MotherShip(MS) Cloaking

[GAME0VER]

I know that is not new to us we all hear it on t.v (StarGate)about ship's cloaking but it would be super c0ol that have our MS to cloak when we need it to cloak,and de-cloak when needed.Just as when mothership come in from exploring we can click send out again or cloak only doing this once aday.I do hope that others have any other ideals they can p0st also.

[Sarevok]

The only thing would be its exploitable nature.

Even planet search can be exploited. Mass some MSs, send it on a planet search. When it gets back, mass again, and send out again.

I would recommend having a "cool-down" timer, once it's been de-activated, before it can be re-activated. This SHOULD also be done for planet searching missions.

[Andariel]

The only thing would be its exploitable nature.
I would recommend having a "cool-down" timer, once it's been de-activated, before it can be re-activated. This SHOULD also be done for planet searching missions.

definitely.

[Reschef]

hm ... maybe do it like a PPT for the MS only ... costs one market turn and protects the MS for 3 days.

[Ancient God]

Mines not cheap to rebuild...

[Sarevok]

I'm pretty sure it's cheaper then the equivalent power in units and weapons

[GAME0VER]

hm ... maybe do it like a PPT for the MS only ... costs one market turn and protects the MS for 3 days.

Is a MS really worth the cost of an MT?

They can be rebuilt fairly easly, and cheaply.

thats a great ideal more like 48hrs the same as ppt but f0r MS///And you can use the ppt for MS twice a week?//0r once a week??

[schuesseled]

Tbh idea is'nt really thought out by the thread cre-ator, you should edit with exactly what you intend with the update.

P,s Planet searching is exploited, its not intended to save MS's, that was an oversight by admin, planet searching should be fixed or removed. As for cloaking, I dont think it should be a way of hiding your MS from getting massed, maybe you could encorporate it from klingon thinking, the cloak is a means to aid sneaky tactics, i.e with cloak on, on battle reports, stats on your MS are hidden.

[qacol]

What about 3 modes for the mother ship.

Att/Def mode - This is the same as the MS is home but 24hr min mode. This means after you click this, it's around for 24 hrs. No more hit and run.

Planet search - Looking for Planet same as now. Send out looking for planet again and again.

Sent Out - This mode you send MS away for min 24hrs but can recall any time after 24 hrs. This will put a new twist on people watching MS return times. You send out your MS and only you know when it will return after 24hrs.

Please add if any more ideas.

~Qacol~

[Clarkey]

What about a random cloaking. You know like Asgard have like a projection type bonus where you sometimes fail to get any resources when you attack an Asgard. Maybe the cloak can kick in on MS's at random so some hits you will hit their MS and some hits you won't? So it would be more of another MS Technology Upgrade I guess.

[Sarevok]

I'd prefer Qacol's idea.

With the cloak, it means MS efficiency is reduced. Even with 10% on both, it become 81% where both aren't cloaked, and thus can interact. (Similar to the AB)

Only problem is, one can protect their MS till they wish to mass. But on the flip side, you can't be massed, since your could be covered.

[TacticalCommander]

MS Cloak Option
Background: Since cloak is a thing generally used in SciFi for sneaking around undetected, I have adapted it in a manner that hopefully enhances the covert side of the game, without making any other part of the game useless.

Notes:
-Sometimes I refer to Covert Turns as CT
-Nothing I ever put is in stone
-I am not perfect and even my ideas may have loop holes for exploitation, all I ask is that you work for me in fixing them before singling them out as an excuse to discard the whole idea.


Engaging/Disengaging Cloak
-Option 1
--Requires 3 AT to change
-Option 2
--Requires 3 CT to change
---Since is covert based.
-Option 3
-Requires 3 CT to activate cloak
-Requires 3 AT to deactivate cloak, and move MS back to Military Mode.
-Point here is changing the cloak should be like changing realm alert, and nox. Enough to not hinder game play, but not something one would want to change every 10 secs or something.


