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Ho long before someone gets killed by the epilepsy beam?

I mean seriously guys, have you any idea how dangerous that new resonant beam is? I would like to know who's incredible idea it was to include this in the game? It doesn't matter if it's hitting you, you're using it on someone else or in general PvP, your entire monitor is just a brilliant bright blue/white flash for several seconds. You guys made the borg cube flash more local, but this is a million times worse. I would not be surprised if some poor sod gets an attack from this or at the very least has to stop playing for fear of an attack.

"Various types of seizure can be triggered by flashing or flickering light. These include tonic-clonic, absence, myoclonic and focal seizures. The most common is a tonic-clonic seizure. The seizure(s) will usually happen at the time of, or shortly after, looking at the trigger."

* https://www.epilepsy.org.uk/info/photosensitive-epilepsy

I don't suffer from this but I find it incredibly annoying, in our fleet this beam is banned in pvp.

Cryptic you need to take another look at this before someone is hurt.



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Comments

  • angrytargangrytarg Member Posts: 11,016 Arc User
    I don't know how serious this is. I agree with you in principal, but everybody affected by this probably doesn't play fast-paced action videogames with flashy lights anyway. But still, the effects get quite annoying lately. More subtlety would be appreciated, definitely.​​
    lFC4bt2.gif
    ^ Memory Alpha.org is not canon. It's a open wiki with arbitrary rules. Only what can be cited from an episode is. ^
    "No. Men do not roar. Women roar. Then they hurl heavy objects... and claw at you." -Worf, son of Mogh
    "A filthy, mangy beast, but in its bony breast beat the heart of a warrior" - "faithful" (...) "but ever-ready to follow the call of the wild." - Martok, about a Targ
    "That pig smelled horrid. A sweet-sour, extremely pungent odor. I showered and showered, and it took me a week to get rid of it!" - Robert Justman, appreciating Emmy-Lou
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  • stumpfgobsstumpfgobs Member Posts: 297 Arc User
    That's why most games have an epilepsy warning in the manual or somewhere else.
  • solardynamosolardynamo Member Posts: 44 Arc User
    If the bright lights bother you than just say so, but there's no need to play the epilepsy card in an effort to make a change. :)

    Having been in that community for 15 years I can say photosensitive epilepsy is a factor in a very low number of cases...statistically in this player-base I'd be surprised at more than one person (given that 1 in 100 epileptics has that type). If someone has photosensitive epilepsy, then they generally know about it unless it's the first seizure they've ever had and would probably avoid most games anyway after that point. Anything flashing from 3Hz-60Hz could trigger (that's 3 times per second to 60 times per second) a seizure.
  • shpoksshpoks Member Posts: 6,967 Arc User
    This game is a nightmare for people suffering from epilepsy, just like most other action-based games I guess. STO used to be much more tame regarding effects, which I liked very much, but couple of years ago the devs became obsessed with pointless glitter and totally over the top visual effects for some reason.

    Anyway, I say there should be a warning about this - maybe when you launch the game on the bottom of the black screen with only 'CRYPTIC' in it. Just in case, better safe then sorry.
    HQroeLu.jpg
  • bobtheyakbobtheyak Member Posts: 374 Arc User
    Epilepsy aside, that resonance beam can cause serious headaches in people who aren't even prone to them.
  • lucho80lucho80 Member Posts: 6,600 Bug Hunter
    Frankly they need to tone it down. It's an epilepsy danger and it blinds the target with all the ridiculous flashing.
  • shadowwraith77shadowwraith77 Member Posts: 6,395 Arc User
    edited July 2015
    Did it look anything like this?

    Serious Warning, 3mins. of possible epilepsy if viewed!

    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uIqBAAf2KWk

    Post edited by shadowwraith77 on
    tumblr_nq9ec3BSAy1qj6sk2o2_500_zpspkqw0mmk.gif


    Praetor of the -RTS- Romulan Tal Shiar fleet!

