Why would players want to be like that? It doesn't make any sense. I'd think that players just want to play with their pals without a big grind wall. If I'm wrong, I'd like to at least understand why.
those that don't like the challenge are just lazy, I started playing last year, took a break during my college semester, came back for LoR and guess what? I have not complained about the game having so many rep systems, infact I was overjoyed about it. It meant that the game was not stagnant
We are the Borg. Existence as you know it is over. Lower your shields and surrender your ships. We will add your biological and technological distinctiveness to our own. Your culture will adapt to service us. Resistance is futile.
What's important to me is pushing my abilities and skills? Is that valuable, yes. It's valuable in real life also. I would love to get to the point to do all space STF's alone with no help except the Hive. I think it's possible. To do so, I will need every single buff and passive skill available. Which I worked for by grinding the rep system.
Overall goal, beat the STF's. Pit my Ha'feh class against a Tactical Cube, Unimatrix, patrol of Tactical Cube/Sphere, Voth Dreadnought, Scimitar, and JHAS and beating every single one of them including the Undine super ship.
I have to laugh at your posts. You want to be the best of the best... at killing NPCs with some of the dumbest AI in the history of gaming. STO's AI enemies are almost Ascendancy-level stupid (I was good at that game, too, lol)
I wonder if you entered the pug PvP queue, if you'd be dead 15 times in half as many minutes. But 1st in damage! lol
Thing is, I do understand how the present system would, in time, become unfair even in that regard.
If, after 8 reputations maxed, I had access to 32 passives in space, that could be a bit too much of a gap between myself and a newly minted VA.
So, some future proofing is required.
We can argue all day about what should have been done, and whether or not the issue should have been foreseen, but you start from where you are not where you think you should have been.
That all said, the proposed change as stated doesn't actually work.
After my theoretical 8 reps, when I have a pool of 32 passives to choose 4 from, I get to select four to be active.
Chances are, if I have access to all those passives I'll be able to find a combination of four that synergises to OPness.
Min maxers have already shown how this can be done with just the passives from four rep systems.
Laissez faire is not the way to go here. This needs more regulation.
Who is to say Cryptic is not letting this out on tribble for testing -( something they have not done for a new change in awhile -) so that they can gather data from the min-maxers and then say "hey - giving you double was too much so the final increase will only be 50% of that traits previous benefit"?
That would be nice, but I'm a foundering, poor idiot living in a second world country. I got as much education as Al Bundy.
I can relate to some of that. I'm an illustrator and graphic designer and yeah, it's not always easy to get the kind of work you dream about getting. But hey, don't sell yourself short.
My whole point was, if I can do it with what little I got, Cryptic should be able to do it too. They should be better than me in all respects in this field. They should be able to do so much, much, much more than I can.
See. Don't sell yourself short. If you've got talent, then you've got talent. So maybe you can do better than them even with constraints and the like.
The Omega tier 4 offensive option was terrible... but having double the passive shield regen was in fact not bad.
The 751.4 kinetic was pretty much standard on my builds. With the shield regen being affected by the shield mod and pretty active healing as well as working distribution...the shield regen wouldn't cover Turret hits.
The new Dyson Offensive tier 4 was also pretty junk... so I believe most people took the defensive version.
If my hull dropped enough for the Defensive, it was because I was getting ready to hit the respawn button. Meanwhile, that additional debuff could mean up to 14.96% more damage (that's final damage - literally final).
The nukura tier 2... I avoided the offensive version. The extra shield penetration while nice I guess really just made it slighly harder to get to naked hull as you directed dmg away from the shields. In PvE that passive in fact costs you DPS. So ya 5% more hull is 5% more hull. lol
Everybody but Willard took the Enhanced Shield Penetration. Things die when they lose hull, not when they lose shields. Lose shields, still need to lose hull. Willard has no energy weapons - so it's just what it was (heh, and me complaining about the numerous things like that and Cryptic hating torpedoes...lol).
As for the Romulan Placate... sure lots of people took that... and honestly I would call that one more of a defensive trait then an offensive one... however lots of people REFUSED to take it because we considered it to be a bit BS... which meant by default we where talking free on crit hit shields.
