Player Features and Ideas Discussion

Hello capsuleers!

One of the things we want to do in the releases later this year is adding new modules to the game. We're looking into what areas to delve into and I would love to hear what ideas you guys have.

To give a little bit of framework and to get the ball rolling, here are a few keywords:

Scripts
Heat
EW
Drones
Fitting/Slots
Area of Effect
One-use (consumable) modules

We're looking for anything ranging from small variations of existing modules to completely new functionality. While you're free to suggest whatever you want (including stuff not related to the list above), it's the latter part (new functionality) that is of the most interest right now (as it likely takes the longest to implement).

Thanks in advance,
SoniClover

Structure repair drones, let's finish the set.

Portable cyno jammer only fits e-war, with some sort of global cool down help stop caps dropping gate camps.

Edit: double post

Rigs that add a hig/mid/low slot.

Buff faction guns so they don't completely suck against t2.

Edit: Lulz at threadnaught. Ppl spaming instead of editing their first post to add an idea. Think CCP will read all that?

Remote Heat Sinks
Module Theory:
This module would allow the module host to dissipate heat on another target.

Clasifications
Remote Logistics Module - This module counts as remote support thus any effect that grants immunity to electronic warfares and remote support warfare also effects this module.

Heat Logistics - This module is Heat based logistics, certain bonuses or skills could apply to this type of module involving Heat Logistics.

Logistic Module - This module is considered a logistical module and cannot cause any harm to any target its tasked to thus when used in high sec it is not considered a hostile action. However when 'repairing' a hostile target all crimewatch rules apply.

Comprimisable Traits
*Always Open for Discussion of current traits and possible new traits

Ammo Optional - This module may work without ammo but not as effective.
Ammo Usage - This module may use ammo.
Ammo Costs - This ammo may be expenive in either isk or material means.
Ammo Size - This ammo may be large and cumbersome to stuff into combat cargoholds
Cap Use - Cap usage can be a limiting factor to help prevent overabuse of this module.
Implant Compatable - Implants may be modeled to improve use of this module.
Heat Penalty - This module could amplify local heat generated.
Heat Vampire - This module may take heat from the target and dumps it onto itself.
Metamodule - Considered, boosted traites Range, Cap, CPU, PG, Heat Asorbption, Ammo Capacity, Rate of Fire.
Overheat Use - Considered, Standard 15% Rate of Cycle, Extra Heat Generated if overloaded.
Range - Range of the module is up for debate, current notion short range.
Rig Compatable - Rigs may be modeled around the use of this module
Ship Specialist - Currently Tech 3 ships might be able use this module effectivly, requires Heat Vampire trait.
Ship Specialization - Ships could be designed to make this module more effective.
Sizes - Small, Medium, Large, X-Large
Skill Boosted - This module may receive benifits from skill use, heavily considering cap use reduction
Tech 2 - This module may have a tech 2 variation with much more effective range and heat asorbption.

Uncomprimisable Traits
*Strong Argument required to change my mind on this.

High Slot Only - This modules is a remote support module thus must fit in a highslot.
Skill Reliant - This module will require skills for its use and equipping, Thermodynamics minimal.

Module Breakdown Philsophy

Essentially this module was made at the suggestion of the CCP OP for heat related modules. This interesting angle of allowing heat as an electronic warfare does bring up whole new slew area of potential 'burns'.

To combat the possible effects of future warfare options one must be prepared to counter inbound threats, failure to do so will cause many tears as modules will begin to die on target ships and youll have heat fleets roaming around 'roasting' ships to death.

This is where the Remote Heat Sink comes in as there is currently no tool existing in eve that can potentially save said ship from this future warfare option.

There are of course are balance concerns, Make this module too effective and you can have a unburnable ship on your hands even tank the overheat. A core philosphy that CCP wants to adhere too unless noted otherwise. However as with any module make it ineffective enough and you are faced with the the result of nobody ever using those modules.

To prevent abuse there are options to be had and considered which most is very reliant on unknown mechanics not existent in the game yet.

