Request 1: SOD variation

I was thinking the other day about having a pirate race in A2, one problem is though that pirates aren't likely to have each ship look identical so basically I was wondering if one of two things (or both) could be added to the patch project.

1) Would it be possible to have the ability to have a ship have more than one SOD and the game would pick one at random (sort of like the ship name) ie

basename = piracru1.SOD OR piracru2.SOD


2) Would it be possible to add a command node to the game for use with modelling that would say either this part or that part is used, so you could have a basic ship SOD but then variations in ships would be added on top with command nodes attached that would tell the game to pick one or the other.

I suspect the first would be easier to do, the second I did have an idea about if you decide to add the idea, the borg command node only apears when certain conditions are met, perhaps its possible to do this with other nodes.

Request 2: Race Specific elements

Would it be possible to have borg hardpoints aswell as Borg hull parts and textures, in other words it would give ships assimilated by the borg extra weapons, so you have a hardpoint borghp01 and in the ship file you have the weaponcode to say that BBPhas uses the hardpoint borghp01.

Also on that note the possiblity for other race specific sod parts and textures would be nice, so if the klingons steal your ship they smear it with there logo and possibly to combine it with the idea above add a couple of klingon weapons.


To be honest im trying to think of examples involving stock races or similar but I have a few things I wish to try that would make good use of these additions involving non-stock, and perhaps even non-space races   

yh those ideas sound good but i dnt think that the hp one will work or b possible but the extra addons in appearance who knows dnt see y not

1: yea, i am working on something similar
2: not exactly the way you thought, but already possible in fleet operations' current dev version...

Would work to a limited level but what if you don't have the Borg base, or you capture one as the feds neither is the effect i want, I want it to rely on what actual race you are, so if the feds capture a borg outpost all there ships shouldnt suddenly get borg weapons, and if the borg loose they're outpost, all they're ships shouldn't suddenly loose the ability to shoot.

It was a nice idea though.

That would be really neat 

The original insperation for this comes from Interplays KA where they had some really advanced damage effects for its day. No Star Trek game I've played since has ever come close to anything that good. I don't know if looking at that program would help but I thought I would mention it just in case. I also know that BC has the closest thing to the KA system. I don't which from a programing standpoint is better But KA looked better with the explosions and chunks of ship flying off.