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I want usable shuttes please....

SystemSystem Member, NoReporting Posts: 178,019 Arc User
I know many people want some thing like this, but I am not just merely asking for shuttles, but also proposing a way to implement them so that they are usable, and yet not a hassle with having to have instances from you ship in the same instance of you ships instance.... if you understand what I'm say.

Here is my proposal, in as simple of form as I can think of:

1) First of all, shuttles would be spawned on their own instances. Like your away team on planet, they might be forced onto small space, upper atmosphere, and some large ground styled maps where the use of shuttles can be fully explore. So you would end up with three types of instances, pure ground, with your BO's, pure space in you Star Ship, and your shuttle maps.

2) These shuttles would be objects that you can enter and exit with out having to re-instance. I know this would require some new tech to implement, but I feel it would be crucial to making the shuttle game play desirable. (it's not just another rehash of space missions.) basically, you interact with the shuttle and can enter, removing your characters, and turning your avatar into the shuttle to fly around. You must be "landed" to exit the shuttle again, re-spawning your Captain and BO's, leaving the shuttle there.

3) We can use these shuttles on maps that require some less detailed maps, but they would be larger. So, a good example of a mission would be a small star base, where you have several rooms spread out by the vacuum of space. You enter the shuttle, fly out into a small space zone, and enter a new room, get out, do you thing and continue. Ground, you can have a small star port where you talk with some one, and then fly over to a cliff side facility, which you can't access on foot. The ground maps can be less detailed, and space maps could be "emptier" to conserve processing power, but leave the player with the impression of actually still being apart of the environment. I have some programing knowledge, but I'm sure this can be easily figured out, what ever you chose to do with larger scaled environments.

4) shuttles would be another thing players can invest in, and purchase, giving them a choice in their preferred shuttle types. So, some one can buy a delta flyer, or a type 2 shuttle, or a runabout, customize it a bit, and carry it with him. When ever he gets shuttle missions, he will use that shuttle. It can launch from a generic shuttle bay, and you could even have a switch some where that checks what type of ship you fly, and make a Large object which houses that one shuttle bay, so it looks like you ship you are leaving. (It doesn't have to be a specific combination, but people with an assault cruiser gets a assault cruisers looking object to launch from, while Akira's would resemble Akira's)

5) you can use the enter/exit mechanic to allow us to use other vehicles, like a fork lift, or other small vehicles, allowing us to have more puzzle based missions where we move objects around. This can also be used for racing. But these are specific to maps.

6) shuttle based combat. We can use shuttles to engage small fighters and other small craft, especially in atmo. Would definitely fit, and would expand the players palate of what they can do. As shuttles play a huge role in Star trek, so should shuttle combat. Shuttles, would be small, and smaller weapon load outs, and they may not even be tiered like the normal ships, so you can only make one set.

I know this may seem pretty difficult, but it doesn't involve implementing shuttle launches form instances where your ship is in it, and you wouldn't be able to launch during combat. It would also make some interesting maps, add a new depth to STO, that was a huge part of the shows, and putting in the mechanics opens up some interesting Foundry map types. It is definitely worth the effort, and many players would be overly excited about this feature. I know it would take a lot of work, but that is why I also offered some suggestions to implementation that would be less work over all, and yet still make for some really exciting game play. I do feel strongly that we should be able to enter and exit with out changing instances, as that would really, really enhance their game play, even though it would be a lot of work there.

I hope to hear from the Devs about this, but I would also like player feed back, their ideas, and what they would like to do with shuttles.

thank you for listening, and I hope to see something come of this. :D
Post edited by Unknown User on

Comments

  • Archived PostArchived Post Member Posts: 2,264,498 Arc User
    edited November 2010
    completely agree - all awesome ideas :p
  • Archived PostArchived Post Member Posts: 2,264,498 Arc User
    edited November 2010
    Do not forget the shuttle bays on the ship people can use but last I read ship inters are on permanent hold.
  • Archived PostArchived Post Member Posts: 2,264,498 Arc User
    edited November 2010
    Actually, From what I heard is Foundry will take over the interiors. But I also think there should be a separate instance with just a shuttle bay so you can launch from a representation of your ship. However they decide to handle that. :D

