| Author |
Ship Tiers and You |
Jim Starluck
Marshal
Templar Knights
Joined: October 22, 2001
Posts: 2232
From: Cincinnati, OH
|  Posted: 2012-12-24 01:54
Some of you have heard about these mysterious yet wonderous things called "Tiers". You might be wondering what they are, what they will mean to you, and why they're just so darn fashionable. Well, rest easy, kids, because Uncle Jimmy is here to tell you what you need to know for when ship Tiers arrive!
In a future but hopefully-not-too-terribly-distant version of Darkspace (current estimate is 1.7), ships in the game will be divided into things called Tiers. This won't replace the existing Types of ships (Frigates, Destroyers, Cruisers, etc.); instead, it will be added onto them. You'll have Tier 1, 2 and 3 ships for the four main combat Types of the game: Frigates, Destroyers, Cruisers and Dreadnoughts.
What sets a ship from one Tier apart from the others? I'm glad you asked, Billy! The higher Tier a ship is, the more versatile it is. Right now, ships in the game have a whole heck of a lot of gadgets, doohickeys and thing-a-ma-bobs on 'em, and it can be mightly confuzzling the first time. But Tiers make it all easy to understand!
When a ship is assigned to Tier 1, 2 or 3, it is also assigned a set of Roles, which determine what kind of weapons or other systems it will carry. Tier 1 ships, the most basic ones, can only have a single Role at a time. Tier 2 ships are more advanced and versatile, and can combine two Roles on a single ship! Tier 3 ships are the fanciest in the Metaverse, because they can have a whopping 3 Roles at once!
What's that, Billy? You want to know what happens to Scouts, Transports, Engineers, Supplies and Stations? Don't you worry, they aren't being left out in the cold either! Scouts are awfully tiny, so they only get to be Tier 1, and they can only pick a few Roles. Transports, Engineers and Supplies will come in Tier 1, 2 and 3 flavors, but they each have a single Roles unique to their ship-type, and they just get better and better at it. Stations will be big and slower than ever before, and they'll all technically be Tier 1, but they'll always get extra weapons or gadgets to help them do their job. They don't quite use the same system as regular ships.
Here, let's take a look at the kind of Roles we'll be putting on our ships! Some of them come with an extra Talent, to help ships fill their Role better, or stop them from filling it too well!
- Cannons
-- This one is pretty self-explanatory. The ship uses guns to shoot things. They can be rail guns, or particle guns, or psionic guns; it doesn't matter which! Just so long as they've got "gun" in the name! Or cannon, that works too.
-- Talent: None here! Nosiree, no talent at all! Just lots of bullets!
- Beams
-- Watch out there, Billy! These ships have an awful lot of lasers on them! Better put on some suntan lotion, or you'll be getting a nasty burn! In fact, it's probably better to stay away from these fellas in the first place. They don't exactly have a long range, after all.
-- Talent: These ships get an extra armor plate up front, so they live long enough to get in close!
- Torpedoes
-- Blammo! Nothing like a torpedo ship for lots of explosions! These guys pack in a whole bunch of torpedo launchers so they can smash other ships into itty-bitty pieces of debris in a hurry!
-- Talent: Those torpedo launchers need a sturdy frame to handle the recoil, so if your ship has lost any Armor due to another Talent, it might get it back thanks to this Role!
- Missiles
-- Feel like pushing a button and sitting back while your target dodges like crazy? Then a missile ship is the choice for you! They're great at hitting from long range, but watch out! Some ships are smart and will try to shoot your missiles down!
-- Talent: All those launchers and ammo magazines take up an awful lot of room, so these ships lose 1 armor plate--usually from the rear end. Don't let badguys get in behind 'em!
- Carrier
-- Do you feel the need... the need for speed? Well, look no further! Carrier ships can launch a bunch of quick little fighters that'll chase their target all over the system!
-- Talent: Sometimes these guys get some extra point-defenses or E-War gadgets!
- E-War
-- Remember, Billy, you can't hit what you can't target! And you can't target what's being hidden by ECM arrays! Don't forget to pack your ECCM in case you run into these guys!
-- Talent: Scouts that have this role get to use a Beacon, but Tier 2 and 3 ships aren't so happy, because they can't combine this Role with Beams!
- Escort
-- These fellas are a Missile or Carrier ship's bad day. They carry lots of little lasers that aren't very good at hurting other ships, but sure are dang good at shooting down missiles and fighters!
-- Talent: These fellas get a Scanner and one extra E-War gadget to help find their targets!
