Now, I do disagree on one thing: Feds shouldn't have cloak on all ships. Should be limited. I mean, almost all Klingon-designed ships have a basic cloak, but all their allied ships don't (like Orion ships, Gorn ships, etc). So not all Starfleet ships should get cloak IMO. Romulans all have cloaks because all they have ARE Romulan ships (at tier 5 of course). Lockbox ships are of course faction-free, so they don't count. But Romulans are also part of a larger, overall problem since they are several steps above everyone else.
Anyways, can't continue this anymore for now, need sleep.
Well, I never argued that all Federation ships should get a cloak. All that's really necessary is that Federation players have easy access to ships that can cloak, and not suffer arbitrary restrictions.
And all I can hope is that if Cryptic ever took a good look at the current state of cloaks in general, they would arrive at the clear solution -- giving the few Federation ships the ability to cloak that they already have, without using up (or taking away) a console slot. It's a fairly simple change that would go a long way towards keeping the Federation competitive with Romulans and Klingons.
Federation players, and KDF players for that matter, shouldn't be asked to reroll as a Romulan to stay competitive. This is why they reversed Romulan access to Fed/KDF T5 ships before, after all, so they're at least aware of how much better Romulans are than Fed/KDF.
Ideally, with this change, any ships capable of using the cloak would just get the cloaking ability. The Avenger was designed basically as a Federation Scimitar, and I wouldn't be surprised if a KDF battle cruiser with 5/3 weapons is coming in the next few months that also has a cloak. What they do with the lack of console after that is up in the air -- the Gal-X is easiest, just turn its phaser lance into a console. I'm not really going to guess what they could give the Defiant-R to replace its lost console, although I'm not convinced anything is really necessary. The built-in cloak would be good enough for me.
As I said before, the FTER is one of the few Fleet ships that doesn't receive its boost to shield modifier, and this is almost without a doubt because of the ability to use the cloaking device. In a sense, it has already given something up for the cloak -- on top of the cloak using a console slot -- and this penalty is still there even if the player opts not to use the cloak.
The price is paid, but to players that never bought the TER, they aren't getting anything in return. The FTER costs the same as any other Fleet ship, but only gets 10% more Hull and 1 more console slot. The Fleet Prometheus gains a 5th tactical console slot, on top of its 10% boost to both Hull and Shield Modifier, so it's not the 5th console slot that's holding the FTER's shields back. Without either the proper Shield Modifier boost, or a built-in Cloak, people who buy the FTER are currently getting a little ripped off.
First the new KDF ship was cancelled a few weeks before the Avenger was announced. They pushed our ship back to work on a more important ship... Maybe it's the Avenger maybe it's the Voth ship we're getting. We may get it sometime next year apparently.
The F-TER is the fastest escort in the game with the exception of the JHAS. Perhaps that's why they thought it was ok to give the F-AE the 10% boost considering it comes with a Lt.Com Sci rather than a Tac.
Perhaps the speed of the FTER doesn't make up 100% for the lack of shield but the Cloak and the speed do.
I was once DKnight1000, apparently I had taken my own name so now I'm DKnight0001. If I ask you a question it is not an insult but a genuine attempt to understand why. When I insult you I won't be discreet about it, I will be precise and to the point stupid.
The Defiant should have its cloak re-integrated as a built-in system, just like the Klingon/Romulan cloaks. It should stay a regular cloak, though.
THIS. THIS. THIS!
Maybe it should be integrated in only the fleet version to foster the idea of advancement and to keep the FSMs flowing. I could compromise here on this.
There is no freaking way the Defiant, a 5 TAC Console Escort, should have Battle Cloaks without sacrificing much, much more.
Completely agree.
But the cloak was one of if not the defining aspect to the Defiant. The D should have an integrated cloak and not some thrice be damed console. Still I will compromise and allow for the lower tier D to have the console if the Fleet version came integrated.
From a business model that continues to support both the sales aspect of needing to buy the console version first for the FSMS reduction or needing to purchase the full 4 FSMs for the jump straight to fleet. Both ways Cryptic still gets paid as it's a business and should see compensation.
First the new KDF ship was cancelled a few weeks before the Avenger was announced. They pushed our ship back to work on a more important ship... Maybe it's the Avenger maybe it's the Voth ship we're getting. We may get it sometime next year apparently.
That genuinely sucks, and the KDF have my sympathies.
The F-TER is the fastest escort in the game with the exception of the JHAS. Perhaps that's why they thought it was ok to give the F-AE the 10% boost considering it comes with a Lt.Com Sci rather than a Tac.
Perhaps the speed of the FTER doesn't make up 100% for the lack of shield but the Cloak and the speed do.
The speed/turn rate of the FTER is not really that much better than other ships of its size. The T'varo, in fact, has one point higher turn, but identical Impulse Modifier and Inertia. The Dehlan and Ha'feh have one point lower turn, but still the same base speed (and that lower turn becomes much higher thanks to the turn rate bonus in the Romulan Cloaking Device). This is true of the Fleet Advanced Escort as well, although obviously it can't cloak.
As I pointed out before, the inclusion of the Romulan faction has devalued the regular Plain Jane Cloak. The Romulan Battle Cloak is amazing, and makes them the undisputed masters of the Alpha Strike. In light of that, all I want is for the Federation to have as few restrictions on what cloaks are available to them as the KDF.
Again, I do not think the FTER needs a Battle Cloak. It's a fast, nimble, and relatively tough ship, and in PVP I am able to usually put enough distance between my enemy that I can drop combat and re-cloak; I typically run away immediately if my Alpha Strike misses or just doesn't hit as hard as I want it to, so I'm gone before my enemy even realizes something happened.
The only thing i can say to this is Fleet T'Varo that thing is a killer.