    thanks for the replies guys
  • Archived PostArchived Post Member Posts: 2,264,498 Arc User
    edited November 2010
    It would be neat to see a whole mini game developed around shuttles to be sure but it is something I dont see on the horizon anytime in the next year or two with things as they stand to be frank.
  • Archived PostArchived Post Member Posts: 2,264,498 Arc User
    edited November 2010
    I do agree, something like this would take time to get together and implement, but at the same time, this is one of those sort of things that would be really awesome if they did decide to implement, even a year or two down the road.
  • Archived PostArchived Post Member Posts: 2,264,498 Arc User
    edited November 2010
    So does any one have any new ideas?
  • Archived PostArchived Post Member Posts: 2,264,498 Arc User
    edited November 2010
    I agree with your ideas. What I would also like to see is that shuttles and runabouts would be scaled properly because currently the way the runabouts are scaled it would be impossible for them to enter or exist the shuttle bay.
  • Archived PostArchived Post Member Posts: 2,264,498 Arc User
    edited November 2010
    i want shuttle missions, but not as you've described. as a way to move on a map would be a waste of programmer time, theres plenty of other stuff 4 them to deal with. and without having to reinstance would be too complicated to, and would only save around 10-20 seconds i can live with that w8. i want dog fights, races, explore the nebula that the ship cant enter, infultrate security grid to disable teleport disrupter so away team can beam down and ofcourse o no i left my ship on auto pilot when i went out 4 dinner and now i have to chase it :eek::p:D
  • Archived PostArchived Post Member Posts: 2,264,498 Arc User
    edited November 2010
    Bohort wrote: »
    i want shuttle missions, but not as you've described. as a way to move on a map would be a waste of programmer time, theres plenty of other stuff 4 them to deal with. and without having to reinstance would be too complicated to, and would only save around 10-20 seconds i can live with that w8. i want dog fights, races, explore the nebula that the ship cant enter, infultrate security grid to disable teleport disrupter so away team can beam down and ofcourse o no i left my ship on auto pilot when i went out 4 dinner and now i have to chase it :eek::p:D

    As interesting as some of those ideas are, I think it would come off as just another rehash of star ship piloting. I personally believe that Shuttles should cover a new area of game play, and not retread in the foot steps of the old ones.

    The point of being able to use the shuttle on maps where you can land and walk around is to really emphasize landing mission, especially those presented back in the TOS episodes. There have been many shuttle mission episodes, and a majority of them have the crew climbing in and out of them as they go.

    I can imagine a mining facility on a frozen world, and you are tasked with investigating the area. You can't beam down, becasue they have transport inhibitors, so you decide to take the shuttle down. You land on the main platform and talk to some guys at a bar till you get the information you need. Turns out, you need to make it to section 12 of this facility, but you can't react it except by shuttle. so you get back in and fly over, only to be attacked by several small fighters. After a brief dog fight you land, take your target, and then leave. Mission over. While changing instances would work, it would really destroy the immersion of such episodes, until you really don't want to play them.

    And yes, all the shuttles should be properly sized.:)
  • Archived PostArchived Post Member Posts: 2,264,498 Arc User
    edited November 2010
    Dakota2063 wrote: »
    As interesting as some of those ideas are, I think it would come off as just another rehash of star ship piloting. I personally believe that Shuttles should cover a new area of game play, and not retread in the foot steps of the old ones.

    The point of being able to use the shuttle on maps where you can land and walk around is to really emphasize landing mission, especially those presented back in the TOS episodes. There have been many shuttle mission episodes, and a majority of them have the crew climbing in and out of them as they go.

    I can imagine a mining facility on a frozen world, and you are tasked with investigating the area. You can't beam down, becasue they have transport inhibitors, so you decide to take the shuttle down. You land on the main platform and talk to some guys at a bar till you get the information you need. Turns out, you need to make it to section 12 of this facility, but you can't react it except by shuttle. so you get back in and fly over, only to be attacked by several small fighters. After a brief dog fight you land, take your target, and then leave. Mission over. While changing instances would work, it would really destroy the immersion of such episodes, until you really don't want to play them.

    And yes, all the shuttles should be properly sized.:)

    i admit it could feel like a re-skined starship, and that the tv trek does focus on the travle component of shuttles, but this is a game, and it should be fun or interesting. fly to this door then to that one then to this bloke the back to the ship sounds dull to me, i want shuttle missions not shuttle flights.

    EDIT: ok just re-read your post, 2 short flights inc a dog fight would be an ok mission perhaps dull was a bit harsh, i just think if they are going to spend time making it they should make it a little bit epic. and i know it's a bit of a tangent but i want shuttle races, they had atleast 2 in voyager (one as an organised race the other a race to a probe) so the way i see shuttle set-up is a little different from starships, maybe even 3 on a single starship, a combat one a science and engineering one and a speed one, each with their own upgrade options and equipment.

    and whats your beef with reinstancing? it saves the programmers time, lets them be a little lazy without drawing from the game(in my opinion:p) and it doesn't bother me, in stressful missions i quite like it as it lets me breath and blink a little
  • Archived PostArchived Post Member Posts: 2,264,498 Arc User
    edited November 2010
    just played a klink mission (lc 10 unlocked) where you play in a (properly sized, ish) starfleet shuttle, it IS just normal ship interface and controls, 1 BO (no choise of who it is) and a phaser beam bank and photon torp bank. it was not a good bit of the mission. cryptics current shuttle game play needs serious rethink
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