- Bomber
-- When you need a planet flattened, call in the Bombers! They carry specialized weapons to nuke the other guys back into the stone age! Always handy when you just can't quite seem to capture that planet.
-- Talent: You need a Scanner to find your targets all the way down there on the surface, and sometimes you get extra point-defense or E-War, but you're also gonna lose an Armor plate and a Reactor. Gotta make room for all those bomb bays somewhere!
- Minelayer
-- These guys play dirty! And by dirty I mean they leave a mess everywhere! Who's going to clean up all those thermonuclear mines, young man? I have half a mind to send you to your room without any dinner!
-- Talent: These guys get a Scanner and a few extra limited-arc point-defense beams to help clear enemy mines, but they lose an Armor plate in the bargin.
- Command
-- Sir, yes Sir! When they give an order you'd better snap to it, especially if you want them to hang around and keep projecting that aura of theirs. Don't wander too far away!
-- Talent: Lucky them, they get a fancy-shmancy Wormhole Drive in addition to their plain ol' Jump Drive, and a set of Construction Drones so they can help fix up planets that get bombed!
And if that weren't enough, a lot of ship Types get a Talent too!
- Scouts
-- Talent: These little guys need all the help they can get to survive on the battlefield, so they always get 2 extra E-War gadgets!
- Frigates
-- Talent: They're not quite so little, but they're still awfully fragile, so they get 2 extra E-War gadgets too!
- Transports
-- Talent: Some planets are awfully tough to crack, so Transports start getting extra Armor and Bombs at Tier 2!
- Engineers
-- Talent: These practical little ships just get better at their job, so with every Tier they get one more Armor, Drone bay and Utility Beam!
- Destroyers
-- Talent: Destroyers specialize in having lots of weapons, so they aren't allowed any E-War at all! To make up for it, they always carry a couple of extra Beams to zap badguys that get close, regardless of what Roles they get assigned.
- Supplies
-- Talent: These little ships are funny, because they start out fast but get slower and tougher. With each Tier they get an extra Armor and point-defense beam, but lose an engine!
- Cruisers
-- Talent: When the going gets tough, the tough get going! All Cruisers have an extra Armor plate to help them survive, and they always carry an E-War device so they can't be taken by surprise!
- Dreadnoughts
-- Talent: What more could you add to the biggest, toughest, fightingest warships around? Why, an extra E-War device to protect it from surprise attack! Capital ships are a serious investment, after all.
- Stations
-- Talent: They're big and slow and nearly immobile, but they always remember to pack their Wormhole Drive!
Since Tier 1 ships can only pick one Role, they can be simpler and easier to handle. That's why you get them first! In fact, you'll get them way sooner than you can get ships right now! No more waiting until Admiral to fly that Dreadnought, because you can start getting them at Captain! And they also come with extra Armor, so you can get out of trouble quicker!
- Tier 1 Frigates unlock: Midshipman to 2nd Lieutenant
- Tier 1 Destroyers unlock: 2nd Lieutenant to Lieutenant Commander
- Tier 1 Cruisers unlock: Lieutenant Commander to Captain
- Tier 1 Dreadnoughts unlock: Captain to 1st Rear Admiral
Tier 2 ships get two roles, so they can mix and match! No extra armor, but they make up for it with lots more weapons. Be careful when going up against a Tier 2 ship that can use both its Roles against you well; you're in for a headache if they can!
- Tier 2 Frigates unlock: Commander to 2nd Rear Admiral
- Tier 2 Destroyers unlock: 2nd Rear Admiral to Vice Admiral
- Tier 2 Cruisers unlock: Vice Admiral to Fleet Admiral
- Tier 2 Dreadnoughts unlock: Fleed Admiral to Marshal
Tier 3 ships can combine up to 3 roles at once, making them really versatile! You'll never know quite what they'll throw at you, though you'll be able to narrow it down somewhat. They're really expensive, so each faction gets only a single Tier 3 ship for each Type of ship.
- Tier 3 Frigate unlocks: Fleet Admiral
- Tier 3 Destroyer unlocks: Grand Admiral
- Tier 3 Cruiser unlocks: Marshal
- Tier 3 Dreadnought unlocks: Chief Marshal
You get all the Scouts you could ever want at Midshipman. Utility ships come one after the other: a Transport at one rank, an Engineer at the next, and a Supply at the third. Tier 1 Utility ships run from Midshipman to 2nd Lieutenant, Tier 2 Utility ships run from Commander to 2nd Rear Admiral, and Tier 3 Utility ships run from Fleet Admiral to Marshal. You also get one Station per rank from Fleet Admiral to Marshal.