  • edited July 2015
    This content has been removed.
  • primar13primar13 Member Posts: 1,896 Bug Hunter
    Apparently the OP has not been to the FARN System in the Delta Quadrant.... now thats Annoying...
  • ssbn655ssbn655 Member Posts: 1,894 Arc User
    It is annoying especialy if you hit an Iconian ship and they open a solar gate at the same time makes it hard to pick out the gate to target it. It seems turning down bloom effects has little impact on this.
  • monkeybone13monkeybone13 Member Posts: 4,640 Arc User
    edited July 2015
    Destabilizing Resonance Beam

    I HATE IT!

    I was working on finishing the Delta quadrant episodes the other day and had that 1 patrol mission where you have a borg tac cube and sphere as allies and the Vaadwaur use this on me. I HATE IT!

    When used on me the screen goes all bright white for several seconds and there is a very high pitched squeal associated with it. If I recall, hazard emitters can remove the debuff, but even if I use it immediately (or manage to use it right before getting the debuff) I still get hit with a bright flash and loud squeal for a second or 2.

    Later I decided to use it myself (not knowing this was the skill the Vaadwaur used in that 1 patrol mission). Each time it pulses the entire screen flashes. I won't be using it anymore.

    The visual effects of this skill really need to be reworked and the loud squeal removed before it does cause harm to someone prone to certain things, like what the OP describes.

    Who's bright idea was it to make this skill function this way?
  • legendarylycan#5411 legendarylycan Member Posts: 37,284 Arc User
    Destabilizing Resonance Beam

    I HATE IT!

    I was working on finishing the Delta quadrant episodes the other day and had that 1 patrol mission where you have a borg tac cube and sphere as allies and the Vaadwaur use this on me. I HATE IT!

    When used on me the screen goes all bright white for several seconds and there is a very high pitched squeal associated with it. If I recall, hazard emitters can remove the debuff, but even if I use it immediately (or manage to use it right before getting the debuff) I still get hit with a bright flash and loud squeal for a second or 2.

    Later I decided to use it myself (not knowing this was the skill the Vaadwaur used in that 1 patrol mission). Each time it pulses the entire screen flashes. I won't be using it anymore.

    The visual effects of this skill really need to be reworked and the loud squeal removed before it does cause harm to someone prone to certain things, like what the OP describes.

    Who's bright idea was it to make this skill function this way?

    that is a solar flare, not DRB​​
    Like special weapons from other Star Trek games? Wondering if they can be replicated in STO even a little bit? Check this out: https://forum.arcgames.com/startrekonline/discussion/1262277/a-mostly-comprehensive-guide-to-star-trek-videogame-special-weapons-and-their-sto-equivalents

    #LegalizeAwoo

    A normie goes "Oh, what's this?"
    An otaku goes "UwU, what's this?"
    A furry goes "OwO, what's this?"
    A werewolf goes "Awoo, what's this?"


    "It's nothing personal, I just don't feel like I've gotten to know a person until I've sniffed their crotch."
    "We said 'no' to Mr. Curiosity. We're not home. Curiosity is not welcome, it is not to be invited in. Curiosity...is bad. It gets you in trouble, it gets you killed, and more importantly...it makes you poor!"
    Passion and Serenity are one.
    I gain power by understanding both.
    In the chaos of their battle, I bring order.
    I am a shadow, darkness born from light.
    The Force is united within me.
  • seaofsorrowsseaofsorrows Member Posts: 10,919 Arc User
    While I certainly hope that nothing like that happens to anyone, ultimately.. people are responsible for their own health. If they have such a medical condition, they shouldn't be playing the game to begin with.

    I understand, that they might not yet know they have the condition, but that doesn't shift the burden of responsibility. Ultimately, people are responsible for themselves.
    Insert witty signature line here.
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  • farmallmfarmallm Member Posts: 4,630 Arc User
    Most games has a lot of flashing lights and stuff. So those people play at their own risk. Even watching a movie can trigger it. At times it might not be a light. Other factors also causes it.
    Enterprise%20C_zpsrdrf3v8d.jpg

    USS Casinghead NCC 92047 launched 2350
    Fleet Admiral Stowe - Dominion War Vet.
  • ovrkylovrkyl Member Posts: 309 Arc User
    Destabilizing Resonance Beam

    I HATE IT!