One would be to have a low amount of heat drained from the target. Just have it effective enough to counter external heat sources but not self generated sources. This is very relaint on how well external sources can overheat a ship verses the built in sources. This will work under the assumptiont that external heat sources are 'marginal' but becomes threatening if ignored for too long. This module should be powerful enough to counter external sources.

Other options to prevent overtanking with remote heat sinks is high capacitor cost, which always a option with any module. Ships that have to overspend on being cap stable lose too much in thier pvp or pve fittings to adhere to current combat princiaples on the warfields.

The next option is to make this module 'fueled' a process. By limiting how long this effect can last on a target by restricting it with long reloads, limited m3 space, and of course isk cost, creates holes in the 'heat' defense. There is room for ammo optional but at reduced effectiveness can be also a nice option for the more desparet.

Ultimately the tipping balance ust come at this one cost. In order to reach 'heat tankability' would require far too much lost dps in other ships lower ehp of involved ships entirely against equal number of ships to be at a major disadvantage.

What it will enable however is more frequent overheating as well with ships that are no longer overloading quickly dissipating thier heat. This could be paired up with a remote module repair support to undo the damage the overheat has caused.

This module is best used in small to middle sized fleet envrionments, in much larger envrionments overheating brought to bear against targets that can withstand such damage to be considered using heat as an option to cripple said ships would have too many sources to be countered with this module effectively.

Improve Fire and Forget Missiles
Module Theory

This module would have a markable advantage over current Friend or Foes missiles by greatly reducing guesswork in which targets the FOF will strike next though the use of Target Painters. This however is only a mitigation in possibly friendly strikes.
Clasifications

Comprimisable Traits
*Always Open for Discussion of current traits and possible new traits

Ammo Size - Currently same as normal missiles, I see no need to adjust.
CONCORDOKKEN - This module is well known for summoning CONCORD on accident.
Explosive Speed - This missile explodes very fast making it ideal for speedy targets.
Explosive Size - This module explodes very sloppy and not suited very well against smaller than intended targets at all.
Friendly Fire - This module is known for unintentionally hitting friends as well as enemies.
God's Way - To make up for this missile's lack of intelligence, it compensates by hitting very hard.
Magazine Size - Currently comparable to normal missile launchers, no need to adjust.
Overheat - Considered, Standard 15% RoF increase.
Range - Currenlty in the middilebetween Smartfire and Dumbfire missiles, laser guided head and self targeter is a bit big but not as bit as smart warhead detonator and it has to look for the target resulting in lost flight time.
Rate of Fire - Currenlty in the middile between Smartfire and Dumbfire missiles, requires minimal programming to launch.
Rig Compatiable - Currently all missile smartfire misssile rigs will effect this system.
Replacment -This module is designed to entirely replace an existing system in game.
Ship Specialist - Any minmatar ship currently that has target painter bonuses can benifit greatly with this module.
Ship Specialization - Speicfic Minmatar FOF ships may be in the future for this and a role bonus.
Sizes - Small Medium Large
Sizes Not Included - X Large
Suicidal - This module can cause the players own death by attacking the launcher's own ship.
Target Able - This module could behave as a normal launcher as long as targets are locked by launching ship.
Zoom Zoom - This missile is very fast designed for chasing speedy targets.

Uncomprimisable Traits
*Strong Argument required to change my mind on this.
Ammo Required - This module requires ammo to operate.
Cap Use - This module should not require capacitor to launch.
High Slot - Module is a weapon systems, all weapon systems are high slots.
Intelligent Use - This module requires some fine art to use to its max potential without screwing up horrifically.
Laser Guided - This module has very accurate with targets as long as it has laser guidance.
Missile Launcher system - This is a new missile launcher system to seperate from Smart Fire and Dumb Fire Missile Launchers.
Skills Boosted- This module/system recieves additional damage bonus from FOF skillbook.
Skills Required- This module/system requires FOF skillbook for operation and equipping.
Stupid - This module cannot tell the difference between friends or foes, nor thier target painters and will track the closest painted target.
Target Free- This module can activate without targets.
Wild Card - This module's effectiveness is as random as the next card drawn.

