Suggestion: Creation of a structure (Upwell) cloaking system.
Reason: Provides a level of operations security for clandestine research and development divisions within para military space organizations. Current system allows for structures to be found with low cost probes and no systems in place to allow for a fully realized intelligence division of any organization.
Cloaking technology exists, yet even NPC military organizations do not have a way to hide their R&D which is unrealistic in a futuristic space epic. Edit: Jovians were able to cloak their structures for thousands of years until caroline’s star.
This game has a long history of corporate espionage and intelligence gathering divisions, which includes spies and flipping insiders to turn traitor. This is accomplished solely through social interactions, and I believe having a cloaking system for structures would enhance this facet of game play, forcing such operations to need skills and tools outside of social manipulations.
System suggestions: High slot (for structures) that use enough cpu and powergrid to necessitate a choice between hiding the structure or having defensive systems such as fighter squads and structure launchers.
Double the operational fuel consumption of the structure, while module is active. Functions like current ship cloak systems but does not become unstable after a short amount of time. Vicinity does not decloak structure, however the Mobile Observatory could be deployed to temporarily allow intelligence operatives to ascertain the location and structure type.
So how does a cloaked structure get shot at? Or docked at? Don’t you need to anchor the structure visibly in the first place, which basically negates the effect of the cloak since the enemy can just bookmark it while anchoring?
I don’t really see how you can make this both balanced and useful.
Docking: Only the corporation members with proper rank and permissions could.
Shooting at it: Mobile Observatory which in the current form is nearly useless would be necessary to start the structure bashing.
Anchoring would be the same as any structure. You’d have to online the cloak module. If intelligence were gathered during the anchoring process you’d have some issues to deal with as a para military organization. That would be part of the balance.
Usefulness would vary. Wormhole production and research stations would probably want to be using the cloak. Same with highsec, lowsec and null. Only visible and dockable to certain ranks within the corp that owns the structure.
However I would prefer it to be a new Upwell structure, not a module added to an existing structure as it would be too simple to just add a cloak to a keepstar that way.
A special cloaked structure is much easier to balance as it can have it’s own drawbacks and limits, like ‘only ships smaller than cruisers are allowed to dock’ or something like that if the cloak appears to be too useful.
and
get into a bit of conflict.
I do like the idea of having to spot the structure as it anchors or while it is in use by undocking players, or having to use a mobile observatory at any other time to find it’s location.
An issue is that mobile observatories cannot be used in all parts of space. As far as I know they’re not allowed in wormhole space, which would make it nearly impossible to find such a cloaked structure there.
But maybe that can be changed. If not by adding mobile observatory gameplay against cloaked ships in wormholes then by allowing mobile observatories there anyway but only effective against structure cloaks.
An entire corp doesnt necessarily need access to a clandestine research and development center. In null you have to meet specific requirements to even be told where you can build supers.
In popular media, there are always hidden stations where illegal and dangerous research is done.
I very much like this approach! Full support from me!
I wasnt aware of that. I have used a few in null and found them to be lacking. So to me, they appear to be nearly useless. I would very much like to see them gain more usefulness and I would like to see them usable in all the types of space.
This game has its own cloak and dagger stuff going on and I think it would be nice to have some usable cloak and dagger in game instead of just social manipulations.
Upon further consideration, I think the station cloak should lift while players are docking or undocking, creating opportunities as well as forcing the players utilizing the clandestine structure to be mindful of what dangers might be lurking about.
Yes, I missed that detail earlier but would definitely expect the structure to give away it’s position by decloaking if ships dock and undock.
Docking or undocking at the wrong time could compromise the location, which I think is a good opportunity for scouts to find such structures even if they might go unnoticed otherwise.