[DEVBLOG#183] So I hear you like Warcaskets (Patreon)

Hey folks, welcome to a new development blog.

I heard you lot like warcaskets, in fact I heard people saying it's one of the more clever things we came up with - I mean essentially a super power armor that you weld around the user? What not to like.

Except the current selection only covers industrial era. I was under the impression that Warcaskets are precursor to power armor - similar armor stats but bigger commitment, however available earlier in the game.

One of the more popular requests has been to add some spacer-era warcaskets, something superior, something end-game, whilst still keeping the unique drawbacks of warcaskets. With that in mind, I sat down and started drafting up new ideas for armors, as well as weapons - and not just Spacer tech weapons, but also industrial tech weapons that only become available if other Vanilla Expanded mods are present - you know, to promote getting other mods! And also because a laser minigun would look weird without the laser mod installed.

How about we all buckle up and go on a quick adventure to see what's coming next in Vanilla Factions Expanded - Pirates?

SPACER TECH WARCASKET

All Spacer tech warcasket suits have a built-in ranged shield belt. They have the highest armor in the game, whilst also providing full toxic and heat protection. They’re sealed, and as such allow the user to withstand extreme heat and extreme cold. They no longer slows the user down. They do require advanced components and plasteel to manufacture though.

Siegebreaker Warcasket

A spacer-tech warcasket armor greatly relying on the built-in shield. Instead of the regular 150 HP, Siegebreaker Armor provides the user with 250 HP shield, whilst the Shoulders have built in capacitors that increase the speed at which the warcasket recharges the shield.

Guardian Warcasket

A spacer-tech warcasket armor that on top of generating a personal built-in shield, has an activatable ability that generates an impenetrable, indestructible shield around themselves in the radius of 5. Bullets cannot penetrate the shield, and the shield follows the character. This only lasts 10 seconds after which the ability goes on a 90 second cooldown. Guardian shoulders add a unique ability - as they are essentially giant shields on both sides of the warcasket. Any shot that would hit the warcasket has a 25% chance to be deflected completely.

Controller Warcasket

A spacer-tech warcasket oriented around releasing small combat drones in order to aid in battle. These drones don’t survive for too long, but are guaranteed to cause a moderate amount of damage. The armor itself allows the user to cast an ability called Drone Deployment, which sends out 3 draftable tiny combat drones that explode upon death. They only survive for 60 seconds after which they get destroyed anyway. This ability is reloaded using an advanced component.

The shoulders allow the user to cast a new ability called Deploy a Spider mine. This ability targets the ground and then shoots out a projectile towards the spot. Projectile then turns into a spider mine which runs towards the nearest enemy and detonates. If there is no enemy in the radius of 30, it just detonates on the spot.

The Controller helmet allows the warcasket to summon additional 1 tiny combat drone, but only if Controller armor is also present.

Sarcophagus Warcasket

A spacer-tech warcasket designed to keep the user alive no matter the previous injuries. Unlike other warcaskets, this one stops the bleeding out completely, whilst also locking all the stats of the user at 100% no matter what bionics they had or what bodyparts they’re missing. Each body part provides 100% for the respective parts - for example, a helmet will provide 100% to sight, hearing and speech, whilst torso will provide 100% to movement etc.

Brute Warcasket

Warcasket with nearly impenetrable shield (lots of health), but very slow recharge. It doesn’t allow the user to use ranged weaponry. A new ability on Brute helmet allows the user to detonate the remaining Shield HP, killing everything in radius.

WARCASKET ABILITIES

Certain warcaskets unlock new abilities, they are outlined below:

Deploy Low-shield

Extend the range of the personal overshield, generating a circular shield that allows bullets out but not in. The unit is designed to last only a short time before burning out and needing a long recharge time.

Create a big shield bubble around the user, with a radius of 5. The shield is absolutely impenetrable and nothing can go in, but bullets can still fly out. The shield follows the pawn that cast it, allowing the pawn to serve as a mobile shield generator.

The shield only lasts 10 seconds, after which the ability goes on cooldown for 90 seconds.

Deploy Wardrones

Deploy small, combat-ready drones from the docking port in the back. These drones can be controlled to provide firing support, but will self-detonate after 60 seconds.

Reloadable ability. This ability immediately spawns 3 player-controlled, draftable ‘floating turrets’ that the player can control and tell them what to attack and where to move.

