The SCB (Shield Cell Bank) Thread

[Flavourless]

As far as I am concerned no nerf needed.
SCBs are fine as they are.

They are extremely useful for loners like me who have to face multiple opponents.
They are a godsend in CZs, because they enable me to have fun there for a much longer time.

Why do so many players expect to be able to compete with superior enemies?
This includes a cruiser surviving against a squadron of organised fighters. Not credible.
How is it fun to be invulnerable? Especially by invoking a magic spell that has no justification in game lore?
SCBs are like a crude infinite lives hack, but provided by the developers to satisfy the needs of the shallow pew-pew'ers. Travesty.

 

[Soliluna]

You are right and they going to keep poping up until they fix it, I don't understand how other people don't see a problem with SCB stacking? I play the to be competive and to have fun not getting annoyed by broken mechanics. A multi purpose ship is stronger than a dedicated fighter because shields last longer, I have a problem with that.

They have plans to change them - looting and crafting I think they said it would change.

Until then, ramming speed + plasma accelerators?

 

[SkipRat]

SCB have made combat boring. The ships are all setup the same, just SCB, with variations of pulse, beam and burst lazers.

It is a bit joke now, it is a war of attrition and not so much skill.

Combat should be about rock, paper, scissors as not one setup should be able to dominate another, the should be no ultimate setup, but there is. It's all very samey and boring.

Of course, you will get those who exploit it most complaining that it is another nerf, but it's not, it's called balancing.

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They have plans to change them - looting and crafting I think they said it would change.

Until then, ramming speed + plasma accelerators?

Looting and crafting is the last thing this game needs.

Whoever come up with this idea needs to be shot.

 

[Commander Biscuit]

Nerfing isn't the best idea, since you have the pvp meta nerfing stuff which is balanced in pve. As a pver it's never fun getting nerfed because some part of pvp frustrates players.

I suggest instead a counter to the SCBs instead of nerfing them. Something smart players can exploit to their advantage. Ship building meta for pvp might change a bit, but npcs with their randomized loadouts would mean pve wouldn't be too frustrating all the time also.

 

[Flavourless]

Tired of hearing about SCBs. Wish people would shut up about it already.

If the disease is treated the patient stops complaining.

 

[Soliluna]

SCB have made combat boring. The ships are all setup the same, just SCB, with variations of pulse, beam and burst lazers.

It is a bit joke now, it is a war of attrition and not so much skill.

Combat should be about rock, paper, scissors as not one setup should be able to dominate another, the should be no ultimate setup, but there is. It's all very samey and boring.

Of course, you will get those who exploit it most complaining that it is another nerf, but it's not, it's called balancing.

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Looting and crafting is the last thing this game needs.

Whoever come up with this idea needs to be shot.

I like the idea, some more variance of modules would be good... tbh I'm sold on anything that gives me blue lasers.

What the game desperately needs is ammo internals though, I want to use rail guns and frag cannons etc in PVE without having to go back to the station every ten minutes.

 

[Agent2090]

SCB stacking have made PvP more boring than anything. I've pretty much given up on attempting any form of PvP in this game since it all usually boils down to "who can keep their shields up the longest, then run away when they go down".

I have no problem with SCBs. But make them the same as the shield generator in that you can only have one on the ship. At least then people would run away after 4 recharges rather than 20. Would save a lot of time.

 

[Soopyyy]

SCB stacking have made PvP more boring than anything. I've pretty much given up on attempting any form of PvP in this game since it all usually boils down to "who can keep their shields up the longest, then run away when they go down".

I have no problem with SCBs. But make them the same as the shield generator in that you can only have one on the ship. At least then people would run away after 4 recharges rather than 20. Would save a lot of time.

Its always been about who can keep their shields longest. As for the number of charges, you realise as the SCB gets smaller the charge gets weaker right?

 

[Kastor]

Its always been about who can keep their shields longest. As for the number of charges, you realise as the SCB gets smaller the charge gets weaker right?

This is new to me. References and evidence please?

 

[Dubber]

Please don't question my skills without doing proper research it really offends me a lot, especially when I could hold my own. Also, you talk about Chaff nerfing but you forget to mention is under Utility mount in which SCBs belongs to. Enough said,

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ctboBgLQtDg

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZgH3kbTKfOg

Very good flying, solid stuff for Fa off

 

[Ziljan]

Rather than limiting the number or effect of SCBs, using them should make your ship massively overheat so that you can't fire your guns and you take system damage. So that if you quickly burn through a stack of SCBs without using heatsinks you should be having all kinds of system malfunctions. That would be a balanced way to go about it, imo. No nerfing, just consequences.

