It looks I should have been a bit clearer in the example I used - it's not 'you need a science ship to destabilize the gateways', but 'anyone can destabilize a gateway, but science ships (do it faster/cause a longer-duration effect; coders' choice)'; in other words, we seem to be on the same page (these secondary tasks are helpful but not required).
And the issue of what folks do or do not bring to one of these events can be addressed in part by adding the relevant information to the event descriptions - i.e. what you see in the queue menu.
Heh, I should have made it more clear that my reply to what was said there was more of a general statement about the fine line Cryptic has to walk in content development than it being a specific reply to what I quoted.
Cause, heh, well as a player that's more focused on "support" stuff than DPS, I'm a wee bit biased toward trying to do that stuff as opposed to big numbers or faster runs. Try to grab the aggro? Wheeeee! Try to keep folks alive by tossing heals or dropping things like Bio Shields and Rally? Wheeeee! Buffing folks so they do more damage or have more survivability? Wheeeee! Debuffing the enemy so they do less damage or have less survivability? Wheeeee!
But just because that's the way I like it, I don't want it to be a situation where everybody's forced into that...just kind of like I wouldn't be happy if it was anybody's particular preference forced on the whole of us. I like when the provide various options and stuff can feel at least as if it offers some viability rather than coming off as a liability.
Here's another thought (for this and any other escort-type mission) - make it possible - not easy, but possible - to aggro the NPC's off of the ships. So long as they're not affected by taunts, I see this as giving players options outside of simple 'slam dps and pure dps at the enemies' along with requiring the Undine T5 bubble.
SCM - Crystal C. (S) - [00:12] DMG(DPS) - @jarvisandalfred: 8.63M(713.16K) - Fed Sci
I just wanted to take a moment and thank you all for the great feedback. We really appreciate how thoughtful and detailed your feedback has been. We will be reviewing and collating it and addressing as much of it as possible before the queue goes live.
I just wanted to take a moment and thank you all for the great feedback. We really appreciate how thoughtful and detailed your feedback has been. We will be reviewing and collating it and addressing as much of it as possible before the queue goes live.
Thanks Again,
Jaddua Ross
Thank you. This PVE has some real potential with one of the section reminding us of NWS which we miss so much. We as a player base look forward to giving you more input where we can.
Some of the feedback here has voiced concerns over counteracting the Heralds' use of Intelligence and Command abilities, so I figured I'd list out a few eligible counter tactics you can use in an attempt to overcome them.
Baltim Raiders
These ships can sometimes make use of Suppression Barrage (Command).
- This ability buffs the enemy ship's weapons. This buff can be removed using any Buff-stripping ability such as Subnucleonic Beam, Subnucleonic Carrier Wave, or a number of Doffs and Set Bonuses.
- The debuff applied by a ship with this buff active will reduce Outgoing Damage, Speed, Turn Rate and Accuracy. Buffing any of these is what could be called a "soft" counter to the ability.
- This debuff can be removed in its entirety via the use of Tactical Team.
- The severity of the maneuverability debuff can be reduced via high skill in Inertial Dampers.
Quas Cruiser
These ships have access to Electromagnetic Pulse Probe (Intel).
- The probe created by this ability can be targeted and destroyed.
- The probe will travel toward the targeted foe's current location, so can be outran/avoided.
- If you are caught in the Disable caused by this Probe (powers grayed out), use of Engineering Team will remove the Disable. NOTE: If the probe is still traveling/pulsing, the Disable may be re-applied right after your Eng Team wears off.
Vonph Battleship
These ships can make use of both Ionic Turbulence (Intel) and Subnucleonic Carrier Wave (Intel).
- Remaining in motion and keeping your distance from this ship will make it easier to avoid both of these, since SCW has a 5km max radius and Ionic Turbulence flies toward your current location.
- If hit by SCW's debuff (which will cause Power Recharge / Cooldown issues), you can remove the debuff thru the use of Science Team.
- If caught in an Ionic Turbulence cloud, you will receive a maneuverability and damage resistance debuff. These effects can be removed with the use of Hazard Emitters, but you should also leave the area to ensure they are not re-applied by the Ionic Turbulence Cloud.