When Cloak Disengaged
-MS behaves as normal engaging in battle when attacking/defending/Planet Stealing/planet search.


When Cloak is Engaged
-Engaged Cloak requires power from Shields/Volley.
--Cloak Power is not measured or relevant
-Currently MS rank is determined by combined total of Volley/Shield/Fleet
--With power to cloak, MS rank will only be a measure of armed Fleet Power.


Cloaked MS takes place in Covert/Anti Covert Warfare.

Recon
-Remains as is.
-Only the number of armed fleets can still be spied.

Sabotage
-When sabotaging an opponent whose own MS is uncloaked
--The Fleets launches attack with Covert units
--Results in destroying additional weapons: x fleet power = y extra weapons destroyed
---*Current suggested extra weapons destroyed rate: 100bil feet power = 100,000 extra weapons destroyed.
---*Current suggested extra weapons destroyed rate: 1bil feet power = 1,000 extra weapons destroyed.
--Fleets are damaged in process and will require repair.
--Current Sabotage limits remain place
---Max number of sabotages
---The use of 3 Covert Turns
---May require the use of the same limitation of only being able to double existing covert power
----or at max, it can only double the number of weapons loss that spies destroy.
----Essentially, something to prevent failed sabs of 5 or so units and relying solely on the fleet power to destroy weapons.

*These are examples designed to convey the idea and as always, any rates posted are not set in stone and are subject to change to achieve greater balance.

Or
-Fleet power adds bonus to covert power decreasing the number of covert agents to be sent/loss.
--Would need same limitation of only being able to double existing covert power
--This variant can be too powerful in my opinion, but it is there as an option.


-When being sabotage by opponent whose MS is uncloaked:
--MS fleets increase the Covert units the saboteur loses.
--Easiest way to do this, fleet power adds to existing covert defense power(like realm alert does)
---This increase the number of units that have to be sent and consequently the number of losses.


-When both MS are cloaked:
--Fleets engage each other first in the same way MS do in normal battle
---No protecting MS shields
--Damage and loses of fleets calculated: x amount power = Y number of fleets destroyed.
--With a max number of losses that can be obtained also remaining
--Extra power (if any) is then infused onto the covert units to effect damages accordingly.

Justification, this fleet on fleet engagement is a necessary tool as it can allow someone to mass another persons fleet.
-Even if they are only send 5 spies and thus not damaging weapons.
-Both sides would lose fleets.
-Since it is a sabotage operation, it does count toward the max number of covert operations that can done to an account.
-Otherwise, one could sit with max fleets invulnerable but capable of doing quite a bit of damage.




With regard to Anti Covert

-Currently In battle you have a set order
--MS engage
--Attack/Defense engage
--AntiCovert/Covert engage

-With a cloaked MS
--The cloaked MS contributes power bonus to covert portion of the battle.
--as oppose to the Military portion.

When ACing
-The cloaked MS does not travel in the actual battle
--The launching of the fleets AC unit would alert defending MS which would be bad.

When being ACed
-Basically, x amount of fleet power = Y amount of AntiCovert agents killed in the process.
--NOT limited of doubling losses that would otherwise be incurred.


Justification: This is a personal opinion in that AC is already too cheap in terms of the amount of losses received to amount of losses it can inflict and having this feature somewhat balances that out.
---But at the sacrifice of ones actual defense.
---Opponents military MS would allow for fewer losses when massing the defense anyway.


When both MS are cloaked:
-Nothing happens between MS as the attacking cloaked MS doesn't even go into battle.




Planet Warfare
-Cloaked MS in incapable of stealing/searching for a planet.
--Too much power being diverted to the cloak to steal/search for a planet
-Same limit that prevents one from sending their MS out right away after taking a planet, applies to engaging the cloak.
--This is chosen as the coding for it already exists.


