Concept: Logain Industries Strategic Sector Defence Network (SSDN)

Logain Abler · Post by **Logain Abler** » Thu, 19. Feb 09, 13:26

I’m looking at Logain Industries next project

I’ve always thought the fixed position defence options in X3 left a lot to be desired, Laser Tower, I’m looking at you! Even the defence platforms don’t really cut it for me, although a much appreciated addition.

The concept I looking at will be a defensive station, a modded PHQ which will produce Drones.

The station will react to any threat within the sector, or maybe a sphere of influence, by launching drones to swarm the enemy.

The drones will be purpose built and come in a few variants, light (anti fighter), heavy (anti capital) & missile.

Why not normal fighters? I like the idea of an automated defence system that can be deployed in high asset areas to at least delay enemy until enforcements are sent, or engage and neutralise any threats.

There could also be static defence platforms to defend stations and gates.

I’m getting things down on paper at the moment, a rough outline of what I’ll need to do, create & write.

I have 13 years experience of Air Defence operations so this will be something I'd really love to do.

LA

Idea · Post by **Idea** » Thu, 19. Feb 09, 13:58

I can say the IDEA is very good and I like it a lot

mostlikely · Post by **mostlikely** » Thu, 19. Feb 09, 14:05

Sounds like a good idea.. I always thought it weird that stations could not have turrets.. I guess this is a good alternative if only for a specialized station.

Two things come to mind
-IS/OS performance.
-Scalability.

The first is a matter of balance (and allot of testing). Drones will need a certain speed, firepower, quantity (and cost?) to be effective and how do these effect IS/OS performance/effectiveness. Also should the drones work disabling, distracting or destroying and how do they work when fighting player controlled ships (if applicable).

The second has to do with limited budget and variable sector/asset size.
I can see examples where you want to protect anything inside a sector, protect a certain area in a sector or simply protect a gate (or rather stop stuff going through).
Thinking back to the FDN system it might be nice to have S/M/L variants or to have a relay like system (one main station with relays that all have their own area of influence)

Anyways.. just spouting ideas.

Logain Abler · Post by **Logain Abler** » Thu, 19. Feb 09, 14:44

mostlikely wrote: The first is a matter of balance (and allot of testing). Drones will need a certain speed, firepower, quantity (and cost?) to be effective and how do these effect IS/OS performance/effectiveness. Also should the drones work disabling, distracting or destroying and how do they work when fighting player controlled ships (if applicable).

The second has to do with limited budget and variable sector/asset size.
I can see examples where you want to protect anything inside a sector, protect a certain area in a sector or simply protect a gate (or rather stop stuff going through).
Thinking back to the FDN system it might be nice to have S/M/L variants or to have a relay like system (one main station with relays that all have their own area of influence)

Anyways.. just spouting ideas.

The drones will need a lot of testing and balancing. They will be more powerful than current drones and will auto recover.

I will be trying to make it scalable, the platforms will vary in size and power and be standalone. They will vary from just gun platforms to small installations with their own contingent of drone’s supplied and maintained by the main base.

Not sure on the variants stations as yet. It will be a modded PHQ so it can build & repair the drones.

Initially I want to get the base & drones working and add the platforms later.

All input at this stage is good

LA

spacefueladdict · Post by **spacefueladdict** » Thu, 19. Feb 09, 14:52

I really love this idea, the concept of static sector ar multi-sector defence sound irrisistably brilliant.

will this be a player only toy, or will you be planning to make useable by NPC's? either way, should you be able to create it i'd glady use it!

Walterses · Post by **Walterses** » Thu, 19. Feb 09, 15:02

sounds like a mad idea to me, ill keep an eye on it

Marodeur · Post by **Marodeur** » Thu, 19. Feb 09, 15:13

Would be fun if you connect it with your FDN to transport the wares which are needed to produce the drones. Or you can link some defense stations so they send their drones via FDN to the defense station which is under attack.

Logain Abler · Post by **Logain Abler** » Thu, 19. Feb 09, 15:19

Marodeur wrote:Would be fun if you connect it with your FDN to transport the wares which are needed to produce the drones. Or you can link some defense stations so they send their drones via FDN to the defense station which is under attack.

It will be a PHQ so you will be able to link it to FDN

As for teleporting the drones, will have to see..........

LA

Mental_Atom · Post by **Mental_Atom** » Thu, 19. Feb 09, 15:29

nice concept, ill be watching this thread.

pelador · Post by **pelador** » Thu, 19. Feb 09, 15:35

Most interested:

You have me now thinking about spawning fighting drones from stations generally.

Other flavours of drones like "squash mine drones" and "lasertower dropping and retreival", just my imagination getting ahead of me.

