Suggestion for Version 2.0

Yes, Mike S. and others have asked for exactly this. What they would also like to have is a way to put a 3D model on the server, and have it automatically stream down to all the clients.

I agree this would be a good addition for V2.0.

Definitely. And do the same with missions.

And add a standard packaging method for mods (I say zip files in a 'Mods' folder) and allow the server to send those to the clients as well.

Basically, anything to make getting everyone set up for a custom game easier and more fool-proof.

I didn't want to create a new thread so I'll just post my suggestions here.

I'd love to see boarding parties and perhaps a communication jammers. Perhaps these could be Science or Comms actions?

I think directing boarding parties once they are aboard an enemy ship to target various systems for sabotage would be fun and give the Comms officer a bit more of a stake in a battle. This could dovetail with enemy ships that attempt to jam communications and must be dealt with by the Science officer.

I wholeheartedly support this idea. Anything that helps/allows a mission or even a mod to add to the game without having to replace core files is a very good thing. Especially for players that aren't as technically savvy when it comes to messing around with program files. Being able to just add the mission folder and be done with it and not worry about how tough it'd be to switch back would be awesome.

I do have one suggestion for 2.0 I would like to see sound files play out to any PC that has a mainscreen tab, instead of just the server machine. It would make playing scripted missions with voice acting over the internet much more immersive for all. I don't know how possible this is, but just a thought.

I think a ship security console would be cool, you could use the engineering console as a template and change the damage control teams to security teams, Security teams should still lose team members from ship damage, but maybe not as much as damcon teams

A player ship that can cloak would be neat...

I think cloaking would be useless as the enemy ships go for the stations at set speeds. So unless there was a versus mode where to ships faced off cloaking would be pointless. But a versus mode and cloaked ships...

I was just thinking of this. The update to 1.7 wiped out my old custom, mission-specific ships.

There are more AI routines than just "go after the base". Cloaking can sort of be implemented now, by manually altering each individual ship's actions while it is active.

If cloaking becomes a thing, I would like to be able to add custom buttons to different consoles. The manual input just added now is fine for that, but script buttons would be cool.

It is now possible to write cloaking into a mission script because you can poll control keys from the consoles. If the Engineer, for example, presses the C key your script could activate the cloaking device. While activated the cloak could have the following effects:

Constantly drain energy from the players.
Change all enemy AI stacks to ignore the players.

The cloak will be deactivated upon the press of a different key, D for example. It will also deactivate if the players run out of energy. When the cloak is de-activated the script should stop draining energy and return the enemies to their player-hunting ways.

I haven't tested this, but I expect there will be one minor problem. Drones don't have an AI stack, so they will keep chasing the cloaked player ship. One possible solution would be to surround the players with a spherical generic object with the blocks_shots flag turned on so that drones crash into it. If the generic object had a translucent skin it could create a cool cloaking visual effect.

I'm not sure about fighters. I think they do have an AI stack, but to overwrite it you would need to know the names of the fighters before they are spawned. That's probably a solvable problem.

Has anyone actually gotten the client key polling to work?

What AI setting ignores players?

The shield idea could also be used as a temporary invincibility. I like the idea.

I would LOVE to see the game adopt a full 3D environment. In the series, a direction was given to the helm as a 2 part co-ordinate, ie, 280 degrees mark 30. I was (just a little) disappointed to see that Artemis takes place in a "flat" universe.

Here is a concept I thought of while falling asleep last night....

Here is how a enemy boarding party may work.

Drones send in an enemy party (say party of 3). If drone hits shield, then destroyed like normal
If drones hit ship (or shields less the 50%) it drops a "red icon" into the Engineering console. The red icon is the enemy boarding party. It works just the opposite of a DAMCOM team. It damages the system instead of repairing it. When the are is damaged to 0% it moves to next space on Engineers map.

How to get rid of enemy boarding party.
2 ways
Engineering has a new slider (AIDS - Automated Interior Defense System). Automatic turrets are installed at each hard point and shoot at enemy boarding party. If AIDS is set for 100%, then there is a 50% it kills an enemy boarder before being destroyed by return fire. for every 50% more power to the AIDS system, the kill % goes up 10% (so at 150% kill % goes to 60, 200% kill % goes to 70%, 250 goes to 80%, and 300% kill % goes to 90%.

Second way to "repel boarders!"
Send an DAMCOM/security team to "intercept". A DAMCOM/security team is now a dual purpose team, they can repel invaders (adding 10% to AIDS per DAMCOM team member) and can repair the system after boarders have been eliminated.

So a boarding party first entering the ship may have to just deal with AIDS system and may have a member killed before they destroy the hard point and move to next point., but when you have a DAMCOM/Security team nearby with AIDS system boosted to 200%, at best they may only damage 1-2 hard points. If left alone, a boarding party could destroy 5-6 hard points before AIDS system kills them.


Any thoughts? And scripters want to try to work this?

Capt Eric Wethington
Artemis Cruier "Jimi-Saru"

Addendum to my boarding party. Enemy has a 10% per member of killing a DAMCOM/Security team member so full enemy party of 3 that engages a hard point and DAMCOM team, must kill DAMCOM before it can damage system.

If hard point is damaged it is assumed AIDS system at that hard point is also non-functional.

You could change 1 or 2 of the "Hallways" to an "AIDS control". AIDS control has an increased kill efficiency of +20% (better targeting or more turrets in the area?). If AIDS control is damaged all AIDS system efficiency reduced by 50%.

I would assume that during a boarding party engagement a check to see who kills who is based upon a check every 2-5 seconds.

another add

AIDS system is active only when "RED ALERT" is active