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tractor beam: "illogical"

SystemSystem Member, NoReporting Posts: 178,019 Arc User
Ok, just something I wanted to point out, Cryptic/Atari. In star trek series, it is very clear that in order to use a tractor beam, both ships shields must be DOWN. as in Star Trek TNG: The Best of Both Worlds, [and many other episodes of various star treks] the borg had to 1ST lower the Enterprise's shields before locking on a tractor beam. An attempt to lock onto shields wouldnt stop the ship, but rather decrease shield strength gradually.

I luv the game, but just thought u guys should consider that. make the tractor beam only lock on when a ships facing shields were down. [it should also keep the shields down, till it is disengaged] and also, make it so that the tractor beam doesnt always 100% keep a ship from moving. it should be more like a tug boat, if the ship caught in the tractor beam like, transfers power to engines, and engages "Evasive maneuvers" or something, it should decrease the tractor beam's efficiency {or if engine power is high enough, then break it}.

The ship using the tractor beam should also automatically lower the shield section which the tractor beam is pointing out of, but immediately re-engage when tractor beam is off. if the ship is getting hammered in that open shield plate, then u should be able to dis-engage the tractor beam by simply clicking the tractor beam button again.

Plz, "Make it so", it would flow much better with star trek.
Post edited by Unknown User on

Comments

  • Archived PostArchived Post Member Posts: 2,264,498 Arc User
    edited May 2010
    Ok, just something I wanted to point out, Cryptic/Atari. In star trek series, it is very clear that in order to use a tractor beam, both ships shields must be DOWN. as in Star Trek TNG: The Best of Both Worlds, [and many other episodes of various star treks] the borg had to 1ST lower the Enterprise's shields before locking on a tractor beam. An attempt to lock onto shields wouldnt stop the ship, but rather decrease shield strength gradually.

    Well from an RP standpoint I'd have to say that it's been twenty years since the shows and movies, who knows what technological developments could have taken place. Also, in Nemesis, the Scimitar tries to lock on a tractor beam to the Scorpion attack fighter stolen by Picard and Data, apparently without de-cloaking.

    From a practical standpoint, it's a game and Cryptic had to find a way to include a well known part of Trek-tech, while making it useful in the game itself. :o
  • Archived PostArchived Post Member Posts: 2,264,498 Arc User
    edited May 2010
    true... then again, cloaked and "shields up" are different. in star trek VI, there is a ship that can fire torpedoes while cloaked, and that was WAY before even TNG.

    Shields are supposed to block all forms of energy like that. if a tractor beam can pierce a shield THAT easily, then it would seem logical to just "beam" aboard marines to the other ship and disable it.

    I wasnt at all saying get rid of the tractor beam, just alter it so its truly more "Trekkie".
  • Archived PostArchived Post Member Posts: 2,264,498 Arc User
    edited May 2010
    The borg could do it ever since they first appeared in TNG, to the point that it'd even drain shields. With all the federations contact with them i'm guessing they either created their own or reverse engineered the borg tractor beam technology.

    remember, this isn't set five minutes after the end of voyager, it's a good thirty years of technological advancement.
  • Archived PostArchived Post Member Posts: 2,264,498 Arc User
    edited May 2010
    ...and also, make it so that the tractor beam doesnt always 100% keep a ship from moving. it should be more like a tug boat, if the ship caught in the tractor beam like, transfers power to engines, and engages "Evasive maneuvers" or something, it should decrease the tractor beam's efficiency {or if engine power is high enough, then break it}.

    This is already possible but the AI controlled enemies don't use those abilities very often, if at all. But of course you can.

    If you yourself get caught in a Tractor Beam try Evasive Maneuvers. It will give you back a lot of maneuverability but the Tractor Beam does remain locked on. Use Emergency Power to Engines and it will allow you to move quite a bit more than without it. Tractor Beam will continue to hinder you unless you use an ability that stops it, like....

    Polarize Hull will nullify the Tractor Beam effect altogether.


    :cool:
  • Archived PostArchived Post Member Posts: 2,264,498 Arc User
    edited May 2010
    I wasnt at all saying get rid of the tractor beam, just alter it so its truly more "Trekkie".

    I get where you're coming from, and I agree that it would be nice, but thinking honestly here; how often do you see your opponent with their shields down (not just a facing)? :(
  • Archived PostArchived Post Member Posts: 2,264,498 Arc User
    edited May 2010
    I figured out how to get out of their tractors. And ever since I discovered "Warp Plasma", the tractor seems weak.

    I understand what you are saying and support it though.
  • Archived PostArchived Post Member Posts: 2,264,498 Arc User
    edited May 2010
    I also remember one of the devs mentioning that shields were 'Always up' because this is a time of war. So, since there's not even an option to lower shields in the game you can always handwave that technology has increased to the point where tractor beams can simply be used while shields are up. The reason why it actually is so is simply due to game balance but if you need an in-universe explanation you can come up with whatever you like.
  • Archived PostArchived Post Member Posts: 2,264,498 Arc User
    edited May 2010
    Cormoran wrote: »
    The borg could do it ever since they first appeared in TNG, to the point that it'd even drain shields. With all the federations contact with them i'm guessing they either created their own or reverse engineered the borg tractor beam technology.

    remember, this isn't set five minutes after the end of voyager, it's a good thirty years of technological advancement.

