Fleet, Ship, and Space Combat Overhaul Suggestion

MKIceman

I'm a bit disappointed with how space combat and ships are handled in this game. Star Wars is perhaps most well known for two things: the Force, and epic space battles (like Return of the Jedi). Yet I see very little love for space here. The very first Star Wars (A New Hope as it's now known) starts with a space battle. Both Luke and Anakin were flying since they were young nobodies. So why don't we get to fight in space until level 60 or 65? Also, where are our trusty astromech droids, who have shown time and again how they can turn the tide of battle? Why does ship combat feel like a skin of ground combat? Wedge was awesome in space, but never did I see him have to wield a blaster on the ground and be good at it in order to fly an X-Wing (furthermore, Poe was terrible on the ground).

Coming from a long line of Star Wars games, from the very first X-Wing through Battlefront 2, we've seen and played in skirmishes as well as major fleet actions. Perhaps the three most common defining characteristics that give them replayability are: the ability to fly as any of my favorite on screen heroes or villains, the ability to fly as myself and insert myself into the story alongside my favorite characters, and the ability to change the battle into any 'What If?' scenario I can dream up. Right now, I see a little of the first but not so much the next two.

So what is my recommended solution?

I suggest first lowering the minimum entry bar for space combat. It should be available shortly after players are taught how ground combat works, instead of this 20+ level grind. You may need to adjust payouts and rewards accordingly, or simply change the level of fleet store.

Changing the ship and combat system will be a bigger deal. First, separate ships from crew. Fleet selection should give me the ability to customize everything, from the crew and gear loadout to the look and feel. This means that ships should have different gear, stats, and abilities independent of crew gear, stats, and abilities.

Ships should have different crew slots: pilot (all ships have this), astromech (some ships have this), gunner(s) (some ships have this), support (some ships have this), command (only capital ships have this). Support is typically used to operate certain equipment, perform certain special abilities (like the current reinforcement abilities), or provide a stat boost. Command is needed for a capital ship to operate.

Ships should have gear slots called 'equipment' that function differently than they do for characters. Basically, each ship will have a different number of equipment slots you can fill with special items that either boost stats (like an improved shield generator) or provide a unique ability (like a cloaking device). Treat equipment like characters, they can be leveled up and modded for even more customizability (and more things to earn or buy). Remember those 'special modifications' we've heard about and seen on ships like the Millennium Falcon? This is how to allow you to make your own.

Ships should be categorized into three classes: capital, freighter, starfighter. No need for role designations like tank, attacker, support. Combat roles should be variable and dependent on crew and loadout.

Each ship class should have characteristics (mostly in the form of requirements and certain abilities) unique to that class. Capital should have the most crew and equipment slots, while some freighters have more equipment than crew, fighters typically have few. Only certain types of equipment can be slotted depending on the ship class. For example, cloaking devices can typically only be slotted on capital ships, but a unique hero ship (like Maul's fighter) might have it as a unique item that consumes its only equipment slot and cannot be removed (whereas other fighters have that slot available, but for typically less powerful items).

Each ship class should have certain unique class abilities that all ships in the class can use, regardless of equipment (though support crew are needed to make them work in some cases). All capitals should be able to launch broadside attacks, repair smaller ships (but requires the target ship to land in the capital for X turns until available again as a reinforcement), target lock enemies. All freighters should be able to jam enemy sensors (remove and prevent enemy target lock), draw fire (taunt). All fighters should be able to evade (evasion for 1 turn).

Character code may need a change, effort depending on your architecture. All characters should have a second set of roles, stats, and abilities for use on ships, which is independent and different from their current ground roles, stats, and abilities, and not tied to ship. For example, Wedge or Poe should be fairly weak on the ground as attacker role, but their ship maneuvering as pilot role should be ungodly. Poe's special ability in space should be something like Selfish Assault, hit multiple enemies multiple times without taking any damage, but your allies all suffer Exposed. Wedge should be able to call allies to assist. Likewise for Biggs, whom we've only ever seen in trouble on screen, should have a Self Sacrifice ability to redirect damage to himself (taunt that is unique to fighters), but it might kill him at worst and leave him stunned and Exposed at best. When slotted in their own iconic ship (like Han as pilot of the Falcon), the ship and crew get some buff, like a boost to stats. Otherwise, Han's awesome flying skills should follow him to whatever ship he's flying, and likewise the Falcon's alluvial dampers should remain aboard ship.

So what do astromechs do? Some ships require them and cannot launch without one. The astromech should provide limited in flight repair, though some like R2-D2 can do more, like better repair and enhanced jamming.

Some characters should have no ship role (like Old Ben), which means they are not even available as crew to slot.

This all means we can open up generic ships right at the start of the game, like Corellian freighters and corvettes, A-Wings and B-Wings, Imperial Star Destroyers, along with generic crew like pilots, gunners, and mechanics. Rose Tico finally has a place as iconic support crew, providing exceptional repair or an engine boost (you decide what that could be).

I should be able to slot a generic pilot (like Rebel Pilot) into the pilot seat of any ship that pilot is qualified to fly (maybe just Rebel ships, or if you want to be more complex, maybe just Rebel starfighters). Next, I should be able to select crew, like a generic R5 for a generic X-Wing. And then away I go! Over time I can fill its single equipment slot with a better power core for increased max shield (max protection), or a better shield generator (either regenerates slowly or has higher tenacity), etc. We can also introduce some lesser known characters as capital commanders or repurpose existing ones, like Captain Antilles, Admiral Radiss, Holdo, Emperor, Vader, Piett. The new characters I mentioned should be weak on the ground but I shouldn't have to bother with that if I want to play a space game.

Altogether, this allows for low level players to jump in and start building their own versions of Han and Chewie right at the start without needing to have Han and Chewie, while still giving them an incentive to get Han and Chewie later. Same thing for the Falcon. And maybe I might want to see how Han would fly a tricked out Ubrikkian transport, with Lando flying the Falcon instead. And CLS Luke in his iconic X-Wing with R2-D2 rather than farm boy Luke in a generic X-Wing. Or Anakin and R2 in their fighter. And and...

Thoughts?

MKIceman

Also, I'd like to see capitals be attacked. Capitals should be able to attack only other capitals, but all ships should be able to attack capitals. Now you'll have a reason for bombers with fighter escort. If we're sticking to 5 minute arena battles, then capital death should not be a requirement for victory. Mind you, fighters should be weaker in terms of hull and shields, but with stronger weapons, so it shouldn't take forever like it currently does. Freighter strength should vary widely with their crew and loadout. Adding capital combat to the meta means you can effectively keep them from interfering with the smaller ships.