Mass Rebalance: Modules, Ships, the Works.

Suggestions Balance
#1

EDIT: Forget the title, it’s just modules, really.

 

Straight to the point on this one. No fluffy appeasement, no introduction. Let’s get straight to it.

 

Modules and Classes

 

My take on this is that some modules don’t seem placed in the right classes. When I refer to classes I am talking about the 9 subtypes of ship. To understand why I’m even saying this, let’s go over the classes in really brief detail.

Interceptors

Cov Ops - Kills single targets quickly and efficiently.

Recon - Scouts enemy positions.

ECM - There to mess with your forces by debuffs everywhere.

Fighters

Tackler - The inty killer.

Gunship - There to kill everything it can bring its weapons to bear on.

Command - Buffer for the team. Can be a real pain in the backside to deal with.

Frigates

Engineer - Build structures and heal teammates.

Guard - Bullet shield.

LR - Sniper.

 

Okay, now let’s go through the modules each is able to use, not including the unique class module.

 

Cov Ops - Orion Targeting Complex, Adaptive Camo, Self Destruct, White Noise Jammer, Plasma Arc

Recon - Spy Drones, Phase Modulator, Parasitic Remodulator, Micro-Locator

ECM - Ion Emitter, Energy Absorber, Weapon System Inhibitor, Stasis Generator

Tackler - Engine Suppressor, Inhibitor Beam, Target Painter, Sentry Drone

Gunship - Aiming Overcharge, Combat Reboot, Engine Overcharge, Particle Purge

Command - Coating Polarizer, Aegis System, Gravi-Scanner, Valkyrie System

Engineer - Mass Shield Generator, Nanodrone Cloud, Remote Hull Repair, Remote Shield Generator, Warp Gate, Mobile Barrier, Energy Emitter

Guard - Missile Shield, Mass Propulsion Inhibitor, Pulsar, Emergency Shield Boost, Liquid Metal Injector, Signature Masking

LR - Weapon Overcharge, IR Pulsar, Tachyon Charge, EM Scattering Field

 

That’s a lot of modules. All of them gleaned from the ship tree unlocks. Now, the first problem I’d like to point out here:

 

At Rank 8 and above, all of these ship classes (engineer and guard the exceptions) can take all their active class modules. This presents a slight hitch. Basically, now you have ships that can do everything based on their class. A command ship can simultaneously boost their allies’ shield resist, hull resist, speed and damage all at once. That seems… A mite overpowered. You should have to choose from one particular role: either maxing out your companions’ resilience, or make sure they’re the ones who can make the kill first.

 

Second problem is some of the modules seem misplaced. I’ve noticed this in the interceptor archetype and the tackler subtype. A ship that’s supposed to be sneaking up on its target and delivering a kick to the proverbial nuts now has a conspicuous guard drone to help it out… Nice, devs. Real nice. If anything, engineers should have this. So shuffle it over, and replace it with something like a rotation restriction.

 

The White Noise Jammer seems out-of-place as well. The Cov Ops is an attack ship. It’s literally the embodiment of the Blitzkrieg. Jump in, absolutely crush them under a lightning attack and run off, laughing all the way. That, and it’s supposed to operate by itself. Not in a massive pile-in. Find a lone target, lock, deliver payload, run. The White Noise Jammer essentially makes this technique work on every ship in every condition: those who want to help their teammate out are suddenly found without the ability to fire at anything. No. White Noise Jammer should be an ECM module as it provides a debuff. IMO, Cov Ops should have very effective self-buffing/damage dealing abilities that have a moderate cooldown, so they make their attack, kill the target and then retreat until their abilities recharge. So shift the Jammer to the ECM interceptor, and give the Cov Ops some other damage type plasma arc module.

 

The Recon’s Phase Modulator is also a problem. Tacklers have their job: kill every interceptor they see. They use their single-target high-power debuffs to do so. The Phase Modulator can easily save a Recon from a messy death simply by its use, as upon activation, all LoS modules that are targeting it deactivate and have to cool down. Just don’t let it activate when it’s being debuffed.

 

Next up, tackler modules themselves. This is just a point of view, but I personally think all tackler modules should be continuous debuff LoS modules. So, as long as you have that line of sight and enough energy to keep the effect going, it will continue to debuff the target. Like the Inhibitor Beam.

