Player Features and Ideas Discussion

It seems ridiculous to me that in a game universe with all the technological wonders of EVE Online, pilots are still able to "burn out" their ship modules. My PC has software to detect when the hardware is overheating and shut it down to protect it.

If my computer can do it, I think ships in EVE should be able to do this too.

To be specific, I am suggesting that:

** Overheating modules still generates heat.
** When the heat in your modules builds up to 100% it does not incapacitate your module, but that your module goes into a cool-down period during which it cannot be activated.
** Once all the heat has been dissipated from your module (a passive process) you can use it again without having to repair it.
** This cool-down period should be long enough that it is still a complete disaster if it happens to you in PVP. (e.g. 5 minutes.)

What this means for the Thermodynamics skill and for nanite repair paste and nanite repair skills:

** Thermodynamics skill reduces the amount of heat generated by modules and should stay as it is.
** Nanite repair paste should be renamed to something like "Thermal dissipation paste". It's role will still be to heal the little red outline on your modules, however that "damage" will slowly heal itself even without paste.
** In addition "thermal dissipation paste" can be used to accelerate the the cool-down associated with "burning out" your modules.
** The Nanite Operation skill reduces the amount of paste required to complete a repair. It would need renaming, but can still perform the same function.
** The Nanite Interfacing skill reduces repair speed. This should be renamed and should instead increase the rate of passive heat dissipation both before and after "burning out" a module.

Conclusions:

This change would be largely superficial with only very subtle impacts on actual gameplay.

Currently, if you burn out a module you have to repair it in a station before you can use it again. With the changes you would just have to wait for a timer to expire before you could use it again.

Currently, if you don't have repair paste there is an upper limit on the amount of overheating you can do before you have to dock and repair. With the changes, there would be no limit to how much you can overheat so long as you allow enough time to cool down between fights. This makes sense to me seeing as how it's very cold in outer space.


Alternative suggestion

A pilot with the relevant skills should be able to repair a fully burnt out module at a huge cost in nanite repair paste. The "relevant skills" would be those required to manufacture the module in question. Surely someone who knows how to build a particular module from scratch should also be able to repair it no matter how damaged it is.

I imagine "overheating" as a something where you disable the "safeties."

Also... why?

Ships in EVE are supposedly controlled by a neural interface with the pilot. In other words, the ship does what you are thinking. Every time I overheat my modules I think to myself "I mustn't burn out".

To step into the shoes of a role player for a moment... "surely if I have that thought in my mind while I am overheating, my ship should respond to it and prevent permanent damage to my modules".

I think there should still be a penalty for failing in your micro management and burning out though, hence a cool-down period instead of your modules being incapped. From the point of view of game design - pilot error should be punished, but from the point of view of story telling - it seems stupid that such advanced technology would allow itself to be damaged like that.

But you fail to list a problem with the current system that you're suggesting to change.

You've only stated that you wish for the system to be safer to use essentially. Having a cool down and preventing the module from turning offline to be repaired and actually repairing itself with time, is essentially overpowering this feature.

If you're conscious of your module over heating you can prevent it from burning out. Over heating is essentially damaging the components in the module. They can obviously take a little damage but suffer enough and the module breaks and fails. It's not just getting "hot, hot hot, too hot!" each cycle is basically physically damaging the module to an extent, whether its too a critical degree that needs repair or not, its still receiving damage in some way.

Also modules already have a cool down period actually, which prevents you from merely turning it on and off to avoid damage constantly. Modules already remain "hot" for a brief period of time

If you want to go through the RP route, sure if you want to focus all your mental attention in the fight to "not burning out your module" then you shouldn't be getting the bonus from overheating and you should be suffering in other aspects.
Overheating in a fight is not mental RP of "ok dont burn it out" its "kill it, kill it with fire!!! more power!!! ah poop i broke it"

Obviously this isn't the sensational and brilliant idea I thought it was.

I agree that a serious pilot error like burning out should cost you the fight in a 1 v 1 situation, but if you are in a fleet and your fleet wins the fight, then you shouldn't be forced to retire from the roam because you messed up one fight. Losing a pilot like that punishes the entire fleet unnecessarily.

I guess it all comes back to "Cold harsh universe etc. etc...."

Sad times.

I'd just like to add that the concept of a weapon generating too much heat and then having to cool down before you can use it again is nothing new. It's in just about every shoot 'em up video game ever made including Dust 514.

Here's a video clip: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dIqIOx_ljsQ#t=3m20s

you could argue that the cycle time between shots is what regulates the standard heat generated by weapons and modules.

As well as compared to a hand held weapon. These are attached to massive ships that also regulate the heat to allow for continuous use. But if you want to get the extra power out of them you have to really push your ships systems

still makes it OP, by increasing the power of the module you must have some negative side effects. You should't have ways to circumvent the side effects in the middle of a fight.
If you over heat too much in a fight, whether continues or sporadic, you either get your weapon shut off or cant risk it over heating more and taking more damage so you must use it as is. And after the fight is done you get to fix the damages if you were smart enough to bring along the right equipment to fix it

you see thats why your rate of fire is 1 bullet per second, its set at its max possible without damage rate

if YOU want to over cloak your computer your risk to damage it (and you do you cant leave an overcloak on all the time or youll slowly kill your PC) over cloaking your modules damages them has to much heat builds up, up to the point where you cant repair them without special equipment

its like if i was to kick a chaise until it cracks, then i can apply quick glue on it, once i quick the leg off i migth need to pick it up and actually repair it, ofcorse a intergalactical spaceship meant to destroy others is more comeplex then that but over heating your modules damages them for a reason, because instead of slowly moving that chair you bash it on the side

so it makes sense and is a part of the game play has something you cant to every 10 minutes like siege in a POS bash with dreads

your asking for a Care bear way to over heat your modules where you lose nothing are you?

overheating is a HUMMAN decision like over cloaking not mechanical, or electronical, if my computer was gonna last only another 60 seconds i think it would shut down right away if it could