Tech Broker modules to be engineerable

[Crimson Kaim]

Possible new types of engineers could be added but as it stands now, ALL tech broker modules are simply not competetive for their respective G5 counterparts. A a guardian shield pack is much less viable than an evenly seized HRP.
A Shock cannon is far less viable than a multicannon and the flechette is not viable at all against anything that is not a big ship.

Most importantly most suffer from urgent lack of ammo. The total damage (assuming 100% shot accuracy and no falloff damage reduction) is usually not enough to grind through more than 5 NPCs or a *single* engineered CMDR ship.
Even a Python with 5 shock cannons could not grind through a prismatic Python's or FDL's shields with SCBs ... even with a feedback cascade, which reduces total damage and is purely situational.

Thus, basic blueprints like high cap mod or overcharged or generally increasing the viability of the modules that do have counterparts (which excludes the FSD booster for example). Maybe add basic secondary effects like oversized, smart rounds or the like as well.

But as it stands now they can't compete due to lack of access to engineers.

 

[[VR] Goooost]

I really want a tech broker engineer and my suggestion was putting it in colonia with some other worthwhile unlock process. Engineering special weapons should be one of the most challenging things in the game.

 

[foxoplasma]

I really want a tech broker engineer and my suggestion was putting it in colonia with some other worthwhile unlock process. Engineering special weapons should be one of the most challenging things in the game.

Full offense, but i would riot if any exclusive engineering was EVER put in colonia.

 

[[Diplomacy] Carnegie]

Possible new types of engineers could be added but as it stands now, ALL tech broker modules are simply not competetive for their respective G5 counterparts. A a guardian shield pack is much less viable than an evenly seized HRP.
A Shock cannon is far less viable than a multicannon and the flechette is not viable at all against anything that is not a big ship.

Most importantly most suffer from urgent lack of ammo. The total damage (assuming 100% shot accuracy and no falloff damage reduction) is usually not enough to grind through more than 5 NPCs or a *single* engineered CMDR ship.
Even a Python with 5 shock cannons could not grind through a prismatic Python's or FDL's shields with SCBs ... even with a feedback cascade, which reduces total damage and is purely situational.

Thus, basic blueprints like high cap mod or overcharged or generally increasing the viability of the modules that do have counterparts (which excludes the FSD booster for example). Maybe add basic secondary effects like oversized, smart rounds or the like as well.

But as it stands now they can't compete due to lack of access to engineers.

I was under the (possibly mistaken) impression that Tech Broker items were meant to be an alternative to engineered equipment - better than stock, but without the materials grind. An alternative path to superior equipment - a 'personal narrative', if you will
Making them engineerable would probably make them OP and consequently 'must have' items, which I don't think was FDev's plan.

That said, it certainly seems like they could do with a buff to make them more comparable to G5 engineered kit.
Or maybe two levels of each item - basic and enhanced - with higher requirements for the enhanced gear?

 

[metatheurgist]

Agree with the ammo on shock cannons but you don't need engineering to fix that, just increase the ammo.

I dunno why you're comparing Shield packs to HRP, I'd have thought you'd be comparing GHRP. I think those guardian mods aren't supposed to be better for general use they're supposed to be for specific purpose like getting the extra caustic resist. Sure I'm not a fan of guardian mods being a millstone for anything other than thargoid combat but again you don't need engineering to fix that.

Being able engineer some of the guardian mods would be seriously OP.

 

[Crimson Kaim]

I really want a tech broker engineer and my suggestion was putting it in colonia with some other worthwhile unlock process. Engineering special weapons should be one of the most challenging things in the game.

Placing it in colonia would be annoying instead of challenging. Killing a medusa as a basic unlock criteria would be more of a challenge.

 

[Crimson Kaim]

I was under the (possibly mistaken) impression that Tech Broker items were meant to be an alternative to engineered equipment - better than stock, but without the materials grind. An alternative path to superior equipment - a 'personal narrative', if you will
Making them engineerable would probably make them OP and consequently 'must have' items, which I don't think was FDev's plan.

That said, it certainly seems like they could do with a buff to make them more comparable to G5 engineered kit.
Or maybe two levels of each item - basic and enhanced - with higher requirements for the enhanced gear?

Sando said he is planning blueprints for tech modules but without secondary effects (well without something like cascades or the like).
But as they stand now the have barely any benefit but come with huge tradeoffs. Simply not viable in neither, PvE or PvP or a coorperative gameplay. Only the FSD booster and the gauss cannon are viable as they are something completely new and don't compete their rolls with existing modules like the shock cannon does with the multicannon.
A guardian powerplant or distro is worse than a human distro.

Also, there is still a material grind to unlock them. Why else would I be farming sentinels and scanning obelisks right now?

 

[Crimson Kaim]

Agree with the ammo on shock cannons but you don't need engineering to fix that, just increase the ammo.

I dunno why you're comparing Shield packs to HRP, I'd have thought you'd be comparing GHRP. I think those guardian mods aren't supposed to be better for general use they're supposed to be for specific purpose like getting the extra caustic resist. Sure I'm not a fan of guardian mods being a millstone for anything other than thargoid combat but again you don't need engineering to fix that.

Being able engineer some of the guardian mods would be seriously OP.

No, a basic HRP gives you approxmately 22% more EFFECTIVE hitpoints vs thargoids than a caustic resistant build. No way you turn it there will ever be a reason to go for meta or guardian hull packs. The raw amount of hitpoints you get plus resistances exceeds the benefit from tech modules. They are worse in all aspects compared to a G5 counterpart.

 

[Ian Doncaster]

I wonder if they're *intended* to be particularly comparable, though.

Engineering is - despite all the streamlining - still a relatively slow process. You need to:
- meet the invitation requirements for an engineer (may involve gaining several ranks)
- meet the unlock requirements for an engineer (usually not too much)
- buy base (probably A-rated) modules
- collect materials and apply blueprints each time

Tech brokers, on the other hand, you need to:
- collect materials for blueprint once
- buy modules

It's a much quicker and more effective process which can at least theoretically be done in a slightly modified noobwinder on day 1. Viewed as a way to allow beginning players to get modules which are good enough to fight Thargoids with, which can then be replaced later with high-end engineered modules, it makes sense that they're better than stock items but worse than engineered.