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Ideas to make Borg more interesting.

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  • gradiigradii Member Posts: 2,824 Arc User
    This should be extended to ground too. Get rid of the TR-116B rifle or remove the shield pen from it.

    "He shall be my finest warrior, this generic man who was forced upon me.
    Like a badass I shall make him look, and in the furnace of war I shall forge him.
    he shall be of iron will and steely sinew.
    In great armour I shall clad him and with the mightiest weapons he shall be armed.
    He will be untouched by plague or disease; no sickness shall blight him.
    He shall have such tactics, strategies and machines that no foe will best him in battle.
    He is my answer to cryptic logic, he is the Defender of my Romulan Crew.
    He is Tovan Khev... and he shall know no fear."
  • stofskstofsk Member Posts: 1,744 Arc User
    The thing about borg adaptation is that it isn't a no limits fallacy. There has to be firm limits to how much they actually can adapt to. And remodulating the frequency of your weapons isn't the same thing as upping the power, which is what Malcolm did in Enterprise. And it worked. Really, really well.

    And that's what's reflected in the game. We upped the power on our weapons, turned them up to 11. As a result, the borg can't adapt to it. Not directly in the form of immunity, but indirectly in the form of soaking up that damage with high HP.

    I wouldn't put in a borg adaptation mechanic like immunity, rather I'd have something like what the aegis shields do. They get a steadily rising DR against the weapon energy type they get hit with. Couple that with high hull regen while in combat. Maybe bring back the [borg] proc but it would actually need to work first because IIRC it never did.

  • e30erneste30ernest Member Posts: 1,794 Arc User
    Immunity would be nice so long as you can subnuc them. That'll add some use to that underutilized sci skill.
  • questeriusquesterius Member Posts: 8,485 Arc User
    Did anyone notice this is a topic from June?

    Either way there are interesting ideas. Why not throw in ample usage of viral matrix and feed back pulse.​​
    This program, though reasonably normal at times, seems to have a strong affinity to classes belonging to the Cat 2.0 program. Questerius 2.7 will break down on occasion, resulting in garbage and nonsense messages whenever it occurs. Usually a hard reboot or pulling the plug solves the problem when that happens.
  • hravikhravik Member Posts: 1,203 Arc User
    Asymmetric gameplay. Put another player in command of that Borg cube, because the AI in this game is never going to be a challenge.
  • thedarkphenoixthedarkphenoix Member Posts: 75 Arc User
    edited October 2015
    The Borg definitely need a redo in space. I honestly don't think that an adaption mechanic like on the ground isn't the way to go however.

    As others have said, I favour a building damage resistance mechanic. These sorts of mechanics already exist, as an example, the previously mentioned Aegis shield...

    So, what should happen is the more often they are shot by an energy type the more resistant they become, to the point where their regen will out pace the damage coming in after the resistance is factored in. This resistance should be removable via the standard buff stripping abilities or mitigated by other abilities. Borg shields should also be even harsher on building kinetic resistance compared to energy resistance, but the hull should be fairly unresistant to kinetic, making torps the obvious choice once the shields are down, and increasing the utility of Grav Well, Tykens Rift, Transphasic torps and other shield bypassing abilities.

    Basically, attacking the Borg should be a constant juggling act between doing direct damage and stripping/mitigating their damage resistances.

    Now, on the offense front, there's also plenty that can be done with the current mechanics available in game. The Borg ships should get access to a sensor analysis type ability on their primary target. A slow building damage and power drain debuff which can be removed by using threat reduction/placate abilities.

    I also think that what is good for the goose is good for the gander. Lets see more Borg ships with BFAW and surgical strikes. In fact, I'd go as far as to say that the devs should make a unique version of BFAW for the Borg which acts similar to a combo of AP:B and BFAW.

    Doing these things would make Borg encounters significantly more challenging and more similar to what we saw on the show IMO, without the need for gimmicky new mechanics like a space version of the adaption would be.
    Original wave Lifetimer and Closed Beta tester.
  • qjuniorqjunior Member Posts: 2,023 Arc User
    I don´t know about "interesting". When they made Borg "interesting" on ground maps, all they became was annoying. So I vote no on any kind of space adaption, if it´s anything like the ground stuff.

