Hello all.
Vandala suggested I make a suggestion concerning my suggestion, so here it is in the Suggestion subforum, where I'm overexploiting the opportunity to overuse the word suggestion. Suggestions ensue.
Since we're getting Ship Systems soon, it does seem prudent however to try spark a wider thread concerning people's ideas for ship systems to be implemented in-game (or at least have the relevant tweakables added.) z: )
My three suggestions are thus:
Shield Focus
A togglable system which allows a ship to shrink it's shield diameter in exchange for shield efficiency.
This system would provide for dynamic shield usage, particularly for narrow ships, which are currently disadvantaged by hugh shield bubbles massively expanding their frontal profile (and yes, I do make and like narrow ships with thin frontal profiles.) This would allow a ship to alternate between the normally decent tactical protection and a thin, tough shield for head-on confrontations with other ships of a similar or larger size class, making it better able to evade and deflect that target's fire at the cost of added vulnerability to flank attacks and strike craft.
Sub-Suggestions: Elliptical shield bubbles and custom shield effects. ^.^
Shield-Armour Brace
The shield bubble disappears and armour temporarily triples as the ship's hull shimmers with the colour of its shield effect.
Whilst ideally this system would split damage taken (2/1 ratio) between the ship's flux capacity and armour (obiously a double-edged sword as both take a beating) for ten seconds (requiring a cooldown of 20 seconds) I imagine it would be far less of a headache to code a system which temporarily sets the ship's shield type to none and applies a constant flux drain (1,5x shield upkeep) in order to temporarily treble the remaining armour of the ship. Perfect for strike runs and limping tactical withdrawals alike.
Surge System
Any tap or press of the control to this system empties capacitors throughout the ship... energy weapons double in damage (their beams and bolts should widen!) and quadruple in flux cost.
You wouldn't want to use this system all the time because it will throw your ship's combat flux efficiency straight into the space toilet (the more powerful weapons may not fire at all,) but for the desperate or the expertly opportunistic, it can allow for a thrilling and decisive blow just as it's needed the most. Subsequent quips are required by regulations.
