Apparently I'm writing more than one [self proclaimed]
brilliant idea today...
Those Red Alerts that we get in Sector Space from time to time, they're great, and they add a little bit of a random challenge for us at times, though usually it's a pew-pew situation. They're obviously all external though, and set in space. How about an internal one? Put simply, you're flying around as you normally do, you get a Red Alert pop up, and it's actually your ship that's being attacked. Instead of shooting your way through enemy ships, upon joining that action, you'd jump map
into your ship where it's your job (along with four brave bridge officers of your choice) to clear your ship of raiding parties, rescue trapped crewmates and maybe even scan for (and fix) radiation leaks?
Enable a select number of preset ship internals (ones we can choose for our ships, maybe even allow cosmetic changes etc, just so we feel at home) and then add the invaders. I know some people are going to ask for the ability to make their own ship internals here, but (and unless I'm mistaken) the devs would then have to produce a significant number of would be placements for hostile forces, and for every room, door and corridor. Not very feasible, but a set bunch of presets (we'd choose one per ship, like a bridge) would work.
Yay or Nay?
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If your raiding party is anything like their party the crew wouldn't even notice they were being attacked.
Also, a number of the ships I fly only have the bridge for an interior. That would be like fighting in a basement. Lt. Raine would not like that.
K'ymara, Orion Engineer. Caedera of Borg, Liberated Borg Tactical, Elyza Vix, Joined Trill Scientist. Christina Bellona, Augmented Human Tactical.
T'Lana, Vulcan Scientist. Arbol, Martian Tactical. Ayzer Bryn, Joined Trill Engineer. Hawke, Betazoid Scientist. Karna Valkras, Klingon Engineer. Beth Parker, Human Tactical
Sarel, Romulan Engineer (Federation). Yazuri, Reman Scientist (KDF)
I suppose the only workaround for this would be to disable the feature for ships that didn't have more than a bridge. Shuttles and other small craft wouldn't be able to enter the scenario.
I mean, exotic player ships that lack full interiors aside....
The point of a Red Alert/Deep Space Encounter is for it to include many other players at once. What the OP describes sounds more like a solo instance than the multiplayer maps that currently exist.
And a scenario where your ship is just.... randomly boarded? In space? Makes little sense.
But, if it's helping a random allied vessel repel hostile boarders, that'd be a bit more feasible. Like, a friendly gets into an engagement that goes south real quick, and you answer a timely distress signal.
Maybe only beaming in with one or two BOffs, though. Too many BOffs, from multiple players even, all in one small map, does weird things to the game.
There's even potential here for it to be differing kinds of ship, too. From random Starfleet, KDF, and RRW (or even RSE!) ships, to civilian and Ferengi trade vessels. Maybe even do a neat inversion of this premise, and sometimes instead of helping repel enemy boarders, you're helping capture an enemy ship! From Gorn to Breen to Nausicaan, maybe even gear up and storm an Elachi or Tholian vessel.
It's otherwise a really solid idea, and would be a really neat addition to the game.
Having it be a random NPC ship you help clear is a great idea.
Otherwise, what you've extended sounds like a more reasonable idea. Helping out allies in need, rather than ones self. I suppose such a further extension could have teams of players beaming down to nearby planets in similar fashion to defeat an occupying force.
K'ymara, Orion Engineer. Caedera of Borg, Liberated Borg Tactical, Elyza Vix, Joined Trill Scientist. Christina Bellona, Augmented Human Tactical.
T'Lana, Vulcan Scientist. Arbol, Martian Tactical. Ayzer Bryn, Joined Trill Engineer. Hawke, Betazoid Scientist. Karna Valkras, Klingon Engineer. Beth Parker, Human Tactical
Sarel, Romulan Engineer (Federation). Yazuri, Reman Scientist (KDF)
I'd suggest moving the final stage someplace else, like main engineering. Showdowns on bridges are kind of meh as the bridge is the smallest room on the ship. You have five guys swarming the boss, all firing their shiny abilities in one cramped space.
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That makes more sense.
It could be under the pretense of if the enemy can't take the ship, they'd try to scuttle it, so they could be tinkering with the core.
Somethings in there don't react well to phasers.