    Assimilating is already happening, but it´s just a debuff easily cleared by Tactical Team. And if the Borg can drain my crew in 5 seconds, there is no logical reason why they can´t assimilate player ships like they do with ground characters.

    But such effects sound like a disaster waiting to happen, programming-wise.

    Also, as someone who has fought the Borg since launch, when for a time there was no one else to fight, I think I´m tired of them.

    Still want my Cooperative mini-faction though....
  • This content has been removed.
  • asuran14asuran14 Member Posts: 2,335 Arc User
    I like both idea, even if we had ashield hardness type buff they gain to the specific energy type usedon them, that raises as they are hit by that type. This could make teams using multiple energy types to slow their addption/hardening of their shield, but I also like the idea of the borg having extremely fast hull regenation compared to other ships. I mean we see their ships literally rebuilding infornt of several starfleet shipsafter being pretty well disabled.

    Love the idea of the borg being able to assimilate/take control of pets an player ships if allowed, like a channeled attack against ships with their shields deplated or low that than take control till the other players distroy or use a action to return control to the player.

    Though i would love to see tetryon damage types gain a shield regen reduction that could deacted the borg's own shield regen for a short time, also if the shield regen of all enemies were adjusted to make it that tetryon typ[es would make for more interesting playstyle of being really good at stripping shields an effectively allowing the other players to pelt the hull quicker.
  • thunderfoot#5163 thunderfoot Member Posts: 4,545 Arc User
    Don't change the HP or stuff like that. Change the AI instead. Make the NPC Borg smarter. Make them react in variable ways, rather than pop special weapon Number One, wait for one minute and then pop Special Weapon Number Two.
    Set up two or three boolean trees which allow the NPC to vary its response to player activity. Add in an RNG which starts the tree from the opposite side or a different level. And cut the Borg NPC reaction time to the absolute minimum the game engine will allow.

    I've always felt whenever a Starfleet Captain in STO encounters the Borg, it should be a genuine, "Oh TRIBBLE!" moment. The Borg should be ruthless, efficient, relentless and above all mean. And they should be able to do all of this far faster than the player. They're the Borg, forGawdsakes. They are supposed to be scary! Not just for target practice or dialing in a DPS build.
    A six year old boy and his starship. Living the dream.
  • shadowwraith77shadowwraith77 Member Posts: 6,395 Arc User
    nulonu wrote: »
    Didn't watch much Voyager but weren't they one shotting cubes in that show? When they added the adaptation mechanic to Borg ground NPCs in Season 4(I think) I wondered why there was no such mechanic for space.

    I think Borg ships should have stupid high regen that would need to be overcome. They always repaired and regenerated very quickly. How about making a fleet action with tac cube with all these changes. 20 ships vs. One cube that is assimilating pets and player ships, adapts to weapons fire and has stupid high regen rate? I thin it'd be fun and really feel like fighting the Borg.

    +1 to this, I have been asking for a challenging 20 man Borg related mission, for a longggggggggggggg time now!
    tumblr_nq9ec3BSAy1qj6sk2o2_500_zpspkqw0mmk.gif


    Praetor of the -RTS- Romulan Tal Shiar fleet!

  • potasssiumpotasssium Member Posts: 1,226 Arc User
    edited October 2015
    sinn74 wrote: »
    The Borg cubes need to adapt to whatever weapon type is doing the most damage to them, gaining a 25%+ resist to it.

    Then watch how people suddenly discover weapon types that AREN'T (yawn) Antiproton.

    Yes, as well as adapting to offensive powers. Per instance/encounter. Like Gravity Well might work on the first group, less so on the second & 3rd, after that, they resist the pull.

    I think they should adapt to the most prominent energy type, Kinetic type, and tactic being used against them. They then prioritize the target being most troublesome.

    Your ship isn't destroyed but instead briefly assimilated and used as an NPC while you wait for the respawn countdown.

    The Borg should be adaptive, tenacious, and require cyling different tactics to combat, instead of just using the same thing over and over.

    Higher damage output, results in faster stacking resistances, because you are giving them more data to analyze.

