Power Distributor Effects of Shield Strength.

[GraXXoR]

Just got into a discussion with an avid PvPer. He insisted that the Power Distributor influences shield strength just like pips.

i.e. a ship with everything else equal, A6 PD and 4 pips in Shields would be weaker.
i.e. a ship with everything else equal, A7 PD and 4 pips in Shields would be stronger.

(assuming your capacitor does not run dry)..

I don't think this is the case but he is adamant.

I think that the only thing that influences the strength of a shield is the number of pips.

 

[Meric]

Quick check on coriolis shows no difference.

 

[cmdr_Havalok]

I thought, and may be wrong, was that PD had no effect on Shield STR but rather on Shield Regen Rate. Vasco in Voice Attack tells me shields are for cowards in any case and he has killed a polar bear with his bare hands. I guess he would know.

 

[GraXXoR]

Quick check on coriolis shows no difference.

Which is what I assumed.. But this chap insists that the MJ power of shields takes less damage with more pips in sys (which we all agree and know) and ALSO with a bigger Power Distributor.

 

[Cynaqq]

Well, as far as I understand, the maximum shield strength depends on the shield generator class and rating, your total ship mass and an inherent shield multiplier from your hull, probably related to your surface area.

That being said, a distributor's class and rating affects its energy capacity in sys, and the rate at which the sys energy recharges. What I don't know here is if the amount of energy in sys affects how fast the shield recovers or not.

If more enrgy in sys means shields will recover faster (only recovery of the unbroken shield. Not rebooting from offline state), it can in turn mean that with a larger and better rating distributor, your shield will be able to absorb more hits before it goes offline.

This is pure speculation though. It may not have anything to do with it, in other words, shield recovery rate may be constant as long as sys isn't totally empty.

 

[Ironwolf]

The only difference a larger PD will make is the recharge time. So 4 pips will keep your shield up for longer, under the right circumstances.

 

[Meric]

Which is what I assumed.. But this chap insists that the MJ power of shields takes less damage with more pips in sys (which we all agree and know) and ALSO with a bigger Power Distributor.

Having no power in your capacitor will definitely prevent/slow your shields from reforming, so a bigger distributor will allow your shield to recharge quicker without having pips to shields. Not heard of any effect on strength though.

 

[GraXXoR]

Having no power in your capacitor will definitely prevent/slow your shields from reforming, so a bigger distributor will allow your shield to recharge quicker without having pips to shields. Not heard of any effect on strength though.

Agreed and agreed.

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The only difference a larger PD will make is the recharge time. So 4 pips will keep your shield up for longer, under the right circumstances.

I'm sorry, there is no indication that the PD affects recharge times. Except obviously in the case when the system capacitor is completely drained.

Could you perhaps quote a source?

 

[777Driver]

I'm sorry, there is no indication that the PD affects recharge times. Except obviously in the case when the system capacitor is completely drained.

That is correct, unless something recently changed. Regarding your initial post, distributer has no effect on shield strength. With all that being said, I can't see why anybody would want to fly with anything but the best distributer, the positives more than outweigh the negatives.

 

[Nerwan]

That is correct, unless something recently changed. Regarding your initial post, distributer has no effect on shield strength. With all that being said, I can't see why anybody would want to fly with anything but the best distributer, the positives more than outweigh the negatives.

Hmm, there is a limited circumstance in which it can effect shield recharge time though. On the diddy ships, the shields can actually draw more than the distributor can provide (especially with bi-weaves) so the distributor size would in effect gate the speed at which the shield rechard occurs. I'm not sure at what point that effect becomes negated, probably around the size 3 distributor I'd have thought. Although distributors were recently balanced, they used to provide more MJ to weap than they did to eng/sys and now I think the eng/sys MJ has been buffed so that they're the same as weap.

 

[Truesilver]

He insisted that the Power Distributor influences shield strength just like pips.

I have never before heard or read this proposition. I don't pretend to be an authority but I have an avid interest in the game's damage mechanisms and would be surprised if it had passed me by.

