I've always thought STO was a story driven game. If you want a challenging game to push the limits of your abilities those exist but they generally have little to no story content.
So I like STO and it's focus in telling great stories, that being said some more challenging end game content would not be unwelcome.
Heh, it took less than two days after the release of the latest Doom for someone to post a youtube video demonstrating that they beat the game on the highest difficulty. Nearly 5 hours and not dying even once. https://youtu.be/P6J352J_RG8
But the spire console's crit chance and damage bonus should also not stack. Neither should bonus to skills. Course, you do that and the bad players will suddenly find themselves doing much worse...but the gap between the bad and good players should shrink to reasonable level and the content can be made to deal with both groups in a more reasonable manner.
That reads a bit like Enhancement Diversification.
Like if I had 4 locators in my tac slots, they wouldn't stack.
That's old-timey-ED. Something we KNOW Cryptic can do.
Question is ... what do you put in those other tactical slots?
Regarding stacking: one thing that probably doesn't help is that more and more abilities can be stacked (anyone remember the times when you had to choose between tac, sci and engineering team instead of being able to use them all at once?) and that cooldowns of almost all abilities can be reduced in a dozen ways nowadays: Reciprocity and All hands on Deck, Krenim Boffs, the Vonph trait, devices like the one from the Delta Recruit event, Delta reputation consoles, the console from the Krenim event ship and probably a whole lot more when the new Temporal expansion arrives.
And it's not just stacking of things that could always stack. Look for example at this list, which shows that literally everything that can be used to put out even more damage is actively being explored to add even more power creep:
- weapon cycle haste,
- damage resistance reductions from both tac and sci powers AND specialisation trees
- penetration, both as [Pen] mod, reputation passives and Doffs
- active overcapping: anyone remember when 125 was the absolute maximum on a subystem's power
And the list goes on.
Everything and anything that lends itself to adding more power creep is actively being changed, caps are removed and things that used to be passively determined are now added as extra bonuses. We have more power, our weapons that benefit from this extra power penetrate deeper and fire more often and resistances for enemies against those weapons seem to be almost non-existent.
It's hard to find any system or ship feature that isn't enhanced in some way or the other, whereas this used to be entirely different: weapon cycle haste and penetration were never topics of debate years ago because they couldn't be enhanced. Now they can be enhanced and it's all stacking with the other options we have. And while having more options is almost always a good thing, perhaps they've given us players a bit too many options to enhance the performance of our ships, to the point that most needed restrictions have almost entirely disappeared.
I would like to see an end to Doff staking: Make a script that un-assigns and unbinds all the Doffs in the game. You put back in the one you want for each type of modification and now you can sell off your extras/move them to other captains, etc.
Superior Romulan Operative should also be a non-stacking bonus. One and done.
Oh, and all shield penetration percentages could be converted to twice that amount of shield penetration rating (so everything that's 100% become 200 rating). Which then goes through a diminishing returns curve like mitigation except it maxes out at 100% instead of 70%. That way shields are always at least a little involved in keeping you not dead and stacking penetration doesn't routinely bypass them entirely.
Reciprocity and All hands on Deck, Krenim Boffs, the Vonph trait, devices like the one from the Delta Recruit event, Delta reputation consoles, the console from the Krenim event ship and probably a whole lot more when the new Temporal expansion arrives.
<- Risian4, this is not a direct reply of your post, I used this part, because I hadn't in mind the name of these stuff.
this is a false debate like almost nobody has all these gears, all together. personally, I have only 2 of them. who waste his money for a single item; starship traits etc ...? not the average player.
the question is why cryptic still continue to create stuff like "invincibility"? when your hull is at 0, you should die. that's all.
the reason is obvious.
And this is my main concern; the way how cryptic has decided to make money at the expense of the vast majority; forgetting that this majority has the right also to enjoy this game, differently.
yeah, i'm pissed off; why? the entity in cca almost destroyed, before the first blast , and finally destroyed few seconds after it; or a guy who destroy everything alone on a map and and throw in the faces of other players his parse; or the iconian dread destroyed in 2 minutes in advanced, and too quickly in elite, etc etc etc etc etc.