    Plenty of Vaudwaar and Iconian wrecks for them to study and maybe assimilate nas new NPC Borg ships like Donatra. As well as them studying other servitor races or even discovering a Iconian Sphere. A Space Battlezone to keep the Borg from taking a Dyson Sphere would be potentially epic.
    Thanks for the Advanced Light Cruiser, Allied Escort Bundles, Jem-Hadar Light Battlecruiser, and Mek'leth
    New Content Wishlist
    T6 updates for the Kamarag & Vor'Cha
    Heavy Cruiser & a Movie Era Style AoY Utility Cruiser
    Dahar Master Jacket

  • theraven2378theraven2378 Member Posts: 6,015 Arc User
    edited October 2015
    Have Wolf 359 and first Sector 001 as pve queues with these mechanics suggested by the OP, 20 ships vs a cube with no respawn if the cube takes down a player ship at advanced and elite difficulty
    NMXb2ph.png
      "The meaning of victory is not to merely defeat your enemy but to destroy him, to completely eradicate him from living memory, to leave no remnant of his endeavours, to crush utterly his achievement and remove from all record his every trace of existence. From that defeat no enemy can ever recover. That is the meaning of victory."
      -Lord Commander Solar Macharius
    • potasssiumpotasssium Member Posts: 1,226 Arc User
      questerius wrote: »
      Did anyone notice this is a topic from June?

      Either way there are interesting ideas. Why not throw in ample usage of viral matrix and feed back pulse.​​

      Yeah, apparently my thread went to Kobali Prime and came back.
      Have Wolf 359 and first Sector 001 as pve queues with these mechanics suggested by the OP, 20 ships vs a cube with no respawn if the cube takes down a player ship at advanced and elite difficulty

      That would be hardcore awesome.
      Thanks for the Advanced Light Cruiser, Allied Escort Bundles, Jem-Hadar Light Battlecruiser, and Mek'leth
      New Content Wishlist
      T6 updates for the Kamarag & Vor'Cha
      Heavy Cruiser & a Movie Era Style AoY Utility Cruiser
      Dahar Master Jacket

    • mackbolan01mackbolan01 Member Posts: 580 Arc User
      and don't you DARE to TRIBBLE wit my tr116b, that'd be a crackhead move.............
    • questeriusquesterius Member Posts: 8,485 Arc User
      and don't you DARE to TRIBBLE wit my tr116b, that'd be a crackhead move.............

      TR-116B vs Borg Cube

      Place your bets ladies and gentlemen.​​
      This program, though reasonably normal at times, seems to have a strong affinity to classes belonging to the Cat 2.0 program. Questerius 2.7 will break down on occasion, resulting in garbage and nonsense messages whenever it occurs. Usually a hard reboot or pulling the plug solves the problem when that happens.
    • commander45689commander45689 Member Posts: 45 Arc User
      edited October 2015
      The Borg definitely need a redo in space. I honestly don't think that an adaption mechanic like on the ground isn't the way to go however.

      As others have said, I favour a building damage resistance mechanic. These sorts of mechanics already exist, as an example, the previously mentioned Aegis shield...

      So, what should happen is the more often they are shot by an energy type the more resistant they become, to the point where their regen will out pace the damage coming in after the resistance is factored in. This resistance should be removable via the standard buff stripping abilities or mitigated by other abilities. Borg shields should also be even harsher on building kinetic resistance compared to energy resistance, but the hull should be fairly unresistant to kinetic, making torps the obvious choice once the shields are down, and increasing the utility of Grav Well, Tykens Rift, Transphasic torps and other shield bypassing abilities.

      Basically, attacking the Borg should be a constant juggling act between doing direct damage and stripping/mitigating their damage resistances.

      Now, on the offense front, there's also plenty that can be done with the current mechanics available in game. The Borg ships should get access to a sensor analysis type ability on their primary target. A slow building damage and power drain debuff which can be removed by using threat reduction/placate abilities.

      I also think that what is good for the goose is good for the gander. Lets see more Borg ships with BFAW and surgical strikes. In fact, I'd go as far as to say that the devs should make a unique version of BFAW for the Borg which acts similar to a combo of AP:B and BFAW.

