Ramming and sacrifice

[RrR]

How much energy do shields take to run? And how does this compare with the cost saved by taking less damage?

[GoodMorning]

A shield is 15eps to run, half of the resupply rate of the ship. This cost is constant no matter how many shield modules are present. For comparison, a Reactor is 1.5eps.

The following can withstand standard particle storms more-or-less indefinitely, but collapses quickly when punctured or Stunned.


The short answer is that each active Shield effectively represents another identical "ghost" ship on the same location, sharing the damage (but powered by the 15eps drain on the "real" ship).

Rams have a completely different set of needs to to other ships: More engines, protected, and a large nose. It's worth noting that the rebuild time of a large nose can be significant, and that a wide nose is something is a disadvantage, as a ran should be aiming for a CM/MK7/fighter-base, and therefore nearby destruction is wasted effort.

[cooltv27]

wait, more shields doesnt increase the drain rate?

[GoodMorning]

Running one shield module has the same cost as running ten shield modules. So the cost per module drops off, as 15eps/(count) per module, giving 15eps/count * count = 15eps.

I don't recall what the energy store of a shield module amounts to, but shields have higher priority for power than do lasers.

As a side note, this means that a "block of lasers ship" (with enough to counter a particle stream) that is hit by a single cannon shot, activating the shield, can suddenly have insufficient power to run the lasers. The ship then takes more hits from particles, causing the shield to stay up, and can be (has been) destroyed quickly.

[tornado]

Since thus has such a High discussion rate, I'm going to go design a ship designed to ram the heck out of stuff.
Do give constructive criticism. I don't like it, but I can work with it.

If I remember correctly we want either very precise(one module, precise), or wide enough/storng enough to just walk through enemy lines.
I think I can work with both of those.

[cooltv27]

I recently built a ship with 18 reactors and [I dont actually know the number] shield modules
its capable of ignoring struct, emergent, and some of those really annoying turrets that sometimes exist

[D0m0nik]

For me there is nothing attractove about a ship which is almost invincible, where is the challnege?

[FOXX]

It's all about balance.
If you have strong ships -> make the enemy stronger.
But at one point you can't get any Bigger/Stronger.

[GoodMorning]

Anything can be broken, and the larger the ship, the costlier a mistake. Also, speed running requires that as much as possible be done before the behemoth builds. Preferably the entire map.

[Keeper Decagon]

It's all about balance.
If you have strong ships -> make the enemy stronger.

That's kinda my philosophy when it comes to map design. That's why, as ShadeofDead always says, the ships in my maps tend to "cheat", gaining way faster regen and energy recuperation to make them viable opponents whilst still giving stronger ships to the player. Steamrolling is thereby mitigated.

Just wanted to throw that out there. :P