** Submarines**
Please bear with me with the large amount of text. Submarines are so different than normal ships that I have to go into detail on how they work.
-Submarine Class-
Sizes: Light, Medium, Large
Armor: Light
HP: Low
Shields: None
Armaments: Various Torpedoes and Missiles
Proportion: Standard ship proportion, Sub-space
They are the assassins/spies of space. Silently hunting down their targets with ruthless precision. They bring uncertainty to the battlefield, striking at the enemy when they least expected.
Class Ability: Subspace Dive
While it seems odd that submarines would be used in space warfare where they do not have the sea to help protect and hide them. Instead they dive into a subspace bubble that not only allows them to hide but increases their speed as well. Submarines silently traverse the battlefield in subspace, lurking, looking for an opportunity to strike!
-Subspace Dive Vs. Cloaking-
Unlike cloaking, if normal weapons such as cannon, laser, missiles, and even some special weapons like nukes hit the subspace field. They will pass harmlessly from one side to the other side of the sub. It does reveal that there is a sub in that area but it does not knock the sub out of subspace. Only torpedoes, depth charges, and other anti-sub weapons can penetrate the subspace field to damage or destroy a submarine.
-Spacial Sonar vs. Radar Scanner-
Spacial Sonar is used by submarines while some form of radar scanner is used by ships. The sub sends out a spacial ping while in Subspace Dive in order to navigate and detect enemy vessels. The area appears in black, white, and grey when the sub is in subspace. The pings sent out updates the sub as to its surroundings as well vessels moving in air/space/gas.
The downside to using Spacial Sonar and even ship radar is that it reveals the sub/ship position that sent out the ping to other subs and ships that can detect subs or use radar to pick up the pings. To quiet the sub and stop it from pinging the player commands the ship to Silent Run. This makes submarines extremely hard to detect unless your close to them or on top them. Depends on if they are still moving, if they are next to terrain that obscures their spacial warp signature, or/and have come to a complete stop.
For Exple: Large subs have the best Spacial Sonar Range but are the easiest to detect because of their large size and their ping is the loudest of the 3 sub main types. While the light sub has the shortest range but it the most silent. As well the ping for light subs goes off more often compared to its medium and large brethren.
-Ship Commands and how they effect subspace-
Increasing sub speed and increase weapon dmg while in subspace makes the submarine more noticeable. Increasing speed command makes the subspace bubble so noticeable that its even more clearly seen than a ship that is cloaked. As to increasing weapons power command makes the sub as visible as a ship while cloaked.
-Subspace Dive stats info-
Dive length:
-Light: 3-5 minutes
-Medium: 2 ½-3 1/2 minutes
-Large: 1-2 ½ minutes
Dive in/out delay:
-Light: 1.5 secs
-Medium: 2 secs
-Large 3 secs
Dive cooldown:
(starts after sub exits or is knocked out of subspace)
-Light: 9 secs
-Medium: 12 secs
-Large: 15 secs
Ship Command: Shields replaced with Silent Running
Submarines lack shields and used a Silent Running mode to quiet the ship and make it nearly undetectable to enemy subs/vessels. Subs are not meant to attack ships in brawling fights. Instead they rely on their subspace bubble to hide, protect, and propel themselves. But event subspace fields can be detected by enemy subs, sub hunters like light destroyers. So to remain undetected, they use Silent Running command. Its especially effective if the sub is at a complete stop or/and next to terrain to throw off their pursuers.
-Silent Running Length-
Light: 1 ½ minutes
Medium: 1 minute
Large: 30 secs
Submarines Abilities and weapons
to attack, majority of submarines abilities can only work when sub is not in subspace. This makes the subs vulnerable for a time. They can not take much damage in comparison to ships in similar size. So sub players have to pick the right moment and position to attack. Or else become exposed and destroyed or severely damage as a result.
They have no lasers or even turrets(normally) to attack or defend. So they rely heavily on their subspace advantage to protect/hide as well their attack abilities. And unlike other ship classes, they can increase or decrease the amount of torpedoes, missiles, and other weapons.
Less weapons allow the sub to stay in subspace longer and reduces cooldown/delay time. However their attacks can become very limited.
More weapons give more attack options and allows the sub to attack with more volleys of torpedoes and missiles. But decreases time in subspace and increase delay/cooldown and the sub is easier to detect.
