Let's take a good look at how FUBAR this is.
Subspace decompiler is in the most expensive tier of captain skills point PLUS there are no consoles or equipment that boost this stat aside from a few deflectors (and the bonus is very low).
The DEFAULT disable duration on phaser proc (for example) is 2.5 seconds. Now, with the information below from Borticus at
http://sto-forum.perfectworld.com/showthread.php?t=996901 we see finally the real effect of subspace decompiler skill at 9 points in skill:
Astrometrics Scientist (Space)
FED = Idrik // KDF = Tijanarr
Ability: Activating Subnucleonic Beam has a chance to knock the target's Impulse Engines Offline for a short amount of time.
Tooltip: 20% chance: Impulse Offline for 2.5 sec
Details:
* The chance to proc is only on the initial pulse of this ability, not each tick of its duration.
* Offline duration can be increased by increasing your "Subspace Decompiler" space skill (~3.75sec @ 99 Skill)
* In PvP, the Offline duration can be resisted via the "Subsystem Repair" space skill
9 points in the most expensive skill box in the game = 1.2 seconds extra duration.
This stat is broken beyond belief. If I put 9 damn points in there I expect the duration to increase to 5 seconds minimum. Tactical and engineering abilities of this tier increase damage/crit chance/crit damage and power levels and resists at a noticeable amount. Science though? A joke as it has always been.
Fix science cryptic.
Comments
I was aware that Science abilities that weren't crowd control were already bad, but I had no idea it was quite that bad. It certainly explains why my T'Varo's Viral Matrix 1 has negligible effect despite being spec'd into SubD.
However, it would appear to me that the offline time from that EngineDisable proc on Subnuc is specific to that proc, not necessarily to all disable procs.
First you want it to double the procs power...isn't that a little overboard? Second you have to realize there are other things that benefit from SsDc...could you imagine how powerful a stun build would be in PvP? Third...I can guarantee you that you aren't doubling your power from putting 9 points in weapon or aux.
Been saying it recently:
SubD sci consoles please.
When the game launched, VM disables of almost a minute were possible; you can picture the amount of rage this caused.
So, they nerfed it...but not any ordinary nerf. The level of nerfing here made the Czar Bomba look like a firecracker.
End result: You can now disable your target with VM for almost 2 seconds, lol. So much for speccing into Subspace Decompiler. I don't see why it couldn't be longer, as long as a reliable, readily-available counter for it exists...like Science Team.
Don't forget that Subsystem Repair only costs only 1500 per rank, plus Inertial Dampeners only costs 2500 per rank, so it's far cheaper to toss a few points in each for a 54 rating in the Disable resistances than it is to actually spec to Disable to 99. Add in Leadership on the Federation (and FedRom) side, still the majority of players, and it mostly makes for a skill not worthy of investment.
I agree that having Disables capable of completely negating a player is a recipe for nerd rage, and rightfully so if that player actually invested in the appropriate resistances; if you don't have any resistances and another player can completely shut you down... that's kind of your own darn fault. I'd actually prefer to see us forced into using counter-abilities and resistances rather than simply being able to ignore a whole subset of powers... but that gets into my argument for severing the global cooldown on the Team abilities. It apparently takes my crew 15 seconds to change shirts so I can use Science Team after they get done doing their Tactical Team thing, go figure. :rolleyes:
Anyway, that's just my two cents. If you can buy anything with that more power to you :P
New space trait: Layered Clothing - The crew dons multiple shirts, enabling them to quickly peel one or two off, in order to be the team they always wanted to be. Disables the global cooldown between different types of teams. Shirts must be washed before re-use, however, requiring the usual cooldown between consecutive uses of the same team power.
Pre-F2P science skills that disabled were countered with active engineering abilities (emg power) or 'resists' stats (the equivalent back then of power insulators and subsystem repair).
They could be countered by using a battery in the affected system.
When you were hit with a disable you either did something yourself to take care of it, or you waited it out and used the still-up subsystems to survive until the effect wore off. For most disables this simply meant a burst of speed to get out of range; for engine disable it meant nearly 8 seconds (if full spec on the stat that used to determine disable duration) of testing out how good your tank or prepared means to defend yourself were (jam sensors, tractor repulsor, scramble sensor, your own subsystem attacks, hit a battery or emg to engines to fix it, etc).
What I want with 5 seconds minimum is for my subsystem disables, viral matrix, etc to be EFFECTIVE considering the amount of points I spend on subspace decompiler. It is bad game design when you see one top-tier stat/ability being useless against someone who has zero points spent into defending against such things...and worse yet, to see how only one point in that defensive skill is all thats needed to counter 9 points in the offensive skill.
Take a quick look at the skill point cost of these abilities and what they do:
'Resist' skill boxes:
1 stat point in Power Insulators box = 1500 skill points. --- Vs power and shield drains.
1 stat point in Subsystem Repair = 1500 skill points.
Vs subsystem disable.
1 stat point in Sensors = 2500 skill points.
Vs Jam/Scramble/Confuse
1 stat point in Inertial Dampeners = 2500 skill points.
Vs DURATION of Hold, Disable, Slow and force push effects.
'Offensive' skill boxes:
1 stat point in Flow Capacitors = 1000 skill points
Power and Shield Drains.
1 stat point in Subspace Decompiler = 3000 skill points
Duration of Disable and Holds.
1 stat point in Countermeasures = 3000 skill points
Jam/Scramble/Confuse
1 stat point in Graviton = 2000 skill points
Strength of holds/force-push
It would be common sense that the more expensive abilities had a stronger effect per point spent than the counter to them which are cheaper.
But.. in a world made by cryptic/PWE....
9 point in flow capacitors = 9000 skill points. Completely negated by just 1500 skill points in power insulators.
9 points in Subspace Decompiler = 27000 skill points. You gain only 50% bonus on top of the default disable duration that is freely (aka no skill point needed to be spent) available. The disable can be fixed instantly (since we're talking just 3 seconds tops tops) by subsystem repair... which it does with just 1 point (1500 skill points) spent.
9 Point in Graviton = 18000 skill points. Fully negated by just 1 point in inertial dampeners @ 2500 skill point cost.
9 points in countermeasures = 27000 skill points. Reduced by 50% in effect by just 1 point in sensors plus the jam/scramble effect is removed by taking damage (usually in the same microsecond it is applied on target).
To make it worse still, all the offensive abilities require high AUX to squeeze performance/duration out of them... none of the defensive ones require a single point in aux power.
1. Doubling Tetryon or Polaron proc is possible. Doubling base damage of stuff like special attacks or consoles.. well let's just say 90k+ hits are possible
2. PvP and PvE can always be separated, with PvP procs being shorter and so on. Plus 50-90k hits are hardly less horrifying. And lastly the disable can be resisted
3. Yes, but there are FAR more skills and effects that STACK and increase damage, while, as has been mentioned, there are very limited ways to increase SubD beyond the 99 points skill max.