    I was working on finishing the Delta quadrant episodes the other day and had that 1 patrol mission where you have a borg tac cube and sphere as allies and the Vaadwaur use this on me. I HATE IT!

    When used on me the screen goes all bright white for several seconds and there is a very high pitched squeal associated with it. If I recall, hazard emitters can remove the debuff, but even if I use it immediately (or manage to use it right before getting the debuff) I still get hit with a bright flash and loud squeal for a second or 2.

    Later I decided to use it myself (not knowing this was the skill the Vaadwaur used in that 1 patrol mission). Each time it pulses the entire screen flashes. I won't be using it anymore.

    The visual effects of this skill really need to be reworked and the loud squeal removed before it does cause harm to someone prone to certain things, like what the OP describes.

    Who's bright idea was it to make this skill function this way?
    I believe that can also be encountered on ground maps if someone uses a stun grenade on you (colloquially called IRL a "flash bang" for that very reason...visual and auditory overload). I've witnessed it myself, more ground than space, but same annoying effects.
    This is my signature. There are many like it, but this one is mine.
  • gradiigradii Member Posts: 2,824 Arc User
    1st officer: "Captain! Shields are down to 12%, our engines are offline,
    and there are hull breaches on decks 6, 3, and 14!"

    Captain: "Number one, prepare to fire our ultimate weapon."

    1st officer: "What would that be sir?"

    Captain: "Fire... THE EPILEPSY BEAM!!!"

    "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."
  • coupaholiccoupaholic Member Posts: 2,188 Arc User
    Would the effect be minimised if they lower the graphic settings? Obviously not a perfect solution, but better than nothing.​​
  • captainmal3captainmal3 Member Posts: 436 Arc User
    Regardless of the epilepsy thing, it really needs to be toned down. I wanted to use it on my new ship (more sci slots than my old one) but it's just so incredibly annoying. I hate it when other people I'm teamed with use it too, although it's generally not quite as bad in those cases, simply due to being further away. I have no idea how they put up with it though.
  • e30erneste30ernest Member Posts: 1,794 Arc User
    I love the skill but not the visual effect that comes with it. I am for a revamp of its visual effect.
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  • meimeitoomeimeitoo Member Posts: 12,594 Arc User
    I love the DRB effects, btw. Just keep 'em. :)
    3lsZz0w.jpg
  • angrytargangrytarg Member Posts: 11,016 Arc User
    Its just the logical progression in obnoxious visual effects since say... the neutronic torpedo?

    An that one only uses the biomatter proc effect. A lot of skills and weapons just reuse the same effect with different colours and a bit more flashes, actually.​​
    lFC4bt2.gif
    ^ Memory Alpha.org is not canon. It's a open wiki with arbitrary rules. Only what can be cited from an episode is. ^
    "No. Men do not roar. Women roar. Then they hurl heavy objects... and claw at you." -Worf, son of Mogh
    "A filthy, mangy beast, but in its bony breast beat the heart of a warrior" - "faithful" (...) "but ever-ready to follow the call of the wild." - Martok, about a Targ
    "That pig smelled horrid. A sweet-sour, extremely pungent odor. I showered and showered, and it took me a week to get rid of it!" - Robert Justman, appreciating Emmy-Lou
  • monkeybone13monkeybone13 Member Posts: 4,640 Arc User
    Destabilizing Resonance Beam

    I HATE IT!

    I was working on finishing the Delta quadrant episodes the other day and had that 1 patrol mission where you have a borg tac cube and sphere as allies and the Vaadwaur use this on me. I HATE IT!

    When used on me the screen goes all bright white for several seconds and there is a very high pitched squeal associated with it. If I recall, hazard emitters can remove the debuff, but even if I use it immediately (or manage to use it right before getting the debuff) I still get hit with a bright flash and loud squeal for a second or 2.

