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Energy hard cap
vocmcp
Member Posts: 1,134 Arc User
Does anyone know where it's at? And not just by rumor if possible.
Would it make sense to use batteries that exceed the hard cap? Would that have any effect?
Would it make sense to use batteries that exceed the hard cap? Would that have any effect?
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The "true" hard cap, aka the highest number that will ever be used in any calculations as to damage, etc., is 125. This is ascertained from the power display and various retro-mathematical tests I've seen performed on the forums.
However, there is an unstated (and as of yet fully ascertained) "soft cap" that is frequently cited to be 135 but has been mathematically demonstrated to possibly be as high as 150+ which is used only to calculate the drain mechanic(s), and as long as the energy level in question is above "hard" cap but below "soft" cap it stays at the 125 "hard" cap, which can seriously affect various weapons fire damage rates...
To rob a line: [quote: Mariemaia Kushrenada] Forum Posting is much like an endless waltz. The three beats of war, peace and revolution continue on forever. However, opinions will change upon the reading of my post.[/quote]
Thanks a lot for your answer. That's what I actually meant. Anyone else got some input on it too?
This is incorrect - at least currently. Right now, the cap for weapon power is 125 period. There is no difference in 'hard' or 'soft'. There is no internal tracking of power beyond 125. But this is subject to change. For a time, 125 was a 'soft' cap where you could go above that even though the display on your power meter only went up to 125. This was then changed to a hard cap where you couldn't go above that. Then several months ago, it was changed back to a soft cap. But more recently (about 1 month ago), was changed back to a hard cap. None of the changes were announced in any of the release notes. So the only way to tell is to test yourself.
The best way to test it is to have a friend help you in a private PVP map. Have only 2 weapons equipped. Fire them both and see what your weapon power drops to. Then do the same with Emergency power to weapons active (or alternatively, use various consoles to get your 'theoretical' power level above 125). If your power level drops the same in both situations, then 125 is a hard cap.
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Tell it to my Avenger with 7 beams. They dont drain power at all unless i use FaW. In that case - it never drops below 110-115.
As mandoknight89 stated above: any power above 125 won't give ya extra damage but the game still keeps track of your bonus power and will use it in case of drain.
Also i think i saw a dev post on that topic a week or so ago. Too lazy to search for it tho.
On another note though, I'd say it would be interesting to increase the energy hard/soft cap, but not maximum power allocation (100 at the moment).
All hands! Prepare the popcorn and tinfoil hats!
The energy meter (such as it is) is highly inaccurate for measuring your current energy. It's a visual representation whose refresh rate is largely unquantifiable.
Early in the game I marvelled at how my energy never seemed to drop below 100, never bothering to compare it to the damage done. It occasionally did - or I noticed it did, and felt good enough that it was working well.
Reality is somewhat different. Each cycle for each weapon draws energy. The results of the diminishing energy available can be seen in the results of damage from each cycle against the same target.
In my case, the energy meter shows little to no changes, while the damage drops by 50%+ each cycle. I can boost the number of higher damage results and their severity through the various buffs. Throughout that process, the energy meter fluctuates, but in no way represents the real value.
There is tracking of power above the 125 hard cap. To illustrate with a ship I'm intimately familiar with (as I wait for game to patch): My Vesta.
Set power to 100. I have 6s in most "power bonus" skills - warp core (flat power), efficiency, and aux power boost. I also have an Efficient Borg and Saurian slotted as active BOffs (though they don't really boost my 100 base Aux). With the +15 from the Science Vesta itself, my Joined Trill bonuses, etc., I'm fairly certain that, if I did the maths, I'd have >135 aux power... I also have the Warp Core that gives Auxiliary a boost to the max power level so I get 130 instead of 125...
Watch my 2x Aux DHC fire and affect my Aux. I get a "fraction of a second" where the power drops to 123, then it drops to 111. Note, just like "regular" DHCs, the Vesta's aux cannons drain 12 power per weapon...
Now, 123 to 111 is expected. That is a 12 point difference. However, 130 to 123 is not, as that's only 7 points of the 12. Therefore, something must be affecting the power calculation. If my skills, etc., is enough to get me to at least 135 (the theoretical "soft cap"), then 135 - 12 = 123, and then 123 - 12 = 111, which is exactly what I see on my power meter while engaged in combat...
Now, empirical evidence (aka other people's tests) has indicated that at various points of the game, the weapons power "soft" cap has fluctuated from 125 to 150+. Do keep that in mind...
To rob a line: [quote: Mariemaia Kushrenada] Forum Posting is much like an endless waltz. The three beats of war, peace and revolution continue on forever. However, opinions will change upon the reading of my post.[/quote]
My PvE/PvP hybrid skill tree
Or read this.
"But doesn't Cryptic tell us this isn't the case?" I'm not sure that's a sentence, so I'm not sure how to respond. But I think I understand what you are referring to.
You cannot get weapon power past 125 with batteries or powers. The power levels are pretty hard capped. That is, any power (say, a beam) that calculates damage based on your current weapon power level will never deal damage based on anything more than 125.
If you activate a buff that gives you more than 125 power, the power is still there, and you can draw from it. So, lets say:
You are at 50/125.
You activate a buff that gives you 50 power.
You will be at 100/125.
Weapons fire based on 100 weapon power.
If multiple weapons are fired, power will start to drain, and all weapons will subsequently deal less power.
However, let say:
You are at 100/125.