 

Engineers. Engineers have been presenting a  huge balance problem as of late, and these are my thoughts:

  1. All healing in the game should be percentage based. Therefore, Guards can get a decent amount of health from a Repair Kit or a Shield Booster if they’re not T3, and Recons (which I believe have the lowest health) don’t get much of a bonus. Plus, it pretty much eliminates the need for 3 different Repair Kits/Shield Boosters across all the archetypes: just one will fit all. A nice, neat solution.
  2. Remote Repair units = Indestructible Frig balls. Punylover made an excellent counter-module for these, and it can be found below. All credit to him for his brainstorming! Anyway, back to Remote Repairs. [Someone](< base_url >/index.php?/topic/19516-shield-transfer/?p=203060) suggested HP shuffling. Yes, but for Remote Heals only. For example: Remote Shield Generator transfers Shield Points equivalent to 33% of the nearest, most damaged allied ship’s shields to that ship. Frig balls will now very quickly leave engineers with weak shields and ripe for the picking. Problem solved. For Remote Hull Repair, same thing. However, they cannot be activated if the nearest most damaged target requires more hull/shields than you currently have. Short range was also a good nerf: keep it in place.
  3. EDIT : Been fixed in 0.8.3. Good one, guys. Keep it up!

Base resistances seem a little off. Currently, Command and Tackler fighters have 10 more resist to all damage types on their shields and hull. I’d think guards should have this. So, this is what_ _the resistances should look like, IMO:

Base resistances:

Shield - 30/-30/0

Hull - -15/45/15

Commands have 10 more than stated.

Guards have 15 more than stated.

Tacklers have 5 more than stated.

Recon have 5 more than stated.

LR have 5 more than stated.

 

Oh, and the Tachyon Cocoon: call it either the Metastable Field Generator or the Tachyon Cocoon, but please do it consistently. I have often found myself confused when someone mentions one.

 

Module Additions

[http://forum.star-conflict.com/index.php?/topic/20314-modules-modules-everywhere-tweaks/](< base_url >/index.php?/topic/20314-modules-modules-everywhere-tweaks/)

[http://forum.star-conflict.com/index.php?/topic/20237-modules-modules-everywhere-interceptors/](< base_url >/index.php?/topic/20237-modules-modules-everywhere-interceptors/)

[http://forum.star-conflict.com/index.php?/topic/20249-modules-modules-everywhere-fighters/](< base_url >/index.php?/topic/20249-modules-modules-everywhere-fighters/)

[http://forum.star-conflict.com/index.php?/topic/20294-modules-modules-everywhere-frigates/](< base_url >/index.php?/topic/20294-modules-modules-everywhere-frigates/)

 

I’ve also noticed something:

Offensive

Cov Ops

Gunship

LR

Defensive

Recon

Command

Guard

Support

ECM

Tackler

Engineer

 

Why does this seem to fit into the TF2 grouping…?

#2

At Rank 8 and above, all of these ship classes (engineer and guard the exceptions) can take all their active class modules

Add more modules.

 

A ship that’s supposed to be sneaking up on its target and delivering a kick to the proverbial nuts now has a conspicuous guard drone to help it out… Nice, devs. Real nice. If anything, engineers should have this. So shuffle it over, and replace it with something like a rotation restriction.

I aggre that it belongs on the engineer, howerver, i think a inty killer should allways have mobilty debuff instead of stealth (why is this on the tackler?).

Swarp cov ops and tacklers special module and add a mobility debuff to the web.

 

The White Noise Jammer seems out-of-place as well. The Cov Ops is an attack ship.

Agreed, put it on ECM.

 

All healing in the game should be percentage based.

Atleast all none-self healing, but i dont mind % based self healing aswell.

 

I like: Odin’s Eye, Steel Rain, Mjölnir (jericho already have a advantage of being more shiled based, make it activate on shields are depleted on jericho aswell.), Thruster Disruption Drone (dont agree with dubbled impact damage), Wide-Band Shield Overlay, Gravitic Wave Cannon (i dont like how this one works, but i do think LR needs something along these lines)

 

I think these are really bad ideas: Stryker (to complex, will cause to much confusion, to situational and the thruster cancle beam wont be affected), Resonance Feedback (they are tanky enough, it dont work well with resistance buffs and is to complex), Watcher (_PLEASE _dont encourage this type of play), Matter Charge&** Fusion Bolt**(these are both unreliable and is “nuke/insta kill” type of modules, i find both thoes things antifun to both use and recive in the long run (and yes, i saw “Using one stops you from using any of the others for 10 seconds.”),Timer Drones Container(dont fit recon, to easy to use, and it promotes permanent engineer healing/to dependent on it),Hailstorm(will give gunships to high dps),Blink (forced movment on allys is always bad unless you are super organized).

 

I dont like:the rest

 

Instead of Hailstorm , i think gunships could be better balanced out with some kind % of missing health damage, passive or activated.

#3

Add more modules.

