DSS battle system update news

It's been a while since I gave any news on DSS. So I thought I could write down a bit about some design ideas I am currently implementing.

As you may know, ships are designed by the player down to what kind of weaponry, defense, engines, reactors, etc are used. Players will have to choose components in regard to the role the ship will play in their strategies. It might be designed to be a fast scout ship, a heavy armored concrete block that can withstand heavy fire, a ship specialized to kill a specific enemy unit type, a support ship in a fleet, and the list goes on. Among those choices will be gun or laser and armor or shield. Each has their own distinctive strengths and weaknesses.

Weaponry: Guns and Lasers
Guns are rapid fire mass-based weapons. They are cheap, have infinite ammo but miss their targets quite often. Primary defense against it is maneuverability i.e. steering speed. The more maneuverable your ships are, the easier they can dodge enemy gunfire. Bullets travel long distances in one direction with limited speed, so that give plenty of time for ships to outmaneuver them. If you are designing a ship with low steering speed, make sure it is heavily plated with good armor because your shield will take a serious beating out of gunfire.

Lasers are beams that instantaneously hit their targets. They never miss. They however need power to shoot. Fitting your ship with a decent reactor core is crucial to sustain a laser fire. Primary defense against lasers are shields, your armor will melt fast under laser fire, you wouldn't want that to happen.

Defense: Armor and Shield
Armor is basically the ship's HP. When it hits 0, your ship explodes. Plain and simple.
Shields however are more complicated. They have damage absorption, damage reduction and regenerate over time. Damage absorption is a fix quantity removed from every hit. Damage reduction is a percentage of the damage removed after the absorption. The damage left after absorption and reduction is removed from the shield's HP. When it hits 0, the armor is exposed to enemy fire.

Actual Damage = (Damage - Absorption) * (1-Reduction)

A high damage absorption means you will be best protected against swarm of small enemy ship fire. A high damage reduction on the other hand will be more effective against heavy fire power.

So that makes the foundations of the DSS combat system. There are other types of weapons like missiles that could have a wide variety of effects but those will be implemented later.

I'll keep you posted!

Edit: Screenshot! :)