I really haven't put that much thought on the game's story. All I have is that the game is set in a planet having most of its surface covered in water (or maybe completely covered in water). Should this be earth with its ice caps completely melted? A planet in another solar system?

I'm more leaned towards a planet in another system which is being fight over control, with 2 or possibly more factions battling for its dominance; maybe like dune novel...

Anyway, I still need a reason to why there is so much interest towards such water planet. Resources?

Though the game is focused in battles, I'm also thinking having a base like management system. Where you need to ration credits for base development and submarine construction. The base development could be the key to let the player access better technology to manufacture better subs and equipment...

I'm completely open to suggestions!

Have you heard of Europa?

It is a moon with an ice covered frozen sea orbiting Jupiter.

I like the idea. Like an inverted dyson sphere. Just dump enough water over a a strong enough gravity field (planet or large asteroid) and you have yourself a habitat

Yeah. I'm into astronomy also. I've skipped europa because I need a planet / place with a surface made of liquid water. There are plans for surface ships :D

The symbols are almost complete. I just need to rework some details before they can be included and properly coded into the game. After this is done, I will post a screenshot of the shipyard construction feature, where the player builds his own submarines.

Just take into consideration that I'm not putting that much effort into graphics. I focusing into game play, so don't expect much.

A couple of thoughts....

"Pure" light energy (laser) based weapons and defenses make little sense in an underwater environment. Since you are striving for a "reasonability" factor for your future setting, you can't ignore the physics.

If necessary, I will offer a discourse on why.

Sonic weapons have great possibilities.

What was not mentioned I don't think - is magnetics....

Think Interdictor cruiser from Star Wars. Electrical charges can modify the electromagnetic field of things. Perhaps if you turn your submarine into a giant magnet and disrupt your enemies navigation - maybe "helping" him steer into a seamount or underwater surprise you may have left him? Basically its taking Magnetic Anomoly Detection in the direction of a weapon. Maybe the world they are on is high in magnetic metals - so using such a weapon might not only harm your enemy - but maybe you (by being bombarded by attracted "rocks")?

The idea of Sonics works - but removes stealth. Other kinds of waves are more "directional" - microwaves (not microwave lasers) were mentioned and offer a lot of potential. Various other radiational waves would work - and various "defenses" created without too much stretching of the imagination.

Another option - superheated plasma. Ejected at speed it would kind of operate by "tunneling" its own way to the target - very much like a "laser shot" in space would appear. Probably massive damage but perhaps make it come from overall energy - a "shot" of "fuel" that cannot be recovered until the mission is done? Make it a serious tradeoff.... It could even have a end life explosion - when water finally overcomes the heat.

I really like the EMP burst idea as well.

Defenses could be physical - such as the "ice shields" to destroy incoming torps and "build in" shielding for EMP. EMP could also be dealt with by creating a "grounding harpoon" that could bleed off a charge so
Semi-electrical - such as EM fields could jam guidance on incoming weapons. They could disrupt or negate radiation type attacks.

Different planet idea is intriging, but how about sticking to Earth. There are plenty of scenarios to use. Attack missle launch subs. Sneak attack for surface ships. Harbor raiding. Even the possibility of attacking underwater bases.

A very nice set of ideas.

Well, personally I wasn't that much happy with lasers. But I guess short-range-high-powered lasers could work since subs will be able to produce absurd amounts of energy.

My problem is the following. I need 2 types of weapons, energy weapons and conventional torpedoes respectively. Then I need one or more types energy shields to protect the sub against these two types of damage. I want battles to be long and strategic so I need non-physical protections to make the whole thing more interesting.

Against convetional torpedoes I can add an EMP shield and a magnetic type of shield. But for energy weapons like plasma, I'm not really sure.

I also have these two types of damage:
- Impact
- Piercing
- Corrosion
- Fracture

- Impact is basically for everything that explodes and creates a shock wave.
- Piercing is for weapons that have concentrated fire power with small damage area.
- Corrosion type of damage is to be used against a special type of torpedo designed mainly towards large targets. When these detonate they form a cloud of chemicals / acids that eat away the subs armor / hull. Most effective if the target is stationary or moving slowly.
- Fracture a type of damage made by sonic waves? Damage done by heating and cooling metal too quickly? Plasma damage? Maybe I could discard this and add EM damage instead?

Help! Suggestions please! :D

Those options are prone to happen anywhere and not only on Earth. I just need a story and a place to unfold battles. I'm fully open to suggestions.

Ok, calm down people. Here are the shipyard screenies I promised showing how creating a sub feels like.
Pay no attention to the background and please understand I'm focusing in game play and not eye candy.

Most of what you will see is temporarily and it's due to change. The output grid as yet to be coded so the player can foresee the sub's efficiency based on his current setup.

http://tanwiqlk.livedrive.com/item/8...b707208f966db8
http://tanwiqlk.livedrive.com/item/c...8f8c35c194a7a7
http://tanwiqlk.livedrive.com/item/9...b850e13924ef46


The sub creation is so flexible that I will have too spend a long period of time trying to balance everything out.

That bad huh? :'(