Phew, that's a lot of information to take in, Billy! What do you think it means when you put it all together?
Well, for one it means that you'll get some ships at a lower rank than before, and others at a higher one. It also means you'll get a lot of new ships: each faction will have 5-6 Tier 1 ships, 5-6 Tier 2 ships and 1 Tier 3 ship for each type! Finally, it means that new players will be able to jump in and help out a lot sooner without having to learn how to deal with a bunch of different weapons all at once!
Now I know what you're thinking. Those Tier 1 ships look pretty basic; surely Tier 2 ships are better than them? And Tier 3 ships are so high-rank, they have to be even better still! But hold on, now, it's not always going to be that clear-cut. Not every situation calls for the ship with the most weapons. Your Tier 3 ship might be fine and dandy, but it might not have the right combination of roles for a fight. That Tier 2 ship, though, it's got just what you need. And sometimes you just need a specialist, the one right role in the right place and the right time, and you want to keep it alive as long as possible, which is where a Tier 1 ship shines. Higher-tier ships are more versatile, but aren't always better.
That's the important thing here: you'll have a lot of choices! Do you go with a cannon/torpedo cruiser? A missile/E-War frigate? A beam/torpedo dreadnought? Each combination of roles and ship types has its own strengths and weaknesses, which will affect what the enemy brings to counter you. If you're all running around in beam/torpedo dreadnoughts, expect the enemy to bring smaller missile/E-War ships to pick you apart from a distance. Then you can turn right around and bring in another ship of your own to hunt them down. Each target can be approached many ways. If you're attacking a Dreadnought, do you bring a Missile Destroyer, or a Torpedo Cruiser, or a Beam Dreadnought of your own? Which of those choices will the enemy be better at defending against?
The ultimate goal of this system is to increase the number of viable ship choices. Gone will be the days of only 2-3 ships out of a whole faction being considered relevant. A ship for every need, and a use for every ship--that's the way of the Future, Billy!
_________________
If at first you don't succeed, get a bigger space battleship and try again.
|
Jim Starluck
Marshal
Templar Knights
Joined: October 22, 2001
Posts: 2232
From: Cincinnati, OH
| Posted: 2012-12-24 02:07
And now for some appetizers: Sample ship layouts produced for the new system! One for each Type and Tier!
In this post, have some Frigates!
Tier 1 UGTO Frigate
ST-16 Interceptor Frigate
The ST-16 Interceptors focus on speed and firepower, as they are intended to engage and destroy light attack craft before they can inflict crippling damage on the main battleships of the fleet. Though outwardly disdainful of the dinky little ships and their crews, senior UGTO captains always rest a little easier knowing that the Interceptors have them covered.
Layout:
- 1x Tachyon Drive
- 2x IE Drive
- 7x Standard Armor (2x Fore, 1x Port, 1x Starboard, 2x Aft, 1x Full)
- 1x Flux Wave
- 1x Full-Arc PD Beam
- 2x Tri-arc Heavy Particle Cannon (2x Fore/Port/Starboard)
- 1x Fore-arc Particle Cannon
- 2x ECCM
- 1x Auxiliary Power Generator
Tier 2 K'luth Frigate
Lamprey
This dangerous little ship is a notorious opportunist. It moves stealthily and sneakily through the battlespace, looking for damaged ships struggling to survive. At the right moment it drops its cloak, drains their energy and hammers them with a spinal assault disruptor and an oversized torpedo battery. When attacked it usually opts to simply cloak, sneak off and pounce on prey elsewhere, rather than try to stand and fight.
Layout:
- 1x Antimatter Jump Drive
- 2x PSI Engine
- 6x Organic Armor (3 Fore, 1 Port, 1 Starboard, 1 Aft)
- 1x Cloak
- 1x AHR
- 1x Full-arc PD Beam
- 1x Fore Assault Disruptor
- 2x Dual-Arc ELF Beams (1x Fore/Port, 1x Fore/Starboard)
- 6x Dual-arc AM Torpedoes
- 2x Fore-Arc AM Torpedoes
Tier 3 ICC Frigate
M-47L/M-S Sniper Frigate
With the success of the M-239A/L-M Strike Cruiser, the Confederate Navy began looking to extend its tactical style to other hull types. Although there are still determined proponents of the M-401 Strike Dreadnought, the concept was deemed impractical and the study focused its attention on smaller hulls. They eventually settled on the sturdy M-40 frigate hull, but decided that a frigate would stand more to gain with a heavy electronic warfare package than a powerful beam array. The resulting ship is both sneaky and heavily-armed, a combination proven to be highly effective against the UGTO.
