I've only played a week but am really impressed at a lot of the changes here. Each faction has it's own decent ships and weapons and the power adjustment is a reasonable measure to insure people play it as they should (mostly).
So no more running around from one end of Sirius to the other getting a smorgasborg of weapons and components that make no sense--yay!
Here's my two issues and I think they are serious because they involve the fun and excitment of what the core game is: smuggling and combat.
For trade, its great that you can run a real trade route that's faction based and it's even greater that most of the factions have trade routes with equal profit potential--really good balance job there.
What SUCKS THE FUN out of it though is the smuggling side. Aside from pure rp reasons alone, there is NO reason to smuggle contraband. Why even bother? You don't make more than legal commodities, still can get pirated with it plus can get busted by the authorities. Half the fun of the game was smuggling in goods without getting caught with the anxiety and hope of the big payoff (or loss) at the end. That's gone now.
Smuggling should have a greater reward. Make it hard, do what you have to do but smuggling is fun for the law and the crime playing sides in the game. Independents and minor criminal factions already have onerous restrictions of ships sizes and equipment--letting them risk more to earn more isn't going to unbalance things. This was a pure, vanilla, CORE dynamic of the game--it should be left there.
As to combat: I had an OC gunboat on a moderate size ($870,000,fighter only) anti-BH mission. My wife called and needed some help and I left right as I reached the target area. I came back thirty minutes later (I didn't know I'd be gone that long) and my ship is sitting there unscathed. Again, fun lost because there is no risk.
On another note, I now run my trader transport on autopilot through volatile gas and even the weaker mine fields now and watch it plow through with hardly a flicker from the shields. I go through scary space and with only a few exceptions, just being on cruise insures I won't get stopped--90% of the npcs don't use cruise disruptors.
I know the missions can't really be fixed without a ton of adjustment and it's ok. But the navigating through hostile and hazardous space without even having to pay attention or break a sweat is not as fun.
Please put a few 'specials" in here and there that can randomly pop up now and then and ruin your day.
I think for fighters--especially player ones--a "free" CD mount should be added to what's already there so they at least have a chance at piracy. A fully armed and armored transport now is a capital ship compared to them and having to chose between stopping the transport or actually being able to scratch it is a lose-lose option. You need both.
Overall, changes are fantastic and t's been fun. But I miss the terror and uncertainty.
A few short comments:
-Missions aren't really the focus of disco. They're basically there to pass time and grind credits. Player interaction is what we try to encourage.
-Smuggling is terrible. This is agreed upon by many.
-Player fighters are certainly capable of piracy. To be honest the torpedos are quite terrible at attacking player transports, a proper shield/hull buster setup is far more efficient. Also, you will find the heavy pirate fighters (Werewolf and Titan) are very well suited to fighter piracy.
gone four years, first day back: Zoners still getting shot in Theta :|
' Wrote:What SUCKS THE FUN out of it though is the smuggling side.
Hell yeah. I used to smuggle quite often, together with LR- and SW). It was such a good RP opportunity, making alliances, escaping the police, traveling through space by only taking jumpholes and creating large convoys. But somehow, smuggling got unprofitable and soon the losses got higher than the profit.
I'd highly appreciate it, if those "smuggling-goods" prices get rebalanced.
Smuggling is great, but not money-wise. The thrill you get from escaping cops or even doing it with a cloak is great. You have to worry about not losing your cargo and also you gotta plan your route using jump holes so the cops can't track you.
' Wrote:What SUCKS THE FUN out of it though is the smuggling side. Aside from pure rp reasons alone, there is NO reason to smuggle contraband. Why even bother? You don't make more than legal commodities, still can get pirated with it plus can get busted by the authorities. Half the fun of the game was smuggling in goods without getting caught with the anxiety and hope of the big payoff (or loss) at the end. That's gone now.
Smuggling should have a greater reward. Make it hard, do what you have to do but smuggling is fun for the law and the crime playing sides in the game.
AGREED!
An unfounded opinion of another is a reflection upon oneself. -Me (awesomeness)
Everyone has always agreed that smuggling should pay more, however for some reason it still hasnt been changed?
The mines, and asteroid collisions, and gas clouds and whatnot, were designed for vanilla, where youd be flying defenders and anbis's. Now that evryone has disco MK2 fighters, or bigger ships, they dont really do much. This is a problem. A good start would be adding in force based damage, so a GB has a lot more force behind it than a fighter, so should do more damage on collision.
Piracy. I dont get it, why wouldnt fighters with CDs be able to hurt transports? Do you think they need torps? Torps are useless against transports because of the explosion bug.
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' Wrote:Everyone has always agreed that smuggling should pay more, however for some reason it still hasnt been changed?
The mines, and asteroid collisions, and gas clouds and whatnot, were designed for vanilla, where you'd be flying defenders and anbis's. Now that evryone has disco MK2 fighters, or bigger ships, they dont really do much. This is a problem. A good start would be adding in force based damage, so a GB has a lot more force behind it than a fighter, so should do more damage on collision.
Piracy. I dont get it, why wouldnt fighters with CDs be able to hurt transports? Do you think they need torps? Torps are useless against transports because of the explosion bug.
With almost no exceptions no true "fighter" is taking down a 5K transport single-handed unless it's pilot is asleep.
I don't think fighters should be able to take one down--just have a shot at it--which is a bit problematic if you have to decide on a minirazor vs CD for example. You'll need both to go at it solo.
Without the CD, the transport pilot shrugs and waves "buh-bye" before you can scratch him. With a CD and no weapon like a minirazor you have to be up against a truly incompetent transport pilot for him not to make it to a safe area near a base or battleship or hang on long enough for aid. He'll claw your shield bats off before you can really hurt him.
Again, we aren't talking about skilless. If I am in a fighter with no CD and a player transport full of juicy goods rips by me, I don't even bother.
On missions, I know it isn't worth any effort to adjust the little ones. it's just to point out once you make it up to GB level, "fighters do not convern me commander" in missions.
By random specials I just meant, occasionally let one of the darn npcs have a CD rather than them never having one.
This is so wrong... Mini Razor has such a lousy energy efficiency compared to guns it's next to useless against anything bigger than a snub. Guns work just fine against transports - if they get away, it probably means they've invested in some heavy duty armor. And good on them if they did.
On smuggling: I only do it as a way to pass time, it is less risky than "regular" trade but monewise not worthwhile, especially if you stay in rp and use only jumpholes and no gates/lanes. In order to make it a bit more exciting you can try to fly "stupid" so at least some of your enemies have a chance to see you at least to start a chase...
On pirating in a fighter: I pirate regularly with a Titan, which for once has a small advantage over other snubs if you use codes: it has more energy to use its guns(mind you, stay away from those salas;)) so it can chew through runaway transports a bit faster. Still, if it is a battletransport, armored transport, BWT and invested in a CAU6+ ...then he will escape to the next base if he is not stupid, or he will ill you if you don't play your cards right.
So if you still want to fly small craft and ahve it a bit easier try a bomber with a SNAC and a CD, the big chunks of HP or shield that fall off after a hit convince most traders a bit faster than 10+ min of you chasing them in your VHF;)