Pre-SysNES2: Beta-testing and Submission

[Disenfrancised]

Soo... What kind of sports are popular in the future?

I am asking this because I noticed that Sports League requires Weapons tech.

Clearly you've never met any Millwall FC supporters

 

[Kal'thzar]

For now should we make the scenario be a neutral system? So IP>0 is necessary for all ships, Range>0, and IS>0 is as well unless you have some of carrier ship?

Also Disenfrancised, i'm not sure if you answered this anywhere but how much does it cost to refine components? The only cells I could fine for those values were left blank.

Sounds good. Tomorrow, gf sick now.

 

[Thlayli]

Someone add the Gadfly into the scenario, I want to see how a small particle ship fares.

 

[Kraznaya]

so who else is spamming red light districts?

 

[Disenfrancised]

so who else is spamming red light districts?

Not the optimal use of them I have to say .

 

[Matt0088]

A fairly decent all-in-one laser design:

MFS Platypus:
1x Charm Drive
10x DHe Fusion Core
5x Pulse Drive
1x Recyclers
4x Computational Module
1x Command Deck
1x Scanners
1x Jammers
3x Microwave Lasers
1x Pebble Net
1x Reflective Cladding


I <3 DHe Cores.

 

[Seon]

Do ships with antimatter cores require antimatter bottles to function?

 

[Thlayli]

Decent and probably difficult as balls to build, Matt. You'd need exotic gases AND orbital construction facilities. The working man's laser ship should be a bit easier to construct.

Makes sense for a late-game capital ship, though.

 

[Matt0088]

Cheaper Missile design to appease ^^^.

MFS Firefly:
1x Charm Drive
4x Basic Fusion Cores
1x Pulse Drive
1x Recyclers
4x Computational Module
2x Heavy Fusion Busters
3x Maneuvering Jets

97e, 3 Int, 5 Dodge, 2 Armor

You can take out a BF core and all 3 Maneuvering Jets for a new total cost of 70e at the cost of 6 Dodge.

 

[Seon]

CIF Justice:

A missile destroyer design for the insane.
because survival is for losers anyway

1x Charm Drive
2x DHe Fusion Cores
2x Pulse Drive
1x Recycler
4x Computer Modules
1 Fusion Buster
1 Maneuvering Rockets

95 e, 3 int, 4 dodge, 3 armor. Size 22, Mass 21.

Would be pretty nice having a couple of'em around at mid-game-ish. Though it would be a good idea to place a couple of kinetic lancers around it to keep away the annoying fast-attacking space pirates.

 

[Thlayli]

Not sure if this is a bug or a feature; Habitat Section doesn't seem to stack with Recyclers or Hibernation Pods when determining Range. I could understand not stacking with Hibernation Pods, but stacking with Recyclers makes sense.

Given the many advantages of Computer Modules, are there really any conclusive advantages to the other drives? I propose lowering the surplus power necessary for the Twist Drive from .5 ship mass to .3 ship mass to make it more competitive with Charm.

Confederate Star Ship Jathalland
Function: Carrier Mothership
Description: This is meant to carry a number of smaller IP-capable ships (can carry 2 Gadflys or 3 Horseflys) and sustain them on an extended voyage, with the backup function of being able to fry anyone that gets past the frigate screen.
Unrefined Cost: 155e

1x Charm Drive
3x Computational Modules
2x Antimatter Core
2x Pellet Fusion Core
1x Antimatter Bottle
2x Pulse Drive
1x Habitat Section
1x Supply Section
4x Internal Hangars
2x Microwave Laser

Could be rejiggered to be a command ship but that's too many functions in one. It'd be better to have a separate command/EW ship entirely from the carrier/supply ship function.

Confederate Star Ship Horsefly
Function: Attack Skiff
Description: A cheap throwaway ship with decent dodge and IP speed. Designed to be transported by the Jathalland and thrown at enemy capital ships in large numbers; some are bound to get through and board.
Unrefined Cost: 31e

1x Deuterium Drive
1x Fission Rocket
1x Intrusion Unit
1x Scanners
1x Computational Module
1x Maneuvering Jets

 

[Seon]

When you say Thermal Rockets need to be near a star to function, how close do you exactly mean?

In the same star system? Some distance based upon the star's size and brightness?

 

[Seon]

Don't anti-matter cores need antimatter bottles to function, Thlayli?

 

[Thlayli]

I fixed it. Another reason why the Twist Drive needs to be made more efficient; the Jathalland works with the Charm Drive but not the Twist Drive despite having TWO antimatter cores (which should provide enough surplus power reasonably speaking).

