Please add the TR-116A Rifle to the Phoenix Prize Packs

chispin55 · April 2021

I know that we have the B-version as a craftable, but as a collector of odds and ends within STO, is there any chance of the A version being add to the phoenix packs? Even if you can find a sealed version of the Target store physical copies, I doubt the keys work anymore.

kurtron · April 2021

Similarly the Chronodynamic Armor.
Even if they were added to the Mudd's store.

evilmark444 · April 2021

chispin55 wrote: »

is there any chance of the A version being add to the phoenix packs?

In a stream awhile back, over a year ago I think actually, one of the devs said the TR-116A is the one item they can say with absolute certainty will never be obtainable again because it's ability to shoot through walls "breaks things". They said that is also why it is not upgradable and will never be upgradable in the future.

chispin55 · April 2021

evilmark444 wrote: »

chispin55 wrote: »

is there any chance of the A version being add to the phoenix packs?

In a stream awhile back, over a year ago I think actually, one of the devs said the TR-116A is the one item they can say with absolute certainty will never be obtainable again because it's ability to shoot through walls "breaks things". They said that is also why it is not upgradable and will never be upgradable in the future.

But then wouldn't they get rid of them entirely if that's the reason?
I don't mind getting one even it's non-upgradable, just want to get my grubby mitts one one.

evilmark444 · April 2021

chispin55 wrote: »

But then wouldn't they get rid of them entirely if that's the reason?

They aren't going to remove something once it's been given to players, especially a pre-order bonus.

chispin55 · April 2021

evilmark444 wrote: »

chispin55 wrote: »

But then wouldn't they get rid of them entirely if that's the reason?

They aren't going to remove something once it's been given to players, especially a pre-order bonus.

Forgive me if I am being obtuse, but if there is an item that is "breaking things", irrespective of the number of them already in place, either it would be modified, or changed for something else (i.e. a mechanic removed, etc)?
Is there anyone else who can clarify what the devs said about this matter?

chispin55 · April 2021

reyan01 wrote: »

Hate to say it, but it is essentially a novelty weapon. Great if all you are looking for is space-Barbie (although there are other weapons with very similar visuals) but otherwise its performance vs level 65 NPCs would be laughable, since it hails from an era WAY before level 65 was even a thing.

As mentioned before, I have no issue with that

angarus1 · April 2021

It won't happen, but I wouldn't mind seeing it pop up elsewhere.

I still use it sometimes on Nimbus III, it's pretty handy against those rock throwing Gorn in the canyon.

darkbladejk · April 2021

Would it be cool to have it, sure it would. However there are very valid reasons as to why it's not coming back and it shouldn't come back. When you are shooting through walls you have the potential to break maps in a number of ways. Having objects ghosting through walls and similar can cause severe glitching and even crashing. This as the game and engine tries to account for projectiles being places they were never meant to be. You're basically telling the game "X is the map and anywhere outside of X is out of bounds" but then turning around and telling the game "oh yeah but this thing to move in and out of X whenever it wants." While this example isn't a perfect example, consider like trying to divide by zero in math, with the TR-116A being the thing dividing by zero. Then there's the issue of potentially killing foes before they were meant to be killed and causing an issue where the mission is unable to advance because those specific foes were killed prematurely. If the game had been designed with such weapons in mind from the start as a main staple and more planning devoted to said weapons, we might not have lost the TR-116A. Even then, the best laid plans don't always survive the heat of battle as the saying goes.

As to why they wouldn't simply remove them from people who had them and take away the existing TR-116As from people, this is because of 2 reasons as chief examples. First, it was a pre-order bonus, and could have been trouble to start a false advertising claim against them. Whether said claim succeeded or not, it's a headache they didn't need. The second reason is that it wouldn't have been good business and would have been seen as a slap in the face to customers. Also not that many people would've had the TR-116A to begin with. So allowing a very limited number of people to keep them, many of which have dropped off over time, was a small price to pay to keep the populace happy. As far as options go today, there are objectively better options in terms of damage than the TR-116A that exist today. The TR-116B is a prime example of this. Where as the previous 116A could go through walls and only bypassed 20% of an enemy's shields, the 116B is a complete shield bypass and goes directly to their health, and can be upgraded. The 116B trades the ability to shoot through walls for greater damage potential, and a full on shield bypass. If one plays their cards right, you can one-shot quite a few foes on the ground with the 116B that you could never do with the 116A.

Lastly on this point, if Cryptic could figured out a way to bring this back minus the crashing and bugs, they very well might do it. However at this point in time, there would be very little if any gain for a massive amount of work.

