Paper #06 (EXOTIC RESOURCES) by: Paul Zimmerman

[Menschenfresser]

Or Jimbob...you park a planet destroyer in orbit and become an untouchable.

(Given that destroying a planet with special resources also destroys the special resource.)

That would be ultra cool.

[Suicide Junkie]

Very nice.

You would also have to take good care of all those ships you buy from the neutral, since the special components can't be repaired (unless you give the ship back).

Some ideas:
- 1% maintenance component (as in P&N nomads)
- Organic Armor style regenerating internals.
- "Infinite PD" cannon. Very expensive, range 1, but has a reload of zero, thus destroying absolutely any unit that comes in range. Will likely use up all your supplies in the process.
- Perfect Simulators. Facility (or base component, so it can be sold easily) that allows training upto 50%.
- Distributed MC. Ship cannot be captured by Psy Subverters, since the MC ability is built into the hull. (Still requires normal C&C to be designed in)
- Ship-based Massive Energy Lens. Large (~750KT) component which adds lots (~500) shields to all ships in the system.

[Mark Walton]

Yes repair would be a problem, but it would keep players interested in the neutral, AND identify the neutrals as a source of a player's power.

You would probably have an arrangement to trade the ships in for new ones when they get hurt...

[jimbob]

For special components I can see this as being valuable... only they can make them. But then, how do we make the neutral (computer) player smart enough to actually trade with anyone else? Plus, there is no way of upgrading a few of the components on a ship... so we would have to content ourselves with buying ships with special components but crummy shields (for example). The crummy shields could never be upgraded without losing the special component... er, unless it was built into the hull!?

With facilities it would be easier, just drop some troops on the planet. Of course if you damage the facilities during pre-ground combat bombardment you've made yourself a problem. But otherwise, the special facilities are not going to help you at all.

So, would it actually be possible to do any of this without hard-code changes?

-jimbob

[jimbob]

yeah, I know, my Last post made less sense than even my regular comments I'm trying again, though I promise nothing.

This is the way my fevered mind sees it.
If the 'buyer' acquires a ship with a special component on it from a neutral race (or anyone else for that matter) they will not be able to upgrade other components of the acquired ship because they cannot design an upgrade that still has the special component.

So, for the components to be 'usefully transferable' they would need to be an integral part of the hull. Then the 'buyer' could upgrade the components on the ship without losing the special ability. So every special component would actually have to be a new hull type.

But! the 'buyer' cannot make that hull type, so they cannot upgrade that hull type, so they're stuck with crummy ships from the neutral player! Argg.

This is why I think we can only accomplish successful trade of 'special commodities' through hard-code changes.

-jimbob

[Suicide Junkie]

Oh, not at all, jimbob!

Part of the price of those awesome ships is the fact that you have to give the neutral all your tech . The neutral player gets shields level 10, and you get your ship with all the latest shields.

I've got a Merchant race, that takes all the racial techs. In order to be allowed future purchases, you must give me some Tech.
I use the tech to build the ships, which you then buy. (First one is free, because of the tech gift)
People trade racial techs to me, and I give 'em organic/crystalline armored psy-subverter and TimeDistortionBurst armed Dreadnaughts with a Talisman for good luck.
In P&N, they get all the crossover techs too

PS: anybody who holds back with the techs, loses their ship-purchasing priviledges.

[This message has been edited by suicide_junkie (edited 15 November 2001).]

[Mark Walton]

Working on this...

Currently looking like:

LIQUID MEMORY METAL RACE/SHIPS
Components each fulfill multiple functions
Regenerating components
Going to end up being like the evil terminator in T2
Working on ship styles in the free Version of "Amorphium" so I'll probably call the rare material Amorphium in recognition! http://www.irregulars.org/AMORPH_SHIP_1_RESIZED.bmp

SPICE
Inspired by Dune, there will be facilities which improve life on worlds, and special spice-enhanced crew quarters for all vehicle types. Also, "Navigator Spice" with loads of emergency move, in small use-once pods.

OBLIVIUM ANTIPARTICLES
Another rare mineral, this one causes destruction of matter and energy on contact.
Used this to make the infinite PD, which is also a shield generator. (Idea is, the PD represents antiparticles suspended in the shield, ready to annihilate anything which comes too close)
Use of oblivium will also allow creation of black hole generators, deadly missiles, planet-busters etc.

Don't know how soon I'll get any or all of this finished.