Will wait in anticipation.

Mckye · Post by **Mckye** » Thu, 19. Feb 09, 17:11

in all honesty, you could achieve this very simply with existing mods. I.E. Mars. First, you create a ship and rename it Drone Carrier or something similar, the objective of this ship would be to have limited or no turrets whatsoever, it would have decent shield and move very slowly. The hitch is that in the mars script, you would edit this ship to be able to use nearly unlimited goblins. at which point, setting them to auto attack anything in the sector and you are done. if you wished to beef up or create additional drone wares thats another issue, however, it seems to me that this is a viable alternative. if it also had a docking bay and the ability to dock a small sized hauler which could be set to buy drones for best price to keep it stocked, you then have a semi mobile drone carrier ship that could be jumped into sectors for protection.

Logain Abler · Post by **Logain Abler** » Thu, 19. Feb 09, 20:57

Some WIP pics of what I'm thinking of for the defence stations:
http://forum.egosoft.com/viewtopic.php?t=237090

LA

semiliterate · Post by **semiliterate** » Thu, 19. Feb 09, 21:45

MARS problems: Goblins are not offensive creatures. nor is a single IRE enough to stop a capital ship, no matter how many Goblins are carrying them. nor, i suspect, will Goblins work so well OOS. the key issue is that the logic for Goblins is advanced but ultimately specialised to draw targets inwards. also correct me if i'm wrong but a zig-zag, the Goblin's main evasive strategy, is a little poor OOS.

apricotslice · Post by **apricotslice** » Fri, 20. Feb 09, 01:08

Great Idea.

Mckye · Post by **Mckye** » Fri, 20. Feb 09, 02:45

true, however, fighters mk II are much stronger, and he was talking about creating new drones anyways, if you incorporated them into MARS, it would be worthwhile, however, I do agree that IRE's do not do anything damagewise.

Idea · Post by **Idea** » Fri, 20. Feb 09, 10:06

One suggestion:
Level your SSDN.Let the fight rank of the player determine the level of SSDN.If player have low fight rank so his SSDN have a small drones for defence, as his fight rank grow, the player gets the better defence and more powerful drones.What do you think?

pelador · Post by **pelador** » Fri, 20. Feb 09, 10:16

Idea wrote:One suggestion:
Level your SSDN.Let the fight rank of the player determine the level of SSDN.If player have low fight rank so his SSDN have a small drones for defence, as his fight rank grow, the player gets the better defence and more powerful drones.What do you think?

Might be better to make it a cash purchase for number and flavours?

Cash is slightly linked to level and for playing styles "trader/builder" would need this more than "fighters".

apricotslice · Post by **apricotslice** » Fri, 20. Feb 09, 10:19

I definitely dont want to see it linked to ranks.

The people who most want this will be traders and non-combat players who need a decent defense mechanism and currently dont have one.

It should be based on ability to pay for the base and make drones.

Marodeur · Post by **Marodeur** » Fri, 20. Feb 09, 10:27

I would prefer a levelcontrol with the price like in FDN. Defense station S, M, L, XL.

A possible graduation (no deeper considerations, only some fast thoughts).

You talked something about missiles? Maybe you want drones for that?

S - Controls 25 km around the station with up to 25 Anti-Fighter Drones (AFD). No anti-capital (ACD). No missiledrones or torpeddrones if you want them.
M - Controls 50 km around the station with up to 25 AFD and 10 ACD. Maybe some missiledrones.
L - Controls whole sector with up to 35 AFD and 15 ACD. Maybe some missile and a small number of torpedodrones.
XL - is able to defend the surrounding sectors too (but only the 4 sectors around the sector where it is deployed). Drones are deployed via relay-stations in the surrounding sectors. XL-Station controls up to 50 AFD, 30 ACD and maybe many missile- and torpedodrones.

For the balance multisector-defense with the XL-Station should not be good for sectors with heavy enemy presence. The drones should need some time to restock. You should not be able to build one XL inside the pirate sectors and control 5 enemy sectors with only this single station.

Well only some fast thoughts as i said. You are free to discuss or reject it.

Idea · Post by **Idea** » Fri, 20. Feb 09, 10:38

I definitely dont want to see it linked to ranks.

The people who most want this will be traders and non-combat players who need a decent defense mechanism and currently dont have one.

It should be based on ability to pay for the base and make drones.

Good point

I would prefer a levelcontrol with the price like in FDN. Defense station S, M, L, XL

This is far beter way.I just thought that the fight rank should be used for something as it is not used for anything
except in missions.You know, beter experience in fight field meens beter knowledge of tactic and fight logistic.But as you have said it is beter to pay to be safe