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Buff SNB
praxi5
Member Posts: 1,562 Arc User
This is one of those things that makes sense in PvP (and is a total gamechanger*), but completely wasted in PvE.
Removing buffs from your target isn't too helpful when 97% of your targets don't use buffs**.
Increasing Power Recharge timers also falls flat here.
That's also why the Radiant Detonation Matrix (T4 Iconian Rep) is so poorly thought about - being able to quickly and reliable remove multiple buffs from your target is totally wasted in PvE, but facepalm-inducingly overpowered in PvP.
Thoughts/suggestions on how to buff it for PvE, while not removing it's buff stripping capabilities for PvP?
*Disclaimer: Don't mistake me when I say it's a gamechanger; it's an amazingly useful ability (to the point where teams and entire strategies are based around it), but not OP.
**Disclaimer: There are some exceptions to when this is actually useful, like when the Borg Queen decides to pop FBP. But those times are few and far in between.
Removing buffs from your target isn't too helpful when 97% of your targets don't use buffs**.
Increasing Power Recharge timers also falls flat here.
That's also why the Radiant Detonation Matrix (T4 Iconian Rep) is so poorly thought about - being able to quickly and reliable remove multiple buffs from your target is totally wasted in PvE, but facepalm-inducingly overpowered in PvP.
Thoughts/suggestions on how to buff it for PvE, while not removing it's buff stripping capabilities for PvP?
*Disclaimer: Don't mistake me when I say it's a gamechanger; it's an amazingly useful ability (to the point where teams and entire strategies are based around it), but not OP.
**Disclaimer: There are some exceptions to when this is actually useful, like when the Borg Queen decides to pop FBP. But those times are few and far in between.
Post edited by praxi5 on
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colored text = mod mode
Right, like I said, there are times where you want that capability.
But for your "average" mission/queue, you don't really need it - and when you do want it, the high CD makes it a questionable decision as to when to use it; "Do I really want to use it on this Frigate-level mob? Or even this Battleship, knowing I'll probably wipe it out in 10 seconds and then have another fresh spawn come in?"
Most definitely. Even giving NPCs a TacTeam would go a long way.
But given Cryptic's history, that they're trying to maintain that STO is a "casual" game, and the fact that so many are having trouble as is, I don't know if that will actually happen.
Purely because they can't slap a Zen or Dil price tag on it, more than anything.
I totally agree! It would also make the T4 Iconian rep power, that "sub nuke" doff and that intel power nice to have around too.
Luckilly... its not as much of an issue anymore with the current "ability swap" system they put in for BOffs. You can have your SubNuc but if the situation doesn't call for it, switch to another trained ability on that BOff.
Although I think we might see more use of SubNuc in fighting Fed and Mirror NPCs, amd maybe some Klingon NPCs as they seem to use a lot more abilities than others. Although Tholians, Vaadwaur, and Hierarchy might be up there too.
normal text = me speaking as fellow formite
colored text = mod mode
Agreed. If NPCs can't be made "smarter" then they should have more buffs - particularly damage resist buffs. Tac is king in PvE because raw damage wins against dummy targets, but if NPCs were to pop EPTS + Hazard + TT it might tone down the focus on DPS and lead to more strategy, timing, and teamwork.
For them, Is it really worth it to buff NPCs with a better AI? Even today, the hard missions is barely parsed compared to ISA. 60 vs 16000+.
The only way you can convince Cryptic is through metrics wherein players actually parse or at least those that dont parse are seen to complete elite/hard missions like HSE by tens of thousand or thousands. Otherwise it is not worth it for them to actually buff missions more difficult than HSE of today.
Er, SNB is a Captain Ability
There's the intel power, subnucleonic carrier wave. At level 1 it removes 2 buffs and at level 3 it removes 5 buffs.
Anyway, I'd like to see subnuc work like a useful Aceton Beam. Maybe a 30 second power debuff/drain which scales with flowcaps, combined with a DoT which scales with partgens.
Yup...they really need to revamp so they use abilities.
I'll take it one step further and say Photonic Fleet could also use a buff. The cooldown on Photonic Fleet also makes it extremely situational. On my science captains I may be lucky to use it once during a mission. Even with the space trait that decreases its cooldown. The uptime on Photonic Fleet is pretty dismal given how mediocre it actually is.
Giving SNB an exotic damage component (or Damage over Time) and tie it to Particle Generators would make it a bit more lucrative.
Or maybe better giving yourself a damage buff for exotic damage?
Then Tactical Captains advantage with their Attack Pattern Alpha buffing science / exotic damage powers might have a contender with Science Captains again.
When you say "Overpowered", do you mean "capable and quite useful", or do you genuinely feel that it is overperforming?
If so, why?
NPCs using more buffs sounds like it would make gameplay a whole lot more fun.
What would be some downsides though? The main one that comes to mind is it might take more time and effort for the devs to balance powers between players and NPCs.
Increased AI is dependent on the playerbase, metrics...Currently, if you look at parses the hardest elite mission is barely parsed vs easier missions. Very big disparity.
If you want to have an AI upgrade, players need to sweep the floor first on current hardest elite. Start doing It to the point of ease that tens of thousands of players are parsing or complete it.
Otherwise, it ain't worth it, wherein 60 players doing STFs due to AI upgrade.
You mean sensor scan that scales with aux power and thus a science captain not running a high aux ship gets much less for their trouble while APA functions great anywhere?
Like above, a science captain does not have to fly a science ship. Buffing part gens or something doesn't help the science captain in an escort and can't begin to compete with APA in that case.
also... enemies that can heal indefinitely are annoying.
My character Tsin'xing
I think he was saying SNB is godly in PvP and sucktastic in PvE.
In PvE SNB is a waste of action bar space.
Read the OP again.
I was refering to it in comparison to Fire on my mark. It scales with aux power, has shorter CD and is AoE.
Sensor Scan - so-so
Scattering Field - +56.6 All Energy DR
Subnucleonic Beam - completely useless for PVE
Photonic Fleet - just lol
And...
Science Fleet - +20 Shield Emitters/Power Insulators and Reduces Damage to Shields by 36%... EPtS says hello.
That's why i'm not buying "All hands on deck", nothing useful to recharge...
Its not that bad. First, look at the stats at 130/135 aux. Then you have
1) sensor scan -> debuff for up to 15 targets (!), don't know the number now, not at home
2) scattering field ~ 100 all energy damage (at 130 aux) for you and your team mates (4 neutroniums for the nearby team)
3) subnuc is not completely useless in PvE --> borg queen, Donatra, other bosses. But you are basically right, it is kind of useless against most enemies
4) science fleet, well, the emitters and power insulators is not a lot, but 36% reduced damage to shields for the whole team for 30 seconds is not bad
(Yes, tac stuff does more damage, but we scientists need to keep defending our work!)
It doesn't.... per se. But would be nice if NPC's applied their buffs in a non-predictable way, though. Or, even better, predictable in the sense of only applying their buffs when needed (after all, we don't want them to become human copycats, and just smash their spacebar keys accordingly
Beware of incomig rage, though, cuz even a single TT1 will make all the stacked Beta go away. I, for one, would definitely welcome smarter NPCs, though; would certainly take some of the tedium out of the game.