Part 9: Harbinger - Part 3

Harbinger, Part 3

Traitor Admiral Bergautur - Eh.

Traitor Admiral Alfmundur - Ah.

Princess Admiral Du Moch - Fuck it, they were all pretty damned similar.

House of the Dying Sun - Upgrades



We've seen this screen a lot, but I've never spent much time on it. This is the upgrade system within House of the Dying Sun, from left to right:

TOP ROW:
Energy Shields: Developed millenia ago, energy shields function by disrupting quantum fields around the vessel. Energy shields are extremely effective against high-velocity ballistic weapons, making them popular defensive measures against pirates.

Juggernaut Armor: Highly effective armor. (+50% max hull vitality, -70% afterburner power (fighters), -30% max speed (capitals), -10% incoming AOE damage)

Armor Piercing Rounds: Rounds ignite a nanosecond after impact, which allow them to burrow into heavy armor before exploding. The effect is minimal when striking small, lightly armored craft. +75% bonus damage to structures, capital ships, containers.

Shield Piercing Rounds: Our priests have discovered that coating our rounds with plasma from a dying star will further their effectiveness against enemy shield systems. )+250% shield damage.)

Bomber Chassis: (Fighters Only) The fighter's outer hull is modified to house additional heavy rounds. (+1 heavy ammo)

SECOND ROW:
Shield Extender: Requires Shield System Upgrade - Expands the target vessel's shield battery capacity but makes the shield slower to recharge. Stun time is the interval between taking damage and when the shield will begin recharging. (+100% max energy, -20% recharge rate, +100% recharge stun time)

Carapace Armor: Only one of Rhal'tuum IV's apex predators has ever been brought back for study, and only then because it was already dead. Advances in light impact armor can be attributed to this magnificent creature. (+20% max hull vitality, +10% afterburner power (fighters), -40% max speed (capitals), -95% incoming AOE damage)

Modified Cooling intake: Engine housing has been modified to expose more surface area to the frigid black without sacrificing defense. (+30% fighter engine thrust, +75% capital engine thrust)

Betrayer Module: This upgrade allows our interceptors to capture enemy sentry guns by flying within a short distance. (Campaign Only) Eventually, the sentry's AI defense systems recover and destroy the compromised cannon.

Autocannon Drone: Autocannon drones excel versus light targets but they are highly susceptible to hostile flak. (+1 Autocannon drone)

BOTTOM ROW:

Flak Drone: Flak Drones are engineered to provide point defense coverage versus small targets such as missiles or enemy drones. As a secondary function, they are used to shoot down escape pods. (+1 Flak drone)

Repair Drone: Repair drones seal breaches by melting pre-applied compounds on the outer hull. Drone AI will prioritise its owner's target before switching over to repair-at-will mode. (+1 Repair drone)

Kamikaze Chassis: A fighter may be modified to house impact gel below its armor plating. When the chassis crumples, the gel activates and ignites the payload. (+2,500 fighter collision damage, +3,000 damage per heavy round, -80% max hull vitality)

Gap Drive: Fighters with Gap Drives may blink to a target. Engines are modified to expend bursts of energy which project gravity fields around the vessel, causing exploitable instability in space-time. USAGE: Face your intended target and double-tap the warp/movement ability button.

Gap Drive Reset: Gap Drive instabilities may be reignited by focusing dispersion arrays toward a nearby engine meltdown. (Gap drive resets when fighter scores kill)

Every ship class can carry two upgrades, but only two upgrades. And you cannot specify which ships get what upgrades, its the same for the whole class. So you can't have a pair of support destroyers and an attacker, or a kamikaze bomber interceptor and a pair of escorts. It's all or nothing. An over simplification in the name of streamlining, a conscious decision, or a development oversight? I'd like to know what you all think it is.

E: also youtube randomly cut out the first 5 seconds of the video which is always fun, thanks youtube