      Doing these things would make Borg encounters significantly more challenging and more similar to what we saw on the show IMO, without the need for gimmicky new mechanics like a space version of the adaption would be.

      I like your ideas, for beam weapons players could rotate their weapons Frequency. What may not work would be Borg weapons being able to go through shields, like it did in the show. Also since the Engineer class only has the Rotate shield Frequency ability. Which the Federation used when fighting the Borg. http://sto.gamepedia.com/Ability:_Rotate_Shield_Frequency
      I am fan of the Galaxy class and Sovereign class. I like Federation cruisers.

      Hoping for a Yesterday's Enterprise Bundle

      My idea for the bundle :smile:
      https://www.arcgames.com/en/forums/startrekonline/#/discussion/1264100/yesterdays-enterprise-bundle-idea
    • commander45689commander45689 Member Posts: 45 Arc User
      edited October 2015
      potasssium wrote: »
      sinn74 wrote: »
      The Borg cubes need to adapt to whatever weapon type is doing the most damage to them, gaining a 25%+ resist to it.

      Then watch how people suddenly discover weapon types that AREN'T (yawn) Antiproton.

      Yes, as well as adapting to offensive powers. Per instance/encounter. Like Gravity Well might work on the first group, less so on the second & 3rd, after that, they resist the pull.

      I think they should adapt to the most prominent energy type, Kinetic type, and tactic being used against them. They then prioritize the target being most troublesome.

      Your ship isn't destroyed but instead briefly assimilated and used as an NPC while you wait for the respawn countdown.

      The Borg should be adaptive, tenacious, and require cyling different tactics to combat, instead of just using the same thing over and over.

      Higher damage output, results in faster stacking resistances, because you are giving them more data to analyze.

      Plenty of Vaudwaar and Iconian wrecks for them to study and maybe assimilate nas new NPC Borg ships like Donatra. As well as them studying other servitor races or even discovering a Iconian Sphere. A Space Battlezone to keep the Borg from taking a Dyson Sphere would be potentially epic.

      Yes the Borg getting Iconian Tech would be very bad, for ground you could stop them from assimilating a Gateway. For STFs it would work, since the Borg would keep on trying to assimilate the tech.

      The Borg using a Feedback pulse would also work for high damage weapons, the pulse being seen from a Voyager episode. Which would also do damage to your ship, it could also mean the Borg are reflecting the damage on you.
      Also Sensor Analysis would be a perfect ability for the Borg. sorry about the pun
      http://sto.gamepedia.com/Ability:_Sensor_Analysis

      Alert major spoilers from the Voyager series

      https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=n4aybWANh3U

      From the Movie First Contact
      Due to Captain Picards help Star Fleet was able to destroy the Borg cube
      Battle Starts at 1:58

      https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vPzJSBHG4pI

      Post edited by commander45689 on
      I am fan of the Galaxy class and Sovereign class. I like Federation cruisers.

      Hoping for a Yesterday's Enterprise Bundle

      My idea for the bundle :smile:
      https://www.arcgames.com/en/forums/startrekonline/#/discussion/1264100/yesterdays-enterprise-bundle-idea
    • commander45689commander45689 Member Posts: 45 Arc User
      edited October 2015
      Adapt to this
      Captain Picard tommy gunning Borg on the holo deck from First Contact Movie. It is rated PG-13
      I guess Star Fleet could change from beam weapons to bullets while fighting the Borg
      Although the Borg would Adapt after awhile. The actor who played Neelix got in the movie at 13 seconds
      https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7OCKDEdtWys

      Attacking them physically seems to work, another clip from the movie First contact.
      Of course you don't want the Borg to touch you

      https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lDa6qc93nNs
      Post edited by commander45689 on
      I am fan of the Galaxy class and Sovereign class. I like Federation cruisers.

      Hoping for a Yesterday's Enterprise Bundle

      My idea for the bundle :smile:
      https://www.arcgames.com/en/forums/startrekonline/#/discussion/1264100/yesterdays-enterprise-bundle-idea
    • mustrumridcully0mustrumridcully0 Member Posts: 12,963 Arc User
      edited October 2015
      The biggest flaw of the Borg in STO is that they are too quickly killed. Their offensive ability is okay, IMO. Maybe the Tachyon Beams are a bit too strong on the Borg, but that's not really a problem. People just aren't used to losing their shields that quickly and haven't a good handle on how to deal with that situation.

