Maru Sha
The Department of Justice
0
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Posted - 2012.05.18 13:14:00 -
[1] - Quote
*bumper*
What is it?
I had this idea for a long time, since tractor beams were introduced. A tractor beam is pulling an object in your direction, the bumper should do the opposite and push it away from you.
It can either be a new item (high slot like tractor beam), or something deployable with charges and area of effect (like the old mines) or a script for the already existing tractor beam.
Why do we need it / what is it good for?
Bumping is already part of the gameplay though it only includes ships versus ships. I think with a equipment for professional bumping this will improve and introduce new possibilities in the "bumping business". Here a few examples:
- if it is an equipment you should be able to charge the item and as soon as it is charged it releases the gravitational force on your target, which get's pushed away in the general direction of your alignment axis; you can bump ships away from stations, you can bump ships out of alignment (if they want to warp away), you can speed up mates to have a rocket start e.g. if you want to give your fleet member a little push so he can catch another guy, etc.
- if it is a deployable item with area of effect then I could imagine to drop this in order to disperse a horde of drones around me, you could even think that it effects the accuracy of incoming missiles (and delete FOFs from game instead)
- if it is a script for the tractor beam I can imagine mining ships in a belt and they fill cans with ore which they catapult in the direction of the hauler or other industrial ships AND (my favourite)
- (in case you make it possible to apply several tractor beams on one object) you would introduce the universe of ball games in space into EVE by doing so, because suddenly people could build teams with fast ships, take a can as "ball" and tractor beams and bumpers to play a nice round of space balls (might work well with the new item of MagSheath Target Breaker)
The force of the applied "push" depends on the size of the bumber and the meta level, the direction of the "push" of your own alignment or in the case of area effect of the position of the object to the center of the deployed "bump". Of course physics should be applied like a fregate bumping a carrier with the bumper module will result in no real trajectory change of the carrier but in a fast and backward flying fregate; and in the case of two frigate bumping each other, ships will be pushed away in even terms (unless one of the pilots applies a tractor beam on the other ship [which of course is not possible with current game mechanics] :D).
What might the bumber "break"aka what is the downside of this new module?
Well, 1st it might make bumping more easily accessible to anybody so the skills of fitting and flying a ship for bumping is losing its importance, though I think this is evened out with the new possibilities you have now. 2nd, I guess in case of a area of effect solution and being able to bump drones or even missiles, it might put a heavy burden on the calculation of trajectories on the server side. 3rd, sorting out what kind of act of aggression this is (with Concord interference or just being flagged) but be a difficult task. 4th, I can already imagine the annoyed posts on the forum of people with freighter or miners in belts being harrased by "bumpers". 5th, what about webbers and scramblers ... will they lose importance in a close combat fight?
Alright, that's it from my side. Let me know what you think. I think "space balls" would be awesome. I would organize the first tournament if we can have bumpers and a slight change of game mechanics/physics. |