One of the unique mechanics in sunless skies is heat. I like the way it currently is, but I’d love it to interact with the environment. It would make sense that the clockwork sun gives off heat, and it could be interesting if approaching the clockwork sun made your heat rise to potentially dangerous levels.
Another idea, if turning off the head light will be a thing, is that having your spotlight on makes heat decrease slower. Turning it off would make combat harder but give an advantage to people who are good at aiming and make combat more interesting.
What do you all think? edited by Ludovide on 4/4/2018
The insane amounts of Terror gain on approach to the Dock at the Clockwork Sun is not enough for you huh Ludovide? What a glutton for punishment you are. ;)
Heat gain for things other than firing your weapons is actually on the cards, though I can reveal no details just at the moment. Heat gain for approaching the Sun makes sense, I shall certainly raise the feedback with the team, though no promises. I’m not sure we’re cruel enough to apply Heat and Terror on approach to that port.
Heat gain isn’t a good idea, imo. It has some messy potential. Instead i’d like to see damage.
Given that it’s canonical that the light of the clockwork star turns things to glass - clearly evident on the buildings and homesteads surrounding it, i propose making it have a similar effect on ships.
Being in the sun’s light radius (as denoted by the area of glassed buildings) and being directly exposed (ie, not in the shadow of a structure) should slowly deal hull damage to you. About one point every 30 seconds or so.
Possibly cap this so it doesn’t kill you, just eventually reduces hull to 1 at the most
I think the terror gain is enough. Damage would be ridiculously punishing–it would change the risk-reward calculation significantly enough to be a pretty major deterrent to actually going there.
Heat would either make no difference or be deadly (if an enemy’s tailing you) with not much in between, which isn’t great gameplay. (It also means you wouldn’t be able to strafe near the sun, which makes getting into port just slightly more fiddly and annoying.)