The base placate was pretty weak - folks were skilling it up - or running without any sensors/etc/etc/etc. Also with the lockout because of the placate family - it was overly complained about, imho. I definitely got the annoyance with it breaking certain Sci Abilities - those abilities that you didn't have to maintain the target lock to maintain that were still affected (you can Tractor Jerry and switch to Tom sort of thing - but with the Placate Jerry could cause you to drop the Tractor...was strange in a sense, since you no longer had the lock on Jerry anyway).
The shield heal on the other hand - well, that's not only a case of wanting folks to crit you but to hit you in the first place. Yeah...most of my guys were not intent on getting hit - wasn't really a sit in shoot kind of guy. A miss is 100% damage avoidance...best defense in the game.
So yes I do believe that was a big part if the problem... I was taking all the best offensive traits and still ending up with A LOT of free defensive bonuses.
I might have had one, maybe two that wasn't Offense when doing an Offense build and with Defense builds, there were no Offense passives.
Willard running a torp boat, there was obviously no reason to take shield penetration sort of thing - so he took the hull. It's +5% base hull...it's a small increase. Not even a Beam Array hit in most cases.
I agree Hybrid is the worst hit... and I also agree that that is a very good thing for the game.
Hrmm, I just find it curious I guess - but I suppose if folks were looking at the individual passives instead of the synergy that came about with a focus related to the build...
Second two hitting at hull and the first increasing damage to hull as the hull drops below 50%. They're working together...the second two bringing about the first and then the first improving the second after that...boom.
Take the three you would have taken instead, eh?
T4 Dyson Active Hull Hardening
T2 Nukara Fortified Hull
T4 Omega Superior Shield Repair
The third is looking to try to keep damage away from the hull by keeping the shields up, the second is providing a minor boost to hull health, and the first is looking to reduce damage - which also means that it is working to increase effective health.
They're both synergistic selections...which is where more synergy would come into play with additional selections.
With that first group...
T4 Dyson Tactical Advantage
T2 Nukara Enhanced Shield Penetration
T4 Omega Omega Graviton Amplifier
...adding T2 New Rom Precision for the increased CrtH, to increase damage being done overall - and - to the hull, getting that first passive's buff going faster.
...adding T4 New Rom Sensor Targeting Assault for the minor reduction in the target's ability to affect you trying to kill it.
...adding T2 Omega Omega Weapon Training for that increase to base Weapon Damage; again feeding into what you're trying to do.
...adding T4 Nukara Auxiliary Power Configuration Offense for that increase to base Weapon Damage; again feeding into what you're trying to do.
...adding T2 Dyson Advanced Targeting Systems for the increased CrtD, to increase that damage on Crit Hits - which you're trying to get more of by taking Precision - which all ties with the rest of with a nice synergy.
note: The OGA is 751.4 damage - it's neither boosted nor reduced - but it is hull damage that ties into the rest of what's being done...trying to zero hull.
With that second group...
T4 Dyson Active Hull Hardening
T2 Nukara Fortified Hull
T4 Omega Superior Shield Repair
...adding T2 New Rom Enhanced Shield Systems to increase shield capacity.
...adding T4 New Rom Emergency Secondary Shielding for the on crit heals to shield procs.
...adding T2 Omega Hull-Repairing Nanites for the passive hull regen.
...adding T4 Nukara Auxiliary Power Configuration Defense for the boost to hull health, to hull energy damage resistance, and to shield power for increased shield damage reduction and shield regen.
...adding T2 Dyson Active Hull Reinforcement for the increase in damage resistance and effective hull health.
Group synergies...I just can't picture hybrid - going hybrid would weaken what they're giving somebody, because they give so much more when working together. And thus the problem that Cryptic finally noticed...you keep adding to those two group synergies and it's going to get more and more problematic.
Are really saying it should be ok for a level 50 to have 16+ rep passives while a new 50 would have zero ? That makes almost no sense.l
No, this makes perfect sense. A VA who has put 500 extra hours into their toon, did the grind, worked hard, and did what they had to do to EARN what they have SHOULD have a leg up on a fresh 50 who has not done the grind, or have not done any work.
Fair is fair. It is easy to catch up. Just put the time and effort in. There is nothing wrong with Veterans being better than noobs. Veterans worked for what they have. Let them keep it.
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I can relate to some of that. I'm an illustrator and graphic designer and yeah, it's not always easy to get the kind of work you dream about getting. But hey, don't sell yourself short.
See. Don't sell yourself short. If you've got talent, then you've got talent. So maybe you can do better than them even with constraints and the like.