Layout:
- 1x Tachyon Drive
- 2x IE Drive
- 4x Active Shields (1 Fore, 1 Port, 1 Starboard, 1 Aft)
- 1x Composite Armor (1 Fore)
- 1x Pulse Shield
- 1x Full-Arc PD Beam
- 6x Anti-Radar Missile
- 4x Dual-arc Heavy Gauss Gun (2 Fore/Port, 2 Fore/Starboard)
- 5x ECM
- 3x Auxiliary Fusion Generator
_________________
If at first you don't succeed, get a bigger space battleship and try again.
|
Jim Starluck
Marshal
Templar Knights
Joined: October 22, 2001
Posts: 2232
From: Cincinnati, OH
| Posted: 2012-12-24 02:15
Up next, Destroyers!
Tier 1 UGTO Destroyer
ST-22 Gunboat Destroyer
While the ST-22s are heavy on particle projection weapons they are still well-balanced light combatants, able to engage smaller targets quite effectively and even pose a threat to capital ships in sufficient numbers. Often seeing prominent duty on the front lines and anti-piracy patrols, these ships are considered a cornerstone of the UGTO fleet and a key step on an officer's track to a more prestigous command. Even senior admirals are known to look back on their time commanding "Double-deuces" fondly.
Layout:
- 1x Tachyon Drive
- 2x IE Drive
- 9x Standard Armor (2x Fore, 2x Port, 2x Starboard, 2x Aft, 1x Full)
- 1x Flux Wave
- 2x Full-arc PD Beam
- 2x Dual-arc Standard Chemical Laser (1x Fore/Port, 1x Fore/Starboard)
- 2x Tri-arc Heavy Particle Cannon (2x Fore/Port/Starboard)
- 3x Tri-arc Particle Cannon (1x Fore/Port/Aft, 1x Fore/Starboard/Aft, 1x Aft/Port/Starboard)
- 1x Auxiliary Power Generator
Tier 2 UGTO Destroyer
ST-24 Assault Destroyer
Employing a tried-and-true design philosophy that has served the UGTO and its predecessors well, ST-24s are frontal assault ships intended to engage and destroy enemy Destroyers and Cruisers in close-quarters combat. To this end they are armed with exceptionally heavy beam arrays and a multitude of torpedo launchers. Only the most aggressive and ambitious commanders actively seek out a career in these ships, as their armament requires them to get into suicidally point-blank range in order to attack.
Layout:
- 1x Tachyon Drive
- 2x IE Drive
- 9x Standard Armor (3x Fore, 2x Port, 2x Starboard, 2x Aft)
- 1x Flux Wave
- 2x Full-arc Point-defense Beam
- 1x Fore-arc Heavy Chemical Laser
- 6x Dual-arc Standard Chemical Laser (2x Fore/Port, 2x Fore/Starboard)
- 8x Dual-arc Proton Torpedo (4x Fore/Port, 4x Fore/Starboard)
- 2x Auxiliary Power Generator
Tier 3 ICC Destroyer
M-194X Rapid Assault Destroyer
Over the course of the Fourth Stellar War, the standard M-190L/T Combat Destroyers have demonstrated impressive survival rates when engaging superior enemy forces, but suffer somewhat from a lack of firepower. Seeing a niche that needed filling, Alantis Experimental Ship Design Studios volunteered to assemble a prototype for the Confederate Navy. The result is the M-194X, an experimental ship designed for combat above and beyond the norm for a mere Destroyer. It packs in a truly monstrous battery of torpedo launchers, a heavy railgun arsenal and a beam array capable of frying other ships on the spot. Due to the volatility and risk of the craft, Confederate Fleet Command is only allowing some of their most experienced commanders access to the ship. Alantis Experimental is looking forward to what their newest product can do in such capable hands.
Layout:
- 1x Tachyon Drive
- 2x IE Drive
- 5x Composite Armor (2x Fore, 1x Port, 1x Starboard, 1x Aft)
- 4x Active Shields (1x Fore, 1x Port, 1x Starboard, 1x Aft)
- 1x Pulse Shield
- 2x Full-arc Point-defense Beam
- 1x Fore-arc Heavy Chemical Laser
- 4x Dual-arc Standard Chemical Laser (2x Fore/Port, 2x Fore/Starboard)
- 4x Tri-arc Heavy Railgun (3x Fore/Port/Starboard, 1x Aft/Port/Starboard)
- 6x Dual-arc Fusion Torpedo (3x Fore/Port, 3x Fore/Starboard)
- 4x Fore-arc Fusion Torpedo
- 3x Auxiliary Fusion Generator (1x Fore, 1x Port, 1x Starboard)
(Apologies to the K'luth; I don't have quite as many new layouts designed for them yet)
[ This Message was edited by: Jim Starluck on 2012-12-24 02:30 ]
_________________
If at first you don't succeed, get a bigger space battleship and try again.
|
Jim Starluck
Marshal
Templar Knights
Joined: October 22, 2001
Posts: 2232
From: Cincinnati, OH
| Posted: 2012-12-24 02:28
Now how about some Cruisers?