    Later I decided to use it myself (not knowing this was the skill the Vaadwaur used in that 1 patrol mission). Each time it pulses the entire screen flashes. I won't be using it anymore.

    The visual effects of this skill really need to be reworked and the loud squeal removed before it does cause harm to someone prone to certain things, like what the OP describes.

    Who's bright idea was it to make this skill function this way?

    that is a solar flare, not DRB​​

    Oh. It's still hard on the eyes and ears.

    Still though, I pointed out when using the destabilizing resonance beam myself it does have a bright pulsating flash that fills the screen. It's annoying even if I have the camera zoomed all the way out on a small ship.
  • monkeybone13monkeybone13 Member Posts: 4,640 Arc User
    edited July 2015
    While I certainly hope that nothing like that happens to anyone, ultimately.. people are responsible for their own health. If they have such a medical condition, they shouldn't be playing the game to begin with.

    I understand, that they might not yet know they have the condition, but that doesn't shift the burden of responsibility. Ultimately, people are responsible for themselves.

    Seriously? That's like saying somebody who got food poisoning at a restaurant is at fault for eating there, even though they didn't know the food was spoiled. There have been studies and evidence over the course of decades that prove such flashing lights can cause seizures in people, even if they aren't prone to such a thing.

    History lesson buddy: even people who don't have photosensitive epilepsy can still be affected by it.

    Evidence: In 1997 there was a Pokemon episode that aired in japan that sent hundreds of kids to the hospital due to a massive flashing on the screen. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pokémon_episodes_removed_from_rotation#.22Denn.C5.8D_Senshi_Porygon.22_.28Episode_38.29
    Only a small fraction of the 685 children treated were diagnosed with photosensitive epilepsy........Although about 1 in 4,000 people are susceptible to these types of seizures, the number of people affected by this Pokémon episode was unprecedented.

    Most of the kids sent to the hospital only had mild symptoms and no long term damage. Only a small fraction were diagnosed with the condition. But that still doesn't change the fact a condition that only affects a small amount of people actually affected a very large number.
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  • legendarylycan#5411 legendarylycan Member Posts: 37,284 Arc User
    Oh. It's still hard on the eyes and ears.

    Still though, I pointed out when using the destabilizing resonance beam myself it does have a bright pulsating flash that fills the screen. It's annoying even if I have the camera zoomed all the way out on a small ship.

    i saw someone using it in a tholian alert the other night, and while the effect was fairly intense, it wasn't a flash filling my entire screen, and i was very close to the one using it​​
    Like special weapons from other Star Trek games? Wondering if they can be replicated in STO even a little bit? Check this out: https://forum.arcgames.com/startrekonline/discussion/1262277/a-mostly-comprehensive-guide-to-star-trek-videogame-special-weapons-and-their-sto-equivalents

    #LegalizeAwoo

    A normie goes "Oh, what's this?"
    An otaku goes "UwU, what's this?"
    A furry goes "OwO, what's this?"
    A werewolf goes "Awoo, what's this?"


    "It's nothing personal, I just don't feel like I've gotten to know a person until I've sniffed their crotch."
    "We said 'no' to Mr. Curiosity. We're not home. Curiosity is not welcome, it is not to be invited in. Curiosity...is bad. It gets you in trouble, it gets you killed, and more importantly...it makes you poor!"
    Passion and Serenity are one.
    I gain power by understanding both.
    In the chaos of their battle, I bring order.
    I am a shadow, darkness born from light.
    The Force is united within me.
  • shadowwraith77shadowwraith77 Member Posts: 6,395 Arc User
    To me, it is just a bit bright on the eyeballs is all!
    tumblr_nq9ec3BSAy1qj6sk2o2_500_zpspkqw0mmk.gif


    Praetor of the -RTS- Romulan Tal Shiar fleet!

  • a3001a3001 Member Posts: 1,132 Arc User
    Statistically? Very soon. Probability? Slightly above average.
    Rejoice JJ Trek people....

    http://www.arcgames.com/en/games/star-trek-online/news/detail/10052253

    Why are you not rejoicing?
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