Space Rangers HD: A War Apart Suggestion Thread

[Puce Moose]

I noticed this in the official FAQ for the upcoming Space Rangers HD game:

Q: Can we at least suggest few ideas for gameplay?
A: Of couse you can, but please note that we’re limited in matters of money and time, thus we will be unable to make everything you will request.

Since we know more about the scope of Space Rangers HD now (and know that it's not Space Rangers 3), it seemed like a good idea to have a new thread to keep suggestions now that we know that there aren't going to be any massive changes.

Remember, they state in the FAQ that there are *no plans* to add co-op or multiplayer of any kind. (To me, this is a positive thing, as it frees them up to focus more on new quests, story, equipment, etc., and not have to tinker with network code! So few quality single-player-only games get released any more that I think it's great to see they're focused on providing quality solo gaming!)

Here's a list of mine that I hope are feasible (in approximate order of declining feasibility)

1) Asteroid Expansion
I love the inclusion of sometimes getting paid/belittled for shooting asteroids. How about small other possibilities upon shooting an asteroid?
a) A small Dominator concealed within an asteroid; shooting it releases the dominator, and the player has a small fight on his or her hands.
b) More valuable minerals; the chance for gold/silver/etc. ore being released, which would sell for a lot more than standard minerals. These ores wouldn't need to appear on the trade screen (for simplicity's sake) - they could just be inventory items that could be sold (like quest items, etc.)
c) An asteroid might explode violently, dealing damage similar to a quark bomb. This would make the player think twice about shooting one very close to the ship, while adding some strategic possibilities to combat.

2) UI Reskin
I hope the opportunity exists to reskin the UI a bit; I've stared at that blue so often I'd love to see a more muted option. How about a nice muted black & grey skin? (You can click to see the full-size version; it's just a quick mock-up, so it's not been polished.) Allowing modification of the UI would be a nice thing, as I'm sure different color/brightness levels would appeal to different people.



3) More cohesion to the "space game" in the RTS/text adventures.
How about the possibility to discover artifacts/money/micromodules during some of the adventures? Perhaps a chance to buy one from a shady dealer in a text adventure. In the RTS battles, there might be some research outposts that, when captured in the game (for the first time that battle), yield a new micromodule/artifact/etc.

4) Orbital Defense Turrets
I'd love to be able to purchase (probably expensive) floating defense platforms to help deal with Dominator invasions. One per system could be installed, and they might take a while to complete (and be vulnerable during construction, and a priority target for Dominators). Once finished, they would be powerful anti-invasion platforms with high HP and powerful weapons.

5) More uniqueness between systems
Unique/Rare planet types/system events, to make exploring each system more rewarding. Perhaps derelict ships to find, unique cosmic entities (twin stars, planets that start an associated RTS battle/text adventure without being tied to any mission. "You see some previously uncharted ruins! Would you like to explore? ->Starts text adventure." The Dominators have invaded this planet! Would you like to try and eradicate them? ->Starts RTS battle.

6) Space Monsters!

I'd love to see some strange stellar species floating around out there that might try and attack other ships. Giant space worms, space amoeba, etc., that might show up and try to eat the dominators or start snacking on civilian ships/orbital installations. Kill one and you might find a powerful module/artifact/etc.

I have more ideas, but I thought I'd try to open with some of the more (hopefully) feasible ones. Please share yours!