It is funny, all I see are powers that indirectly make Escorts even more powerful.
The only way around this is to set the powers to not affect Escorts and Destroyers of any type....
Actually no. The escorts get protected by he cruiser and become more tanky. So it's an actual incentive to attack the TANK in PvP to break the protection and destroy the other smaller ships.
I wouldn't mind if they reduce the innate resilience of escorts though to further promote this mechanic.
Very interesting. Particular if you group like a couple of Regents together, each one running something separate, get three very scary ships. Pity the Gal-X is technically a dreadnought though, so one more reason not to fly it, but definitely makes my Oddy happy.
Every described Command is a boost to all players that are teamed with the Cruiser that runs them, so long as they remain within range of the Command's effects. That means that a Carrier grouped up with a Cruiser that's running this Command, can benefit from the increased maneuverability.
This is a great way to encourage team work.
One day Cryptic will be free from their Perfect World overlord. Until that day comes, they will continue to pamper the whales of this game, and ignore everyone that isn't a whale.
Escorts by all rights SHOULD have the highest DPS - but that doesn't mean they're the best. just that they're good at that one thing. DPS is not the only thing that matters.
Cruisers here are going to be good at tanking and buffing. That's pretty useful - I can see an escort-heavy team dropping one of their escorts for a cruiser, just because the buffs are handy. The team as a whole is made more powerful, but escorts wouldn't be any stronger if there were no cruisers present.
You have a point. Just have to hope they make threat high enough on cruisers, that using these is enough to out do escorts...
Maybe, but on the other hand the Refit has a more tactical boff seating, which might qualify it as a battle cruiser. That's why I'm asking :P
Nope. Unless they're reinventing the wheel, it'll be done by existing ship classes.
What I don't quite understand is why the Dreadnought Cruiser only gets two comm array skills... though I guess that's to balance out its (often considered useless) Phaser Lance?
Another question: Will the auras have a visible graphics effect 100% of the time? I hope not, and that the effect is only when you activate/change a command.
It's got a 5/3 layout and it can mount dual cannons. And this Dev Blog isn't even about the Avenger, so you got those tidbits for free :P
OMG! 5 dual cannons with reduced weapon power drain!! This will give most escorts a run for their money. Hope The Avenger class is sufficinetly glass-y to balance this.
It's a standard Cruiser, since it can't use dual/quad cannons.
1.) With DHCs (and decent turn rate) available, if a Battle Cruiser wants to attract fire, all it has to do is shoot more.
2.) If a not-tank cruiser turns on Attract Fire, it deserves what it gets. Which will probably be a sound whupping.
I think you have a point. But I think the loss of ally threat reduction may prove a big liability.
Looking through this list, I think what would be more sensible instead of outright removing certain command abilities from types of cruisers would be for all cruisers to get all of these abilities but at different ranks.
Cruisers with no "special"/"exotic" base attributes get all four of these abilities at max rank.
Whereas a Battle Cruiser wants "Attract Fire", I think they should get it but in a lower ranked form. Maybe a "Lesser Attract Fire" that reduces teammate threat but which doesn't provide the personal threat bonus.
I just hope that the gfx of the comm array isn't too flashy since it's a toggle ability. If cruisers are always going to have it on, then space is going to get much more flashy than it already is. I could deal with the red circle outlines like the first pic has, but maybe make them a bit more muted.
Otherwise I love the whole concept.
Oh and Bran, just a quick note. You know how the Star Cruiser in game was changed to "Sentinel" for the new Avenger? Well the in game player ship was changed but it seems like NPC ships didn't quite get the update yet. I just fought some MU ships in CE and it there were some Avenger Class Cruisers flying around. Not sure if they were scheduled to get an update later on or if it was missed, so I just thought I'd mention it real quick.
Oh joy, another Fed ship. When is the KDF going to get some love. You guys wonder why no one plays KDF. Because you don't give two craps about them, and give all the goodies to feds. #1 reason why I haven't bought any new rommie ships, because you haven't made any effort to even the playing field with the KDF!
The D'deridex is excluded? Not even a single power? Really? Aside from the potential for a high crit chance and the battle cloak, everything about it screams lumbering beamboat support tank. Thoroughly outclassed in terms of DPS by the Scimitar, undercut by the be-hangar-bayed Ar'kif, maneuverable as a 46-inch CRT TV bolted to a dresser, it's basically left with its own survivability and some heals. This is pretty much the nail in the coffin for this ship.
I thought that the new cruiser powers were meant to in part address the fact that halfway decent teams don't actually need tanks, to help steer STO slightly away from being a DPS game. Not sure why the D'D got passed over there. It's going to be the least wanted cruiser on the battlefield. "Oh yay, our team has a cruiser. Oh no, it's a D'deridex."
