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Omni Beams and Energy Sub-types
superfort29
Member Posts: 12 Arc User
I would like to see omni-beams offered in more energy sub-types. While you can have a Fire-At-Will ship with all beam arrays and a dual cannon + turrets ship all in the same energy sub-type, you cannot utilize dual beam banks effectively if you want to keep your energy weapons visually similar. This is because dual beam banks require your target to be within a 90 degree arc in front of your ship. Turrets are not an effective complimentary weapon as they cannot use beam firing modes such as Beam: Overload or Fire-At-Will. Omni beams, however, can use beam based firing modes.
The two energy sub-types that exemplify this problem are 23rd Century Retrofit weapons (the TOS blue phasers) and the Temporal Defense Chroniton weapons (Temporal Defense Initiative prismatic antiprotons). The two ways that come to mind about how to handle their inclusion are:
1) Allow every weapon type to have a vanity slot. So you would have a slot under the "Visuals" tab for dual beam banks, cannons, etc. This would transform the visuals of that weapon type, if equipped on your ship, to the weapon you have in the visuals slot. Alternatively, give a vanity slot to every weapon on a ship (so cruisers would have eight, escorts seven, and science vessels six). This could be monetized by either unlocking them all at once, or individually like inventory slots. While this would allow players the most freedom to customize their visuals, I believe I read somewhere that visuals being tied to weapons is more complex than people realize. This is not likely to be a workable solution.
2) Expand the number of omni-beams considerably, giving one to each energy sub-type. Make omni-beams a standard weapon type alongside beam arrays, dual beam banks, dual heavy cannons, and so forth. This isn't an easy solution, but may be more feasible than creating a vanity system for weapons in general. It could be monetized as a special "Omni Beam Variety Pack", or added to reputation stores alongside the other weapon types.
If more omni beams were introduced, then existing restrictions may need to be modified. For example, the two omni beam limit could be kept, but the distinction between crafted and set omni beams could be eliminated. Furthermore, omni beams could be restricted to only aft weapons slots to emphasize that they are intended to be supplemental weapon types. This would ensure that no build could be made completely of omni beams and eliminate any need for maneuvering or positioning (or needing eight omni beam hardpoints on ship models).
In conclusion, adding a way for omni beams to display more energy sub-types would greatly help me in my pursuit of certain aesthetics for my character's starships. It reflects what I have seen on the TV shows and movies, where the energy weapons used are of a uniform color and sound. Omni beams fill the missing piece between build weapon types (being the equivalent of turrets for beam weapons). They can offer an opportunity for additional monetization that targets players like me who want a visually and thematically cohesive build for their characters.
What do you guys think? Is there another way that weapon visuals could be customized that would be feasible for Star Trek Online as it stands in spring of 2020? How would you like to see it implemented in terms of monetization?
The two energy sub-types that exemplify this problem are 23rd Century Retrofit weapons (the TOS blue phasers) and the Temporal Defense Chroniton weapons (Temporal Defense Initiative prismatic antiprotons). The two ways that come to mind about how to handle their inclusion are:
1) Allow every weapon type to have a vanity slot. So you would have a slot under the "Visuals" tab for dual beam banks, cannons, etc. This would transform the visuals of that weapon type, if equipped on your ship, to the weapon you have in the visuals slot. Alternatively, give a vanity slot to every weapon on a ship (so cruisers would have eight, escorts seven, and science vessels six). This could be monetized by either unlocking them all at once, or individually like inventory slots. While this would allow players the most freedom to customize their visuals, I believe I read somewhere that visuals being tied to weapons is more complex than people realize. This is not likely to be a workable solution.
2) Expand the number of omni-beams considerably, giving one to each energy sub-type. Make omni-beams a standard weapon type alongside beam arrays, dual beam banks, dual heavy cannons, and so forth. This isn't an easy solution, but may be more feasible than creating a vanity system for weapons in general. It could be monetized as a special "Omni Beam Variety Pack", or added to reputation stores alongside the other weapon types.
If more omni beams were introduced, then existing restrictions may need to be modified. For example, the two omni beam limit could be kept, but the distinction between crafted and set omni beams could be eliminated. Furthermore, omni beams could be restricted to only aft weapons slots to emphasize that they are intended to be supplemental weapon types. This would ensure that no build could be made completely of omni beams and eliminate any need for maneuvering or positioning (or needing eight omni beam hardpoints on ship models).
In conclusion, adding a way for omni beams to display more energy sub-types would greatly help me in my pursuit of certain aesthetics for my character's starships. It reflects what I have seen on the TV shows and movies, where the energy weapons used are of a uniform color and sound. Omni beams fill the missing piece between build weapon types (being the equivalent of turrets for beam weapons). They can offer an opportunity for additional monetization that targets players like me who want a visually and thematically cohesive build for their characters.
What do you guys think? Is there another way that weapon visuals could be customized that would be feasible for Star Trek Online as it stands in spring of 2020? How would you like to see it implemented in terms of monetization?
"Hakeev is too badly injured to speak. He struggles only for a moment before he is finally still...Hakeev's end comes without any desperate speech or furious diatribe. As his plans collapse around him, only silence follows him into oblivion." -The original ending to Cutting the Cord
Post edited by baddmoonrizin on
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Comments
Space Barbie is the real endgame, so this makes me a sad panda
This is my experience as well. I included the vanity idea for the sake of completion but, as I said in the OP, it is unlikely to happen for technical reasons. However, adding omni beams to existing energy sub-types may be a more viable solution. As long as existing restrictions are more or less kept in place, adding more omni beams shouldn't have any adverse effects on gameplay.
l don't know.
l really don't know what l'm about to say, except l have a feeling about it.
That l must repeat the words that come without my knowledge.'
As per the OP, I figured as much. I know it's a far more complicated issue on the technical side than we players are privy to. I only included the idea in the OP because I know someone else would bring it up in the comments and I wanted to head off that line of discussion as I don't think there's much more that can be said about it.
On the other hand, I feel like my second idea may be a bit more feasible to implement. I won't call it "easy" because I am completely ignorant about how new weapons are created, but as it would use existing assets and has multiple established precedents I do feel more comfortable suggesting it (that omni beams be added to existing energy sub-types such as 23rd century phasers, TDI chroniton antiprotons, etc).
l don't know.
l really don't know what l'm about to say, except l have a feeling about it.
That l must repeat the words that come without my knowledge.'
the funny/sad thing is that way back in the beginning, might have been in beta, there was a week or two where you could change your weapon colors.. they locked it down because the PVPers whined. and now PVP is on life support at best...