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Tribble: Plasmonic Leech Stealth Nerf?

alphahydrialphahydri Member Posts: 391 Arc User
So, I just imported all my characters to Tribble to see what their current stats are with the new skill system revamp, and I'm now very agitated by what I saw...

With max points in the new "Drain Expertise" skill, and two Mk XIV UR Embassy Drain Expertise consoles (171.2 Drain Expertise) on Tribble my Plasmonic Leech was getting 1.9 drain per hit with weapons. With the same setup on Holodeck now (170.2 Flow Capacitors) I can get 2.7 drain per hit with weapons. In total that's about a 30% reduction in effectiveness between servers.

For a more stripped-down approach, if you took those Embassy consoles out and only maxed out Flow Capacitors on Holodeck, you'd boost Plasmonic Leech's base effectiveness from 1 drain per hit to 2 drain per hit. Now if you max out "Drain Expertise" you boost its base effectiveness from 1 drain per hit to 1.5 drain per hit. Numbers aside, my only real question is: WHY?

It would've been an easier pill to swallow if it had actually been announced in some patch notes or talked about, but since everything official I've read about the skill revamp has said stats are a 1:1 conversion I figured nothing would have changed, but boy was I wrong. Communication is a nice thing to have between game developers and gamers, but I feel like the mark is missed with STO more often than I would like. People, including me, have spent hundreds of millions of EC and maybe even some Dilithium or real-world money on obtaining these Plasmonic Leeches, and to suddenly have its effectiveness reduced by 30% without being told is not okay.

The last time an MMO I played made such drastic changes to a game's core system like this it didn't go over well with a lot of people and eventually I and many others lost interest in that game entirely. I REALLY don't want that to be the case with STO, because I truly love this game, but if I can't get solid information about changes that are being made and how they affect my characters it's going to leave a sour taste in my mouth. I understand that this is a work-in-progress, but a little blurb about it in the patch notes isn't much to ask for unless the goal was to keep it under wraps and hope nobody would notice.
Post edited by alphahydri on
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Comments

  • sarcasmdetectorsarcasmdetector Member Posts: 1,176 Media Corps
    Drain builds have been gutted. Energy Siphon has also been nuked.

    Just some numbers to wrap your head around:

    Holodeck: Max FlowCap skill + fleet buffs = 2.1 power per stack of PlasLeech

    Tribble: Max DrainX skill + fleet buffs + 3x Embassy FlowCap Consoles MK14 Epic = 2.1 power per stack of PlasLeech

    So now you need 3 flowcap consoles (basically the minimum you need to spec into drain builds) is required to EQUAL what you had before without any consoles.
  • alphahydrialphahydri Member Posts: 391 Arc User
    Drain builds have been gutted. Energy Siphon has also been nuked.

    Just some numbers to wrap your head around:

    Holodeck: Max FlowCap skill + fleet buffs = 2.1 power per stack of PlasLeech

    Tribble: Max DrainX skill + fleet buffs + 3x Embassy FlowCap Consoles MK14 Epic = 2.1 power per stack of PlasLeech

    So now you need 3 flowcap consoles (basically the minimum you need to spec into drain builds) is required to EQUAL what you had before without any consoles.
    Very true, unfortunately. Though drain abilities like Energy Siphon and Tachyon Beam are being affected by the current aux power scaling bug, I have heard from others that there has been an additional reduction in the effectiveness of drain abilities regardless of aux power, which they noticed from their own testing.

    Of all the things in STO that needed a nerf, Science abilities and Science in general was NEVER one of them.

  • comrademococomrademoco Member Posts: 1,694 Bug Hunter
    Correct me if I'm wrong... But didn't @borticuscryptic mentioned that there were some numbers wrong with flowcaps or was it aux powers, making it an issue and not a nerf?
    6tviTDx.png

  • alphahydrialphahydri Member Posts: 391 Arc User
    Correct me if I'm wrong... But didn't @borticuscryptic mentioned that there were some numbers wrong with flowcaps or was it aux powers, making it an issue and not a nerf?
    That issue is with aux power scaling. The Plasmonic Leech has never been affected by aux power and only Flow Capacitors. Though stats were said to carry over at a 1:1 ratio between Holodeck and Tribble, apparently that's not the case because 100 Drain Expertise =/= 100 Flow Capacitors.