 

I aggre that it belongs on the engineer, howerver, i think a inty killer should allways have mobilty debuff instead of stealth (why is this on the tackler?).

Swarp cov ops and tacklers special module and add a mobility debuff to the web.

 

Agreed, put it on ECM.

 

Atleast all none-self healing, but i dont mind % based self healing aswell.

 

I like: Odin’s Eye, Steel Rain, Mjölnir (jericho already have a advantage of being more shiled based, make it activate on shields are depleted on jericho aswell.), Thruster Disruption Drone (dont agree with dubbled impact damage), Wide-Band Shield Overlay, Gravitic Wave Cannon (i dont like how this one works, but i do think LR needs something along these lines)

 

I think these are really bad ideas: Stryker (to complex, will cause to much confusion, to situational and the thruster cancle beam wont be affected), Resonance Feedback (they are tanky enough, it dont work well with resistance buffs and is to complex), Watcher (_PLEASE _dont encourage this type of play), Matter Charge&** Fusion Bolt**(these are both unreliable and is “nuke/insta kill” type of modules, i find both thoes things antifun to both use and recive in the long run (and yes, i saw “Using one stops you from using any of the others for 10 seconds.”),Timer Drones Container(dont fit recon, to easy to use, and it promotes permanent engineer healing/to dependent on it),Hailstorm(will give gunships to high dps),Blink (forced movment on allys is always bad unless you are super organized).

 

I dont like:the rest

 

Instead of Hailstorm , i think gunships could be better balanced out with some kind % of missing health damage, passive or activated.

 

  1. I have already made about 4 threads for suggested modules.

 

  1. Yes, sentry should be engineer. No, I completely disagree with the idea of swapping the Cov Ops and Tackler special modules. Tacklers need that module to survive. Cov Ops don’t even need a special module: They’re too powerful already,

 

  1. Yep.

 

  1. % based self healing is on one of the modules threads I created.

 

  1. Forget those, the ones I wanted to see added are on the threads.
#4

my modules swap wishlist

 

  • recon gets chameleon
  • tackler gets warp

 

  1. cov ops get target painter
  2. ecm gets white noise
  3. tackler gets phase modulator
  4. recon gets weapon systems inhibitor
#5

my modules swap wishlist

 

  • recon gets chameleon
  • tackler gets warp

 

  1. cov ops get target painter
  2. ecm gets white noise
  3. tackler gets phase modulator
  4. recon gets weapon systems inhibitor

If recon gets chameleon I will rage. Big time.

#6

many people will coz it’s one of the coolest non dmg F ability. but think about it. about how it will impact the recon and tacklers performing their roles.

#7

many people will coz it’s one of the coolest non dmg F ability. but think about it. about how it will impact the recon and tacklers performing their roles.

The tacklers will suck and the recon will be utterly broken.

EDIT: That’s about as blunt as I can get it.

#8

Recon’s intended role is to be in hostile locations alone. Tacklers to catch ships that are much faster than themselves.

#9

Tacklers can always ambush intys, so they won’t need to warp around, but they would need to hang around key objectives and ambush enemy intys. 

 

It does make sense for recons to maintain their microwarp. Recons have to be deep in enemy territory, so they should have ways of crossing the huge distance. Cloaking and flying in at full speed is still a tad too slow.

#10

there are two additional things witch are annoying to me:

 

first:

Ship-roles and bonusses.

Cant be in-game atm but as far as i remember, only (t2)  the machete type s (jericha command, rank 6) has a bonus based on its preferred modules: aegis and coating (?), or why is there only one empire engineering frigate which has a bonus to their own “class” modules. damage bonsu to an engineer? engineers are no damagedealer so why this type of bonus? should belong to gunships, covops and perhaps tacklers.

 

have a look @ jericho rank 10 and 11: Lance (10) and Lance Vartle (11).

this is something i would like to see; more bonuses based on the ships class.

  • the lance got a bonus to effective *RANGE* (+100%)  
  • the lance bartle got higher module effectiveness (+50%). 

that are two different playstyles to the same class.

 

why should i bother with a command ship with NO visible bonus (e.g. katana type s; jericho rank 9)  (not counting the invisble, stated somewhere in this forums).

 

second:

lower ranked ships and implants.

please give at least “maxed out synergy” ships access to all implants of their tier. Ranks 7 and 8 are missing some active-/passive-/ship- module slots anyway. but why are they (if mastered) not allowed to benefit from rank 9 skills? so they are most of the time only a worse alternative to their higher ranked sisters. exceptions only proves the rule.

 

again: some things i might have stated wrong; excuse in advance, i hope you get the idea.