It is easy to say the game is easy when you have a super team of people who do all of the work in a team game while you are still fumbling with where to put your numerous ship abilities in the little skill tray.
I'm sorry...but the game should not EVER be made where that player thinks the game is balanced and fun. Hell, the game should curb stomp players like into the ground. A game should be IMPOSSIBLE for a player like that...not just hard. People like that should not be playing a game...at all.
I'm sorry, something in here smells an awful lot like heavy-duty elitism.
The real issue is not that the game needs nerfs to bring the High dps players in line with the Low/Average DPS players (that would leave the gap as it is its just our numbers won't be as high) but that the game needs a revamped tutorial that ACTUALLY EXPLAINS ship building and console stacking. I get it would take some work but just the simple basic tutorial knowledge that slotting multiple consoles that increase your damage with a certain type of energy stacks and increases the effect, and having the game explain zthe power levels on your ship more comprehensively would go a long way. Even a basic combat hand holding scenario where the game tells you to activate certain powers in a certain order under scripted effects would help! And it could all.be explained as a Holodeck training program to keep it canon!
@coldnapalm that last comment was about as useful as your suggestions on PvP on another thread. So there's no need to be as 'passionate' about your own opinion. Regardless of how good you think it is.
Even the Elite content, such as Korfez and HSE are being completed with relative ease.
Korfez was always easy. It was never really an "Elite" map when you compare it to the other Elites.
HSE on the other hand was nerfed when they "fixed" the tanky tac cubes. Back then (a few months ago), the Tac cubes were resistant enough that when you tried to power through them using DPS, you'd lose and die before they did. That's why having at least 1 tank was mandatory in HSE a few months ago. Now you can power through them.
HSE isn't easier now due to the power creep, it's easier now because Cryptic changed it. I've started a petition in Reddit to change it back because it was more fun when the Tac cubes were very tough.
I still maintain (as I have for years now) that the key to making the game less easy is to do something about the AI. Power creep would be less effective if NPCs had the same potential as their player ship counterparts and a random captain class.
The only reason power creep in it's current form is so potent is that NPCs rely solely on HP or gimmicks (which are insta-countered by FAW) to slow players down, if instead NPCs were built to put up a fight the same way a pvper (who's just read all the text on abilities and stuff, not pros with pro pilot techniques) can it would discourage dps play while making the game slightly more difficult for less good players, I dare say new players would likely out perform many existing players if this system were implemented.
Not only that but I think simply play testing content in house with these NPCs would show up many of the balance issues that exist in the game, for example viral matrix is useless on players because we now have hot restart available for every subsystem now. Still, that sort of thing is for another thread.
I agree with the above but I think such advanced AI or better built NPCs belong more at Elite. I don't want to sound elitist but based on player rants whenever Cryptic introduces NPCs with abilities (like the Terrans), the average playerbase won't be able to cope.
The real issue is not that the game needs nerfs to bring the High dps players in line with the Low/Average DPS players (that would leave the gap as it is its just our numbers won't be as high) but that the game needs a revamped tutorial that ACTUALLY EXPLAINS ship building and console stacking. I get it would take some work but just the simple basic tutorial knowledge that slotting multiple consoles that increase your damage with a certain type of energy stacks and increases the effect, and having the game explain zthe power levels on your ship more comprehensively would go a long way. Even a basic combat hand holding scenario where the game tells you to activate certain powers in a certain order under scripted effects would help! And it could all.be explained as a Holodeck training program to keep it canon!
Right. The game is all too easy if you know what you're doing. It just doesn't give enough advice and information, so some people have a hard time learning.
As for the people who come to the forums to complain, are told exactly how to set up an effective build and stubbornly refuse to take the advice because it's "too complicated"...they will never be successful in MMORPGs and really should consider playing something simpler instead.