  • dracounguisdracounguis Member Posts: 5,358 Arc User
    So... I should sell that extra console reward box I have now before the revamp? ;)
    Sometimes I think I play STO just to have something to complain about on the forums.
  • comrademococomrademoco Member Posts: 1,694 Bug Hunter
    I guess then the course of action is to tag @borticuscryptic and have him give us an answer, before we go calling nerf... After all the revamp is still WIP.

    I'll have to test with my main later this weekend, as I also relay heavily on plasmonic leech and flow caps for .... Dmg
    6tviTDx.png

  • semalda226semalda226 Member Posts: 1,994 Arc User
    Get used to it guys! Science has always been the Red-headed Stepchild in STO we get the Nerf Hammer more frequently than any other class (God forbid Tacs get a Nerf) I think this marks the 4th Science Nerf now. Gonna be interesting to see the final value when it comes out on Holo deck Servers cause my copied character has received about a 23% reduction in damage taking me from 53k dps on a full exotic build to 41k which is a pretty hefty nerf.
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  • duncanidaho11duncanidaho11 Member Posts: 7,980 Arc User
    edited February 2016
    alphahydri wrote: »

    Of all the things in STO that needed a nerf, Science abilities and Science in general was NEVER one of them.

    Assuming again that it is a nerf, not just a glitch in the system. Post this over in the tribble forums. If after the proper feedback processes is followed through and this makes it to season 11.5 you can start talking about this as a nerf. As it is though, this is an unexpected thing with a feature in testing. Treat it as such.
    Bipedal mammal and senior Foundry author.
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  • peterconnorfirstpeterconnorfirst Member Posts: 6,225 Arc User
    I’m interested in understanding how this nerf was implemented. Was plasmonic leech changed directly or is it a more indirect result of the NPC targeted with it?

    I mean some of them seem to have influential flow caps too which, under the change, will grand influential power insulators as well.

    Is that affecting the leech perhaps?
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  • duncanidaho11duncanidaho11 Member Posts: 7,980 Arc User
    I’m interested in understanding how this nerf was implemented.

    From the looks of it it's just not scaling correctly. Alternatively certain buffs aren't applying but that depends on what the intermediate values of the drain are, not just max and base.
    Bipedal mammal and senior Foundry author.
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  • alphahydrialphahydri Member Posts: 391 Arc User
    I’m interested in understanding how this nerf was implemented. Was plasmonic leech changed directly or is it a more indirect result of the NPC targeted with it?

    I mean some of them seem to have influential flow caps too which, under the change, will grand influential power insulators as well.

    Is that affecting the leech perhaps?
    I'm looking at the stats that the Plasmonic Leech has with nothing targeted and you're just sitting there doing nothing. Besides, it's not the reduced power drain on enemies that is the main issue, it's more that the power you get returned to your own subsystems has been reduced as well. So now it is less effective against both draining a target's power and boosting your own.
  • conundrumnsaconundrumnsa Member Posts: 705 Arc User
    I suspect this skill revamp will have a great many "stealth" and not so "stealth" nerfs. It's probably one of the reasons for the revamp. Take care of all of the skills that they devs view as "problematic".

    You didn't get nerfed...it's just the changes to damage the skills do in the new system...

    ummm...what's the difference.
  • enkemenenkemen Member Posts: 113 Arc User
    I find this massively entertaining. So leech, which is *not* a core mechanic (it's a special uni console from a mid-tier KDF ship that was released via lockbox to Feds) but was so overpowered that *every* DPS build had to have one, has been changed from an outlier of excessive proportions (the most powerful console in the game, by far) to something that's just on the powerful end of normal.

    About time.

    This is also a nice step in making cannon-scorts more competitive with FAW-boats, due to their superiour power consumption mechanics.

    Perhaps to mitigate the loss of drain from some of the other builds, which, admittedly does seem to harm drain builds, they'll reduce the overall drain resistance on NPCs. I could see that being a fair tradeoff.
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  • peterconnorfirstpeterconnorfirst Member Posts: 6,225 Arc User
    edited February 2016
    enkemen wrote: »

    This is also a nice step in making cannon-scorts more competitive with FAW-boats, due to their superiour power consumption mechanics.

    Erm hu? My 100k cannon escort would not be a 100k cannon escort without the leech.

    This nerf is BAD for everybody if true.
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    felisean wrote: »
    teamwork to reach a goal is awesome and highly appreciated
  • peterconnorfirstpeterconnorfirst Member Posts: 6,225 Arc User
    coldnapalm wrote: »
    I’m interested in understanding how this nerf was implemented. Was plasmonic leech changed directly or is it a more indirect result of the NPC targeted with it?

