Surface Elements - Modding

[Logain Abler]

Capital ships as well as space stations are now a lot more detailed. These details, however, are not limited to improved and animated visuals. They are there for gameplay reasons. A single capital ship can have hundreds of objects on its surface. Things like turrets and shield generators which can of course be scanned, manipulated or simply destroyed individually, but also bigger objects like jumpdrive generators, engines and much more.

On top of that modules can also be expanded.
The surface elements that we described in the ships and stations section, all play an important role for your own stations as well.
Invest in turrets, equip the surface of your station with shield generators and add more capabilities to your station by building more things on the surface of your station.

I’m really looking forward to the new surface elements; the scale of its implementation sounds staggering with hundreds if not thousands of elements.

We have the obvious surface elements already mentioned such as shields, turrets and Jumdrives but I’m interested in the ability to create new surface elements. I think this will probably be the main area for new custom content and hopefully it will be easier to add content without causing conflicts.

Going from the history of great player contact added in previous games I think the possibilities will be endless! Such additions (if not already in the game) like Drone jammers/scramblers, targeting jammers/scramblers, cloaking, new weapons & on & on.

But as with all such posts, this is speculative

LA

[eldyranx3]

Combat tractor beams anyone?

[Chris0132]

I had a feeling you might approve of modules given that the firs thing I thought of when I read it was 'oh good now I don't have to install FDN/PM to enjoy the game!'

It is definitely a good approach I think, I loved PM as an approach to complex building and I'm really glad they're using something similar in X:R.

Given the, er, modular nature of modules, I imagine it should be fairly easy to add more of them.

Something like a 'modules' folder in the game directory where you an just add more class definition files or somthing to add more modules to the game would be lovely.

[Logain Abler]

Combat tractor beams anyone?

Class, or howabout a ship/station element version of a Gravity Well Generator

I had a feeling you might approve of modules given that the firs thing I thought of when I read it was 'oh good now I don't have to install FDN/PM to enjoy the game!'

I second that but I’ve already been thinking about FDN surface elements (FDN Portals), one element creating a direct link to a corresponding element on a distant station, the more FDN Potal elements the greater number of connections. Tie this in with the level of the NPC Station Manager and I think you have something. Again all depends on the existing game mechanics.

It is definitely a good approach I think, I loved PM as an approach to complex building and I'm really glad they're using something similar in X:R.

Again I totally agree on the modular approach, however I doubt PM had any influence in this, they've been working on Rebirth a lot longer than PM’s been about. More likely Complex Cleaner

Given the, er, modular nature of modules, I imagine it should be fairly easy to add more of them.
Something like a 'modules' folder in the game directory where you an just add more class definition files or somthing to add more modules to the game would be lovely.

Lets hope so

LA

[Chris0132]

Hmm so you would build FDN portals like teleporter-based complex tubes. Matching pair on two stations allows transfer of wares between those stations, more pairs = faster transfer rate.

It'd be interesting certainly. Especially if you could get some cool graphics for it like shooting little glowy things across sectors between stations and suchlike.

Sounds like a good way to incorporate FDN into the very fluid station building style. You add FDN functionality to a station by adding portals to it. If you want an FDN hub, connect all your stations to that station, if you want a network connected in series, build your portals in series.

Definitely makes for some interesting FDN network topology options.