Giving Small Ships More Variety

[Capricis]

Problem

Most people spend 90% of the game in the same small ship, maybe coming back to the ship at the last 5 minutes to operate something else. The captain decides everything for them.The only choices they ever get to make are "Should I wait another minute before attacking?" "Where should I place my ship while mining these asteroids?" They never get to make "tangible" or "quantifiable" decisions. Neither of these is the right word I am looking for... Hopefully you understand though. The difference between getting a physical upgrade or purchase, or a tactical decision. They generally are only allowed to make individual tactical decisions.




Solution

To give non-commanders more personal, "tangible" choices that don't cost any team resources, and aren't significant enough to interfere with a commander's overall strategy. So that it's the player's choice, and not the captain's.

The idea I have that fits this is for there to be three free loadouts that you get to choose from whenever you launch a ship. They are always available, and I think should be designed to ever-so-slightly change the gameplay experience of the small ship user.

Also, a story. When I first started playing I thought the game was cool, but there wasn't enough to 'do' in terms of micro and gameplay. So I almost quit playing before I discovered the total depth. I am hoping that this solution will help maintain player interest until they are addicted to the game.


Example

Miner

1. Asteroid Barrier
Does not take damage from asteroids
2. Reinforced Frame
Take 10% less ramming damage
3. Capricis Beam
Can fire red laser while moving

Wraith

1. Emergency Overdrive
The wraith's speed is increased by 15% while below 50% hp
2. Miner Mod
The wraith shows up as a miner ping on radar
3. Strafe Thing
Strafe energy cost reduced by 2

Chomper

1. Chompapult
Chomper is thrust in the direction of the BC at undock
2. Vacuum Brakes
The chomper decelerates instantly
3. Gravity Drive
All nearby objects slowly move towards the chomper

What do you guys think?

Also I know some of the people I talked to about this idea had other thoughts for giving small ships more customization options. I am hoping they will share their ideas in this thread!

[Corinthian]

I FANATICALLY support this idea. Thank you for conceptualizing of this problem and posting an excellent solution to it. I enjoy the thought of all of your upgrade suggestions other than Asteroid Barrier, which I think is underpowered to the point of uninteresting, unless it has a different or faster recharge mechanic than current shields do.

EDIT:
Your Chomper suggestions are AMAZING. These would all be so nice.

[HumanLisk]

I fully support this!!!!!! Love this idea!

I feel like +15 shields CAN BE like a second life. I really like the Chomper personalizations too!
I honestly like the game the way it is at the moment, but these would be pretty awesome if implemented.
I just wouldn't want anything to be too game changing or overpowered.

I didn't do the math on this. But, it sounds like 10% ramming damage is A LOT.

[Red-Rocket]

i like it, just like HOTS where you can select 1 of 3 choices, although i feel like there should also be more items for ships like 5% speed boost or 1hp/s in space heal for even more customization, while those would cost money it would help with more interactive team play, and make em cheap as they will only slightly augment ship but make it more customizable, i think that these should not be destroyed with the ship but be deposited into the construction hold on BC, include sheilds and nullifier or destroyed with death? probably...and some of the more powerful items will be destroyed...dont loose em!

[Red-Rocket]

Minelayer

1. Ultra Minelayer
deployes proximity and emp mines 10%
2. Healer
Increases amount healed to shield and hull by 2
3. cloaked mines
mines will now fully cloak, still can be shot down but visibly much harder to see (this one seems overpowered but i couldn't come up with another one)

Corvette

1. Focused shot
Decreases arc of lasers spray by 25% making it easier to have multiple projectiles hit 1 ship
2. small boost thrusters
boosts corvettes speed by 20% for 6 seconds with CD of 30 seconds (like the medevac!)
3. Pack Mentality
will apply 100 shields to ships near corvette, does not affect corvette but can stack with 2 corvettes (more the better!)

Destroyer

1. Quantum Bombardment homers
Increases homing ability of quantum bombardment
2. Quantum Bombardment speed
increases quantum bombardment speed by 50%
3. Incarserin Engines
Increases turn rate of destroyer by 50%


those are my ideas...i dont think the infiltrator should get these ups, they arent meant for that

[Karl913]

Not full cloak on the minelayer.. You can make tints on units, and make the mine say.. 50% less visible. BTW, l like this idea.

[Capricis]

Thanks for the enthusiasm Corinthian! I just changed Asteroid Barrier to say "Does not take damage from asteroids" as I think that fits my ideas of "not too powerful" and "slightly alters gameplay." You can push asteroids, or run straight through asteroid fields with it, I think that might be cool and not too great (=

Human, if you die entirely from ramming with that ability, it is essentially +40hp with no Small Ship health ups, and +80 hp with max ups. I dunno if that would be OP or not but sounds okay to me.

Nice ideas RedRocket! I especially like the corvette ones. Do you mind if I put them in the OP?

[Red-Rocket]

OP? but ya my favorite is the pack mentality, it makes it so teamplay is more important
and minelayer, yes 50% less visible is ok i guess, but i also remember that the mines dont go straight for the ships, you can dodge to the side and they will go past because they have a bad turn rate, in my opinion there shouldnt be a turn rate but that could be the 3rd option for minelayers

[Siretu]

OP as in original post.

[Tempest]

Looks like insomni might have a lot of work to do when he gets back from his job in Africa

I love the idea, would these be available as a perk you can choose when launching? how many "perks" can be activated at a time? Will this be able to be implemented and work alongside Cruiser Command Classes that were discussed in the other thread? In example could the movement speed perk from here and the movement speed class from there stack together.