Modules 2: Missiles

Here is the next set of modules. Actually missiles only have a single item which uses modules: the Missile Chambers. The Missile Chambers requires two modules to install. Once installed, the user can select how to arm each bay. For each bay, a drop down list is given, from which the user may select the desired missile. There is no limit to the number of Missile Chambers available. The following are the different types of missiles.

* Force Missile: This missile fires at whatever the tank's turret is pointed. This missile does massive damage on a successful hit, but is one of the harder missiles to hit with. This missile travels at average speed.
* Guided Missile: This missile has an interesting movement where the player's camera switches from their turret to just behind the launched missile. The player looses the ability to control the tank while the missile is airborne, but gains the ability to control the missile itself. It does slightly less damage and travels at a slower speed than the force missile.
* Homing Missile: This missile will fly as straight as possible from the tank's turret, but may change course slightly to follow an enemy tank. Much like the guided missile, these do slightly less damage and travel slightly slower than the force missile.
* Jamming Missile: This missile travels in a straight path aimed along the tank's turret. Unlike most of the other missiles, this missile damages the opposing tank's shields temporarily, all;owing the attacking tank an opening with either other missiles or lasers. This missile travels slightly faster than the force missile.
* Kore Missile: This missile also follows a straight path aimed along the tank's turret. The goal of this missile is to create a disruption in the enemy lines by launching a massive electromagnetic pulse over the enemy. Once launched, the player's camera switches to a view from behind the ,missile, much like th4e guided missile. During that time, again like the guided missile, the player's tank is left vulnerable and is not controlled by the player. The difference is the player does not control the missile, just when the missile detonates. From the center of the explosion, an EM pulse deals splash damage any opposing tank's battery life inside the radius. This missile does nothing if it hits an object unlike most other missiles. This missile travels faster than the force missile, only slower than the lightning missile.
* Lightning Missile: This missile is in many ways similar to the force missile. It goes in a straight line from wherever the tank's turret is pointed. It does slightly less damage than the force missile, but is harder to avoid since it moves quicker.

All missiles, unlike lasers, are objects, whether or not they are controlled by the player. The force missile is pretty much the average missile and is therefore used as the comparison in the previous list. Guiding and Homing Missiles, since the can change direction, are slightly slower to benefit the person who fired them, whereas the Kore and Lightning Missiles are faster. Any collision, either terrain, a tank, a satellite or another missile, will cause the missile to trigger is firing sequence, except the Kore Missile which needs to be detonated or it becomes inactive. As far as final numbers on speed and damage, these will need extensive play testing before decided.

If I forgot to mention this last post, user input for lasers will most likely be space bar and left mouse click. Missiles are much more difficult. Since multiple types missiles are allowed on any given tank, unlike lasers which is limited to one type even if the tank has two laser mounts, each missile type is given a key binding. To launch each missile in the list above, the first letter of the missile name is the letter of the key. On a qwerty keyboard the missiles would be the second row, except a, s, d, ; and ' keys. Kore missile is detonated with a second press of the 'k' key. Tank and turret binds when on the normal screen will be split between w/a/s/d and up/left/down/right. When the guided missile is launched, both sets of bindings have the same effect: up/down (w/s) raises or lowers missile's tip (ability to invert this should be in early), and left/right (a/d) moves the missile in the desired direction (again, inversion should be an option fairly early on).

The inversion options are in case a player wants to control the back of the guided missile, which is what the player is watching while the missile is airborne. In this case, raising the tail would lower the front or moving the tail right would move the front left. These options will be disabled by default but should be available fairly early in testing.

Next time I hope to have an update on my progress using the Ogre Engine, though most likely it will just be a page describing the different types of mines.
~gunnah