test content
Logo
What is the Arc Client?
Install Arc
Hybrid Console-Slots & faction ship design doctrine
milesvaugn
Member Posts: 0 Arc User
TL;DR: I suggest adding five new types of console-slots to the game; these can be used sparingly to add flexibility and faction flavor.
Cryptic seems to be running out of canon Starfleet ships, and (with only so many variations of console combinations) repetition and loss of flavor seem like very real threats. To help stave this off, I suggest adding five new types of console-slots to the game. They are as follows:
E/S -- Engineering or Science;
S/T -- Science or Tactical;
T/E -- Tactical or Engineering;
U -- Universal (can hold any console);
X -- Exotic (can hold only Universal consoles).
Please note that I am talking about console-slots, not actual consoles; I do not advocate adding consoles which may be plugged into more than one kind of console-slot. My reasoning is that multipurpose console-slots can be tightly controlled by the devs to just a few (and of specific types) per ship -- allowing the same type of flexibility in actual consoles would rapidly lead to abuses. Imagine the problems which could be caused by a ship with 10 phaser relays -- the mind boggles; and no matter how 'rare' any such hybrid consoles would be, this is exactly the sort of problem the game would eventually face.
For the purposes of faction flavor, the devs could decide on a coherent and consistent ship design philosophy for each faction -- for example, the Federation values Science, so every Fed ship would have one dedicated engineering console-slot changed to a E/S hybrid slot. The Klinks value aggression, and tend towards glass-cannon designs, so every KDF ship could have one dedicated engineering console-slot changed to a T/E hybrid. Factions added beyond the original two would also have their own interesting and different philosophies -- for example the Andorian and Vulcan ships currently available are NOT Starfleet ships, so might have a different approach to hybrid console-slots.
Other uses come to mind, too. Tier 5.5 ships could be built with 10 console-slot layouts including one Universal console-slot; C-Store (or specially designated 'High-Tech' ships, like the Chimera, Odyessy, Vesta, or MVAE) ships could be made more attractive by giving them all an Exotic console-slot. Ships that come with unique console could then equip them without displacing something else.
Not pretending this is perfect as presented, nor do I want to create the idea that any of this is carved in stone at this point; just wanted to put the concept out there. Constructive feedback is very welcome; what do you folks think?
Cryptic seems to be running out of canon Starfleet ships, and (with only so many variations of console combinations) repetition and loss of flavor seem like very real threats. To help stave this off, I suggest adding five new types of console-slots to the game. They are as follows:
E/S -- Engineering or Science;
S/T -- Science or Tactical;
T/E -- Tactical or Engineering;
U -- Universal (can hold any console);
X -- Exotic (can hold only Universal consoles).
Please note that I am talking about console-slots, not actual consoles; I do not advocate adding consoles which may be plugged into more than one kind of console-slot. My reasoning is that multipurpose console-slots can be tightly controlled by the devs to just a few (and of specific types) per ship -- allowing the same type of flexibility in actual consoles would rapidly lead to abuses. Imagine the problems which could be caused by a ship with 10 phaser relays -- the mind boggles; and no matter how 'rare' any such hybrid consoles would be, this is exactly the sort of problem the game would eventually face.
For the purposes of faction flavor, the devs could decide on a coherent and consistent ship design philosophy for each faction -- for example, the Federation values Science, so every Fed ship would have one dedicated engineering console-slot changed to a E/S hybrid slot. The Klinks value aggression, and tend towards glass-cannon designs, so every KDF ship could have one dedicated engineering console-slot changed to a T/E hybrid. Factions added beyond the original two would also have their own interesting and different philosophies -- for example the Andorian and Vulcan ships currently available are NOT Starfleet ships, so might have a different approach to hybrid console-slots.
Other uses come to mind, too. Tier 5.5 ships could be built with 10 console-slot layouts including one Universal console-slot; C-Store (or specially designated 'High-Tech' ships, like the Chimera, Odyessy, Vesta, or MVAE) ships could be made more attractive by giving them all an Exotic console-slot. Ships that come with unique console could then equip them without displacing something else.
Not pretending this is perfect as presented, nor do I want to create the idea that any of this is carved in stone at this point; just wanted to put the concept out there. Constructive feedback is very welcome; what do you folks think?
0