Light, Medium, and Heavy Walkers: This is long. Be warned.

[Glasswolf]

Ok. If you're here, you liked the basic idea. Brilliant.
Anything that get adopted, has to have details. This has some of those.
I've tried to keep it short... but I have to provide this much or it doesn't stand a chance.
And, I'd like to say that I thought about the repercussions of what I'm suggesting, rather than just
barfing it all up and putting it on a page without a care. xD
Now do me one favor proceed.

Why not throw players a new kind of toy... something just a little different from those there starships?
Ask the players. What little something would they want to use, and not tire of, in the pirate galaxy?

As a player myself... Though I understand that this will take you boys and girls at PG some time indeed:

It's important to remember, this game is a sci-fi, mostly shooting your foes. The storyline is a perk.
But aside from this... Where is the variety?

Sure we have our different classes, our speed actuators, our rockets, our shields, repair auras... etc
But... That's it so far?
It continues like this for systems to come? D:
With the occasional new ability, but otherwise few bumps?

Uh oh. This could be a difficulty. At this point, those who've done it all in pg gradually begin to get bored.
New planets, new ships of the old kind... 0.0 will this keep them playing?
Maybe for a time... and what then?
New one's to replace them? Or a new kind of unit to hold their interest?
One to surprise them... and make them feel the glow of the Pirate Galaxy once more?
One to give them the "glee of the noob" yet again?


CONCEPT

I might recommend walkers, which like ships come in light, medium, heavy, and Uber varieties.
...yeah... I know.. it'd be uberhard. :< But then again, aside from the fact that the basic programming
player to ability use interface already exists, creating new ships could be equally tricky!

Remember... the ships, those were the original efforts that culminated in this game. Weren't they?
I seriously doubt that one day, someone thought about a blaster and suddenly said "AHA! IT NEEDS TO
SHOOT SOMETHING!" (thus creating mantis, then ships, yadayadayada... yeahhhhh - No. xD)

As a player, when I'm lvl 99, and have done the whole nine yards pertaining to gameplay...
What do I have to look forward to? Other than the next potential repeat of what I already have.
Is it more ships? The same classes? A stronger more expensive version of what I have?

Or perhaps... a Walker?
A walker... in Pirate Galaxy?


Now there's something new.

FEATURES

Ideas:
- Walkers could possess an afterburner. But they would require a far greater load time.
Visible reason: Walker rises from the ground using said afterburner as it starts up.
Then, begins to move using it, at a relatively high speed.

- Walkers could carry Extremely Large weaponry... HOWEVER!
Many of the walkers abilities and weapon functions would require that it plant itself upon
The ground first. (yeah, we'd need a key for this eh? One ability down!)

As such... I have an idea for an ability that is very befitting of PG. I just don't know what to call it
When landing to use an ability, the walker would have to take a certain amount of time to change
from it's aerial mode, to it's on-the-ground mode. A blueprint item that could improve as a player
proceeded through the game is perfectly suited to determining how much time it would take to
complete the switch. Different versions, different strengths, different reductions in load time.

While in on-the-ground mode, a walker would have access to its full range of powerful abilities.
However, it would be a slow moving vehicle, seeing as it operates upon the ground now.

You can put all sorts of things on this now while remaining within the realm of possibility.
Like?: Extremely fast-firing high-kickback weaponry that couldn't be fired whilst in the air...
Or extremely powerful weaponry that cannot be fired from the air. Walkers would have
different classes for that reason.
That kind of thing.

Ideally, different walkers could serve different purposes. In that respect, the class-order,
Attacking, Defending, Speedy-tactical, and Engineering/assisting (WE LOVE YOU GUYS <3)
still remains in play!


DRAWBACKS

Sure Sure! sounds all fine and dandy right?
Sorry players, but with anything like this... we need drawbacks.

Whilst charging up a powerful walker-only weapon or ability (depends on how powerful. Not
everything would be limited like this), the walker locks itself in place upon the ground in
preparation for the massive kickback that such weapons produce when fired. The player
is unable to move during this procedure.

Definition: Charge/Charge Time - That green bar you see when you're collecting Energy Balls
You know... as your collector revs up!

