Dynamic Armor

[N-Sunderland]

I figure this might make gunners a tad bit more important, simply because they'd most likely have better accuracy through experience.

That's not really true. I get that you'd rather have a level 8 gunner than a level 8 engineer on your gun. That makes sense. But then you just tell that level 8 gunner to go engi, and there you go.

[RearAdmiralZill]

You have fun telling Shink to go engie. Quite the Unwise Decision.

[N-Sunderland]

Just to clarify, I'm not trying to start that argument again. I'm just saying that experienced gunners understanding gunning better isn't really a good reason to have them not go engi.

[HamsterIV]

Wouldn't this widen the already large performance gap between experienced player and non experienced player? We are scaring off enough new people by cursing them out for not knowing the difference between spanner and mallet. Adding another layer of complexity would extend the life of this game for old hands, but I am not so sure it would be good for the new player base.

I am just playing devils advocate here. I actually like this idea, since it would make me a more desirable crewman once I gained the right knowledge.

[Zenark]

The only real changes the crew would have to learn would be anyone on a gun and the pilots; engineering wouldn't change much.

As far as new members having to learn extra stuff, they already have to learn the damage types and which components they're used on. This is more or less another component, except you don't have to repair it.

Now, having it as something that could take damage and be destroyed is cool, but that would add a whole 'nother section to ship layout and engineering. I would imagine, like the balloon and hull, there'd be a central machine/part/thingy that would have to have its own spot on each ship. Adding such a thing would make balance difficult at this level of production, since MUSE would have to find the right location to stick it where it wouldn't be too close to the other components.

[Squidslinger Gilder]

Wouldn't this widen the already large performance gap between experienced player and non experienced player? We are scaring off enough new people by cursing them out for not knowing the difference between spanner and mallet. Adding another layer of complexity would extend the life of this game for old hands, but I am not so sure it would be good for the new player base.

Why you'd add color coded hit markers with it. Hard to scare off people when the game tells them how to play.

[Captain Magellan]

EPIC idea, Zenark. I seriously love this idea. It wouldn't be too big of a deal for new people as long as you add the color coded hit markers and make the ship customization screens less confusing and more information based. Give them either better data, or put the numbers back and merely mention the strong and weak points of the ship. Maybe even outlining them in some kind of blueprint (yes I liked the blueprints, shoot me).

[Zenark]

Yeah, just something that highlights them. It wouldn't take long at all to figure out that the big plates of metal on the ships take less damage than the wooden parts.

I would love to see a ship dominate because it's gunners were fantastic shots. It encourages precision rather than spray and pray. (not that that's bad, I do enjoy just pelting a ship all over.)

[Eukari]

Ehhhhh...I'm not entirely sold on this idea. I think that, at the moment, the current way guns and damage types work is pretty good. It requires thinking about what sort of gun you're using and what you're going to shoot, but not crazy accurate aiming skills that probably would only be found in the upper levels of player skill. It's hard enough as it is to get people to stop shooting the balloon with their Gatling; imagine having to yell "No, don't shoot that tiny plate on the side of the ship! Shoot the other tiny plate on the side of the ship!"

Color-coding the damage "flash" would help, but I think that adding too much complexity might not be the best thing right now.

[Zenark]

Oh gawd, I know those players, they usually listen, thankfully.

These armor points would be pretty noticeable, not to mention small. Most of the ship would have no armor, only small, strategically placed armor.

The only ships I can think of that players might get confused with are the Junker and Galleon, since those apps don't really have a visible armor that I can see. The Goldfish on the other hand might have too big of armor... Though that might make it more intimidating.

I don't think I mentioned this, but once the armor goes down, these armor points would provide no protection against damage until the armor was brought back up.