Pitch Ideas for New Items, Get creative!

Sorry for the total forum blasting.

I wanted to create a thread where people could shoot around ideas for new items in the game. Right now I think the game lacks things to get in the later 1/2, and I for one have lots and lots of money and nothing to do with it.

Another thought cool to draw from Nethack are Artifacts. Unique items that have interesting or fantastic qualities.

Cut, paste, fill out. Be as out there and crazy as you want, this is just for fun. I will compose all of our ideas into a master list sorted by item type. George can look at it and laugh.

Item Name:
Item Description: It's history, game description, story aspects.
Effects: In simple terms what it does.
Item Type: (weapon, armor, artifact, exotic, trade good, etc)
Value: Approximate credit value.
How to get it: Where do you find it? Bought in special ports? From a quest?

...

Item Name: Suffering Pall

Description: This pall is made of some kind of organic sensory cloth and seems to be able to change shape to various forms of clothing. Penitent in design, it was originally intended for interrogating prisoners but is now used with spies and perhaps even traders. When worn the pall bonds with its wearer and acts as a communicating diviner between its wearer and a Penitent, who's dissonant hypertonal language is impossible to decode. If it is unidentified it appears simply as "Penitent robes."

Effects: When used Penitents will not attack you. You may dock at Penitent Sanctums, communicate, and trade with them. Destroying a Penitent shrine\sanctum immediately destroys the pall.

Item Type: Exotic

Value: 200,000, Illegal

How to get it: Very low chance of looting from destroyed sanctums, extremely low chance of finding it at a black market, salvager trade, etc.


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Item Name: Penitent Initiate Robes

Description: This living cloth seems to feed off of pain and changes color and texture depending on the emotions of its wearer, but who would want to wear them?

Effects: nil
Type: Trade
Value: 366
How to get it: PenitentMart? salvaging.
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Item Name: Penitent Stealth Robes

Description: These appear to be designed in a military style. The robes have organic chamouflage abilities. It's a shame only Penitents know how to use them.

Effects: nil
Type: Trade
Value: 459

Item Name: nano repairer pod
Item Description: fixes broken or damaged items
Item Type: item
Value: 10000
How to get it: get from high end station

Item Name: Displacement Shields
Item Description: shields with very little power but the enemy thinks you are in a different place
Item Type: shield
Value: 100000
How to get it: get from high end station

Item Name: Weapon Replicater
Item Description: Allows weapons to never run out of ammo
Item Type: artifact
Value: n/a
How to get it: find in a derelict ship that is floating off the map (ie you can not see anything when the map is brought up)

Item Name: Wormhole Mine

Item Description: Penitents devised these experimental weapons and keep them for emergency situations. When used a targetted area of space collapses in on itself as if a miniature black hole appears, sucking in everything around it. Ships\bases with inadequate shielding will be immediately reduced to burning gas and flaming metal.
The wormholes are unstable; sometimes they collapse, sometimes they don't, sometimes they jump to different points in the system. If a ship has highly advanced shields and is sucked through (or is stupid enough to willfully pass through) it will be spat out in another star system.

Effects: Creates an area effect implosion, anything within the area must survive crushing force of the wormhole. Requires massive amounts of fuel and highest power supply possible. Inadequate\lower end shields results in immediate death. Treat wormhole as "a dangerous, wandering stargate."

Type: Exotic Weapon

Value: 800,000 each

How to get it: By quest. Very illegal. Small chance to loot from a Penitent fortress. Black markets won't touch them, wormhole mines are too hot to handle.

Ooh I like displacement shields.

Item Name: Nebular Particle Probability Matrix

Description: A massively complicated nanite ROM that allows the ship to navigate normally in nebular clouds. All ship functions are unaffected.

Type: ROM upgrade

Value: 30,000

How to get it: Luck.


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Item Name: Möbius Bay

Description: The Commonwealth has been experimenting with hyperspatial containment apparatus for years. A Möbius Bay stores cargo in a redundant probabalistic feed, thereby expanding storage and minimizing here-space mass.

Effects: A Möbius Bay installed into the energy grid of the ship provides an additional 60 cargo units. It can be installed in addition to expanded holds. There is barely any increase in ship mass but there is a slight tax on power. Multiple bays can be installed, if you can actually find them!

Type: Exotic Installed Device

Value: 23,000

How to get it: Being nice to the commonwealth, advancing in rank\reputation, or the black market (rarely).
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Item Name: X-Shields

Description: Only the Xenophobes could devise such a strange and deceptive defense. X-Shields provide powerful protection, but with a twist. X-Shields aren't mere force fields like most shield systems so much as a fog of semi-sentient nanites. The nanites can change their behavior and appearance while never breaking the magnetic shield bond that binds them. The result is that ships equipped with X-Shields can take on the appearance of any ship around them. Imagine the pleasure of following an enemy fleet without them suspecting that an enemy is among them!

