Directional Shielding!

posted on April 20th, 2009, 1:06 pm

Mark and I had talked about this a few weeks ago, so I thought it about time to bring this notion to the front.

Many other RTS's now include directional armor for units (front more heavy than sides more heavy than back) so wouldn't it be awesome if this could be implemented in Fleet Operations too? Think of those retreat-avoiding Klingons and Dominion: assault ship classes could be made to have heavy frontal shielding, and if they try to retreat you can shoot them in the arse and make them go boom.

Likewise, think of the Romulans who would likely retreat and so what "FULL power to the rear deflector shields! *whiny voice* NOW!" Or imagine flanking being actually useful.

You say this idea is impossible? Well, we've seen the Klingon shipyard able to assign different shielding for each portion of the yard(s), so why not somehow implement this into a ship. I'm not a modder so I don't know how (I think Mark has a much better idea of how this might work, but I haven't talked at length with him about it.... sorry  )

Of course, this would also require redoing the turning capabilities of most ships, as they can turn to face the enemy way to quickly at the moment, negating the "attack rear shields" strategem. 

posted on April 20th, 2009, 1:20 pm

Thats a nice idea. But I really dont think its possible, unless you build a ship out of different segments, each with its own shield (like the klingon yard has now).
Though I dont know anything about modding, I do think this would be nearly impossible. But very very cool if possible!

posted on April 20th, 2009, 1:29 pm

Of course, this would also require redoing the turning capabilities of most ships, as they can turn to face the enemy way to quickly at the moment, negating the "attack rear shields" strategem. 

Why would it require screwing up the turning?

posted on April 20th, 2009, 1:38 pm

though an interesting idea, the armada engine isn't really laid out for a damage allocation system like this. when i think about it - it may be possible to implement with some trickery, but is it really something that would be good in armada? it would mean a lot of micro management. it's a good system in games like starfleet command - but in an rts?

posted on April 20th, 2009, 1:39 pm

I really like the idea!  :thumbsup:

In my opinion it is a probably possible way to implement directional shielding by making one vessel from several objects (the shielding parts may not even have a visible, but only spacious sod). These have to be attatched to the vessels sod. The physics would need to be like station-physics, but the sod's are not fixed to absolute space, but to a sod's position and orientation (relative coordinates) (this is the part that has to be hardcoded in my belief, or is it existent ATM).

It might also be possible to do a not animated shield-recharge, weapon, that has predefined targets.

I belive it's impossible to make the AI use it, but who cares *gg*.

The biggest problem is, that the FO-team has so much stuff todo till 4.0 that such a huge project, like adding 3 invisivle sods to 200 vessels, is not possible in near and even middle future. On the other hand, the FO team is always full of surprises.

[DOCa Cola]

posted on April 20th, 2009, 2:30 pm

Last edited by DOCa Cola on April 20th, 2009, 2:33 pm, edited 1 time in total.

instead of more sods attached to each vessel i more thought just of calculating the damage through the impact angle of the shot. damage allocation is done through the ordnances that are fired. the same function can of course access the position of the fired ordnance and the target's, so it would just be some math to know from which angle the target was hit, but i am not convinced that this system in general would fit for armada

edit: ah, ok, got that wrong. you mean just like star fleet command where you have 4 shield sectors that each can have independent damage. nah, i think that would be a lot more tricky to do

posted on April 20th, 2009, 2:38 pm

what if you set up a single smaller shield around a hardpoint in the front of the ship?

posted on April 20th, 2009, 2:47 pm

before a shot is fired, it already has been calculated if the shot hits or not or on which damage hardpoint the ordnance will hit. so it doesn't matter a lot if there is anything else in between the ordnance and the vessel. it is nearly impossible to implement 4 different hit-zones. as a proof of concept it would maybe, but everything else in armada is laid out to have only one shield value per ship...

posted on April 20th, 2009, 2:57 pm

Well some RTSs' already have this system (Company of Heroes comes to mind). The problem might be with the sheer number of ships you're controling in FO, while in CoH there might be 5 tanks at a time in FO its 30ships. That would make things complicated IMO, maybe a bit too complicated
But I like challenges like this in games, so Im for the idea - if it is possible ofc

posted on April 20th, 2009, 8:02 pm

Yeah, other RTS's that do it are Tiberium Wars and Red Alert 3... you definitely control more than 30 units in a battle there 

Personally I think it would make it much better for making strategies against particular races. Imagine if Veqlargs had stronger aft shields, but if they were ambushed from the front they would crumble much more readily, fitting What's-Her-Face's pirate montra. It would definitely add a third dimension towards breaking the enemy's line ... as well as setting up pawns in the front of a fleet while decloaking your stronger ships behind them. All in my opinion of course 

posted on April 20th, 2009, 9:06 pm

As I said, Im all for the idea 
Though, appart from each part of the ship having a bubble like shield, I dont see how this could be possible.


But let Optec reply, he usually knows a thing or 2 about such stuff 

posted on April 20th, 2009, 9:16 pm

eeeh gads no.............i hope this doesnt get in the game.  i hate microing.......assuming a ship has a captain with experience and a well trained crew then there should be no need to micro every single ship.  just point them to a spot and let them do their thing.  i play the game like some kind of super admiral or something.  im in charge of the overall strategy but i leave the tactics to the ships themselves.

[Anonymous]

posted on April 20th, 2009, 9:27 pm

Last edited by Anonymous on April 20th, 2009, 9:40 pm, edited 1 time in total.

one question.

At this time the shield strength of a ship is indicative of the entire shield. How are we to actually gauge which direction is involved.
Also, how do we do it from a gameplay perspective?
do we redirect if the front shield is weakening from the aft to the front?
doesnt that simply amount to adding extra shielding to ships?

meaning if i can redirect from aft to front it tantamounts to being a form of regeneration of shields in a front to front battle.
then if i retreat do i redirect from port or starboard to rear...... seems to be more micro-management of shields... with overall gameplya being affected as having new shields added.

I would simply prefer a retreat mode redirect power from auxiliary systems -maybe weapons- to shields option.... that would grant additional shields as we run....while reducing or stopping weapons fire...

if this were possible?

posted on April 20th, 2009, 9:29 pm

Of course I'll wait and abide by the Rule of Team, what else can I do  :lol:

posted on April 20th, 2009, 9:57 pm

Interesting ideas but what I think is more feasible would be just to have it so if you get hit from behind you take say double damage compared to being hit at the front.

The amount of extra damage might vary from race to race, presumably with the Feds having the best ratio and Klingons the worst. But you would still only have one shield bar that would just decrease more rapidly if it from behind.

That way it's not overcomplicated but gives more advantage to planned hit and run and flanking manoeuvres.