Tier 1 K'luth Cruiser
Parasite
A specialist Carnivore, the Parasite is the larger, more powerful brother of the Drainer-class Predator. It carries ELF Beams to drain enemy ships of energy and a heavy disruptor armament to finish off damaged targets. Like the Drainer, this ship is ideal for chasing down damaged targets that attempt to withdraw from an engagement. To this end it is often paired with smaller, faster Raptors or Hunters to locate its prey if they jump clear of the battle.
Layout:
- 1x Antimatter Jump Drive
- 3x PSI Drive
- 10x Organic Armor (3x Fore, 2x Port, 2x Starboard, 1x Aft, 2 Full)
- 1x Cloaking Device
- 1x AHR
- 2x Full-arc PD Beam
- 1x Tri-arc PD Beam
- 2x Dual-arc Assault Disruptor(1 Fore/Port, 1 Fore/Starboard)
- 1x Fore-arc Assault Disruptor
- 2x Dual-arc ELF Beam (1 Fore/Port, 1 Fore/Starboard)
- 1x Auxiliary Power Generator
Tier 2 K'luth Cruiser
Clavate
The Clavate-class Carnivore is the primary planetary bombardment ship of the K'luth Armada. Equipped with deadly bio-bombs for attacking both civilian and military targets, this ship is tasked with clearing conquered worlds of enemies so that K'luth refugees can begin settling there. As the result of many attacks on outlying colonies, it has earned a fearsome reputation among the humans.
Proposed layout:
- 1x Antimatter Jump Drive
- 3x PSI Drive
- 7x Organic Armor (2x Fore, 1x Port, 1x Starboard, 2x Aft, 1x Full)
- 1x Cloaking Device
- 1x AHR
- 4x Bio Bomb
- 2x Full-arc PD Beam
- 1x Tri-arc PD Beam (1x Fore/Port/Starboard)
- 1x Fore-arc PD Beam
- 1x Scanner
- 4x ECM
- 2x Auxiliary Power Generator
Tier 3 ICC Cruiser
M-239A/L-M Strike Cruiser
The Strike Cruiser is among the final iterations of the M-230 series, with the M-240 hull slated for use in all future cruiser lines. Designed as a heavy tactical support ship, the Strike Cruiser carries an array of anti-capital missile launchers to support Confederate capital ships against their peers, while at the same time screening them from attack with heavy lasers to engage enemy cruisers and a battery of high-performance gauss cannons to discourage smaller ships. In order to accommodate all of these bulky weapon systems, it dispenses with heavy armor plates almost entirely and relies purely on energy shielding for its defenses.
Layout:
- 1x Tachyon Drive
- 3x IE Drive
- 8x Active Shields (2x Fore, 2x Port, 2x Starboard, 2x Aft)
- 1x Composite Armor (1x Full)
- 1x Pulse Shield
- 2x Full-arc Point-defense Beam
- 1x Tri-arc Point-defense Beam
- 2x Dual-arc Heavy Chemical Laser (1x Fore/Port, 1x Fore/Starboard)
- 1x Fore-arc Heavy Chemical Laser
- 5x Tri-arc Heavy Gauss Gun (3x Fore/Port/Starboard, 1x Fore/Port/Aft, 1x Fore/Starboard/Aft)
- 10x Raptor Missile
- 4x Auxiliary Fusion Generator (1x Fore, 1x Port, 1x Starboard, 1x Aft)
(Apologies to the UGTO; I don't have a Cruiser layout ready for them at the moment)
[ This Message was edited by: Jim Starluck on 2012-12-24 02:29 ]
_________________
If at first you don't succeed, get a bigger space battleship and try again.
|
Jim Starluck
Marshal
Templar Knights
Joined: October 22, 2001
Posts: 2232
From: Cincinnati, OH
| Posted: 2012-12-24 02:41
And now the main event: DREADNOUGHTS.
