What if Cannon Rapid Fire and Scatter Volley forced all of your cannon weapons into a cooldown mode after being fired? After the cannon effects expire, all of a ship's cannons go into cooldown mode, which will either:
a) Prevent all cannons from firing for 5 seconds
b) Severely reduce the amount of damage they deal for 5-10 seconds
The reason why I suggest adding a drawback to cannon abilities has precisely to do with the fact that they don't suffer from any in the first place, whereas beam abilities have some drawbacks associated with their use that may make them less desirable to use in some situations. Beam Fire At Will can provide higher overall DPS and multi-targeting, but doesn't let the player control how it fires; likewise, Beam Overload causes severe weapons power depletion and prevents any weapons of the same type from firing when the beam is armed.
By adding some sort of cooldown period at the end of Cannon abilities, it would add a similar disadvantage and not simply let them be a cheap and easy way to add considerable amounts of DPS, of which Escorts and Tactical captains have in abundance. In addition, it also might encourage escort captains to diversify their weapons mix into beams or torpedoes, because such weapons would remain affected.
So the 45* firing arc of the cannons isn't handicap enough ? If I wanted to use weapons with 6 times the coverage as cannons I wouldn't need to fly a ship with paper thin shields and hull.
What if everyone who had an idea about nerfing something they didn't like decided to come up with a way to work around it instead of posting defamitory comments about it and asking for it to be nerfed?
In before the inevitable gleeful wall of absurdity: Cannons do not have an overload ability only rapid fire. Beam Overload does exactly what it is meant to do: Dump enough raw power into the system to provide an extreme burst of energy power to the weapons for a burst at a single target then cooldown back into normal operation. Just as BFAW does not allow players to control what is being targeted, neither does Scatter Volley. It only appears as such since cannons have a much smaller firing arc. Thus the pattern of fire appears more controlled than appearance dictates.
Cruisers and Engineers excel at heals and soaking damage for extended periods. Science ships and officers excel and debuffs, hazards, and the highest shield modifier in the game. Perhaps everyone should share the wealth, no? Season 8: The Grand Amalgamation. That would likely be the final season as the game itself would lose all relevance.
Synergy. It's what the doctor ordered.
Jack Emmert: "Starfleet and Klingon. ... So two factions, full PvE content." Al Rivera hates Klingons Star Trek Online: Agents of Jack Emmert All cloaks should be canon.
Sure if BFAW puts all Beams on a collective cool down and BO puts a single Beam on copl down as well.
I say this snarkingly becuase I completely disagree with your idea and the need for it.
All weapons were designed to do a particular thing, namely fire at an opponent. CRF, CSV BFAW and BO force the weapons to do something they don't ordinarily do. If they were meant to do it normally they'd be doing it without need to a BOFF ability to trigger it.
A cooldown might make a little sense. Not a long one, just a few seconds for every weapon that was affected by the BOFF ability. Like you say, it would need to affect beams and cannons, otherwise there'd be no balance.
(This is not a troll post. Just me thinking out aloud. In text.)
Sure if BFAW puts all Beams on a collective cool down and BO puts a single Beam on copl down as well.
I say this snarkingly becuase I completely disagree with your idea and the need for it.
To some extent, Beam Overload does put a single beam on cooldown, along with all other beams arrays as well. It has a pre-fire delay, power drain, and stops all other beams from firing for the duration of the ability. So yes, it does already have that handicap. As far as Beam Fire At Will is concerned, I actually wouldn't mind a cooldown as a drawback.
I could say more, but I don't feel like getting into a finger-pointing match. All I'm saying is that for their sheer effectiveness, cannon abilities don't have any drawbacks when compared to beam abilities. While one could say the same of torpedo skills as well, but the difference there is that torpedoes actually need skills in order to be effective.
So the 45* firing arc of the cannons isn't handicap enough ? If I wanted to use weapons with 6 times the coverage as cannons I wouldn't need to fly a ship with paper thin shields and hull.
Well, my main concern is cannon weapons generally being outright superior to beam weapons. A cruiser with 4 cannons/4 turrets is far better with Rapid Fire/Scatter Volley at blasting single targets and groups than an 8 beam with Overload/Fire At Will, with the further bonus of being far more amenable to using torpedoes as well. It'll also use whatever weapons power you devote to your weapons in a more efficient manner as well
Just as BFAW does not allow players to control what is being targeted, neither does Scatter Volley. It only appears as such since cannons have a much smaller firing arc. Thus the pattern of fire appears more controlled than appearance dictates.