Module Breakdown Philsophy

This new variant of the fire and forgets are an evolution in the missiles design. They now come equipped with laser seeking heads which are combined with thier current anti-radiation (targeting signal chasing) behaviors makes this missile ideal to use for small fleet or solo operations. Its to ultimately make the near useless and highly unpredictable missiles a bit more 'controllable.' While this does not entirely migitate risks entirely it should be significant enough to encourage it use. Especially for her higher damage.

As long as there is a viable target within the missiles' range is being painted by a target painter within its optimal range can provide a strong enough tracking source for the missile to follow and overrides any chase signals.

If there are no viabled painted targets within range then the missile will revert to standard FOF behavior as we know it today. This overall has a drawback of the hostile forces using target painters and like systems to light up friendly ships closer to the launcher thus making the launchers piroritize them over the launcher or allies painting effects on the hostiles as they're further out. Even to make things more horrific would allow for the missiles to follow a painted signal on the launchers own ship thus causing the missiles to do a 180* and home on in the launching ship potentially killing themselves in the process. Intelligent use of the module is required to make up for its' stupidity.

Another enhancment I would like to add is allow normal behavior use of the weapon system as if it where a regular launcher. With it falling back to Target Painting Chasing then FOF behavior as last resorts. However if it comes to that then all smartfire bonuses would be thrown out the airlock as the damage is already high enough as it will be and doesnt need additional feeding to OP the missile damage for just becuase. In the end stacked up bonuses possible the smartfire missile should be slighlty less than the FOF's all possible stacked damage factors and with the target painting use that is going to be definetly involved with the iFoF the damage should improve albit more marginally over the Smartfire missile. Either way this is very negotable modifyable and workable. I would strongly discourage this if we do pick my suggestion for ECM behavior which only removes one max taret at a time.

Multiple Slot Modules

Module Theory

It may have come to a point in New Eden that military powers are rapidly developing new technolgies from the sleeper technological fallout as well as thier ire for each other constantly driving themselves for war.

It may soon come to a point that some technologies are going to outpace other areas this is quite comparable today as with computers getting more powerful yet the batteries that power them are barely evolving fast enough to keep up with them.

The name of this technological slow poke would be micronization or the technology of keeping things small and compact.
New Eden may be getting to the point that some weapons and module manufacturers are beginning to run into technological dead ends where increasing the ship performance is no longer possible to squeeze into one module area.

So laziness and convience the bastard fathers of inventions rears his ugly head and says.
"Why dont we take up two module slots instead?"

Af first all the scientist looked at him and laughed but soon they may come to realize there is potential here. Unheard of room that wasnt there before now available to work with. Additional powerlines, cpu links and phsyical mounts normally requiring to reinvent the wheel to facilitate opens a new dimension in module designing and to the pidgeonhole what the maitenace crews of the capsullers think and to the starship engineers that didnt accomidate the module makers original needs. If they make it useful enough and the pod pilots will pay for having these installed.

So what sort of modules should we qualify in multiple modules?

There are two schools I know of approaching module design that covers multiple slots.

The first school the school of the bastards. Basically shoving two like modules together to get the additional effect the two sperately would struggle to achevie. Now I personally do not like this school for a few reasons. First being it is not suited for every ship in New Eden namely frigates would struggle to handel the demands of multiple slot modules and this can be a very bad thing. However it can also benifit by providing reduce fitting strain for 'small' multiple modules that the strain the two sperate modules could have caused, and ultimately the combining of two exact modules begins to compete against special variant of single slot modules. THUS undervaling said special variants would almost require a run of special variant multiple slot modules as well to not put officer farming profession out on the curb.

The next school is the school of elightment. This is an entirely unknown territory though as in this school we are probably going to suggest things that are normally 'outragous' something that when it is working would and should never find themselves on a single module. Because of this we are faced wtih some very serious questions of how many slot should it consume? Is it really worht the cost of those slots? How useful is the module verses the devoured slots better used elsewhere. This list goes on but there are tools in this. For example any very powerful weapon system you can make devour multiple high slots to prevent overfitting too many of the module. Systems that give a stark advantage in electornic defense could hamper offensive abilities or tanking abilities by devouring appropriate slots. The best part is this allows for the system to be frigate friendly as well as any other ship in eve with slots to spare.

Whatever new modules we suggest that consumes multiple modules we have to always have the to ask the important question though which is:

Can this module belong in one slot?

