First off, let's go with the actual broken mechanics.
Through testing, it has been determined that the 10% energy resist is broken and it's actually granting far more, somewhere within the 50-75% range. For more detailed information and the hard data on testing, check the PvP forums.
Now for the technical aspect of it.
The MACO shield is basically a Resilient [Cap]x4 shield with a [Pla] modifier, a never-before-seen 10% all energy resist modifier, and a bonus proc of +2 energy (stacking) when taking all damage. That gives it a total of 7 modifiers.
The maximum modifier for any other non-set shield is 3. By giving MACO 7, it more than doubles what is available elsewhere. Sure, the argument can be made that you have to grind for the shield so it's ok that it's slightly better, but that's 1 extra modifier at most. Not 4.
Foxrocks does an excellent write -up and comparison here.
By doing so, all other non-grind gear is immediately invalidated. The exception being the Breen (even the Aegis you have to grind for dilithium to craft with), but the Breen is horribly underpowered and those Resilient Shields don't even come close to being half of what the MACO are.
Even compared to the other STF sets (Borg, Omega, KHG), the MACO shields are by far the best. As it stands now, MACO and 3 pieces of the Borg set (which actually got an indirect buff...) are now standard issue for PvP. It's destroying gear diversity.
Disclaimer: Let's avoid the whole "You just don't want to adapt" speech. This is not an issue of that. The shields are quite clearly broken mechanically , they're giving far higher of a resist than they should be. That's only part of the problem. The issue is that it's far superior to every other shield, such that using any other shield is putting yourself at a disadvantage.
Comments
Regarding the rest of your case, non-grind gear is the path to grind gear. So of course a captain will outgrow them. Frankly I think that is at it should be. My first car was a clunker - I eventually worked my way to a nice convertible. The clunker remains a clunker (well actually it is probably a brick of steel somewhere).
If anything this is an argument to beef up the Omega and KHG. The Borg set is ridiculously easy to get, especially for its benefits.
Anyway, to the core point it's a no brainer to agree that it should be fixed if the MACO shield is behaving contrary to posted stats.
While it is certainly nice, the extra cap on the XI vs the X is certainly not worth twice the grind (imo).
MACO is pretty much the best shield you can get for STFs. You want Resilients with as high of a Cap and as much [Pla] resist as you can get
I only have one piece of MK XII and that is Omega. Omega does nothing for me as an engineer in a fleet escort.
But not to derail. Your core point seems to be PvP diversity which, tbh, is a never ending battle. It is a balance between 100% diversity so every EQ is the same as the other, or rock/paper/scissors where the fun is finding combinations fewer players can counter. For over two decades most games choose to favor the latter. Sometimes severely. Because most PvPrs are min/max at heart.
Are you calling my Aegis set a clunker?
(I remember when it was the hottest hotcake in the bakery)
The Klingon equivalent to MACO is the Honor Guard shield. It's a Covariant Shield with a proc that placates (Jam Sensors) your enemy for 1-2 seconds and provides a -25% accuracy debuff on them. Perfect for escaping Tractors and Tachyon Beams.
Before at least you'd see some people going 2 Aegis/2Borg or 3 Borg, with different shield/deflector combos. Now, if you're not using MACO and 3 Borg, you're just handicapping yourself.
Maybe not a clunker but I ain't driving it now...
I really wish the MACO Graviton Beam had some decent repel. Even a probe just kind of blinks at me when I try to push it and then keeps on rolling. The damage is supposed to be half the Spinal Lance but I doubt that (I'm hitting with both). Yeah I can see how that would be the case. IMO though the problem is the Borg set is just too easy to get now. It is more of a grind to collect Aegis components than the salvage for a full Borg set. I honestly thought Cryptic would make the Borg set more grindy for F2P - I shook my head when I realized nope, Borg sets for everyone with purchase of a cup of coffee.
This. Exactly this. Klingon Honor Guard or the Omega Force shield are decent, but not MACO style.
For 30 EDC's and one mission you can have the 3 piece borg and MK X MACO and considerably increase your ships capabilities. No need to wait for MK XI. The increase from X to XI is just a small increment compared to the huge gap between MACO and anything else.
Of course I have sets of them. It just sucks the fun right the hell out of PvP. I now fight two types of opponents. Those that blow up, and those that don't. And it takes about five seconds tops to tell who is who. Sustained ability to take damage and sustained periods of high speed maneuvers are combining to put escorts solidly in the lead over the other ship classes.
