Comm jamming.
Post ideas and suggestions on new features or improvements here.
posted on April 14th, 2011, 1:20 am
This is just a rough idea, nothing serious, but having (for all races) a comm jamming system would be neat.
Basicly it'd work like this: Larger capital ships have a command ship refit available (slightly boosted stats, mostly to system value and spec energy). Support ships get an additional researchable ability.
When grouped they can cast an area of effect 'jamming field'.
This causes all ships of the casting TEAMS ships to get a replace weapon effect that adds the comm jammer special (so any ship within that allies range is affected).
The effect is thus: ALL ships in this area are temporarily removed from player control. If they have orders already issued they should continue carrying them out (if the replaceweapon bug can be worked around).
The effect would last a specefic period of time (30-60 seconds) or until the command ship or half of the science ships die.
This would be high level tech, and it would have a very long (5-10 minute) cooldown period.
Also, there should be no combat alert notification for the ships under the jamming. If they are removed from player control that would be easy to arrange, move them to team 0 and keep their apparent team as that which they started as.
Also, prehaps have player ingame text chat disabled for the time this is active as well ?
It would also be neat if there were a way to tie this into skype and jam that, but I dont see that as really possible, so jamming chat would prehaps also be pointless.
So an example of how it'd work: Feds have to have an upgraded capital ship present (Galaxy, Nebula, Ambassador, Sovereign, Avalon, Phalanx, Descent) as the command ship as well as multiple science ships (sci ships count on a point scale for this, Remore's count as 2 points, Norway/Canaveral count as one, 6-8 points required to jam, 3-4 points destroyed to cancel the jam).
This could be case via the same way the 8472 combining beam worked in stock A2, you get the ships requried in range of eachother, the ability can be cast, and it's area of effect is cast to all ships in range continualy or every few seconds during the duration of the effect so as to jam newly arriving vessels.
This would likely cause intersting behavior for the AI during the combat, with the repeated use of the replaceweapon effect adding the jamming field, but that would in a good way further simulate the chaos that jamming causes.
Im not too sure how good this would be to add, prehaps have it only last a short time, 10-30 seconds.
It'd make for a great way to force a decisive battle.
Basicly it'd work like this: Larger capital ships have a command ship refit available (slightly boosted stats, mostly to system value and spec energy). Support ships get an additional researchable ability.
When grouped they can cast an area of effect 'jamming field'.
This causes all ships of the casting TEAMS ships to get a replace weapon effect that adds the comm jammer special (so any ship within that allies range is affected).
The effect is thus: ALL ships in this area are temporarily removed from player control. If they have orders already issued they should continue carrying them out (if the replaceweapon bug can be worked around).
The effect would last a specefic period of time (30-60 seconds) or until the command ship or half of the science ships die.
This would be high level tech, and it would have a very long (5-10 minute) cooldown period.
Also, there should be no combat alert notification for the ships under the jamming. If they are removed from player control that would be easy to arrange, move them to team 0 and keep their apparent team as that which they started as.
Also, prehaps have player ingame text chat disabled for the time this is active as well ?
It would also be neat if there were a way to tie this into skype and jam that, but I dont see that as really possible, so jamming chat would prehaps also be pointless.
So an example of how it'd work: Feds have to have an upgraded capital ship present (Galaxy, Nebula, Ambassador, Sovereign, Avalon, Phalanx, Descent) as the command ship as well as multiple science ships (sci ships count on a point scale for this, Remore's count as 2 points, Norway/Canaveral count as one, 6-8 points required to jam, 3-4 points destroyed to cancel the jam).
This could be case via the same way the 8472 combining beam worked in stock A2, you get the ships requried in range of eachother, the ability can be cast, and it's area of effect is cast to all ships in range continualy or every few seconds during the duration of the effect so as to jam newly arriving vessels.
This would likely cause intersting behavior for the AI during the combat, with the repeated use of the replaceweapon effect adding the jamming field, but that would in a good way further simulate the chaos that jamming causes.
Im not too sure how good this would be to add, prehaps have it only last a short time, 10-30 seconds.
It'd make for a great way to force a decisive battle.
posted on April 14th, 2011, 8:54 am
sounds like an interessting idea 
posted on April 14th, 2011, 10:03 am
Was there not such a borg special in standard A1/A2. Nanites infecting subsystems sort of thing?
posted on April 14th, 2011, 12:51 pm
There was a borg special in Fleetops where Nanites on a ship made the hud of the player going crazy. It was anoing.
But as an temporaly "everybody on its own" ability it could work. But there is still the problem of chasing ships even on low movement autonomy. So an not to big area would be good.
But as an temporaly "everybody on its own" ability it could work. But there is still the problem of chasing ships even on low movement autonomy. So an not to big area would be good.
posted on April 14th, 2011, 2:30 pm
Needs to be two or three seperate abilities can be broken up to (MIJI)Meconning,intrusion, jamming and interfereance. Jambing where the com data signal it tottally blocked.Intrusion data operations where a station not autharized to be on is on the net. Meconning where a oppponient station tries to issue orders to all on the data net.Interferance where the data signal is distorted (like when you tune a a AM radio between stations).
posted on April 14th, 2011, 4:58 pm
I like the idea but pappy I don't understand what you said
posted on April 14th, 2011, 7:48 pm
fa11out wrote:I like the idea but pappy I don't understand what you said
How can you like it if you do not understand it ?
posted on April 14th, 2011, 8:36 pm
I really like the idea, but the implementation doesn't have to be as complicated as you make it sound.
