New Ships ideas Thread - R.E.A.R.M. - The Unofficial Classic HW 2 Expansion mod for Homeworld 2

Vaygr Heavy fighters: i have seen some awsome concept drawings by MoruganKodi, a deviantart user that made me want to show u here best examples:

Morugankodi.deviantart.com

Morugankodi.deviantart.com

Morugankodi.deviantart.com

Now my own ideas: Hiiagaran Heavy Fighters: its and anti fighter ship. They can be a bit slower then a bomber. but their firepower compensates. it has one torrent like the gunship corvet, in its left side.

Hiiagaran Missile Destroyer: more similar to the original homeword game. this destroyer is a anti corvet/fighter ship. it destroys it enemys whit a cloud of smal missiles similar to the torpedo frigate.

Salvage corvets: it just because it would be awsome to see those guys in the game again

-While I said it's time to do some Hiigarans, when it comes to fighters it's time to do some Vaygr. Hiigaran have two new fighter classes, Vaygr have none yet. Some Heavy Fighter can't come before the Vaygr fighters.

-There might be more traditional Missile Destroyer. If it won't break the gameplay, I've already made building of flak turrets on MDDs much harder.

-Salvage corvettes don't work in HW2 as far as I know.

On the HW1 style Missile Destroyer: I would expect that to be a more Vaygr ship. If it were Hiigaran, I'd imagine something like an upscaled torpedo frigate... slow firing with cluster missiles. I'll bet the only way to make either of those ships not break gameplay is to make them underpowered, or effective against fighters, or corvettes, or gunboats, but not a combination of them.

On a related note (but only by chance) I hit upon an idea recently, one of the advanced technologies the Hiigarans would have and unlock through the Research Station. In two words: strikecraft flares. Upon doing the research, any fighters that don't already have a unlockable weapon will unlock an invisible turret that is placed at the rear of the fighters. It only attacks missiles. This turret has a fairly small cone fire, and a very short range. It fires with high (or perfect) accuracy and does enough damage to destroy any missile, but it has a slow fire rate... maybe once every 15 seconds. The bullet effect is invisible, and the muzzle flash would look something like modern flares. Perhaps less flashy so it doesn't overpower the other effects you see in a dogfight.

Originally I was thinking this wouldn't have much effect on gameplay, all it would do was nullify the anti-fighter missiles that most frigates fire, as well as mines, and reduce the effectiveness of cluser munitions and the insta-death of minetraps. However, now that a dedicated missile destroyer is being considered... I can imagine it being an important upgrade.

Yeah, like proposed here Forums.relicnews.com and here Forums.relicnews.com .

It's a cool idea actually, another piece into the ecosystem, so I like it.
But let's adress the problems I see:

First, Hiigaran shouldn't have any fighter Research Station modules at all. Vaygr should have the strikecraft upgrades, but no light capital ship upgrades that Hiigaran have. That was the plan, benefit Vaygr swarm and Hiigaran Capship defences and purposely avoid the Hiigaran strikecraf upgrades.
But for the sake of conversation, let's asume there is an RS module allowing Interceptor flares. So what is it? Fighter Research module? No I don't like it, as I said that's against the whole purpose of RS being a tool for advanced upgrades in the race's strong and characteristic fields. Plus what else would that fighter research module allow you to do? Speed upgrades? That's something I'm saving for Vaygr.
It can be part of something different though, like another kind of defense (some wide range one). Or under something concerning Drones, but the capital ship drone defense clouds are planned to be a part of the already existing capship defense research modules. I quess it could be under some kind of special and electronic warfare research module, that's the only one I can see as possible. It makes sense, it doesn't promise any other advanced fighter upgrades and it can start a family of a whole new technological field for Hiigaran, like the "anti-firecontrol towers" decreasing enemy stats like accuracy. Do you like it? "An electronic warfare, countermesuares and that things" research module? I really do, that would be a very fair reply to evil things I'm planning for Vaygr.

Hell_Diguner wrote: I'll bet the only way to make either of those ships not break gameplay is to make them underpowered, or effective against fighters, or corvettes, or gunboats, but not a combination of them.

Good point.

Edited by: Pouk

Both links are to the same place.

Oops, forgot one:
"...is to make them underpowered, or effective against fighters, or corvettes, or gunboats, or drones, but not a combination of them."
Okay, maybe a combination of two of them, but not more than that.

The goal is to unlock flares in the late game, or if the Missile DD happens, around the time it unlocks. If the Research Station is your answer to unlocking late game stuff, then that's where unlocking flares should to be. But I've noticed a problem with the RS. You're trying to make it both for early and for late game stuff. You want to use it to unlock allies in the early game, yet unlock upgrades in the late game. That's fine in itself, but you need to find a way to differentiate the two. I've already noticed it's much easier to call in allies as the Vaygr than as the Hiigs.

As to names, assuming it's a module on the Research Station, how about Counter-Technology Module. Countermeasures, EW, Stealth Detection, Weapon Denial (shields that good against specific weapons).

You currently plan three modules (though I can see an additional 6 or 12 easily: Homeworldshots.net ), so with those three you want to cover as many possibilities as you can. My guess is Offensive Technology, Defensive Technology, and Miscellaneous Technology. Vanilla HW2 doesn't say "Titanium Composite Reactive Plating", it says "Destroyer Armor Upgrade 2" ...so I wouldn't try to come up with fictional names to describe the modules. I'd put flares/countermeasures/chaff under defensive technology.

