Basical Police Interception Outlines
Posted: Sat Sep 12, 2026 8:38 am
So this post is pursuing only tactical shapes of the police interception.
The thought of in-game police force that is weak lead me to write this topic.
The first concept: I will lead the way where police force is very friendly to the user, so the obvious mistakes police wouldn't count.
So, what the first user will see in the start of the game, let assume he starts his hame on Mars, - what if he'd about to destroy the Mars in first seconds of the game?
Answer:
He'd noticed that there's 1. No police at all, and would be aware that this is a bug. 2. He'd noticed that if he being pursuit with police on impulse cannons - these unit are pretty easy to destroy with the basic cannon he have.
So the topic would be about these 2 points.
The first point.
It's very easy to overcome, even if we don't want to scare newbies because they're firing by accident. In the real police just a simple presence of police officers is stated as the first level of pressure. Therefore:
Request:
---
The second point.
While I first played in 2026-0203 release and trying to destroy space station, or all that flies in or out it:
A first police officer and a second was armed only with impulse cannons. And this part will be the most of outline and only theory, for those who want work with technical part of combat balancing. Therefore please read this part only as a minor request:
---
What I've noticed:
I simply destroyed the first and the second police ships just as they were kids.
So what we should count to prevent these situations and improve combat system:
1. Impulse cannon is a weapon that only corrects the target direction or trajectory, it's a second line weapon.
Why is that:
Every real marine that specified in avoiding naval torpedoes will say to you that there only one way to avoid torpedo: Be as much 90 degree of it's curse as it possible.
And that perfectly works with avoiding impulse cannon bullets, they even can't change their way to target you, just change your course, speed, or both., be 90 degree of bullets course.
What we can do with the weak yet single police officer?
Answer:
Split the weapons on two categories: 1. Laser Primary Police Weapon. 2. Torpedo-class engagement weapons.
1. Why laser as primary weapon? Let assume it's weak, but it really damage your shields without any miss.
Good. what is the second category?
So the second category is the two-classes of weapons used together:
The police unit attacks user with rocket that trying to acquire the target: In this case, user should leave the acquiring cone of the rocket or move 90 degree of its course to dodge it (and you barely can leave the acquiring cone if you're not in the ~ 90 degree course, obviously). If user would charge full speed in the rocket's direction - he will never avoid the weapon that moves faster.
But if you know the rules, you still can dodge it, so what should the police do?
Answer:
After sending a rocket in the user direction, police should immediately use its impulse cannon prevent 90 degree avoiding and to force user change course direction in the way that will fit the rocket course.
They key is to say to user that the rocket is blind; but it can feel you, and it will kill you instantly on a impact. Or no-second-chance weapon. And the impulse cannon there for a purpose. Lonely, but trained, well equipped police.
If the torpedo attack near any station/location is restricted, then only laser beam; maybe from a subcategory developed specially for the police force.
Notes
As I played doing my delivering duty in 2026-0203, there was a pirate that pursuing and treating me without engagement at all, he just flying around me as a fly. So then the sol-fed police unit noticed him and start attacking him with laser beams. The unarmed pirate was desperate so he just continue flying around me.. and the police officer was unable to got him with his laser beam.. continuously missing.. I was so sad that made their work with my own cannons 😂
---
Thank for your attention, hope it will help with the combat developments.
For more info you can try something like Dangerous Waters or SubCommand legacy games manuals, they're very detailed.
The thought of in-game police force that is weak lead me to write this topic.
The first concept: I will lead the way where police force is very friendly to the user, so the obvious mistakes police wouldn't count.
So, what the first user will see in the start of the game, let assume he starts his hame on Mars, - what if he'd about to destroy the Mars in first seconds of the game?
Answer:
He'd noticed that there's 1. No police at all, and would be aware that this is a bug. 2. He'd noticed that if he being pursuit with police on impulse cannons - these unit are pretty easy to destroy with the basic cannon he have.
So the topic would be about these 2 points.
The first point.
It's very easy to overcome, even if we don't want to scare newbies because they're firing by accident. In the real police just a simple presence of police officers is stated as the first level of pressure. Therefore:
Request:
- Just spawn many police officers on the horizon that will actively pursue (but keep distance) the user in the 25km radius without any engagement, just radio message: Stop the law violation, land on the docking station or leave the sector.
- If user would fire on the police direction, they wouldn't answer before user reach physical damage for someone of them.
- The user leaves the star-system, - then the police behaviour of the city resets
---
The second point.
While I first played in 2026-0203 release and trying to destroy space station, or all that flies in or out it:
A first police officer and a second was armed only with impulse cannons. And this part will be the most of outline and only theory, for those who want work with technical part of combat balancing. Therefore please read this part only as a minor request:
---
What I've noticed:
I simply destroyed the first and the second police ships just as they were kids.
So what we should count to prevent these situations and improve combat system:
1. Impulse cannon is a weapon that only corrects the target direction or trajectory, it's a second line weapon.
Why is that:
Every real marine that specified in avoiding naval torpedoes will say to you that there only one way to avoid torpedo: Be as much 90 degree of it's curse as it possible.
And that perfectly works with avoiding impulse cannon bullets, they even can't change their way to target you, just change your course, speed, or both., be 90 degree of bullets course.
What we can do with the weak yet single police officer?
Answer:
Split the weapons on two categories: 1. Laser Primary Police Weapon. 2. Torpedo-class engagement weapons.
1. Why laser as primary weapon? Let assume it's weak, but it really damage your shields without any miss.
Good. what is the second category?
So the second category is the two-classes of weapons used together:
- Rockets as a primary weapon in the category.
- Impulse cannon as a secondary weapon.
The police unit attacks user with rocket that trying to acquire the target: In this case, user should leave the acquiring cone of the rocket or move 90 degree of its course to dodge it (and you barely can leave the acquiring cone if you're not in the ~ 90 degree course, obviously). If user would charge full speed in the rocket's direction - he will never avoid the weapon that moves faster.
But if you know the rules, you still can dodge it, so what should the police do?
Answer:
After sending a rocket in the user direction, police should immediately use its impulse cannon prevent 90 degree avoiding and to force user change course direction in the way that will fit the rocket course.
They key is to say to user that the rocket is blind; but it can feel you, and it will kill you instantly on a impact. Or no-second-chance weapon. And the impulse cannon there for a purpose. Lonely, but trained, well equipped police.
If the torpedo attack near any station/location is restricted, then only laser beam; maybe from a subcategory developed specially for the police force.
---Did you avoid rocket with warp drive? It's a good point, at least it cost you some fuel, and beware of greed, otherwise the police might say you're welcome on the other side of the road.
Notes
As I played doing my delivering duty in 2026-0203, there was a pirate that pursuing and treating me without engagement at all, he just flying around me as a fly. So then the sol-fed police unit noticed him and start attacking him with laser beams. The unarmed pirate was desperate so he just continue flying around me.. and the police officer was unable to got him with his laser beam.. continuously missing.. I was so sad that made their work with my own cannons 😂
---
Thank for your attention, hope it will help with the combat developments.
For more info you can try something like Dangerous Waters or SubCommand legacy games manuals, they're very detailed.