New tech idea - Launch Lasers

EViL_JiM · #1 July 24th, 2002, 12:46 AM

This isnt a new idea... but using photon pressure from installations based on moons or asteroids to launch interstellar craft is a very realistic concept. Popularized by Larry Niven in the Man Kzin wars.. that any reaction mass used for thrust was an equally powerful weapon.

Have it as unit which could be Constructed on moons or Asteroids.

Can be used as a defensive weapon against hostile ships.. say... does a one shot 50 damage hit once per turn to any ship you target.

James

sachmo · #2 July 24th, 2002, 12:51 AM

Mass drivers...what was the name of that game with the mass drivers that would fire supplies from one system to another? Anyone remember? In an emergency, you could use them as a weapon...

"Today, an Ukra-Tal invasion fleet was destroyed when a huge container of shoes smashed into their battlefleet. The shoes were bound for Uranus, but with a mass of 900 kilotons and moving at 600k mph, the shoes hit the fleet with a force great enough to smash every ship in the Ukra-Tal fleet. The shoes were undamaged."

How embarassing would that be?

Ragnarok · #3 July 24th, 2002, 12:58 AM

Quote:

Originally posted by sachmo:
Mass drivers...what was the name of that game with the mass drivers that would fire supplies from one system to another? Anyone remember? In an emergency, you could use them as a weapon...

"Today, an Ukra-Tal invasion fleet was destroyed when a huge container of shoes smashed into their battlefleet. The shoes were bound for Uranus, but with a mass of 900 kilotons and moving at 600k mph, the shoes hit the fleet with a force great enough to smash every ship in the Ukra-Tal fleet. The shoes were undamaged."

How embarassing would that be?

Dang that would be uber embarassing. But the Mass Drivers, are you refering to Stars? That used technology that "flung" packets of supplys from planet to planet. If not Stars then I don't know which game it would be.

Suicide Junkie · #4 July 24th, 2002, 01:33 AM

It seems to me that the propulsion lasers would be best made in the same style as the Crystalline Tech "Energy Lens" Shield facility.

Build the facility on a planet, and all ships in the system get +1 movement.
This could potentially allow you to recover immobile ships without sending in a repair ship.

Alternatively, you could reduce the effect to be +1 movement for all ships in that sector. It would effectively be a catapult launching system, which allows your base to launch interceptor ships faster/farther than normal.

EViL_JiM · #5 July 24th, 2002, 01:53 AM

I have to disagree on both counts. This in no way would belong in the 'cyrstalline tech' group... This isn't some special technology. It is common stuff.. the technology to build this already exsists and is being engineered in small steps (Russia is doing the most work right now)

Also a +1 sector bonus seems very small... and doesnt make it worth the effort. And it doesnt make sense to build it on a planet... at least not a planet with an atmosphere.

Quote:

It seems to me that the propulsion lasers would be best made in the same style as the Crystalline Tech "Energy Lens" Shield facility.

Build the facility on a planet, and all ships in the system get +1 movement.
This could potentially allow you to recover immobile ships without sending in a repair ship.

Alternatively, you could reduce the effect to be +1 movement for all ships in that sector. It would effectively be a catapult launching system, which allows your base to launch interceptor ships faster/farther than normal.

[ July 24, 2002, 00:54: Message edited by: EViL_JiM ]

Will · #6 July 24th, 2002, 03:33 AM

SJ didn't say it should be in the same group as Crystalline tech, but the same style of the Energy Lens, which is a part of Crystalline tech. The Energy Lens provides, IIRC, a +60 shield bonus to all ships/units with shields in a system. An equivalent propulsion Version -- which could be either normal tech, or perhaps tied in with Propulsion Experts (or both, with P.E.'s getting a more powerful Version) -- would provide propulsion bonuses to all ships/units in a system/sector. I'm not sure if there's an ability for that though, I'm not too familiar with all of abilities.txt

And I remember being able to send packets of the three kinds of resources in a Stars! demo... IIRC, you needed a special component to launch it, and the same component to catch it (if you actually wanted to catch it). I remember a few times arranging for the packet to arrive at the point an enemy fleet was expected to arrive at, when said fleet arrived... destroyed the fleet. Also remember flinging a very big one, very fast, at an enemy colony... and I had a transport ready to colonize the newly enriched and now empty planet. Ah, that was fun. SEIV is better, though

Baron Munchausen · #7 July 24th, 2002, 04:07 AM

Say, that is an interesting idea. A system movement bonus that requires a facility. Definitely something to send in to MM.

While we're at it, though, we also need Warp Gates. If we can get MM to just put the ability in, he doesn't need to work it into the default game config, modders could then create a totally different sort of game based on no natural warp points, only artificial 'jump gates'.

Suicide Junkie · #8 July 24th, 2002, 04:20 AM

Quote:

Also a +1 sector bonus seems very small... and doesnt make it worth the effort. And it doesnt make sense to build it on a planet... at least not a planet with an atmosphere.

Maybe. But consider the advantages:
You can launch instant (one-turn) attacks against targets +1 square away.
You'd also get +1 movement in combat while defending the planet.

And you can always increase the ability amount to whatever value you feel is fair.

EViL_JiM · #9 July 24th, 2002, 04:31 AM

True enough.. all in all I think this could be incorperated to a new but minor tech tree.. maybe working around system-scale activities.. from asteroid mining, resource moving, etc... I dunno.. I will give it more thought over the next few days.