Right now our cargo barges are basically armored containers with engines - built to survive debris fields, meteors, and the aftermath of battles. No dedicated weapons. No combat systems. Just thick plating and the hope that escorts do their job.
If players start building entire caravans of these barges… would factions really allow huge unarmed freight convoys to cross contested systems?Or would reality push them toward becoming semi-military ships? Should some factions REQUIRE armed cargo ships near warzones? How should another faction and race interpret the punishment of armed barges as an invasion?
Things we’re debating:
* Should civilian barges have point-defense AA turrets AA and drones?
* Emergency ECM / jamming systems?
* Small cannons?
And more importantly. If pirates attack a convoy, what should the barges actually do?:
* Stay and help defend the escorts?
* Dump cargo and run?
* Hit max thrust and abandon the fleet?
* Self-destruct cargo to deny loot?
We’re also wondering how far industrial ships should go visually. Should barges stay as “flying containers,” or would you expect:
* rotating habitation rings
* visible crew windows
* external fuel lines
* detachable cargo modules
* repair drones
* radiator panels
* improvised armor plates
* faction-specific modifications
* convoy markings and warning lights
At what point does a cargo barge stop feeling civilian and start feeling like a warship? Curious how you’d imagine them behaving - both mechanically and visually - in a living universe.