The problem is, they should do better for their job than I do for a hobby. And honestly, my work has gotten dozens of positive replies, and around 4 complaints (most of which balance, some of which I could address) .
Unless.... it is possible that the initial STO engine is just very unstable, or their editing tools got bugged and they cant fix it.
But that is still grasping at straws here.
Still, I would like to keep STO a relatively fun game that has content for the casual players and the hardcore ones too. Sometimes even myself feel up for different stuff.
If I want challange, I go for Hive elite space, or IGE. If I want something easy, I do Colony invasion or ISE.
Let us wear Swimsuits on Foundry maps or bridges please! I would pay zen for that.
I don't think that has much to do with passives and a lot to do with a p2w aspect thrown in the game, I've seen what you just described done by the scim and a few other c-store ships, never with a standard t5 ship like the ambassador class ship. This is the issue to fix.
I maxed out my Ha'feh and waiting to get the fleet version.
I have to laugh at your posts. You want to be the best of the best... at killing NPCs with some of the dumbest AI in the history of gaming. STO's AI enemies are almost Ascendancy-level stupid (I was good at that game, too, lol)
I wonder if you entered the pug PvP queue, if you'd be dead 15 times in half as many minutes. But 1st in damage! lol
I want Cryptic to make the content bloody harder. I take that over this reputation system change. Make the Cube and Undine almost invincible. Hell, allow the Borg in ISE to call for support including more Tactical Cubes. Hell, if you don't complete it fast enougth. Let a Unimatrix come through the Borg gateway.
I want Cryptic to make the content bloody harder. I take that over this reputation system change. Make the Cube and Undine almost invincible. Hell, allow the Borg in ISE to call for support including more Tactical Cubes. Hell, if you don't complete it fast enougth. Let a Unimatrix come through the Borg gateway.
I wanna see another gate emerge. Gates coming out of gates.
Also...Cubes should be able to deply spheres. Think first contact.
Bring on the fusion cubes also.
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If you oppose the Reputation nerf, feel free to use my signature
Who is to say Cryptic is not letting this out on tribble for testing -( something they have not done for a new change in awhile -) so that they can gather data from the min-maxers and then say "hey - giving you double was too much so the final increase will only be 50% of that traits previous benefit"?
A consummation devoutly to be wished.
However, previous experience with new systems introduced to tribble, properly critiqued by the players, then the new system being introduced to holodeck unchanged is more the norm, sadly.
IMO Cryptic has seen the future, and it is Loadouts.
Right now we only have Space Loadouts, but mark my words... if Reputation Trait Loadouts are coming, Away Team Loadouts will come someday.
Look at the dramatic increase in the cap for inventory and bank slots, if you doubt me.
Loadouts will encourage us to max out our Reps, buy lots of ships and officers, and more slots for ships, BO's, inventory, bank, and loadouts. A load for every situation, or every build we ever wanted to experiment with but it was too much trouble to swap it all out.
Another skill revamp is probably also in the cards. Something to make them more friendly to creating some kind of a skill loadout. Modular kits and a crafting revamp will only increase the itch we can't help but scratch.
It captures the whole "we can solve anything with technology" vibe very well.
But for that to work, they can't just let us turn ourselves into complete ubercharacters. Got to be a limit. This is one way how.
We can debate whether it's the best way to do Reps, but can't argue that it will cap the passives creep nicely. I think we can all agree that it doesn't necessarily solve balance issues, if you can choose any combo you like.
My views may not represent those of Cryptic Studios or Perfect World Entertainment. You can file a "forums and website" support ticket here Link: How to PM - Twitter @STOMod_Bluegeek
IMO Cryptic has seen the future, and it is Loadouts.
Right now we only have Space Loadouts, but mark my words... if Reputation Trait Loadouts are coming, Away Team Loadouts will come someday.
Look at the dramatic increase in the cap for inventory and bank slots, if you doubt me.
Loadouts will encourage us to max out our Reps, buy lots of ships and officers, and more slots for ships, BO's, inventory, bank, and loadouts. A load for every situation, or every build we ever wanted to experiment with but it was too much trouble to swap it all out.
I could very well believe it... and I think I expressed my views on loadouts earlier, which is I can't be bothered with all that faff.
Fiddling with a lot of slots, deciding what is optimised for which situation, is not fun. It is, pretty much, Accountancy, which is the very definition of Not Fun.
