NPC Ideas
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posted on February 21st, 2010, 1:33 am
Last edited by Boggz on February 21st, 2010, 11:15 pm, edited 1 time in total.
Hello!
Optec has said as recently as today that the Cardies will be allocated as an NPC race. I think this is a great idea both from a player's standpoint and from a map-making standpoint. I know we haven't heard much and that these additions might still be a ways off, but I was hoping that some of these ideas might be helpful in brainstorming and hopefully getting some new Map Objects for us map-makers to play with.
#1. Trading Post:
Use: Converts Di to Tri / vice versa at a Ferengi's rate
Race: Could be Ferengi. Could be anything.
Features: 1. "Resource Conversion" 2. "Donate Unit". The Trading Post could have a special ability (usable by any player nearby) whereby you-
A. Select the Trading Post.
B. Activate a targeted ability called "Donate Vessel".
C. Target a ship of your own (only).
Result: The ship you target gets transfered to an NPC team and a Ferengi Marauder comes by and drags it away as an added visual. Either a new option or a better transfer rate occurs at the Trading Post based on how expensive the ship was that you donated.
A Trading Post (Assuming that it was unvulnerable to keep it fair) could be a very exciting addition to a map and give a very strong reason to take ships to certain areas of the map. I think that it should have a very large red footprint to prevent people from surrounding it with turrets.
#2. Cardassian Separatists:
Use: Brings in a few Cardi ships to fight on your side.
Race: Cardassian (NPC)
Features: The station does not build ships. However, upon drawing up and signing a contract by which you agree to supply these Cardassian Separatists with a certain amount of Dilithium, Tritanium, and Supplies for their own burgeoning rebellion, they will spare several of their own vessels from active duty to enter the sector and assist you in your own dirty work.
Vessels arriving could range from Hideki Destroyers, to Galor Light Cruisers, to Keldon Heavy Cruisers. I would leave it up to the Devs to decide whether it would be a random arrival (like the Warp-in) or whether different rates for different ships would be better.
A. After a "research time" (just as a timer) several Cardassian vessels will warp in (using the Fed Warp-in physics) to the station itself. I think that it would be best not to allow the Warp-ins the freedom to go anywhere they want. Upon arriving those vessels will be transferred to your control.
B. I'm thinking that a small penalty might be good if you wastefully let those mercenaries die. I don't like the idea of actually taking away resources if they die, but returning a small portion of the hiring fee might be nice if the vessels can last longer than 5-10 minutes. That way you can get maybe 30% or something of the resources you spent if you don't sacrifice them like sheep.
C. A good timer on the Station to prevent a massive influx of ships would be best to preserve balance as well.
#3. Spies:
Use: Gives you line of sight around a few tiny cloaked ships.
Race: Any with a cloaking device. (NPC)
Features: A station or some other form of origin for the ability to activate LOS on a few small cloaked scout ships that can either be automated to form a pattern or be controllable. They could serve as scouts for the player that purchases or activates them. Dominion, Borg, and Federation could benefit from it greatly as they tend to have the hardest time mid-game in keeping an eye on the map.
As I think of more I'll be sure to add them. There are really a lot of very cool things that could be included practically and that wouldn't be unbalanced. I think the really hard thing is making sure that the NPC stations don't have to be boarded and "captured" to be used. That way they can be used by anyone at any time as long as there is a ship nearby to activate it.
Optec has said as recently as today that the Cardies will be allocated as an NPC race. I think this is a great idea both from a player's standpoint and from a map-making standpoint. I know we haven't heard much and that these additions might still be a ways off, but I was hoping that some of these ideas might be helpful in brainstorming and hopefully getting some new Map Objects for us map-makers to play with.
#1. Trading Post:
Use: Converts Di to Tri / vice versa at a Ferengi's rate
Race: Could be Ferengi. Could be anything.
Features: 1. "Resource Conversion" 2. "Donate Unit". The Trading Post could have a special ability (usable by any player nearby) whereby you-
A. Select the Trading Post.
B. Activate a targeted ability called "Donate Vessel".
C. Target a ship of your own (only).
Result: The ship you target gets transfered to an NPC team and a Ferengi Marauder comes by and drags it away
as an added visual. Either a new option or a better transfer rate occurs at the Trading Post based on how expensive the ship was that you donated.A Trading Post (Assuming that it was unvulnerable to keep it fair) could be a very exciting addition to a map and give a very strong reason to take ships to certain areas of the map. I think that it should have a very large red footprint to prevent people from surrounding it with turrets.
#2. Cardassian Separatists:
Use: Brings in a few Cardi ships to fight on your side.
Race: Cardassian (NPC)
Features: The station does not build ships. However, upon drawing up and signing a contract by which you agree to supply these Cardassian Separatists with a certain amount of Dilithium, Tritanium, and Supplies for their own burgeoning rebellion, they will spare several of their own vessels from active duty to enter the sector and assist you in your own dirty work.
Vessels arriving could range from Hideki Destroyers, to Galor Light Cruisers, to Keldon Heavy Cruisers. I would leave it up to the Devs to decide whether it would be a random arrival (like the Warp-in) or whether different rates for different ships would be better.
A. After a "research time" (just as a timer) several Cardassian vessels will warp in (using the Fed Warp-in physics) to the station itself. I think that it would be best not to allow the Warp-ins the freedom to go anywhere they want. Upon arriving those vessels will be transferred to your control.
B. I'm thinking that a small penalty might be good if you wastefully let those mercenaries die. I don't like the idea of actually taking away resources if they die, but returning a small portion of the hiring fee might be nice if the vessels can last longer than 5-10 minutes
. That way you can get maybe 30% or something of the resources you spent if you don't sacrifice them like sheep.C. A good timer on the Station to prevent a massive influx of ships would be best to preserve balance as well
.#3. Spies:
Use: Gives you line of sight around a few tiny cloaked ships.