You activate a buff that gives you 50 power.
You will be at 125/125.
Weapons fire based on 125 weapon power.
If multiple weapons are fired, power will start to drain. However, you still have 25 unclaimed power from your buff, so that fills in. Your weapon power level wont drop below 125 until you deplete that buff. Once that happens, then power levels will drop below 125 power.
I'm pretty sure its working how its supposed to, but I haven't looked at that math in a long time. So there could be a problem, but I'm pretty sure its WAD. Haven't really thought about whether that should be changed or not.
From here.
http://sto-forum.perfectworld.com/showthread.php?t=861141&page=12
What I said only applies to weapon power. All the other power types can go above 125. Notice how there are NO warp cores that allow an increase of max weapon power? So you're comparing apples to oranges.
I think he should take a look then since he admits he hasn't looked in a long time. Like I said, this has changed back and forth a couple of times. Based on his statement, it sounds like placing a hard cap was either bugged or unintentional. I can confirm that as of about month ago, there was no 'reserve' weapon power above 125 to draw from. But I have not checked since that time. And I can confirm that at some point a while back, that there WAS a reserve power to draw from. So if the devs aren't intending to change it back and forth, then it was probably a bug. Now I'm going to have to go back and test it... AGAIN.
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You really don't have to. I didn't link that because I thought it was keen.
I linked it because that's the way it's working.
Have a sparkly day.
No worries. But when a dev admits that he hasn't looked at it in a long time, and has said that he 'thinks' its working a certain way, and when my own personal testing has said otherwise in the past.... well I'm just going to have to confirm thing for myself.
Come join the 44th Fleet.
startrek.44thfleet.com[SIGPIC][/SIGPIC]
Been a while since I checked myself.
Kidding.
It was yesterday.
The softcap of whcih you referring to does exist. The server keep tracks of your gross power total. The weapon power in excess of your current cat (125 or 130) a buffer again weapon power drain.
It's very easy to prove it. Get 2 beam arrays and some method of overmaxig your weapon power. Weapon Batteries are a good choice for this.
Also for this to make sense, you have to realize that you have one "free" weapon which doesn't cause weapon power drain. So firing one beam array will not drain any weapon power. Firing two beam arrays will drain -10 power.
Now test is to get in setup with an NPC or obliging player as a target. You get yourself up where you are firing only the two beam arrays on autofire at the target.
For the first phase you need to make sure you weapon power is at or below 125. Easiest way it to get weapon power something like 50. Now when both weapons are firing, you will see that there is -10 (at max) weapon power drain.
For hte second phase, you need to over-cap your weapon power. Set you weapon power to 100 and fire off a Weapon Battery. That will give your +75 weapon power for 30 seconds. That will way overcap you weapon power. Now repeat the test of firing two beam arrays at the target. You'll see that your weapon power doesn't budge from the cap of 125/130.
Q.E.D.
So I tried a negative test as well. Not so good. Of course I'm tired and blah blah blah so maybe I'm just an eff up.
Yes for sure, there is one free weapon. The two weapons didn't work out so well. The only thing varying my amount drained was the new cruiser command. And thats it so far.
I don't think I recorded my positive test from yesterday. And that makes me sort of sad because now I don't know for sure what I may have included in the test to be that far off. I know I made the error of testing one wep at first. Anyways.
By drained I mean that my weapon power levels went as low when I had in theory boosted my available power over 125 as when I didn't. Actually I couldn't get my unboosted power to 125. It was 124, but darn close.
Anyway I saved all the data so I can see what I did or didn't do at another time.
Cheers, wish u better luck in ur testing.
As a note there is no warp core that increase weapon power max, Fleet elite or otherwise.
You can somewhat fools this by using the Aux cannons on your Vesta, and getting a warp core that increase aux max. Though your still only getting that effect from 3 DHCs.
I'm happy to retest this, but I feel very certain we will get the same result.
Ship: 1000 day vet ship
Weapon power: 123 base. Then added Assimilated console for +5. Activated tactical mode for +5. Total 'theoretical' weapon power = 133.
Weapons used for test: 2x DHC.
Went into Crystalline catastrophe and shot at random NPCs. Weapon power dropped to a low of 113 which is exactly -12 from 125 (which is the exact power drain for DHCs). ie, there is NO reserve weapon power above 125.
If this is not WAD, then the devs need to fix it.
Come join the 44th Fleet.
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Ship: Fleet Excelsior
Weapon power: 125 base. With Emergency power to weapons, add +23. Total 'theoretical' weapon power = 148 (or use supposed hard cap of 135)
Weapon tested: 2x advanced fleet disruptor beam arrays
Went into Crystalline Catastrophe. Used EptW buff. Weapon power dropped to a low of 115 (which is exactly -10 from 125) as expected if hard cap is 125 with no reserve weapon power. I even have plasmodic leech equipped.
Come join the 44th Fleet.
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Considering this behavior's history (present, then fixed as a patch noted bug, then returned in a season update, then quietly removed in an undocumented change) pretty much mirrors the FAW bug, I'm thinking the current behavior has been intended for a long time, if not always, and was just resurrected by mistake during a code branch merger.
Not according to Gecko's post below which says that there is supposed to be a 'reserve' of weapon power to draw from:
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Hope it's a bug and gets fixed.
That's pretty much what I was getting. All I did was sit in a private match and just autofire weapons for a bazillion cycles.
Good catch! Cheers and all that