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1

Feedback and Suggestions / Re: An Idea - Directional Armour

« on: February 19, 2014, 05:54:50 pm »

Thanks for the replies!

I did try to search for any similar suggestions, but came up empty.

Weapons as shields are an interesting idea - but doesn't accomplish the main feature of adding an extra layer to combat for every and all ships. Directional armour also gives an additional layer Muse could tweak for balance.

Smollett, what you put down mirrors my own experience with the Pyra. Charging something with that tip, even a Goldfish, will put damage onto the armour. And taking shots to the front will kill the Pyra just as fast as taking them in the stern, the only advantage with the front is it protects the engines and allows the pyra to shoot back.

2

Feedback and Suggestions / An Idea - Directional Armour

« on: February 18, 2014, 07:20:07 pm »

I am still rather new to the game and am slowly getting more and more matches under my belt. Been doing well so far, but we will see if that lasts after level 4 .

One thing which struck me right off is that armour damage happens the same, regardless of the direction the hits come in from. What this means is positioning strategy is all about maximizing your gun arcs and ranges while trying to minimize the enemy's.

In comparison, I have played a few pirate ship games, and a mechanic they used is "directional armour." That is, there were separate armour values with independent health bars for the bow, stern, port and starboard. The overall ship health was one pool, just like it is in GoIO.

What was interesting about this directional armour was the extra layer of strategy it added. Being able to flip broadsides on an enemy while staying on one side of them effectively doubled your armour, and staying across their bow or stern meant you could constantly pour rounds into the more lightly armoured front or rear. Positions and turns were about preserving your own armour and targeting damaged sides of the enemy as well as plotting gun arcs.

Of course, ships in GoIO are more varied that real-life maritime ships in where armour should be strong or weak, the Pyrm for example would likely have a strong front, medium sides and a weak rear - but the principle remains. Of course, Muse would also need to look at how to implement repair/rebuild times/positions and work out the actual numbers for this all.

So, while I have yet to get to high level or look at competitive play, I do think this could add an extra dimension if Muse could do it. Thoughts?