You said "Hiigaran shouldn't have any fighter Research Station modules at all" but I think there shouldn't be any class specific modules, simply because it's too restricting. The Research Ship should be "a tool for advanced upgrades in the race's strong and characteristic fields." If most of the upgrades apply to capitalships, then there's no problem with your intended goal, and at the same time you won't be restricted to saying ALL upgrades must only apply to capitalships.

Edited by: Hell_Diguner

Hi there people, this is my first post here.

I wonder if anyone thought about modding some ships from the history line missions. For example; its not very apropiated to be the commander of a fleet and to use a regular assault frigate (Im talking about Soban). And this goes the same way with the history shipward (it was suppoused to be some kind of special shipyard from an specific clan, so at least it should carry the colors and insignia of that clan).
For Soban, I was thinking on a shielded frigate. Merging the shield tech or adding a "base-module" (like engines) on the front, to take out some damage at the aproach.
For the shipyard... a special array for the 3 kind of detectors and a missile pad, to give it some defense against capital ships and corvettes (the missiles I was thinking on are the regular missiles of the frigate with the tech. expansion).
Finally, I have in mind a very special ship that requieres (I think), some extra work. Its an armored SCV (Resource collector). The modification should add a pair of "legs" an a frontal cannon. It should work this way: useless at space combat, but with the ability to "land" and block any carrier ship´s dock in order to take out any fighter class ship comming out. I dont know how to give a ship the ability to dock without docking (I mean, staying just at the end of the dock). Maybe adding "hulk engage points" like the ones used by the assault frigs. or the Resource Coll´s... duno. Could be given at the mission where Soban makes his first scene instead thouse elite ships.

I allways wanted to get into modding but I just spend time drawing designs and making moddels with ACad 3D. So, any advise, info, tool or "tutorial" will be wellcome.

Soban's marine frigate is already special. It has twice the health, three times the normal damage, twice the firing speed, and a few other minor changes. Not to mention it's black and has the Soban badge.

The Nabaal Shipyard has had it's name added, via the ship naming system. I can imagine changing the badge and team colors (similar to Soban's frigate), but adding defenses I'm not too sure about. Have to see what Pouk thinks.

SCV (what's the acronym?)- Sounds like a combination of the turret ships from DustWars ( Shipyards.relicnews.com ) and the Leeches from Cataclysm. Neither have been successfully recreated. Yet

RelicNews ( Forums.relicnews.com ) is the best place to go for modding info, tools, tutorials, to ask questions, etc.

Edited by: Hell_Diguner

Thanks for the info Hell_D.

I know Soban´s frigate has higher stats, but I was talking about making a new moddel of frigate, some kind of control frigate, to be used as a flag ship frigate.

The SCV is the resource collector of the SC game. And yes, the idea is something like you said... and I allready knew it was a complicated proyect. But could give some extra features to a standar atack against carrier tipe ships (making the salvage action easyer for example).

Gona take a look at RelicNews to get some knowledge, lets see if Im able to do simple modifications... wish me luck.

Thx again.

sorry first post here
not sure if your still taking ship ideas or if this has already been thought of.

Utility ship
probably something that looks like a mobile refinery but instead of the resource drop off we have large engines. so something like a external booster that can deploy onto ships like the marine frigate.
-The aim is to provide cheaper but slower transit (then hyper spacing) between two points for capital ships by attaching the booster. but make it like the booster and the ship must reach the selected destination before you can re choose its course? (platform) so that scouting is important.
-while in transit the main weaponry can not be used? just a few point defenses?

just a idea i had since there is not much use of utility ships other then collecting resources and scouting (probes)

Edited by: Flying.Saint

So you are suggesting a ship which attaches to capitalships (external docking, can be done), and when attached the ship's speed is increased (probably can be done), but movement is one-shot (like a probe, don't know if it's possible), but once the ship has reached its destination you can give it another move order (don't know if it's possible). And I'm guessing there will probably be problems when you undock the utility ship.

I think I'd rather save up some RUs and use hyperspace... or HS Gates if I'm Vaygr.

A more simple version (and more likely to happen) is Pouk may add "additional engines" modules for most capitalships, similar to what you can build on the Modular Destroyes in 0.0.3c.
---Another more simple version would be a module that reduces the cost of hyperspacing for that particular ship. Or as you suggest it, very cheap hyperspacing, but much slower transit time.

As I see it, the problem with what you suggest is
- I haven't seen external (or even normal) docking change ship stats before (now that doesn't mean it can't be done)
- I haven't seen anybody create a movement style similar to what you've suggested (again, doesn't mean it can't be done)
- it would most likely require lua scripting, which Pouk doesn't know how to do
- it's a bit convoluted even when it works properly: build "utility ship" -> dock to capitalship -> scout area ahead -> give movement order -> wait for ship to stop before you can give another order, including attacking -> undock "utility ship"

Yeah there'll be speed upgrades and engine subsystems as one of the "second level" Vaygr research category. The upgrade part is already done and I made up interesting Flagship engine modules when I missed a bus today and was left waiting for another one. I think there'll be more engine modules for some other ships as well. That will help the Vaygr player to travel sublight more efficiently, which may be interesting since the cost of hyperspacing on the large maps for bigger fleets may go to tens of thousands.
The Hiigaran alternative may be another HS cost reducing research, or indeed that module.

And exactly, I don't know how to script, so whenever it's something slightly more complicated, I have to be impressed by the idea to get me seek for the solution from other modders.