Forums » Suggestions
Now that we've had this in game for a bit, I think it's time for an adjustment.
The primary role of a powercell blaster seems to me to be for Trident pursuit. I have not encountered any other situation that warranted losing a weapons port for a PCB. Currently a single pilot needs to be constantly firing his PCB on a trident to prevent it from jumping or turboing. The smallest lapse in a PCB assault gives the Trident the window it needs to jump out, and thus guaranteeing it's safety (since Tridents can then easily sector hop faster than any pursuer can fire another PCB shot at them).
Right now, it takes at least two to three pilots with PCBs to trap a piloted trident in a sector, and then further pilots to drop shields and effect damage. This is assuming there isn't further resistance present in the form of support fighters and the like. Making the PCB more effective for single-wielders would, in my opinion, better fit its purpose given the general nature of trident encounters and the average online player population.
Power Cell Blaster
Drain: 60 (currently 50)
Velocity: 150 (unchanged)
Energy: 8/blast (10/blast)
Delay: 0.16s (unchanged)
Mass: 100kg (unchanged)
Grid: 4 (unchanged)
This change would effectively buy the PCB wielder and team a bit more time to attack the trident. I think it's worth seeing it this makes it more useful, but not OP.
Alternatively, if the cumulative "negative" energy suggestion I made in the drain mine post were implimented for PCBs, the current PCB stats would suffice, as we could cast a trident into an energy deficit by hitting it hard with PCBs.
http://www.vendetta-online.com/x/msgboard/3/28443
The primary role of a powercell blaster seems to me to be for Trident pursuit. I have not encountered any other situation that warranted losing a weapons port for a PCB. Currently a single pilot needs to be constantly firing his PCB on a trident to prevent it from jumping or turboing. The smallest lapse in a PCB assault gives the Trident the window it needs to jump out, and thus guaranteeing it's safety (since Tridents can then easily sector hop faster than any pursuer can fire another PCB shot at them).
Right now, it takes at least two to three pilots with PCBs to trap a piloted trident in a sector, and then further pilots to drop shields and effect damage. This is assuming there isn't further resistance present in the form of support fighters and the like. Making the PCB more effective for single-wielders would, in my opinion, better fit its purpose given the general nature of trident encounters and the average online player population.
Power Cell Blaster
Drain: 60 (currently 50)
Velocity: 150 (unchanged)
Energy: 8/blast (10/blast)
Delay: 0.16s (unchanged)
Mass: 100kg (unchanged)
Grid: 4 (unchanged)
This change would effectively buy the PCB wielder and team a bit more time to attack the trident. I think it's worth seeing it this makes it more useful, but not OP.
Alternatively, if the cumulative "negative" energy suggestion I made in the drain mine post were implimented for PCBs, the current PCB stats would suffice, as we could cast a trident into an energy deficit by hitting it hard with PCBs.
http://www.vendetta-online.com/x/msgboard/3/28443
I'm not going to -1 the OP, just want to say that there are numerous trident bugs to fix before this should be revisited, because one such bug effects how a trident behaves under fire from the PCB.
+1 for reasons more to do with PCBs being useful for general pursuit. Could care less about their utility for chasing a broken end game content.
It's clear Dr. Lecter doesn't play VO right now, lol... but I appreciate the +1! And I agree with Csgno1 about other stuff needing fixed...
Not only do I get in game about once a week lately, greenballs, I usually have a PCB in the s-port of my Hound. The ability to make a moth drop infinboost before it can go through a WH is valuable enough to rely solely on MP.
The real problem is not the PCB. The problem is the rapid-sector-hopping mechanic itself. I maintain that the best solution is to limit the ability to rapidly hop; you should only be able to rapid-hop two or three times in a row before a longer delay is enforced.
Hell no, the PCB is a rubbish implementation for a disable mechanic. Buffing it won't help disable tridents because of the bugs with them.
It's a dumb idea that such a weapon was ever made a small port in the first place, but with all the trident bugs its worked out to be useless, the meta-game would be no different without the PCB blaster.
You know a great way to stop a pilot from warping out lecter? blowing them up.
It's a dumb idea that such a weapon was ever made a small port in the first place, but with all the trident bugs its worked out to be useless, the meta-game would be no different without the PCB blaster.
You know a great way to stop a pilot from warping out lecter? blowing them up.
+1 to OP
*updated*
Power Cell Blaster
Drain: 50 (unchanged)*
Velocity: 150 (unchanged)
Energy: 8/blast (10/blast)
Delay: 0.16s (unchanged)
Mass: 100kg (unchanged)
Grid: 4 (unchanged)
-added: Causes recharge rate on all powercells to be 10/s for 30 seconds after the last hit
This change should (if I did my math correctly) add about six seconds on top the the current amount of time it takes a Trident (or any ship) to generate enough charge to jump again after entering a sector, assuming they have a FC. It would also make it much more difficult (though not impossible) for a Trident to jump out of a sector while under attack from a PCB.
Power Cell Blaster
Drain: 50 (unchanged)*
Velocity: 150 (unchanged)
Energy: 8/blast (10/blast)
Delay: 0.16s (unchanged)
Mass: 100kg (unchanged)
Grid: 4 (unchanged)
-added: Causes recharge rate on all powercells to be 10/s for 30 seconds after the last hit
This change should (if I did my math correctly) add about six seconds on top the the current amount of time it takes a Trident (or any ship) to generate enough charge to jump again after entering a sector, assuming they have a FC. It would also make it much more difficult (though not impossible) for a Trident to jump out of a sector while under attack from a PCB.
