X3: Firelance - Taking Ideas

[SteelRush]

Now that X3 is out, I'd like to see what people want for the next version of Firelance. Check my sig if you aren't familiar with Firelance for X2.

I get X3 on Friday, so I'll check ideas with my own impressions.

[Ubik]

Greetings,

My humble sugestion would be to add more missions to the BBS system as well as changing the "news" (which are not "new" at all, they are in fact "old" ) .

[Caelistis]

I do not have a particular hard on for combat ships nor for combat in general. However, I would like to see tramp freighters and larger freighters (even up to the Mammoth/Orca size ships) pack more of a punch in defending themselves against pirates and raiders.

Perhaps I am the only one to read any of Heinlein's books, let alone Citizen of the Galaxy, but his approach to how large freighters would deal with pirates is a lot more sensible than insisting that a captain waste the credits to have an escort when his freighter should have the hull space and power plant to adequately provide defensive fire power.

By design, a freighter has all the speed and agility of a corpulent Boron on dry land. It therefore makes little sense to add more/refined/better firepower to combat ships that already have the advantage. Granted, you could argue that a freighter is well protected in places like Argon Prime. What about Priest's Rings or Elenha's Fortune? For those of us that are true traders, and not someone who sits in a cockpit with SETA turned on and watches their SPP make millions with automated runs, we sweat every second that we have to creep through unguarded sectors. Certainly we could use jumpdrives but the balance sheet would advise against that as such is a costly waste and negatively impacts incoming profit.

Soporifics aside, I'd love to see trading made as enticing as capping or raiding.

[Galaxy613]

I do not have a particular hard on for combat ships nor for combat in general. However, I would like to see tramp freighters and larger freighters (even up to the Mammoth/Orca size ships) pack more of a punch in defending themselves against pirates and raiders.

Perhaps I am the only one to read any of Heinlein's books, let alone Citizen of the Galaxy, but his approach to how large freighters would deal with pirates is a lot more sensible than insisting that a captain waste the credits to have an escort when his freighter should have the hull space and power plant to adequately provide defensive fire power.

By design, a freighter has all the speed and agility of a corpulent Boron on dry land. It therefore makes little sense to add more/refined/better firepower to combat ships that already have the advantage. Granted, you could argue that a freighter is well protected in places like Argon Prime. What about Priest's Rings or Elenha's Fortune? For those of us that are true traders, and not someone who sits in a cockpit with SETA turned on and watches their SPP make millions with automated runs, we sweat every second that we have to creep through unguarded sectors. Certainly we could use jumpdrives but the balance sheet would advise against that as such is a costly waste and negatively impacts incoming profit.

Soporifics aside, I'd love to see trading made as enticing as capping or raiding.

We'll have to get a grip on ship modeling and tShip editing to do that. And sadly that might take awhile unless DeadlyDa, EarthPilot, or other people jump in, learn how it works, and send the data to DoubleShadow who can turn it into a editor.

[Caelistis]

Ok Galaxy, then let me ask a question that may seem idiotic and simple.

Is there a way to edit shield types and/or amounts on the pre-existing ships? So, say, instead of 3 25MW shields, one can equip 5?

[JonusITA]

Ok Galaxy, then let me ask a question that may seem idiotic and simple.

Is there a way to edit shield types and/or amounts on the pre-existing ships? So, say, instead of 3 25MW shields, one can equip 5?

these should be simple modification to the TShips file, the main problem is to understand what each value in this file mean

[Cycrow]

Greetings,

My humble sugestion would be to add more missions to the BBS system as well as changing the "news" (which are not "new" at all, they are in fact "old" ) .

there are actaully scripts already in place that add news that effects the sectors, i've not seen them in game yet but there definalty there
but i think a few conditions have to be met first b4 u start cing them

[Galaxy613]

Ok Galaxy, then let me ask a question that may seem idiotic and simple.

Is there a way to edit shield types and/or amounts on the pre-existing ships? So, say, instead of 3 25MW shields, one can equip 5?

If you mean to only change ONE ship, then no, not possible unless they massively changed how X3 works from X2. If you change a ship to carry 5 25MW shields then ALL the ships will have 5 25MW shields. And the only way to change it is to change the tShips file, which has been changed slightly from X2 to X3.

However if you want to change all ships to be able to equip 5 25MW shields then the anwser is yes and we only have to find out whats different between X2's tShips and X3's tShips.

[Ubik]

there are actaully scripts already in place that add news that effects the sectors, i've not seen them in game yet but there definalty there
but i think a few conditions have to be met first b4 u start cing them

Thanks for the answer... Let's hope it is not plot dependent!

How about coding more missions? Adding variety to mission would be a step in the right direction... maybe even tieing some missions to factions...

[Cycrow]

well, there are stuff to add news arcticles and stuff, but im not sure entirly how they work yet but imhopefully going to be adding some missions to the bbs if i can

[Caelistis]

Galaxy,

What I meant is that we take one CLASS of ships, say the Argon Mercury for example, and bump their shields up to 5x25MW as a feature of that ship type. Similiar additions to the Dolphin, Vulture, etc.

I did not meant specifically the Mercury I might have been flying.

Does that help to clarify the question about feasibility?

Or, if I assume it is possible, then perhaps one can upgrade to better variants of different freighters. For example, the Mercury comes with the 5x25 config but upgrading to a Dolphin, which will cost significantly more, will have the ability to have 2x125 shields along with its increased cargo capacity.

[Chaosmachine]

lots of beam weapons, with leet sound effects, and maybe some "super weapons" for cap ships(think ion cannons on hw2 battlecruisers) that are fixed position foreward firing, so they are only good to use vs only cap ships as they cant track fighters. rocket pods would be cool too.

[duke8202]

I like the beam weapons idea...I like it a lot! I also like get more options regarding launching unguided and guided rockets/torpedoes. Is there a possibility to have AWAC (advance warning "airborne aircraft") and jammer? Looking forward to whatever you come up with.

[Altarus]

Being a fan of stargate i really would like to see a few projectile based weapons (other then massdriver) Railgun or some heavy cannon using ammo made by the ammo facts.

[Vulkanus]

I'm not sure how possible this might be, but I'd like to see true afterburners in place of the boost extensions. This feature was present in the original X:BTF but was removed for The Threat and Reunion.

In case someone doesn't know what I'm referring to, the afterburners would, in addition to providing quick acceleration to top speed, also give the ship a temporary increase to top speed in exchange for weapon energy.

Afterburners would add a whole new dimension to the combat.

[Matt Armada]

Weapon id like to see...A way for a cruiser or battleship, or even a "bomber:" type craft, to launch a slavo of unguided/guided missles, or even a rail gun

Also, id like to see some new big ships....with the new way docking and launching work in X3, lota old ships are problly guna be remade in all their glory