The D'deridex is excluded? Not even a single power? Really? Aside from the potential for a high crit chance and the battle cloak, everything about it screams lumbering beamboat support tank. Thoroughly outclassed in terms of DPS by the Scimitar, undercut by the be-hangar-bayed Ar'kif, maneuverable as a 46-inch CRT TV bolted to a dresser, it's basically left with its own survivability and some heals. This is pretty much the nail in the coffin for this ship.
I thought that the new cruiser powers were meant to in part address the fact that halfway decent teams don't actually need tanks, to help steer STO slightly away from being a DPS game. Not sure why the D'D got passed over there. It's going to be the least wanted cruiser on the battlefield. "Oh yay, our team has a cruiser. Oh no, it's a D'deridex."
Comments
Actually no. The escorts get protected by he cruiser and become more tanky. So it's an actual incentive to attack the TANK in PvP to break the protection and destroy the other smaller ships.
I wouldn't mind if they reduce the innate resilience of escorts though to further promote this mechanic.
Maybe, but on the other hand the Refit has a more tactical boff seating, which might qualify it as a battle cruiser. That's why I'm asking :P
This is a great way to encourage team work.
You have a point. Just have to hope they make threat high enough on cruisers, that using these is enough to out do escorts...
Will be nice to have Cruisers back
Single cruiser pilots will benefit from the comm array themselves, so higher turn rate, more tanking or better power efficiency..
Think of like the drain reduction ability used by a lone beam boat. Who needs Marion?
Nope. Unless they're reinventing the wheel, it'll be done by existing ship classes.
What I don't quite understand is why the Dreadnought Cruiser only gets two comm array skills... though I guess that's to balance out its (often considered useless) Phaser Lance?
I thought I remembered reading something to benefit cruisers and science ships but this doesn't seem to mention science ships.
It's got a 5/3 layout and it can mount dual cannons. And this Dev Blog isn't even about the Avenger, so you got those tidbits for free :P
Maybe they have science specific news for science ships in an upcoming blog.
OMG! 5 dual cannons with reduced weapon power drain!! This will give most escorts a run for their money. Hope The Avenger class is sufficinetly glass-y to balance this.
But was thinking... You know the old adage if you give an inch, they'll want a mile... (if it were to be expanded to Sci down the road)..
Wouldn't it make more sense to have the Hull Regen (instead of Shield) rate boosted by these new abilities?
Down the road a Sci Equivalent could be;
1) Shield Regen
2) Stealth Sight
3) Accuracy Boost
Star Trek Online, Now with out the Trek....
Yeah that makes sense
When I like to play my fed sci it kind of urks people being its not a huge dps machine unless i switch it into the multi vector lol.
I see room for some small improvements, though:
I think you have a point. But I think the loss of ally threat reduction may prove a big liability.
Looking through this list, I think what would be more sensible instead of outright removing certain command abilities from types of cruisers would be for all cruisers to get all of these abilities but at different ranks.
Cruisers with no "special"/"exotic" base attributes get all four of these abilities at max rank.
Whereas a Battle Cruiser wants "Attract Fire", I think they should get it but in a lower ranked form. Maybe a "Lesser Attract Fire" that reduces teammate threat but which doesn't provide the personal threat bonus.
I just hope that the gfx of the comm array isn't too flashy since it's a toggle ability. If cruisers are always going to have it on, then space is going to get much more flashy than it already is. I could deal with the red circle outlines like the first pic has, but maybe make them a bit more muted.
Otherwise I love the whole concept.
Oh and Bran, just a quick note. You know how the Star Cruiser in game was changed to "Sentinel" for the new Avenger? Well the in game player ship was changed but it seems like NPC ships didn't quite get the update yet. I just fought some MU ships in CE and it there were some Avenger Class Cruisers flying around. Not sure if they were scheduled to get an update later on or if it was missed, so I just thought I'd mention it real quick.
Mine Trap Supporter
Question- what happens to the mogai set? Will it cancel it out?
I thought this new cruiser stuff is for teamplay only... my bad
Daizen - Lvl 60 Tactical - Eclipse
Selia - Lvl 60 Tactical - Eclipse
I thought that the new cruiser powers were meant to in part address the fact that halfway decent teams don't actually need tanks, to help steer STO slightly away from being a DPS game. Not sure why the D'D got passed over there. It's going to be the least wanted cruiser on the battlefield. "Oh yay, our team has a cruiser. Oh no, it's a D'deridex."
Warbirds get the 5 Quantum Singularity Powers!