Let’s address the elephant in the room, shall we? What do the Command, Engineering and Guard types have in common…? That’s right, they have all been changed so that they have passive and active state modules. So why don’t we do the same thing for tacklers, ECM’s and other ships with toggle-state modules? Come to think of it, why did we even change the toggle-state modules to active/passive state radius modules in the first place?
One might argue that these ships are strong enough, or in the case of the ECM, just not built for that type of thing - but actually, let’s consider this. You lock a target and expect to press a button to cause a target to lose stats, all the while your ship is burning energy while you are using afterburners, etc. This makes sense - you’re using a module; thus, your ship should burn that energy per second. In the case of the ECM, the ship is not designed for a massive capacitor with loads of energy but instead, it’s actually designed to fight in a situation where there is no energy, no afterburners, no use of modules, etc., all the while a ship outside of that energy burning field is able to take it down.
Additionally, there were a lot of modules that seriously were better off the way they were, or are just so annoying that in some ways, they would be better and even make players think to putting them to better use. This is where the challenge comes in with some modules at the lower end of my long ramble of module changes. I’ll discuss passive modules in another thread as right now, we’re talking about active ones as stated in the title.
So here’s what I propose, bullet-pointed vis-r-vis my previous in part 1:
- Change active modules to set into active/passive
- ECM
- Weapon Systems Inhibitor - still works in passive mode, reducing the LOCKED enemy target’s damage output by a small amount; in active mode, the debuff is more effective for a few seconds. Once the lock is lost, the effect stops working.
- Energy Absorber - still works in passive mode, siphoning a small amount of energy from the LOCKED enemy target; in active mode, produces a much more significant effect. Note that the active time will have to be reduced for this module if this change happens. Once the lock is lost, the effect stops working.
- Guard
- Spectre Field - in passive mode, any ships within a radius of 650 metres become camouflaged, but not invisible; if the host ship is disabled, the passive effects wear off. Active effects remain unchanged.
- Recon
- Spy Drones - we absolutely hate this module and that’s a hands down global fact. Still works in passive mode, marking the target for as long as it is locked. In passive mode, the effect cannot be countered with the exception of the Combat Reboot module. In active mode, the target continues to be marked until they either collide with an object, have been destroyed, another target has been marked or the effect runs out. Lasts 60-80 seconds in active mode.
- Parasitic Remodulator - still works in passive mode, siphoning the enemy’s shields whilst active for higher effect. Whilst active, also reduces the enemy target’s shield resistances for 10-16 points.
- Tackler
- Target Painter - while some may argue that the rank 11-Alpha crew Neuroacellerator “Oculus II” reduces the enemy target’s resistances, this only works for main weapons. The Target Painter works universally for offensive weapons, missile slot weapons and active modules. The module will work in either passive or active mode, further reducing the LOCKED target’s resistances for between 8-12 seconds in active mode. Once the lock is lost, the effect stops working.
- Inhibitor Beam - still works in passive mode, reducing the LOCKED enemy target’s afterburner speed by a certain amount at long distance; can be activated at medium range to operate at the same distance as Target Painter and Engine Suppressor (~3000 m.) for between 8-12 seconds. Once the lock is lost, the effect stops working.
- ECM
- Change active modules as follows:
- Covert Ops
- Reactor Overload - change the module to a passive capacitor module. A collision causing over 1,200 damage will trigger the effect and set a timer of 4 seconds before the ship selfdestructs, dealing deadly amounts of damage over a wide radius and producing a thermonuclear cloud within 200 metres. The effect cannot be turned off, but may be disrupted by any disabling effect such as Ion Diffuser, Ion-Beam Warhead, Stasis Generator or Metastable Energy Field Generator.
- ECM
- Ion Diffuser - reduce enemy target’s shield and hull thermal resistances for 18-26 points. The effect should last 2 seconds shorter and reload time 18 seconds longer.
- Stasis Generator - additionally reduce all enemy target’s shield resistances to absolute zero and force a target locking system failure, however increase reload time significantly by 95%.
- Gunship
- Particle Purge - disable enemy ships within the effect radius for 1.5 seconds. Whilst the ship is regenerating, all of the host’s shield resistances are reduced by 10 points.
- Recon
- Micro-Locator - only one may be placed at a time; if another is placed down, the last locator is destroyed. In addition, the effects of the module should be boosted by 20%
- Holoship - reintroduce the second holoship and provide an ammunition counter. Reduce active time by 30% and increase energy consumption and reload time by 20%.
- Covert Ops
So there you have it - my second part. I’ll be doing three more of these which will all remain open for discussion. I’ll let you guys degrade this entirely and tell me I suck, etc.
DISGUST! 