If I wanted to fiddle with accounting details, I'd go play Eve Online. (Well, OK, not really. I don't think I'm qualified to play Eve Online, on account of not being, y'know, a kitten-eating sociopath. But my point still stands. If I had one.)
We can debate whether it's the best way to do Reps, but can't argue that it will cap the passives creep nicely. I think we can all agree that it doesn't necessarily solve balance issues, if you can choose any combo you like.
I tend to agree, a change is necessary....but if it doesn't address power creep and baslance issues then we'll just be doing all of this again sometime soon.
I think this change should stay on tribble until the rest of the balancing is done, then roll out the thing wholesale.
Doing it piecemeal means that the synergies picked up by the min maxers will not be able to be easily addressed.
In other words, dont just test and send live one system at a time.
IMO Cryptic has seen the future, and it is Loadouts.
Right now we only have Space Loadouts, but mark my words... if Reputation Trait Loadouts are coming, Away Team Loadouts will come someday.
Look at the dramatic increase in the cap for inventory and bank slots, if you doubt me.
Loadouts will encourage us to max out our Reps, buy lots of ships and officers, and more slots for ships, BO's, inventory, bank, and loadouts. A load for every situation, or every build we ever wanted to experiment with but it was too much trouble to swap it all out.
Another skill revamp is probably also in the cards. Something to make them more friendly to creating some kind of a skill loadout. Modular kits and a crafting revamp will only increase the itch we can't help but scratch.
It captures the whole "we can solve anything with technology" vibe very well.
But for that to work, they can't just let us turn ourselves into complete ubercharacters. Got to be a limit. This is one way how.
We can debate whether it's the best way to do Reps, but can't argue that it will cap the passives creep nicely. I think we can all agree that it doesn't necessarily solve balance issues, if you can choose any combo you like.
Really and Cryptic couldn't let us keep the abilities we spent the time in earning. Sugar coat it all you want. It's a cheap shot. If someone was to worried about uber characters. They needed to skill up themselves.
Cryptic is not getting a dime from me and I wish after this the player base drops like hell or players play a lot less. Because no matter what Cryptic going is going strip what you earn.
IMO Cryptic has seen the future, and it is Loadouts.
Right now we only have Space Loadouts, but mark my words... if Reputation Trait Loadouts are coming, Away Team Loadouts will come someday.
Look at the dramatic increase in the cap for inventory and bank slots, if you doubt me.
Loadouts will encourage us to max out our Reps, buy lots of ships and officers, and more slots for ships, BO's, inventory, bank, and loadouts. A load for every situation, or every build we ever wanted to experiment with but it was too much trouble to swap it all out.
Another skill revamp is probably also in the cards. Something to make them more friendly to creating some kind of a skill loadout. Modular kits and a crafting revamp will only increase the itch we can't help but scratch.
It captures the whole "we can solve anything with technology" vibe very well.
But for that to work, they can't just let us turn ourselves into complete ubercharacters. Got to be a limit. This is one way how.
We can debate whether it's the best way to do Reps, but can't argue that it will cap the passives creep nicely. I think we can all agree that it doesn't necessarily solve balance issues, if you can choose any combo you like.
and by the way, are you like Cryptic Cheerleader because it sounds like it.
How about leave us our hard earned 8 ground and 8 space traits, do not increase magnitude. Win/Win for everyone: no more power-creep and players are happy ( kind of). Same nickles and dimes . Players keep what they earned and get an additional choices with each new reputations.
and by the way, are you like Cryptic Cheerleader because it sounds like it.
Please, please - for your own sanity - let this go for awhile - take a break - Cryptic does not care what you have to say at this point - so your working yourself up into a tizzy over something which you have no control. It's just not worth it for you.
And I say this sincerely - at this point - your raging is just wasting your emotional energy. I am sure it is better used on something other than this.
I just don't understand why it's always PWE/Cryptic's solution to take things AWAY from players whenever they perceive something as not working entirely right. It's one thing to put a limit on something and give a choice. But to take stuff away? It just doesn't sit well with me.
How is it any different than anything else that is not working as intended that is providing a greater benefit to the player than Cryptic desires? Yes, in all those cases - fixing/tweaking something so that it is working as intended (whether in the now or in the long run) is going to be called a nerf. In all those cases, something is being taken away from the player.
Cryptic could have just implemented the limits and said that's that...been done with it.