      I think the ground adaptation model is not ideal, especially not for space, but the basic idea of the Borg adapting somewhat to weapon fire makes sense to me. Something like the Fleet Shield ability. Cap the resistance at something like 75 %.
      Now add the ability to subnuke it, and suddenly a whole captain career and an Intel bridge officer ability gain considerable value in PvE.
      On top of that, an ability like feedback pulse might be good. Both can be removed with subncucleonic beam or subnucleonic wave.

      Totally devastating in the BFAW would be Scramble Sensors probably, but that doesn't really fit the Borg. Maybe give that to a different faction. ;)

      Also, my pet wish is still that they map ship classes to ship models.
      Frigate => Probe
      Cruiser => Sphere
      Battleship => Cube
      Dreadnought => Tactical Cube

      Instead:
      Frigate => Assimilated freighters and shuttle or fighter craft, or a new type.
      Cruiser => Probe
      Battleship => Sphere
      Dreadnought => Cube

      I might reconcept the Tactical Cube as just a different type of Cube.

      The Cube might come with:
      - Shield Neutralizer
      - Borg Tractor Beam
      - Assimilation
      - Adaptive Shielding
      - Feedback Pulse
      - Beam Fire At Will
      - High Yield Torpedo
      - Subsystem Analysis

      The Tactical Cube might come with:
      - Shield Neutralizer
      - Adaptive Shielding
      - Attack Pattern Beta
      - Beam Overload
      - Beam Fire At Will
      - Torpedo Spread
      - Torpedo High Yield
      - Overwhelm Emitters

      It was never clear to me that the tactical cubes were actually supposed to be stronger - they could just as well be more focused in their design than regular cubes. Regular cubes are send to assimilate planets and rebuild them for Borg purposes, Tactical Cubes are just send to destroy stuff.





      Star Trek Online Advancement: You start with lowbie gear, you end with Lobi gear.
    • commander45689commander45689 Member Posts: 45 Arc User
      edited October 2015
      The biggest flaw of the Borg in STO is that they are too quickly killed. Their offensive ability is okay, IMO. Maybe the Tachyon Beams are a bit too strong on the Borg, but that's not really a problem. People just aren't used to losing their shields that quickly and haven't a good handle on how to deal with that situation.

      I think the ground adaptation model is not ideal, especially not for space, but the basic idea of the Borg adapting somewhat to weapon fire makes sense to me. Something like the Fleet Shield ability. Cap the resistance at something like 75 %.
      Now add the ability to subnuke it, and suddenly a whole captain career and an Intel bridge officer ability gain considerable value in PvE.
      On top of that, an ability like feedback pulse might be good. Both can be removed with subncucleonic beam or subnucleonic wave.

      Totally devastating in the BFAW would be Scramble Sensors probably, but that doesn't really fit the Borg. Maybe give that to a different faction. ;)

      Also, my pet wish is still that they map ship classes to ship models.
      Frigate => Probe
      Cruiser => Sphere
      Battleship => Cube
      Dreadnought => Tactical Cube

      Instead:
      Frigate => Assimilated freighters and shuttle or fighter craft, or a new type.
      Cruiser => Probe
      Battleship => Sphere
      Dreadnought => Cube

      I might reconcept the Tactical Cube as just a different type of Cube.

      The Cube might come with:
      - Shield Neutralizer
      - Borg Tractor Beam
      - Assimilation
      - Adaptive Shielding
      - Feedback Pulse
      - Beam Fire At Will
      - High Yield Torpedo

      The Tactical Cube might come with:
      - Shield Neutralizer
      - Adaptive Shielding
      - Attack Pattern Beta
      - Beam Overload
      - Beam Fire At Will
      - Torpedo Spread
      - Overwhelm Emitters

      It was never clear to me that the tactical cubes were actually supposed to be stronger - they could just as well be more focused in their design than regular cubes. Regular cubes are send to assimilate planets and rebuild them for Borg purposes, Tactical Cubes are just send to destroy stuff.