That would certainly be helpful for pinning people down. It has the side effect of making it a potentially useful PVP weapon, though. I don't think that's actually a bad thing, but 30 seconds might be too much.
Just once, I'd like to see a buff added that erred on the side of OP rather than nerfed to fuck.
So you want more things like the greyhound.
The real problem is not the PCB. The problem is the rapid-sector-hopping mechanic itself. I maintain that the best solution is to limit the ability to rapidly hop;
The problem with it is that your power cell starts charging before you ever gain control of your ship. Even if you jump in at the exact same moment as your target and the game puts you 50m away, there's no way to fire the PCB and have it travel before they're able to jump.
Causes recharge rate on all powercells to be 10/s for 30 seconds after the last hit
This would make it colossally more effective against fighters than it is right now, which I think would be a bad thing...
But you gave me a great idea!
The problem with it is that your power cell starts charging before you ever gain control of your ship. Even if you jump in at the exact same moment as your target and the game puts you 50m away, there's no way to fire the PCB and have it travel before they're able to jump.
Causes recharge rate on all powercells to be 10/s for 30 seconds after the last hit
This would make it colossally more effective against fighters than it is right now, which I think would be a bad thing...
But you gave me a great idea!
I can't believe Lecter is the only one that support this, lol!
So you want more things like the greyhound.
Lots of people fly Hounds, but aside from pirates shooting traders, I don't see people fighting in them despite all your claims of Hound superiority. Sounds like they do what they're supposed to, aside from not requiring the same kind of prom/valk choice other high-end specialized ships require.
Lots of people fly Hounds, but aside from pirates shooting traders, I don't see people fighting in them despite all your claims of Hound superiority. Sounds like they do what they're supposed to, aside from not requiring the same kind of prom/valk choice other high-end specialized ships require.
People use hounds all the time in station battles as a defensive ship. And BR1 uses hounds all the time to perform their circus acts.
"The problem with it is that your power cell starts charging before you ever gain control of your ship."
No, that is not the problem. It certainly doesn't help matters, but the fact is that you can charge to 25% in 1.25 seconds. That isn't enough time for a pursuer to do shit diddly.
"I can't believe Lecter is the only one that support this, lol!"
I guess I wasn't clear enough. I do support your revised version. I'd like it even more if the effect was limited to 10 seconds, but it's not a deal-breaker.
No, that is not the problem. It certainly doesn't help matters, but the fact is that you can charge to 25% in 1.25 seconds. That isn't enough time for a pursuer to do shit diddly.
"I can't believe Lecter is the only one that support this, lol!"
I guess I wasn't clear enough. I do support your revised version. I'd like it even more if the effect was limited to 10 seconds, but it's not a deal-breaker.
I agree with Pizza, 30 seconds seems a bit long for a fast action game like VO. 5 to 10 seconds makes sense to me.
Well the entire point of 30 seconds reduced charge rate is to supress the ability to sector hop. Anything less than that and it will not really have the desired effect on that.
And in normal pvp, if someone zaps you with their pcb (with such a reduced rate), you still could dodge and weave like normal (which is the primary way you avoid getting hit anyway). And if you have flares obviously you can still fire those off... I think going to less than 30 seconds is erring in favor of being too conservative. I'm with Lecter, lets set it to 30s and then adjust afterwards if it's really a problem.
And also, perhaps the ideal power drain weapon is actually only a RATE reducer, as opposed to something that just takes additional energy off. Or maybe there should be two different types? I think this needs more thought because the concept of an energy drain weapon is a really good one, but the current PCB clearly has flaws that inhibit any effective use. And the drain mine is just a novelty, and more or less worthless.
Major problems related to PCB (assuming that one of the primary intentions of this weapon was to prevent jumping):
1) You can't fire it quick enough to keep someone from sector hopping (after you both jump into a sector).
2) PCB is rendered useless by undock/redock battery reset bug.
3) The PCB isn't an effective weapon in PVP. Nobody is going to give up a weapons port and use up their energy firing a blaster that has a very tiny chance of hitting, and when it does hit only causes a second's worth of reduction to the enemy's supply.
And in normal pvp, if someone zaps you with their pcb (with such a reduced rate), you still could dodge and weave like normal (which is the primary way you avoid getting hit anyway). And if you have flares obviously you can still fire those off... I think going to less than 30 seconds is erring in favor of being too conservative. I'm with Lecter, lets set it to 30s and then adjust afterwards if it's really a problem.
And also, perhaps the ideal power drain weapon is actually only a RATE reducer, as opposed to something that just takes additional energy off. Or maybe there should be two different types? I think this needs more thought because the concept of an energy drain weapon is a really good one, but the current PCB clearly has flaws that inhibit any effective use. And the drain mine is just a novelty, and more or less worthless.
Major problems related to PCB (assuming that one of the primary intentions of this weapon was to prevent jumping):
1) You can't fire it quick enough to keep someone from sector hopping (after you both jump into a sector).
2) PCB is rendered useless by undock/redock battery reset bug.
3) The PCB isn't an effective weapon in PVP. Nobody is going to give up a weapons port and use up their energy firing a blaster that has a very tiny chance of hitting, and when it does hit only causes a second's worth of reduction to the enemy's supply.
The PCB isn't an effective weapon in PVP.
You're misusing the term "PVP" here to describe dueling. The PCB is a terrible duel weapon. It's great for a number of PVP scenarios like the obvious uses by pursuers to prevent targets from escaping. It also makes for a fun combination with swarms in a gank.
You're misusing the term "PVP" here to describe dueling. The PCB is a terrible duel weapon. It's great for a number of PVP scenarios like the obvious uses by pursuers to prevent targets from escaping. It also makes for a fun combination with swarms in a gank.