    I mean some of them seem to have influential flow caps too which, under the change, will grand influential power insulators as well.

    Is that affecting the leech perhaps?

    Since energy siphon and the rift abilities both have wonky values, I suspect that this is an issue with just how drain works over plasmonic specifically being targeted. SIGH...I was hoping they would deal with tact online with this balance pass, but they seem adamant that they nerf sci...while buffing tact even more (6% crit chance and 20% crit severity...really? Tacts really needed even more stupid pew pew?!?).

    Oh yea that’s the way it is. All DPS boats make use of sci stuff a great deal. Always have.

    Embassy consoles (plasma explosions +flow), energy syphon (nandi trait) now feedback pulse (krenim trait).

    Nerf DPS over sci abilities will directly mean nerf sci abilities.
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    felisean wrote: »
    teamwork to reach a goal is awesome and highly appreciated
  • nikeixnikeix Member Posts: 3,972 Arc User
    Or they could just go on the exchange and see what the most broken tool/combos in the game are by browsing prices in descending order. Follow up with some spot checking by going to you-tube and typing in "STO DPS build". You petty much get a check list of all the things they're chipping away at whether you call them science or engineering or tactical. Plasmonic leech is right there on the best-in-slot shopping list for most DPS builds. Its not like science is being singled out.
  • peterconnorfirstpeterconnorfirst Member Posts: 6,225 Arc User
    edited February 2016
    nikeix wrote: »
    Or they could just go on the exchange and see what the most broken tool/combos in the game are by browsing prices in descending order. Follow up with some spot checking by going to you-tube and typing in "STO DPS build". You petty much get a check list of all the things they're chipping away at whether you call them science or engineering or tactical. Plasmonic leech is right there on the best-in-slot shopping list for most DPS builds. Its not like science is being singled out.

    I more and more start to believe that this is what the skill revamp (right along with a change to every single piece of gear in game) is all about.

    Hope they are smart enough to see that DPS builds are a massive sync with tac powers to be only one part of it. Take away the DEEPZ over sci will hurt the fans only a bit while hurting the rest much more.

    If I do 100k or 80k in ISA is not that big of a concern for me. Setting back all the 10k peeps to 5 would be however. Not to mention the sci or eng peeps which use the stuff for other purposes than plain DPS. :/

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    Looking for a fun PvE fleet? Join us at Omega Combat Division today.
    felisean wrote: »
    teamwork to reach a goal is awesome and highly appreciated
  • mustrumridcully0mustrumridcully0 Member Posts: 12,963 Arc User
    Well, if I were to nerf Plasmonic Leech, I would probably target the power level bonus or turn it into a clickable effect. The drain seems the lesser balance problem currently.
    I guess then the course of action is to tag @borticuscryptic and have him give us an answer, before we go calling nerf... After all the revamp is still WIP.

    I'll have to test with my main later this weekend, as I also relay heavily on plasmonic leech and flow caps for .... Dmg

    There is a feedback forum and a feedback thread for these changes on Tribble. Use it.
    Star Trek Online Advancement: You start with lowbie gear, you end with Lobi gear.
  • alphahydrialphahydri Member Posts: 391 Arc User
    enkemen wrote: »
    I find this massively entertaining. So leech, which is *not* a core mechanic (it's a special uni console from a mid-tier KDF ship that was released via lockbox to Feds) but was so overpowered that *every* DPS build had to have one, has been changed from an outlier of excessive proportions (the most powerful console in the game, by far) to something that's just on the powerful end of normal.

    About time.

    This is also a nice step in making cannon-scorts more competitive with FAW-boats, due to their superiour power consumption mechanics.

    Perhaps to mitigate the loss of drain from some of the other builds, which, admittedly does seem to harm drain builds, they'll reduce the overall drain resistance on NPCs. I could see that being a fair tradeoff.
    Regardless of what Cryptic's motives were for this change, no notice of it at all when we have been told multiple times that stats will convert at a 1:1 ratio is just flat-out misleading and wrong. If it truly was their intention to nerf Plasmonic Leech, then they should've explicitly said something about it instead of trying to cover it up with the guise of a skill system revamp. This change has also inadvertently affected drain builds, which sorely need a buff and are now on track to be even less viable in endgame content should this revamp go live as-is.