The real issue is not that the game needs nerfs to bring the High dps players in line with the Low/Average DPS players (that would leave the gap as it is its just our numbers won't be as high) but that the game needs a revamped tutorial that ACTUALLY EXPLAINS ship building and console stacking. I get it would take some work but just the simple basic tutorial knowledge that slotting multiple consoles that increase your damage with a certain type of energy stacks and increases the effect, and having the game explain the power levels on your ship more comprehensively would go a long way. Even a basic combat hand holding scenario where the game tells you to activate certain powers in a certain order under scripted effects would help! And it could all.be explained as a Holodeck training program to keep it canon!
((nods approvingly)) While I still think there's a need for diversification - only having one each of the strongest options - taking action to bring the bottom/average players up with better information and tutorials would DEFINITELY be a good call too.
The real issue is not that the game needs nerfs to bring the High dps players in line with the Low/Average DPS players (that would leave the gap as it is its just our numbers won't be as high) but that the game needs a revamped tutorial that ACTUALLY EXPLAINS ship building and console stacking.
What's difficult to understand about console stacking? If you're build is phaser based, whether beams or cannons, you get all phaser bonus tactical consoles for every tactical console slot. The higher the Mark of the item, the better the bonus it gives. The better the rarity of the item, the more bonus it gives. Having multiple items in a set provides additional bonuses depending on the set. How is this hard?
Cryptic has even brought cannons in line with beams now. BFAW no longer rules the day like it used to. I run a beam boat and now use Beam Overload rather than BFAW and I get better DPS results. It isn't hard to build something that does decent/respectable DPS. The DOFF's assigned in your Space slots also provide bonuses as well as your ship's Space and Reputation powers. All these things should COMPLEMENT EACH OTHER for added power in whatever spec you're shooting for. What's so hard about this?
Yep, me and others are occasionally reminded of underperforming the top dps charts, and we would fail without the top dogs at our side. I don't know what to say to that. I usually just ignore it and continue to have fun. Honestly don't care for numbers.
I don't either. If I happen to get good numbers, nice. What matters is having fun and being able to support the team. Even if supporting the team means an 8k BFAW spread of AP Beta. That's still a lot of enemy ships hit with AP Beta for the rest of the team to hammer. As long as you can fight effectively, you should be good.
In Team Fortress 2, some people look down on Snipers using the Sydney Sleeper because you cannot headshot with it. "Its an excuse to body shoot. No skill." What they don't understand is that while I can't headshot with the Sleeper, Any enemies I don't kill will have a Jarate effect on them, granting minicrits to my teammates. That's supporting the team.
lol, but there was even more controversy when the sydney sleeper was part of an set
Comments
So I like STO and it's focus in telling great stories, that being said some more challenging end game content would not be unwelcome.
My character Tsin'xing
That reads a bit like Enhancement Diversification.
Like if I had 4 locators in my tac slots, they wouldn't stack.
That's old-timey-ED. Something we KNOW Cryptic can do.
Question is ... what do you put in those other tactical slots?
And it's not just stacking of things that could always stack. Look for example at this list, which shows that literally everything that can be used to put out even more damage is actively being explored to add even more power creep:
- weapon cycle haste,
- damage resistance reductions from both tac and sci powers AND specialisation trees
- penetration, both as [Pen] mod, reputation passives and Doffs
- active overcapping: anyone remember when 125 was the absolute maximum on a subystem's power
And the list goes on.
Everything and anything that lends itself to adding more power creep is actively being changed, caps are removed and things that used to be passively determined are now added as extra bonuses. We have more power, our weapons that benefit from this extra power penetrate deeper and fire more often and resistances for enemies against those weapons seem to be almost non-existent.
It's hard to find any system or ship feature that isn't enhanced in some way or the other, whereas this used to be entirely different: weapon cycle haste and penetration were never topics of debate years ago because they couldn't be enhanced. Now they can be enhanced and it's all stacking with the other options we have. And while having more options is almost always a good thing, perhaps they've given us players a bit too many options to enhance the performance of our ships, to the point that most needed restrictions have almost entirely disappeared.
Superior Romulan Operative should also be a non-stacking bonus. One and done.