Whenever we diminish the value of something players have worked hard to earn, we try to compensate whenever possible.
...from the March 8th, 2013 Tribble notes when they changed Subterfuge on the Embassy BOFFs; well we can look at what they've done here, no?
Yes, they implemented the limits - but they also implemented...
1) The ability to switch your Reputation Traits for free outside of combat. You're no longer locked into Rep Passives you've selected nor are you forced to shell out Dil or Zen to change them.
2) The ability to slot both Reputation Traits of a particular tier in a Rep rather than being forced to select one or the other.
3) Buffs to each of the Reputation Traits so they've got more oomph, rather than leaving them as the minor boosts they were.
They're trying to address something that they realized was a broken system, causing the game to function in a manner other than desired, and to prevent that problem from causing things to be even more out of bounds as time goes on. And in recognition of the effort that folks have put into it, they've also tried to throw things the player's way as a form of compensation to lessen the impact of the changes.
Woah woah woah, I don't agree with Blue on a lot of things but no he's no cheerleader and no cheep shots at him, that's my job.
Then fine, don't he get a lot of people don't want to lose something they have spent hours on 100+ hours on to be able to do.Earned. At least Cryptic,it could have expanded it to 8/8 or something or matched the current reputation systems. I don't do ground no matter what I would be bothered but not upset.
It sucks all around. Why not make tutorials for the people complaining about power creep can play better? Why not youtube videos of how to? Why not make content harder?
Cryptic is just catering to a crowd who don't want to spend the time to earn or learn anything. It's bull.
This is like going to college and some new students come in complaining. So the college makes the course work limited and easier. TRIBBLE the students already attending.
And in recognition of the effort that folks have put into it, they've also tried to throw things the player's way as a form of compensation to lessen the impact of the changes.
Then fine, don't he get a lot of people don't want to lose something they have spent hours on 100+ hours on to be able to do.Earned. At least Cryptic,it could have expanded it to 8/8 or something or matched the current reputation systems. I don't do ground no matter what I would be bothered but not upset.
It sucks all around. Why not make tutorials for the people complaining about power creep can play better? Why not youtube videos of how to? Why not make content harder?
Cryptic is just catering to a crowd who don't want to spend the time to earn or learn anything. It's bull.
This is like going to college and some new students come in complaining. So the college makes the course work limited and easier. TRIBBLE the students already attending.
I'm going to get dinged for this. I may even get dinged hard for this. But at this point, well...I think getting dinged for it is not as important as actually asking it.
Seriously, have you considered seeing a therapist?
Cryptic is not getting a dime from me and I wish after this the player base drops like hell...
Rather selfish of you, isn't it? You don't like the change, fine, but to even suggest that the game lose players because of it? Are you serious about that? I'm sorry but you may not like the change but to advocate that the game shuts down because of this change is ridiculous.
The first set of STFs are a major sore spot for the devs.
I know where is your proof of that Maestro...
It is simple deduction.
Look at EVERY mission released since Fleet Mission / Romulan Rep times.
How do they work... are they Missions that feel like DPS races. No they are not... why do you think they made them that way ? It is simple really as far back as romulan reputation they realized people where pushing though there End Game Level reward missions way to fast.
Consequently its why most people PREFER to run the old STFs... they are a race to the end. You can finish them as fast as you can finish them. Where as all the new content you can set a watch on them because that is how they work... they have timers and they compete when the timer runs out. Forcing you to play at the pace Crypitc wants. They even went as far as adding 60s forced waits at the start of everything. They didn't do that because they thought great a chance for everyone to group up... its simply there to slow you the heck down.
Now here is the rub... THEY are well aware that people prefer missions with out the timers. The fact that almost everyone is long done there Omega Reps and looking at the ques at any time of day there are still MORE people in the STF que then any of the newer content.
So now the Devs decide they want to do more new content like that because people like that style of mission more... that is obvious and clear... if you remove the required grind rewards people que up for STFS over brand new stuff every time. However now they have an issue because the producer comes in and says oh no no no... remember why we went away from that style of content. We don't want poeple earning 3x faster then we intend them to.
So it is clear from simple deduction that they have decided that in order to give us the style of content we all prefer (if it is obvious from an eyeball look at que numbers it is obvious to there metric data)... well to do that they have to solve the real issue that forced them to move to Timer based boring runs where doing well or not doesn't matter and therefore isn't very popular.