Tier 1 ICC Dreadnought
M-307M Missile Dreadnought
During the Third Stellar War, no single ship class in the Confederate Navy was more instrumental to their victory than the M-305M Missile Dreadnought. Packing more heavy missile launchers than ever seen on a single ship before, it was able to routinely overwhelm the Trade Navy's point-defenses. During the First Battle of Luyten the 305Ms of the 7th Capital Squadron destroyed five times their tonnage in Battle Dreadnoughts. As the Confederate Navy modernized their dreadnought force after the war, many of the older M-303A Combat Dreads that were being replaced by the new M-400 series were converted to serve as Missile Dreads, while existing 305Ms were upgraded with newer missiles. The arrival of the K'Luth changed the equation, however, and while the modern M-307M is still a formidable weapons platform it no longer enjoys the respect it once commanded--far, far too many of them have died to K'Luth attacks without being able to fire a shot.
Layout:
- 1x Tachyon Drive
- 4x IE Drive
- 4x Composite Armor (1x Fore, 1x Port, 1x Starboard, 1x Full)
- 4x Active Shields (1x Fore, 1x Port, 1x Starboard, 1x Aft)
- 1x Pulse Shield
- 2x Full-arc Point-defense Beam
- 2x Tri-arc Point-defense Beam (2x Fore/Port/Starboard)
- 12x Harpex Missile
- 1x Aft-arc Tractor Beam
- 1x ECM
- 3x Auxiliary Fusion Generator (1x Fore, 1x Port, 1x Starboard)
Tier 2 UGTO Dreadnought
ST-119 Citadel Dreadnought
While Confederate admirals usually lead from the rear lines of battle alongside their heavy missile ships, the Trade Navy has a long and proud tradition of leading from the front lines. This has caused problems in the past, however: during the First Battle of Luyten not a single flag officer survived due to their command ships being the target of multiple ICC missile dreadnoughts. While the ST-116 has been retained for those traditionalists who prefer to do things the old-fashioned way, many more discerning admirals are beginning to prefer a mid-range ship that is not quite as exposed to attack. The ST-119 lacks the 116’s raw firepower, but its battery of heavy particle cannons is nothing to sneer at either.
Proposed Layout:
- 1x Jumpdrive
- 1x Wormhole Drive
- 4x IE Drive
- 8x Standard Armor (2x Fore, 2x Port, 2x Starboard, 2x Aft)
- 1x Flux Wave
- 2x Full-arc Point-defense Beam
- 2x Tri-arc Point-defense Beam (2 Fore/Port/Starboard)
- 6x Tri-arc Heavy Particle Cannon (4x Fore/Port/Starboard, 1x Fore/Port/Aft, 1x Fore/Starboard/Aft)
- 8x Dual-arc Heavy Particle Cannon (2x Fore/Port, 2x Fore/Starboard, 2x Aft/Port, 2x Aft/Starboard)
- 2x Command Module
- 1x Build Drones
- 1x ECCM
- 2x Auxiliary Fusion Generator
And the piece de resistance...
Tier 3 UGTO Dreadnought
ST-125 Elite Assault Dreadnought
While lighter dreadnoughts form the main battle line of the UGTO capital squadrons, ST-125s are the nigh-unstoppable juggernauts that are used to break through enemy formations. Dubbed the "tip of the spear" in official press releases, these powerful assault ships can rapidly turn the tide of battle when they begin their advance. Heavy torpedo launchers and a staggering number of beam weapons give these ships a close-range punch that can hammer through the defenses of even the toughest Confederate dreadnought, while reinforced frontal armor and augmented point-defenses give them the endurance they need to get into range. Serving aboard one of these mighty and prestigious warships is seen by many UGTO officers as a fast track to promotion.
Proposed Layout:
- 1x Tachyon Drive
- 4x IE Drive
- 9x Standard Armor (3x Fore, 2x Port, 2x Starboard, 2x Aft)
- 1x Flux Wave
- 2x Full-arc Point-defense Beam
- 2x Tri-arc Point-defense Beam (2x Fore/Port/Starboard)
- 4x Dual-arc Point-defense Beam (2x Fore/Port, 2x Fore/Starboard)
- 1x Fore-arc Point-defense Beam
- 6x Dual-arc Heavy Chemical Laser (3x Fore/Port, 3x Fore/Starboard)
- 4x Dual-arc Flux Beam (2x Fore/Port, 2x Fore/Starboard)
- 4x Dual-arc Quantum Singularity Torpedo (2x Fore/Port, 2x Fore/Starboard)
- 12x Dual-arc Proton Torpedo (6x Fore/Port, 6x Fore/Starboard)
- 1x Scanner
- 3x Auxiliary Reactor
(Once again, my apologies to the K'luth for not having a Dreadnought layout ready. And I bet you all thought I was going to use an ICC ship for the Tier 3 layout again, didn't you?  )
_________________
If at first you don't succeed, get a bigger space battleship and try again.
|
Jim Starluck
Marshal
Templar Knights
Joined: October 22, 2001
Posts: 2232
From: Cincinnati, OH
| Posted: 2012-12-24 02:43
Addendum: Please keep in mind that all layouts presented here are tenative and may be subject to change prior to eventual release.
