on a nearby friendly cruiser. It’s a frigate-only module, only working to reinforce cruisers, with a max range of 450. Crew use isĀ  8, power use is 18 (high!).

screenshot (its the blue beam thing): I may well tart-up the graphics for it a bit more. Click to enlarge.

The beam looks for nearby friendly ships whose shields are below 80%, and then triggers this beam which empties it’s ‘capacitor’ into the target ship, over a short burst of time. That then reinforces the target shield, back up to it’s normal strength. This is basically a way to temporarily gvie a nearby ship a really fast shield recharge, and is a defence againts those fleets that hurl 100 plasma or 100 missiles at your cruisers and crush them instantly.

I’ve tested it lots, but obviously it remains to be seen how people use this. Obviously you could stick 3 frigates behind every cruiser, in formation and have super-reinforced shields, but that ties up 3 frigates that have to stick by their cruiser, and also chews up 3 sockets and a ton of power. It’s a weapon socket, so that matters. So far, I’ve found it handy to combat plasma spam, but not a totally killer-app.

I’ve also set it to be an empire-only module, initially locked (but cheap to unlock). I like the idea of making any future modules race-specific, to give the races more flavour.

Thoughts?

back to the campaign tomorrow…


12 thoughts on Shield Support Beam

  1. I doubt I will ever use a frigate-only, weapon-only module, but the idea is cool. I would prefer to see it available for cruisers, perhaps still using a hard point.

    On the general idea of adding more race-specific modules, I am all for it.

    Perhaps you could give the Rebels a piracy module next, or the Order an indoctrinator? (Both being modules that steal away ships to the other side.)

  2. Good idea though I’m not sure how it will play out. Quite sure there will be an exploit here. Now if I could just get fighters to hit those shield reinforcers as a primary target……

    Anxiously awaiting the campaign!

  3. First thought: can I make support-only frigates with this? I imagine, tons of generators, and these cannons… and nothing else. Maybe thrusters for fast moving or something.

  4. It’s not so much a counter to plasma as just “more HP” which works equally well against all guns (and even better against those which cannot penetrate shields, which is certainly not plasma).

  5. Great! When is this going get released? More race-specific modules would be great, the stock races are very similar right now.

  6. I like the functionality, but do think that it needs to be more graphically distinct so it doesn’t appear to be another laser shooting at the shield…

  7. I like.

    It should definitely be Imperial-only, those guys could do with some help IMO and adding a new string to their shield-superiority bow makes sense.

    The only problem I can foresee is that in a tight formation it’s likely that every one of the ‘recharge frigates’ will fire simultaneously at the first cruiser to go below 80% shield strength, making for a lot of wasted shots…can this be coded not to happen?

  8. I’m trying to think of a way to defend these “charger” frigates against “target frigates 100%” orders. Any ideas?

  9. Escort frigates/fighters with rescuer will attack anything that attacks the charger.

  10. i think frigate only is a mite too voulrnble… rocket fighters and beam cruisers easily shred those frigs…

  11. I think there should be like a species that has target boosting as it’s defining component, say, the flies for example. I think I allso mentioned it on the Gratuitous SpaceBattles facebook page in the discussion section.
    Hope you read it.

    Is there anything new planned yet?
    Let us know!

    Huib/ Ruben out.

    Ah before I forget, a GSB modulation of the Homeworld 2 engine would be pretty cool, or how about a game that looks like homeworld 2 but that has an engine lighter and made by your company.. Remember, it’s all in the subsystems!
    Take care!

    Ruben

  12. The game I’m dreaming of, is
    a mix between Homeworld 2, Gratuitous spacebattles and Ascendancy..
    allso, some simcity would be great.

    aw but I forget, gamedesigners don’t like to improve upon other peoples ideas.
    Sorry, for taking your time sir.

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