Hello,
Well I'm going to necro this thread after a few months of it being non-active. I've recently gotten into Aurora, and to say the least, I'm addicted to it. Going through this thread has given me several substantial ideas, and personal wishes have come up in my head that I want to share.
Newtonian flight
It always bothered me that ships simply travel at their rated cruise speed then stop dead cold. Engines should use their thrust rating to climb to the cruise speed, then stop their momentum as they approach their target in the same fashion. However this would limit space flight only to two points, A and B it wouldn't be true Newtonian flight, also during combat sudden changes in flight course would require an onsite braking burn which would leave an ship vulnerable to incoming missiles.
SO in other words, either true Newtonian flight or sticking to Aurora's original system will work without mucking things up. But I do have an proposal for either scenario. I would love the option to choose an point on the 2d map for my fleet or particulaur ship to move. Would add alot more tactical options for engagement.
Also creating patrol waypoints would be great, you could plan out battle actions using this.
Non-superluminal flight mode
No hard-drives, no jump points. Only wormholes and vast monolithic distances in space. Perhaps later very advanced tech, that is unlocked by delving into precursor vaults, or disassembling Invader wormhole gates will give you access to faster space travel. But you will have to earn it. Would add an larger emphasis on strategic decisions, fleet locations, resupply, and planned campaigns involving decades or even centuries(For shorter distanced campaigns, this would be modified in game creation for whatever intent). Such a mode would reckon faster time acceleration though.
Government Customization
Would be nice to not only name your own type of Government, but determine its attributes as well.
Trans-Newtonian Engines
Really simple, an engine with more thrust output than anti-matter. Harnessing the power of particles going faster than light, superluminal, or you could consider it the quintessential Tachyon. Would be available in either mode since even though making an ship travel faster than light is impossible, making particles do so wouldn't be a problem once you had the know how. Would have to be earned through scavenging Precursor, or Invader bosses.
Bussard Ramjet
An electromagnetic net designed to pick up hydrogen in space, overall will be ineffective unless going through an Nebula. Would be ideal for scouts, and all ships in general if you are playing an non jump drive game.
Nano-tech
An industrial overhaul that allows an improved economy and industry output. However the downside is once engaged in Nano-tech you will constantly have to research and create countermeasures for any Nano-plagues that might happen on accident, or caused by enemy Nano-viruses. The upgrade will be just enough to be worth it, say an 10-25% increase, but its downside will make players weigh their options.
Nuclear Ballistics
The use of the energy of Nuclear detonation to propel projectiles hyper velocities otherwise unachievable by conventional cannons. Basically a bigger badder version of the rail gun, with more distance and damage than most weapons aside from missiles and high tier energy weapons. Reloads are much longer akin to missile launchers.
Precursor Caches
Vaults or resource dumps, long forgotten. And sometimes perilous in nature. Mines, deadly robotic guards and even Precursor drone fleets might be hiding in plain site. Requires an geology survey to uncover(Thats if the ship doesn't get blown up first), then an Engineer team to uncover.
Invader Command fleet
Is activated when the player defeats an certain amount of Invader task forces, the Command fleet encroaches armed to the teeth with dreadnoughts, carriers, the whole deal. Not something to take lightly. It starts work on the outermost colonies and works it way to the Player's homeworld.
New NPR races
Some inspiration comes from Sword of the Stars. The RNG factor of the space anomalies was amazing to say the least. Sometimes encountering the unkown could absolutely cripple you, sometimes very rarely you could benefit. Also a few ideas I ripped straight out of books like those written by Alistair Reynolds.
-Inhibitors
An race of Programmed sentient robots that leave beacons in systems to detect space flight species. If these beacons are triggered an task force is sent to exterminate and scour the area for any more links to civilization. They are like Invaders, but will act differently, their strategy will be different ranging from conventional missile spam, to when you get them very riled up by resisting the dismantling of entire stars, or destruction of planets. Would add an great deal of !FUN! for veteran players.
-Von neumon
Traveling flotillas of machines that strip planetary resources that they encounter and produce more of themselves. To avoid the snow ball effect, Von Neumon will be attracted to player/NPR inhabited systems only. Weaponry will mainly be lasers.
-Nano Plague
Wouldn't be an NPR, rather an event triggered by uncovering ancient alien ruins. Or not upkeeping/maintaining you nano-tech infrastructure.
-The ancients
Benevolent or full of malice? Rng will decide the predetermined relation with the player and other NPRS(They will have negative relation with premade NPRs ofc). Older than even the precursors they have shepherded themselves and kept to their own system for years beyond count. Awaiting for an great crisis to pass within the confines of their massive Ringworld. If in good terms they will trade and even offer technology in exchange for completing certain objectives for them(One or two unique techs, the rest will be default higher tier tech). However if hostile will shoot on site. If you manage to defeat them and take over the Ringworld new unique techs will be discovered for research that would otherwise be impossible to access.
-The Fore-runners
An now distant cousin of the precursors. These survivors of the invader's onslaught they have banded together in a great flotilla and travel the stars. They have lost much of their knowledge and all that dwells in their minds is their very survival. They are also however traders, and will give you higher tier tech and even Precursor cache locations for the right price.
Welp that's all I can think of for now just wanted to drop this in here to get Steve thinking on some of the possibilities. I think what is currently missing is an daunting presence of the unknown. Space shouldn't be absolutely crushing filled with baddies that come in and nuke your homeworld. But rather the player should feel he is coming into contact with civilizations wildly different, and usually way older than their own. Creating an sense of scale and even survival amongst the stars.
Of course the NPR suggestions could be recreated using Spacemaster presently, but also they can not be fully realized like they might be able to in Aurora II. Cheers steve, good luck on development!