    I've seen too many MMOs out there be ruined by a sheer lack of communication between the developers and the players, with the devs making seemingly arbitrary changes to core game mechanics, stats, and items without any real explanation, warning, or justification for their actions. I'd hate to see STO be added to that list.

  • alphahydrialphahydri Member Posts: 391 Arc User
    edited February 2016
    There is a feedback forum and a feedback thread for these changes on Tribble. Use it.
    I would've posted this in the official feedback thread or even made my own thread in the general discussion forums for Tribble, but too much important, useful feedback gets submerged underneath a whole bunch of irrelevant material or gets left to rot in forum purgatory with no attention.

    With that in mind I decided to put it here, where it can get a lot more attention from the general public and make the issue more well-known to everyone, not just those who are already posting feedback in the official forum.
  • comrademococomrademoco Member Posts: 1,694 Bug Hunter
    ^^^^


    I agree!
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  • nikephorusnikephorus Member Posts: 2,744 Arc User
    Nerfing is in and everyone is doing it.
    Tza0PEl.png
  • sinn74sinn74 Member Posts: 1,149 Arc User
    nikeix wrote: »
    Or they could just go on the exchange and see what the most broken tool/combos in the game are by browsing prices in descending order. Follow up with some spot checking by going to you-tube and typing in "STO DPS build". You petty much get a check list of all the things they're chipping away at whether you call them science or engineering or tactical. Plasmonic leech is right there on the best-in-slot shopping list for most DPS builds. Its not like science is being singled out.

    I more and more start to believe that this is what the skill revamp (right along with a change to every single piece of gear in game) is all about.

    Hope they are smart enough to see that DPS builds are a massive sync with tac powers to be only one part of it. Take away the DEEPZ over sci will hurt the fans only a bit while hurting the rest much more.

    If I do 100k or 80k in ISA is not that big of a concern for me. Setting back all the 10k peeps to 5 would be however. Not to mention the sci or eng peeps which use the stuff for other purposes than plain DPS. :/

    This is what I've seen. They kind of messed with things that boost high DPS tactical builds (in the skill tree). They've replaced them with other things to make it not as blatant, but it hurts non-tacs even more. I almost want to ask for a career retrain token with this revamp...but, likely, I'll just take an extended break until it gets straightened out, if ever.
  • sarcasmdetectorsarcasmdetector Member Posts: 1,176 Media Corps
    A certain dev i know has kicked me in the face and i've spent the last half hour climbing out of a pit.

    Ok, I was wrong. It's still a little bit too early to panic. It's highly likely that this will be fixed soon.
  • samt1996samt1996 Member Posts: 2,856 Arc User
    He's willing to a hear arguments for adjusting energy Siphon so long as they are done intelligently and diplomatically but Plasmonic Leech is likely to stay nerfed. And it should that damn thing has been an OP crutch for years.
  • scarlingscarling Member Posts: 708 Arc User
    Make sci professions have "built in" higher sci skills. So you can nerf the dpsers and leave the poor sci's alone.
  • duncanidaho11duncanidaho11 Member Posts: 7,980 Arc User
    alphahydri wrote: »
    There is a feedback forum and a feedback thread for these changes on Tribble. Use it.
    I would've posted this in the official feedback thread or even made my own thread in the general discussion forums for Tribble, but too much important, useful feedback gets submerged underneath a whole bunch of irrelevant material or gets left to rot in forum purgatory with no attention.

    So you think the general forum is a better alternative (where there's more people, a greater variety of topics, and less reason for interested devs to check for feedback or bug reports relevant to upcoming system changes?)
    Bipedal mammal and senior Foundry author.
    Notable missions: Apex [AEI], Gemini [SSF], Trident [AEI], Evolution's Smile [SSF], Transcendence
    Looking for something new to play? I've started building Foundry missions again in visual novel form!
  • jagdtier44jagdtier44 Member Posts: 376 Arc User
    semalda226 wrote: »
    Get used to it guys! Science has always been the Red-headed Stepchild in STO we get the Nerf Hammer more frequently than any other class (God forbid Tacs get a Nerf) I think this marks the 4th Science Nerf now. Gonna be interesting to see the final value when it comes out on Holo deck Servers cause my copied character has received about a 23% reduction in damage taking me from 53k dps on a full exotic build to 41k which is a pretty hefty nerf.

    Let nothing and I mean nothing stand infront of Federation Tactical Admirals online
  • nikeixnikeix Member Posts: 3,972 Arc User
    In what universe do you think Fed Tactical Admirals aren't using plasmonic leech?
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