Scatter Volley can be targeted much more easily than FAW because of the smaller firing arc. If I remember correctly, it also operates differently from FAW, in such a way that it loses less (or no) DPS against multiple in-range targets compared to FAW.
Well, my main concern is cannon weapons generally being outright superior to beam weapons. A cruiser with 4 cannons/4 turrets is far better with Rapid Fire/Scatter Volley at blasting single targets or groups than an 8 beam with Overload/Fire At Will, with the further bonus of being far more amenable to using torpedoes as well.
Cannon abilities have a lot to do with this,
You lost any credibility you might have had when you put 'cruiser' and 'cannons' in the same sentence.
[SIGPIC][/SIGPIC]
500 years in the future and we still look like schmucks when getting our ID photos taken...
Oh here we go. We haven't had a nerf escorts thread in what...10 minutes now? Please Cryptic for the love of god, put nerf escorts threads on a 24 hour cool down.
I'd put the Holy Hand Grenade of Antioch on my shuttle if I could. Count unto three and then thine foe shalt be blown to tiny bits and they shalt snuff it.
(We don't see enough Monty Python reference in Trek.)
Shuttle beams also match that arc. So would you put a turret in place of it on a shuttle ?
Yes.
Have you noticed how much most Shuttle weapons actually do, compared to regular weapons?
In any case, I wouldn't mind either way if you decide to fly a Shuttle in regular PvP or PvE against regular warships, since it's a foregone conclusion either way.
To some extent, Beam Overload does put a single beam on cooldown, along with all other beams arrays as well.
And all cannons too.
Anyway, your idea is bad.
Doesn't take into consideration the 45 degree arc of Dual cannons and starts from the premise that you think 250 degree beam arrays aren't good enough compared to them.
Don't worry, there will be another thread like this tomorrow, here are some guesses as to what we might see:
1) Nerf all Escort shields to 1/3rd, and make Cruiser beam arrays powered by Shields and give all cruisers permanent EPTS 3.
2) Make all Beam Arrays into DBB damage, but keep the 250 degree arc and make them only usable on Cruisers. Call them "Awesome Arrays".
3) Quadruple base hull and shields of Cruisers give them a beam array that takes up four weapon slots but has a base DPV of 10,000. This is balanced because the firing cycle would be set to somewhere between "instantly vaporizes the target" and "vaporizes the target in 5 seconds".
I've been around forums long enough to be familiar with this kind of reaction, but I'm going to press on any how.
Yes, I am fully aware of the fact that firing arcs play into actual DPS, and not theoretical DPS based on numbers alone. And this is to say nothing of the measures that one could take against being barraged by cannon fire. I am still quite convinced that the advantages of cannons will still outweigh those of beam arrays, unless you can present some hard numbers outlining a clear superiority in common situations.
Ya, just read your 'nerf tactical consoles thread' a minute ago.
I'm sorry you were one of the 12 cruisers I killed in last nights arena match I accidentally cued up for. Next time I promise to be prepared and bring my non-pvp shuttle.
All weapons were designed to do a particular thing, namely fire at an opponent. CRF, CSV BFAW and BO force the weapons to do something they don't ordinarily do. If they were meant to do it normally they'd be doing it without need to a BOFF ability to trigger it.
A cooldown might make a little sense. Not a long one, just a few seconds for every weapon that was affected by the BOFF ability. Like you say, it would need to affect beams and cannons, otherwise there'd be no balance.
(This is not a troll post. Just me thinking out aloud. In text.)
No. We already had cool downs on cannons and they where removed for a reason. To put them back as an additional handicap similiar to what BO suffers makes no sense to me.
Its an idea that is not imposing a power drain handicap but a lengthy universal TIME sink on all cannons ( which includes turrets) that leaves the cannons unusable in exchange for nothing.
I personally and in my on iponion find it to be a stupid idea that directly nerfs escorts (and moat KDF ships as well) unjustly and possibly in a prejudiced way.
Keep in mind the angst of my post is not at you but the OPs idea.
Comments
I say this snarkingly becuase I completely disagree with your idea and the need for it.
R.I.P
So the 45* firing arc of the cannons isn't handicap enough ? If I wanted to use weapons with 6 times the coverage as cannons I wouldn't need to fly a ship with paper thin shields and hull.
Awoken Dead
Now shaddup about the queues, it's a BUG
Cruisers and Engineers excel at heals and soaking damage for extended periods. Science ships and officers excel and debuffs, hazards, and the highest shield modifier in the game. Perhaps everyone should share the wealth, no? Season 8: The Grand Amalgamation. That would likely be the final season as the game itself would lose all relevance.
