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Ground/Space Weapon Improvements?

(Yes, its a wall of text, but I spaced it out for easy reading! Hopefully you find my points worthwhile!)

With the introduction of the Dyson Joint Command and later the Delta Alliance reputation factions, we got two new weapons with rather unique features. The Experimental Proton Rifle has a primary and secondary attack that are expose attacks, while it has another secondary attack that is an exploit. The Compression Phaser and Compression Disruptor Rifles have a primary attack with an expose effect, and interchangeable secondary fire modes depending on the target's expose status.

These weapons have introduced a great new way to experience ground combat, as characters with limited expose abilities (Tactical and Engineering, depending on kits) and those with limited exploits (Science) are now able to take advantage of these features more often. This huge bonus has also introduced a glaring weakness in other weapons currently available: the lack of this feature on other weapons.

I understand that these reputation weapons are supposed to be unique, but this has prompted an issue that many games face and have tried to overcome in recent years, and that is making aesthetics independent from performance. In order to benefit from the effects of these new weapons, players must forgo their favorite weapons, looks-wise, to use something that gives them better performance in the game. If the look of your outfit is no longer determined by the armor/shields you equip, why is it not the same for weapons?

Following on this, space weapons also have the same issue. Antiproton weapons reign supreme at the moment with regards to DPS due to their innate 20% critical severity modifiers, but I'm sure quite a few players would rather use other weapons that they prefer the looks of more. Essentially, there are those who cave and use the superior weapon type because they want better gameplay performance, and then those who are ridiculed for "gimping themselves" by choosing a different weapon type because they prefer its looks better (i.e. me!). I'm a purist/canonist - whatever the term is called - and I like using Phasers on my Fed ships, Polaron on Dominion ships, Disruptors on Romulan ships, etc. It annoys me that I have to sacrifice my Space Barbie preferences for the sake of better numbers and the cessation of Elitists mocking me for bringing Phasers to an Antiproton fight...

Based off my previous statements, I am proposing a few changes to the way space and ground weapons are formatted in the future of Star Trek Online. They are as follows:

1) Make all ground weapon procs independent of visuals. For instance, if I like the visual/audio effects of Disruptor weapons, but prefer the proc effect of Plasma weapons, I can combine the two with the weapon skin (Elite Fleet Sniper, KHG Pulsewave, etc.) I like.

2) Upgrade all ground weapons with an exploit secondary attack to have an expose chance on their primary attack. I'm not exactly sure how this would work on weapons with an expose secondary attack, but maybe those weapons could be given two secondary fire modes, one for expose and one for exploit?

3) As with ground weapons, make the weapon procs for all space weapons independent of visuals. Let us use the Plasma DoT proc with our Disruptors, or use the Tetryon proc with our Phasers, without us being forced to use the visual/sound effects that correspond with that weapon proc currently. Don't get me wrong, red is a great color, but Phasers just look so right with Starfleet ships!

I understand fully that these changes, if so implemented, would require a good deal of reprogramming/recoding, but I think it will resonate with many players, whether they be casuals, number-crunchers, or RP'ers. You could even do something like what SWTOR did with color crystals. Yes, I know its taboo to mention that game here, but the mechanics behind it are sound. All of the different stats available for color crystals in SWTOR are available for all color crystals! By doing this, players don't have to sacrifice aesthetics for performance! YIPPEE!

So what do you guys think? Have I made any valid points? Do you guys have suggestions regarding what I've said? Please share your thoughts by commenting below! Thanks for reading!

Comments

  • alphahydrialphahydri Member Posts: 391 Arc User
    Bump for feedback!
  • This content has been removed.
  • gradiigradii Member Posts: 2,824 Arc User
    Improve the proc on phasers.

    "He shall be my finest warrior, this generic man who was forced upon me.
    Like a badass I shall make him look, and in the furnace of war I shall forge him.
    he shall be of iron will and steely sinew.
    In great armour I shall clad him and with the mightiest weapons he shall be armed.
    He will be untouched by plague or disease; no sickness shall blight him.
    He shall have such tactics, strategies and machines that no foe will best him in battle.
    He is my answer to cryptic logic, he is the Defender of my Romulan Crew.
    He is Tovan Khev... and he shall know no fear."
  • dareaudareau Member Posts: 2,390 Arc User
    edited July 2015
    One of the reasons we don't have this "again" is that one of the Devs, Geko I think, has decided that "there will be no mix-matching looks and effects so that anyone you team with/against can tell, at a glance, what you're using and capable of".

    Yes, I said again because my understanding is that at one point this functionality was in the game...

    However, I am seriously thinking that, much like a "replacer mod" for many other games, I should be able to "replace" any component of my contribution only on my screen. If I want to see a ToS Connie instead of a Pathfinder? Well, to me, who cares? I know it's a Pathfinder underneath but I get the visual effect of tooling around in my absolute favoritest of all time ship. Somebody else want TNG Phasers instead of Antiproton? I don't care that they see orange all over the place, I'll see that lovely red on black beam of death that says "my teammate cares about crits".

    If it absolutely, positively has to be monetized, perhaps a 250 or so zen "unlock" that enables that specific replacement can be sold. It could be either "class" replacements (replace ship with any other ship you own, replace weapons look with another weapon you own, etc.) or down to the specific replacement (to see Connies, pay 250. To see MVAMs, pay 250 more. To see phaser weapon colors, pay 250. To see Polaron, 250 more. You really love that Reman shield skin but want those Counter Command shields to bake an Undine with? 250. Etc. etc.)

    To reiterate: Player sees what player wants to. Rest of group/world sees what they actually own/use. Preferably free, but if monetization is required, keep it inexpensive, the gist of the microtransaction.

    And on the other aspect of your post - make all ground weapons dual-proc - I'd say let's pass on that, because it'd be way too much work adding it to every existing weapons class and how would BOffs handle it on a regular basis?
    Detecting big-time "anti-old-school" bias here. NX? Lobi. TOS/TMP Connie? Super-promotion-box. (aka the two hardest ways to get ships) Excelsior & all 3 TNG "big hero" ships? C-Store. Please Equalize...

    To rob a line: [quote: Mariemaia Kushrenada] Forum Posting is much like an endless waltz. The three beats of war, peace and revolution continue on forever. However, opinions will change upon the reading of my post.[/quote]
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