Making larger ships more interesting with modules too large for smaller ship?

[K-T0N]

After reading a bit of this thread :https://forum.starbasegame.com/threads/emphasis-on-smaller-ships.42/
It appears that larger space ships are currently seen as a waste of time and ressources since they have appeared in recent media as big clumsy targets easily overpowered by groups of smaller ships.
Now, of course, all of this up to this point is mere speculation based on what we currently know, so it may be completely wrong. But, just in case, I would like to make the following suggestion:
Adding larger useful modules which would not fit in smaller ships and would thus make larger ships interesting as they would be the only ships able to have them in.
As for what those modules could be...
Well, I don’t really know. After all, such modules would need to be truly useful in order for this to work, and I have no idea yet as to what could be proposed which would not be either to hard to implement or game breaking. So I will leave this to whoever has better ideas than me

 

[CalenLoki]

Such modules could be:
1. Spare body storage.
2. Make generators get more efficient the bigger they are.
3. Very long thrusters. So internal volume is more of limitation than rear surface.

And game balance: make armour matter. A lot. Like make it like 30x more durable per weight than functional modules (including external ones). That naturally favours big ships, because of square-cube law (the internal volume grows much exponentially faster than armour surface)

 

[Metal]

They also want some kind of warp travel and if you needed a ship with a large part count and or size that would be cool.

 

[Spartan Shipyards]

I fully agree, larger ships need unique incentives to justify funneling resources into.

Capital class weaponry, industrial storage, unique modules such as long range warp/jumping or electronic warfare suites.

These all should be unique to larger ships.

 

[CalenLoki]

Large weaponry actually favours small-medium glass-cannon ships. Because those usually have high range, penetration and damage, which are more useful against large, slow targets.
Keeping the weapons small makes sure that armour (one of few fields where large ships are naturally better) matters.

Maybe just fragmentation warheads and proximity detonators? Commonly called "flak"? Something to swipe unarmoured fighters even if you miss, but just glancing off tough behemoths. But it falls into category of "no skill weapon" as it doesn't reward precise aiming. So I'm not sure about it.

Storage is physical. Which already favours large ships due to square-cube law and less people needed to pilot large freighters. But doesn't help in combat.

Warp sucks IMO. But that's not the topic for that.

Could you elaborate on electronic warfare?

And remember that all the parts are universal, there is no artificial division between "small" and "large". So think with universal mechanics, rather than specific modules.

Like space dust, that keep damaging armour as you fly, especially fast. Suddenly carriers would become highly valuable for long range travel, due to, again, square-cube law and higher capacity per m2 of armour.

 

[Spartan Shipyards]

Could you elaborate on electronic warfare?

Sure. Electronic Warefare is the act of remotely targeting and hacking or attacking an enemy's computer system. In Starbase this could involve using a specilized room or module on ship to remotely try to access an enemy ship's YOLO network to do harm (disable doors, weapons, engines, sensors). Such a module can also aid in countering said attacks. Using an EMP device to knock out enemy systems also falls under electronic warfare.

 

[DukeBarr]

Large ships are going to play a role in that they are a mobile fortress. Personally as long as a large ship has a combat air patrol active around it they will be perfectly fine

 

[Azelous]

Large ships could serve as haulers and protectors of supplies, such as:

• Trade supplies
• Long distance travel fuel for smaller ships
• Spoils of war
• Long distance communications array
• Ship grinders
• Asteroid miners

Generally things that combat ships might need but wouldn’t want to carry so as to have lower mass and faster turning speeds.

As for an Electronic Warfare module.. it would be rather interesting. So long as the player has to manually crack into an apposing players ship and systematically take down different systems instead of “push button to emp” I’m totally onboard.

 

[Spartan Shipyards]

Yea, I imagine Electronic warfare could add another strategic layer to combat. I imagine to balance it, it would require you to be fairly close and to maintain that range for a the entire length of the hack. Losing power or getting out of range would force you to start again. I also imagine depending on counter systems in place, an enemy may be notified of your attempted hack and try to counter hack you.

I can imagine a silent battle between information specialists taking place while guns a firing left and right during large scale engagements.

 

[DukeBarr]

Based on how ships appear to be melting in combat with every battle we have seen so far I dont think anyone will have the time for Electronic warfare even if it was a thing.

 

[Mci]

If I remember rightly, you can mount station pieces to larger vessels. Being able to lug around a fuel refinery or a solar array? Priceless.