Paradoxnt

I really hope that the stars are actually useful for recharging antimatter. I would be pleased to be able to use them as staging points for invading enemy help star systems. It would be amazing if 2 or more enemy players happen jump to the star in someone else's star system at the same time. Fighting each other wouldn't help them claim planets in that system, so they sit there and eye other while the AM recharges. Hehe, things would be tense if you had like 4 or 5 enemy players sitti

Hey P5y, I think there are weapons that drain shields and AM. There are probably other secret weapons that we won't see for a bit yet.

Hehe

Yeah, but EvilleJedi did a great balancing job with his Homeworld 2 StarWars Warlords mod. Those uber ships really cost you. In fact, you could buy a whole fleet of destroyers, escorts and strike craft for the same cost as a single Executor Class SSD.

Hey Frost. If EvilleJedi is able to mesh his StarWars Warlords mod into this game with relative ease, you might very well get your wish for super sized flag ships. Than man's model work is simply amazing.

Shhhhh, don't tell him that. He is already sad enough, let's not further depress him.

Welcome back then, Great Emperor. It is good to have another voice of reason on board to keep Schem in check...hehe

True

Yeah, friendly fire should be less than friendly. I've always been irked by games that give units damage immunity if the source of the damage is from the player that owns them.

Sorry about that WedgeHG. I was just trying to make an example. I agree with you that there will have to be some hard calculations on weapon power and the shield resistance they cause.

Also, concerning shells, this light debris would be very close to the targeted ship. So even if a shell rams a bit of debris, it is unlike to change its trajectory enough to completely miss the target.

What? Flat planets? Where did that come from? Hehe Maybe I didn't explain well enough. I don't want all the planets orbiting a star to be in the same 2D plane. I want them to be arranged around the star in 3D positions (ie: some of them higher or lower in relation to others). In fact, think about a 3D model of the solar system when correct orbital planes are used. If planets are spaced like that on the 3D strategic map, then we can correspond X/Y/Z departure points to X/Y

Oh well, at least we have true 3D planes on star systems. I can't think a of a single other game that does that. Ironclad rocks! I just hope ships arriving at a map enter at a X/Y/Z that corresponds to the X/Y/Z of their departure point/plane = encourage true 3D battles. As for orbits, they would have provided some interesting position/navigation challenges, but alas it was not to be.

Star systems should have planets in varied orbital planes. There really isn't as much use in having a 3D map if every planet/star/asteroid is on a 2D plane. Also, fleets X/Y/Z entry points on maps should be determined by the X/Y/Z of their departure point/map. This way, fleet engagements are more likely to include 3D considerations (which is cool). Also, planets and asteroids should slowly orbit their stars as the game progresses. This would provide fun navigational challeng

Too bad, it would be cool to be able to use gravity well projector equipped ships to set up ambushes in deep space along likely course lines...very cool. I hope Ironclad will allow destination points/battles in deep space. Another idea might be to give planets and asteroids orbits around stars. So while you might have a clear path from point A to D at one moment, 30 minutes later might have a gravity well in your way that would require a stop or a detour. Hmmm, orbits would a

Sorry, that wasn't what what Schem and I were getting at (sorry if I am misrepresenting your views on this Schem. If so, I doubt you'll mind setting me straight). What would happen is the first weapon hit would cause a shield flare up/vortex. This shield flare up/vortex is tied into the physics of the shield projectors introducing new energy to compensate for shield damage. This flare up/vortex would increase the shields ability to resist damage. However, this resistance bonus would

Haha, thanks.

Hey Schem, what does 'very very close' + 'Now we are even closer' = ?

Okay, just the facts Mam. Schematicsninja, be sure to let me know if you have any disagreements on the following statements. -Bullets can be deflected by minor objects they strike before reaching their target. -Bullets can become fragmented or deformed from striking minor objects prior to reaching their target. -Damaging the shape of an explosive shaped charge can reduce the effectiveness of the plasma jet. -Damaging the shape of the spherical shaped primer charge on a nuc

It is really going to depend on how important they make AM regarding Phase Travel, weapons and technologies. Also, recharge rates near and away from Stars will determine their importance as well. No point in taking the time to go near a Star if it only gives you a tiny boost to your recharge rate.

Okay Schematicsninja, I don't plan on posing here as a physicist. But let's look at this a little more closely. Let's compare each (known and probable) in game weapon systems performance versus that 3/4 inch of floating in-the-way steel. 1) Nuclear/shaped charge tipped Missiles/Torpedoes and a layer of 3/4 inches of floating in-the-way steel: I don't think anybody will argue the potential disastrous effects here on missile/torpedo integrity. Even if the weapons rips through the layer

Hehe, it is like the Navigation Officer couldn't quite recall the name of the system and didn't want to look stupid, so he tries to mumble out a similar name and hopes no one calls him on it. "Our fleet has entered the 'mumble' Schmaticsninja 'mumble' system"

Hey, I know planets are actually models in the 3D maps. But what I would love to have confirmed is whether or not STARS are part of the 3D maps, or are they just backdrop images?

Yeah, me and Schematicsninja have been having fun in this post.

An energy flare that occurs when filling in weakened points in the shield that gives a momentary bonus to shield resistance = Sounds good to me. I just want to point out that my shield damage resistance theory is based on weapon debris and gases dissipating quickly. If fact, the idea that I mentioned earlier that said debris and gases would momentarily get in the way of incoming fire works well with your idea of a exponential decrease in weapon damage (as debris/gases quickly clear, sh