After having a brief work meeting tonight, we've come away with the following decisions and notes. Some of you have been asking for this info for a loooong time, so buckle up.
Planet/Quest Design
Ship Combat (Basics)
Ship Combat (Post Combat)
Planet/Quest Design
- We're expecting 10 main-line story planets per playthrough. The level cap for TiTS is 20.
- Side planets like NT/Uveto do not count against this. Nor do they influence level progression or balance.
- Alternative planets will be more common at low levels (eg. allowing you to go to either Phaedra or Mhen'ga at the start), but funnel towards a more linear end progression.
- Alternative planets will have new Rival encounters -- you can either get the Phaedra or Mhen'ga probe, for example.
- The other major storyline aside from the Treasure Hunt, tentatively called Tainted Space, begins on World 7-1.
Ship Combat (Basics)
- The Geddyvin Collective has convinced Fenoxo that having ship interiors is a Good Thing. Ships will now have interior maps... eventually. When we start implementing new ships.
- Ships will have generic rooms with unique descriptions. Follower bunks will slot into generic hardpoints, and have their own unique descriptions/options/etc.
- Ships will be made up of several hardpoints. Some are dedicated directly to weapons; some are freeform. Your number of hardpoints and your ship's power generation determine what cool shit you can use.
- The statistics of your ship will be modified by 20% of your character's Attributes like AIM/INT/etc.
- Your crew will also be assigned various "skill ratings", and can be assigned to different tasks in combat. The higher their rating, the bigger the bonus they provide.
- Ships can be "refit" (ie, change your hardpoint gear) only at Vahn on Tavros.
- Ships have a Hull rating -- ie, Health. Losing Hull sucks big time, and must be repaired at a shipyard (Tavros, Uveto Station) at a cost based on your ship's base value. Cheap junkers are easy to fix.
- YOU CAN RENAME YOUR SHIP WHOO.
Ship Combat (Post Combat)
- There will be no "one-size fits all" resolution for post-combat in ships. Fights are relatively rare compared to foot combat, and will be more involved.
- Post combat, enemies can board you. This may trigger a ground combat fight, or may progress directly into a loss scene. The reverse is true if the PC wins.
- IT MAY BE POSSIBLE through dynamic group combat that certain followers can help defend the ship from boarding parties. MAYBE. DON'T GET YOUR HOPES UP BUT MAYBE.
- Of course, your ship can just get blown up and you all die.