So sure the bug you pointed out certainly needs to be fixed. In addition you made note that the MACO shield invalidates all other gear. Indeed it does.
On a side note have you tried the 2 piece Breen with the MACO shield? Are you going for increased Torpedo output? I don't feel overpowered enough yet today so I need ideas.
If the MACO shield is clearly broken (and it is), why would any recommendation for a change - other than fixing whatever bug is in the shield - be wise at this time? There is no evidence the MACO shield has ever worked properly, so without a single test you want to now recommend changes? Come on dude...
How about Cryptic fixes the shield, testers then test, and we see what is what then?
When it comes to the sets, Federation specific sets should get better bonuses with shields and Klingon players should get better bonuses to engines, because those are the strengths of the races. As things are right now, the Federation has a broken shield providing an insane shield resist bonus, and Klingons have a correctly working Engine that has a very powerful bonus.
Here is a safe bet. Once the MACO shield is fixed, no one will be complaining the MACO shield is OP - and people might complain it is not strong enough (and people absolutely will complain that they lost their god mode). At that point, PvP people will be whining the Klingon KHG set is OP. Why? Because KHG is currently working properly and really damn good.
If your point is, like Foxrocks, that the Sets are too powerful... then I disagree. Sets are supposed to be better than their counterparts at the same level, that is the nature of special items. A better argument would be that the Breen and AEGIS set are not strong enough relative to similar level counterparts. That isn't your argument though, is it?
Is the Fed MACO set damn good when it is properly working? Nobody knows, and no one could possibly know, because it has never, ever been tested.
Lets put the horse before the cart for a change with MACO, because right now calling for changes to MACO shield before any testing is truly the definition of silliness.
Just get your mako shield if its so good, 40 stf's (20 on stf-day, or 10 elits) and you have it, takes you 2.5 hours...
So fixing broken game mechanics or faulty programming is nerfing?
Where you fall on that kind of mentality is precisely what separates people who can develop games from people who just play games.
Heres a hint, anyone who cries when a fair balance pass is asked for/made does not fall on the development side of the line.
Really? Did you not read the OP at all? This is not a PvP or PvE issue. It's an issue of broken mechanics.
Furthermore, I don't see how this is taking anything away from anyone. ALL gear is obtained via PvE.
I would but klingons cant get it...and thats the real problem,that a faction has no access to the BiS(best in slot) shield
No, the realy problem is that the MACO shield is totally borked.
Nobody really knows if it needs work, because at the minute, all it is is a 75% resist shield with 5% bleedthrough and +10 to all power levels. On paper even the MACO looks strong. Cross faction, on paper, it looks like +10 to all power levels and 10% energy resist vs proc for a 1 sec placate and a 25% accuracy debuff (Anybody know if there's an internal CD on this proc?)
Well considering how nasty the NPC's in STO are to fight and how OP they are, even at Normal setting, I can see why some would be upset over losing the "unkillable" mantle that allows them to finally fight those same OP NPCs on a way more than even footing while making coffee, compiling thier taxes, etc, etc.
I mean doesn't a near constant 75% shield resist cap in combat make sense? We never saw the Enterprise lose 100% shields did we, the Defiant never went below 100% shields, Voyager was nigh-unkillable and kept full shields at all times. If we did I'm sure it was a script error.
/sarcasm off
I believe its 1-2 seconds and like ApB will follow whom you target.
Squeeeeeeee
/littlegirl
Glad to hear it.
anyway, yeah, the MACO shields have an accidental bonus to them. it'll be fixed and changed, so it'll be good, but not must-have anyway.
Perfect!
/10char
http://forums.startrekonline.com/showthread.php?p=3971378#post3971378
They removed an extra cap and fixed it's broken 90% shield resist... it's still more powerful than any other shield available, and that's a nerf?
:eek: So you lived in Escort Nirvana?
What was it like?!
Was it as glorious as they say?
i have done so many STF's i dream about them....and truth is i wouldnt have worked so hard for 2 full sets with those stats...i feel robbed,,,i would have just stuck with aegis...so what now...they nerf aegis?...lol
The MACO is still the most powerful, and consequently most desirable, shield in the game.
Or did you think that because you grinded STFs (just like everyone else had to), you deserved a broken God Mode?
Considering the amount of people I have seen complain about not being invincible in-game anymore, I would say yes.