Factory drone

[KGJV]

Definitions (to avoid misunderstanding):
- drone : a ship that can move but that has no 'human' player piloting it.
- constructor : a station contructor drone - researched (cost time & money) then launched and ordered to build somewhere (usually on a rock).
- core settings : the caracteristics and parameters are defined in the core file (.igc)

Factory drone:

- research and build like other drones (core settings)
- since it's a drone, it has a 'hull' and can be moved and eventually rip or be a rip (all this are core settings)
- a factory drone can build constructor(s) for stations (core settings for what it can build). For this an extended version of the F5 panel will show entries for factories.
- since factories are drones, one can build up to 4 factories (default value, game settings) per side.

Since it's a drone, where it can dock or not and is any upgrade available for it is up to the core developper. (this is all core settings).

Optionnal we can choose that factory drone(s) can be the only way of building contructors (miners/towers/carrier remaining in gar). So at game start each side will get a free factory like they get a free miner (unless game settings says otherwise). Or we can mix both gar and factories, limiting factories to some contructors for instance.

So, how this affects the gameplay:
- ability to build more than a contructor type at a time (providing you have more than 1 factory drone).
- ability to move foward (or hide) the location where your constructors appear.
- a new drone to defend/protect to not lose your ability to produce constructors.


Thoughts?

[HSharp]

So...does the factory drone create constructers or it can just build on a rock and then be used again???
Sounds like a way to make GigaSpam™ faster, or get bases faaar behind enemy lines.

Also is there a limit to what it can get construcors/construct, like will it just be ops, teles and refs or will it include techbases as well??

What will the general sig of the drone be, will it be low sig and allow you to build a garrison on the other side of the map safely? Will it be highsig and have to be protected and escorted by high defence like a normal con or miner?

Why have it??

[Dengaroth]

Interesting... humongous potential for gameplay changes. Could be an interesting way of helping Allegiance scale (as was mentioned before, one opcon at a time is pretty laughable in a 50v50 on East-West...this could be a way out). Also, since it's optional and up to the individual core devs to use (or not use) as they see fit, I see no harm in implementing.

I can totally see a Homeworld-esque carrier, being large rip, creating op cons...pushing forward amidst a swarm of figs /mrgreen.gif" style="vertical-align:middle" emoid=":D" border="0" alt="mrgreen.gif" />

[KGJV]

QUOTE (HSharp @ Apr 29 2007, 10:28 AM) So...does the factory drone create constructers or it can just build on a rock and then be used again???

The factory drone just create constructors.

QUOTE (HSharp @ Apr 29 2007, 10:28 AM) Also is there a limit to what it can get construcors/construct, like will it just be ops, teles and refs or will it include techbases as well??

It's up to the core developers to set the limits. This is the general concept, limits and balance issues are moved into the cores(outside of code).

QUOTE (HSharp @ Apr 29 2007, 10:28 AM) What will the general sig of the drone be, will it be low sig and allow you to build a garrison on the other side of the map safely? Will it be highsig and have to be protected and escorted by high defence like a normal con or miner?

Again these are core settings. Code side, we can add 2 things :
- sig change when the factory is actually preparing a constructor (the sig factor can be set in the core). That way a "working" factory can eventually have a higher sig.
- ability or not for a factory to prepare a constructor while moving (again this can be added as a flag in the core). So when the factory is moving it can or cannot prepare constructor(s).

QUOTE (HSharp @ Apr 29 2007, 10:28 AM) Why have it??

Why not ? /smile.gif" style="vertical-align:middle" emoid=":)" border="0" alt="smile.gif" />

that is the whole purpose of this post : feedback = is it worth spending time to code such a thing.

[Raveen]

Nice idea but yet again one that needs a new core format to be implemented. Once we have a new core file which we can extend at will (and easily convert previous versions to the new format) then there's a whole raft of code changes that can be implemented.

[madpeople]

right now the ability to choose which base your constructors launch from would be good

could use a modified version of the base transfer screen with "set launch point" instead of "transfer / board" button
accessible only to comms obviously (and they can access it while flying)

[juckto]

This drone would work very well with a idea for a Core I've been brainstorming for a while.

On an unrelated note, would it be possible to give drones an 'upkeep? ie. In the same way that spec mines generate postive money (and presumably a core designer could have buildings generating negative money, if they wished) can drones be coded to generate negative money?

[KGJV]

QUOTE (Raveen @ Apr 29 2007, 11:16 AM) Nice idea but yet again one that needs a new core format to be implemented. Once we have a new core file which we can extend at will (and easily convert previous versions to the new format) then there's a whole raft of code changes that can be implemented.

?!

Core files define values that are used as parameters by the code.

It's not the core format that defines what the code can or cant do but it's the opposite.

If we do a change to the code and we want some values to be stored in core files than we just need to extend the core format to store these values. This is no biggy at all to do.

So really core format is not the issue here.

[KGJV]

QUOTE (juckto @ Apr 29 2007, 12:18 PM) This drone would work very well with a idea for a Core I've been brainstorming for a while.

On an unrelated note, would it be possible to give drones an 'upkeep? ie. In the same way that spec mines generate postive money (and presumably a core designer could have buildings generating negative money, if they wished) can drones be coded to generate negative money?

upkeep or maintenance cost... hum i guess we can do this but what happen when no money is available ? does the drone cease to function at all (moving and producing constructors) or just producing constructors? Since it'll already cost money to produce a constructor (it's a F5 investment), I dont see the need for maintenance for balance. No ?

[KGJV]

QUOTE (madpeople @ Apr 29 2007, 12:05 PM) right now the ability to choose which base your constructors launch from would be good

could use a modified version of the base transfer screen with "set launch point" instead of "transfer / board" button
accessible only to comms obviously (and they can access it while flying)

Hum this could probably be added but with care... settings a fwd op as 'launch point' for new cons might be a little unbalanced no? So we need a flag in the core to set which base type can be set as 'launch point' (or use the 'count for victory' flag). That way ppl would start using fwd gar/tech for instance /wink.gif" style="vertical-align:middle" emoid=";)" border="0" alt="wink.gif" />

Current alleg (well it's a core setting) allows cons to rip (this is why a fwd tele is much more a threat than a fwd op) so basically there is not really a need for "set launch point" or even factories (!!!) /mrgreen.gif" style="vertical-align:middle" emoid=":D" border="0" alt="mrgreen.gif" />

Now if you turn off the ripping ability of cons (all of them or some) , "launch point" and/or factories gain more sens.