 

[Kastor]

Rather than limiting the number or effect of SCBs, using them should make your ship massively overheat so that you can't fire your guns and you take system damage. So that if you quickly burn through a stack of SCBs without using heatsinks you should be having all kinds of system malfunctions. That would be a balanced way to go about it, imo. No nerfing, just consequences.

Given how many variables are involved in heat it might just cause a very slightly different meta, a python can have a LOT of heat sinks. I'd bypass the heats system and just have it do overload damage and a lot off it. I just love the idea of players pushing their ships to the limit, risking everything just for another moment of shield.

Consequences would indeed be one of the better fixes.

 

[Ziljan]

Well a python could have as many heatsinks as a DBS or an Asp, any other ship with 4 utility slots. Sandro has talked about adding new types of malfunctions. In 1.4, I've already experienced an FSD malfunction when my drive was around 53%, meaning that it took me about 3 tries to actually engage my FSD, so I was a sitting duck for about 15-20 seconds.

 

[Endziel]

They were already nerfed. Stop crying and git gud.

 

[Kastor]

Well a python could have as many heatsinks as a DBS or an Asp, any other ship with 4 utility slots. Sandro has talked about adding new types of malfunctions. In 1.4, I've already experienced an FSD malfunction when my drive was around 53%, meaning that it took me about 3 tries to actually engage my FSD, so I was a sitting duck for about 15-20 seconds.

OH RIGHT... it's the FDL which has more. (which is why it makes so much sence to me to make SCBs utility slots, only the FDL: a prime combat ship and the Annaconda: a literal frigate can be super tanky that way.)

 

[Soopyyy]

This is new to me. References and evidence please?

Ah dude, an A3 SCB doesn't go close to doing the same recharge as an A6. That's why you need to stack them.

 

[Kastor]

Ah dude, an A3 SCB doesn't go close to doing the same recharge as an A6. That's why you need to stack them.

Ah I misunderstood, I thought you were implying that individual SCBs get worse the more times they are used (would also be a good balancing system when combined with a few of the others).

With that in mind though you point seems less relevant given the python can easily stack 4 class 5s, which gives it 20 charges, just as Agent2090 said, no need for class threes to make his point. 20 shield recharges in a fight is gratuitous at best, the fact that you could stack even more if you filled out the smaller slots sickens me, reduced recharge values or no.

 

[Asphine Nytrix]

Hmmm I'm using SCB alot and I would not call for nerf. But when I saw this post.... yeah I agree, the fights are about Who got more SCB.

So solution:
First buff shields of bigger ships ( Anaconda simply has to withstand damage. It is a size of an aircraft carrier for god sake. If one vulture can strip shield in few sec then that's incredibly bad ) > remove SCB stacking. Make Armor as an tank option. The game will be great.

 

[jonny taco]

There needs to be some hard limits on the total number of cell banks allowed to be fit to a ship that varies based mainly on ship size. The truth is that things become far more reasonable when people are using between 2-4 cell banks instead of 6-7+. Just to put things in perspective... A combat conda loaded with almost all cell banks has a total potential effective hit point value at 4 sys pips of over 24,000... A python can easily be over 13,000 as well... If a conda was limited to lets say 5 cell banks, and the python to 4, these values drastically change.

 

[Swifty]

I dont mind this idea at all.. rep for you sir!

I had an idea to fix this and make the game more awesome. Make missiles a counter for scb.

Change missiles to make good damage against shields but keep their current hull damage and ammo count. (Shield damage buff for torpepos too).

Current meta for outfitting is to take as many shield boosters as possible. But with buffed missiles youd have to think how to protect your shields. With pointdefturret and ecm of course!

It would make outfitting so much more exciting. Currently outfitting is like playing rock-paper-scissors without the scissors. Its so easy now to make a ship which counters everything. Just put shields and lasers.

But buffed missiles wouldnt be op because there would be plenty of counters for it.

ECM: if there is missiles coming at you, release ecm and evade missiles.

Point defence turret: this would need a small nerf. Decrease the accuracy close to multicannon and make them work like turrets with halfsphere field of view. Meaning that you would need 2 of them to protect yourself fully.

Chaff(new): if you use chaff you cannot be targeted but fired missiles continues chasing.

Silent running: cannot be targeted but fired missiles continues chasing. But they have decreased accuracy.

Speed: just runaway from it.

There would much more diversity for outfitting ships. All types of ships would be good but the traditional scb shieldega booster ship wouldnt be king.

You might just be on to something there, it seems so simple, perhaps it is... just make missiles dangerous...