Yes, but across the board, the Romulans are overpowered to begin with. Ships, BOFFs, BOFF traits, everything. They're overpowered. They have cloaks that are superior than even the KDF BOP's Battle Cloaks, insane TAC advantage, competitive maneuverability, and pay no price at all. They have no lower shield or hull mods, no drawback at any point in their game.
To be honest, why roll Fed or KDF at all? Everything about the Roms is better. The only reason to do KDF / Fed is to specifically fly some ship model you love. That's it.
Yes, but across the board, the Romulans are overpowered to begin with. Ships, BOFFs, BOFF traits, everything. They're overpowered. They have cloaks that are superior than even the KDF BOP's Battle Cloaks, insane TAC advantage, competitive maneuverability, and pay no price at all. They have no lower shield or hull mods, no drawback at any point in their game.
To be honest, why roll Fed or KDF at all? Everything about the Roms is better. The only reason to do KDF / Fed is to specifically fly some ship model you love. That's it.
The Romulans do still trade off systems power for their gimmicky singularity abilities... but what with their boosted decloaking bonus, and the effectiveness of Romulan/Reman Boff ambush bonuses, it's still mathematically impossible for any Fed or KDF player to match the Alpha Strike of the Romulans.
Cryptic is not a company that seems to really care too much about balance, especially since they seem to flip flop between "Romulans are their own faction" and "Both Fed and KDF can have Romulans" depending on which position is more convenient for them. It's so bad that it's just not worth getting upset about.
Comments
Well, I never argued that all Federation ships should get a cloak. All that's really necessary is that Federation players have easy access to ships that can cloak, and not suffer arbitrary restrictions.
And all I can hope is that if Cryptic ever took a good look at the current state of cloaks in general, they would arrive at the clear solution -- giving the few Federation ships the ability to cloak that they already have, without using up (or taking away) a console slot. It's a fairly simple change that would go a long way towards keeping the Federation competitive with Romulans and Klingons.
Federation players, and KDF players for that matter, shouldn't be asked to reroll as a Romulan to stay competitive. This is why they reversed Romulan access to Fed/KDF T5 ships before, after all, so they're at least aware of how much better Romulans are than Fed/KDF.
There is no freaking way the Defiant, a 5 TAC Console Escort, should have Battle Cloaks without sacrificing much, much more.
The only thing i can say to this is Fleet T'Varo that thing is a killer.
First the new KDF ship was cancelled a few weeks before the Avenger was announced. They pushed our ship back to work on a more important ship... Maybe it's the Avenger maybe it's the Voth ship we're getting. We may get it sometime next year apparently.
The F-TER is the fastest escort in the game with the exception of the JHAS. Perhaps that's why they thought it was ok to give the F-AE the 10% boost considering it comes with a Lt.Com Sci rather than a Tac.
Perhaps the speed of the FTER doesn't make up 100% for the lack of shield but the Cloak and the speed do.
If I ask you a question it is not an insult but a genuine attempt to understand why.
When I insult you I won't be discreet about it, I will be precise and to the point stupid.
THIS. THIS. THIS!
Maybe it should be integrated in only the fleet version to foster the idea of advancement and to keep the FSMs flowing. I could compromise here on this.
Completely agree.
But the cloak was one of if not the defining aspect to the Defiant. The D should have an integrated cloak and not some thrice be damed console. Still I will compromise and allow for the lower tier D to have the console if the Fleet version came integrated.
From a business model that continues to support both the sales aspect of needing to buy the console version first for the FSMS reduction or needing to purchase the full 4 FSMs for the jump straight to fleet. Both ways Cryptic still gets paid as it's a business and should see compensation.
That genuinely sucks, and the KDF have my sympathies.
The speed/turn rate of the FTER is not really that much better than other ships of its size. The T'varo, in fact, has one point higher turn, but identical Impulse Modifier and Inertia. The Dehlan and Ha'feh have one point lower turn, but still the same base speed (and that lower turn becomes much higher thanks to the turn rate bonus in the Romulan Cloaking Device). This is true of the Fleet Advanced Escort as well, although obviously it can't cloak.
As I pointed out before, the inclusion of the Romulan faction has devalued the regular Plain Jane Cloak. The Romulan Battle Cloak is amazing, and makes them the undisputed masters of the Alpha Strike. In light of that, all I want is for the Federation to have as few restrictions on what cloaks are available to them as the KDF.
Again, I do not think the FTER needs a Battle Cloak. It's a fast, nimble, and relatively tough ship, and in PVP I am able to usually put enough distance between my enemy that I can drop combat and re-cloak; I typically run away immediately if my Alpha Strike misses or just doesn't hit as hard as I want it to, so I'm gone before my enemy even realizes something happened.
Yes, but across the board, the Romulans are overpowered to begin with. Ships, BOFFs, BOFF traits, everything. They're overpowered. They have cloaks that are superior than even the KDF BOP's Battle Cloaks, insane TAC advantage, competitive maneuverability, and pay no price at all. They have no lower shield or hull mods, no drawback at any point in their game.
To be honest, why roll Fed or KDF at all? Everything about the Roms is better. The only reason to do KDF / Fed is to specifically fly some ship model you love. That's it.
The Romulans do still trade off systems power for their gimmicky singularity abilities... but what with their boosted decloaking bonus, and the effectiveness of Romulan/Reman Boff ambush bonuses, it's still mathematically impossible for any Fed or KDF player to match the Alpha Strike of the Romulans.
Cryptic is not a company that seems to really care too much about balance, especially since they seem to flip flop between "Romulans are their own faction" and "Both Fed and KDF can have Romulans" depending on which position is more convenient for them. It's so bad that it's just not worth getting upset about.