The point of landing is to stabilize the walker, so that it can use whatever great weaponry.
Therefore, a Critical hit could effect the charging cycle, reducing the completed charge by
half of the total completable charge time for the ability or weapon.
Why? Simple. It makes the walker buckle. (DOESN'T HAVE TO BE VISIBLE. It's just a reason. )

This next part, the folks working behind the scenes are going to love.
Walkers consume a Crap-ton of E when firing an exceedingly powerful weapon.
What does this mean? More people buying E, more peoplebuying gold...

More people having fun with a new unit, who see a REASON, to buy E... or memberships ^w^
or your gold.

However, play around with the kinds of abilities they'll be using.

Players, while getting ready to fire? Ya can't run. Remember that. Do you still like this idea?
I've grounded it upon what would need to be the case if any such thing were to be remotely
possible... the afterburners bit isn't as feasible.

Hey, it doesn't have to be perfect, as long as it's fun right? Throw players this, and add a new dab of true variation to their decisions at the hangar ship shop.


BUT REMEMBER! This is a suggestion
...Please, if ya like it, post something telling me that ya support it. Support keeps ideas alive,
and gives them a fighting chance.


To the GM's, FM's, programmers, staff, or whomever it is that actually checks the suggestions box,
has some say in whether or not an idea is adopted, and hopefully, whom like the idea,

Give me some feedback here. I spent a lot of time thinking this seemingly simple thing up.
This will keep your players around just that much longer.
Having adventures on your game... just that much longer.
Buying gold... just that much longer.
Having FUN, for just that much longer.


If this idea should receive the support of players, or the folks before-mentioned,
Please... drop a message I'd appreciate knowing that the suggestions box isn't
falling upon deaf ears, at the very least.
Even, if you don't think it'll work (that goes for you official sorts too! I won't be offended, no worries.)

Just be nice about it.


<I would prefer if those who wished to suggest another type of unit, that is not related to the above,
kindly create their own thread for it. The treaded tank is the biggest cliche of all time in my opinion.>

Also: these would have three legs, four legs, and up. Depends on the system and type of walker.
You just can't stabilize anything on two...
...
.....right?

I await your praise or eternal damnation (over dramatic much).

Wolfie

 

[Ahsoka]

i agree with this idea

 

[defacto]

Thus is a good idea. I support.

 

[Terezar]

This is a very well thought out idea, and would add a lot of spice to the game. Give enough differences between walkers and ships and you have a lot of versatility

 

[Tyrannus]

Yes i like this idea
>Maybe it should be something a little bit like this?

 

[Ahsoka]

maybe make the walker bps a diffrent colour like green

 

[Glasswolf]

I got supported? WOOHOO!

xD Thanks guys. I just hope PG likes it as much as you guys do atm.
Who knows? Maybe these could debut in an update in the future!

In other news, Tyrannus, did you make that? It fits PG's style in many ways...
and yet I feel like it goes a little more into the sci fi realm Is it movie related?

But yes that sorta general stuff. I dare not write off a particular style of walker

 

[Tyrannus]

lol no, im not much of a maker

 

[Galactic]

NOW THAT TYRANNUS IS WHAT I CALL THE NEW AND IMPROVED SHIP OF PIRATE GALAXY!!!!!!!! hopefully PG will look into this suggestion and update it oO

 

[Glasswolf]

maybe make the walker bps a diffrent colour like green

^_^ I'd initially thought to go with grey, but fweh!
This Thread was technically made for all of us, so we can just poll on that part if the idea is adopted :>
News: I have decided against polling. But, tell ya what. I'll listen to what the players are saying.
Keep in mind, that this is for both high and low level players, although initially made for the uppers! High Levels, you've seen a lot -Tell me what you think regarding the weaponry... if you have the patience to read all of this.
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I'm back guys, and I've got a few more ideas... but I'm not sure what to do with them.
I've got some more idea's relevant to walkers. Here are a few quick updates to that list:

The Recoil Rifle
I have two takes on it. Vote for your favorite. I'll set up a poll after this if I remember.

First Possibility - Recoil Rifle:
- All model's would feature a walker-only "Recoil Rifle" weapon, usable as a deterrence while not in
on-the-ground mode. This basic weapon feature could be incorporated as the one of few things
usable from the air, such that you don't get pursue-crushed by mantis once the horde randomly
arrives. (And we all know it does O_O)
Repair Droids, potential afterburners, and collectors are the only other usable Aerial Features.
- The Recoil Rifle isn't designed to be relied upon for damage. It does an insignificant amount of
damage, but can temporarily stun the foe. (10%-35% chance with a stun time of 2 - 4 seconds)

Drawbacks To Prevent Binging - Recoil Rifle
- I don't think I need to tell you that such a weapon could be a PvPing catastrophy if overused
at the higher weapon grades. That's why it's relatively weak.
However, I also considered that players are resourceful. Not to be a killjoy, but firing even a
low-end Recoil Rifle would require at least 20 Energy per shot. Sorry.

