A quick draft that I'm essentially writing up as I think of it: you start with a basic AI Core Module - everything more advanced than a brick with engines and guns strapped to it will have one. Even autotracking and automatic friendliness indication won't work without at least the most basic model of AI Core Module (AICM). Now, where it gets interesting is the extra modules that can be used to expand the AICM. Some of the modules I have in mind:
- Docking Controller - the basic model displays the optimum path for docking as a virtual overlay on the HUD, and more advanced models would allow using the autopilot to fly there automatically.
- Autotracking Computer - the basic model would be included in the AICM and simply keeps the guns pointed so that they would hit the target, were it to continue flying in a straight line at the current velocity (N.B.: weapon mounts still need individual autotracking capability for this to work). For more advanced modules, acceleration, manoeuvre heuristics would be included, and finally, the most advanced models would include optimal damage calculation. For example, if the enemy ship is close enough for the AI to see a section that has sustained more damage than the rest, it would train the guns on that section, rather than simply the bulkiest part of the ship.
- Emergency Landing Module: when triggered by the pilot, or when the ship is very very close to being destroyed, the AI flies the ship to a dockable planet or station for emergency repairs. Basic models lock on to the nearest planetary-mass gravity well; more advanced models include the nearest friendly station in the search for a landing space, and the most advanced models will (a) try to find a path that does not take you close to enemy ships or stations or (b) if that is not possible, flies to the target using evasive manoeuvres.
- Rare Aera/Rlaan/Confed Milspec AICMs with special abilities, offset by lower performance or features compared to the standard type.
Some other ideas that popped up as I was typing the above:
- Flares that deter heatseeker missiles. These can be deployed manually, or automatically by the AI - with the right upgrades in place, of course.
- Encrypted communication between other ships, that can be detected and broken by an AI module. E.g. you get a message stating the AI has decrypted a conversation, and you get a transcript: "<1> I got the creds - you got the stuff? -- <2> Yeah bruv. Meet at the jump to Cardell." You then quickly SPEC to the jump point, blast the two ships out of the sky, and hopefully scavenge a nice wad of credits and a crate of illicit substances of some description. Various grades of encryption could be present, requiring various grades of Communications Decryption Module to break.
- Hidden jump points - detectable only by their gravitation, such as when you suddenly drop out of SPEC. There could be rewards for finding these (e.g. by visiting a University planet after jumping through one), and the wireframe would show up once you claim this reward. Additionally, they could possibly lead to uncharted territories where Ancient technology or other forms of treasure could be found.
- Black holes, pulsars, brown dwarves, neutron stars, quark stars, etcetera. Not related to the AI at all, but damnit, we need funky star types!
- Ability to change or upgrade subunit weapons (and possibly other upgrades?) easily. For example, add a drop-down box to the upgrade purchase interface, where you can select each subunit of your ship. You can then buy and sell upgrades for the subunit rather than for the main ship.
(Wow, have I really not posted on these forums since April 2009?)