Orbital strike

[Sometenranadom]

Since shooting object at earth from space can be so effective, maybe we can buy orbital strikes from combat suppliers(Only usable while they in com range) and then we can target the space, Its identical to mortars, and there can be different kinds of orbital strikes describing accuracy and damage awful poor shoddy etc.  Basically 10 mortar shots from space, originating from the trading beacon perhaps, so the further from the beacon the lower the accuracy.

[SlimeCrusher]

Once again, would make a nice mod, but not something for vanilla. (I think it exists already too)
It would really break immersion, why would an orbital strike "base" be orbiting around a forgotten planet? It doesn't make sense. Now, i know about "orbital trade beacons", wich also break immersion and trade ships too, but those are placeholder, they are being replaced on the next update with friendly faction caravans where you can buy stuff from, instead of passing-by spaceships that happen to have goods on them.

[REMworlder]

Cool concept! It raises some interesting questions about how the different pods that fall from space might be weaponized. Drop pods seem pretty common in RimWorld, what happens when they're weaponized instead of being used solely for escape or trade? Honestly I'd settle for squashing raiders with plain ol' drop pods.

[MeowRailroad]

Fill it with scrap metal, knives, boomrats, and boomalopes. Oh, and matches. Then drop it on them and the combined shrapnel and explosions and falling carcasses would be enough eliminate anything.

[SlimeCrusher]

Drop pods seem pretty common in RimWorld

They aren't, only used by space pirates and others. Traders will no longer use drop-pods as they'll come from caravans.
Maybe instead of drop pods, you could build some kind of catapult or mortar to lob containers full of stuff and maybe animals to the enemy, instead of something you buy and falls from space. That could work.

[Limdood]

where has it been said that space traders are being "replaced" or that goods recieved will be brought by land caravans?

As far as i'm aware, all that is changing is that ground-traveling, faction based caravans for trading are being ADDED....not replacing anything.

[Toggle]

The trading system will be overhauled, but it's not specified really.

[SlimeCrusher]

where has it been said that space traders are being "replaced" or that goods recieved will be brought by land caravans?

As far as i'm aware, all that is changing is that ground-traveling, faction based caravans for trading are being ADDED....not replacing anything.

Direct quote from Tynan

It's dumb that they can trade with spaceships at all. It's just a stopgap because ground traders are so difficult to do. I still hope to switch all the trade to ground caravans - some day.

It's still speculation, but when Tynan says something will be changed, it WILL be changed.

[Toggle]

Well actually that's all the way back in February. There's still some months till the next release, and anything is possible if he finds better ways.

[JimmyAgnt007]

Traders from space have always been a temporary thing.  It will be nice to have a use for visitors and let the game force you to play nice.  Personally I just piss them all off so I dont have to deal with random people wandering.

On the topic of Orbital Strikes.  Being able to launch satellites for any reason could be doable, since we are already capable of making ships.  However there needs to be a well defined use for them.  A weapons platform with solar panels and a particle beam would be an all powerful raid ending super weapon.  A late game tool to be sure.  But we would then of course need more events that you couldnt use it for.  Like a surprise raid already mixed in with your colony.

A primitive catapult that could launch large animals at the enemies would be a lot of fun.  Maybe thermoberic barrels as fuel air bombs.  That would be more in line with the primitive tech solution mixed with modern science theme of Rimworld. 

[cultist]

Call me crazy, but I find it kinda weird that a trading ship would be equipped to make orbital strikes. I mean, why would they ever need that? If a planet is hostile towards them, they just go somewhere else...

[Austupaio]

Why wouldn't it be equipped to make an orbital strike? Most hypothetical sci-fi spaceship weapons would be able to fire at a location on the planet. Perhaps not with maximum effectiveness or accuracy, but they would be able to do so. Weaponizing satellites that we have today wouldn't be all that difficult even, forget actual crewed spaceships capable of piracy in the far flung future.

No opinion on the function being implemented or not, just saying that I agree that a ship couldn't easily blow stuff up over a large area if it so desired. I suppose the average ship could be unarmed but with the amount of pirates that sounds absurd.

[JimmyAgnt007]

Attacking a planet from orbit is really as simple as flinging a big enough chunk of something out the airlock in a sub-orbital trajectory.  You just need a lot of math to make it hit but that would be easy for computers in the future.  That being said, a ship prolly wouldnt bother.  A dedicated weapons sat on the other hand would be made for just that reason.  However to be close enough to provide timely strikes the orbit would need to be low enough but the window of operations would be minimal.  So you wouldnt have it overhead most of the day.  But thats assuming we take any kind of orbital mechanics into account.  Either way a direct fire energy weapon is the only thing that would fire fast enough to be of use. 

[Boston]

1) Launching something from orbit with the intent to cause damage is a great way to cause a global extinction-level event. Why do you think orbital weapons are literally all-but banned in real life?

2)Launching a load of scrap from space, or even low orbit, will do nothing except cause the stuff to burn up in atmosphere.

[JimmyAgnt007]

Too much and you kill everything, too little and it does burn up.  There is a lot of middle ground there depending on what the 'stuff' actually is.

Either way, a physical object isnt the best choice.