Please make boost energy separate from shield

[GCU Grey Area]

Find it's usually the opposite in my games. More often than not it's been an effective escape mechanism for them - right at the point where they'd otherwise be dead (i.e. lined up in the crosshairs, all I need to do is pull the trigger) they boost out of weapon range &, since I'm generally in a one against many scenario, it's not wise to focus exclusively on that single ship while there are still so many nearby which are shooting at me. As a consequence I'll generally have to leave it for later, by which time it's shields will almost certainly have recharged.

And the AI would still be perfectly capable of doing that if boosters didn't draw from shields, with the additional benefit of saving them from their own (understandably engine overhead-induced) stupidity.

The alternate solution is to give NPCs massively expanded situational awareness and tactical decision-making capabilities so they don't squander their shields on a regular basis. I'd love that, but it simply isn't going to happen when the developers are stretching themselves across all their different design goals for the game.

Did you even read my post before quoting it?

Point I was making is that they're often NOT squandering their shields. They're often boosting away in circumstances where I can't pursue. Travel drive's down due to incoming fire & burning my own shields by boosting would be most unwise (for exactly the same reason). By the time I do catch up, having dealt with all of their friends first, their shields are generally fully restored.

As to your first point, if boosters didn't drain shields there would be nothing to stop me boosting in pursuit, which would largely make the entire mechanic irrelevant. It's the shield drain that means I have to think carefully whether to boost or not. Game would be less fun without having to consider potential consequences first, even if those consequences sometimes include boosting into the game over screen...

[Rikaelus]

Egosoft are not going to change one of the original fundamental tenets of the game just because some players want an easy button.

If memory serves even past X games separated them, no? As have pretty much every space sim I've ever played, going all the way back to Wing Commander 1. I'd push back on the argument that the norm is easy mode.

So yeah... adding my voice to the chorus of those who'd like to see them separated. Seems like something you could even make possible through some new type of equipment. Maybe a thrust capacitor that builds up its own supply of thrust that afterburners draw from first before going to shield power. Then you'd have another class of equipment with different capacities and recharge rates.

[GCU Grey Area]

If memory serves even past X games separated them, no?

No, all boosters in past X games drained shields. If I recall correctly XR boosters functioned in an identical manner to those in X4. Boosters were also present in X3TC & AP as a mod which was eventually incorporated into the bonus packs. In those games there were a couple of other options for powering boosters, in addition to draining shields. They could burn spaceflies or energy cells instead. Both had downsides. Spaceflies were very rare & quite valuable (think they were also illegal), while energy cells were needed to power the jumpdrive (so using boosters often meant the jumpdrive would no longer work). I ended up editing the mod in both games to remove the alternate fuel sources, so they'd only drain shields.

[mr.WHO]

I don't know why Egosoft stubbonly try to reinvent the wheel here, despite contant issues with AI and NPCs with boosters.

Other games have booster as separate energy bar and it works.

It would solve problems with stupid AI and allow another layer of ballance and differentiations (each ship and faction could have different boosters stats, one would have big capacitor, other would have fast recharge, other had fast acceleration etc.).


Why not solve the issue instead constantly hitting your fingers with the hammer?

[alt3rn1ty]

I'm in favour of keeping things the way they are, its a good system and I dont think I have ever lost anything as a result of NPC Pilots using boost and weakening themselves to a soon after easy kill, but ..

.. NPC Pilots on ships I value have a counter effect to boost draining shields, I always give their ships a Purple Mod to gain the best shield regeneration speed, Traction (Recharge rate). I have seen a Moreya with me onboard (so high attention) but with an NPC pilot, take on 4 Kha'ak and win the day. Doing what I call the typical jousting runs (line up on target, fire away, then turn outbound and boost away before again turning inbound to attack), with Traction installed with a good percentage roll the Moreya would recover all of its shields every time before it started firing again.

And there lies also why I would rather keep things the way they are - In my game (and as usual) the Xenon (main source of modding components) are extinct. If things change would I be better replacing Traction, and where would the modding components come from. Getting High Energy Catalyst from Kha'ak takes forever. Invested a lot of time modding all my ships before time ran out on the Xenons existance and ANT decided to waltz in and finish them off completely.

I was temporarily thrilled to see a few more Xenon stations in the 7 Beta new sectors .. That soon wore off, no Xenon S = Still extinct.

I guess I would adapt and start a new game if things were to change, but honestly I like it the way it is, especially when personally flying/dogfighting, its an aspect I have to be mindful of when and where to use boosting, and especially adds excitement in those odd occasions you fly hard after something you want to finish off only to run into a few friends of the target and your shields are nearly down .. New pants!

[LameFox]

I would prefer a separate bar personally. Mainly for the same reason as ever, the AI just aren't situationally aware enough to make the trade of hitpoints for speed. They can get lucky, but that's all it is, they literally cannot anticipate future damage.

This manifests the worst in M ships from what I've seen. Their super low regen means they can take out a massive chunk of their own HP which they are just not going to get back during the fight. At least an S ship with its small size and fast regen when it kicks in has a better chance of *accidentally* making a good choice.

And while I can't say it would make L ship boosting very useful it would at least be worth doing it then if all it cost them was their boost bar.

[chew-ie]

Why not solve the issue instead constantly hitting your fingers with the hammer?

That's the german way. We have to invent something / we have to do it the otter ( ) way - that's the top priority.

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@OP

I'd prefer a separate booster tank as well which recharges if emptied. Recharge speed should be connected to the engine type (to reflect combat engines providing the best boost and travel engines the worst boost with allround engines being the average)

Just like redesigning trade mechanics towards contract based trading I consider dropping the old shield-boost mechanic as the next step of modernising X.

As of now AI can't handle shield-boost properly despite it already got several iterations. In fact, in beta 7.0 we have yet another iteration which leads to fully depleted shields on capital ships (they use the whole shield when travelling in-sector).