It could of course be tested in 10 mins (2 players, same ships, one laser, vid, note shield dps, swap out for diddy PD on target vessel, do again with same pips) and I would do but can't ... cuz ... RNGineers.

 

[Riverside]

With all that being said, I can't see why anybody would want to fly with anything but the best distributer, the positives more than outweigh the negatives.

Mass/Jump range. I use lower mass power distributors on large (non combat oriented) ships. An Anaconda with an A6 distro will still be able to boost continually, fire some weapons etc. For combat I would agree.

 

[askavir]

I have no data or proof whatsoever so I can't really say if PD affects shield power or not.

However, on the outfitting screen, PD's display values that increase with size/class for both systems recharge and systems capacity. How or if this affects shield strenght, or shield durability, I don't know.

 

[Nerwan]

I have no data or proof whatsoever so I can't really say if PD affects shield power or not.

However, on the outfitting screen, PD's display values that increase with size/class for both systems recharge and systems capacity. How or if this affects shield strenght, or shield durability, I don't know.

Many get confused about how this works (I did a while back). Your SYS is like a bucket, recharge fills the bucket faster, capacity is the size of the bucket. However, your shields will charge from what's available from that bucket at a constant rate no matter what ship your in or how big or fast charging the bucket is. The only thing that does make a difference is if you have bi-weaves (or mods now I guess).

 

[Vasious]

Maybe he got confused with PiPs in shields....

 

[GraXXoR]

Thank you, everyone, for putting my mind at rest. After a lengthy "heated" discussion with him yesterday, during which I began to wonder why I get so stubborn about my position at times, I suddenly thought... What if they changed something in 2.1. and he didn't know that it was a "new" feature. Since I'm out of the bubble I have no way of testing any of the new mechanics yet... Oh except the one where I have to turn off bloom, blur and ambient occlusion in order to actually see my Asp's dashboard in bright starlight.

Aaaaanyway, It seems that I was right, which I'm happy for because I have a reputation to keep up for only ever arguing about facts and figures that I actually know about ;-)

Although this post is not proof, it is rather clear in the point it makes... So I shall point him in this direction and see if he still wants to argue.

Once again, thanks commanders!
May your weapons' capacitors never run dry!

 

[babelfisch]

The only difference a larger PD will make is the recharge time.

Recharge time is a fixed value AFAIK, it can't be influenced, unless you are talking about running out of juice.

 

[crushdepth]

If you stick an oversized biweave on an iCourier it will suck your capacitor dry when it gets damaged, unless you allocate more than two pips to keep up with the recharge rate.

So distributor may affect your capacity to keep the shield up under an extended period of fire (because in this example it forces you to divert pips away from wep and eng and if you can't sys will drain out) but it does not directly make the shield stronger.

 

[kofeyh]

That is correct, unless something recently changed. Regarding your initial post, distributer has no effect on shield strength. With all that being said, I can't see why anybody would want to fly with anything but the best distributer, the positives more than outweigh the negatives.

The pips do not affect strength, but do affect damage penalty applied against damage to shields. Unless this has been fixed, 4 pips to shields roughly halves damage values; however 3 pips is considerably less, to the point that it is only a few percent above 2, which is only a few percent above 1, which is only a few percent above zero.

So; this is why I encourage 4 pips to SYS when optioning a 'brave sir robin'; despite the natural action to be 4 pips to engines. It can be the difference between surviving, and not; if you high-wake then pips to engines becomes redundant, as this doesn't achieve anything to expedite an exit.

Coriolis doesn't show this because the developer keeps forgetting this is even a thing and hasn't got around to fixing it to be more linear. It's more like a cliff.

So; 4 pips to SYS when expediting an exit. You're welcome.

 

[GraXXoR]

You're welcome.

But yes, I was using "makes shields stronger" in a rather loose fashion, in that strong things are harder to damage than weak things...

Don't mention it.