 

[Kal'thzar]

Do scanners require 2 computer modules to add Int? Or have I Fiddled too much with my file?

 

[Disenfrancised]

When you say Thermal Rockets need to be near a star to function, how close do you exactly mean?

In the same star system? Some distance based upon the star's size and brightness?

There will be a new planet trait modifier on heat - 'Isolation' thermal rockets will only work around or near planets with Isolation - Very Hot or Isolation - Hot

Do scanners require 2 computer modules to add Int? Or have I Fiddled too much with my file?

Yes, thats unintentional, but I'm going to keep it that way because I like it.

Not sure if this is a bug or a feature; Habitat Section doesn't seem to stack with Recyclers or Hibernation Pods when determining Range. I could understand not stacking with Hibernation Pods, but stacking with Recyclers makes sense.

Range is one of those negatively non-linear things we talked about earlier, its harder to go from 2->3 than it is 1->2. Also note you can have multiple habitat sections.

Given the many advantages of Computer Modules, are there really any conclusive advantages to the other drives? I propose lowering the surplus power necessary for the Twist Drive from .5 ship mass to .3 ship mass to make it more competitive with Charm.

Hmmm. Well none of them boost EW vulnerability like the charm drive, and are advanced by differing tech fields. Manifold drives are much better for big carriers and large ships where armour isn' much of a worry - for example you'd only need 3 manifold drives to outfit the Jathalland for less e cost and 1/2 the EW vulnerabilities. Burst drives are meant to be better for small ships, and are the easiest drive to get really high IS values to get somewhere fast, they are also absurdly cheap in e, the way they boost size but not mass is useful for heat management to boot. Twist drives again aren't meant for carriers but for high performance warships, and again should be easier to boost the IS rating. The other drives offer considering bonuses if you choose to specialize in them and refine them.

I may make the Charm drive provide more of a EW debuff and boost its cost, and make the twist drives relation to surplus power positively nonlinear.

The Jathalland is also now an invalid design at tech 5 - Antimatter bottles are heavy.

 

[Kal'thzar]

Right a decent ship, against most of the ships here there is a good chance to win.

However, it is BEYOND expensive.

The IPSS Dreadnought
Components
1 x Charm Drive
1 x Pellet Fusion Core
2 x DHe Fusion Core
4 x Fission Rocket
6 x Pulse Drive
1 x Recyclers
4 x Computer Module
1 x Scanner
2 x Fusion Busters
1 x Maneuvering Jets
1 x Pebble Net
1 x Ablative Cladding

Vital Stats
Cost
e m v
167 38 45
75

IS 1
IP 3
Range 1

Int 4
Dodge 5
Missile Defence 4
Armour 5
Shielding 3

Against other High Dodge opponents it will want to close in (when missiles are USELESS at long range)
Against Low Dodge opponents it will want to stay at long range (when missiles are REALLY good at long range)

On that note, are missiles meant to get better at long range (to hit works with a long range multiplier, if dodge is negative this gives a huge bonus to hit)

 

[Kal'thzar]

Someone add the Gadfly into the scenario, I want to see how a small particle ship fares.

Up against the IPSS Dreadnought it has a small list of problems

1. Too slow, the Dreadnought is too fast
2. Low hit chance, no int and decent defences mean you won't be hitting too often.
3. Low damage, even when they do close (and they will, the dreadnought cannot overcome the dodge at long range), 2 coupled coil guns do hardly any damage, its absorbed by the armour/shields.

My general conclusions
Small ships don't scale well against larger opponents, there is probably a minimum size that you have to build before you can get much use out of it.

Particle ships have a terrible choice of weapons to do decent damage up close and personal where they have a good chance to hit. You need to get a decent size ship and couple a few weapons together.

 

[Disenfrancised]

On that note, are missiles meant to get better at long range (to hit works with a long range multiplier, if dodge is negative this gives a huge bonus to hit)

No one is allowed to call something with such pathetic armour and shields a 'Dreadnought' . The to hit calculation was meant to work that way (missiles reach higher speeds etc), but I agree its a bit too much of negative.

 

[Kal'thzar]

No one is allowed to call something with such pathetic armour and shields a 'Dreadnought' . The to hit calculation was meant to work that way (missiles reach higher speeds etc), but I agree its a bit too much of negative.

Actually I was honouring the age old revolutionary design thing...

yes

that....

The missile thing is cool, but probably too extreme, needs some testing.