      I agree in that the Borg die too fast, in Star Trek Online. In the Star Trek Series and Movies, It takes a lot of firepower to destroy a Cube.

      https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vPzJSBHG4pI

      Alert Spoilers
      In Voyagers case someone that knew about Borg vessels, the help coming from Seven a former drone. Or from future tech in the last episode. Captain Picard also helped Star Fleet destroy a cube, he was once assimilated in the TNG series.
      In the episodes called Best of Both worlds part one and two

      A clip from the Episode
      https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Aet_vbGXJdQ



      http://memory-alpha.wikia.com/wiki/Borg_tactical_cube
      I am fan of the Galaxy class and Sovereign class. I like Federation cruisers.

      Hoping for a Yesterday's Enterprise Bundle

      My idea for the bundle :smile:
      https://www.arcgames.com/en/forums/startrekonline/#/discussion/1264100/yesterdays-enterprise-bundle-idea
    • kamiyama317kamiyama317 Member Posts: 1,295 Arc User
      If the Borg adapted in space it would just make it even more boring than it is now. Adaptation is why players use rifles like the TR116 in the first place - to bypass the boredom of activating and waiting for your remodulator the 17th time that mission.
    • mustrumridcully0mustrumridcully0 Member Posts: 12,963 Arc User
      If the Borg adapted in space it would just make it even more boring than it is now. Adaptation is why players use rifles like the TR116 in the first place - to bypass the boredom of activating and waiting for your remodulator the 17th time that mission.
      I repeat - not like in ground. In ground the adaptation is total and basically only to you.

      But in space, it could work just like that Elite Fleet Shield mod, or the Nanoprobe Field Generator from the Undine Rep. That caps out at 75 % since that's the cap for shield hardness.
      And unlike on ground, an ability like subnucleonic beam could dispel it. The dynamic would be very different from ground, and it would add a valuable role for science officers in combat against the Borg.

      Now we need for the Borg to have some kind of trick where the Engineering Captain powers would be useful. Maybe EPS Transfer could also counter-act Tachyon Beam and Shield Neutralizer, or something like that.​​
      Star Trek Online Advancement: You start with lowbie gear, you end with Lobi gear.
    • shadowwraith77shadowwraith77 Member Posts: 6,395 Arc User
      The Borg definitely need a redo in space. I honestly don't think that an adaption mechanic like on the ground isn't the way to go however.

      As others have said, I favour a building damage resistance mechanic. These sorts of mechanics already exist, as an example, the previously mentioned Aegis shield...

      So, what should happen is the more often they are shot by an energy type the more resistant they become, to the point where their regen will out pace the damage coming in after the resistance is factored in. This resistance should be removable via the standard buff stripping abilities or mitigated by other abilities. Borg shields should also be even harsher on building kinetic resistance compared to energy resistance, but the hull should be fairly unresistant to kinetic, making torps the obvious choice once the shields are down, and increasing the utility of Grav Well, Tykens Rift, Transphasic torps and other shield bypassing abilities.

      Basically, attacking the Borg should be a constant juggling act between doing direct damage and stripping/mitigating their damage resistances.

      Now, on the offense front, there's also plenty that can be done with the current mechanics available in game. The Borg ships should get access to a sensor analysis type ability on their primary target. A slow building damage and power drain debuff which can be removed by using threat reduction/placate abilities.

      I also think that what is good for the goose is good for the gander. Lets see more Borg ships with BFAW and surgical strikes. In fact, I'd go as far as to say that the devs should make a unique version of BFAW for the Borg which acts similar to a combo of AP:B and BFAW.

      Doing these things would make Borg encounters significantly more challenging and more similar to what we saw on the show IMO, without the need for gimmicky new mechanics like a space version of the adaption would be.

      Technically, they already have the use of BFAW/TS/CSV/CRF in space!
      tumblr_nq9ec3BSAy1qj6sk2o2_500_zpspkqw0mmk.gif


      Praetor of the -RTS- Romulan Tal Shiar fleet!

    • mackbolan01mackbolan01 Member Posts: 580 Arc User
      nerf the borg invisi-torp​​
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