    I'd suggest this is also why Tractor Beam is a BOff power - every ship has a tractor beam for utility purposes, but using it in combat, through shields, takes more advanced equipment and skill in using it.
  • Archived PostArchived Post Member Posts: 2,264,498 Arc User
    edited May 2010
    Omega "pattern" stops tractor... Come on, it's a game.

    If I apply reality from a fantasy to create a new fantasy from reality, wow I'm doomed.
  • Archived PostArchived Post Member Posts: 2,264,498 Arc User
    edited May 2010
    wow guys, thanks for all ur replies. and thanks to those who support me. I am aware of Polarize hull [I use it alllll the time] But as I recall, the borg tractor beams DID NOT lock onto the enterprise completely untill its shields were drained. the tractor beam however, did quickly drain them, thus allowing it to lock onto the hull very quickly. And, we are the federation! not the borg

    yes, we have gotten smarter over time, u might say, but I still think its very illogical that a tractor beam pierces thru shields like they werent even there. c'mon, the graphics look like its attatched to the hull, and just ignores shields all together.

    I also kno it would be dum to lower all ur shields just so u could tug around an enemy for a few seconds, but at least lower 1 shield plate so that the tractor beam wouldnt interfere with ur own shields.

    [im not trying to make this non-fictional, just trying to make it logical as compared to real star trek shows]

    Great game! cheers and all that.
  • Archived PostArchived Post Member Posts: 2,264,498 Arc User
    edited May 2010
    I do see your point about the tractor being abit out of Cannon, but I dont think it is badly done as is.


    The borg Actually can lock a tractor on a ship with Sheilds they called it the holding beam and not a tractor beam, but I would feel the federation have more then likely addapted to this weapon by this time and found the implications of making their own type of holding beam.


    I think that the current Tractor beam is more similar to a holding beam then the tractor beams in the shows.




    I would like for them to give the tractor the ability to pull other ships or drag them if possible but all it does currently is hold them in place or debuf their movment.

    If we want to go technically we should have the ability to tractor our allies and tow them out of battle or out of danger if needed. That would be funn to jump in at full impulse and give your ally an assist in getting out of fire.
  • Archived PostArchived Post Member Posts: 2,264,498 Arc User
    edited May 2010
    ya! that would be very cool... but i doubt cryptic would do it... or even pay attention to my thread, lol.

    After all tho, in movies, the tractor beam was used for towing, or [for bases {like DS9}, and borg] for keeping things from moving. Ships generally used it to tow, {as u said, out of danger, or to a base or something} And I know iv heard them contradict themselves in the series before, but generally their shields have to be down. But still, the borg were able to stop a ship with its shields up in later series with a "holding beam", not a tractor beam. In STO it would appear that the beam locks directly onto the hull, and shields do absolutely nothing...

    I just feel the TB could be more realistic... oh, and another thing that kinda makes me think it should be used for towing rather than holding is that if you tractor someone, then fly circles out by them, the tractor beam still comes out of the same place on ur ship, i know it would be hard to fix this [due to possible bugs and whatnot] but I think that there should be a place in the rear of the ship for a tractor beam. thus allowing it to not always come out of the front of the ship [and look like its going thru the ship, lol! ] so, if a ship locks forward tractors on another vessel, then turns 180* around, the front beam should disengage, and the rear beam should immediately take over.
  • Archived PostArchived Post Member Posts: 2,264,498 Arc User
    edited May 2010
    It's called Gameplay Mechanics. Sometimes things have to be changed a little bit so that they aren't underpowered or overpowered.

    I suspect a Tractor Beam ability that was dependent on a dropped shield quadrant would essentially be a useless ability, as it happens so rarely. Thus people would ditch the TB ability and choose others instead that were more useful throughout the battle.

    Just my thoughts, though. :)
  • Archived PostArchived Post Member Posts: 2,264,498 Arc User
    edited May 2010
    Not sure if it has been said before but they have mysteriously gotten past the beam through shields issue. It's possible this was done as well.

    Great observation though. As much as I would like it to be more canon, this helps the game alot with giving it the necessary tackling.
  • Archived PostArchived Post Member Posts: 2,264,498 Arc User
    edited May 2010
    yes, perhaps... but I wasnt talking about not being able to use the TB if your shields were still up, I simply meant that clicking the TB button would automatically lower your ships shield facing which the tractor beam went through. I at LEAST think that the targets shields should cause the tractor beam to not always get a 100% lock. The stronger the enemy's facing shield, the less the tractor beam should affect the ship. Just makes sense, I mean, whats the point of shields if they cant stop energy [such as the TB] or weapons at least a little. I mean, think... there is like a 10% bleed through on most shields as I recall. the tractor beam might be like that, it uses the 10% to lock onto ship, but I think that 90% shield strength is quite a bit to not block a TB at least a Little...
  • Archived PostArchived Post Member Posts: 2,264,498 Arc User
    edited May 2010
    Here are other illogical Star Trek things.

    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=d1chtJQFQNs
  • Archived PostArchived Post Member Posts: 2,264,498 Arc User
    edited May 2010
    You can grab a ship with shields up in a tractor, but a ship does have the ablilty to use Negative Tractor, which will negate a tractor beam, or even break it......it just not in the game
  • Archived PostArchived Post Member Posts: 2,264,498 Arc User
    edited May 2010
    You have to lower your shield to use the Transporter, which I perfer to use as a boarding action, and load my shuttle craft as bombs filled with Anit-matter, but thats not in the game :o
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