Challenge games

It might be interesting to give repair drones and the repair beam the option to decrease repair cost via upgrades. It would be one of the few upgrades that isn't a direct combat stat. This might be a nice way to improve the repair items without making them op.

Not sure I like this one. There is very little limiting scrap right now - I get excessive amounts, even if I eventually build a fleet out of the most expensive ships on the list. Making it even easier to save up tons of scrap doesn't seem to add anything except possibly a lowered difficulty in the early stages, when you're still scrambling to equip one ship . . . . . and then, only if you have drones or a repair beam.

Yeah, I get that. I guess I was kinda assuming it was accompanied by a rebalance of repair costs. Although the more I think about it, an upgrade like that isn't really fun, it just trades early game effectiveness for better midgame income. meh.

Lurkily the extra scrap you have at the end of the game goes towards your experience points, so it's pretty useful to have tons of excess in my opinion. Especially if you used a lot of turns, it balances the experience lost for all the turns you used during the game.

Good point, Hood - I guess that one is down to the devs as to whether they want to provide options to speed up EXP advancement, in a way that is tangled up with mid-late game repair costs and fleet development.

Back onto the original subject . . . just completed another game in which I only permitted upgrades to weapons I found in asteroids or in battle. (This severely limits the use of fighters - you can make custom rules for those circumstances, for instance, you can recycle a flak cannon in order to build a new hangar you can permit yourself to upgrade.)

Earlier this week, I completed a no-guns game, in which I used only fighters. My next challenge will be a small arms only game, where I mount no large offensive weaponry. I expect lots of warping in and out in order to try and corner missile and rocket ships. I also can't use a lot of the heavier vessels in a fight like that, as they're just too slow and chunky.

I really like the idea of challenge games @Lurkily. I've played a few since I first read your original post. Some versions I've tried:

Nightingale or Less
*Premise - you start with the Nightingale and can only purchase the reinforcements you originally had at your disposal.
*Reaction - meh. A challenge but not my favorite.
*Result - still unbeaten (on hard).

Human weapons are (not) best
*Premise - use any ship you like, but you may only use human (purchased) weapons.
*Reaction - Wow this one is hard. Lots and lots of fun.
*Result - still unbeaten (on hard).

Guns only
*Premise - no fighters. Period. You can still buy carriers (eg Liberator), you just can't use any fighters.
*Reaction - Lots and lots of fun. Early missions are tense. Becomes less of a factor once you get Death Rays.
*Result - still unbeaten (on hard).


Qualifiers - I only play on hard, and am referring to the extended edition.