Modifications in FTL methods to adapt them to a system with geography

[Purussaurus]

<< I did not include this text in other FTL discussions because what they discuss there is quite different from what I'm talking about here, but if the moderators want it I can move it elsewhere. >>

I really liked the new system that allows you to create geography (galactography) in space, opening up the possibility of creating frontier defenses, I loved the introduction of natural wormholes and gateways, but I did not like the removal of two FTL methods.

The idea here is to suggest a system that encompasses both old and new FTL methods, but in a way that preserves the idea of geography in space while maintaining the flavor of several FTL.

Hyperdrive:
- Very fast travel.
- Short time to activate.
- Restricted to hyperlanes
- Strong ships.
- Mutually exclusive with warpdrive.
--> Used to general warfare.

Instant-Wormhole:
- Instant travel.
- Very long activation time.
- Short range.
- It does not affect the strength of the ships.
- Stations cost fleet capacity.
- Any ship can use.
- After wormholes stabilization technology is researched, empires gain the ability to destabilize wormholes, making instant wormholes incapable of being used in invasions.
--> Used to defense.

Warpdrive:
- Very slow travel.
- Long time to activate.
- Long range.
- Very weak ships.
- They can not go through dust clouds.
- Mutually exclusive with hyperdrive.
--> Used to exploration, scouting, construction, piracy and raids.

Infinity Improbability Generator (emergency FTL):
- Medium travel duration.
- Average time to activate.
- Very long range.
- It does not affect the strength of the ships.
- Any FTL ship can use.
- Always takes the fleet to a designated starbase.
- Possible damage and loss of ships.
--> Used to escape.

Natural Wormhole:
- Instant travel.
- No actvation time.
- Unlimited range.
- It does not affect the strength of the ships.
- Any ship can use.
- Needs to be stabilized.
--> Use depends on galactography.

Gateway:
- Instant travel.
- No actvation time.
- Unlimited range.
- It does not affect the strength of the ships.
- Any ship can use.
--> Used for strategic movement.

Jumpdrive:
- Instant travel.
- Average activation time and long cooldown.
- Long range.
- Strong ships, but with momentary fragility on arrival at the destination.
- May attract interdimensional invaders.
--> Used to be an a***ole.

Essentially, hyperdrives are much smaller and more efficient than warpdrives, so ships have much more room for other systems, making them much stronger. Thus, a navy made entirely of ships with warpdrives would be much weaker than one with hyperdrives. And since warpships do not leave normal space, they are susceptible to collisions, so that initially they are unable to cross dust clouds. That is, in direct combat, hyper wins warp, so building a warp-based naval force would be suicide against an empire with a hyper-based one, which causes most of a war to occur naturally along the hyperlanes.

Sensors could still be based on hyperlanes, having warpdrive or instant-wormhole does not allows to violate this. Then, warpdrive ships can serve as scouts, entering enemy territory and gaining information from the inner region.

Instant-Wormholes have very short range due to the difficulty of creating the exit light-years away. They are of limited use, because they consume fleet capacity and, after developing the wormholes stabilization technology, it is possible to deny the creation of them in enemy territory. However it is possible to create ships without hyperdrive/warpdrive, freeing up even more space for other systems, being possible to create empires completely defensive with a powerful fleet.

In this system is possible the existence of inaccessible regions in the beginning, because they have restricted paths in relation to hyperlanes, are out of reach of wormholes and are in a region of clouds of dust.

Emergency FTL has always been a bit uncomfortable, the way it works does not make sense, the fleets simply disappear, the same is true for when a border is suddenly closed. To solve this we can introduce a new FTL, the Infinite Improbability Generator (I should have proposed this before the Adams version ), which would only serve for ships escaping to allied territory, being useless for exploration or invasion. It could already be embedded in every FTL vessel.

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The technological evolution of hyperdrives is:

-> Hyperdrive I
-> Hyperdrive II (faster)
-> Hyperdrive III (even faster)
-> Jumpdrive (has the basic function of a hyperdrive III, but can access an extra dimension and jump to other systems)

The technological evolution of warpdrives is:

-> Warpdrive I
-> Warpdrive II (more range)
-> Warpdrive III (able to cross dust clouds with hypershields and neutronium armor, but suffering damage)
-> Intergalactic-Warpdrive (only works for intergalactic travel and is restricted to Pretoryn)

The technological evolution of wormholes is:

-> Instant-Wormhole
-> Wormholes Stabilization (allows to cross natural wormholes and inhibit the artificial ones)
-> Improved Wormhole Generation (more range)
and/or
-> Gateways

The technological evolution of infinity improbability generator is:

-> Infinity Improbability Generator I (damage and possible lost of ships, can only be actived in emergencies)
-> Infinity Improbability Generator II (damage to ships, can be actived any time)

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Each empire can choose the initial FTL method, according to personality and strategy, isolationists/pacifists choose wormhole, expansionists/conquerors choose hyperdrives, and explorers choose warpdrive. However, all other methods can be researched.

