Proposed update for the Orbital Mass Driver

[KDR_11k]

Is the idea another bonus ship or a base ship? Because if it's just a bonus ship infiltrators do the job just fine.

[keith.lamothe]

@Keith (I know you're watching just letting us hash it out):

Actually just aiming the OMD while you're all concentrated.

What would the difficulty codewise be of swapping OMD's to a different set of stats based on minor faction selection?  Basically, I'm thinking of a different OMD being seeded should a superweapon faction be selected.

Stat swapping is a last-resort sort of thing (did it for golems and only for a few stats), but we could have an "alter ego OMD" new ship type that gets seeded instead of the normal one, and it could have different stats or shoot plaid rainbows or whatever.

[chemical_art]

If we wanted an OMD that was different depending on minor factions, why not stick with the OP and get a multiplier against ultra heavy?

It wouldn't hurt starships any more, but hit the very minor factions that need the boost in damage.

The only difference would be moving some (or all) of the champion hulls to ultra-heavy if champions wanted more damage. The battleship, at least, could be moved to ultra heavy.

[chemical_art]

Is the idea another bonus ship or a base ship? Because if it's just a bonus ship infiltrators do the job just fine.

We could go crazy.

You know the targetting logic on the penetrator, where it only fires if directly commanded?

Give that logic to scouts (or call them a new name), and give them a weak, armor piercing shot that pierces shields and only gets a bonus to ultra-heavy and structural. It would mostly chip the paint, but for MK III scouts you might be able to chip away 5% or 10% or so of an OMD per cap.

It's meant as a weak last resort, but on the side provide motivation to get some III's for anything but for scouting.

[Burnstreet]

@Keith (I know you're watching just letting us hash it out):

Actually just aiming the OMD while you're all concentrated.

What would the difficulty codewise be of swapping OMD's to a different set of stats based on minor faction selection?  Basically, I'm thinking of a different OMD being seeded should a superweapon faction be selected.

Stat swapping is a last-resort sort of thing (did it for golems and only for a few stats), but we could have an "alter ego OMD" new ship type that gets seeded instead of the normal one, and it could have different stats or shoot plaid rainbows or whatever.

Please! I want an Orbital Rainbow Driver! 

[Mánagarmr]

AI War: Friendship is Magic?

[Kahuna]

AI War: Friendship is Magic?

AI War: AI Makes a Peace
AI War: AI Falls In Love
AI War: AI Becomes a Father
AI War: AI Buys a Pony
AI War: Teenage Mad Bomber AIs

[KDR_11k]

AI War: Teenage Mad Bomber AIs

Now we need a variant of the Turtle AI called the Ninja Turtle...

[keith.lamothe]

AI War: Teenage Mad Bomber AIs

Now we need a variant of the Turtle AI called the Ninja Turtle...

A turtle with a ton of etherjets in its special forces and threatfleet might do an excellent imitation

[Histidine]

Hunter/Killer Love/Tolerance Bus

[Fluffiest]

I was thinking Hugger/Kisser, actually.

Back on track. Why don't the "Raider" bonus fleetships have forcefield immunity? They look like they really want to be a fleet version of the Raid Starship, but they're missing its most important feature (also, they have mine immunity which the Starship lacks).

Can anyone think of a fleetship with Black Hole Machine immunity?

[KDR_11k]

I guess Raiders don't ignore FFs because that's the job of Infiltrators.

[Kahuna]

I guess Raiders don't ignore FFs because that's the job of Infiltrators.

Infiltrators shouldn't ignore FFs because that's the job of Eye Bots.
Eye Bots shouldn't ignore FFs because that's the job of melee ships.
Melee ships shouldn't ignore FFs because that's the job of Raid Starships.

[chemical_art]

I guess Raiders don't ignore FFs because that's the job of Infiltrators.

Infiltrators shouldn't ignore FFs because that's the job of Eye Bots.
Eye Bots shouldn't ignore FFs because that's the job of melee ships.
Melee ships shouldn't ignore FFs because that's the job of Raid Starships.

Because raiding = shield piercing, right?

[KDR_11k]

I guess Raiders don't ignore FFs because that's the job of Infiltrators.

Infiltrators shouldn't ignore FFs because that's the job of Eye Bots.
Eye Bots shouldn't ignore FFs because that's the job of melee ships.
Melee ships shouldn't ignore FFs because that's the job of Raid Starships.

Infils and Raiders are both swarmer fleet ships for different raiding scenarios. Also melee only ignores FFs because it wouldn't work properly otherwise.

The Raider might need a buff considering its tractor immunity isn't all that interesting especially when the Infil can just bypass tractors by staying cloaked. Mine immunity doesn't do all that much when dealing with the AI either. Converging the raider and infiltrator into the same ship probably isn't the right approach though.