It seems to me that there is completely missing any balance between different damage types.
Just look at the list below, and tell me, why is thermal much much much more than any other type?
Not only is there most thermal damage source, but every AoE damage is always thermal (except for splash damage from standard missile/rocket).
Also please tell me if I missed some things… but I think even if I missed 1 or 2 things, this completely shows that thermal needs to be balanced…
Things which only deal EM damage:
- medium missile slot - disabling missiles
- small missile slot - slowing rockets
- explosion of control point when emp bomb placed
- large missile slot - torpedo
Things which only deal Kinetic damage:
Things which deal all damage types:
- regular scenario enemies
- regular missile/rocket weapons
- ship main guns (at least 2 each with ammo changers)
Things which deal neutral damage:
- collision
- interceptor shield steal module
**Things which only deal Thermal damage:
- interceptor ability - plasma web
- frigate ability - attack drones
- frigate ability - sniper weapon
- frigate ability - missile weapon**
**- medium missile slot - firestorm (multi-rocket)
- large missile slot - nuke
- small missile slot - mine
- large missile slot - minefield
- large missile slot - attack drone
- large missile slot - death ray
- large missile slot - octopus (multi-missile)
- large missile slot - cruise missile
- large missile slot - holiday missile
- module pulsar
- scenario BOSS weapons/special ability
- beacon defender drones
- aoe damage from the star thing in pvp**
Shields have good kinetic, average thermal and poor EM resistance. Hull has good EM, average thermal and poor kinetic resistance (without modules). So “thermal” is a general damage type which is equally effective against hull and shields. That’s why it’s the default option for most of the things that only deal a single damage type, so that they are not dependent on attacking shields for EM and hull for kinetic.
Shields have good kinetic, average thermal and poor EM resistance. Hull has good EM, average thermal and poor kinetic resistance (without modules). So “thermal” is a general damage type which is equally effective against hull and shields. That’s why it’s the default option for most of the things that only deal a single damage type, so that they are not dependent on attacking shields for EM and hull for kinetic.
It also means that, if a person is going to equip for a primary resistance, only a idiot would pick anything but thermal. Which unfortunately means that lasers are all but useless in PvP since everyone and their brother is packing thermal resistance up the wazoo. It’s oh-so-fun watching my Mk II assault lasers which should be dealing ~380.8 dps barely licking 90 dps against 80% of my targets in PvP.
If you are regularly encountering this, the obvious response is to switch away from lasers.
It also means that, if a person is going to equip for a primary resistance, only a idiot would pick anything but thermal. Which unfortunately means that lasers are all but useless in PvP since everyone and their brother is packing thermal resistance up the wazoo. It’s oh-so-fun watching my Mk II assault lasers which should be dealing ~380.8 dps barely licking 90 dps against 80% of my targets in PvP.
Rails or Plasma usually do the trick.