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Another idea for Phaser overhaul
weirdtrekie30
Member Posts: 103 Arc User
I love phasers, they're iconic. I couldn't fly my fed ships without them, it just doesn't feel right using anything other than phasers. So, after reading a lot of trashing of phasers (I've got by fine with them so far), I've had a few thoughts:
I've just been watching a boxed sets of TNG and Voy and the one thing other than frequent subsystem targeting, they often "rotate phaser frequencies" against the borg in particular, or to "remodulate" phasers to penetrate shields or do extra damage, allowing phasers to find a weakness in the enemy's shields, so here's my suggestion:
Proc: phaser remodulation: 2.5% chance to do X amount of extra phaser damage
Or, another idea I had Proc: phaser remodulation 2.5% chance to add a sensor analysis stack, regardless if your ship has built in sensor analysis. So it would synergize fantastically with science ships. Another option would be phasers have no proc, but an inherent weaker version sensor analysis, but without the switch.
Neither of those would make phasers overpowered, but would bring a very useful procs for both PvE and PvP to the table that is also inline with spirit of the phasers in TNG/DS9/VOY period canon.
For those who say "phasers are fine how they are", simple, make these a new weapon type. Remodulating Phasers!
Oh, and Cryptic, please let us have the option of turning the green phaser color off, as you can with visual effects. Please, please, please!
I've just been watching a boxed sets of TNG and Voy and the one thing other than frequent subsystem targeting, they often "rotate phaser frequencies" against the borg in particular, or to "remodulate" phasers to penetrate shields or do extra damage, allowing phasers to find a weakness in the enemy's shields, so here's my suggestion:
Proc: phaser remodulation: 2.5% chance to do X amount of extra phaser damage
Or, another idea I had Proc: phaser remodulation 2.5% chance to add a sensor analysis stack, regardless if your ship has built in sensor analysis. So it would synergize fantastically with science ships. Another option would be phasers have no proc, but an inherent weaker version sensor analysis, but without the switch.
Neither of those would make phasers overpowered, but would bring a very useful procs for both PvE and PvP to the table that is also inline with spirit of the phasers in TNG/DS9/VOY period canon.
For those who say "phasers are fine how they are", simple, make these a new weapon type. Remodulating Phasers!
Oh, and Cryptic, please let us have the option of turning the green phaser color off, as you can with visual effects. Please, please, please!
Admiral Tuwud - High Commissioner, UFP Peace Corps Sigma Red
Post edited by weirdtrekie30 on
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Comments
The only "good" procs come from disruptors and AP.
Disruptors increase damage via resistance debuff.
AP scales absolute BEST with the massive increase to crith that came about with spire tech.
Phasers in turn are "fine" as far as procs go. Their proc is a specialized and oddball as the procs of all other types except dis and AP.
So really, phasers do not need any special atention. Its the whole idea of inbuild procs that needs a canning.
Ya, I said it
My PvE/PvP hybrid skill tree
Romulans already exist, we don't need more silly boosting of crtd/crth (unless Romulans are excluded from using these).
1. PVE, NPCs resist easily and the shutdown is 2 seconds if even that.
2. PVP, same deal. Because the Phaser Proc suffers the same problem as Drain Builds do... Low level skills easily mitigate the ability / proc. Just as Power Insulators laughs at Drain Builds, Subsystem Repair is the same to the Phaser Proc.
3. For PVP, now that the queues are mixed, Fed Phaser users are now playing against other Feds more. Usually this means lots of Human BOFFs with very high Subsystem Repair Bonus.
4. For PVP, the amount of Phaser users has shriveled up on Fed side. Everyone is using other damage types like AP, Disruptors (oh the irony), Rom Plasma... Hell, I see more Tetryons instead. But the point is that compared to the early days of STO, when practically EVERY Fed was using Phasers, the likeliness of a Phaser Proc landing on you from at least a handful of sources was all but guaranteed. As a KDF player back then, you only prayed that it didn't hit Shields. This was compounded by the idea that Subsystem Repair didn't affect it as much as it did now (same with Power Insulators against Drain Builds). The Phaser Proc more than any other Proc in the game, IMO, was extremely powerful in massed fire. Sure there was a lockout. Sure it may proc against something like Weapons or Aux Power. But the likeliness of Procs coming from massed, focused Phaser fire was a guarantee, and Kahless help you if the proc hit your shield system while under heavy Phaser fire... because back then, the effect lasted essentially twice what it does now.
So what I'm saying is no extra Acc, CrtH, CrtD... I'd say make the effect of the Phaser Proc stronger so it climbs back to the 5 seconds. For both PVE and PVP.
As someone around on these boards said, the Phaser Proc is an extreme weapon. If it works right, it's godly as hell. But when it doesn't, it's absolute fail. And with the very short vulnerability times today, that window for godly success is way too small.
Edit to add: Modifying Phasers to have more Acc, Crits, or "moar damage" is missing the point. Doing that instead of fixing the Phaser Proc will still leave you with a terrible proc that isn't fixed for today's STO.
To me other weapons (disrupters in particular) felt like more heavy, more destructive weapons while phasers were the more precise weapons. Just my impression.
An acc bonus would capture that fairly well.
Phasers would be the median level for damage, overall. Also for energy drain. They would be more effective when targeted at specific subsystems.