Overall Cryptic has actually tried to give people chances at the previous rewards and items they may never have gotten a chance at, or perhaps even missed before. People often forget there was a code in early activation packs that could get you a Red Matter Capacitor in game. For the longest time that was the only way to get the Red Matter Capacitor, until they stuck it in the phoenix boxes. While very rare tokens aren't as easy to come by as they were before, they're still not that difficult to get.

chispin55 · April 2021

darkbladejk wrote: »

Would it be cool to have it, sure it would. However there are very valid reasons as to why it's not coming back and it shouldn't come back. When you are shooting through walls you have the potential to break maps in a number of ways. Having objects ghosting through walls and similar can cause severe glitching and even crashing. This as the game and engine tries to account for projectiles being places they were never meant to be. You're basically telling the game "X is the map and anywhere outside of X is out of bounds" but then turning around and telling the game "oh yeah but this thing to move in and out of X whenever it wants." While this example isn't a perfect example, consider like trying to divide by zero in math, with the TR-116A being the thing dividing by zero. Then there's the issue of potentially killing foes before they were meant to be killed and causing an issue where the mission is unable to advance because those specific foes were killed prematurely. If the game had been designed with such weapons in mind from the start as a main staple and more planning devoted to said weapons, we might not have lost the TR-116A. Even then, the best laid plans don't always survive the heat of battle as the saying goes.

As to why they wouldn't simply remove them from people who had them and take away the existing TR-116As from people, this is because of 2 reasons as chief examples. First, it was a pre-order bonus, and could have been trouble to start a false advertising claim against them. Whether said claim succeeded or not, it's a headache they didn't need. The second reason is that it wouldn't have been good business and would have been seen as a slap in the face to customers. Also not that many people would've had the TR-116A to begin with. So allowing a very limited number of people to keep them, many of which have dropped off over time, was a small price to pay to keep the populace happy. As far as options go today, there are objectively better options in terms of damage than the TR-116A that exist today. The TR-116B is a prime example of this. Where as the previous 116A could go through walls and only bypassed 20% of an enemy's shields, the 116B is a complete shield bypass and goes directly to their health, and can be upgraded. The 116B trades the ability to shoot through walls for greater damage potential, and a full on shield bypass. If one plays their cards right, you can one-shot quite a few foes on the ground with the 116B that you could never do with the 116A.

Lastly on this point, if Cryptic could figured out a way to bring this back minus the crashing and bugs, they very well might do it. However at this point in time, there would be very little if any gain for a massive amount of work.

Overall Cryptic has actually tried to give people chances at the previous rewards and items they may never have gotten a chance at, or perhaps even missed before. People often forget there was a code in early activation packs that could get you a Red Matter Capacitor in game. For the longest time that was the only way to get the Red Matter Capacitor, until they stuck it in the phoenix boxes. While very rare tokens aren't as easy to come by as they were before, they're still not that difficult to get.

Thank you for taking the time to address each point thoroughly, I appreciate that!
Sure, even if the legal route wouldn't stand, I can well see that it's better to avoid the headache and PR negativity in the first place.

Every now and then old Target packs crop up, would Cryptic honour these codes (providing that they're sealed)?
I know it may sound petty to some, but I am a collector, and was very pleased when able to get previously unobtainable items (such as the red matter capacitor mentioned).

darkbladejk · April 2021

chispin55 wrote: »

Thank you for taking the time to address each point thoroughly, I appreciate that!
Sure, even if the legal route wouldn't stand, I can well see that it's better to avoid the headache and PR negativity in the first place.

Every now and then old Target packs crop up, would Cryptic honour these codes (providing that they're sealed)?
I know it may sound petty to some, but I am a collector, and was very pleased when able to get previously unobtainable items (such as the red matter capacitor mentioned).

Those codes have long since expired unfortunately. It sucks because I have a Red Matter Capacitor code myself. You can try to ask them about it but I can tell you that they probably won't. Not after 11 years. Would be akin to someone finding an old Super Nintendo bottle cap and expecting Nintendo to honor it today. Would be cool if they did but probably won't happen.

As for the other stuff, I do wish they could find a way to bring the 116A back if for no other reason than for folks to say they finally have it, but it's just not going to happen as is.

ltminns · April 2021

I thought I read a few years ago that they had changed it after it was out to remove its OP ability. So it had already been modified.

rattler2 · April 2021

ltminns wrote: »

I thought I read a few years ago that they had changed it after it was out to remove its OP ability. So it had already been modified.

If that is true... then it would be in the form of the TR-116B that can be crafted in game.

Please add the TR-116A Rifle to the Phoenix Prize Packs

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