Riot Control Starships

[keith.lamothe]

Is it possible for one tech to unlock multiple things?  It just occurred to me that you could link module availability to the research of other things - for example require Mark II Forcefields be researched to unlock the forcefield module, or Laser turrets be researched to unlock the laser module.

That's quite easy, actually, yes.  Easier than making new techs for the modules.

That would achieve the end of needing to research modules, but without adding a new thing to spend valuable knowledge points on;

The idea has a certain appeal, adding value and variety-of-reward to those other techs.  My main concern would be players not having an obvious way to answer the questions:

a) What other modules are available for this ship?
b) How do I unlock those modules?

But those are surmountable.  I think we'll start with tying the advanced modules to existing techs instead of new techs.

250-500 knowledge just to improve one very expensive ship with modules that might not be useful all the time can be hard to justify.

Ok, it could be 100.  Or 50.  Or what?

[Black]

500 is a good cost. It is neither big enough that you would never consider it nor small enough that you would always get it.

Which means that you have to make an interesting decision.

[TheDeadlyShoe]

I think it would be better to integrate techs to unlock similar items than to have individual techs for the riot ship.  There's already a confusingly huge array of things to unlock.

IE, Gravitational Turret Mk I gets you Gravitational Module Mk I on any applicable ship.

Module Ideas

Grenade Burst Cannon - fires 5-6 grenades on a long reload

Gatling Blaster - Fires bursts at a single target with a short reload.  Can't multi target. Good against ships with strong engines, but tends to overkill on ships with weaker engines.

(unit idea - Gatling Frigate - fires bursts at single targets, long reload, tends to overkill very weak ships  but lands full damage against stronger ships)

Alpha Cannon - Extreme reload time, but can short out a lot of engines at once

[Kjara]

(note that firing a bunch of shots that can only go at a single target is really basically the same as firing 1 shot without making them fiddle with the internals--the only real difference deals with variance of damage due to accuracy).

[TheDeadlyShoe]

it would look cool though 

[Dmdunn]

On a side note, for a longer term goal, ever think about adding a Module Golem?   

Also, I'm sure you could start 1-3 Line's of module starships, along with a bunch of new tech's and ship's and a lot of other stuff, and make another expansion.

[Buttons840]

Golems with modules will be supper awesome.

[orzelek]

Actually instead of adding few new starship lines with modules I think it would be better to upgrade current star ships with modules that would fit their intended purpose but give more flexibility.

Also using current techs for unlocking modules seems like nice option. We would only need some kind of place to list required tech for given module - for example tooltip of greyed out module in modules construction for star ship.

[I-KP]

Related: http://arcengames.com/forums/index.php/topic,3904.msg25941.html#msg25941
(We need a sinlg Modularity discussion, me thinks.  This is spreading all over the board like an infection.)

[vonduus]

I absolutely hate to spend knowledge on anything else than mobile combat equipment, and even then... So the idea of paying knowledge for specific modules seems to be a good way to restrain optimizers like me.  

Imo a modular technology should cost 250, maximum 500 knowledge points. I pay 250 for a warp detector, say, which to me is only of real use in the early game.

Some basic modules should be free, but the real powerful modules should cost you. Some modules could be linked to existing turret technology, some chould be unique to the Riot ships (or other, future module ships).

Perhaps this linking to existing techs will also make it possible to upgrade your modules as you unlock higher technologies? Or perhaps this will be the real difference between mark I, II and III - each mark being restrained to technology at its own level?

[orzelek]

Perhaps this linking to existing techs will also make it possible to upgrade your modules as you unlock higher technologies? Or perhaps this will be the real difference between mark I, II and III - each mark being restrained to technology at its own level?

I was mainly thinking about that - then getting for example laser turret MkII would give you MkII laser module for star ships that use it. The only problem may be that if you don't use laser turrets normally than that laser module would be very costly in terms of K.