Effects: Slow regeneration, 90 power, wide range of resistances. When "used" the shield's special power is to turn player's ship into the closest ship on radar. Enemies will treat player as their own unless he fires weapons or attempts to dock.

Type: Exotic Shields

Value: 150,000, illegal.

How to get it: Looting Xenophobe fortresses or flagships. Black market quests.

Wow, these are awesome! Thanks to everyone. They are all very clever and I might use pieces of everything (I love the descriptions).

The items that most fit the current structure of the game (i.e., easiest to implement and fit the storyline/universe) are:

Nebular Particle Probability Matrix
Nano repairer pod
Displacement shields
Weapons replicator
Penitent robes

The others, probably fit better in a subsequent installment, as the player gets closer to the Galactic Core and meets more interesting aliens. In particular, Mobius bay and Wormhole mine are perfect for items obtained from aliens.

Thanks again and keep those ideas coming!

Okay...

Item Name: Kick Drive

Description: A reality folding drive that can be fitted on a 1GW reactor. Originally developed by the commonwealth for warships, but discarded due to impractical fuel constraints. Now a favorite of smugglers, bootleggers, and criminals for its fast escape capabilities.

Effects: When activated by pressing the K key, it catapults the user the length of two radar screens in the direction the nose of the ship is pointing by creating a micro wormhole. Under normal use it functions like the Titan 440 drive, with similar fuel usage, but when the Kick function is activated, it uses one notch of fuel.

Type: Drive

Value: 100000

How to Get It: Black Market quest, loot a black market, or loot the fortress of the Charon Pirates. Those last two are rare to get lucky with.

Patch Spider

A small spiderlike machine that runs along your hull, repairing damage to armor (same rate as a patcher arm) but it does not take up a device slot, and it can be installed without a station, just set it on the hull and it gets to work. Up to three can be installed, with cumulative effects.

Type: Armor repair

value: around 7,000

How to get it: Armor dealers, usualy, but sometimes commonwealth stations/colonies



Hyperspace Weapons Mount?? Perhaps a Mobius Weapons Bay?

Doubles the amount of devices/weapons that can be installed in the same space by phasing the devices in and out of the same area space-time. Unfortunately, there is a small chance [maybe 1/20] of the weapon either beciming damaged or vanishing entirely upon installation.

Type: Exotic Enhancement

Value: 300,000 or so

How to get it: Perhaps Commonwealth (after numerous missions, and you still have to buy it) or black market


Alien Hyperspace Drive

Alien device that uses the same technology as stargates.
Warps you to somewhere random in the system, but upon re-entry, you will be helpless (as if EMP'd) for a few seconds while your reactor recovers.

Type: REALLY Exotic Alien Artifact.

How to get it: You can't buy it, you have to find it, I have no clue where though. Perhaps a really big quest type multi-star system mission.
This might be a good one for the later stages of the game...


Shockwave generator

THis creates a plasma shockwave around your ship, vaporizing pretty much everything in about a one screen diameter circle. Unfortunately, it usually burns itself out in the process (about one in one-hundred you will get another use) and must be removed and discarded at a station (no money for the remains of it)

Type: Military Weapon

Price: 50,000 (because it's only one use)

How to get it: Military Weapons dealers, black market


Smart cannon MKII

AN improved smartcannon, it doubles the damage (and range) of it's predeccessor, and each round has a jammming system; point defense turrets will not target them.

Type: Weapon

Value: 15,000

How to get it: Weapons dealers, commonwealth



Penetrator Missiles

Each of these guided missiles has a sophisticated jamming system to avoid being targeted by anti-missile turrets. They also penetrate shields using a phasing technology. However, they have a small warhead, only the size of a Stiletto missile.

Value: 700-1000 each

How to get it: weapons dealers

Item Name: Battle AI ROM

Item Description: Developed by the military for use in unmanned ships, this software can allow the most inexperienced pilot to survive battle.

Effects: When installed, it allows you to activate an advanced artificial intelligence program that attacks only enemy vessels. Your ship can now take you along for the ride. When activated, the computer takes control of the vessel and fights for you. It automatically deactivates when there are no more enemies on the screen, or you can switch it off yourself. There are several strategy settings.

Item Type: ROM

Value: 5000

How to Get: Luxury stations, I think there needs to be a higher end station in the St. Katherines star system for rare items. Could also have a software dealer station of some sort, be able to upgrade your computer just like you reactor.

