Vehicles in SPAAAAACEEEEE...

meedacthunist

So, we got Gateway station and a Mechanon's base.

I gather making a Moon neighborhood might be too much and too soon, with limited resources, but what about an open space map made entirely in zero gravity?

It doesn't even really need a lot of quests.

A sector of empty space containing flying mobs like, possibly, Mechanon drones, some asteroids or flying debris so it doesn't feel entirely empty, maybe some crafting nodes.
The Gateway model and the Earth globe model from the moon hideout could be used sa a background.

With no ground surface, so it works the best for flying heroes and vehicles. A map just to fly around blasting things and NPCs into pieces.

circleofpsi

Best Idea ever, do want

flyingfinn

I don't think Vehicles can handle zero-g...

meedacthunist

flyingfinn wrote: »

I don't think Vehicles can handle zero-g...

Technically they will work as any other character, because they aren't using TPs, just "walking".

At worst they will lose fun with being affected by zero-g because of their perma flight physics.

bluhman

Not signed.

I really really REALLY do not want another lemuria. If this is going to be done, by god there better be a crapton of stuff floating out there, like small space rocks or mechanical platforms where enemies hang out, because fighting enemies in a completely open arena is going to be hell to judge distances and height to hit enemies with ranged or melee attacks.

In fact, the whole reason that the floating really works in Steel Crusade III is that you're in a confined space (and also that none of the enemies fly). There's always a corner or wall nearby that you can use to gauge the size and positioning of an enemy. In open space, not only do we lack those walls, but we also lack any semblance of depth for the background, so it'd likely be even worse than lemuria if handled wrong.

I'd much rather see a moon zone. What could be a cool idea with a moon zone, though: its map is extremely tall. If you get high enough, you can get to space areas where the zone works as described: No gravity, vehicle-centric, and lots of small floaty bits.

dialamx

How about a Rampage Alert with Mechanon, where heroes have to fight him, and an army of his robots, just outside of Earth's orbit. The whole thing will be in Zero-G, but using a vehicle gives you a stabilization buff, for better control in space. Those who don't have vehicles can either get a temporary Stabilization Disc (Hover Disc with the buff), or a temporary, bare bones UNTIL Transport.

bluhman

dialamx wrote: »

How about a Rampage Alert with Mechanon, where heroes have to fight him, and an army of his robots, just outside of Earth's orbit. The whole thing will be in Zero-G, but using a vehicle gives you a stabilization buff, for better control in space. Those who don't have vehicles can either get a temporary Stabilization Disc (Hover Disc with the buff), or a temporary, bare bones UNTIL Transport.

It's a solid idea, but I kind of want to make it more accessible.

pantagruel01

flyingfinn wrote: »

I don't think Vehicles can handle zero-g...

They'll probably behave just like flying characters in zero-g, which is to say it doesn't do anything at all to them. Vehicles are generally immune to anything that modifies their movement mode, they also don't swim in Lemuria.

tigerofcachtice

I think a large Zero-G area would be great. I liked how Flying/Jetpack works different from other Travel powers. I pulled out my Behemoth for Mechanon just to see how it plays differently. A larger fight would even be better.

I like the idea of debris, asteroids, and how our Vehicles are all air-based anyway. This is a great concept.

meedacthunist

Rampage would go exactly against the sense of this proposition. To have an open world area with zero-g available for flyers all the time.

I wonder if it would be possible to give a distance indicator like it is in STO. That's how their game handles distance on space maps.

Or just litter the entire zone with debris and nebulas.

Problems with Lemuria are actually not from mobs floating in space, but from how it was executed.

Lemurian mobs are very often lost in a very colorful environment, even if their health bars are visible. Like green Lemurians with green coral reef in background.

They are also small. Lemurian subs aren't that annoying mostly because they're big enough to allow for easy evaluation of their distance.

And finally, mobs in Lemuria are often placed with no sense. Like small guys floating in the middle of nothing for no logical purpose.


Now, if the zone is space-colored, like mostly shades of grey and brown, and enemies are colorful, big enough and not placed with even more colorful background behind them (and without any logical sense, in short - make mobs actually defending logical places or patrolling logical areas), it might work.

iamrune

How about an open space zone area that has an ongoing Open mission covering almost the entire area?

As a reason for the zone, perhaps a meteor shower has been detected [ and possibly intentionally diverted] headed toward Earth and in such great numbers that point defense laser fire from Gateway won't be able to handle it alone.

As a result, Space worthy heroes [and any other volunteer hero with a Pilots license] is asked to come add their own firepower to handling the imminent [yet not instantly so due to vast distance and astronomical travel times] threat.

This of course gives a great reason for there to be all kinds of "Space rocks" of all sizes littering the entire area, most there specifically to be destroyed, the larger ones requiring truly large amount of damage perhaps from teams of heroes to turn into space dust or at least change their angle of approach to miss the Earth.

As players progress the Open Mission event over time, on the further side of the zone from "the entrance" side, enemy mobs will begin to appear, lending credence to the idea it's actually an attack and clues to who may be behind it.

The closer a player is to the "Entrance side", the easier the mobs and smaller the rocks, and the further from Gateway one travels into the zone the larger, tougher and stronger the Meteors and mobs become, allowing players themselves to "set" their own level if difficulty dynamically, and the most extreme distance from Gateway could be intentionally designed with Teams in mind, on or off vehicles but working in concert and protecting one another, or risking defeat.

At Open Mission Conclusion [success or failure] a one hour timer will begin and the entire open mission once begun should be about an hour in total as well, to finish one way or the other, allowing it to be a regular twelves times a day open mission event zone with one hour "relaxation" down times.

There can also be daily missions given on the Gateway for smaller meteors broken, larger meteors deflected, regular minion and lieutenant mobs defeated, and bosses defeated from the far team side area.

Lets say if a player does all four dailies it would net a total of about 3000 Questionite and 4 Mechanon [or other foe] coalition tokens.

This entire idea would totally fit into the lore by the way, as a similar "Meteor Attraction Device" was used over twenty years ago. in the Battle of Detroit!

This doesn't mean it has to be Dr. Destroyer, but it certainly could be him.. or someone else looking to leave him to take the blame.

Lore from the Book of the Destroyer about the last time such a device was used and the heroes who died repelling the meteors, Including Champions lore's Superman Analogue, Vanguard, could be unlocked at various places around the Space zone.