Possible Addition: (taken and adapted from an old MS Tech idea I had: viewtopic.php?f=13&t=85362 )
Covert Fleet Attack on a planet
-This allows your fleets to attack planets even if you have 10.
--Notice it says attack, not take.
-Attack damages stat facilities but
--Planetary defenses are not destroyed/damaged at all.
--Destroys maybe 3-5% of the total number on the planet.
---This figure seemed most reasonable to me after using LegoCalc v4 to determine what damages would be for planets.
----But I did not do this extensively enough to be able to justify why 3-5% would be better than say 1-2%.

-Fleet damage remains the same.
--If your fleet power is below the needed amount to damage a defense, then it is also too low to damage any stats.
--Platforms function the same in bonus to planetary defense.
OR
--Platforms don't take effect as this a covert operation.
---MS sneaks in and out before platform can react.
---I only put this in as an option, its not like the person losing the planet completely.
--And there is another limitation to damage stated below.

-Since this is a Covert Operation, it requires Covert Capacity to launch.
--Competes with sabotage/recon.
-Minimum, this should take 5 Covert Turns (CT) per launch.
--100 CT/5 CT = 20 Attacks total
-Seems reasonable considering CT cannot be traded
--20 attacks assumes one did no spying for good targets at all.


Normally this is where I put closing comments that tie everything together but I really want to go do something else now so I'll leave you to work it all out.

TC

[Sarevok]

Possible Addition: (taken and adapted from an old MS Tech idea I had: viewtopic.php?f=13&t=85362 )
Covert Fleet Attack on a planet
-This allows your fleets to attack planets even if you have 10.
--Notice it says attack, not take.
-Attack damages stat facilities but
--Planetary defenses are not destroyed/damaged at all.
--Destroys maybe 3-5% of the total number on the planet.
---This figure seemed most reasonable to me after using LegoCalc v4 to determine what damages would be for planets.
----But I did not do this extensively enough to be able to justify why 3-5% would be better than say 1-2%.

-Fleet damage remains the same.
--If your fleet power is below the needed amount to damage a defense, then it is also too low to damage any stats.
--Platforms function the same in bonus to planetary defense.
OR
--Platforms don't take effect as this a covert operation.
---MS sneaks in and out before platform can react.
---I only put this in as an option, its not like the person losing the planet completely.
--And there is another limitation to damage stated below.

-Since this is a Covert Operation, it requires Covert Capacity to launch.
--Competes with sabotage/recon.
-Minimum, this should take 5 Covert Turns (CT) per launch.
--100 CT/5 CT = 20 Attacks total
-Seems reasonable considering CT cannot be traded
--20 attacks assumes one did no spying for good targets at all.C

I'm not so sure about this part. Planet defenses are already at a severe disadvantage. Since with techs, you only need 11.5% power based on RAW hangers to damage planets.
This would basically make planets useless. Since anyone with a well built-up planet, would have it gotten to, and destroyed.
But i do have personal bias towards current updates regarding fleet power. So maybe my view is screwed.

[TacticalCommander]

But i do have personal bias towards current updates regarding fleet power. So maybe my view is screwed.

Screwed or not, you still make a valid point, at least, I make sense of what your saying. The cloak in of itself already does a pretty good job of keeping large quantities of fleets armed fairly protected, which in of itself can be a very powerful tool in planet warfare, even with the current limitations I put into place.

Perhaps another limitation to it would be that to use it would require the attacker to have 10 planets already. Why destroy a planet if you can take it?

But its when you start adding stuff like that an idea can become really complicated. Often times its better to get the core of a suggestion implemented, then waiting to see if any extra additions are needed or can be added without serious side effects.

TC

[Sarevok]

Perhaps another limitation to it would be that to use it would require the attacker to have 10 planets already. Why destroy a planet if you can take it?

I don't think this path should be taken. If you just wish to harm them in that way, your better off taking the planet, and abandoning it. And if they get it back, do it again. Rather then having to get 10 planets before being able to attack the planets productions