Synergy. It's what the doctor ordered.
Al Rivera hates Klingons
Star Trek Online: Agents of Jack Emmert
All cloaks should be canon.
All weapons were designed to do a particular thing, namely fire at an opponent. CRF, CSV BFAW and BO force the weapons to do something they don't ordinarily do. If they were meant to do it normally they'd be doing it without need to a BOFF ability to trigger it.
A cooldown might make a little sense. Not a long one, just a few seconds for every weapon that was affected by the BOFF ability. Like you say, it would need to affect beams and cannons, otherwise there'd be no balance.
(This is not a troll post. Just me thinking out aloud. In text.)
To some extent, Beam Overload does put a single beam on cooldown, along with all other beams arrays as well. It has a pre-fire delay, power drain, and stops all other beams from firing for the duration of the ability. So yes, it does already have that handicap. As far as Beam Fire At Will is concerned, I actually wouldn't mind a cooldown as a drawback.
I could say more, but I don't feel like getting into a finger-pointing match. All I'm saying is that for their sheer effectiveness, cannon abilities don't have any drawbacks when compared to beam abilities. While one could say the same of torpedo skills as well, but the difference there is that torpedoes actually need skills in order to be effective.
Well, my main concern is cannon weapons generally being outright superior to beam weapons. A cruiser with 4 cannons/4 turrets is far better with Rapid Fire/Scatter Volley at blasting single targets and groups than an 8 beam with Overload/Fire At Will, with the further bonus of being far more amenable to using torpedoes as well. It'll also use whatever weapons power you devote to your weapons in a more efficient manner as well
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Scatter Volley can be targeted much more easily than FAW because of the smaller firing arc. If I remember correctly, it also operates differently from FAW, in such a way that it loses less (or no) DPS against multiple in-range targets compared to FAW.
Awoken Dead
Now shaddup about the queues, it's a BUG
500 years in the future and we still look like schmucks when getting our ID photos taken...
Turrets fire in an even wider arc, in such a manner that you could opt to do fire not only full ahead, but also on partial broadside as well.
Shuttle beams also match that arc. So would you put a turret in place of it on a shuttle ?
Awoken Dead
Now shaddup about the queues, it's a BUG
(We don't see enough Monty Python reference in Trek.)
Yes.
Have you noticed how much most Shuttle weapons actually do, compared to regular weapons?
In any case, I wouldn't mind either way if you decide to fly a Shuttle in regular PvP or PvE against regular warships, since it's a foregone conclusion either way.
And all cannons too.
Anyway, your idea is bad.
Doesn't take into consideration the 45 degree arc of Dual cannons and starts from the premise that you think 250 degree beam arrays aren't good enough compared to them.
Don't worry, there will be another thread like this tomorrow, here are some guesses as to what we might see:
1) Nerf all Escort shields to 1/3rd, and make Cruiser beam arrays powered by Shields and give all cruisers permanent EPTS 3.
2) Make all Beam Arrays into DBB damage, but keep the 250 degree arc and make them only usable on Cruisers. Call them "Awesome Arrays".
3) Quadruple base hull and shields of Cruisers give them a beam array that takes up four weapon slots but has a base DPV of 10,000. This is balanced because the firing cycle would be set to somewhere between "instantly vaporizes the target" and "vaporizes the target in 5 seconds".
Yes, I am fully aware of the fact that firing arcs play into actual DPS, and not theoretical DPS based on numbers alone. And this is to say nothing of the measures that one could take against being barraged by cannon fire. I am still quite convinced that the advantages of cannons will still outweigh those of beam arrays, unless you can present some hard numbers outlining a clear superiority in common situations.
I'm sorry you were one of the 12 cruisers I killed in last nights arena match I accidentally cued up for. Next time I promise to be prepared and bring my non-pvp shuttle.
<snark>
Awoken Dead
Now shaddup about the queues, it's a BUG
I take it you have not seen how effective a cannoncelsior can be?
Derrick - Fed Eng
No. We already had cool downs on cannons and they where removed for a reason. To put them back as an additional handicap similiar to what BO suffers makes no sense to me.
Its an idea that is not imposing a power drain handicap but a lengthy universal TIME sink on all cannons ( which includes turrets) that leaves the cannons unusable in exchange for nothing.
I personally and in my on iponion find it to be a stupid idea that directly nerfs escorts (and moat KDF ships as well) unjustly and possibly in a prejudiced way.
Keep in mind the angst of my post is not at you but the OPs idea.
R.I.P