These drones should have a counter present on their inspect tab, which tells the player how many seconds are left before the drones detonate. They detonate after 60 seconds in a radius of 1.9.

It’s important to know: If Controller HELMET is also present, the number of drones is increased to 4.

After using the ability, it needs to be reloaded using 1 advanced component.

It should play the unique sound called DeployWardrones when cast.

Deploy Spidermine

Fire a long range spidermine that will automatically run towards the nearest enemy, detonating as soon as it reaches them.

Reloadable ability. Fires a projectile that looks like a Spidermine. Upon landing, projectile actually turns into the Spidermine ‘mechanoid’ which runs towards the nearest enemy in range very quickly and then detonates like an anti-grain IED.

After casting the ability, it requires 1 advanced component to reload.

If spidermine doesn’t find any enemy, it automatically detonates after a few seconds.

If spidermine is destroyed when running towards enemy, it explodes the same way as if it reached the enemy.

Should just make a normal, vanilla launcher sound when it fires a spidermine.

Shield Detonation

Overload the personal shield to create a blast of kinetic energy around the warcasket, damaging everything in radius that gets bigger the more energy it detonates.

An ability which creates a detonation around the warcasket, turning remaining shield HP into the blast force.

Radius of the detonation is dictated by the HP of the shield that’s remaining, using the following formula:

Radius of the detonation = Remaining shield HP / 50

Damage of the detonation is also dictated by the HP of the shield that’s remaining, using the following formula:

Damage of the detonation = Remaining shield HP / 20

Example: Brute warcasket with 750 HP shield will cause a 15 tile detonation with 37.5 damage.

Using this ability lowers the shield HP to 0.

WARCASKET WEAPONS

These weapons below can only be equipped by Warcaskets. These aren't all of them - I expect around 5 more weapons than what this list shows.

WARCASKET CHARGE LANCE

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Market value: 2250Crafted on: ConstructedResources required: 100 Plasteel, 4 Advanced ComponentsResearch Required: Spacer Warcasket weaponsWork required: 75,000Skill required: 9 CraftingDamage: 50 (Bullet)Range: 39.9Armor penetration: 100%Accuracy: 65% - 85% - 90% - 85%Burst count: 3Burst ticks: 6Warmup: 1.7Cooldown: 2.7Stopping power: 2

Sound: Same as Charge lance

A powerful charge lance weapon with insane range and three barrels shooting in short successions.

WARCASKET HANDHELD CANNON

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Market value: 1350Crafted on: ConstructedResources required: 220 SteelWork required: 45,000Skill required: 7 CraftingDamage: Normal Explosion, 2.9 radiusRange: 50.9Armor penetration: 22.50%Forced Miss radius: 3.9Burst count: 1Burst ticks: N/AWarmup: 2.2sCooldown: 5.3sStopping power: 0.5

Sound: Same as cannon firing.

Essentially a cannon, except a gun, that takes no ammo and can fire over walls. Dreadful accuracy.

WARCASKET CHARGE BLASTER

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Market value: 2200Crafted on: ConstructedResources required: 180 Plasteel, 10 Advanced ComponentsResearch Required: Spacer Warcasket weaponsWork required: 90,000Skill required: 9 CraftingDamage: 8 (Exploding in 1.9 radius)Range: 31.9Armor penetration: 25%Accuracy: 20% - 30% - 30% - 18%Burst count: 24Burst ticks: 4Warmup: 2.8Cooldown: 3.2Stopping power: 1.0

Sound: Same as charge blaster.

A very powerful charge minigun that fires long bursts of explosive projectiles.

WARCASKET ARC WELDER

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Market value: TBDCrafted on: ConstructedResources required: TBDWork required: TBDSkill required: 9 CraftingDamage: TBDRange: TBDArmor penetration: TBDAccuracy: TBD% - TBD% - TBD% - TBD%Burst count: TBDBurst ticks: TBDWarmup: TBDCooldown: TBDStopping power: TBD

Sound: TBD

A powerful, but short range, arc welder which zaps a target with an insane amount of electricity. It zaps between nearby enemies damaging everyone.

WARCASKET TEAR GAS GRENADE LAUNCHER

Only present if Non-lethal mod is present.