- Ionic Turbulence can also send you Out Of Control briefly (this is a Hold effect). This effect cannot be resisted or prevented via immunity. However, there is a 20 sec lockout period if affected by it, that will prevent it from affecting you again.
Iaidon Dreadnought
Same as their Battleship cousins, these ships have access to both Ionic Turbulence (Intel) and Subnucleonic Carrier Wave (Intel). See Battleship notes for counter suggestions.
None of the above includes unique abilities created for the Heralds, as we're not yet ready to give away all of the info on those tricks.
Jeremy Randall
Cryptic - Lead Systems Designer
"Play smart!"
If caught in an Ionic Turbulence cloud, you will receive a maneuverability and damage resistance debuff. These effects can be removed with the use of Hazard Emitters, but you should also leave the area to ensure they are not re-applied by the Ionic Turbulence Cloud.
Thanks for that, had been wondering that earlier - but yeah, so focused on the Hold bit, didn't even consider the "hazard" debuff as well there. Had been trying to figure out what that person had been talking in another thread way back, lol, I feel like a total goofball now...like duh, HE clears the hazard part. /facepalm
Thanks, Bort.
edit: Oh, and thanks for answering this bit that came up as well.
Seriously? People are complaining about more intelligent/power using enemies?
Cryptic could very easily just give Iconian stuff a billion HP and call it a day- they don't have to put the extra effort into the mission to make the fight more interesting and actually require some intelligence to play rather than just being a generic zombie beamspam cruiser. They've done it before. Nobody plays those missions because they're such a slog.
But here we have people going "Slog good, use brain bad!"
Please do not nerf, players must learn to read buffs and debuff properly. It will allow the designers at Cryptic to start getting away from the "Bags of Hit Points" philosophy.. and will not only make better PvE gameplay possible, but will pave the way for resuscitating PvP as well.
players must learn to read buffs and debuff properly.
You mean those teeny-tiny little icons in the HUD? The ones you have to mouse-over in combat to see what they are?
Possible for a WASD flyer maybe, but I prefer using my mouse. I can't fly, fight, and mouse-over icons at the same time. I'd have better results facerolling.
Call it a disability.
The ones with easily visible FX, I have a shot at recognizing in play.
EDIT: I should point out here that I don't disagree people need to learn those things... I'm just saying easier said than done.
My views may not represent those of Cryptic Studios or Perfect World Entertainment. You can file a "forums and website" support ticket here Link: How to PM - Twitter @STOMod_Bluegeek
Most likely no one even cares but it feels like more emphasis is being put into npc raiders than the few we have in the game already for players to use. Plus there isn't really anywhere for a raider to raid at lol. Seems like we are the people being raided and not enough emphasis on how the player enjoys/wants to play the game.
Take a we bit of coding, aslond with adding some VO assets.. but MAN OH MAN! would it add to game immersion!
Captain! The target is activating "X", I recomend we do "X"
Bridge officer voices! BIG audio cue..
Players can turn it off if they choose...
We all ready have so much going on on the screen in front of us... especially with all the new powers, both activated and passive triggered.. well how some players keep up on whats happening in front of them I'll never know..
We don't "target Lock" on our current target with an over the shoulder view so we can eyeball target aspect.. I don't know about you guys but when it comes to the big furballs I rarely know what the dickens I'm shooting at next.
We could even use some of auto manuver commands.. "keep us broadside" for beam boats wanting to keep as much firepower as possible on a target. "Bring us about, Ready Torpedo's" for those same beam boats wanting to slam a few nut crackers in.
Other thoughts come to mind... The game really could use more of the players "commanding" their ships and crew, and maybe a bit less micro managing combat systems... Isn't that what your officers and crew are supposed to do?
The captain might be able to take direct control of the fight in a small ship say a Bird of Prey.. but a big cruiser...
Ships are not small..though scale is relitive.. we've seen shots of Birds of Prey that would have them utterly dwarf the largest of aircraft currently on the planet ("Voyage Home, the scene with the BOP giving the whaling boat a serious case of the evil eye.. and that was not that small of a boat! I'd guess a 50 or 70 foot work boat)
Khemaraa sends.
