Escape pods are an iconic trope in science fiction space battles. However, it can be challenging to add escape pods into games in a way that feels immersive, fits in to the game mechanics, and leads to fun gameplay. This devlog explains the escape pod feature we've recently added to WarpVector and how it builds on the existing navigation and ship-to-ship mechanics.
Once your ship is equipped with an escape pod, for example by purchasing one at a space station, you can launch it at any time. The escape pod becomes the player ship, and any remaining crew will continue operating your original ship. Unlike most other ships, escape pods have no weapons, shields, or maneuver capability. However, they do contain a comlink which can be used to issue orders to allied ships, as shown in the screenshot below.
If you order an allied ship to rescue you it will attempt to come to the escape pod's location and match its velocity. (Escape pods are launched with zero velocity relative to the star system for simplicity and in analogy to lifeboats at sea.) The rescuing ship will then become the player ship and you can continue your exploration of the galaxy.
However, if an escape pod is not rescued within a certain number of turns, its life support systems will be exhausted and its passengers will perish. This ensures that when stuck in an escape pod with no chance of rescue, the player does not get stuck in a situation where there is no chance for advancing the game.
The most complex aspect of implementing this escape system was the AI navigation logic for rescuing escape pods. The AI-controlled ships use the same maneuver mechanics as the player ship and so the AI must consider, for example, how much energy must be saved in order to decelerate when approaching an escape pod.
Because they build on existing game mechanics, escape pods can open the door to interesting emergent gameplay. For example, suppose a Khanate frigate disables your engines with an ion cannon, leaving you hurtling towards a black hole. In desperate situations like this, an escape pod can give you some options to use as a last resort when all else fails.