Item Name: Cryostasis Pods

Item Description: An old, cheap device used for travelling in-system before faster methods were developed. However, they are still occaisonally used for exceptionally long trips or for by inexperienced pilots.

Effects: Cryostasis Pods automatically engage themselves, filling the ship with icy preservation gas, when the ship runs out of fuel. After some time, a commonwealth ship notices you and tows your ship back to the nearest commonwealth station for a small fee. Only works in commonwealth space (meaning, within and before St. Katherine's Star).

Item Type: Unique

Value: 100

How to Get It: Colonies, commonwealth stations, and the occaisonal defense/device dealer

Emergency Distress Beacon

Description: This sends out a distress call on a Commonwealth frequency. Some commonwealth ships will show up (random, but not too powerful, perhaps it should depend on what system you are in, weak reinforcemeants for early game, bigger for endgame ) and help you out for a bit (two or three minutes). THe commonwealth doesn't take too kindly on you wasting their time, however. If you try this more than about every ten minutes, they will not respond.

Type: ROM (or just a frequncy if communications is implemented, more later)

Value: 700 for the ROM

Where to get it: Commonwealth stations, colonies, fortresses


IF communications is implemented: Instead of a ROM, you could just select "send distress call" The same effect, but before the commonwealth ships leave, they deduct 600-800 credits from your accounts, if you don't have the money, they MIGHT still help you, but don't count on it.

Sillly me, I got so wrapped up in editing my first idea for typos (and I STILL missed a few ) I forgot to post my other one.


Ramscoop
Description: The ramscoop collects intersteller particles and funnels them into the drives for conversion into fuel. While initially this required a huge, physical scoop to collect all the required fuel, Commonwealth sceintists have developed a field to draw in particles over the required distance. Effectivley cuts fuel comsumption in half.
Type: device
Cost: 20,000
How to get it: Commonwealth anything, sometimes loot or traders

Cool idea!

Perhaps you only get extra fuel when the ship is moving (would that cause people to always keep moving?)

In any case, I like the idea (and it wouldn't be too hard to implement).

That you again, George?

Item Name: Hand Scanner

Description: This item was developed by the salvager nomads to identify what was useful and what wasn't on wrecked ships.

Effects: When used, it identifies ROMS and Barrels, and determines the effects of weapons, devices, and armor in your cargo bay.

Type: Device

Value: 50,000

How to get: Salvager Nomad encounters, nomad shipwrecks, high end stations.

The Mizari Nanocog

Description: A peculiar cone of tungsten alloy, covered in strange holographic symbols. Sixty years ago, on the jungle world of Mizari Prime, traces of an ancient space faring civilization was discovered. The Mizaris, apparently a race evolved from gliding, tree canopy-dwelling mammalians, seemed to have vanished completely and extended their empire only slightly beyond the modest quintet of systems that made up their stellar neighborhood. Whatever happened to them is a mystery that baffles scholars the galaxy over, but one thing is certain: their technology far surpassed that of the Commonwealth. They seem to have left their home, or the space-time continuum completely, in an highly organized, rapid fashion, and left little in the way of remnants to be studied other than their cascading, organic temples and fortresses.


Effects: The Mizari Nanocog is an object of immense power. When activated it releases an ocean of rapidly evolving, networked nanites that spread into space and attack an enemy in a variety of ways. No shields can resist the nanites, they corrode armor, and wreak havoc on any ship's devices. Weapons are dislocated and engines severed. The only defense is if a ship has a nanite defense system of its own, otherwise the ship's fate is at the whim of the Nanocog's commander. The nanites may only be released on one ship at a time, and if they are not summoned back from battle, it takes a long time for the Nanocog to regenerate. Once the Nanocog has executed it's order(s) on one craft it will jump to the next enemy.

Type: Artifact

Value: Priceless \ 1,000,000

How to get it: Major quest. Sacrificing to an altar ()


Caltrips


Description: Law enforcement spreads walls of these tiny EMP mines around criminal hideouts and pirate warrens.

Effects: One use sprays a wide cloud of caltrips that, when collided into, damage shields and disturb engine operations. They can be used as traps or as a going away present for any unwanted company.

Type: Mine \ Missile

Value: 700 for a kiloclip.

How to get it: Public issue hardware, get it all over the place.


Long Range Ballistic Missile

Description: In the Terran Coalition - Aurelian War these missiles were in wide use, so wide that plenty of them show up in long forgotten caches and find their way into the black market. LRBM's can eliminate small targets and shock enemies from nearly a light year away. The standard warhead was a twenty-KT nuclear warhead, though different payloads were not uncommon.