I think the existing program has a way to make ships ignore orders, and you could apply it for a few seconds to every ship in a certain area.
It will make a big difference whether replaceweapon is used or not, because if it IS used that means that existing orders are forgotten as well: fleeing ships will stop and turn back, everybody will change targets etc. I think the ability would be more fair and usable if it didn't do that.
I think the existing program has a way to make ships ignore orders, and you could apply it for a few seconds to every ship in a certain area.
It will make a big difference whether replaceweapon is used or not, because if it IS used that means that existing orders are forgotten as well: fleeing ships will stop and turn back, everybody will change targets etc. I think the ability would be more fair and usable if it didn't do that.
posted on April 14th, 2011, 9:33 pm
That's actually one of the best ideas for a ship special I've ever heard. It's like nanites used to be but not annoying!!
posted on April 14th, 2011, 11:19 pm
Andre27 wrote:Was there not such a borg special in standard A1/A2. Nanites infecting subsystems sort of thing?
Oh man I remember that, memories.....
Quatre wrote:There was a borg special in Fleetops where Nanites on a ship made the hud of the player going crazy. It was anoing.
But as an temporaly "everybody on its own" ability it could work. But there is still the problem of chasing ships even on low movement autonomy. So an not to big area would be good.
Indeed, well I dont think this would be that large of an area (or if so would end very easy).
The way I envision it: You have a required 'point' ammount of ships to start it (your capital ship, and a mix of support/science ships). When it starts, your capital ship and all support ships involved send out an area of effect replaceweapon effect for which allied support ships will also be effected.
Thats the first stage, all sci ships in range get the replace weapon for the jamming 1st stage added.
Stage two is propagated at the same time to ALL allied ships in range, basicly a way for ANY allied ship to cause any allied science ship entering the sensor range of any allied ship under the effect to themselves start jaming (under the same shared cooldown).
This effect may (for its duration) propegagte to any and all allied stations/ships (if you use it on shipyards / sci stations, you could be really screwed as the AI will take over them and may waste cash).
The 3rd part of the effect simply is cast to all ships in range of any science ships under the effect of part one, this is the part that removes any and all control from the vessels.
Tryptic wrote:I really like the idea, but the implementation doesn't have to be as complicated as you make it sound.
I think the existing program has a way to make ships ignore orders, and you could apply it for a few seconds to every ship in a certain area.
It will make a big difference whether replaceweapon is used or not, because if it IS used that means that existing orders are forgotten as well: fleeing ships will stop and turn back, everybody will change targets etc. I think the ability would be more fair and usable if it didn't do that.
If its doable w/o replace weapon, freaking awsome, a ship at 1% hull on priority repair shouldnt stop.....
Im in full support of this, pre existing orders (other than movement/attack orders) should continue to be carried out, as comm jamming and a battle would be a good reason to sorta go 'OH SHIT EVASIVE, FIRE AT WILL!!!!!!11111oneoneeleventywun!"
Borg101 wrote:That's actually one of the best ideas for a ship special I've ever heard. It's like nanites used to be but not annoying!!
basicly what I was going for.
We almost have it allready in the way repalce weapon, lag, and the general way movement autonomy was changed for flops cause ships to sometimes do REALLY random stuff ..... But this would be for a tactical use.
I mean I can see now it it could be used..... 2vs2, one team doubles up on one guys fleet... and suddenly 'lol no u cant run'.
Of course such an effect could backfire, such as if suddenly the victims teammate shows up and throws his ships into the mele... well someone is screwed.
It's kinda like throwing EVERYTHING into a game deciding battle to defend/kill an early tac cube, if it happens at the right time it can decide the game, but the player has even less choice.
posted on May 1st, 2011, 4:24 pm
It seems like the individual ship AI needs to be much better before this could work. Jamming communications is one thing, but the ship's crew and captain would still be capable of making decisons. To be realistic, you'd need some AI settings - if we lose communication, what is our default action? Return to base, continue on course, spread out, engage at will? It would be even better if the ships could make dynamic decisions based on what the enemy sends at them. The weapon also needs to be range based, so any ships that make it out of the jamming zone regain player control.
It's a cool idea as long as your fleet doesn't just lie down and die because they can't talk.
It's a cool idea as long as your fleet doesn't just lie down and die because they can't talk.
posted on May 5th, 2011, 9:29 am
Yeah, I allready said it was range based.
And yeah it'd be really helpful to add in a semi random choice of orders.
Prehaps have the ships automaticly go to repair much sooner as well.
And yeah it'd be really helpful to add in a semi random choice of orders.
Prehaps have the ships automaticly go to repair much sooner as well.
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