DarkOrbit Done Right/Features

Non-MMO capable

Story lines are implemented by way of "plots" - a plot is a collection of missions; rewards can be given for plot completion.

Player-provided automation

• event driven javascript
  • Browser-side
  •  ?Server-side?
•  ? missions ?
• Players can "sell" their automations to other players
• keep player automation from
  • being used to hack the game
  • Overloading the browser
  • Overloading the server

State capture to deal with lost connections

• avoid allowing it to be used as a cheat
  • only in non-interactive situations?

Team play

• "clans" must have at least one "carrier" class ship
• player-to-player chat
• ad-hoc teams

Equipment

Ships

Different classes of ship provide for different types of equipment

• Base (unequipped) energy
• Base (unequipped) speed
• # of containers of each type
  • Many fuel, few ammo for a fast scout
  • Many ammo for a warship
  • etc
• # offensive systems
• # defensive systems
• # navigation systems
• # Logic/Automation systems

Containers

Ammo

• Energy cells
• Kinetic rounds

Fuel

• Liquid
• Electricity
• Plasma

Cargo

Cargo containers can hold anything:

• "collection overflow" from usable salvage
• Resources (minerals)
• Ships (if the cargo bay is big enough)

Once in Cargo, content cannot be transferred to ship until the ship is "docked"

Landing bays

• • Probes
  • Drones/Bots
  • Ships

Energy Systems

• All systems require energy - the ship provides a base amount of energy
• Electricity is the "common" energy
• Liquid energy creates electricity as (Fuel + electricity) => electricity multiplier
• Plasma energy systems powered by their fuel - simply converting plasma to electricity
• Zero-point energy is never stored, but requires electricity to generate; basically, Zero Point Energy Devices (ZPEDs) are electricity multipliers

Information Gathering Systems

Scanners

• Ship contents
• Cloaking detection
• Mineral location

Logic/Automation Systems

Navigation

Routing

• Straight-line
• Waypoints
• Obstacle avoidance

Targeting

Friend-or-foe

Chat

• Global
• Per-map
• Per "group"
  • clan
  • outfit

PvP features

Where DarkOrbit has Companies, maybe DODR can have servers? PvP missions can take place on any PvP server other than the "home server". For this, though, players cannot have a non-PvP server as their "home" server (if you play PvP, you have to be available to be attacked).

Maybe it's not such a good idea to have servers marked PvP. Maybe it would be better to have server alliances; players suffer for attacking players in allied servers