- My Note: I would've liked to have it simply push foes back a little, allowing the slower flying
Aerial-Mode walker to potentially escape. However, I have to be realistic here... there isn't
a knock-back feature incorporated into this game's programming, and therefore such a
feature might require something as ridiculous as a revamp of the Mantis AI! D:
So it's not practical. :< Doesn't matter how beautiful it sounds.
However, that's only for possibility number one.


Possibility Two - Recoil Rifle - Speed Model ability (Number 3 key?)

- In the event that this was featured on only the Speed model, I have to change up the dynamics.
The Recoil Rifle would be usable as one of those nice early walker-exlusive weapons. However
It requires that you land before firing, and locks you in place while it charges. (the Charge
would be about 5 seconds.) However, the recoil rifle is for the speed model, what rockets were
for that dusty old war hawk that you might still fly when the opportunity arises - Artillery.
The Recoil Rifle has an effective range that borderlines the ridiculous.
However, until a better land-to-air switch can be obtained, the ability of the walker to deal
with this weapon's recoil is definitely not proportional to the amount that the weapon produces.
As such, early walker pilots may notice that the attack misses about 30% of the time.

I don't know the dynamic's of the speed model well. If anyone here does, please toss me a PM, and I can fix any power imbalances that this update might provide for. ^w^ Don't be shy! Wolfie isn't going to bite your head off, no matter how sharp them teeth might (or might not) be

- Would this weapon stun? That's not even a question. The type of round used, crossed with the
absurd speed of it's delivery unto poor unsuspecting target number one, generates more than
enough of an impact to throw mantis pilots from their seats. (Hey, it's half of the reason, k?
I'll work on it xD) As if that alone weren't enough to stop their units from operating, Recoil
Rifles carry high-voltage rounds. Therefore, the round need only pierce its target and an insane
amount of energy flows from within it, short circuiting even the most critical components within
the enemy ship.
As such, it's more than enough to take the unit offline for at least 10 seconds at the most basic
levels, while doubling as a stun charge!
- It's not a weak weapon. It'll do about twice as much as blasters of identical level.
Please note that for balancing purposes, the Recoil rifle may require work.


Drawbacks:
- Suffers from Low accuracy.
- Player must lock in place before firing.
- Due to the range and power of this weapon, it generates a lot of heat upon firing, and thus
requires a a good 15 - 20 seconds to chill out. "Heat" is this walkers enemy... and that just gave
me an idea!
- Uses a crap-ton of energy - 50 *base* and up. As in, 50 on early vega planets.
Hey, I said "a crap-ton of energy". I meant it.
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Perhaps the mantis should have a walker too, for the bp drops? Might be interesting!
BUT! One step at a bloody time xD We're not make the developers crap themselves.
Player-Walkers are still the overriding topic of this thread!

UPDATE!: Don't take the accuracy issue over-the-top seriously. I'd forgotten what I'd already put as far as balancing for walkers goes. (Charge freeze-charge cut in half on a critical hit-landing-flying-E-etc)

 

[TychoCelchu]

I don't think the walker idea as it is currently pitched would work. While it seems like a fresh new idea, it ultimately suffers the same ailment that it tries to alleviate. Players are still stuck in the four class system, and again, they will still come to the point where they've played it to death and want something new. All the things you said would make the walkers new and unique could be easily adapted to current ships -- tank ships have to stay still to fire, engineers need to deploy landing struts for a repair field, etc. If you really want to freshen up the game, force players to learn a new strategy and playing style. Walkers do that a little, but not enough, since you still have them in the same classes of Damage, Tanking, Speed, and engineer. Thus the overall style of play remains the same with the addition of some vulnerability time. My advice would be to come up with a new class, not just a new ship type. Then, make it so that only the walkers can be of that class. For example, as far as I know, there is no ranged support class, e.g. the archer in fantasy MMO's. We have the warrior (Tank), priest (Damage), thief (Speed), healer (Engineer), but not the archer (walker). You could treat the walkers like artillery -- capable of excessive damage from incredible distances, but give them junk armor.

