From: tom@soda.berkeley.edu (Tom Holub)
Newsgroups: rec.games.netrek
Subject: Re: Changes for Netrek...
Date: 9 Sep 1992 21:59:12 GMT
Organization: U.C. Berkeley, CS Undergraduate Association
NNTP-Posting-Host: soda.berkeley.edu

In article <1992Sep9.145735@IASTATE.EDU> renegade@IASTATE.EDU (Travis D Gruver) writes:
)I have come up with a list of changes that I believ would make netrek more
)interesting and fun.
)
)---Neutral Zones =>  once crossed War Status of player is automatically changed
)
)        from Peace to War except for neutral empires 

more_interesting_and_fun != more_like_star_trek

In reality, this would affect the game minimally, if at all, and would
probably be confusing to newbies.

)---Emergency Warp Speed => A ship is able to go up to 2 warp speeds faster when
)        engaged (1 warp speed faster for SB's) at the cost of taking damage and
)        faster engine temp increase.  It will not work if over 70% damaged.
)        The figures in the below example can be set as you decide... it is only

If you take damage for going too fast, you will not be going too fast
for long, since the damage will lower your max warp.

)        Players could be limited to using it only once before they must refit 
)        to a new ship due to the "permanent engine damage" that would be caused
)
)        by it. Once they use it they can only go a max. speed -1 warp (i.e  a 
)        scout would then be able to only go warp 11) until they refit to a new 
)        ship.

Also confusing.  Since max warp is displayed by the client, it's impossible
to show that you can only go warp 11 because your engines were burned.
Also, how do you plan to implement it?  If you hit max warp, do you 
automatically try to go normal_max_warp+2?  Do you intend to map keys
for warp 13 and 14 (client change needed).  I personally would be 
pissed if just hitting warp 9 in my BB caused my engines to 
burn out...when I want to max warp in that boat, I generally just
hit some high number, not always 8.

)---Starbase Changes =>  Starbase should appear larger and thus be easier
)targets
)
)        but have stronger shields and armor to counterbalance the size 
)        difference.

Xtrek III.  Nobody played bases, they were big targets.  This is also
a significant client and server change.

)                            **and/or**
)        Ships docked on a SB would be protected by the SB's shields unless the 
)        SB has none or has them turned off.  Only when the SB would normally 
)        take DAMAGE would a ship take a loss to shields (if they are up) or 
)        take damage (if the shields are off or wore down).

Not a bad idea, but hard to implement.  Bases nearly always have at least
1 shield point because they regenerate so fast.  Do you pro-rate the
damage if some of it is absorbed by the base shields?

)---Ship Collisions =>  I believe that you should be able to "run into other 
)        ships" (enemy ships only of course).  I believe that it would make it 
)        a bit more interesting because when you are out of fuel and about to be
)        destroyed you can attempt to "ram" the enemy.  Doing extra damage on 
)        top of the damage caused by your explosion.

If this isn't on the Frequently Offered Clever Suggestions list, it
should be, because it's an idea that sounds great to newbies but
would be horrible in practice.  It is WAY TOO EASY to suicide on someone
now.  If you are close enough to ram them and they don't die, you suck.

)---Ship Debris => I have seen on another server where when a ship explodes it
)        sends out a number of torps (debris) in a circular direction expanding 
)        out from the exploding ship.  The "debris" would of course have a short
)        range depending upon the size of the ship and would do less damage the 
)        farther away another player is from the explosion.  The damage done 
)        should also depend on the size of the ship.  (i.e. A scout's explosion 
)        wouldn't do near as much damage as a battleship's, and a battleship's 
)        explosion wouldn't do near as much damage as a Starbase's.)  The damage
)        from the debris would be indiscriminatory. (hurt allies as well as 
)        enemies)

This was a test run on bezier, and it should remain there.

)---Ferengi or Cardasians =>  Let's face it... the Orions are outdated in the
)        twenty-fourth century.  How about replacing the Orions with either the
)        Ferengi or the Cardasians.

Who cares?  This is NOT Star Trek.  Some of us despise Star Trek.

)---Borg =>  Replace Hunterkillers with Borgs.  After all...  Borg are enemies 

Replace HunterKillers with a message saying 'Terence did a lot for
netrek, but Iggys sure were a lame idea.'

)        scumming third race planets.  I believe that this would also add more 
)        "realism" (alignment to the series).

"Realism" and "alignment to the series" are two HORRIBLE foundations for 
changes to the game.

As always, there's an easy way to see how these changes would work; start
your own server.
 -Mojo
Organization: Carnegie Mellon, Pittsburgh, PA