Disruptors would be more damaging but less targetable (we're Klingons! "Target his engines?! NO, you mindless Petaq! Target the damn ship! I want it out of my sky, NOW!"). They would also be a bit more energy demanding.
Plasma would have the least energy requirement, do the least initial damage but would start a hull burn that would do direct hull damage over time (and NOT be cleared by any ability. It burns till it burns itself out.)
AP would be the most devastating to both shields and hull but would have TREMENDOUS energy requirements.
Haven't considered the other flavors, yet... but you get the idea.
Torps would be effective against shields and hull but would do shield damage overall (not to a specific quarter) and their damage would depend on their flavor. They, also, wouldn't have an energy requirement but you carry only so many. Once depleted you're out till you can reload somewhere or have the time to fabricate more. On board fabrication would take longer than purchase at a base but would cost less.
Just a few ideas... thought I'd toss 'em out there and see how far they bounce
A lucky shot, sir!
**Gets vaporized**
...isn't the ability to disable a subsystem enough?
They're fine.
Let it go.
RIP KDF and PvP 2014-07-17 Season 9.5 - Death by Dev
No, they arent fine. i think the should treat them like the Elachi and remove the lockout. Then change the elite proc to addheal shield instead of increasing shield healing. THEN they will be fine.
Let is go, let it go, .......
Support the Typhoon and Jupiter class starships!
You are kidding right. Phaser proc is useless in PvE, and they can't compete in PvP either.
i like the ACC proposal, though 10% flat is too much. i think 5% is already a huge boost and would make them enormously popular for PVP and PVE.
personaly i'd like to see the existing proc only applying a weapon subsystem disable proc for 5 sec. (50% possible reduction of that time with 100 points in subsystem repair) and a 10 sec immunity.
because 5 secs with a subsystem OFFLINE is not long enough
RIP KDF and PvP 2014-07-17 Season 9.5 - Death by Dev
Actually if we account for the sheer range of sources of Subsystem repair 10.2 seconds comes down to about 5 seconds, even less if someone actually invests in it, then there is the 10 second immunity that remains...
Also accounting for the investment in the SubD skill (3000 skill points per bar) that I mentioned in that post as well compared to the 1500 skill points per bar of SSR... I think it's sufficiently balanced.
Also, I believe the Subnucleonic Beam of science captains ends the immunity but you can only do it once every 2 minutes.
I look at my phasers like a police dog, in other words do just enough damage and distraction while I prepare the real attack.
disclaimer: I dont play PvP
SCE ADVISORY NOTICE: Improper Impulse Engine maintenance can result in REAR THRUSTER LEAKAGE. ALWAYS have your work inspected by another qualified officer.
Phasers = +Crew Injury
Disruptors = +Ignore Damage Resist
Tetryon = +Shield Damage
Plasma = +Hull Damage (as DoT, exactly like it is)
Antiproton = +Crit (exactly like it is)
Polaron = +Power Systems Damage (perhaps -1 per hit for 3 seconds, or something. I'm not a mathemagician!)
Captaincy, Excelsior-Class U.S.S. Bianca Beauchamp NCC-99947-F
[SIGPIC][/SIGPIC]
HAHAHAHAHAHA!!!
Oh man, that's a good one!
How about.. BOff damage? You lose all the Abilities from a BOff or two for a while. That'll make a difference, unlike Crew damage.
SCE ADVISORY NOTICE: Improper Impulse Engine maintenance can result in REAR THRUSTER LEAKAGE. ALWAYS have your work inspected by another qualified officer.
Aside from that there's also the implication that phasers are the type of weapon prone to murdering the most people. That's a PR disaster waiting to happen.
*Shoots Kamakaze with Varon T disruptor*
[/SIGPIC]
That's how Scotty would've done it.
I don't pay any attention to procs and I get by just fine (which is to say I kill everything regardless because procs are not a large part of STO.)
I recently changed one of my ships from Tetryon to Antiproton (equivalent fleet gear) and though there may be a scientifically measurable difference in the kill times its not noticable to the experience of playing the game. If you're into min-maxing then there's something to pay attention to in all the little extra effects but they are just that, small bonuses, and what my phaser loadout does for my Nadeon Bombs or even my sense of FED immersion is a hell of a lot more important than having any of the other color sprinkles.
Notable missions: Apex [AEI], Gemini [SSF], Trident [AEI], Evolution's Smile [SSF], Transcendence
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Look, Both Disruptors and Phasers break down matter and the ensuing breakdown releases energy which contributes much of the damage done ion addition to atoms that were there before are not anymore. Basically not only do you kick another guys chair from away under him, you also make it explode in his TRIBBLE.
So you end up with minus one chair and a lot of butthurt.
its the METHOD that differs. Disruptors take the brute force approach of matter ruination, while phasers are the gentle nurse that kills you mercifully.
Both take matter apart.
Its just that phasers are more complex systems because the method the employ is meant to be scalable to the users needs. Heat cup of tea? Heat rock? obliterate a mountain? Can all be don with phasers.
Disruptors? Lob energy, stuff explodes.
As for the phaser proc in the game?
A stacking effect that deals direct hull damage and is self reinforcing. The more stacks, the more damage each stack does. Stack limits as needed....
Cleansed by HE and engi team.