I need to go do some more runs of the silly thing... being an adults sucks.. I wanna play not be responsible.. I'm working at the moment.. between customer stuff I'm do'n STO.
You mean those teeny-tiny little icons in the HUD? The ones you have to mouse-over in combat to see what they are?
Possible for a WASD flyer maybe, but I prefer using my mouse. I can't fly, fight, and mouse-over icons at the same time. I'd have better results facerolling.
Call it a disability.
The ones with easily visible FX, I have a shot at recognizing in play.
EDIT: I should point out here that I don't disagree people need to learn those things... I'm just saying easier said than done.
If you are using keybinds (via a textfile) you might want to include these two commands in them:
You can experiment with the numbers at the end, its a multiplier that increases the base size of both buff lists. Don't worry about single icons overlaying each other. Also, these are two seperate commands and need to be seperated by "$$" (double dollar signs). Hope that helps.
This Queue has the potential to be an awesome one like The Breach was, or unpopular one like Korfez is now. Sadly I am inclined to see it leaned towards the latter, seeing some of the feedback in here. Its really sad. Like God forbids to give a change to single target abilities like CRF or BO:( Lets bring moar enemies for BFAW. Wich would also mask HP increases. Since more ships would result in more HP overall. Wont make a difference for BFAWs Scimitards ofcourse. But it will make a huge difference for cannon escorts. IMHO, I would say half the HP on all difficulties but double the fregvency wich NPC ships use abilities, including the asweome intel and command ones and the Herald unique yet unreleased abilities. I mean, if we get some "PvP" sort-of-thing with NPCs, then the enourmous HP, becouse of the timers, would not justify itself anymore.
If I were you, I'd put some of this stuff in a briefing, call it tactical analysis or something like that. I would be VERY explicit in the ways of resisting or countering intel abilities otherwise the player backlash will be pressuring you to dumb down the NPCs...
Seconded. There is no excuse not to, seeing as it's already the case for Crystalline Catastrophe/Cataclysm and some of the Borg STFs.
So, my friend nad I have been testing the possible bug with the Spec Traits, but we don't seem to get the FPS/Sound lag we got in the Herald PvE.
This leads the two of us to assume that it's not the traits, but one of the powers that the Herald ships are using. We do know that Supressing Fire (the slow command power) and EMP Probes don't cause this, so it's either Subnucleonic Carrier Wave, or another power they have.
Hoping the QA team can find this and squash it before it goes live.
Staying in motion and staying more than 5km away sounds just great for DHC boats that have to be actually pointed at their target and close enough to trade paint to deal damage.
Circling at 6km broadsiding B:FAW FTW.
I'd put the briefing before you get into the mission. Sitting there reading a wall of text for a minute or two would make you look like an AFKer.
This is my Risian Corvette. There are many like it, but this one is mine.
- This ability buffs the enemy ship's weapons. This buff can be removed using any Buff-stripping ability such as Subnucleonic Beam, Subnucleonic Carrier Wave, or a number of Doffs and Set Bonuses.
Wait, does this mean the "buff stripping" Doff is working again? Last time I checked, it was still broken and not removing buffs.
Weapons kept being unable to be fired with no large indicator as to what was causing that, weapons online according to the power HUD. Random identifiable Intel ability spam from source after source, which you can't effectively counter at times with every counter having already been used seconds prior, even with cooldowns dropped using a dual Aux2Bat build. I suppose the Iconian Rep shields might help with that, but with the few ways to get marks being this queue, you have a chicken and the egg problem.
Horrible stuttering/low FPS/lag in the final segment. Still not sure which of the many gateways I was needing to close, some are shootable, some require an out-of-combat (or at least non-firing) interact, others you can be in combat and interact with them to close.
All other segments not really engaging, just slogs to get through.
Did OK, but not great I thought. 11 Marks. Thanks, other than maybe to trigger the daily, that is way too low, we didn't get the optional timer, but 11 Marks, seriously?
Comments
Heh, I should have made it more clear that my reply to what was said there was more of a general statement about the fine line Cryptic has to walk in content development than it being a specific reply to what I quoted.
