Special Modules: Remastered

Suggestions Balance
1

(edited 7/16/13 - thank you for your kind suggestions! Keep it up!)

 

Summary of Intent

 

Hey guys, Its the famous JP HACK with another glorious super post. This time after much thinking and idea gathering i have decided to voice my opinion on the Special Modules that all ships have. What I proposed is to make them have additional functions or change them to have them toggle to a different ability. Allow me to explain below. Please figure out how to key bind all this later…

 

Interceptors - Covert Ops

 

[*] Plasma Web - Normal Function

(Option A)

[*] Plasma Frisson  - Secondary function - By bypassing your plasma lines to your engines, you increase fire rate by 50% and lesson your spread by 40%, through the use of afterburners are cut off completely when activated. Weapons now deal COMBINED Thermal and EM damage. If using rails, the weapon affects stack. Same recharge, duration, and energy usage as Plasma web.

 

(Edited from g4borg excellent idea and suggestion) 

 

Interceptors - Recon

 

[*] Micro Warp - Normal Function

(Option B)

[*] Micro Disruption Cannon  - Secondary function - Fires a missile into Minefields, and mines, resulting explosion on detection destroys the mines and prevents new mines to be constructed for a limited time (Details need to be added - AKA a minesweeper as the role is really intended)

 

Interceptors - ECM

 

[*] Tacyon Cocoon - Normal Function

(Option C)

[*] Electro Magnetic Pulse  - Secondary function - Fires a pulse of electromagnetic interference, all enemy ships afterburners and weapons shut down for 7 seconds, while any ally ships in the 1000 meter blast gain a small 5% bonus to Critical Damage

 

Fighters - Command

 

[*] Diffusion Shield - Normal Function

(Option D)

[*] Reflection Shield  - Secondary function - For a fixed period of time, absorbs some of the damage received, amplifies the damage, and reflects it back at the enemy. Cannot reflect more than half of the enemy’s Max total shield points at once. 

 

(Edited as per an excellent suggestion, originally it was too over powered - 7/16/13)

 

(Option E)

[*] Command Station  - Secondary function - All ships within range, all parameters are increased by 25%, this includes, Regen, speed, turning rate, fire rate, etc. For 7 seconds only. 

 

Fighters - Gunship

 

[*] Ship Overdrive - Normal Function

(Option F)

[*] Weapons Overdrive  - Secondary function - Optimal Range, weapon speed and weapon damage increased by 50%, Shield Regeneration is decreased by 35%

 

Fighters - Tackler

 

[*] Chameleon - Normal Function 

(Option G)

[*] Spectrum Coating  - Secondary function - Makes all allies untargetable in a 2000 meters radius for 7 seconds, You stay visible. If shields drop below 50%, the effect gets disrupted. 

 

Frigates - Jericho LRF

 

[*] Torpedo - Normal function (Tweaked to by pass missile shields)

(Option H)

[*] Rocket Rack - Secondary function - Fires Unguided Torpedoes (The same ones you can equip in the Large Slot - Thermal Only) Fires every 12 seconds OR Fires unguided small missiles (small rocket slot - Thermal only) with only 2 second recharge and a range of 10000 meters.

 

Once this skill is activated, you do not pay for your rockets anymore. Zoom in to aim like the disintegrator, Modules can affect the Recharge rate. Its turns to a rocket boat with UNLIMITED ROCKETS! though unguided torpedoes or small unguided rockets can be still knocked out with missile shields. guided rockets are not allowed to be used, if found in the rocket slot, it will default to standard thermal unguided rockets both large and small. 

