More than two words: Most ships don't have a large hardpoint.
Balance issues with combat that I've noticed
- Thread starter Johnny Spaceboots
- Start date
Remiel
Banned
You remind of kids back in the day on the Bungie forums complaining about rocket launchers being OP because "I can never get one before the other team does!" despite both teams having equal opportunity to do so.
Piloting skill absolutely does need to be factored in to balancing, because someone needs to determine whether or not a player is complaining about 'x' being OP because it's actually OP, or because the complainer just sucks.
I've never even had a ship with a large hardpoint.
This is why I'm not particularly worried about SCBs. If a handful of skilled pilots can survive for twenty minutes in a fight they could otherwise just automatically disengage from, it's not a big deal.
The OP in this case seems to be a competent pilot...but most people aren't. A mediocre pilot with SCBs is just as dead as one without them, and good pilot without SCBs can still escape or find a way to prevail over the mediocre player more often than not.
PvE balance is not affected that much because the NPCs have been using SBCs since late Beta 2, and the higher rank ones use them fairly competently now. Fights have the same outcome, they just take a little longer (which admittedly is not necessarily a good thing).
This would require protracted observation and testing to even begin to quantify.
Which means it's difficult to take into account, not irrelevant.
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there's so much wrong with this metaphor I don't even know where to start. I think the most important thing is that everyone saying that Shield Cells are OP uses Shield Cells. The people who get stomped in PVP by shield cell spam by and large don't know enough about the game to even mount shield cells. This isn't even a game where one side uses shield cells and the other doesn't!
In any case, the only skill involved in shield cells is that required to setup a hotkey for their use. Potion chugging is not a new mechanic and the dangers of it are straightforward and known.
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This sounds like conjecture, do you know this for certain, have you tested it? My money is on no.
Either way "A good pilot" isn't a valid quantifier, what is a good pilot?
All things being equal which is the only way you can balancing something, a Cobra with 1 shield will loose the vast majority of the time to a cobra with over 30 shields.
Why is this so hard for people to grasp.
PvE balance is effected when you can literally facetank the most powerful PvE ship in the game.
You do have to know when to use them, because you can't use another until the first one finishes charging, and if you use them too early or late it's wasted. Too late is especially harmful, as your shield fails anyway, and you get next to no benefit from the SCB.
You mean like rolling an explosion result on the potion compatibility table in the AD&D Dungeon Master's Guide?
I've shot down more than a few CMDRs who still had SCBs left when their ships exploded. Some of them I caught on video and can see exactly what they did wrong.
I've escaped from countless more CMDRs, once I realized the encounter was not likely to go my way, without needing to expend any SCBs.
Because it's not necessarily true. It's not necessarily true because there are weapons and tactics that can render SCBs mostly useless when used by most people and because an SCB module that isn't in a position to recharge a shield is dead weight with negative consequences.
Someone who doesn't die when I make a concerted effort to kill them.
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That has got to be one of the most conceited posts I have read in a while.
First, no one's going to balance a game around you, the ego it takes to suggest that only people who can beat "you" are considered good pilots is quite revealing of your character.
Second, since there are so many different ways to beat SCB spam, please enlighten us. You seem to think you know what your talking about so tell us.
It's 130am here, I am going to bed, your response isn't even worth me waiting to see.
First, no one's going to balance a game around you, the ego it takes to suggest that only people who can beat "you" are considered good pilots is quite revealing of your character.
Second, since there are so many different ways to beat SCB spam, please enlighten us. You seem to think you know what your talking about so tell us.
It's 130am here, I am going to bed, your response isn't even worth me waiting to see.
Remiel
Banned
No, this metaphor is perfect, because what's good for one is good for all. ie, everyone has the same ability to fit that everyone else has, just like everyone has the same access to the rocket launcher. I use shield cells too by the way, and I'm saying they're not OP. Based on what I hear you ask? I've had both players and NPCs bust my shields down before I had a chance to use one, and I've busted through them myself. And I'm sorry, but there's a bit more skill involved in using them than just setting a hotkey. They do require ammo, so ammo conservation is a key element to not wasting them - knowing when to use them, and when not to, is a skill believe it or not.
I'm sure there are plenty of players right now who are using them and thinking they can permatank everything just by spamming shields, but, that's only because they haven't come up against anything that's actually hard yet. And don't make like the elite Anacondas are hard. The AI, is good as it is at times, is still AI and incredibly predictable. When you've fought one, you've fought them all.
The problem is with pvp in every game, people just think about how can they use exploits/bugs. Not playing how the game is designed. And skill... really.... so proud of your skill with mouse/controller? Brag how you skilled are in a game? Dont be so high, and come down to earth mousefighters.... you dont have ANY skills just because you can handle your controller in a game..... bigmouths.... are you kids or something?
Remiel
Banned
If you ever find yourself in a fair fight, someone has dun goofed.
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Look up the definition of exploit and bug, and tell me how that applies here please. And before getting jealous of your betters, at least know what controllers we're using first - my 'mouse' is actually a Logitech Attack3 joystick. Cheap, reliable, gets the job done nicely. That plus the keyboard and I have literally all I need to fly quite well.
I agree with this post^^
Balance should never be based on pvp, unless the game is all pvp based.
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You are wrong on this account. I have a video of a Viper taking down my shields in a Cobra equipped with a shield cell bank. He was loosing the fight right up to the point he managed to get my shields down. The enemy Viper never had cell banks.
I'd let you run away if you looked like you were trying to. Maybe you're fighting similar players.
5 class 2 rail guns will get through SCB spam.
3 Class 3 fixed beams with 2 Class 2 fixed beams will also get through.
To be fair generally PvP is not a slugfest to the death, so SCBs don't play the leading part but they can certainly have a crucial effect on the outcome of the battle if it goes Mexican..
Speed is really important as people tend to do a runner when they get ambushed by superior situational awareness and heavy firepower.
Its all well and good having a zillion SCBs but if you cant catch your prey then they are dead weight.
3 Class 3 fixed beams with 2 Class 2 fixed beams will also get through.
To be fair generally PvP is not a slugfest to the death, so SCBs don't play the leading part but they can certainly have a crucial effect on the outcome of the battle if it goes Mexican..
Speed is really important as people tend to do a runner when they get ambushed by superior situational awareness and heavy firepower.
Its all well and good having a zillion SCBs but if you cant catch your prey then they are dead weight.
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Beams are probably the worst energy weapon type in the game. They do the least damage, heat up the fastest and they use the most power.
They just do the most damage in a single strike because it's continuous but the heating means they have low dps.
Remiel
Banned
The problem with that thought process is, some people LOOK like they're trying to run away, but they actually intend to kill you.