Beating a dead horse…

I know the old forums had a (few) post(s) about this, but I think it should be brought up again (it may have already been brought up on these new forums, but ain’t nobady got time for that [in regards to looking through the posts {there’s probably a search function, but ain’t nobady got time for that either}]) — the overhaul of the ship upgrading process.

So, as it stands, upgrading ships is pretty lame, imho (engage anti-o-fuckin’-teri shooting down shit because he’s got a lego stuck up his ass field), and it could be expanded upon by these new shiny coders we have (Miros and Veska). Instead of the bland component upgrading we have now and random quota tuning, I (along with however many others have in the past) propose a new system with actual components that are purchasable from NPC vendors (basic ones, anyway) and developable by players for sale.

(all of the numbers thrown around past this point are just to give an idea of what it would be like)

Each ship would have a default number of component slots and each ship would be completely equal in stats from the get go (ballpark ideas for slot numbers: fighters would have 2, transports 5, freighters would have 10, gunships 15, etc, but frigate+ class ships would have 2 [more to follow]. Slot numbers could be heavily dependent on developer requests, though. YT-1300s would be freighters, but maybe have 15 starting slots.)

Corvette-class and smaller (down to transports, anyway) would have varying amounts of component slots, based on what roles they typically would play, and expensive overhaul kits to increase the number of slots. Each component would take up a certain number of slots and there would have to be different types for each class of ship (the following would be on a gunship, I guess):

Projectile packages – 5 slots (a set number of each, including chaff, I guess)

Shield generator boost – 5 slots (a set percentage increase or a static number like 100 shields?)

Hull package – 3 slots (a set percentage increase or a static number like 100 hulls?)

Laser weapon package – 3 slots (a set number of each)

Energy/Fuel package – 3 slots (percentage/set amount?)

Cargo package – 5, 10, 15 (5-2500, 10-5000, 15-10000? fuck if i know how math works)

** Array package – 1 (a set number for whichever package is installed)  [includes tractorbeams? dunno where else they would go. maybe laser weapons]

Capital overhaul would be something completely different. Frigate class ships and up would have 2 max slots. A “super” overhaul would consist of beefing up one area, weapons, speed/hyperspeed/maneuver, defenses (shields, hull, chaff), and take up both slots. The average overhaul kit would be one of the three possible kit, but it they wouldn’t give quite as significant of a boost to the stats (say the super overhaul gives +20 to each weapon, the average would give +10 to each weapon, for example), and two could be installed, giving a more well-rounded ship. OR one “specialization” overhaul like grav-wells or cloaking.

Fighters would probably need something like a capital overhaul kit, since there isn’t really a whole lot of room to deck out a small fighter. 1 slot, two overhaul kits (developable for better-ness aka advanced heavy starfighter loadout), balanced and heavy types. Balanced would increase each stat some, heavy would increase weapons and defense, but lower speed? Depending on which type of kit is installed, the class could be something like [Class: Modified Starfighter/Heavy Starfighter]?

Something like this would make ships have a much more Star War-sy feel to them, I think. Most of the badasses in Star Wars had super pimped out whips to cruise the galaxy in, so why shouldn’t we? I dunno. Thoughts and input would be cool.

{OB}Gyndi

Walldo said he wanted suggestions to add to this right after it was posted, but I am not sure there is anything else that could be added.

My only question is where do ions go?

Ions would go with laser weapons.

I really actually like the idea of sinking more credits into a ship to make it better, it would finally give a point to cargo runners beyond whoring for clanfunds, while establishing a limiting action so people can’t do it to every last ship.