 

Frigates - Empire LRF

 

[*] Disningrator - Normal Function

(Option I)

[*] Ion Pulsar Beam - Secondary function - All weapons, regardless of type turn into an Ion Beam (Converting energy into a charged Ion pulse in a way) Fires a consistent Ion beam, with 4 second Duration and 7 second recharge. Massive EM damage is dealt. Optimal range - 9,000 meters Maximum range - 12,000 Meters

 

Reference ( http://homeworld.wikia.com/wiki/Pulsar_Beam )

 

 

Frigates - Guard

 

[*] Phase Shield - Normal Function(s)

(Option J)

[*] Defensive Shield  - Secondary Function (Passive) - Shield Regeneration doubles, and your shield expanses to 1500 meters, protecting you and anyone inside your sheild. once shield is down to 0% the shield returns to normal size and must regen back to 100% before the effect activates once more. 

 

Reference ( http://homeworld.wikia.com/wiki/Hiigaran_Defense_Field_Frigate )

 

Frigates - Engineer

 

This requires a COMPLETE REDO. the drones suck, IMO. Lets make them better with Passive modes that are useful. 

(Option K)

Function A - Healing mode - All drones heal like normal and stick to healing only. 

Function B - Combat mode - All drones attack the closest target, they use your weapon type though equipped. plasma, rail guns or lasers. 

Function C - Auto mode - If no enemy’s are within 2000 meters, drones heal, if there is enemy’s within range, Drones turn to combat mode. 

Function D - Attack Drone - (2) Drones fly out and attack your target within a 5000 meter range. 

 

Please voice your opinion and thought on this. It could make the game even MORE interesting and excited with more functions to special ablitys

2

I like it.  Introducing variety and individuality to ships are always good. However, I feel that the suggestion (while great food for thought) are too ambitious.  It would introduce a huge amount of complexity that’s difficult to implement, balance, and learn.  

 

Taking the same idea but applied more prudently  would perhaps be a passive modifier slot for ships T4 and above that changes the stats of special abilities.  For example, you can choose between a standard modifier that simply improves the stats of the original ability or a modifier that changes some of its basic mechanics like stated above.  This is similar to a weapon modifier but non-toggleable - for the sake of reduced complexity.  This would solve three fundamental problems with the game :

 

1/ The lack of differentiation between T4 and T3 

2/ The lack of customization options between ships of the same type

3/The reducing effectiveness of certain modules such as guided torpedo, plasma arc, etc up the tiers

 

By introducing this passive modifier slot to T4 only would give more incentive to play in T4 while also giving players time to master the game before encountering the new abilities.

3

Altho there should be a counter to minefields somehow, I don’t think your system would be good.

I think it would be too much work to get it working properly, and the balance changes would get even more crazy.

 

Altho it could(Not sure…They are already making this game way too Ace friendly(Mk1 crap)) be good to get some more complexity in the game, I don’t think it is neccesary right now.

 

And the jericho LRF second ability is very close to being able to become OP. Imagine rocket spam, with the passives filled with missile reduction time…It could end up becoming a rocket every second, with no end to the missiles o.O

4

(Option H)

[*] Rocket Rack - Secondary function - Fires Unguided Torpedoes (The same ones you can equip in the Large Slot - Thermal Only) Fires every 12 seconds OR Fires unguided small missiles (small rocket slot - Thermal only) with only 2 second recharge and a range of 10000 meters , Zoom in to aim like the disintegrator, Modules can affect the Recharge rate. Its turns to a rocket boat with UNLIMITED ROCKETS! though unguided torpedoes or small unguided rockets can be still knocked out with missile shields.

 

This reminds me of this:

 

http://youtu.be/nxnC6jkJyEM

 

Maybe Rocket Rack would fire massive volley of missles at a locked target, dealing an awful lot of thermal damage if all of them hit at once, but they are short ranged and quickly drop off if the target runs long enough- IR flares can still distract some of them and antimissile shields can destroy some. The only way to survive this is to either have a huge thermal resistance of use the Metafield… or hug rocks and run a gauntlet of enemies or allies.

5

True, it could a lot of complexity could ruin the game, the additional function could be added in T4 and T5 only, making the transition to a new tier more endearing. 

 

With the Jericho Long Range Frigate, Unlimited Medium/Large rockets are another Idea. You really cant spam them as they have there own cool downs and we could put a hard limit on cool downs with the Improved Pylons Module. 