The issue IS power creep... so yes you fix the power creep. Like it or not the trait system IS power creep and it has the potential to be the worst offending version of power creep down the road. So yes it needed to be adjusted.
Next yes you can expect some Doff changes or changes to skills that effect them like globals on skills like A2B... you can expect some form of console over haul... and I have not doubt they will come up with some more ideas that may not have been on all our radars.
However consider the goal... I think its pretty clear the goal is to give us more STF style content which is the type of content that is obviously the preferential game type of the masses. To get there we CAN not be allowed to be completing it on average 2-3x faster then was intended.
I agree almost wholly with this post, I think you've hit the nail on the head.
I'm going to get dinged for this. I may even get dinged hard for this. But at this point, well...I think getting dinged for it is not as important as actually asking it.
Seriously, have you considered seeing a therapist?
I just annoyed and don't like bull TRIBBLE like this. I study business. I know no matter how much Cryptic is sugar coating this. It's bull.
Instead of choosing other avenues they putting a bandage on a problem they created. All in the name of money or whatever.
Comments
those that don't like the challenge are just lazy, I started playing last year, took a break during my college semester, came back for LoR and guess what? I have not complained about the game having so many rep systems, infact I was overjoyed about it. It meant that the game was not stagnant
I have to laugh at your posts. You want to be the best of the best... at killing NPCs with some of the dumbest AI in the history of gaming. STO's AI enemies are almost Ascendancy-level stupid (I was good at that game, too, lol)
I wonder if you entered the pug PvP queue, if you'd be dead 15 times in half as many minutes. But 1st in damage! lol
Who is to say Cryptic is not letting this out on tribble for testing -( something they have not done for a new change in awhile -) so that they can gather data from the min-maxers and then say "hey - giving you double was too much so the final increase will only be 50% of that traits previous benefit"?
I can relate to some of that.
See. Don't sell yourself short. If you've got talent, then you've got talent. So maybe you can do better than them even with constraints and the like.
My guys almost never did...
Outside of some Offensive that stood out, they all pretty much were minor individually.
The 751.4 kinetic was pretty much standard on my builds. With the shield regen being affected by the shield mod and pretty active healing as well as working distribution...the shield regen wouldn't cover Turret hits.
If my hull dropped enough for the Defensive, it was because I was getting ready to hit the respawn button. Meanwhile, that additional debuff could mean up to 14.96% more damage (that's final damage - literally final).
Everybody but Willard took the Enhanced Shield Penetration. Things die when they lose hull, not when they lose shields. Lose shields, still need to lose hull. Willard has no energy weapons - so it's just what it was (heh, and me complaining about the numerous things like that and Cryptic hating torpedoes...lol).
The base placate was pretty weak - folks were skilling it up - or running without any sensors/etc/etc/etc. Also with the lockout because of the placate family - it was overly complained about, imho. I definitely got the annoyance with it breaking certain Sci Abilities - those abilities that you didn't have to maintain the target lock to maintain that were still affected (you can Tractor Jerry and switch to Tom sort of thing - but with the Placate Jerry could cause you to drop the Tractor...was strange in a sense, since you no longer had the lock on Jerry anyway).
The shield heal on the other hand - well, that's not only a case of wanting folks to crit you but to hit you in the first place. Yeah...most of my guys were not intent on getting hit - wasn't really a sit in shoot kind of guy. A miss is 100% damage avoidance...best defense in the game.
I might have had one, maybe two that wasn't Offense when doing an Offense build and with Defense builds, there were no Offense passives.
Willard running a torp boat, there was obviously no reason to take shield penetration sort of thing - so he took the hull. It's +5% base hull...it's a small increase. Not even a Beam Array hit in most cases.
Hrmm, I just find it curious I guess - but I suppose if folks were looking at the individual passives instead of the synergy that came about with a focus related to the build...
Take three you listed up there, eh?
T4 Dyson Tactical Advantage
T2 Nukara Enhanced Shield Penetration
T4 Omega Omega Graviton Amplifier
Second two hitting at hull and the first increasing damage to hull as the hull drops below 50%. They're working together...the second two bringing about the first and then the first improving the second after that...boom.
Take the three you would have taken instead, eh?
T4 Dyson Active Hull Hardening
T2 Nukara Fortified Hull
T4 Omega Superior Shield Repair
The third is looking to try to keep damage away from the hull by keeping the shields up, the second is providing a minor boost to hull health, and the first is looking to reduce damage - which also means that it is working to increase effective health.
