Notice: i’m not sure that know NSV13’s code and gameplay fully, so if any of the thoughts here turns out to be already existing or impracticable, i ask you to understand me.
After playing, I saw a couple of strange moments for myself that I want to consider and show you an idea for gameplay:
If ship a armed aircraft carrier and have military personnel with appropriate ranks, so why it has simple security department without people, who can perform duty of boarding or anti-boarding?
Well, I think you tried to keep classic SS13 experience. But when all comes to the end of “Nuke” gamemode round you will notice following:
- Warden one of the most unused professions not here, but in SS13. Sitting on brig all round boring, especially when you don’t even have anything to keep track of.
- Security officer’s duties (except to keep order) not described. Currently, wiki have standart beestation13 security officer’s page.
- Only interesting thing where security department can be used for its intended purpose - syndicate drop trooper scenario, but to a greater extent it ends with the fact that the first do not have time to take weapons from armory.
So, I would suggest change old security with new (or keep both), more paramilitary one:
- Warden is now a Adjutant with rank SGT and access to bridge. Now he will act as strategic advisor for situations, where ship need brute force or expedition missions. Like Flight Leader, now he is squad leader for Marines and Ship Security, staying under the rule of the head of security.
- Introduce Marines (you can rename it). Marines now a analog of Baystation12 expedition corps and also additional countermeasure against syndicate operatives (or other enemies) boarding the ship.
- Every ship map have dropship.
Now about WHY i mentioned XCOM:
Yes. It is.
For first, this idea needs generated dungeon buildings in space (so-called derelicts), which can be discovered during the ship’s journey. Hostile mobs, research data, lore data, and other resources must be included.
Dropships will work like mining shuttle (mapped shuttle-like box docked to the ship with terminal, weapon racks, some space for trophies and passagers seats. Not like fighter, idea of making multi-crew fighters is bad). If main ship is close enough to the desired object in space (in accordance with DRADIS), dropship will show waypoint to this object and will land on shuttle landmarks on the other side. Pretty easy but not so original, i hope this will bring more teamwork and motivation to explore each sector.