ENGINE's Idea

[Tenacity]

The general concept isnt bad but I dont exactly agree with some of your specific ideas, particularly overheating or increasing max cruise speed (if we do this, then players in formation flight will be kicked off the server for speed modding).

My suggestion would be to have several different items which occupy the armor upgrade slot, and provide differing benefits.

Right now we just have armor upgrades, sure they improve survivability, particularly on capital ships and bombers, but there are other tactical approaches to combat which would benefit from something other than an armor upgrade.

So here's my suggested items:

1. Shield Capacitors

Shield Capacitors would replace the armor upgrade when used, and would increase both the regeneration rate and maximum damage absorbtion of the player's shields. There would be tiered improvements, just like we have for armor upgrades, like so:

Fighter Shield Capacitor Mk1:
Increases maximum shield capacity by 20%
Increases shield regeneration by 10%
Occupies 20 cargo space

Fighter Shield Capacitor Mk5:
Increases maximum shield capacity by 100%
Increases shield regeneration by 10%
Occupies 20 cargo space

Capital Shield Capacitor MK1:
Increases maximum shield capacity by 20%
Increases shield regeneration by 10%
Occupies 300 cargo space

Capital Shield Capacitor Mk5:
Increases maximum shield capacity by 100%
Increases shield regeneration by 10%
Occupies 300 cargo space

Of course mark 2 through 4 would be 40/60/80% respectively.

2. Power Cells

Power cells would, again, replace the armor upgrade when used. Rather than increasing survivability, the power cell would increase the weapon energy regeneration rate of a craft, allowing for more constant use of weapons. Obviously we cant make power cells increase maximum energy, because we'd end up with 2-3 SNAC bombers firing all of them at once, or capships firing off 2-3 heavy mortars at a time... way too much burst damage potential. Regeneration, on the other hand, just allows for quicker refire (which is still limited by the individual weapon's refire rate).

Fighter Power Cell Mk1:
Increases weapon energy regeneration by 5%
Occupies 40 cargo space

Fighter Power Cell Mk4:
Increases weapon energy regeneration by 20%
Occupies 40 cargo space

Capital Power Cell Mk1:
Increases weapon energy regeneration by 5%
Occupies 500 Cargo Space

Capital Power Cell MK4:
Increases weapon energy regeneration by 20%
Occupies 500 Cargo Space

Nomad Power Cell:
Increases weapon energy regeneration by 30%
Occupies 50 Cargo Space

The Nomad Power Cell would be usable by any ship, cap or fighter/bomber. Of course, use of such an item would be controversial for any house ship or civilian craft, and it'd go along with the house laws against use of nomad weapons or carrying nomad specimens. Such an item would be more common in the borderworlds for outcast, corsair, zoner, BHG, or order craft, but once again The Order would be able to add that to the list of nomad contraband they are able to demand from a ship (now, being an equippable item, the scanned craft couldnt jettison it - but the order player could force the target to land and unequip the device).

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