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Market value: 1650Crafted on: ConstructedResources required: 150 Steel, 3 Component, 100 NeutroamineResearch required: VWE_NonLethalWork required: 45,000Skill required: 9 CraftingProjectile: VWENL_Projectile_TearGasGrenadeRange: 29.9Armor penetration: N/AForced Miss radius: 3.9Burst count: 2Burst ticks: 12Warmup: 3.5sCooldown: 4.0sStopping power: N/A

Sound: VWENL_Shot_GrenadeLauncher

A grenade launcher firing two canisters of tear gas. In a way, similar to the already existing Warcasket Grenade Launcher.

WARCASKET LASER BOLTER

Only present if Laser mod is present.

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Market value: 3200Crafted on: ConstructedResources required: 75 Steel, 100 Plasteel, 8 Advanced ComponentsResearch required: Spacer Warcasket weapons, VWE_UltratechLaserWeaponsWork required: 100,000Skill required: 12 CraftingDamage: 12 (Bullet) + Sets target on fireRange: 24.9Armor penetration: 60%Accuracy: 70% - 83% - 86% - 72%Burst count: 1Burst ticks: N/AWarmup: 2.6sCooldown: 0.6sStopping power: 1.5

Sound: VWE_LaserShot_RifleSound Interact: VWE_Interact_LaserGun

A powerful laser revolver firing a single beam, similar to the laser rifle, that sets enemies on fire whilst also dealing high damage. It utilises warmup mechanic, thus firing faster and faster.

WARCASKET RAILGUN

Only present if Coilguns mod is present.

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Market value: 3200Crafted on: ConstructedResources required: 180 Steel, 80 Uranium, 8 Advanced ComponentsResearch required: Spacer Warcasket weapons, VWE_MassDriversWork required: 110,000Skill required: 9 CraftingDamage: 50Range: 59.9Armor penetration: 70%Accuracy: 40% - 65% - 86% - 88%Burst count: 3Burst ticks: 12Warmup: 5.8Cooldown: 2.4Stopping power: 2.0

Sound: VWE_Shot_GaussLance

A very powerful weapon firing bursts of three railgun shots at extreme range, penetrating anything in their path.

Copy and tweak the projectile from Gauss Lance :)

WARCASKET CRYPTO CANNON

Only present if Vikings mod is present.

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Market value: 3600Crafted on: ConstructedResources required: 140 Steel, 80 Plasteel, 9 Advanced ComponentsResearch required: Spacer Warcasket weaponsWork required: 100,000Skill required: 10 CraftingDamage: 6Range: 9.9Armor penetration: 15%Accuracy: 65% - 72% - 84% - 70%Burst count: 1Burst ticks: N/AWarmup: 2.2Cooldown: 3.0Stopping power: 1.5

Sound: Same as heavy flamer

A powerful expandable projectile weapon that fires a cone of freezing particles, applying Hypothermic slowdown to anyone in the path, covering the area in snow and adding between 5 and 25% hypothermia.

Hypothermic slowdown should be a new hediff that reduces manipulation stat. It should have a few stages, so continuous blasting will eventually drop people frozen.

WARCASKET GRAVITY HAMMER

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Market value: 3000Crafted on: ConstructedResources required:  120 Steel, 80 Plasteel, 6 Advanced Components, 40 UraniumWork required: 80,000Skill required: 9 CraftingAttack 1: Head (Blunt) 31 damage, 3 second cooldown. This attack should generate a ‘psychic’ warp effect where it hits, play the gravity hammer attack sound, and push the enemy 3 tiles away in the opposite direction.Attack 2: Handle (Poke), 15 damage, 2 second cooldown

Gravity hammer should knock an enemy back 3 tiles each hit. It should play a gravity hammer hit sound every time it hits.

WARCASKET PLASMA SWORD

Only present if Insectoids mod is present.

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Market value: 3600Crafted on: ConstructedResources required:  140 Plasteel, 6 Advanced ComponentsWork required: 95,000Skill required: 9 CraftingAttack 1: Point (Stab), 26 damage, 2 second cooldown, Extra 10 Flame damage (0.5 chance)Attack 2: Edge (Cut), 34 damage, 2.6 second cooldown, Extra 10 Flame damage (0.5 chance)

Essentially a giant burning sword that sets enemies on fire.

As always with these posts, let me know what you think in the comments.

Our coders will begin work as soon as Trading Expanded is ready for testing, which should be within the next couple of days. Vanilla Factions Expanded - Classical will also be entering testing very soon. Genetics Expanded is also moving towards testing in the coming days. Exciting times ahead!

Thanks a lot for reading this!