While different types of weapons affect the subs subspace performance/detection differently and varies.
-Submarine Abilities: Torpedoes-
o. Standard Torpedoes
These torpedoes do reasonable damage vs ships destroyer size or larger and can severely damage a ship if hit in the weakest parts or used in large quantities. Subs as well as Corvette/Frigate class ships can be severely damage or destroyed by these torpedoes.
o. Large Torpedoes
These torpedoes are design specifically to attack large ship classes like cruisers, dreadnoughts, and carries. Does large amount to severe damage to these ships while destroyers and smaller vessels are lucky to survive.
o. Behemoth Torpedoes
like their name suggests, these torpedoes are the largest torpedoes a sub can carry. Cruisers, carriers, and even the mighty dreadnoughts shudder in fear when they see even one of these torpedoes coming at them. When a large ship is strucked, it will take severe, very severe, or even can be destroyed in one shot depending on ship hp and were it was strucked. These torpedoes are so large that they are nearly corvette in size so they are very noticeable. As well they are dumbfire while the others are lockons so subs must take careful aim to damage or take out a ship.
o. Subspace Torpedoes
Though small in size, these are the only torpedoes that can be used while the sub is in subspace. These torpedoes travel silently, unseen in subspace. They do less damage than the standard torpedoes but their surprise advantage make it about equal or more effective. Only light subs can carry these.
-Submarine Abilities: Missiles and Rockets-
o. Ballistic Missiles
Fires a barrage of missiles, similar to the dreadnought version. However unlike the dreadnought version, subs can rearm and have more volleys possible depending on sub size and how many missile tubes are equipped.
o. Cluster Rockets
Submarine fires rockets in the direction of the enemy. Splitting into 4 rockets increasing the area of effect. Some of the fastest self proportion projectiles in the game. Only medium submarines can equip this ability.
o. Inter-Planetary Ballistic Missile
the missile is large, longest range, and faster than normal ballistic missiles. Does great amount of damage if hits ship, though not as much as Ballistic Missiles can do if nearly or all hit a ship.
o. Gas Cloud Screen
Sub fires multiple rockets that explode after player releases finger off the ability or a few secs if already released. When activated, the rockets release a cloud of gas that obscures the area to make the sub and allies harder to target/hit.
o. Nuclear Missile
Uses the same type of missiles available to dreadnoughts and cruisers. However submarines can carry more and rearm faster than other ship classes. However there is a alert that goes out warning of the nuclear strike and the missile itself is very noticeable. Used to break of ship formations and of coarse destroy ships that foolishly do not get out of the area targeted.
o. Anti-Matter Nuclear Missile
Same type of effect as the normal Nuke Missile. But 4 times larger and damage. Obliterates all who are caught in it. Lucky are those who get hit in its outer area of the blast and live. When used a warning goes out as well the missile looks like a star streaking across the area. A clear warning for those ships that see it and know its coming at or near them. Only large submarines can carry it. And only one at a time do to New Geneva Convention agreement when it comes to super-weapons such as this one.
-Other Submarine Abilities-
o. Emergency Dive
Allows the sub to enter subspace but at a cost to the length of time it can stay in subspace. Delay still applies.
o. Hidden Turrets
Allows sub to deploy/hide turrets that are equipped inside the sub compartments. They act like normal turrets but take up missile/rocket slots. Used to surprise the enemy and attack light vessels like frigates, corvettes, and fighters.
o. Sonar pulse
Sends out a large sonar pulse that not only detects enemy ships, but increases damage done to them by 10%-30%. However, this exposes the subs location and disrupts the subspace bubble to be even more visible than a ship cloaking for x amount of secs. Distortion stay longer depending on ship size and how many weapons and/or weapon types equipped.
o. Subspace drone
Sub sends out a drone while in subspace. The drone can scout around for targets while in subspace. Unlike carriers, drone scout is not req to come back to the submarine it came from. It just means a longer cooldown. Scout is slower than the carrier variant and like sub sends out spacial sonar waves to detect ships.
Again sorry for the long post. Its a lot to take in but I hope it helps to explain the class better. I will make a separate, more detail, and even longer thread in the Hanger forum. Including what ships and abilities can/could counter the submarine class.
If you have ideas for subs or to counter them please comment! :)
