Fractal Softworks Forum

Please login or register.

Login with username, password and session length
Advanced search  

News:

Starsector 0.97a is out! (02/02/24); New blog post: Simulator Enhancements (03/13/24)

Author Topic: Possibility of instantaneous transfer of command to your AI controlled ships?  (Read 2703 times)

Baqar79

  • Captain
  • ****
  • Posts: 351
    • View Profile

I've bought this up in another post a while ago, but not as the main subject.  I think though as a novice so there are probably good reasons as to why this isn't an option; so I guess this post is also for my own education, but I have a few ideas about how to implement it. 

- Alow instantaneous transfer of command to any AI controlled ship (no shuttle, basically a long range VR system), so the ship loses the captain's bonuses as it does now.
- Alow instantaneous transfer of command to any AI controlled ship, but have it cost command points and possibly have a time limit after which you are dropped automatically back to your own ship.
- Make instantaneous transfer of command a learnable skill (eg VR implants), possibly have time limits on it to balance it like the above.

Any better idea's? or should it be left as it is?

Would be great to hear your reasoning, thanks!
Logged

Midnight Kitsune

  • Admiral
  • *****
  • Posts: 2846
  • Your Friendly Forum Friend
    • View Profile

What exactly would be the purpose of this when the current mechanic works fine?
Logged
Help out MesoTroniK, a modder in need

2021 is 2020 won
2022 is 2020 too

Baqar79

  • Captain
  • ****
  • Posts: 351
    • View Profile

What exactly would be the purpose of this when the current mechanic works fine?

There have been a few cases where I have wanted to instantly gain control of another ship in combat; for example wrestling control of the Harbinger quickly when the AI doesn't take advantage of the few seconds it has to take an open shot. This transfer time of the shuttle means that the opportunity for such a shot is missed.  In addition sometimes the AI (perhaps a reckless pilot), is simply piloting it's way into a situation that it will result in destruction of the vessel unless corrected quickly. 

I think the current mechanic could co-exist with this suggestion, just as a pilot skill or in some other form.  As another alternative random idea to add to the list:
-Have hull modules "VR platform module" that you can equip on certain ships that will allow you to instantly switch between ships with that hull module installed (limited again by pilot skill?).

Perhaps more of a niche idea that doesn't add too much to the overall enjoyment in the game for the effort required to put it in; any other thoughts?

Logged

Midnight Kitsune

  • Admiral
  • *****
  • Posts: 2846
  • Your Friendly Forum Friend
    • View Profile

I'm 95% sure that the current mechanic is the way it is for balance and sanity reasons. Mainly due to the examples you posted
Logged
Help out MesoTroniK, a modder in need

2021 is 2020 won
2022 is 2020 too

Alex

  • Administrator
  • Admiral
  • *****
  • Posts: 23986
    • View Profile

What exactly would be the purpose of this when the current mechanic works fine?

There have been a few cases where I have wanted to instantly gain control of another ship in combat; for example wrestling control of the Harbinger quickly when the AI doesn't take advantage of the few seconds it has to take an open shot. This transfer time of the shuttle means that the opportunity for such a shot is missed.  In addition sometimes the AI (perhaps a reckless pilot), is simply piloting it's way into a situation that it will result in destruction of the vessel unless corrected quickly. 

Ahh, yeah, that's exactly why there's a shuttle and the transfer takes time :) If you could do it, you'd have to do it a lot, and the game would devolve into checking the entire map all the time to see where your player-piloting-skill is best applied at any given instant.

It could possibly be made ok by being highly limited in some way (say, can only do it once per battle - though at that point, probably not worth the trouble), but in general, that's why it doesn't work that way.
Logged

Baqar79

  • Captain
  • ****
  • Posts: 351
    • View Profile

What exactly would be the purpose of this when the current mechanic works fine?

There have been a few cases where I have wanted to instantly gain control of another ship in combat; for example wrestling control of the Harbinger quickly when the AI doesn't take advantage of the few seconds it has to take an open shot. This transfer time of the shuttle means that the opportunity for such a shot is missed.  In addition sometimes the AI (perhaps a reckless pilot), is simply piloting it's way into a situation that it will result in destruction of the vessel unless corrected quickly. 

Ahh, yeah, that's exactly why there's a shuttle and the transfer takes time :) If you could do it, you'd have to do it a lot, and the game would devolve into checking the entire map all the time to see where your player-piloting-skill is best applied at any given instant.

It could possibly be made ok by being highly limited in some way (say, can only do it once per battle - though at that point, probably not worth the trouble), but in general, that's why it doesn't work that way.

Thanks for explanation.

I guess it could still work with limitations in place (as another example, you could set a maximum distance on this instantaneous transfer), but overall not worth the effort of implementation.
Logged

zaimoni

  • Commander
  • ***
  • Posts: 110
    • View Profile

I think though as a novice so there are probably good reasons as to why this isn't an option; so I guess this post is also for my own education, but I have a few ideas about how to implement it.
Already implemented: it's a dev mode command explicitly documented in this forum.
Logged

Baqar79

  • Captain
  • ****
  • Posts: 351
    • View Profile

I think though as a novice so there are probably good reasons as to why this isn't an option; so I guess this post is also for my own education, but I have a few ideas about how to implement it.
Already implemented: it's a dev mode command explicitly documented in this forum.

Thanks, I probably wouldn't use this, but if I ever decide to start building my own mods, it's nice to know it is there.
Logged

Sooner535

  • Commander
  • ***
  • Posts: 118
    • View Profile

How about a (fairly) costly hullmod? Something that allows instant moving of the captain from one ship to the others (teleporter?) but you can only do it while being on a ship with the hullmod? So you can:

A. Put it on your cap ship and use it when you need it most then huff it back to your ship and have the option to use it again if need be
B. Put it on all your ships, making them less effective but giving you the option to pop back and forth
or C. Just ignore the system

Or you know we could always make AI as good as players and make SS a movie instead of a game :D
Logged

Kirschbra

  • Lieutenant
  • **
  • Posts: 76
    • View Profile

looks like alex already shot it down, but I kinda like this idea, to some degree, the tiny shuttle doesn't make a lot fo sense, sending out your most important person in your fleet in small coffin in the midst of a fire fight.  I understand alex's reasoning, you would be always looking for what to do at what instance, it'd almost turn it into more a chess game.  but yea there could be ways to make work, make it a skill, put limits on it.  Range, cooldown, ect ect

I dunno, I think it's a cool idea
Logged