 

[Purussaurus]

These concept-arts give an idea of why a ship with warpdrive would be more fragile than one with hyperdrive. The circular structures are part of the warprdrive.

Warp bubble: (1) Expanded space. (2) Normal space. (3) Contracted space.

 

[legofreak97]

A simple reason why a warp ship should be weaker than a hyperdrive-ship (at least in my mind) is:
With warp you are actually warping space. That takes a lot of energy. With the hyperdrvie you are merely "hopping on" a road you need to drive down.

I like the proposed Changes for warp a lot, however I think the Wormholes are fine as they are in the Dev-version.
There probably needs to be some more Work put into the Warp-interactions with terrain, but them not being able to cross Nebulas sounds very interesting.
It also means however that there should be no "Starting-FTL" you choose, because until you get acces to warp/Hyperdrives respectively (depending on what you picked), you could be at a high disadvantage, especially with warp, since the ships are weaker.

All in all I definetly appreciate the try, at least
I don't mind having only hyperlanes, since I've played mostly Space-strategy that uses that system and thus I know it's benefits.
But I think many people would in fact be very happy, if warp was still in the game in some form.

 

[Purussaurus]

A simple reason why a warp ship should be weaker than a hyperdrive-ship (at least in my mind) is:
With warp you are actually warping space. That takes a lot of energy. With the hyperdrvie you are merely "hopping on" a road you need to drive down.

I like the proposed Changes for warp a lot, however I think the Wormholes are fine as they are in the Dev-version.
There probably needs to be some more Work put into the Warp-interactions with terrain, but them not being able to cross Nebulas sounds very interesting.
It also means however that there should be no "Starting-FTL" you choose, because until you get acces to warp/Hyperdrives respectively (depending on what you picked), you could be at a high disadvantage, especially with warp, since the ships are weaker.

All in all I definetly appreciate the try, at least
I don't mind having only hyperlanes, since I've played mostly Space-strategy that uses that system and thus I know it's benefits.
But I think many people would in fact be very happy, if warp was still in the game in some form.

Thanks.

On the option to choose the FTL method in the beginning, it would be a disadvantage to have warp in two situations:
- Start in a nebula of dust.
- Start near a hostile empire.
I say this because I would first choose warpdrive because I play as an explorer but would research hyperdrive as soon as possible. In general terms you're right.

On the wormhole, I also find it good as it was presented in Dev, but I wanted to contemplate including those who prefer the current wormhole.

 

[Vokasak]

On the wormhole, I also find it good as it was presented in Dev, but I wanted to contemplate including those who prefer the current wormhole.

The way you have it included, it goes obsolete in the midgame. I don't blame you for this, it's basically necessary to not over-ride the vision of 1.9. The people who prefer the current wormhole like it because you get to appear out of nowhere and bully the AI with invasions. That stuff simply isn't going to be a thing anymore, and I don't know if giving the wormhole-lovers a baby version with short range that can't be used offensively will appease anyone.

 

[Purussaurus]

The way you have it included, it goes obsolete in the midgame. I don't blame you for this, it's basically necessary to not over-ride the vision of 1.9.

The wormhole would be obsolete only for offensive purposes. For defensive purposes they would be quite effective, especially for pacifists and tall empires. As it would be superior to other FTL methods early in the game (within its reach), this would allow empires that started with this technology to dominate their surroundings and go into turtle mode later.

The people who prefer the current wormhole like it because you get to appear out of nowhere and bully the AI with invasions. That stuff simply isn't going to be a thing anymore, and I don't know if giving the wormhole-lovers a baby version with short range that can't be used offensively will appease anyone.

In a singleplayer match the game does not have to be necessarily balanced, it just needs to be fun for the player. There could be an option to choose the FTL methods available, with the limitations removed according to the choices, or even an "Old FTL" option, which could come in the form of a mod if the devs are afraid of new players thinking that they have done a poor job.