Race: Any with a cloaking device. (NPC)
Features: A station or some other form of origin for the ability to activate LOS on a few small cloaked scout ships that can either be automated to form a pattern or be controllable. They could serve as scouts for the player that purchases or activates them. Dominion, Borg, and Federation could benefit from it greatly as they tend to have the hardest time mid-game in keeping an eye on the map.
As I think of more I'll be sure to add them. There are really a lot of very cool things that could be included practically and that wouldn't be unbalanced. I think the really hard thing is making sure that the NPC stations don't have to be boarded and "captured" to be used. That way they can be used by anyone at any time as long as there is a ship nearby to activate it.
posted on February 21st, 2010, 6:52 am
Interesting ideas, im very opposed to any fee for warpin for npc, just as i am for the feds warp in,
Just so you know boggz, optec has said for the past few years cardies would be added as an npc,
so we really have no idea, when or if ever they will come out
i mean everyone remembers how "soon" 3.0 was gonna be realeased right?
Just so you know boggz, optec has said for the past few years cardies would be added as an npc,
so we really have no idea, when or if ever they will come out
i mean everyone remembers how "soon" 3.0 was gonna be realeased right?
posted on February 21st, 2010, 6:56 am
ray320 wrote:Interesting ideas, im very opposed to any fee for warpin for npc, just as i am for the feds warp in,
So you can just walk up to this station and get ships for free? Seems silly to me. Unbalanced too.
Just so you know boggz, optec has said for the past few years cardies would be added as an npc,
so we really have no idea, when or if ever they will come out
Oh I'm quite aware. The first part of my post says that I'm aware of the plans for them. Then I mention how it wouldn't hurt to have some creativity out there
.Would you like me to keep quiet until they come out, Ray? Or can I be creative and hope it's useful?
posted on February 21st, 2010, 8:08 am
Last edited by RedEyedRaven on February 21st, 2010, 9:32 am, edited 1 time in total.
Well thought out for now; this way would be good to implement cardassians and to bring their ships in.
Something similar could be done for Talarians or Ferengi, for example.
Edit: Adding some of my thoughts to hopefully improve the concept
In addition to warping in ships, there of course is a chance to have something like an alien mercenarious yard or base which constructs smaller ships. The Hideki for example would never be warped in to be instantly killed
Also, the Galor and Keldon were almost never coming alone. Galor was preferred to be used in groups of three, the chances to get a Keldon should be kept rare so mostly a cardassian warpin would feature three Galors and SOMEtimes a Keldon among two Galors.
After donating to these stations, there could also be a simulation of a discussion on the particular station which ships will be spared to the player (forced build delay before building or sending the actual ship or ships). Also, if a player attacks such a station (for example if an AOE-weapon accidentally does damage to such a station) it could use the "npc - warpin feature" to try to punish that particular player. I think such a "crisis" should be solvable by donating a high amount of supplies or some amount of all resources only to set the npc's attitude to "neutral" again.
These stations should also tried to be rebuilt when it is destroyed, in the way a Ferengi Marauder pops up there could easily be a NPC-constructor coming in to rebuild the lost station or stations.
Something similar could be done for Talarians or Ferengi, for example.
Edit: Adding some of my thoughts to hopefully improve the concept
In addition to warping in ships, there of course is a chance to have something like an alien mercenarious yard or base which constructs smaller ships. The Hideki for example would never be warped in to be instantly killed
Also, the Galor and Keldon were almost never coming alone. Galor was preferred to be used in groups of three, the chances to get a Keldon should be kept rare so mostly a cardassian warpin would feature three Galors and SOMEtimes a Keldon among two Galors.
After donating to these stations, there could also be a simulation of a discussion on the particular station which ships will be spared to the player (forced build delay before building or sending the actual ship or ships). Also, if a player attacks such a station (for example if an AOE-weapon accidentally does damage to such a station) it could use the "npc - warpin feature" to try to punish that particular player. I think such a "crisis" should be solvable by donating a high amount of supplies or some amount of all resources only to set the npc's attitude to "neutral" again.
These stations should also tried to be rebuilt when it is destroyed, in the way a Ferengi Marauder pops up there could easily be a NPC-constructor coming in to rebuild the lost station or stations.
posted on February 21st, 2010, 2:25 pm
Yes i´d love to see some asskicking carassians out there!
Well, this sounds very interesting for me and interactive map obdjects will be fun and an improvement for sure as long as u keep them balanced.
Both, warp in or a yard building smal vessels will work just fine i think.
Well, this sounds very interesting for me and interactive map obdjects will be fun and an improvement for sure as long as u keep them balanced.
Both, warp in or a yard building smal vessels will work just fine i think.
posted on February 21st, 2010, 4:30 pm
My initial speculation would be that a small group of Cardassian vessels warp from out of the map to the station . I figured either a random group like the Fed Warp-in, or a tier-based thing.
. I figured either a random group like the Fed Warp-in, or a tier-based thing.
posted on February 25th, 2010, 10:23 pm
some cool ideas
posted on February 25th, 2010, 10:48 pm
posted on February 25th, 2010, 10:54 pm
Oh no not again!!! Die you darn bugs Die!!! :2guns:
posted on February 26th, 2010, 12:22 am
posted on February 26th, 2010, 12:31 am
posted on February 26th, 2010, 12:35 am
posted on February 26th, 2010, 2:08 am
posted on February 26th, 2010, 2:22 am
posted on February 26th, 2010, 2:25 am
"You ship has just been infested with tribbles. All functions have been slowed. Ship will explode in 5 minits unless a suitable klingon ship can be found."
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