Modding Ideas for FO 4.0

posted on November 9th, 2012, 8:42 pm

Here are some ideas that I have on mods to be made with Fleet Operations version 4.0 using the features that will be present in the 4.0 release. This does NOT request any features from the developers.

Mod Idea 1: 3.2.7 with New Technology Tree
This has all of the current gameplay balance, but with the additional technology tree capabilities of 4.0. Probably not very exciting, but I need a base for my next idea.

Mod Idea 2: Merged Technology Tree
This makes it rewarding for teams to have two or more players have the same faction. For example:

If you have two or more Federation players on a team, each player can start off by focusing on something different. For example, the first Federation player can put up a Starfleet Science while the second Federation player puts up a Starfleet Engineering, then one or both players build Antares Yards while the player with Starfleet Engineering researches Chassis Level 1 while the other player researches Proximity Torpedoes for example. Both players can then set up a Starfleet Command. Three Federation players on a single team means that one player can set up both Starfleet Engineering and Starfleet Science while another sets up Antares Yards, and the remaining player gives a small resource boost to the one that set up the research facilities. Then all 3 set up Starfleet Command.

Now imagine what would happen to the other factions with this ability. Particularly the Borg and cloaking factions.

posted on November 16th, 2012, 7:17 am

Hmm. I like it for some of the ideas it caters to, in particular the idea of race vs. race. Players are now more akin to individual fleet commanders than separate factions working together. What worries me, though, is how this affects balance, in particular when only one side takes advantage of this. You now basically have one side able to tech up twice as fast.

I feel like this would work well in a different game, but as FO is structured now, I think it would end up a balancing nightmare. And I suspect that it would take a pretty heavy amount of engine hacking to make this happen, if you could do it at all.

posted on November 16th, 2012, 2:39 pm

BRING BACK WARP JUST WARP AN make it a Special for advanced ship yards only

posted on November 16th, 2012, 3:43 pm

Good point. Maybe it's possible with the new techtree to make an "effect" that removes some of the resources based on whether or not you have an ally of the same faction. For example, a team with two or more players of the same faction will have those two players penalized half of their starting Dilithium and Tritanium. That wouldn't remove the ability for those factions to rush, but it could possibly reduce the effectiveness of the rush. Though I'm not sure if the techtree would allow me to go any further than that.

According to my calculations, cutting the resources for two Federation players on the same team in half will have the following effect for the "research" player.

Round 1: Starfleet Engineering -> Chassis Level 1 + Starfleet Science
Round 2: 1 Storage Dock + 1 Mandril Freighter = Out of Tritanium

posted on November 17th, 2012, 1:40 am

I had considered that, but if you do that, you strip one of the main incentives for making use of the feature. Also, by essentially giving the team reasources equal to one player to start with you may be putting the team at a disadvantage.