Effects: A ship with a heavy missile system may target an area by radar with an LRBM. The missile can hit any target in system with a modicum of success. The larger the target the higher the hit rate. The ideal way to use these missiles is in great numbers, targetting a base target from a distance and hoping the missile's tracking system does some collateral damage. The missiles move very quickly at the cost of accuracy, but gaining in stealth.

Type: Missile

Value: 1,500

How to get it: Black markets, Salvagers, and shady traders.

So far we have ideas for ~17 new items, and a duplicate. Hehe, please do a cursory check before taking the time to make a suggestion.

Keep them coming, it's fun.

If we get more items I will organize the list by item type, do some cursory edits, etc. and post it here. This will make it easier to check on what has actually been done, that way we won't get every new user coming in and going "WHAT ABOUT MOEBIUS BAYS AND CLOAKING DEVICES?!?"

Try to be somewhat detailed in your descriptions unless you don't mind it being filled in by someone else.

Item Name: Weapons Turret

Item Description: Designed by the Commonwealth military, turrets are primarily implemented in Capital ships and late-model gunships to allow the mounted weapon to track the target.

Effects: Very simply, it makes ANY weapon track. This would occupy one device slot and is installed empty (ie without a weapon mounted). If the turret is currently empty, the next weapon you install will be mounted on the turret.

Item Type: Installable device (military)

Value: 50,000? It could eventually be used with VERY powerful weapons, making for insane power.

How to get it: Possibly gotten as a reward for completing an appropriately-difficult militia mission. Probably should make it that the mission can only be completed once, or you only get the turret the first time you complete it.... High-level Commonwealth stations also, maybe the Fortresses if a shop is ever put into it.

Item Name: Dark Energy generator

Item Description: A product of Tinker ingenuity, this generator supplement a deflector shield. When activated, dark energy is generated in an expanding bubble that protects from any weapon. Additionally, any ship caught in its path will suffer damage to its armor, regardless of any installed shield. This bubble collapses upon reaching a hundred yards diameter before being regenerated anew. However, the power requirements of this device require a Gigawat reactor to even function, and even then to the impairment of the shield generator.

Effects: It's the defense mechanism of the Penitent stations, on a ship. Requires a Gigawat reactor and an existing shield generator to be installed. Shields with low regeneration are simply negated when this device is enabled. Average regeneration becomes no regeneration, so that the existing shield hp's remain, but aren't regenerated (ie, functions like armor). High regeneration is like average, but is able to charge back at the low rate to 1/3 its max rating. You should be able to enable and disable the device by using it, so that you can dock with stations and otherwise get close to friendlies.

Item Type: Installed device

Value: Priceless

How to get it: Tinker quest, activated by doing a custom job on 5 Gems of Contrition. They can't do anything with the gems, but the Tinker would ask you to show her the place you got it from. You escort her to the Penitent Shrine/Sanctum and back, you get the generator on completion. Since you'd need Penitents and Tinkers in the same system, should be pretty rare.

What do you guys think?

EDIT: Just fixed a typo

If you are referring to the Wormhole mine and my shockwave generator, sorry about that, I didn't notice the similarity at the time.


XM150 Recon missile
The Recon missile is used by Commonwealth military to scout out enemy bases and their defenses without risking human life. It has a camera and sensor arary mounted on it instead of a warhead.
When launched, the operator may view things from the missile's perspective. THe missile has a moderate range (probably about four or five screen lengths). XM 150 missiles fit standard NAMI launchers
Type: missile
Price: 700
How to get it: Anywhere other types of missiles would be sold.

Item Name: Trieres Ram

Item Description: The Trieres Ram was developed by the Marauders and is their favored way of hulling capital ships and stations with swarms of small fast ships. Hulling stations causes massive loss of life, making this device illegal througout Commonwealth space.

First used effectively by the Greeks in ancient naval battles, ramming an enemy ship is a tactic that has been revived when shield and particle beam weapons technology have been blended to create a barrier that allows a small fast ship survive a kamikaze attack on a larger ship.

The increased power demands of turning defensive shields into an offensive weapon causes the shield to be drained while the ram is being used.

Effects: Creates a hemispherical barrier of ion particles directly in front of the ships bow when it is "fired". The barrier lasts as long as the trigger is held down and the shields still have charge. It causes particle beam damage when you ram another ship/station.

Shields are depleted at a constant rate while the weapon is in use.
Basically a spread weapon with a high fire rate where the beam only lasts a short distance before disappearing. Obviously damage dealt and fuel used have to be tweaked also have to add shields getting damaged.)


Item Type: Illegal Weapon. Requires shields, 100MW generator.
Value: $7500
How to get it: Marauder strongholds/raid platforms. Black Market sometimes. Them little ships that the marauders use, rare undamaged, common damaged

edit: removed the xml code stuff