Re: Mod interest check
 

I don't think so, but you can always lower the costs of raising all the attributes; same effect.

Re: Mod interest check
 

My guess is a new faction that has only weaponless "satellites" to represent mineable asteroids. They would drop resources (components) after you "blow them up," which you would then go and sell.

Will this be doable at any date?

Re: Mod interest check
 

That's plan one for the mining. Except IIRC there is actually a target type for asteroids. The problem is AI..which this immobile, unarmed rocks WILL have, go figure..takes up a lot of resources. Its also the reason that most planets won't be destroyable.

Given the number of asteroids most of my systems have, it may not be feasable. The other option is having fewer asteroids to blow up, or having one in the center of each cluster that acts as a "node", representing mining the entire cluster. If that doesn't pan out either, there's always the El Cheapo option: giving those node asteroids a "shuttle over" option. You'd then go to a mining menu, and depending on the equipment in your ship, some ore would be deposited in your hold.

You'll be able to mine certain planets as well, but it'll be more difficult and require heavier equipment, and it'll only use the el cheapo option.

" Will this be doable at any date? "

At any game date? Not exactly. If you turn the initial offer down you can't do that mission tree. What you can do is get a merc license, and/or join the reserves. The reason for that is the military missions will be carefully balanced for the player only having a certain amount of resources, and if you can spend months gathering cash beforehand that won't work.

Re: Mod interest check
 

Why not just have a few random "treasure horde" asteroids with various pirate goods?

Re: Mod interest check
 

That would work but not quite what I was shooting for. http://forum.shrapnelgames.com/images/smilies/happy.gif

Re: Mod interest check
 

Sure, but could be a nice addition anyway.

Re: Mod interest check
 

Searching through a large asteroid belt to find the few asteroids with usable resources in them would be appropriate prospecting work http://forum.shrapnelgames.com/images/smilies/happy.gif

Re: Mod interest check
 

The radar sort of makes that pointless; anything that can be damaged shows up as a colored blip.

edit: though, that wouldn't happen with the cheese method..I think. Hmm.

Re: Mod interest check
 

Ok, a component display question.

Each component has a ID number, which tells the game when the player is and isn't allowed to carry it. If you aren't, and it is detected, you will be fined and/or fired on.

The question is, how to related that to the player? The starting race has several levels of permission:

Civilian
Merc
Military Class 1
Military Class 2
Military Class 3

Right now I have it indicated like so:

Component X
[MERC] (component Description)

But that eats into the description space, which is limited as it is. I'd prefer something like

[Merc] Component X
or
Component X [Merc]

but that looks..sort of cluttered. So which would you prefer?

Re: Mod interest check
 

Yay for announcing things before you have time to work on them. http://forum.shrapnelgames.com/images/smilies/wink.gif

I've had to pretty much scrap all the weapons I had before to get PD properly balanced. A 'default' PD gun is now rated to destroy a 'default' incoming missile 100% of the time..but just short of impact, and only if both are stationary. A second missile will ALWAYS overload the defense and impact.

This means charging a missile-firing unit is going to hurt, because even that first missile is going to hit now and then. Its also better balanced than it seems because most PD guns now cover only a single firing arc.