They should have been reserved for T7 (whenever that will be if ever)
cruiser and science ships get nothing for escorts having an extra 8th 360 arc weapon slot.
Why do escorts need a 360 arc weapon slot? the whole point of them is keeping the front arc on target to deal damage.
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The 360 arc slot, BTW, allows for a rear-facing weapon to fire forward. The new weapon is special turret; a small bonus to what most escorts already use (ie. turrets, you put them in back and dual heavy cannons up front, plus a torpedo. The point is to maximize forward firepower, but that doesn't mean you don't have some weapons that can fire in any direction.)
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"Tier 5 Upgrade Modules"
"Tier 5 Fleet Ship Upgrades"
"Free Tier 5 Upgrades to T5 lockbox/lobi/promo ships"
"Ship console set bonus"
It's okay. Just pull out your wallet again, and also grind the same content harder. It helps end-game 'content development.' Or just start playing your other low tier ships too since game content is so easy. /sarcasm
FYI
It'll be a free upgrade to all T6 raiders, escorts, and TAC-focused warbirds. If you don't have a T6 escort/raider/warbird, then you can save dilithium (it comes as a normal part of gameplay) or wait for a seasonal event with a relevant ship. If neither of these is an acceptable option, then don't bother because by no means is "having a heavy weapons slot" (or a T6 ship, or even a T5U ship) a prerequisite on playing/enjoying all but elite content.
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The two versions would be the rail/gauss/coil-gun that is most likely on a turret type set up giving it a wider range of firing arc being 360 degrees, and being a kinetic type weapon who's damage bypasses some of a target's shield. Than you would have the high output beam-based lance weapons that have a much more frontal/narrow firing arc from needing to be basically built into the ship's hull.
T7 would require upping the level cap again. However there is a flaw in that. We're already at the highest rank in Starfleet/KDF/RRF. What is there above Fleet Admiral and Dahar Master?
The Devs already said there will be no more VERTICAL level progression past 60. We've got Lateral with the specializations. They don't need T7 because they can just keep expanding T6 to cover new specializations, or even make new ships for the older ones.
I disagree about being T7. It needs to be retrofitted to all tiers, and torpedoes re-classed as heavy weapons.
Thus, you have energy weapon slots and torp/heavy weapon slots on ships. And have different cycles/cooldowns for them. Cryptic could then actually sell a true torp boat, if desired, with a console that stops the global torp cooldown from stopping a true torp barrage!
I agree that small escorts + a 'heavy weapon' don't really go together.
360 arc is stupid. the very name 'heavy' would lead you to think it's big and cumbersome, thus leading to a smaller arc.
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President of the Federation, Chancellor of the Klingon Empire, Proconsul of the Romulan Republic, and Grand Poobah of the Milky Way Galaxy which are all ridiculous ranks for a MMO game. Specializations certainly make increasing the level cap to be completely pointless.
They would have to come up with a whole new mechanic for starships to justify T7.
Also, 100% sure the "rebalancing" has been needed for some time and has little to do with prepping for T7. And unless you work for Cryptic or know someone who does personally, then I'm pretty sure that you're speculating.
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There is no T7. Unless the Devs come out and say "T7 ships coming", there is no T7, and will not be any T7. And how does the ground balance pass we just had play into T7?
source?
if you don't have a REAL source, then stop spreading rumors
Fleet Admiral's mom.
Agreed.
Escorts Online was like 5 years ago. Since then we all had to witness the rising faw battle cruiser & dreadnought meta up to its current state. If escorts get some attention now it’s only fair not to mention a welcome change of pace.
The fact that all current escorts will be upgraded is a nice move from cryptic which is noted as well by the way.
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Donald? Is that you? With your "alternative facts"....LOL.
Seriously, this balance has been needed for a long time. It might not be quite what everyone wanted nor be the perfect solution but to suggest it's something else based on sod all evidence is just ridiculous.
Escorts get extra bonus defense. The reason cruisers got commands and sci ships got sensor analysis was to try and address how the game had became escorts online.
Even now cruisers are a rare sight in PvP and this change will buff escorts even further.
Yes, battlecruisers reign in PvE at the moment, but the balance changes on tribble actually buffed cannon using escorts, while nerfing FAW users. An extra weapon slot was totally unnecessary.
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The poster's name was noted, and the rest of their ranting summarily dismissed.
The Defiant and its quad cannons suggest otherwise.
The railgun is a store-locked heavy weapon with a 360 arc. We don't know that ALL heavy weapons will have a 360 arc. Only that if you want to have a kinetic 360 weapon in that slot, you'll need to buy the new ships.
Honestly, I was laughing that the rail gun, under the FX/special slot, is another Borg cutting beam. And like the cutting beam doesn't interact with any weapons abilities.
It looks like borg cutting beam might be turned into heavy weapon with new update.
The only existing weapon that I think might be changed to a heavy weapon classification is the quad cannons.
true lol. It was just first thing that popped in my mind when reading about heavy weapons "Thats KCB!" xd
I'm not spending time re-writing it to try to educate those who don't know or haven't been around long enough to know why Escorts did not need a buff with respect to other ship types, or why Science ships or Cruisers need their abilities in order to stand out more significantly as separate ship tiers beyond ship stats and starship mastery.
I could care less about Escorts receiving the buff since the game's not balanced anyways and power selling is standard practice.
My only concern is T5s being shafted. This is poor business practice to neglect existing supporters who paid for and/or fed the metrics grinding for T5 escorts only to be left out in the cold.
Those supporting this and begging for PWE fatcats to take your wallets, they may well listen and release T7s with extra goods while selling T6 upgrade tokens that essentially make end-game ships 'capable' but completely sub-par well beyond the T5-FU T6-F gap.