 

Jericho Frigates will be invaluable to have on the team as well as the Empire Sniper. They would provide true support but still be vulnerable in close combat. 

 

You can still dodge a missile that is going straight from 3000 meters away, regardless of its speed even with out missile shield and flares. 

6

Also Another suggestion for the Empire LRF, a sort of super laser that has the same range as the disintegrator or a bit more, and the damage ramps up the longer the beam is trained on the target, and even a momentary LoS break would reset the damage- also anything that passes thru the beam gets damaged as well.

7

I’d actually like to see something more defensive for the Jericho Torpedo… Currently, they are barely used, at all, in favour of Imperial LRFs. And the SOLE reason for this is Guards. They will shoot them down in one clear shot.

 

As a devout Guard pilot, I love it. The Missile Defence shoots them all down flawlessly. However, if they stack, they’ll just rip you a new one. It’s a good counter to Missile Defences, but everyone knows that many snipers in one team might not work that well.

 

As an LR pilot, I hate the fact that they can shoot something as large as the Torpedo in one single hit… This is a major problem in T3 due to the presence of Frigballs. Even having a single well coordinated Guard on the enemy team makes an Ira Deus pilot sweat their pants and swear to the heavens.

 

I like what you’ve done with the Jericho LR mod. But I want one that can make it withstand that Missile Defence thing at least once. Maybe something akin to a permanent Flare deployment (that is to say, you can’t steer it, just explode it), or just outright explode the Torpedo when that green beam hits.

8

Yes, Making the Jerrytorp much harder to shield against would be a good thing.

 

Or probably rework it a bit, let’s say the Torpedo is infact a launch vehicle for multiple guided missiles (which deals the same damage as torpedo if all of them hit) that release either upon toggle, or upon desctruction- either by missile shield or being shot down by others and the guided control also ends with the release of the missile swarm.

 

====

 

A Guard Suggestion would be a Repulsive Shield that basically pushes everything away within about a small radius- at the high cost of energy + some other thing.

9

Also Another suggestion for the Empire LRF, a sort of super laser that has the same range as the disintegrator or a bit more, and the damage ramps up the longer the beam is trained on the target, and even a momentary LoS break would reset the damage- also anything that passes thru the beam gets damaged as well.

 

Look up ion beam frigate in Homeworld 2

10

Look up ion beam frigate in Homeworld 2

I love those things. They just murder the crap out of capitals…

11

I love those things. They just murder the crap out of capitals…

 

Note how they have no point defence, aka there achilles heel 

12

Note how they have no point defence, aka there achilles heel 

So you want to nerf Empire LRFs?

13

So you want to nerf Empire LRFs?

 

False, a weapon like that needs to be turned off before you can defend yourself.

 

The empire special weapon as a secondary function is more of turning it into a Pulsar Frigate, you aim the pulses though manually from your weapons. 

14

Well, my main concern is towards Jericho LRFs. They are severely underpowered as Long Ranged ships.

15

Well, my main concern is towards Jericho LRFs. They are severely underpowered as Long Ranged ships.

 

True, hence why you need to look at my post more closely, If the Jericho missiles we not effected by missile shields it would be great, then you can switch to secondary mode for Mid range support of unlimited unguided torpedoes or small ones. Even firestorm if you so wished. It has to be unguided as guided will be OP. 

 

Making the LRF back on track as a support role. 

16

Well, mid-range support is good, but I’d still like to see that modification to the actual Torpedo.

17

I want Jericho LR to be rocket boats :frowning:

18

I love how the most voted choice is for you to lay off the sweet rolls.~  :good:

19

I love how the most voted choice is for you to lay off the sweet rolls.~  :good:

 

Apparently, people want that more then in game balanced changes. 

20

I would love the Micro Disruption cannon… I’m tired of hitting 12 minefields while trying to capture a beacon with no one on it, that is not fun. XD

 

The plasma Frission may be too close to the Overdrive module.

 

Engineer drone changes would be fantastic~