They're both synergistic selections...which is where more synergy would come into play with additional selections.
With that first group...
T4 Dyson Tactical Advantage
T2 Nukara Enhanced Shield Penetration
T4 Omega Omega Graviton Amplifier
...adding T2 New Rom Precision for the increased CrtH, to increase damage being done overall - and - to the hull, getting that first passive's buff going faster.
...adding T4 New Rom Sensor Targeting Assault for the minor reduction in the target's ability to affect you trying to kill it.
...adding T2 Omega Omega Weapon Training for that increase to base Weapon Damage; again feeding into what you're trying to do.
...adding T4 Nukara Auxiliary Power Configuration Offense for that increase to base Weapon Damage; again feeding into what you're trying to do.
...adding T2 Dyson Advanced Targeting Systems for the increased CrtD, to increase that damage on Crit Hits - which you're trying to get more of by taking Precision - which all ties with the rest of with a nice synergy.
note: The OGA is 751.4 damage - it's neither boosted nor reduced - but it is hull damage that ties into the rest of what's being done...trying to zero hull.
With that second group...
T4 Dyson Active Hull Hardening
T2 Nukara Fortified Hull
T4 Omega Superior Shield Repair
...adding T2 New Rom Enhanced Shield Systems to increase shield capacity.
...adding T4 New Rom Emergency Secondary Shielding for the on crit heals to shield procs.
...adding T2 Omega Hull-Repairing Nanites for the passive hull regen.
...adding T4 Nukara Auxiliary Power Configuration Defense for the boost to hull health, to hull energy damage resistance, and to shield power for increased shield damage reduction and shield regen.
...adding T2 Dyson Active Hull Reinforcement for the increase in damage resistance and effective hull health.
Group synergies...I just can't picture hybrid - going hybrid would weaken what they're giving somebody, because they give so much more when working together. And thus the problem that Cryptic finally noticed...you keep adding to those two group synergies and it's going to get more and more problematic.
No, this makes perfect sense. A VA who has put 500 extra hours into their toon, did the grind, worked hard, and did what they had to do to EARN what they have SHOULD have a leg up on a fresh 50 who has not done the grind, or have not done any work.
Fair is fair. It is easy to catch up. Just put the time and effort in. There is nothing wrong with Veterans being better than noobs. Veterans worked for what they have. Let them keep it.
The problem is, they should do better for their job than I do for a hobby. And honestly, my work has gotten dozens of positive replies, and around 4 complaints (most of which balance, some of which I could address) .
Unless.... it is possible that the initial STO engine is just very unstable, or their editing tools got bugged and they cant fix it.
But that is still grasping at straws here.
Still, I would like to keep STO a relatively fun game that has content for the casual players and the hardcore ones too. Sometimes even myself feel up for different stuff.
If I want challange, I go for Hive elite space, or IGE. If I want something easy, I do Colony invasion or ISE.
I maxed out my Ha'feh and waiting to get the fleet version.
I want Cryptic to make the content bloody harder. I take that over this reputation system change. Make the Cube and Undine almost invincible. Hell, allow the Borg in ISE to call for support including more Tactical Cubes. Hell, if you don't complete it fast enougth. Let a Unimatrix come through the Borg gateway.
You do have to sort of "invite yourself" by signing up for it.
I wanna see another gate emerge. Gates coming out of gates.
Also...Cubes should be able to deply spheres. Think first contact.
Bring on the fusion cubes also.
A consummation devoutly to be wished.
However, previous experience with new systems introduced to tribble, properly critiqued by the players, then the new system being introduced to holodeck unchanged is more the norm, sadly.
Right now we only have Space Loadouts, but mark my words... if Reputation Trait Loadouts are coming, Away Team Loadouts will come someday.
Look at the dramatic increase in the cap for inventory and bank slots, if you doubt me.
Loadouts will encourage us to max out our Reps, buy lots of ships and officers, and more slots for ships, BO's, inventory, bank, and loadouts. A load for every situation, or every build we ever wanted to experiment with but it was too much trouble to swap it all out.
Another skill revamp is probably also in the cards. Something to make them more friendly to creating some kind of a skill loadout. Modular kits and a crafting revamp will only increase the itch we can't help but scratch.
