If you mean strongest by folding in a few seconds by a ship with 2 class 2 fixed beams. I'd wager to say shields in this game are woefully garbage.
Scrap or redesign shield cell modules, they are too overpowered and trivialize PvP.
- Thread starter KazumaKat
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I believe a part of the reason why Shield Cell Banks are so valuable are the insane repair costs for high cost ships (starting with the Asp), which mean that as soon as your shields have failed, you have already lost the battle, and even if you manage to still defeat your foe, you'll probably come out with a repair bill* much higher than any bounty, combat bond etc. would pay you. Where just few percent of hull damage cost you as much to repair as the rebuy cost of an A-rated Viper.
And on the other end of the spectrum, for ships with very, very weak defenses, like the Eagle, you can still turn a profit even if you end a fight badly damaged - but once your shields are down you are only a few hits away from death, and so the need to keep up your shields is also very high.
*Actual repairs and wear&tear - which seems to rise very rapidly when receiving hull and module damage - combined.
And on the other end of the spectrum, for ships with very, very weak defenses, like the Eagle, you can still turn a profit even if you end a fight badly damaged - but once your shields are down you are only a few hits away from death, and so the need to keep up your shields is also very high.
*Actual repairs and wear&tear - which seems to rise very rapidly when receiving hull and module damage - combined.
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Thats true but its only a problem because earning capability doesnt scale to larger combat ships, so maybe that is the problem that should be addressed.
And I'd wager that you're wrong, considering the python clearly had very little pips in SYS (judging by how often he was firing all of his beams, and how with shield cells, you really don't need pips in sys as well as with my own experience in a python) and had more than a single ship with 2 fixed beams firing at it. In fact, it was more like 6 ships with varying loadouts constantly pounding it from every direction.
Shields are plenty strong as is.
If you want to fly a large combat ship, you need to make sure you can afford it.
I have a T9 to earn money... and a Python to burn it
So you think that being able to buy virtual invulnerability to smaller ships, even when significantly outnumbered, is a good game mechanic ?. Throughout the evolution of the ED right from alpha the popular view (as I perceived it anyway) is that big expensive ships are partly an advantage but also partly a "lifestyle" choice and a vanity item - not overwhelming superiority. I would hate to see that principal fall by the wayside.
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One possible solution, this is just a rough idea - make shield cells very limited in use, and make them enormously power-hungry. Like, knocking out systems for the duration of their use power-hungry.
Its a good mechanic when those small ships are equipped with water for weapons.
Had any of them been armed for large pray and made half an attempt to work together, that video would have gone far differently.
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I'm looking forward to the forum-switch from whining that small ships don't stand a chance against bigger ones after wings are introduced to the complete opposite when four Eagles with four different firing solutions and dumbfire missiles take down an Anaconda in seconds.
Fun times.
Fun times
.
Change shield cell mechanics and set it to a passive module. Make them increase shield recharge rate by a percentage.
E (20%)
D (23%)
C (25%)
B (28%)
A (30%)
E (20%)
D (23%)
C (25%)
B (28%)
A (30%)
I hope you're joking.
I saw plenty of decent weapons there that are highly effective against shields. That said, I don't think that multipurpose loadouts should be completely ineffective against a ship, just because they brought shield cells. It should still be possible. Just tougher.
I hope hes not
For ship that cost 100m probably more? Yeah, I think that. How would that fight have worked out if it was 5 Pythons vs him, or if any of those other guys could land a hit, or if instead of ballistics they all were focusing beam weapons?
This isn't supposed to be Team Fortress where you load up a ship and can take on anybody in a 'fair' fight. This game IS NOT fair. Why are people complaining about the best ships in the game being the best ships in the game? I'd quit this game if they sucked the power out of the top end ships so little Cobras and Vipers could feel good about themselves.
I think if you want to compete with a bigger ship, you better have a good strategy outside of "he needs to be weaker".
Good to see you are involved in this, Sandro. Looks like the objective is good - to get it turned into a good skill based defensive tool.
Making them more expensive will achieve nothing as due to the immortality of commanders, money becomes irrelevant.
The main problem (of many) with them at the moment is they free up more pips for weapons, so they are not really defensive.
Making them more expensive will achieve nothing as due to the immortality of commanders, money becomes irrelevant.
The main problem (of many) with them at the moment is they free up more pips for weapons, so they are not really defensive.
A single set of class two beams is hardly effective.
6 Rails, 4 Plasma, 6 beams, mines, Dumb fires, 2 Rails, ect, now that would have dealt with it.
One player is only just that, one player.
Npcs are useless and should not even be part of the discussion.
Missiles are also crap. Sorry the eagle boat sucks. Class twos on the Viper arnt much better for that matter. Still, would have done more then a damage over time setup.
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It wasn't just one player. It was 3. Beams are one of the best weapons against shields. It should still be possible to take a ship on, even if you don't have some ridiculously min-maxed build.
The python and ships are already balanced reasonably when you don't add shield cells.
you add shield cells and it all falls apart, by making the vast majority of loadouts obsolete and useless.
Need to take into account more than just the number of ships. Not saying there weren't skilled pilots in decent ships involved in this example, but more coordination and more specialized loadouts can be enormous force multipliers.
Yes, a decked out Python probably should be able to withstand a protracted attack from an uncoordinated group of five without a good plan.
I'm saying that five fighters aren't automatically doomed against a Python, no matter how many SCBs the Python has.
Viper's shields are almost as strong as the Asp's.
Or he was moving them around as necessary as any competent pilot would do.
This is simply false. More pips dramatically increase shield's resistance to damage, and therefore the effect of shield cells.
At two pips, the shields on a Python are about on par with four pips on Asp in the damage the shield can take before collapsing. Going from two to four pip more than doubles the amount of damage the shield can endure.
I think being able to buy virtual immunity to an uncoordinated attack by a an ad hoc group of ships whose total credit value is about one tenth of the ship in question.
That Python would have been toasted, or at least forced to run much sooner, by three or four fighters that were organized specifically to kill it.
This would make them stronger in some cases, and would also make D's more desirable because they would only be 40% the weight of A's, but have 66% of the effectiveness.
Missiles are crap because everyone and their mother has point defense, Countermeasures or heat sinks. Switching shield cell banks over to utility slots I feel would balance it.
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I'd say this is a mechanic that needs to be kept under review for the moment. Wings is likely to change the dynamics quite a bit and the worst thing that could happen is for constant back peddling on balancing due to expansions.
As for the advantages of large expensive ships? I'm in favour. Its logical. As is the fact a group of correctly loaded vipers/eagles etc should be able to get through.
As for the advantages of large expensive ships? I'm in favour. Its logical. As is the fact a group of correctly loaded vipers/eagles etc should be able to get through.