Localized Subsim Damage - Exists!

One of the items on my if-we-only-had-the-source wish list was localized damage for subsystems.

I just realized that we already have it. I was looking at the collision hull for the old destroyer. It does not cover the turrets. Yet firing directly on the turrets does damage them. They take extra damage, above and beyond the subsystem damage.

So I just realized that if we turn all subsystem damage off (in flux.ini) - we still get destroyable subsystems. But all the subsystems would need a physical model, like a turret.

I bring this up, because when you guys/gals are building models, you might consider breaking them into chunks that correspond to the subsystems. Then a ship could be "assembled" into its full shape. Pieces would be blown off as the subsims were destroyed.

It would be too much work to go back and change all prior models, but new ones might not be any more difficult to create this new way - and it would give your ships something rather unique. And it requires no extra code or anything.

For the first time it might be possible to shoot a ship in the engines to disable it. (right now hitting a ship in the engines blows off the weapons, then the shields, then other low priority items, engines tend to go last).

I guess a bit more testing would be needed to make sure that all subsystems can have physical avatars. And if those need to stick out past the collision hull.

Just an idea to kick around.

-Gtrout

Hey, cool idea! That's a brilliant new application of existing code. There you go being brilliant again GrandpaTrout.

Hey wait a minute, it kind of reminds me of Shane and MajorTom's solution to the freighter avatar visibility problem. Hmm... Maybe there's already been more testing on the subject than we think. I'd like to hear from them on this.

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Actually about 1.5 years slow... Another possible idea would be to use otherwise useless subsims as armor. The player would have to blow them away to get at critical subsims. Shanes designs prompted the idea, because they often shield the thruster tubes.

-Gtrout

Originally posted by GrandpaTrout


I guess a bit more testing would be needed to make sure that all subsystems can have physical avatars. And if those need to stick out past the collision hull.

-Gtrout

Unfortunatly turrets are one of the few sims that can have a physical avatar. Tests with LDAs and capsule drive, for example, showed that they absolutly refuse to accept a physical avatar.

My guess is that it is embedded in the way the engine handles the different classes/subclasses and you can only use physical avatars on weapons (probably missile launchers too).
I'm pretty sure the 'systems' subsims like ships drive, cpu, auto repair, sensors, power plant, acummulators, heat sinks won't accept an avatar, analog to the LDA and capsule drive as noted above.

Anyone is welcome to prove me wrong though

Have Gun, Will Travel

Great minds think alike. Hot4Darmat and I were speaking about this last week. Even used the reference of firing an antimatter blast at the rear of a cruiser and watching turrets explode at the front.

I've not had too much time to work on it, but had started making the avatars for the life-support system (crew module avatar) and thruster packs about 3 weeks ago.

The neat thing is that, if nulls for linkage between the systems are carefully placed, you can change the outward appearance of a ship by changing it's loadout.

However, this is not something I'd considered for EoC, but for a side project I work on.

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Steve had a great idea over on the INA forum. Essentially you could attach child sims to a ship at proper locations. Then use something like the damage mod to monitor the child sim and copy the damage level over to the real subsystem. A lego building block ship would then be possible. A fun idea to think about, even if there is never time to do it.

-Gtrout