Aero Empire

Aerosphere Studios - Cumulonimbus Engine - Coming late 2010 / early 2011

Imagine a world where the villages of humans were scattered along mountaintops, and the world below was completely blocked off by an impassible wall of clouds. In a world like that, air travel would precede both land and sea. This is the kind of world that Aero Empire is set in. In this world, the player can rise the ranks, from a lowly gunner manning a turret aboard an airship, to the commander of a nation, controlling the tides of war and the armies of that nation. With the ability to talk to and influence your fellow coworkers and superiors, you can also perform a rebellion or coup d'etat, breaking free and taking control of your own nation. Aero Empire is a cross genre game, incorporating elements of role playing games, shooters, flight simulators, real time strategy and tactics. The world is populated with thousands of AI with their own desires and personalities, creating a dynamic and ever changing world.

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Combat

Each airship has a number of components. As these components get damaged, the operability of the airship decreases. If components are completely destroyed, then the airship can be crippled or sunken.

One key component that all airships have are envelopes. Envelopes are armored sacks of helium, and so are resistant to blunt and flame attacks. The health of the envelope determines two things: the maximum altitude of the airship, and its rate of ascent/decent. If the maximum altitude drops below the “twilisphere”, then the airship is destroyed by the turbulent clouds below. An airship can fly even if one envelope is destroyed, as long as the remaining envelopes can support the weight of the airship enough to keep the maximum altitude above the “twilisphere.” The envelopes are the key to the operation of the airships, and are also large making them easy to hit. However – this weakness is well known, and so the envelopes are made very sturdy. All weapons deal damage directly to the envelope when they hit the envelope.

The other main component of an airship is the hull itself. An airship can float without a hull, however, it cannot operate. A hull is made up of several components, and when the hull is damaged, depending on the weapon type and where it hits, the damage will be distributed among the different components. The components of a hull are as follows:

  • Integrity – the actual integrity of the hull. This determines how well the hull is held together, and if the integrity reaches zero, then the hull is destroyed.
  • Cannons – rows of cannons can be damaged when hit - reducing the number of operable cannons in the row, and therefore also the rate of fire.
  • Turret – turrets mounted on airships can be damaged individually. The turret can operate normally until it is destroyed.
  • Drop Bay – the drop bays for bombs and torpedoes can also be damaged. As damage increases, the operability of the drop bays decreases, causing a higher chance of malfunction and a decreased rate of fire.
  • Flight Deck – the flight deck that services gyros on carriers can also be damaged. As the flight deck takes damage, the time required to service gyros increases, and when destroyed, the flight deck cannot accommodate gyros at all.
  • Engines – the engines and sails on the airship can also take damage. The more damage they take, the lower the maximum speed and maneuverability of the airship becomes. If the engines are destroyed, the airship can still float, but its speed and maneuverability are so low that the airship has trouble fighting the air currents.
  • Powder Magazine – all ammo, fuel and other flammables on the ship are grouped into this component. The powder magazine is very internal to the hull, and so difficult to target specifically. However, as the integrity of the hull degrades, it can take more damage, and if the powder magazine is destroyed, it will cause an explosion that will destroy the hull in its entirety, and all components on that hull (however, other hulls can still operate).
  • Provisions – all tools, food and supplies necessary for an airship to operate are grouped into this component. The provisions constantly drain at a slow rate during operation, and can also be damaged when the hull is hit. If the provisions run out, then the hull and all of its components can no longer operate until provisions are replenished.

Different weapons distribute damage differently when they hit the hull. Cannonballs and large, blunt projectiles distribute damage fairly evenly. Precise weapons (projectiles, missiles, etc), distribute damage more to areas that they hit. Flaming and explosive weapons deal more damage to the powder magazine.

If the airship is destroyed during combat, then all of the crew escapes the airship aboard a floating lifeboat. These lifeboats can be recovered by other airships, or eventually float to a nearby mountain.


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