Oh, and all shield penetration percentages could be converted to twice that amount of shield penetration rating (so everything that's 100% become 200 rating). Which then goes through a diminishing returns curve like mitigation except it maxes out at 100% instead of 70%. That way shields are always at least a little involved in keeping you not dead and stacking penetration doesn't routinely bypass them entirely.
this is a false debate like almost nobody has all these gears, all together. personally, I have only 2 of them. who waste his money for a single item; starship traits etc ...? not the average player.
the question is why cryptic still continue to create stuff like "invincibility"? when your hull is at 0, you should die. that's all.
the reason is obvious.
And this is my main concern; the way how cryptic has decided to make money at the expense of the vast majority; forgetting that this majority has the right also to enjoy this game, differently.
yeah, i'm pissed off; why? the entity in cca almost destroyed, before the first blast , and finally destroyed few seconds after it; or a guy who destroy everything alone on a map and and throw in the faces of other players his parse; or the iconian dread destroyed in 2 minutes in advanced, and too quickly in elite, etc etc etc etc etc.
this game is not easy for the vast majority.
Korfez was always easy. It was never really an "Elite" map when you compare it to the other Elites.
HSE on the other hand was nerfed when they "fixed" the tanky tac cubes. Back then (a few months ago), the Tac cubes were resistant enough that when you tried to power through them using DPS, you'd lose and die before they did. That's why having at least 1 tank was mandatory in HSE a few months ago. Now you can power through them.
HSE isn't easier now due to the power creep, it's easier now because Cryptic changed it. I've started a petition in Reddit to change it back because it was more fun when the Tac cubes were very tough.
| USS Curiosity - Pathfinder | USS Rift - Eternal |
The Science Ship Build Thread - Share your Sci Ship builds here!
The only reason power creep in it's current form is so potent is that NPCs rely solely on HP or gimmicks (which are insta-countered by FAW) to slow players down, if instead NPCs were built to put up a fight the same way a pvper (who's just read all the text on abilities and stuff, not pros with pro pilot techniques) can it would discourage dps play while making the game slightly more difficult for less good players, I dare say new players would likely out perform many existing players if this system were implemented.
Not only that but I think simply play testing content in house with these NPCs would show up many of the balance issues that exist in the game, for example viral matrix is useless on players because we now have hot restart available for every subsystem now. Still, that sort of thing is for another thread.
| USS Curiosity - Pathfinder | USS Rift - Eternal |
The Science Ship Build Thread - Share your Sci Ship builds here!
As for the people who come to the forums to complain, are told exactly how to set up an effective build and stubbornly refuse to take the advice because it's "too complicated"...they will never be successful in MMORPGs and really should consider playing something simpler instead.
Fleet Defiant Kinetic Heavy Fire Support | Fleet Manticore Kinetic Strike Ship | Tactical Command Kinetic Siege Refit | Fleet Defiant Quantum Phase Escort | Fleet Valiant Kinetic Heavy Fire Support
Turning the Galaxy-X into a Torpedo Dreadnought & torpedo tutorial, with written torpedo guide.
"A good weapon and a great strategy will win you many battles." - Marshall
I knew using Kinetics would be playing the game on hard mode, but what I didn't realize was how bad the deck is stacked against Kinetics.
((nods approvingly)) While I still think there's a need for diversification - only having one each of the strongest options - taking action to bring the bottom/average players up with better information and tutorials would DEFINITELY be a good call too.
What's difficult to understand about console stacking? If you're build is phaser based, whether beams or cannons, you get all phaser bonus tactical consoles for every tactical console slot. The higher the Mark of the item, the better the bonus it gives. The better the rarity of the item, the more bonus it gives. Having multiple items in a set provides additional bonuses depending on the set. How is this hard?
Cryptic has even brought cannons in line with beams now. BFAW no longer rules the day like it used to. I run a beam boat and now use Beam Overload rather than BFAW and I get better DPS results. It isn't hard to build something that does decent/respectable DPS. The DOFF's assigned in your Space slots also provide bonuses as well as your ship's Space and Reputation powers. All these things should COMPLEMENT EACH OTHER for added power in whatever spec you're shooting for. What's so hard about this?
lol, but there was even more controversy when the sydney sleeper was part of an set