Like I said, you need a new class along with a new type of ship. Another problem I don't know if you mentioned or not, is that if this idea were accepted, it would need to be introduced along with the other Level 10 ships at the start. This means a load of new code because you need to readjust blueprint drops across nearly the entire game. This in turn means that this isn't a modification, but a completely new installment of the game, Pirate Galaxy 2.0, or whatever they're on...not to mention the weeks of bugs and downtime to get it to work.

I'm not putting down the walker idea because I really like it. it fits my style of group play better than any of the other classes if it becomes the artillery of Pirate Galaxy. But it definitely needs some refinement.

 

[Glasswolf]

Hm. You've made a few interesting points there However, Walkers are not exclusively artillery. Keep that in mind. It wouldn't be fair to those who chose to play that way if they were forced to attack from a distance.

The walker Idea is, however, inherently gauged to make the player change up their play style.
I don't imagine that adding a BP into the mix is any more difficult than it was to create Draconis, what with it's drops, weapon models and BP's. (Provided that's already happened. I'm not there yet, so I don't know.) Not to mention any potentially new foes that are potentially within it.
Those are system relevant, in my experience. This is the reason why a bp on vega is 1000 times easier to procure than a bp on Gemini is. Just saying.

Therefore, the BP drops aren't such a drastic modification in light of such differences.
I would also like to note the release of new ship models. I've seen several threads requesting some form of altercation to a "ridiculous pricing scheme" for such ships, so I'm assuming that they exist at the current time.

Creating a new ship model, as you've said, is indeed far easier than creating that of walkers.
Walkers would require the introduction of some new programming. But it gives the players some very fantastic variety, when compared to the "Ship, or ship" way that it's been for some time now That was what I referred to. In addition, ships were what got this all going. Players like these ships, as it is their interface with the game.
So when that interface gets boring, it's time for the introduction of a new one. That's my reasoning
The ships, no doubt also required an obscene amount of programming, yes?
Some of the programming would be recyclable. For example, you hit 8, and the 8 hotkey works.
However, having a walker become such from a ship-similar form might be a trickier matter, no?
Sometimes in order to keep the upper rungs playing, it's this sort of a change that is required.
Even I would tire of the way things are right now eventually, provided that nothing changed.

That being said... a new class you say? I'll put some thought into it.
However, recall, we don't want to overwhelm whoever actually has to do this. If an idea is overly ambitious, it may become unreasonably so, even if we do not realize it.
^_^ When walkers are accepted, I'll create a thread to work on that idea of yours if you wish.
While it's arguable that my acknowledgment of the programming requirement already goes a little too far, I don't think I'm being unrealistic when I say that the kind of change that keeps people playing isn't typically a tiny modification.
*Programmers and developers, insert smite-him-lightning here xD*

That's why, for now, I've stuck to the four class system. ^_^ Hope ya can forgive me for that man.
However, I've introduced the idea for new weaponry! So perhaps this will do something per your request?
The recoil rifle will be a walker feature, for escape purposes...
If the players decide that it should be so. Beginning poll now. ^^

Players, technically speaking, PG does listen to their player base. This may hinge on your support more than my explanations. I think the recoil rifle was a good idea though... which form? That's up to you.

 

[Galactic]

I dont think walkers should be rare ships where you find in bps (BECAUSE I HAVE NEVER FOUND A RARE SHIP BEFORE!!!!!!!!!)

 

[Delloda]

We don't normally answer in the suggestions forum but we always read them. But this idea sounds like a lot of work!

 

[sir-vivol]

oh watch out now we dont want the devs to get tired in anyway ^^ :mrorange: ^^ :mrorange:

 

[Tyrannus]

Lol if u dont answer much in the suggestions forum why did u even create it in the first place?
^^ ^^ ^^

 

[Adrana]

Because it is not up to Delloda to check the suggestions, he is not a developer in this game, but this was created for the Devs to read and get ideas out of your suggestions. ^^ :mrorange:

 

[Tyrannus]

Read? what about post too?
^^ :mrorange: ^^

 

[Ahsoka]

probably a way it can be transported to other planets, a bit like this

 

[Tyrannus]

Cool a robot dog with wings! :-D