If the answer is no then we succeded in the multi-slot the module's purpose.

The biggest factor many protesters of the multiple module idea might have would probably be that the modules are overpowered but they need to consider the actual cost of denied modules Fitting these things is basically like saying that your ship is going to lose this slot and that slot if you fit it. Many dont look at these modules in such manner however its quite understanable at first glance with alot of these.

Next come the technical part how does one go about making modules?

The answer to this one already exists. Look at subsystems and see how they add module slots. In computer thoery it should be possibel to 'remove' them as well from the math side of things. So we assign an 'anchor' slot for these modules where most of this module is going to rest in. From these we can ascertain where heat will damage it the most as well as activate as if it where part of the rack for overheating purposes. From there we can then subtract module fittings as the attributes denying use of those normally equipped slots. Afterwards we have to design UI elements into multiple modules. Icons would be easy just by listing all modules it occupies. However this system limits us to about 3 module slots to either be non instrusive or not requiring new assest layout of the tags on the modules to go further than three icon slots.

Either way significant technical hurdles overall must be considered before diving into the development of multiple slot modules as the end results may not be worth the efforts in making the multislot modules possible in the end.

Could finish off making 2 versions of things that dont have them yet like was done with the last update. In particuler i was thinking t2 sw/tp/td drones as well as other non t2 mods.

Ive also noticed there is no dmg drone rigs, and like was said above some t2 items are worse than meta 4.

Consumable modules?

Interesting idea. How powerful would these be compared to normal modules?

---

My ideas :

Active Tank "Overload" module

An Armor / Shield "Siege Style" effect for armor repairers and shield boosters. This could come with some penalties, it would NOT CONFER a damage bonus. It would simply be a way to make some active shield setups more viable in heavy fleet situations.


This could very easily become overpowered, of course. So I'm saying very adamantly this is only a concept to make certain active tank ships more possible.

The module would take a slot in the respective tank, so it would sacrifice tank in other areas to achieve the same effect. I.e. Shield Boost "Overload" would be a mid-slot, and Armor Boost "Overload" would be a low slot, etc.

These ships would probably still be very vulnerable to being "Alpha'd" off the field, so would take some balance considerations.


Infinite Warp Core Stabilizer (1 Time Consumable - Subcaps only)

You could create an infinite warp core stabilizer. This would be a ONE TIME usage module (using your idea). It would allow you to get 30 seconds of infinite warp core stability to escape bubbles and gate camps. This would probably not be allowed to be fit on capital ships at all.

This would allow for a player to escape certain situations, but only ONCE, meaning they'd be very vulnerable after that. The effect on the ships should also be very visible so all the gate campers who go WTF!!! realize what just happened.


Overheat Sink
Would allow you to "dump" all your overheat a la Mechwarrior. This would either be a consumable module, or could use some kind of "heat sink ammo". It would take up a slot, so would only be used on specialized ships designed around overheating the **** out of everything. :) Might also reduce the amount of heat absorbed as you are overheating, acting like an "empty module slot" while in the slot.


Rainbow Hardeners /Reinforcers
Hardeners that can be scripted on the fly for specific resistances. They would obviously NOT be as good as dedicated hardeners, and you'd need the specific script on hand to swap between resistances. Would be interesting...


Slot Convertor
Would allow you to DOWNGRADE a slot from a High to Medium, or Medium to Low (wouldn't make sense to go upwards, producing more power from a 'low' slot to a 'medium')

So you could take a high slot and add a medium slot, or a medium slot and make it a low slot.





DRONES :

Salvaging Drones :
Drones that salvage for you. Act like mining drones.


Hull Repair Drones.
Self-Explanatory


Small Webifier Drones:
Only available in Large currently. Would give a SMALL 5-10% webifier, but could be used in conjunction with other drones for effect.





Will post more.. just want to get on the first page. ;p


Continued @ : https://forums.eveonline.com/default.aspx?g=posts&m=659877#post659877

With some CRAZY fun ideas to boot.

Before adding new modules, you should go and fix all broken/useless modules. EVE has a far too long list of of modules that are effectively useless for anything other than reprocessing into minerals.