View Single Post
Join Date: Jun 2012
Posts: 598
# 17
02-06-2013, 05:18 AM
Originally Posted by virusdancer View Post
I wish the game had target dummies.

Static Target.
Cruiser Target.
Escort Target.
Fighter Target.
Mixed Group Target.

Something that a person could go through and...get a baseline. Where the resists and defense stats of the target were folks could look at the numbers and adjust them based on what they might be facing - taking into account different resists and heals that would be received.

We don't have those, though. Folks have tested things against each other though, eh? OPvP: "Hey, can somebody help me test something?"

So folks must have parsed the Escort DHC vs. Escort Beam builds - they should have the DPS from the first to compare to the DPS of the latter, right? Hard numbers?

As a separate note in regard to Beams on Escorts, there's an additional benefit outside of just having the additional Tac consoles and +Weapon Power: flawed Arcs.

Okay, so this doesn't just apply to Beams - it applies to all weapons with a cycle (whether DHCs or Hyper-Plasma torps). The target only has to be in the arc when you start the cycle. The weapon will continue to fire at the target even after the target's left the arc.

Escorts are best suited to exploit these flawed Arcs because of their turn rates. With that base turn rate and judicial use of abilities that boost turn - you can give Beams the appearance of having a 360 arc while also firing your fore and aft torps.

You approach the target (Fore facing) - fire your beams and Fore torp. You turn left. Fore beams are still in their arc and continue to fire. Aft beams now in their arc begin to fire. You continue to turn left (Aft facing). Your Fore beams are still going to fire, even though they're no longer in their arc. The Aft beams will continue to fire since they're obviously still in their arc. Your Aft torp fires. You continue to turn left. Fore and Aft beams are both in their arcs and continue to fire. You turn left again (Fore facing once more). Yep, not only will your Fore beams and Fore torp fire - but your Aft beams are going to continue firing if they're still in that cycle. Given that the beams have that 250 arc, it's very easy to give the appearance of the Beams having 360 arcs - as long as you wiggle from side to side instead of just sitting on a target Fore/Aft.

It would be strange if they ever fixed this - there are probably a lot of DHC Escortjocks that would take a hit to their DPS cause they don't even realize it. Others, well - they wouldn't notice - they're that good...Evil Bastiches.

Hrmmm, so should weapons check arc per shot instead of per cycle?

It is kind of amusing. though, to have that Hyper-Plasma mounted fore, firing, doing the quick 180, and giving the appearance that your Hyper-Plasma is mounted aft while firing off the THY Omega that is mounted aft.

But still, would Arrays be more viable if:

DHCs/DCs actually only fired in their 45s?
DBBs actually only fired in their 90s?
SCs actually only fired in their 180s?

Heck, what about Torps, eh? That single shot - single activation - in its 90? Would they look better if everything else was actually limited to the arc that's supposed to be limiting them...but isn't?

Kind of begs the questions, eh? Are the weapons balanced with this flaw acknowledged or balanced without it being acknowledged? If they're balanced with it, well - that's that. If not though, maybe they should fix the arcs or balance the weapons around the broken arcs.

Simple test: Grab a friend, DHCs, CRF, line up the friend on the edge of your 45, CRF, fire, turn, and watch the DHCs fire while outside the 45 arc. It's broken.
Yeah, we need some kind of shooting range with a built-in combat log and dmg/healing counter, where a person can load up whatever weapons s/he wants and whatever target s/he wants, and even adjust the various equipment on the target. How cool would that be? I would be in that program at least 5 times a week!!

PvP Boot Camp Project Leader Emeritus