So with the new Kit Frameworks in the pipe, I'd love to see some Animal Handler kit powers out there. When I came back to the game, I started with a Klingon, and loved my combat jackal, but imagine my disappointment that that was not the kind of thing you could get regularly in the game... I mean, yeah, horta, ok. The loyal pile of lava rocks would be cooler if it wasn't the only real option out there. Consumables are a huge waste of money, so none of them count (If I could get a ten-stack of Combat Mugato for 500ec on the exchange like space turrets, that might be a different story, but 20 million for 10 uses? yeah right, that ain't gonna happen). Where's my Torg? Where's my Saur? Sure, you can get some security officers or support drones with existing kits/NPC skills, but they just don't have the same feel to them as letting loose a pack of angry torg on your enemies.
So with the new Kit Frameworks in the pipe, I'd love to see some Animal Handler kit powers out there. When I came back to the game, I started with a Klingon, and loved my combat jackal, but imagine my disappointment that that was not the kind of thing you could get regularly in the game... I mean, yeah, horta, ok. The loyal pile of lava rocks would be cooler if it wasn't the only real option out there. Consumables are a huge waste of money, so none of them count (If I could get a ten-stack of Combat Mugato for 500ec on the exchange like space turrets, that might be a different story, but 20 million for 10 uses? yeah right, that ain't gonna happen). Where's my Torg? Where's my Saur? Sure, you can get some security officers or support drones with existing kits/NPC skills, but they just don't have the same feel to them as letting loose a pack of angry torg on your enemies.
Actually not a bad idea.
Would these be cross-career skills, or would you tie them to a specific career?
Would these be cross-career skills, or would you tie them to a specific career?
I would assume that it would be cross-career skills, but in different ways. An Engineer could use a shock collar or some humane device for controlling their pets. A Science Officer could use pheromones and other chemicals. While Tactical Officers would have to use the old fashioned method. We would likely not see these methods and would probably be just RP reasons.
Unfortunately, only the Klingons (of the playable faction) uses animals in fight. Feds do not, because it might be needlessly cruel toward the animals, and we never seen Romulan using animals (unless Klingons and Remans count). Yes in STO we can use some pets as feds, but it's still limited. And they are "willing"(Horta are sentient and choose to follow us).
And again, we don't see many Klingons on screen using animals for war. For food, yes.
Mechanical non sentients entities (drones) would be a way to avoid this.
Unfortunately, only the Klingons (of the playable faction) uses animals in fight. Feds do not, because it might be needlessly cruel toward the animals, and we never seen Romulan using animals (unless Klingons and Remans count). Yes in STO we can use some pets as feds, but it's still limited. And they are "willing"(Horta are sentient and choose to follow us).
And again, we don't see many Klingons on screen using animals for war. For food, yes.
Mechanical non sentients entities (drones) would be a way to avoid this.
Then make something like SWG's droid engineer, same thing but with machine pets instead.
I would assume that it would be cross-career skills, but in different ways. An Engineer could use a shock collar or some humane device for controlling their pets. A Science Officer could use pheromones and other chemicals. While Tactical Officers would have to use the old fashioned method. We would likely not see these methods and would probably be just RP reasons.
Given how kits are going to become much more modular in the future, I can't see any huge problem in your approach.
Perhaps each faction has a couple of specific to them universal summoning kits...lets say hortas for the Feds and Targs for the KDF.
One version of the power summons a single example of the faction beasty, the other summons a pack of somewhat weaker ones.
Tiers increase the HP and attack of said beasties.
Then you could give each career a couple of career specific kit skills.
Base them on some of what we have now.
Tacs get to call a security team, sciences gets to call down a medical team, engineers...well you get the gist.
The only issue I can see is screen spam in places like the battlezone.
If ten people all summoned all their pets to take down a V-Rex, would we be looking at horrible FPS problems?
well we have engineering drones, so they could add other variations and let us customize it, like a sci-oriented one, since we already have an engineer and tac oriented ones.
I support this idea with all my Crazy stored Dilithium buying power!
Seriously though, this idea is excellent. Perhaps Tacticals could get the lions share (it's kinda what they do - shoot stuff) with Engineers and Science getting more "Supportive" style pets (Like the drones that Engis already get, just not on a timer - let them stay til they get shot to bits?)
Perhaps Science could beam down some EMH's, and Tacticals a few MACO security holograms?
We were promised Targ Handler Kits for the KDF a few years ago.......................... I wonder where they are
And then they gave KDF a free non-consumable combat pet (the Jackal Mastiff). One mission, no crafting involved. Works pretty much like the Hortas (minus the acid damage).
They could have given the same treatment to a combat Targ, but never did. Maybe because they wanted to keep Targ Handling in reserve as a kit ability. Or maybe because it would seem redundant to the pet they actually ended up giving us.
Given the way the new kit framework is set up, it doesn't seem likely that they will ever have a cross-career Targ module. If they ever did it, I bet it would be a Tac Officer framework module (Assault?)
That said, I'm all for the idea of giving KDF some form of Targ combat pet.
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But yes, this would be cool.
Actually not a bad idea.
Would these be cross-career skills, or would you tie them to a specific career?
Reminded me of one of the magic career tracks from the first Dragonage.
Forget the name of it but Morrigan came with it.
I would assume that it would be cross-career skills, but in different ways. An Engineer could use a shock collar or some humane device for controlling their pets. A Science Officer could use pheromones and other chemicals. While Tactical Officers would have to use the old fashioned method. We would likely not see these methods and would probably be just RP reasons.
And again, we don't see many Klingons on screen using animals for war. For food, yes.
Mechanical non sentients entities (drones) would be a way to avoid this.
Then make something like SWG's droid engineer, same thing but with machine pets instead.
Given how kits are going to become much more modular in the future, I can't see any huge problem in your approach.
Perhaps each faction has a couple of specific to them universal summoning kits...lets say hortas for the Feds and Targs for the KDF.
One version of the power summons a single example of the faction beasty, the other summons a pack of somewhat weaker ones.
Tiers increase the HP and attack of said beasties.
Then you could give each career a couple of career specific kit skills.
Base them on some of what we have now.
Tacs get to call a security team, sciences gets to call down a medical team, engineers...well you get the gist.
The only issue I can see is screen spam in places like the battlezone.
If ten people all summoned all their pets to take down a V-Rex, would we be looking at horrible FPS problems?
We were promised Targ Handler Kits for the KDF a few years ago.......................... I wonder where they are
Seriously though, this idea is excellent. Perhaps Tacticals could get the lions share (it's kinda what they do - shoot stuff) with Engineers and Science getting more "Supportive" style pets (Like the drones that Engis already get, just not on a timer - let them stay til they get shot to bits?)
Perhaps Science could beam down some EMH's, and Tacticals a few MACO security holograms?
They're locked in the Defera Comm Tower.
And then they gave KDF a free non-consumable combat pet (the Jackal Mastiff). One mission, no crafting involved. Works pretty much like the Hortas (minus the acid damage).
They could have given the same treatment to a combat Targ, but never did. Maybe because they wanted to keep Targ Handling in reserve as a kit ability. Or maybe because it would seem redundant to the pet they actually ended up giving us.
Given the way the new kit framework is set up, it doesn't seem likely that they will ever have a cross-career Targ module. If they ever did it, I bet it would be a Tac Officer framework module (Assault?)
That said, I'm all for the idea of giving KDF some form of Targ combat pet.
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