Cause, heh, well as a player that's more focused on "support" stuff than DPS, I'm a wee bit biased toward trying to do that stuff as opposed to big numbers or faster runs. Try to grab the aggro? Wheeeee! Try to keep folks alive by tossing heals or dropping things like Bio Shields and Rally? Wheeeee! Buffing folks so they do more damage or have more survivability? Wheeeee! Debuffing the enemy so they do less damage or have less survivability? Wheeeee!
But just because that's the way I like it, I don't want it to be a situation where everybody's forced into that...just kind of like I wouldn't be happy if it was anybody's particular preference forced on the whole of us. I like when the provide various options and stuff can feel at least as if it offers some viability rather than coming off as a liability.
SCM - Hive (S) - [02:31] DMG(DPS) - @jarvisandalfred: 30.62M(204.66K) - Fed Sci
Tacs are overrated.
Game's best wiki
Build questions? Look here!
Turn off any starship traits that stack and you will see your lag problems go away... pretty much on holodeck too.
Thanks Again,
Jaddua Ross
Thank you. This PVE has some real potential with one of the section reminding us of NWS which we miss so much. We as a player base look forward to giving you more input where we can.
Snipey47a
Baltim Raiders
These ships can sometimes make use of Suppression Barrage (Command).
- This ability buffs the enemy ship's weapons. This buff can be removed using any Buff-stripping ability such as Subnucleonic Beam, Subnucleonic Carrier Wave, or a number of Doffs and Set Bonuses.
- The debuff applied by a ship with this buff active will reduce Outgoing Damage, Speed, Turn Rate and Accuracy. Buffing any of these is what could be called a "soft" counter to the ability.
- This debuff can be removed in its entirety via the use of Tactical Team.
- The severity of the maneuverability debuff can be reduced via high skill in Inertial Dampers.
Quas Cruiser
These ships have access to Electromagnetic Pulse Probe (Intel).
- The probe created by this ability can be targeted and destroyed.
- The probe will travel toward the targeted foe's current location, so can be outran/avoided.
- If you are caught in the Disable caused by this Probe (powers grayed out), use of Engineering Team will remove the Disable. NOTE: If the probe is still traveling/pulsing, the Disable may be re-applied right after your Eng Team wears off.
Vonph Battleship
These ships can make use of both Ionic Turbulence (Intel) and Subnucleonic Carrier Wave (Intel).
- Remaining in motion and keeping your distance from this ship will make it easier to avoid both of these, since SCW has a 5km max radius and Ionic Turbulence flies toward your current location.
- If hit by SCW's debuff (which will cause Power Recharge / Cooldown issues), you can remove the debuff thru the use of Science Team.
- If caught in an Ionic Turbulence cloud, you will receive a maneuverability and damage resistance debuff. These effects can be removed with the use of Hazard Emitters, but you should also leave the area to ensure they are not re-applied by the Ionic Turbulence Cloud.
- Ionic Turbulence can also send you Out Of Control briefly (this is a Hold effect). This effect cannot be resisted or prevented via immunity. However, there is a 20 sec lockout period if affected by it, that will prevent it from affecting you again.
Iaidon Dreadnought
Same as their Battleship cousins, these ships have access to both Ionic Turbulence (Intel) and Subnucleonic Carrier Wave (Intel). See Battleship notes for counter suggestions.
None of the above includes unique abilities created for the Heralds, as we're not yet ready to give away all of the info on those tricks.
Cryptic - Lead Systems Designer
"Play smart!"
Thanks for that, had been wondering that earlier - but yeah, so focused on the Hold bit, didn't even consider the "hazard" debuff as well there. Had been trying to figure out what that person had been talking in another thread way back, lol, I feel like a total goofball now...like duh, HE clears the hazard part. /facepalm
Thanks, Bort.
edit: Oh, and thanks for answering this bit that came up as well.
Cryptic could very easily just give Iconian stuff a billion HP and call it a day- they don't have to put the extra effort into the mission to make the fight more interesting and actually require some intelligence to play rather than just being a generic zombie beamspam cruiser. They've done it before. Nobody plays those missions because they're such a slog.
But here we have people going "Slog good, use brain bad!"
I give up.
Really? That bites. Any idea which ones so I can isolate them for a separate bug report?