_________________
If at first you don't succeed, get a bigger space battleship and try again.
|
Brutality
Marshal
Joined: May 25, 2009
Posts: 659
From: Alaska, USA
| Posted: 2012-12-24 05:00
This looks like it will be a pretty amazing update and I can't wait to see some of these setup's in action (whenever that may be). I have a question or two though, and if this isn't the place to ask feel free to move or delete this post.
1. What will happen to current modded ships? Will all the credits be refunded or will ehs just be taken off and returned to the player? (Just trying to plan ahead here).
2. Will there be any new weapons introduced to fit into this tier system?
Finally Hats off to the dev team once again. Thanks for making an amazing game even more incredible!! Cheers 
_________________
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Jumbat
Lieutenant Commander
Joined: August 26, 2012
Posts: 16
| Posted: 2012-12-24 07:21
Tier chance and new maps can be a fresh wind for the game +1:)
_________________
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Subtilizer
Grand Admiral
Faster than Light
Joined: February 20, 2010
Posts: 122
| Posted: 2012-12-24 09:43
A brillant combination of madness and genius. I hope this is slated for sooner rather than later. (Although if you need more time no one will complain, you guys deserve all the time you need.) And seeing captains in dreadnoughts? This oughta be fun.
_________________
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Jim Starluck
Marshal
Templar Knights
Joined: October 22, 2001
Posts: 2232
From: Cincinnati, OH
| Posted: 2012-12-24 10:18
Quote:
|
On 2012-12-24 05:00, Fatal Brutality *COM* wrote:
1. What will happen to current modded ships? Will all the credits be refunded or will ehs just be taken off and returned to the player? (Just trying to plan ahead here). |
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Current ships will simply be updated to a new layout. Most will have their rank requirements changed, though, so if you've got a a modded ship in your hangar that you suddenly find yourself unable to use, we'll probably have some kind of credit refund system to get you the value of the Enhancements on such ships.
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| 2. Will there be any new weapons introduced to fit into this tier system? |
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Why, how perceptive of you! Yes, in fact, there will be a number of new weapons introduced, and several existing ones will be heavily altered to work with the new layouts. The biggest changes will be in the departments of Core Weapons and Point-Defense Beams.
Core Weapons are getting split into two sub-categories: Core Cannons and Core Torpedoes.
- Core Cannons will include the ICC Ion Cannon, the K'Luth Stellar Incinerator, and a new weapon for the UGTO, the Heavy Mass Driver. These weapons will be found on large ships with a Cannon role, like the Battle Dreadnought or Combat Dreadnought. Their characteristics will be the most like the existing Core Weapons, with similar range, damage and projectile velocity.
- Core Torpedoes will include the UGTO Quantum Singularity Torpedo and two new weapons, the ICC Variance Torpedo and the K'Luth Neutronium Torpedo. These will be found on ships with a Torpedo role, like the Assault Dreadnought or the Mandible. They'll be more like overly-large torpedoes: not as much range as Core Cannons and slower velocity, but significantly higher damage.
Point-Defense Beams, on the other hand, are getting split from conventional anti-ship beams. They will be the only ones capable of targeting missiles, fighters and mines. All ships will have a few of them for basic PD purposes, with larger ships having one or two more. Ships with the Escort role--like the Picket Destroyer--will have extra PD Beams.
Each faction will have two such beams: an anti-fighter beam and an anti-missile beam.
- Anti-fighter beams will be long-ranged, so they can hit fighters breaking off from attack runs, but they pay for it with a very long cooldown. They won't be very good against missiles. While each faction will have their own version, the UGTO Extended Range CL will be the best of this set, with a slightly longer range and shorter cooldown than the others.
- Anti-missile beams will be short-range but rapid-fire, so they can shoot down as many missiles as possible. This will make it difficult to get into range of fighters with them, however, so they won't be as good at intercepting those. While each faction will have their own, the ICC Pulse Beam will be the best, again with a slightly longer range and a slightly shorter cooldown.
Missiles will also be getting re-worked to fit with the new PD Beams, to ensure they don't dominate too heavily. Each ship Type (i.e. Frigates, Destroyers, Cruisers) will have two missiles available to it: Skirmish missiles and Strike missiles.