I agree engineering makes more practical sense (it's why I included it), but the bridge is more iconic for the showdown. Maybe the boffs have to stay behind in engineering to repair the ship, stop it getting too crowded.
K'ymara, Orion Engineer. Caedera of Borg, Liberated Borg Tactical, Elyza Vix, Joined Trill Scientist. Christina Bellona, Augmented Human Tactical.
T'Lana, Vulcan Scientist. Arbol, Martian Tactical. Ayzer Bryn, Joined Trill Engineer. Hawke, Betazoid Scientist. Karna Valkras, Klingon Engineer. Beth Parker, Human Tactical
Sarel, Romulan Engineer (Federation). Yazuri, Reman Scientist (KDF)
No, of course it is.
But we're talking about a matter of space. Like, actual literal physical interior space.
Like, if a bunch of players (and at least one of their BOffs with them) go to a ship's bridge for this "iconic showdown", it'll simply get too crowded. Clustered up enemies, swarming players, attacks lashing out everywhere..... no, no, it's too much of a mess.
A ship's Main Engineering would be more suitable for this, since they tend to range from large to cavernous. Plus, while a ship's bridge is indeed iconic, the Main Engineering is more important. It's where all the power in a ship is generated. And like I said, if an enemy boarding party finds it can't outright control the ship, they may just try to blow it up. The best way to do this would be from Main Engineering itself.
"With the first link, the chain is forged. The first speech censured, the first thought forbidden, the first freedom denied, chains us all irrevocably."
"Admiral... I have a Vidiian vessel on sensors."
"Raise sh..."
"Admiral!!! They have beamed into sick bay!"
"... Dammit... T'vol, you and your team with me..."
Yeah... I can see it now...
Always wanted to fight more space pirates
"Admiral... we're receiving a dristress call from an Orion freighter, the P'tang"
"Put them on screen"
*the image of your cliched half naked orion female appears on the screen*
"This is Admiral Moreh, of the Nosferatu... May we be of assistance?"
Female orion captain: "Yes... we have been attacked by the the Tholians and I bave injured over here. Propulsion is down and life support is failing"
"Transporter room, lets get those people off that ship. Engineering, we'll need a crew to head over as,assess tge situation... Captain, you are more than welcome to our hospitality while your wounded are tended too and repairs are started."
*smiling politely* "Why thany you Admiral, your assustance is most appreciated."
*communications are cut, and survivors beamed over to the Nosferatu.*
Science Officer: Sir... I'm detecting no emmissions indicating the Tholians were here."
"What?..."
"Admiral! Weapons fire reported in 10 forward!"
"... Dammit... T'vok, you and your men with me."
We already have a mission in which we have to save the romulan flagship from vaadwaur so it shouldn't be too difficult to replace the vaadwaur with borg, tal shiar, jem hadar or cardassian forces..
This kind of red-alert could start as said with getting a distress call from the base being attacked, and requesting aid, which based on your faction could be you going to their aid (such as with feds, or even some KDF), or maybe going to raid a weakened target, even just to gain more ties with a new ally such as with Romulans. As you warp in you would find what faction is attacking the base an need to break a blockade around the base both in defeating the ships of the attacking force, and also disabling teleportation inhibitors they put up to keep the base secure an the any from escaping off the base, which would be fun as a space portion of the red-alert. After dealing with the fleet/ships around the base, deactivating any devises that inhit you gaining access to the base, then you could go to more of a ground portion of the red-alert, which would have multi-layers to the base that you can go into an has different objectives to them, while working towards unlocking the final area you need to get to either the command-center of the base or the main-engineering section.. After retaking an securing the base once more, and getting the main systems up an running. Then there might be last phase that can take part either in a space portion of the red-alert such as a large flag-ship level ship of that faction warping in, or a ground portion in which a boss spawns that begins to retake the base over time an needs to be defeated, but i think having both happen that you need to divide your forces between fighting the flag-ship in space an the boss in ground would be really interesting. Issue is i could see this being a really elaborate an time consuming red-alert to actually both create, and also to complete compared to other red-alerts that are much faster, but honestly i wish the red-alerts were longer an the mobs more hearty with a increase in the time limits in them to suit the increase.