ETA: Also, yes, more tactical instead of high number HP. I think this is a good idea.
Broken powers should be fixed. This would be beneficial for both PvE and PvP. The overall difficulty, however, is nice and should stay.
SCM - Hive (S) - [02:31] DMG(DPS) - @jarvisandalfred: 30.62M(204.66K) - Fed Sci
Tacs are overrated.
Game's best wiki
Build questions? Look here!
You mean those teeny-tiny little icons in the HUD? The ones you have to mouse-over in combat to see what they are?
Possible for a WASD flyer maybe, but I prefer using my mouse. I can't fly, fight, and mouse-over icons at the same time. I'd have better results facerolling.
Call it a disability.
The ones with easily visible FX, I have a shot at recognizing in play.
EDIT: I should point out here that I don't disagree people need to learn those things... I'm just saying easier said than done.
Link: How to PM - Twitter @STOMod_Bluegeek
Take a we bit of coding, aslond with adding some VO assets.. but MAN OH MAN! would it add to game immersion!
Captain! The target is activating "X", I recomend we do "X"
Bridge officer voices! BIG audio cue..
Players can turn it off if they choose...
We all ready have so much going on on the screen in front of us... especially with all the new powers, both activated and passive triggered.. well how some players keep up on whats happening in front of them I'll never know..
We don't "target Lock" on our current target with an over the shoulder view so we can eyeball target aspect.. I don't know about you guys but when it comes to the big furballs I rarely know what the dickens I'm shooting at next.
We could even use some of auto manuver commands.. "keep us broadside" for beam boats wanting to keep as much firepower as possible on a target. "Bring us about, Ready Torpedo's" for those same beam boats wanting to slam a few nut crackers in.
Other thoughts come to mind... The game really could use more of the players "commanding" their ships and crew, and maybe a bit less micro managing combat systems... Isn't that what your officers and crew are supposed to do?
The captain might be able to take direct control of the fight in a small ship say a Bird of Prey.. but a big cruiser...
Ships are not small..though scale is relitive.. we've seen shots of Birds of Prey that would have them utterly dwarf the largest of aircraft currently on the planet ("Voyage Home, the scene with the BOP giving the whaling boat a serious case of the evil eye.. and that was not that small of a boat! I'd guess a 50 or 70 foot work boat)
Khemaraa sends.
I need to go do some more runs of the silly thing... being an adults sucks.. I wanna play not be responsible.. I'm working at the moment.. between customer stuff I'm do'n STO.
If you are using keybinds (via a textfile) you might want to include these two commands in them:
You can experiment with the numbers at the end, its a multiplier that increases the base size of both buff lists. Don't worry about single icons overlaying each other. Also, these are two seperate commands and need to be seperated by "$$" (double dollar signs). Hope that helps.
This leads the two of us to assume that it's not the traits, but one of the powers that the Herald ships are using. We do know that Supressing Fire (the slow command power) and EMP Probes don't cause this, so it's either Subnucleonic Carrier Wave, or another power they have.
Hoping the QA team can find this and squash it before it goes live.
Circling at 6km broadsiding B:FAW FTW.
I'd put the briefing before you get into the mission. Sitting there reading a wall of text for a minute or two would make you look like an AFKer.
Wait, does this mean the "buff stripping" Doff is working again? Last time I checked, it was still broken and not removing buffs.
Weapons kept being unable to be fired with no large indicator as to what was causing that, weapons online according to the power HUD. Random identifiable Intel ability spam from source after source, which you can't effectively counter at times with every counter having already been used seconds prior, even with cooldowns dropped using a dual Aux2Bat build. I suppose the Iconian Rep shields might help with that, but with the few ways to get marks being this queue, you have a chicken and the egg problem.
Horrible stuttering/low FPS/lag in the final segment. Still not sure which of the many gateways I was needing to close, some are shootable, some require an out-of-combat (or at least non-firing) interact, others you can be in combat and interact with them to close.
All other segments not really engaging, just slogs to get through.
Did OK, but not great I thought. 11 Marks. Thanks, other than maybe to trigger the daily, that is way too low, we didn't get the optional timer, but 11 Marks, seriously?