- Skirmish missiles will be longer-ranged and lower-damage, but will also have comparatively low energy use, making them easier to use at speed and under stealth.
- Strike missiles will be higher-damaged and shorter-ranged, with a much higher charge rate. They'll be able to inflict massive damage quickly, but it will be practically impossible to keep up that rate-of-fire forever.
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If at first you don't succeed, get a bigger space battleship and try again.
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Rain of Fire [O-XII]
Grand Admiral
Joined: May 18, 2011
Posts: 71
From: South of Klaus, 14,000 gu from Insanity and 3,000 from Desperation.
| Posted: 2012-12-24 13:00
+1 this is the kind of crazy awesome that I can really get behind. I can't wait! Although, are the extremely armed destroyers going to get hit with massive penalties in speed, manuvering etc when compared to tier 1/2 ships? Also, MISSILES! LET THE MISSILES REIN! *ahem*
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On 2012-11-06 20:23, Tael wrote:
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-xTc- ExisT
Chief Marshal
Army Of Darkness
Joined: March 20, 2010
Posts: 534
From: Red Lobster
| Posted: 2012-12-24 13:57
Wow!
A complete revolution to combat in DS!
Marshal and CM have a use!
Gone will be the days of EAD/Siphon spam!
5-6 new ships per tier, per ship type. Thats a TON of new ships!
I'm speechless. I dont know what to say.
Hold on while I buy more credits! *evil laugh*
EDIT So with the ship "roles", do you pick the role/roles at ship spawn and the extra weapons/armor/beams etc are added to the ship, or does each ship already have a role/roles pre-assigned to it?
[ This Message was edited by: |xTc| ExisTence *XO* on 2012-12-24 14:05 ]
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*Connection lost, attempting reconnect in 30 seconds....
Do you really want to just pay bills until you die?
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Jim Starluck
Marshal
Templar Knights
Joined: October 22, 2001
Posts: 2232
From: Cincinnati, OH
| Posted: 2012-12-24 14:52
Quote:
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On 2012-12-24 13:00, Always Felt, Never Touched wrote:
+1 this is the kind of crazy awesome that I can really get behind. I can't wait! Although, are the extremely armed destroyers going to get hit with massive penalties in speed, manuvering etc when compared to tier 1/2 ships? |
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Not inherently, no. There's no automatic speed or armor penalty for Tier 3 ships. However, certain role combinations may lead to penalties on some ships. If, for example, you had Missiles and Bombs and Mines on one ship, each of those would take off an Armor Plate, so your ship would be rather fragile. I'm not planning on combinations quite that extreme, though.
Quote:
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On 2012-12-24 13:57, |xTc| ExisTence *XO* wrote:
So with the ship "roles", do you pick the role/roles at ship spawn and the extra weapons/armor/beams etc are added to the ship, or does each ship already have a role/roles pre-assigned to it? |
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Roles will be built into ship layouts. Sadly, fully-customizable layouts are still a bit beyond the capabilities of our modest Dev Team.
You can sort of see what it'll be like by looking at some existing ships. Assault ships, for example, will almost directly translate into Tier 2 ships with Beam and Torpedo roles.
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If at first you don't succeed, get a bigger space battleship and try again.
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Walrus of Apathy
Admiral
Templar Knights
Joined: August 07, 2005
Posts: 466
From: Dorans Basement
| Posted: 2012-12-24 15:06
Quote:
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On 2012-12-24 13:57, |xTc| ExisTence *XO* wrote:
Wow!
A complete revolution to combat in DS!
Marshal and CM have a use!
Gone will be the days of EAD/Siphon spam!
5-6 new ships per tier, per ship type. Thats a TON of new ships!
I'm speechless. I dont know what to say.
Hold on while I buy more credits! *evil laugh*
EDIT So with the ship "roles", do you pick the role/roles at ship spawn and the extra weapons/armor/beams etc are added to the ship, or does each ship already have a role/roles pre-assigned to it?
[ This Message was edited by: |xTc| ExisTence *XO* on 2012-12-24 14:05 ]
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Ships have roles preassigned. For example the UGTO Interceptor is Tier 1 and such only has the Cannon role, while the Strike Cruiser is Tier 3 and will be the Cannon, Beam, and Missile roles.
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Zero28
Grand Admiral
Joined: August 25, 2006
Posts: 591
| Posted: 2012-12-24 17:36
sad we cant just, pick the ship then the roles 
But this is defenitly goign somewhere VERY nice
+1
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