Sieges: Station Claims, Safezone Enhancement, & Bunkers vs Strongholds

Burnside

Master endo
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Aug 23, 2019
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#1
A station's initial claim and safezone is tied to the Station Core, whomever controls the core owns the station. A Station's Safezne has several variables that we're currently aware of: Ownership, Safezone Size/Volume, and the "Ceasefire Timer" that prevents aggressors from instantly shooting up non-military targets inside of the safezone, including the station and its lots.

The Ceasefire Timer is buffered by military personnel and ships (I'm calling it the "Ceasefire Value" for now) in the area and requires an attacking force essentially "debuff" the timer so they can begin the countdown, allowing the attackers to proceed onto capturing the station. Somewhere in this mechanic the rules will differentiate between "creative", "civilian", and "military" stations.

Station Core & Control Chips
As stated a Station's Core ultimately determines who owns the station and has control over it, we can mechanically determine this control via "Control Chips". Control chips are similar to YOLOL chips and can even fit into chip readers and chip racks, though their device field doesn't really perform any significant YOLOL functions. Control Chips come in three kinds:
*Station Ownership Control Chip: a SOCC sets a station as a permanent "creative" Safezone, the station cannot be captured and its Safezone cannot be enhanced by Processing Chips beyond the basic level provided by the Station Core, however, these switch to Administrative Control Chips if the owner listed in the SOCC's device field is the owner of any other stations.
*Administrative Control Chip: an ACC creates a "civilian" or "corporate" station, and is one of the more expensive control chips that can be produced and enhances the effects of Buffer, Spacelane, and Litigation Processing Chips, but has a shorter Firewall Timer than a DCC.
*Defense Control Chip: a DCC creates a "military" station, is somewhat cheaper than an ACC but enhances the effects of Firewall, Interdiction, and Diplomacy Processing Chips and has a longer Firewall Timer than an ACC. Defense Control Chips can also be placed in a Bunker Mainframe.

Capturing a Station Core: Hacking Chips
Station Cores have two Chip Slots in its Central Processing Rack, one holds the Control Chip and locks it in place, the other can hold any other kind of Data Processing Chip or a Hacking Chip. The Control Chip is locked into its slot and cannot be removed except by the Station Owner or if a Hacking Chip unlocks it by depleting the Control Chip's Firewall Timer.
*Hacking Chip: Hacking Chips can be installed into the free slot of a Central Processing Rack or a Data Processing Rack; each Hacking Chip reduces a Control Chip's or Firewall Chip's Firewall Timer every 0.1 seconds, once a Firewall Timer is depleted by a Hacking Chip its device field changes ownership to the same as the Hacking Chip or 'uncontrolled' if multiple-owner Hacking Chips are in the same lot's data network.

Enhancing Stations: Data Processing Chips
*Data Processing Rack: each Data Processing Rack increases or decreases a Control Chip's Firewall Timer depending on whether or not it shares the same owner, a Station Owner can locate all Data Processing Racks on their Station as well as see their ownership. Data Processing Racks have no Firewall Timer of their own and treat every other Data Processing Rack in the same lot and on the same data network as a single object, so network relays are useful to create multiple separate sets of DPRs in the same station lot. DPRs also provides chip slots for various Processing Chips
*Firewall Processing Chip: Firewall Processing Chips set the ownership field of all linked Data Processing Racks after a lengthy Install Timer, only one FPC can be active in a set of linked DPRs, any Firewall Processing Chip inserted after the first will short out and be destroyed by the defense software.
*Buffer Processing Chip: Buffer Processing Chips increase the Firewall Timer and Install Timers of an FPC on the same data network.
*Spacelane Processing Chip: creates a safezone around each landing pad and extends it out from the station's main safezone like a pillar by x meters per Spacelane Processing Chip, this pillar is denoted by strings of holographic landing lights projected by each landing pad
*Interdiction Processing Chip: expands the station's safezone volume by x meters per Interdiction Processing Chip, this volume is denoted by scattered network automated interdiction buoys released by the Station Core
*Litigation Processing Chip: increases the Ceasefire Value of military personnel and ships
*Diplomacy Processing Chip: increases a station's Ceasefire Timer

Strongholds; Owner, Enemy, & Friendly
Each station lot that houses one or more Data Processing Racks becomes a "Stronghold", Owner and Friendly Strongholds enhance the Station Core's Firewall Timer and contribute to various Safezone benefits through their Processing Chips, Enemy Strongholds debuff the Timer. Whether a Stronghold belongs to the Owner, a Friendly Company, or an Enemy Company is plainly visible through some manner of holographic signage. Non-Owner Strongholds are automatically considered Friendly unless that lot owner is at war with the Station Owner. Enemy Strongholds lose Ceasefire Protections automatically if they initiated the war declaration, but if the Station Owner declares a war that creates Enemy Strongholds those lots will gain the benefit of a lengthy Ceasefire Timer to give the owner an opportunity to remove some of their assets safely.

Bunkers
*Bunker Mainframe: a chip reader that can hold a Defense Control Chip, turning the station lot into a Bunker. Bunkers count as a military vessel and contribute to a station's Ceasefire Value, allowing any weapon systems installed on the bunker to attack enemy vessels and be attacked in return. A Stronghold can also be a Bunker, if equipped with a Bunker Mainframe.


Illustrated Example
starbase station cap illustrated.png
 
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