It captures the whole "we can solve anything with technology" vibe very well.
But for that to work, they can't just let us turn ourselves into complete ubercharacters. Got to be a limit. This is one way how.
We can debate whether it's the best way to do Reps, but can't argue that it will cap the passives creep nicely. I think we can all agree that it doesn't necessarily solve balance issues, if you can choose any combo you like.
Link: How to PM - Twitter @STOMod_Bluegeek
Fiddling with a lot of slots, deciding what is optimised for which situation, is not fun. It is, pretty much, Accountancy, which is the very definition of Not Fun.
If I wanted to fiddle with accounting details, I'd go play Eve Online. (Well, OK, not really. I don't think I'm qualified to play Eve Online, on account of not being, y'know, a kitten-eating sociopath. But my point still stands. If I had one.)
I tend to agree, a change is necessary....but if it doesn't address power creep and baslance issues then we'll just be doing all of this again sometime soon.
I think this change should stay on tribble until the rest of the balancing is done, then roll out the thing wholesale.
Doing it piecemeal means that the synergies picked up by the min maxers will not be able to be easily addressed.
In other words, dont just test and send live one system at a time.
Use tribble for what its meant to be used for.
Really and Cryptic couldn't let us keep the abilities we spent the time in earning. Sugar coat it all you want. It's a cheap shot. If someone was to worried about uber characters. They needed to skill up themselves.
Cryptic is not getting a dime from me and I wish after this the player base drops like hell or players play a lot less. Because no matter what Cryptic going is going strip what you earn.
and by the way, are you like Cryptic Cheerleader because it sounds like it.
Please, please - for your own sanity - let this go for awhile - take a break - Cryptic does not care what you have to say at this point - so your working yourself up into a tizzy over something which you have no control. It's just not worth it for you.
And I say this sincerely - at this point - your raging is just wasting your emotional energy. I am sure it is better used on something other than this.
Take care.:)
How is it any different than anything else that is not working as intended that is providing a greater benefit to the player than Cryptic desires? Yes, in all those cases - fixing/tweaking something so that it is working as intended (whether in the now or in the long run) is going to be called a nerf. In all those cases, something is being taken away from the player.
Cryptic could have just implemented the limits and said that's that...been done with it.
Going back to...
...from the March 8th, 2013 Tribble notes when they changed Subterfuge on the Embassy BOFFs; well we can look at what they've done here, no?
Yes, they implemented the limits - but they also implemented...
1) The ability to switch your Reputation Traits for free outside of combat. You're no longer locked into Rep Passives you've selected nor are you forced to shell out Dil or Zen to change them.
2) The ability to slot both Reputation Traits of a particular tier in a Rep rather than being forced to select one or the other.
3) Buffs to each of the Reputation Traits so they've got more oomph, rather than leaving them as the minor boosts they were.
They're trying to address something that they realized was a broken system, causing the game to function in a manner other than desired, and to prevent that problem from causing things to be even more out of bounds as time goes on. And in recognition of the effort that folks have put into it, they've also tried to throw things the player's way as a form of compensation to lessen the impact of the changes.
Woah woah woah, I don't agree with Blue on a lot of things but no he's no cheerleader and no cheep shots at him, that's my job.
Then fine, don't he get a lot of people don't want to lose something they have spent hours on 100+ hours on to be able to do.Earned. At least Cryptic,it could have expanded it to 8/8 or something or matched the current reputation systems. I don't do ground no matter what I would be bothered but not upset.
It sucks all around. Why not make tutorials for the people complaining about power creep can play better? Why not youtube videos of how to? Why not make content harder?
Cryptic is just catering to a crowd who don't want to spend the time to earn or learn anything. It's bull.
This is like going to college and some new students come in complaining. So the college makes the course work limited and easier. TRIBBLE the students already attending.
I'm sorry what compensation do you speak off?
I'm going to get dinged for this. I may even get dinged hard for this. But at this point, well...I think getting dinged for it is not as important as actually asking it.
Seriously, have you considered seeing a therapist?
Only have one reply to that...
/facepalm
...cause it was right there in the post you quoted but snipped.
I agree almost wholly with this post, I think you've hit the nail on the head.
I just annoyed and don't like bull TRIBBLE like this. I study business. I know no matter how much Cryptic is sugar coating this. It's bull.
Instead of choosing other avenues they putting a bandage on a problem they created. All in the name of money or whatever.