New solar-power ship

[IvanX]

OK, what do you think about adding a new ship, that would gain power from solar energy? It should be slow like chomper, and energy producing somewhere between miner and chomper, but when it is launched into space it gains same power as 1.5-2 chompers (not upgraded), 2.5-3 chompers (max upgraded), also can add upgrade to transfer power via skill (otherwise transfer would be done with dock/undock)

That would change the standards of power-docking

[Siretu]

I think there's not a big power problem right now. I don't think people would use it if it doesn't have another useful role.

[IvanX]

I think there's not a big power problem right now. I don't think people would use it if it doesn't have another useful role.

well with power transfer it can also be used to power up fresh-made destroyers and minelayers helping it repair faster, plus making 2 of those would decrease time required to fully regain power after a good battle, and ye, rates should be at lest 2x to 3x chomper (not upgraded to upgraded) so that 1 manpower wouldn't go to waste

So following uses:
1. Between two battles it can help regain BC power stocks faster
2. Between two battles it can help double repair speed of minelayer by transfering it the energy
3. If you have some team member refining in 6 men team, you can give him part time job of using solar-powered ship. So he'd undock and give power when no resourses are sent.
4. power up wraith's corvettes and miners early game if it's purchased early to give refiner some work

As for me, i find that enough reasoning to buy one of those, or even two later on

The ship price can base on blue, assuming solar-panels are made of charco, that would also improve blue requirements at early stages of game (atm only yellow/red is req'ed at start).
So, lets say 40 veld, 100 char as a price

As additional skill, can give it some sort of "Faster condenser emptifier", which will increase energy gain by 50% for 10 seconds by rerouting power from engines and overloading the system,
300 energy cost, 50% efficiency gain, resulting efficience should be made somwhere between 20-30% (gains - energy cost). That would also put the ship to risk if bc is attacked same time. (those 10 seconds should disable both engines and docking abbility)

If more uses required... well can also make some upgrade to increase capacity of those ships, so e.g. enless amount of upgrades with +1k power cap, so in the end you can boost it to 25k power and use as additional power storage within fights, thou that part might make this ship a little bit OP

[DumbMarine]

I feel like I would rather have two minelayers. I don't see the advantage.

And I am not liking the sound of launching a ship and sitting next to the BC to power it. This doesn't sound like a fun role to me. It's already extremely tedious when the minelayer does it.

[IvanX]

Uhm, minelayer is only using 1/4 of its potential, it gets up to 1/2 if it gets powered by ionic transfer. Having a ship powering it would make it use 100% without science, or 70-80% depending on rates of regeneration.

And i do not see anything wrong with staying in space to power up BC, infact i'd rather do that, then be a refine drone for the team. And the idea was to give refiner more job - so he can do both.

And about the requirements of doing power transfer - it isn't required, so isn't using minelayer to repair hull also stablizing your core from 80% after fight, a lazy team can skip all of it and still win, if their opponents are low-skilled.

Atm there is only passive way to gain energy - considering late game both have power dock. That makes power regen same speed. And solar-panel ship would be the first way of active regeneration. That would also give birth to new strategies

[DumbMarine]

And about the requirements of doing power transfer - it isn't required, so isn't using minelayer to repair hull also stablizing your core from 80% after fight, a lazy team can skip all of it and still win, if their opponents are low-skilled.

I really don't approve of adding more 'mandatory to win' gameplay elements. They punish new players and don't really offer any gameplay depth. I mean, using the minelayer to repair is terribly boring (fortunately it's not mandatory anymore, you can deploy repair stations now). With elements like these, there's no reason not to use them, and there's no strategy. Same with chomperdocking. Core stability is a bit different from all that, it's more akin to paying off a debt, I would.

[IvanX]

You just do not want game to become more complex, detailed and tactic-based, from what i see. Just had a game where we couldn't get any kerm... too many leavers on our side, just couldn't be anywhere at the same time. And so i had to repair bc with only basic transfer and no ss energy ups from 2k to 10k with minelayer, really-really missed a ship that could help me get powering. Plus power gain upgrades for it could be non kerm-requiring.

I know all power ups require kerm, but when it's just gaining power while in space, it's not really core upgrade it's more of solar-panel focus upgrades. From what i see that ship would perfectly fit into current game and become one of the branches used in various tactics.

[Hopeinmo]

Ivan, if we get a solar power type ship, it should be an addon to the already fragile minelayer as its taking utility role so far

[DumbMarine]

Just had a game where we couldn't get any kerm... too many leavers on our side, just couldn't be anywhere at the same time. And so i had to repair bc with only basic transfer and no ss energy ups from 2k to 10k with minelayer, really-really missed a ship that could help me get powering. Plus power gain upgrades for it could be non kerm-requiring.

I know all power ups require kerm, but when it's just gaining power while in space, it's not really core upgrade it's more of solar-panel focus upgrades. From what i see that ship would perfectly fit into current game and become one of the branches used in various tactics.

You're describing a problem where you couldn't afford to increase your power because you couldn't get the resources, and your suggestion is to let you buy it anyway? What's the point of trying to get those resources in the first place? What's the point of fighting over the kerm if you can get large quantities of power without it? This seems like it would reduce the amount of combat in the game. Why risk the BC over the center of the map, just sit at the edge of the map and use the mass rep to buy everything anyway.

What's the downside of using this ship?

[Jannik2099]

hmmmm if i remember cruiser command is in a black hole-like anomaly so there is no sunlight